This is a feasibility trial studying anti-PD-1 therapy (Pembrolizumab) among patients with R/M HNSCC, delivered with ultrasound-induced microbubble cavitation, with the goal of optimizing delivery of Pembrolizumab and tumor response to Pembrolizumab. Patients will undergo 3 infusions of Pembrolizumab plus Definity 3 weeks apart. Following each infusion, ultrasound will be directed at the primary tumor site to induce microbubble cavitation, with the goal of tumor sonoporation. The primary endpoints will be feasibility, measured based on successful recruitment of 6 participants within 1 year of initiating recruitment, with successful completion of trial procedures among at least 80 percent of patients. Secondary endpoints will include proportion of serious adverse events, clinical/radiographic response, overall survival, and progression-free survival.
The proposed study is a feasibility trial of Pembrolizumab plus Definity Perflutren Lipid Microsphere (Lantheus Medical Imaging), followed by ultrasound-induced microbubble cavitation (UC), which will target patients with R/M HNSCC, for which Pembrolizumab is already indicated as standard of care treatment. Patients will undergo up to 3 cycles of therapy. Participants may continue study treatment for up to 3 cycles, 3 weeks apart, from the time of initiating treatment, with 3-month safety follow-up. Participant characteristics and endpoints will be summarized through appropriate descriptive statistics-the mean and standard deviation (or median and interquartile range, if appropriate) for continuous variables, and frequency counts and percentages for categorical variables. Primary Analysis Among all patients enrolled, feasibility will be assessed, defined as enrollment of 6 participants within 1 year of study initiation, and completion of all trial procedures, including 3 cycles of PD treatment and follow-up visits, among at least 80 percent of enrolled patients. Recruitment feasibility (primary objective secondary endpoint) will be assessed as the number of participants enrolled during the first 12 months from site activation. Success is defined as 6 participants enrolled within this window. The investigators will summarize the 6-month enrollment count and accrual rate descriptively. Protocol completion feasibility (primary objective primary endpoint) will be assessed as the proportion of enrolled participants who complete all pre-specified trial procedures (all scheduled visits/assessments through end-of-treatment and the primary follow-up time point). The denominator is all enrolled participants. Unknown or missing completion status will be counted as not complete. Success is defined as at least 80 percent completion. The investigators will report the completion proportion with 95 percent exact binomial (Clopper-Pearson) confidence intervals. Secondary Analysis Assessment of the following secondary metrics is anticipated using descriptive statistics; no hypothesis tests are planned. Where applicable, 95% exact binomial CIs (Clopper-Pearson) will be provided for proportions. * Proportion of serious adverse events (according to CTCAEv5.0) * Objective Response Rate (Clinical/Radiographic Response) * Progression Free Survival * Overall Survival Exploratory/Correlative Analysis/Assessments Assessment of the following correlative metrics through descriptive statistics is anticipated. No hypothesis tests are planned. * IHC measures of the prevalence of intratumoral immune cell populations including but not limited to CD8, CD45, FoxP3, PD-L1 * IHC-based measures of myeloid lineage differentiation markers:CD3, CD4, CD8, CD11b, CD11c, CD14, CD33, CD163, CD204, and HLA-DR, also analyzed with flow cytometry * Luminex panel of inflammatory markers with the Milliplex MAP Human Cytokine/chemokine kit * Variant files (VCFs) including point mutations, insertions, and deletions, as well as HLA-type, identified from whole exome sequencing * Epitope analysis of neoantigens and HLA typing using RNAseq * Spatially-resolved, digital quantitation of mRNA using Nanostring GeoMx DSP * Quantitative-CEUS parameters collected during treatment infusion, correlated with treatment efficacy and TME parameters Interim Analyses and Stopping Rules The study will be discontinued if there are more than 2 "study-limiting adverse events" at any point during the trial, with a "study-limiting adverse event" being defined as any grade 3 or higher cardiac, endocrine, or immunologic adverse event, or any grade 4 or higher adverse event.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
Pembrolizumab will be administered intravenously at a dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks for up to 3 cycles
Definity will be administered intravenously during each treatment cycle to facilitate ultrasound-induced microbubble cavitation.
Therapeutic Ultrasound will be applied to the tumor site during and following the Definity infusion to induce microbubble cavitation using modified ultrasound parameters.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
RECRUITINGNumber of Participants who complete all planned treatment cycles
The number of participants who completed trial procedures among at least 80 percent of patients, among patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Time frame: Up to 9 weeks
Number of Treatment-Related Adverse Events (TRAEs)
Number of adverse events related to study treatment, assessed using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0.
Time frame: Up to 6 months post-treatment
Objective Response Rate using RECIST v1.1
Objective Response Rate (ORR) will be assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0). The number of participants who achieve a Complete Response (CR)-disappearance of all target lesions, Partial Response (PR)-at least a 30% reduction in tumor size from baseline, Progressive Disease (PD)--At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study, and Stable Disease (SD)--Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, will be reported. ORR measured using the RECISTv1.1 criteria or assessment of clinical and pathologic response.
Time frame: Up to 3 months after last treatment
Overall Survival
Time from treatment start until death from any cause.
Time frame: 90 days after last dose
Disease-Free Survival
Time from treatment start until recurrence of disease or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: 90 days after last dose
Progression-Free Survival
Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0), 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
Time frame: 90 days after last dose
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