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A Study to Investigate the Safety and Tolerability of Intravenous QEQ278 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Phase 1
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Carcinoma, Renal Cell
Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT05462873
Lead Sponsor
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Brief Summary

To characterize safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of QEQ278 in adult patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and human papilloma virus associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Detailed Description

This study is an open-label, phase I/Ib, multi-center study of QEQ278 as a single agent, consisting of a dose escalation part followed by a dose expansion part.

In the dose escalation part of the study, patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), or human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) will be treated with QEQ278 single agent until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is reached or a lower recommended dose (RD) is established.

The study may enter the dose expansion, after an MTD(s) and/or RD(s) is declared in the dose escalation.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • Signed informed consent must be obtained prior to participation in the study.
  • Adult men and women ≥ 18 years of age.
  • Histologically confirmed and documented advanced malignancies (locally advanced malignancies, non-curable by surgery or radiotherapy and metastatic disease). Disease must be measurable, including presence of at least one measurable lesion, as determined by RECIST v1.1.
  • In the opinion of the treating investigator, patients must have received, but are not benefitting from standard therapies, be intolerant or ineligible to receive such therapy, or have no standard therapy option for the respective disease types (diseases listed below), as well as any other therapies deemed to be standard by local/institutional standard.
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
  • Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
  • Renal cell carcinoma
  • HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
  • Must have a site of disease amenable to biopsy and be a candidate for tumor biopsy according to the treating institution's guidelines. The patient must be willing to undergo a new tumor biopsy at screening and during treatment.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Active previously documented or suspected autoimmune disease. Patients with vitiligo, type I diabetes, residual hypothyroidism only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur should not be excluded. Patients previously exposed to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment who are adequately treated for skin rash or with replacement therapy for endocrinopathies should not be excluded.
  • Patients with a history of or current interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis ≥ Grade 2.
  • Patients who discontinued prior anti-PD-1 therapy due to an anti-PD-1-related toxicity
  • Clinically significant cardiac disease or risk factors at screening
  • Insufficient bone marrow function at screening:
  • Infections:
  • Known history of testing positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection.
  • Active Hepatitis B and / or Hepatitis C.
  • Active, documented COVID-19 infection
  • Known history of tuberculosis
  • Any serious uncontrolled infection (acute or chronic).
  • Systemic chronic steroid therapy (>10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) or any immunosuppressive therapy, other than replacement-dose steroids in the setting of adrenal insufficiency, within 7 days of the first dose of study treatment. Topical, inhaled, and ophthalmic steroids are allowed.

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Part 2: Dose expansionQEQ278Dose expansion with QEQ278 single agent
Part 1: Dose escalationQEQ278Dose escalation with QEQ278 single agent
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Incidence and nature of Dose Limiting Toxicities (DLTs) during the DLT evaluation period for single agent QEQ27828 days

A DLT is defined as an adverse event or abnormal laboratory value assessed as unrelated to disease, disease progression, inter-current illness, or concomitant medications that occurs within the DLT evaluation period and meets the criteria defined in the study protocol.

Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)Up to 31 months

Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), including changes in laboratory values, vital signs, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) qualifying and reported as AEs.

Frequency of dose interruptions, reductionsUp to 30 months

Number of dose interruptions of QEQ278 and number of dose reductions of QEQ278

Dose intensityUp to 30 months

Dose intensity of QEQ278 is defined as the ratio of actual cumulative dose received and actual duration of exposure.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1Up to 30 months

ORR is defined as the proportion of patients with a confirmed BOR of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) by local investigator review as per RECIST v1.1.

Progression-free survival (PFS) per RECIST v 1.1Up to 30 months

PFS is defined as the time from the date of start of treatment to the date of the first documented progression by local investigator review as per RECIST v1.1, or death due to any cause.

Total body clearance (CL) of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The total body clearance of drug from the serum

Elimination half-life (T1/2) of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The elimination half-life associated with the terminal slope of a semi logarithmic concentration-time curve

Duration of Response (DOR) per RECIST v1.1Up to 30 months

DOR is defined as the time form the date of the first documented response (CR or PR) to the date of the first documented progression by local investigator review as per RECIST v1.1 or death due to underlying cancer.

Time to reach peak serum concentration (Tmax) of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The time to reach maximum (peak) serum drug concentration after single dose administration

Peak serum concentration (Cmax) of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The maximum (peak) serum drug concentration after single dose administration

Area under the concentration time curve (AUC) infinity of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The AUC from time zero to infinity

Volume of distribution (Vz) of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The apparent volume of distribution during terminal phase

Incidence of anti-drug antibody (ADA)Day 1 and 15

Immunogenicity of QEQ278

Disease control rate (DCR) per RECIST v1.1Up to 30 months

DCR is defined as the proportion of patients with a confirmed best overall response (BOR) of CR or PR or stable disease (SD) by local investigator review as per RECIST v1.1.

Area under the concentration time curve (AUC) last of QEQ278During first 168 days of treatment

The AUC from time zero to the last measurable concentration sampling time

Trial Locations

Locations (4)

University of California LA

🇺🇸

Los Angeles, California, United States

Florida Cancer Specialists

🇺🇸

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Massachusetts General Hospital Dept. of Mass General Hospital

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Novartis Investigative Site

🇨🇳

Taipei, Taiwan

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