Inclusion
Adults aged 18 and older
Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document
Allogeneic stem cell transplant, with active cGVHD requiring systemic treatment. Active cGVHD is defined as the presence of signs and symptoms of cGVHD diagnosed per the 2014 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical trials in cGVHD
Sclerotic skin score 2-3 or PROM \< 24 or Joints/Fascia score 2-3 due to cGVHD
Initial diagnosis of sclerosis within the past 12 months.
For example, if a patient is diagnosed with sclerosis on 01/01/2026, they remain eligible through 01/01/2027
No new non-corticosteroid systemic immunosuppressive agent within 28 days prior to screening, unless there is a plan to stop them no later than 21 days after the first dose of axatilimab. Receipt of systemic corticosteroids ≤ 1 mg/kg prednisone or prednisone equivalent daily is allowed at the time of enrollment and may be continued after axatilimab initiation
If patient has been previously treated with systemic immunosuppression for sclerosis, one of the following two conditions must be true: (a) the systemic immunosuppressive treatment(s) were given for at least 60 days and the sclerotic cGVHD either did not respond, progressed, or initially improved but has not continued to improve in the last 6 weeks; (b) the systemic immunosuppressive treatment(s) were given for less than 60 days due to lack of sclerotic cGVHD response, sclerotic cGVHD progression, toxicity or logistic reasons and have or will be stopped no later than 21 days after the first dose of axatilimab
Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60%
Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.0 x 10\^9/L (evaluated during the 28-day screening period)
Platelet count ≥ 50 x 10\^9/L (evaluated during the 28-day screening period) (without transfusion within 2 weeks of study entry)
If no suspected or proven liver cGVHD, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (evaluated during the 28-day screening period) unless due to Gilbert's disease
If no suspected or proven liver cGVHD, total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (evaluated during the 28-day screening period) unless due to Gilbert's disease
For patients with suspected or documented liver cGVHD, ALT and AST ≤ 5 x ULN (evaluated during the 28-day screening period) unless due to Gilbert's disease
For patients with suspected or documented liver cGVHD, total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (evaluated during the 28-day screening period) unless due to Gilbert's disease
Estimated creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min based on the institutional formula
Male and female participants of reproductive potential must be willing to employ highly effective and acceptable forms of contraception from screening through 90 days after the last dose of study treatment.
Adolescent and adult male patients capable of fathering a child who are non-sterilized and who are not abstinent and intend to be sexually active with a female partner of childbearing potential must use two methods of birth control from the time of screening throughout the total duration of the study intervention treatment period and 90 days after the last dose of study intervention. Male patients should refrain from sperm donation throughout this period
Female patients of childbearing potential who are not abstinent and intend to be sexually active with a non-sterilized male partner must use at least one highly effective method of contraception from the time of screening throughout the total duration of the study intervention treatment period and 90 days after the last dose of study intervention. Periodic abstinence, the rhythm method, and the withdrawal method are not acceptable methods of birth control. Female patients should also refrain from breastfeeding throughout this period
Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to treatment initiation. Females of childbearing potential are defined as sexually mature females without prior hysterectomy or who have had any evidence of menses in the past 12 months. However, females who have been amenorrheic for 12 or more months are still considered to be of childbearing potential if the amenorrhea is possibly due to prior chemotherapy, anti-estrogens, or ovarian suppression
Exclusion
Hospitalization for evaluation or management of an infection within 28 days prior to screening
History or other evidence of significant organ dysfunction that would make the patient, in the opinion of the investigator, unsuitable for the study
On more than 1 mg/kg/day prednisone or prednisone equivalent
History of non-compliance
History or other evidence of uncontrolled psychiatric illness that that would limit compliance with study requirements
Receipt of an investigational agent within 28 days prior to screening
Any evidence (histologic, cytogenetic, molecular, hematologic, or mixed) of relapse of the underlying cancer or post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease at the time of screening
Diagnosed with another malignancy (other than malignancy for which transplant was performed) within 3 years of study enrollment, unless previously treated with curative intent (e.g. complete resected basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin)
Active hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B virus \[HBV\] surface antigen positive and HBV core antibody positive, with positive HBV deoxyribonucleic acid \[DNA\], or HBV positive core antibody alone with positive HBV DNA) or hepatitis C (defined as positive hepatitis C \[HCV\] antibody with positive HCV ribonucleic acid \[RNA\])
Suspected active or untreated/inadequately treated latent tuberculosis (as confirmed by a positive QuantiFERON® test or other tuberculosis blood test if untreated)
History of clinically significant acute pancreatitis within 3 years prior to enrollment or evidence of chronic pancreatitis
History of myositis
Pregnant or breastfeeding
Previous exposure to colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) therapies