A non-randomized two-cohort study of neoadjuvant Cemiplimab or neoadjuvant Cemiplimab plus Fianlimab (CF) in patients with basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Enrollment in the dual-therapy cohort will begin after completion of enrollment in the monotherapy cohort. Patients will undergo at least 2 and up to 6 infusions of immunotherapy prior to surgical resection. If patients have progression on neoadjuvant treatment, they may switch to standard of care surgical resection or hedgehog inhibitors prior to surgery. The primary endpoints are objective response rate and disease control rate. Safety and surgical benefit rate (de-escalation of surgery) with preservation of key anatomic structures are secondary endpoints. Correlative endpoints include analysis of pre and post treatment primary tumor and blood samples compared for histology, tumor genetics and immune cell composition.
The proposed study is a phase II trial of neoadjuvant Cemiplimab (cohort 1) or Cemiplimab plus Fianlimab (cohort 2) that will target patients with advanced BCCHN who have not been previously treated with anti-PD1 checkpoint therapy for this primary lesion. Patients will be assessed by the enrolling surgeon for response to therapy every 3 weeks (before initiating the next cycle) by clinical assessment, and by imaging assessment (every 6 weeks). Patients will undergo a minimum of 2 cycles of therapy over a 6-week window prior to surgery. Patients who demonstrate clinical or RECISTv1.1 response or stable disease with regression or up to 5% growth, will go on to the next cycle of treatment. Patients who demonstrate clinical or RECISTv1.1 radiographic progression or stable disease with \>5%-20% growth will proceed directly to surgery or to other SOC therapy (after biopsies) (Fig 1). Patients who demonstrate a complete clinical response prior to at any assessment prior to completion of 6 cycles will proceed to appropriate surgery or biopsy of tumor site to ensure complete pathologic response at the time of CR. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. Our primary objective is to assess treatment response of locally advanced BCC of the head and neck (BCCHN) in the neoadjuvant, presurgical setting. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess functional organ preservation with neoadjuvant Cemiplimab or Cemiplimab plus Fianlimab therapy. II. To assess pathologic response. III. To assess safety of neoadjuvant therapy. IV. To assess changes in quality of life. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess treatment-related changes in the immune microenvironment related to functional changes in immune cell composition.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
70
Given IV
Undergo CT scan
Undergo collection of blood samples
Ancillary studies
Undergo MRI
Undergo biopsy
Fianlimab (REGN3767) administered intravenously in combination with Cemiplimab.
University of Miami Health System
Miami, Florida, United States
RECRUITINGThomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
RECRUITINGVanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
RECRUITINGObjective response rate (ORR)
Defined by responders at surgery using clinical assessment and RECIST v1.1. Results will be summarized with frequency counts, percentages, and exact Clopper-Pearson 95% CIs. Tumor response will follow RECIST v1.1: up to five target lesions (max two per organ) measured by longest diameter (non-nodal) or short axis (nodal). Complete Response is disappearance of all target lesions and lymph nodes \<10 mm. Partial Response is ≥30% decrease from baseline. Progressive Disease is ≥20% increase (and ≥5 mm growth) from the smallest on-study sum or the appearance of new lesions. Stable Disease applies when changes do not meet PR or PD. Reasons for unevaluable cases will be documented.
Time frame: Up to 6 months post surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Disease control rate (DCR)
Defined responders plus stable disease using clinical assessment and RECIST v1.1. Results will be summarized by frequency counts, percentages, and exact Clopper-Pearson 95% CIs. Tumor response will follow RECIST v1.1: up to five target lesions (no more than two per organ) measured by longest diameter (non-nodal) or short axis (nodal). Complete Response is disappearance of all target lesions and lymph nodes \<10 mm. Partial Response is ≥30% decrease from baseline. Progressive Disease is ≥20% increase (and ≥5 mm growth) from the smallest on-study sum or new lesions. Stable Disease applies when changes do not meet PR or PD. Reasons for unevaluable cases will be documented.
Time frame: Up to 6 months post surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Surgical/Clinical Benefit Rate (SBR)
Percentage of patients with an organ at risk demonstrating tumor response allowing functional organ preservation surgery.
Time frame: At surgery (Day 129 +/- 3 days)
Pathologic complete response (pCR)
Pathologic complete response (pCR)
Time frame: Up to 6 months post surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Major pathologic response (mPR)
Major pathologic response (mPR)
Time frame: Up to 6 months post surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Number of adverse events
Safety and tolerability assessed using CTCAE v5.0.
Time frame: Up to 6 months post surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (FHNSI)
Assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head and Neck Symptom Index (FHNSI), FACE-Questionnaire (Q), Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ)-25 validated questionnaires. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: At baseline (Day 1) to 6 months post-surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (FACE-Q)
Assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Questionnaire (FACE-Q), validated questionnaires. Score range: 0-100, generally higher scores reflect a better outcome. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: At baseline (Day 1)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (VFQ-25)
Assessed by the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) validated questionnaires. Score range: 0-100, higher scores reflect a better outcome. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: At baseline (Day 1)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (FHNSI)
Assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head and Neck Symptom Index (FHNSI) validated questionnaires. Score range: 0-40, higher scores reflect a better outcome. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: 6 months post-surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (FACE-Q)
Assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Questionnaire (FACE-Q), validated questionnaires. Score range: 0-100, generally higher scores reflect a better outcome. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: 6 months post-surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
Changes in quality of life and functional organ preservation (VFQ-25)
Assessed by the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) validated questionnaires. Score range: 0-100, higher scores reflect a better outcome. Summarized with descriptive statistics and plotted graphically (i.e., with box plots). Those data will be modeled using generalized linear modeling to account for the correlation of the longitudinal observations from the same patient.
Time frame: 6 months post-surgery (up to Day 309 +/- 3 days)
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