Intratumoral PH-762 for Cutaneous Carcinoma

Phase 1

Recruiting

• Conditions: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin; Merkel Cell Carcinoma of Skin; Malignant Melanoma of Skin
• Interventions: Drug: PH-762

• Registration Number: NCT06014086
• Lead Sponsor: Phio Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intratumoral injections of PH-762 in squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, or Merkel cell carcinomas of the skin, to understand what the body does to the PH-762, and to observe how the tumor responds to the drug. Participants will receive four injections of PH-762 at weekly intervals, into a single tumor, followed by surgical removal of the tumor approximately two weeks later.

Detailed Description

PH-762 is a potent RNAi molecule targeting PD-1. PH-762 can inhibit the immune checkpoint PD-1 in the tumor and thereby impede tumor growth. As a preoperative therapy, it may decrease the lesion size and has the potential to improve surgical morbidity. Intratumoral immunotherapy aims to use the tumor as a 'self-vaccine'. The local immune stimulation can induce robust priming of an anti-tumor immune response while generating systemic (abscopal) tumor responses, mediated by properly activated anti-tumor immune cells in the circulation. Local delivery of immunotherapy is expected to minimize systemic exposure and off-target toxicities.

This is a non-comparative study of neoadjuvant monotherapy using PD-1 targeting self-delivering RNAi (PH-762) in adult subjects with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, or Merkel cell carcinoma. The study treatment consists of four intratumoral injections of PH-762 at weekly intervals, into a single tumor lesion. Excision of the tumor will occur approximately two weeks following the fourth dose of IT PH-762, and the subjects will be followed for an additional 11 weeks.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-08-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-08-25
• Study First Posted: 2023-08-28
• Study Start: 2023-11-07
• Status Verified: 2024-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-09
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-11
• Primary Completion: 2025-06
• Study Completion: 2025-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Histologically confirmed cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), melanoma, or Merkel cell carcinoma, meeting one of the following criteria:

  • cSCC, resectable local tumors: must be Stage II or lower, amenable to curative resection and in a location where acceptable surgical margins are anticipated
  • cSCC, unresectable local tumors: must be Stage II or lower, tumor has been unresponsive to prior radiation therapy or is not a candidate for curative radiation therapy
  • cSCC, metastatic disease: disease has progressed during or following prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy (anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody)
  • Melanoma, metastatic disease: Stage IV disease with a cutaneous lesion that has progressed during or following checkpoint inhibitor therapy (anti-PD-1/-PD-L1), and if BRAF-mutation is present, has progressed during or following prior treatment with anti-BRAF + MEK therapy
  • Merkel cell carcinoma, metastatic disease: Stage IV disease with a cutaneous lesion that has progressed during or following checkpoint inhibitor therapy (anti-PD-1/PD-L1)

• A minimum of one tumor of ≥ 1.0 cm and < 3.0 cm in longest dimension that is accessible (with or without imaging guidance) for intratumoral injection and for biopsy and surgical excision must be present. The tumor is not necrotic, hemorrhagic, or friable, and is not within 2 cm of the eye or within 0.5 cm of or on the lip (including the vermilion border) and is not in a mucosal or visceral location.

Key

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Exclusion Criteria

• Other malignancy within prior 3 years, with certain exceptions.
• Current cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or biologic therapy.
• Any serious or uncontrolled medical disorder including auto-immune disease that may increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, or interfere with the interpretation of study results.
• Females who are pregnant or are breastfeeding.

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sequential escalating doses of PH-762.	PH-762	Escalating doses of PH-762 are to be tested, with an observation period between doses.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Adverse Events	16 weeks	Incidence, severity, seriousness and relatedness of all treatment-emergent adverse events.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pharmacokinetics: maximum plasma concentration (Cmax)	3.5 weeks	Maximum concentration of PH-762 following intratumoral injection.
Pharmacokinetics: time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax)	3.5 weeks	Time to maximum concentration of PH-762 following intratumoral injection.
Tumor burden	5 weeks	Change in tumor burden will be assessed per RECIST/ iRECIST guidelines for the treated lesion.
Pathologic response	5 weeks	Pathological response will be assessed by relative amount of viable tumor in resection specimens of the treated lesion.
Pharmacokinetics: area under the curve to last quantifiable plasma concentration (AUClast)	3.5 weeks	Exposure to PH-762 through last quantifiable concentration following intratumoral injection.

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center; 🇺🇸 Gilbert, Arizona, United States

George Washington University; 🇺🇸 Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Integrity Research; 🇺🇸 Delray Beach, Florida, United States

Centricity Research; 🇺🇸 Columbus, Ohio, United States

UPMC Department of Dermatology; 🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States