A Cancer Research UK Randomised, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Phase IIa Trial of AMG 319 Given Orally as a Neoadjuvant Therapy in Patients With Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Positive and Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Cancers use 'defence mechanisms' to hide from the immune system and teach the immune system not to destroy cancer cells. AMG 319 works by blocking these defence mechanisms in the tumour. It targets and blocks an important protein called PI3K delta.

In the laboratory this leads to removal of a group of inhibitory immune cells. Releasing the immune brakes leads to immune attack and destruction of cancer cells.

AMG 319 looks promising in laboratory studies and in a very early study in a small number of patients with leukaemia and we now wish to find out if it will be useful in treating patients with head and neck cancer.

This study is a randomised, doubleblind, placebo controlled Phase II trial looking at the effects of giving AMG 319 to patients with either human papilloma virus (HPV) positive or negative head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We propose to treat patients prior to resection surgery so that we can study the effect of AMG 319 on the cancer in fine detail.

Approximately 54 patients with HPV positive or negative HNSCC of the hypopharynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, supraglottis or larynx will be entered into the study. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups and will receive between 20 and 29 days of oral dosing with AMG 319 or placebo immediately before resection surgery.