This is a multicenter open-label, single-arm, phase II study designed to investigate the pharmacodynamic and antitumor effects of denosumab alone and in combination with an anti-Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD1) agent (pembrolizumab or nivolumab) in patients with unresectable Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor-naïve regional and distant metastatic melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV). The pharmacodynamic and antitumor effects will be investigated by performing translational research on peripheral blood and tumor tissue collected before and during denosumab alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment.
STUDY OBJECTIVES Co-primary Objectives * Assess the mechanistic (immune-mediated and/or direct antitumor effect) and pharmacodynamics effect (tissue saturation studies) of denosumab alone (i.e., after three loading doses of denosumab are given on days 1,8 and 22) in patients with unresectable (or resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (stage III/IV) by performing translational research on peripheral blood and tumor biopsy samples collected at baseline and after third loading dose of Denosumab. * Assess the immune-mediated and direct antitumor effect of denosumab in combination with anti- PD-1 agent in patients with unresectable (or resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV) by performing translational research on peripheral blood and tumor biopsy samples collected at weeks 16, 28 and 40 of the study and comparing the results with those from baseline and after third loading dose of Denosumab. Secondary Objectives * Assess the safety of the denosumab-anti-PD-1 agent combination in unresectable (resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV) by National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.5.0. * Determine antitumor response by Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) v1.1 criteria of the denosumab-anti- PD-1 agent combination at 16 weeks in patients with unresectable (resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV). * Determine the 1-year Overall Survival rate of the Denosumab-anti-PD-1 agent combination in patients with unresectable (or resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV). * Determine the 6-month PFS rate of the denosumab-anti-PD-1 agent combination in patients with unresectable (or resectable) stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naive melanoma (The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV). Endpoints Co-primary Endpoints * The immune-mediated mechanism of action of denosumab alone will be evaluated in blood and tumor samples collected at baseline and after the third loading dose of denosumab. Multiparameter flow cytometry and ELISA assays will be performed on peripheral blood/serum samples as outlinedin the protocol. Tumor biopsy samples will be evaluated by IHC and IF studies as outlined in the protocol. * The immune-mediated mechanism of action of denosumab combined with anti-PD-1 agent will be evaluated in blood and tumor samples collected at weeks 16, 28, and 40 of the study. Multi-parameter flow cytometry and ELISA assays will be performed on peripheral blood/serum samples collected at weeks 16, 28, and 40 as outlined in the protocol. Tumor biopsy samples obtained at week 16 will be evaluated by immune histochemical (IHC) and immune florescent (IF) studies as outlined in the protocol. Secondary Endpoints * Adverse Events (AE) experienced by patients receiving denosumab-anti- PD-1 agent will be assessed per National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.5.0. * The overall response (complete response + partial response ) at 16 weeks will assessed based on Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) v1.1 criteria. The overall Survival (OS) rate at 1 year is defined as the time from day 1 of study treatment until death as a result of any cause within one year of initiating study treatment. -Progression Free Survival (PFS) rate at 6 months is defined as the time from day 1 of treatment until disease progression or death status measured 6 months after initiating study treatment. Progression events will be defined per Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) v1.1 criteria. Procedures Subjects in this trial will be given denosumab, 120 mg s.c. q4 weeks, starting on day 1 of study treatment. Additional loading doses of Denosumab will be administered on day 8 and day 22 ( after Amendment 1). Nivolumab, 480 mg will be administered intravenously (IV) every 4 weeks and initiated 21 days after the first dose of Denosumab is given. In subjects enrolled prior to Amendment 1 Pembrolizumab, 200 mg will be administered intravenously (IV) every 3 weeks and initiated 21 days after the first dose of denosumab is given. Combination therapy with both agents will continue as long as subjects benefit from therapy for up to 1 year. Study therapy will be discontinued for intolerable toxicity, disease progression or for other reasons at the discretion of the investigator. If subjects are not withdrawn prematurely then their last dose of study medications will be administered approximately 49 weeks after denosumab was initiated.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
A dose of 120 mg will be administered as a subcutaneous (s.c.) injection every 4 weeks in the upper arm, upper thigh, or abdomen. Another loading dose of 120 mg s.c. denosumab will be administered on day 8. On days when denosumab is administered on the same day as pembrolizumab, the s.c. injection should be given after the infusion of pembrolizumab is completed.
