This is an open-label phase 1 safety and feasibility study evaluating a novel combination therapy for progressive and relapsed diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and other progressive and relapsed high-grade brain tumors. This study combines intravenous nivolumab therapy infused following transient blood-brain barrier opening (BBBO) using low-intensity focused ultrasound with microbubble (LIFU-MB) treatment using NeuroNavigation-Guided Focused Ultrasound (NgFUS). There are two groups in this study: * Group A: Patients with relapsed or progressive diffuse midline glioma in the brainstem * Group B: Patients with relapsed or progressive high grade brain tumor that clinically require surgical resection The primary outcome is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of 3 cycles of nivolumab with BBB disruption using NgFUS with microbubbles in pediatric patients with progressive or relapsed brainstem DMG or with high grade brain tumors after surgery. Secondary outcomes include preliminary efficacy and immunological effects.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
NeuroNavigation-Guided Focused Ultrasound, every 2 or 4 weeks for 3 cycles of 28 days
Lumason is a sulfur hexafluoride microsphere ultrasound contrast agent which will be used as a mechanical resonator. Lumason will be given in combination with NgFUS every 2 or 4 weeks for 3 cycles of 28 days.
Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint axis PD-1/PD-L1. Nivolumab will be given prior to NgFUS with microbubbles (Lumason) every 2 or 4 weeks for 3 cycles of 28 days.
Children's National Hospital
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
RECRUITINGIncidence of dose limiting toxicities (DLT) as assessed by CTCAE v6.0.
Safety will be evaluated by the incidence of DLTs. DLT is defined as toxicities which are at least possibly related to treatment and meeting protocol-specified criteria for grade, duration, severity, and/or delay of subsequent treatment cycles. If the overall toxicity rate exceeds protocol-specified criteria, enrollment will be halted and the study will be amended to modify the treatment plan.
Time frame: First treatment through 28 days post-first treatment.
Percentage of patients completing at least two cycles of planned therapy
Treatment will be determined feasible if at least 80% of enrolled patients complete at least 2 cycles of planned therapy. Feasibility will be assessed separately for each cohort.
Time frame: Enrollment through end of Cycle 2 (each cycle is 28 days).
Overall response assessment per RAPNO.
Overall response assessment: complete response (CR), partial response (PR), minor response (MR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD) following treatment, will be assessed based on the Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (RAPNO) scale.
Time frame: From screening through 1 year post-final treatment.
Progression-free survival (PFS)
PFS is defined as the interval of time between the date of protocol treatment initiation and the earliest date of documentation of progressive disease, or second malignancy or death (for any reason) for patients who fail, or to date of last contact or initiation of other therapy for patients who remain at risk of failure.
Time frame: From enrollment through up to 2 years post-final treatment.
Overall survival (OS)
OS post nivolumab infusion will be analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method.
Time frame: From enrollment through up to 2 years post-final treatment.
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