a study of dexanabinol in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced tumours

Conditions: Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Pancreatic Cancer

Summary: this study is a trial of dexanabinol in patients with advanced tumours. the purposes of the protocol are to study different doses of the study drug to determine the maximum safe dose of the drug given in combination with standard chemotherapies and to further understand the safety of the study drug and to measure any reduction in size of patients' cancer tumour(s). dexanabinol is a synthetic cannabinoid which has previously undergone clinical trials for traumatic brain injury (tbi) and in subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. currently dexanabinol is under investigation for potential anti-tumour activity in patients with advanced tumours.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria 1. (i) parts 1 and 2b (dexanabinol combination): patients with selected histologically, cytologically or radiologically confirmed tumours that are advanced, metastatic and/or progressive, and eligible for 1st line chemotherapy. * hcc only: patient with child-pugh a stage. * pancreatic cancer only: patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (i.e. pancreatic cancer patients with islet cell neuroplasms are excluded). (ii) part 2a (dexanabinol monotherapy): patients with histologically, cytologically or radioloigically confirmed tumours that are advanced, metastatic and/or progressive, for whom there is no effective standard therapy available. * pancreatic cancer only: patients diagnosed with adenocarinoma (i.e. pancreatic cancer patients with islet cell neuroplasms are excluded). 2. adults patients defined by age ≥ 18 years. 3. eastern collaborative oncology group (ecog) performance status (ps) or 0 or 1. 4. any acute or chronic adverse effects of prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy have resolved to \< grade 2 as determined by ctcae v4.03 criteria, with the exception of alopecia. 5. (i) parts 1 and 2b: measureable disease assessed by appropriate method for each tumour type e.g. recist 1.1 (eisenhauer, et al. 2009). (ii) part 2a: evaluable disease, either measureable on imaging, or with informative tumour marker(s). 6. laboratory values at screening: * absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 109l; * platelets ≥ 100 x 109/l; * total bilirubin; in 1st line pancreatic cancer (part 1 and 2b) ≤1.25 times the upper limit of normal (uln); all other tumour types and settings except hcc ≤1.5 times uln; in hcc ≤5 times the uln * ast (sgot) ≤2.5 times the uln (when there is no liver tumour involvement) up to * 5 times the uln (in patients with liver tumour involvement); * alt (sgpt) ≤2.5 times the uln (when there is no liver tumour involvement) up to * 5 times the uln (in patients with liver tumour involvement); * estimated gfr of \>50 ml/min (based on the wright formula (wright, et al. 2001 ); and * negative hcg test in women of childbearing potential 7. have a life expectancy of \>3 months. 8. ability to give written, informed consent prior to any study-specific screening procedures, with the understanding that the consent may be withdrawn by the patient at any time without prejudice. 9. be willing and able to comply with the study protocol procedures. exclusion criteria 1. patient is pregnant or breast feeding. 2. history of clinically significant cardiac condition, including ischemic cardiac event, myocardial infarction or unstable cardiac disease within 3 months of cycle 1, day 1. 3. known brain metastases. 4. (i) parts 1 and 2b (dexanabinol combination): prior systemic chemotherapy. (ii) part 2a (dexanabinol monotherapy): chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin c) prior to cycle 1, day 1 for solid tumours (with the exception of hydroxyurea, which must be discontinued at least 24 hours prior to cycle 1, day 1). localised palliative radiotherapy is permitted for symptom control. 5. major surgery within 4 weeks prior to cycle 1, day 1; bone marrow transplant within 100 days prior to cycle 1, day 1. 6. known human immunodeficiency virus positivity. 7. active hepatitis b or c or other active liver disease (other than malignancy) (applies to all tumours types enrolled except hcc). 8. use of any investigational agents within 4 weeks of cycle 1, day 1. 9. any active, clinically significant, viral, bacterial, or systemic fungal infection within 4 weeks prior to cycle 1, day 1. 10. history of significant chronic or recurrent infections requiring treatment or any uncontrolled intercurrent illness that would jeopardize patient safety, interfere with the objectives of the protocol, or limit patient compliance with study requirements, as determined by the investigator.