Pembrolizumab will be administered as standard of care following the institutional guidelines.The recommended dose of pembrolizumab is 200 mg administered as an IV infusion over approximately 30 minutes (range: 25 - 40 minutes) every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Nivolumab will be given every four weeks at a dose of 480 mg to be administered as an IV infusion per institutional guidelines.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
The Antitumor Effect of Denosumab Alone as Represented by the Change in Recent Thymic Emigrant Cells in Peripheral Blood
The antitumor effect of denosumab alone (i.e., after two loading doses of denosumab are given on day 1 and day 8) in patients with unresectable stage III or distant metastatic Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (stage III/IV) will be assessed by performing translational research on peripheral blood samples collected at baseline and on day 21 of the study. The hypothesis is that denosumab treatment will prevent the destruction of autoreactive T cells within the thymus -and therefore will increase the influx of those T cells into the blood, termed recent thymic emigrants (RTE). RTE will be measured by multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of cluster of differentiation CD4+ and CD8+ RTE isolated from peripheral blood. Results will be expressed as the change in the number of cells/microliter of peripheral blood between the baseline and the day 21 time points.
Time frame: 3 weeks after start of denosumab
The Antitumor Effect of Denosumab Alone as Represented by the Change in Density of Tumor-infiltrating Cluster of Differentiation (CD8+) Cells (TILs) in Tumor Tissue.
The antitumor effect of denosumab alone (i.e., after two loading doses of denosumab are given on day 1 and day 8) in patients with unresectable stage III or distant metastatic Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (stage III/IV) will be assessed by performing translational research on tumor biopsy samples collected at baseline and on day 21 of the study. The hypothesis is that denosumab alone will increase influx of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ cells (TIL). The density of TILs (number of cells by tumor surface area in mm2) in tumor tissues will be evaluated by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Immunofluorescence (IF) studies.
Time frame: 3 weeks after start of denosumab
The Antitumor Effect of Denosumab Combined With Anti-PD-1 Inhibitor as Represented by the Change in Recent Thymic Emigrant Cells in Peripheral Blood - CD8+
The antitumor effect of denosumab combined with anti-PD-1 inhibitor (Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab) in patients with unresectable stage III or distant metastatic Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (stage III/IV) will be assessed by performing translational research on peripheral blood samples collected at weeks 16, 28 and 40 of the study. The hypothesis is that denosumab treatment will prevent the destruction of autoreactive T cells within the thymus -and therefore will increase the influx of those T cells into the blood, termed recent thymic emigrants (RTE). RTE will be measured by multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of cluster of differentiation (CD)8+ and CD 4+ RTE isolated from peripheral blood. Results will be expressed as the change in the number of cells/microliter of peripheral blood between the week 16, 28, and 40 time points.
Time frame: 16, 28 and 40 weeks after start of denosumab
The Antitumor Effect of Denosumab Combined With Anti-PD-1 Inhibitor as Represented by the Change in Density of Tumor-infiltrating Cluster of Differentiation (CD8+) Cells (TILs) in Tumor Tissue.
The antitumor effect of denosumab combined with anti-PD-1 inhibitor (Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab) in patients with unresectable stage III or distant metastatic Programmed death-1 or Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (stage III/IV) will be assessed by performing translational research on tumor biopsy samples collected at baseline, on day 21, and week 16 of the study. The density of TILs (number of cells by tumor surface area in mm2) in tumor tissues will be evaluated by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Immunofluorescence (IF) studies.
Time frame: Baseline, 16 weeks after start of denosumab combined with anti-PD-1 inhibitor
Number of Participants With Treatment-related Serious Adverse Events of the Denosumab Alone Plus Its Combination With Nivolumab
The safety of the denosumab- anti-PD-1 inhibitor (Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab) combination will be assessed by continuous toxicity monitoring focusing on the incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs) with toxicity boundary rules. The NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V5 is a descriptive terminology which will be used for Adverse Event (AE) reporting. A grading (severity) scale is provided for each AE term. Grade 1 Mild; asymptomatic or mild symptoms; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicated. Grade 2 Moderate; minimal, local or noninvasive intervention indicated; limiting age-appropriate instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Grade 3 Severe or medically significant but not immediately life-threatening; hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization indicated; disabling; limiting self care ADL. Grade 4 Life-threatening consequences; urgent intervention indicated. Grade 5 Death related to AE.
Time frame: 30 days after treatment is discontinued
Overall Response Rate
Antitumor response to the denosumab- anti-PD-1 inhibitor (Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab) combination at 16 weeks in patients with unresectable stage III or distant metastatic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve cutaneous melanoma (AJCC stage III/IV) will be assessed per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) which defines Complete Response (CR) as Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; and Overall Response Rate (ORR) = CR + PR/total number of subjects.
Time frame: 16 weeks after start of treatment
Overall Survival Rate
The Overall Survival rate at 1-year is defined as the proportion of subjects still alive from day 1 of study treatment until one year after initiating study treatment
Time frame: 1 year from start of study treatment
Progression Free Survival Rate
Progression Free survival rate at 6 months is defined as the proportion of subjects without a progression or death event measured from day 1 of treatment until 6 months after initiating study treatment. Progression events will be defined per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
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Time frame: 6 months from start of study treatment