This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of a personalized vaccine (tumor membrane vesicle or TMV vaccine) by itself and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor (pembrolizumab or ipilimumab) in treating patients with triple negative breast cancer. This vaccine is made by taking a piece of patient's triple negative breast cancer to design a vaccine to stimulate the immune system's memory. Patients are treated with the personalized vaccine immunotherapy with or without monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab and ipilimumab. This approach may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving personalized TMV vaccine with pembrolizumab or ipilimumab may help the immune system attack cancer better and reduce the risk of this breast cancer coming back or growing.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the safety and tolerability of TMV vaccine when delivered intradermally as monotherapy in patients with early stage TNBC for Phase 1a. II. To determine immune stimulating activity and an optimal biological dose (OBD) of TMV vaccine when delivered intradermally as monotherapy for Phase 1a. III. To determine the safety and tolerability of TMV vaccine under OBD when delivered intradermally in combination with PD-1-inhibitor pembrolizumab or CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab in patients with metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) and patients with early stage TNBC for Phase 1b. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine immune stimulating activity of TMV vaccine when delivered intradermally as in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy in adult patients with TNBC (TNBC) for Phase 1b. II. To assess the disease control rate (DCR) and overall response rate (ORR) of TMV vaccine in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy when administered to adult patients with mTNBC. III.To assess effect of TMV vaccine monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) when administered to adult patients with TNBC EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I.To examine the association of PD-L1 expression with the immune stimulating activity of TMV vaccine when administered as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy. II. To assess association of TIL density with the immune stimulating activity of TMV vaccine when administered as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy. III. To assess association of BRCA 1/2 mutation status with the immune stimulating activity of TMV vaccine when administered as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy. OUTLINE: This is a phase Ia dose-escalation study of TMV vaccine followed by a phase Ib dose-expansion study. PHASE IA: Patients receive TMV vaccine intradermally (ID) at weeks 1, 3, and 5 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. PHASE IB: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM A: Patients receive TMV vaccine ID at weeks 1, 3, and 5 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) on day 1. Treatment with pembrolizumab repeats every 21 days for 6-9 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM B: Patients receive TMV vaccine ID at weeks 1, 3, and 5 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive ipilimumab IV on day 1. Treatment with ipilimumab repeats every 21 days for 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 12 weeks for up to 2 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
18
Given IV
Given IV
Given TMV vaccine ID
Grady Health System
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGEmory University Hospital Midtown
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGEmory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGEmory Saint Joseph's Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGIncidence of adverse events (Phase Ia)
Safety and tolerability will be assessed by adverse events (AE), vital signs, physical exam findings, clinical laboratory safety assessments and incidence of treatment-emergent AE. AE events will be assessed according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0 and will be evaluated by grade and organ class.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Dose limiting toxicity (Phase Ia)
Defined by the occurrence of any grade 3 or greater AEs that are at least possibly related to protocol therapy administration, except for grade 3 injection site reactions that are adequately controlled by medical treatment (e.g. steroid administration) and except for inadequately treated nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.
Time frame: Up to week 5
Immune stimulating activity- T cell activity
Will be measured through analysis of T cell markers in the peripheral blood by comparing immune biomarkers immediately before initial vaccination and after vaccination (weekly at week \[W\]2, W3, W4, W5, W6; 7 days and 12 weeks after final vaccination).
Time frame: Up to 12 weeks after final vaccination
Immune stimulating activity- Plasma cytokine/chemokines
Will be measured through analysis of plasma cytokine/chemokine biomarkers in the peripheral blood by comparing immune biomarkers immediately before initial vaccination and after vaccination (weekly at week \[W\]2, W3, W4, W5, W6; 7 days and 12 weeks after final vaccination).
Time frame: Up to 12 weeks after final vaccination
Optimal biologic dose
Each dose level will be examined for safety profile sequentially from the lowest dose level by using up to 6 patients/dose level. Once done, the immune stimulating activity (ISA) profile will be examined among dose levels that are determined to be safe. While the dose-response relationship has been examined, the optimal biological dose (OBD) is defined as the lowest dose providing the highest ISA while being safely administered.
Time frame: Up to week 5
Recommended phase 2 dose (Phase Ib)
ISA profile, and clinical outcome data will be described and analyzed jointly for TMV vaccine when delivered intradermally in combination with PD-1-inhibitor pembrolizumab or CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab.
Time frame: Up to week 5
Disease control rate
Will be assessed through standard response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) and immune-related response criteria (irRC). Disease control rate (DCR) is defined as the percentage of patients with advanced or metastatic cancer who have achieved complete response, partial response and stable disease.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Overall response rate (ORR)
Will be assessed through standard RECIST and irRC. ORR by RECIST and immune-related RECIST (irRECIST) will include confirmed complete response (CR) + confirmed partial response (PR) determined as per RECIST and irRECIST in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Progression free survival
Will be assessed through standard RECIST and irRC. Will be displayed using Kaplan-Meier method.
Time frame: From the date of enrollment to disease progression or death, whichever is earlier, assessed up to 2 years
Overall survival
Will be assessed through standard RECIST and irRC. Will be displayed using Kaplan-Meier method.
Time frame: From the date of enrollment to death, assessed up to 2 years
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