The main goal of this research study is to determine if the fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) improves the body's ability to fight your cancer.
This is a phase II Simon two-stage single-center study of concurrent fecal microbiota transplang (FMT) with pembrolizumab in patients with PD-1 resistant/refractory melanoma. The study will be conducted over a 12-week period (and up to 24-weeks in responding patients). Patient eligibility is based upon prior exposure to PD-1 inhibitor therapy and response at first (or subsequent) restaging scans from week 12 up to week 52. Patients must have received a minimum of 2 cycles to be considered eligible. Patients who have received either nivolumab or pembrolizumab are eligible. Patients who have received pembrolizumab/nivolumab in combination with other investigational agent(s) may be eligible at the discretion of the treating investigator. PD-1 refractory disease is defined as progressive disease (PD) at the first (or subsequent) radiographic evaluation while receiving PD-1 inhibitor treatment as assessed by RECIST v1.1 on a restaging scan. Other eligibility criteria include absence of CNS disease, presence of disease amenable to biopsy and lack of contra-indications to FMT administration. Patients will be stratified on the presence or absence of liver metastases. Suitable patients will be identified following first (or subsequent) restaging study that documents progressive disease (RECIST v1.1). Patients will undergo a screening evaluation consisting of imaging (including CNS if clinically suspected), tumor biopsy, and serological/stool studies to confirm suitability for FMT administration. Eligible patients will receive FMT endoscopically (along with intestinal biopsy) (with cycle 1 pembrolizumab +/- 3 days) followed by 3 further cycles of pembrolizumab (cycles 2-4) following which restaging will be performed. Patients with stable and/or responding disease will continue to receive pembrolizumab on study for 4 cycles. Patients with stable and/or responding disease after 8 cycles of pembrolizumab will continue to receive therapy off study until disease progression or up to two years from FMT administration.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
FMT is a procedure in which fecal matter or stool is collected from a tested donor, mixed with a saline or other solution, strained and infused into the colon by doing a colonoscopy. The FMT consists of introducing normal bacterial flora contained in stool collected from a donor into your small intestine. In this case, the donor is patient with advanced melanoma who has been treated with a PD-1 inhibitor (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) and has been rendered disease-free as a result. The FMT will be performed on Cycle 1 Day 1. Pembrolizumab, 200mg, through an IV over 30 minutes on Cycle 1 Day 1 (same day as the FMT, and then again on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for an additional 3 cycles (Cycles 2 - 4).
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Number of patients with patients with objective responses (Complete Response (CR) + Partial Response (PR), per RECIST 1.1. Complete Response (CR): Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. Partial Response (PR): At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.
Time frame: Up to 3 years
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
Number of patients with patients with Complete Response (CR), Partial Response (PR), or Stable Disease (SD) per RECIST 1.1. Complete Response (CR): Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. Partial Response (PR): At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. Stable Disease (SD): Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum diameters while on study.
Time frame: Up to 3 years
Incidence of Grade III/IV Toxicities
Number of patients who experienced grade III or grade IV toxicities per CTCAE v5.0, related to study treatment.
Time frame: Up to 4 years
Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Time from first response to to treatment until documented disease progression by RECIST v1.1 or death due to any cause. Progression as defined by RECIST v1.1 for target lesions: Progressive Disease (PD): smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. (Note: the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progressions). For non-target lesions: Progressive Disease (PD): Appearance of one or more new lesions and/or unequivocal progression of existing nontarget lesions. Unequivocal progression should not normally trump target lesion status. It must be representative of overall disease status change, not a single lesion increase.
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Time frame: Up to 4 years
6-month Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Percentage of patients who did not experience documented disease progression by RECIST v1.1 or death due to any cause from start of treatment until 6 months post treatment initiation. Progression as defined by RECIST v1.1 for target lesions: Progressive Disease (PD): smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. (Note: the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progressions). For non-target lesions: Appearance of one or more new lesions and/or unequivocal progression of existing nontarget lesions. Unequivocal progression should not normally trump target lesion status. It must be representative of overall disease status change, not a single lesion increase.
Time frame: At 6 months
12-month Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Percentage of patients who did not experience documented disease progression by RECIST v1.1 or death due to any cause from start of treatment until 12 months post treatment initiation. Progression as defined by RECIST v1.1 for target lesions: Progressive Disease (PD): smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. (Note: the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progressions). For non-target lesions: Appearance of one or more new lesions and/or unequivocal progression of existing nontarget lesions. Unequivocal progression should not normally trump target lesion status. It must be representative of overall disease status change, not a single lesion increase.
Time frame: At 12 months
24-month Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Percentage of patients who did not experience documented disease progression by RECIST v1.1 or death due to any cause from start of treatment until 24 months post treatment initiation. Progression as defined by RECIST v1.1 for target lesions: Progressive Disease (PD): smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. (Note: the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progressions). For non-target lesions: Appearance of one or more new lesions and/or unequivocal progression of existing nontarget lesions. Unequivocal progression should not normally trump target lesion status. It must be representative of overall disease status change, not a single lesion increase.
Time frame: At 24 months
Overall Survival (OS)
Overall survival (OS), defined as time from first dose of study treatment until death due to any cause.
Time frame: Up to 6.5 years
6-month Overall Survival (OS)
Percentage of patients alive at 6 months from first dose of study treatment.
Time frame: At 6 months
12-month Overall Survival (OS)
Percentage of patients alive at 12 months from first dose of study treatment.
Time frame: At 12 months
24-month Overall Survival (OS)
Percentage of patients alive at 24 months from first dose of study treatment.
Time frame: At 24 months
Change in T-cells Composition
Quantitative differences in CD8 + PD1+ T cells (measured by percent of total cells) and MFI (staining intensity) between pre- and post- treatment samples from patients that respond and patients that do not respond (per RECIST 1.1), to study treatment. Information available in linked citation.
Time frame: 4 years
Change in Innate/Adaptive Immune System Subsets
Changes in CD8+ T-cell receptor diversity (quantified/determined by using Immunoseq analyses), CD4 + Foxp3 + T regulatory cells, CD56 + NK cells, CD68+ dendritic cells between pre- and post- treatment samples from patients that respond and patients that do not respond (per RECIST 1.1), to study treatment. Information available in linked citation.
Time frame: 4 years
Function of T-cells
Functional analyses (measured by percent of total cells) expressing IFNgamma) and MFI (staining intensity) between pre- and post- treatment samples from patients that respond and patients that do not respond (per RECIST 1.1), to study treatment. Information available in linked citation.
Time frame: 4 years