Clinical trial NCT05904080: Testing Nivolumab and Ipilimumab Immunotherapy With or Without the Targeted Drug Cabozantinib in Recurrent, Metastatic, or Incurable Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Official title: Randomized Phase 2 Study of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab With or Without Cabozantinib in Patients With Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma That Have Progressed After Platinum Treatment and Immunotherapy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v8
Lead sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2023-06-15
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This phase II trial tests how well nivolumab and ipilimumab immunotherapy with or without cabozantinib works in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer that has come back (after a period of improvement) (recurrent), has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic), or for which no treatment is currently available (incurable). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cabozantinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps slow or stop the spread of cancer cells. Giving immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab and targeted therapy with cabozantinib may help shrink and stabilize nasopharyngeal cancer.

Detailed description: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To determine if the progression-free survival (PFS) of the triplet combination (cabozantinib S-malate, nivolumab, and ipilimumab \[CaboNivoIpi\]) is more favorable than the doublet (nivolumab and ipilimumab \[NivoIpi\]).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare safety and tolerability between the two arms (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events \[CTCAE\] version \[v\]5.0.).

II. To compare overall response rate (ORR) between the two arms via both Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 and immune-modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (iRECIST) criteria.

III. To compare overall survival (OS) between the two arms. IV. To assess response by primary or acquired PD-1/L1 inhibitor resistance in the prior line of therapy.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate molecular and immunologic predictors of response (Epstein-Barr virus \[EBV\] viral load; PD-L1 score) between arms.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM A: Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 28 days for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

ARM B: Patients receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 and cabozantinib S-malate orally (PO) daily on days 1-28 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 28 days for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may continue with cabozantinib S-malate after 2 years per treating investigator. Patients undergo CT or MRI and collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 8-12 weeks until progression of disease occurs or a new non-protocol anti-cancer therapy is initiated and then every 6 months for up to 2 years.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must have histologically documented nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) regardless of World Health Organization (WHO) classification (keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing, or basaloid squamous cell carcinoma) and regardless of association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and/or human papillomavirus (HPV)
* Recurrent, metastatic and incurable disease treated with platinum-gemcitabine and prior PD-1/L1 blockade (as first or second-line therapy) where immunotherapy was part of the most recent prior line of therapy
* Patients are eligible regardless of prior smoking history, p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) status, PD-L1 expression status, EBV tumor status, EBV viral load at baseline, or tumor genomic alteration status
* Patients must have at least one measurable lesion (by RECIST v1.1) which has not been previously irradiated that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded for non-nodal lesions as \>= 10 mm (\>= 1 cm) (and short axis for nodal lesions, LN \>= 15 mm) with CT scan, MRI, or calipers by clinical exam
* Patients may have had no more than 2 prior lines of prior systemic therapy for recurrent, metastatic NPC
* No prior VEGFR targeted therapy permitted
* Age \>= 18 years
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance (ECOG) performance status 0-2
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \>= 9 g/dL
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine or creatinine clearance =\< 1.5 mg/dL or \>= 30 Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN); except subjects with Gilbert syndrome who can have a total bilirubin \< 3 mg/dL
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGT\]) =\< 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN)

  * Up to =\< 5 allowed with liver metastases
* Not pregnant and not nursing, because this study involves an investigational agent whose genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown. Therefore, for women of childbearing potential only, a negative urine or serum pregnancy test, per institution standard, done =\< 7 days prior to registration is required.

  * Pregnant women are excluded from this study because nivolumab, ipilimumab, and cabozantinib are all Class C or D agents with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants, secondary to treatment of the mother with any of the study agents, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with as part of this study (in either arm)
* No active tumor bleeding: or radiographic evidence of major blood vessel infiltration as judged by the treating investigator
* Prior -anti-cancer therapy is allowed: Patients need to be recovered from adverse events due to prior anti-cancer therapy (i.e., have residual toxicities \> grade 1), with the exception of alopecia. Any life-threatening events clearly attributable to prior immunotherapy exposure that have a high possibility of recurring should warrant exclusion: including severe pneumonitis, grade 4 bullous dermatitis/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), neurologic events such as autoimmune encephalitis transverse myelitis, and/or myocarditis. Maintenance hormonal replacement or long-term hormonal therapy exposure is permitted.

  * No chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 3 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to registration. Palliative (limited-field) radiation therapy is permitted, if all of the following criteria are met:

    * Repeat imaging demonstrates no new sites of bone metastases.
    * The lesion being considered for palliative radiation is not a target lesion
* No patients with a prior malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen
* Brain metastases allowed: Patients with treated brain metastases are eligible if follow-up brain imaging 3 weeks after central nervous system (CNS)-directed therapy shows no evidence of progression. Patients with new or progressive brain metastases (active brain metastases) or leptomeningeal disease are eligible if the treating physician determines that immediate CNS specific treatment is not required and is unlikely to be required during the first cycle of therapy
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months prior to registration are eligible for this trial
* For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated

  * Patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured. For patients with HCV infection who are currently receiving treatment, they are eligible if they have an undetectable HCV viral load
* Solid organ or tissue transplant is allowed: - subsequent therapy with nivolumab increases the risk of organ/tissue rejection. Patients must be instructed that it is crucial they stay in touch with their transplant team during treatment
* No active autoimmune disease: or history of autoimmune disease that might recur, and which may affect vital organ function or require immune suppressive treatment including systemic corticosteroids. These include but are not limited to patients with a history of

  * Immune related neurologic disease,
  * Multiple sclerosis,
  * Autoimmune (demyelinating) neuropathy,
  * Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS),
  * Myasthenia gravis;
  * Systemic autoimmune disease such as SLE,
  * Connective tissue diseases,
  * Scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),
  * Crohn's, ulcerative colitis,
  * Patients with a history of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN),
  * Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or phospholipid syndrome should be excluded because of the risk of recurrence or exacerbation of disease
* Patients with vitiligo, endocrine deficiencies including thyroiditis managed with replacement hormones including physiologic corticosteroids are eligible
* Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthropathies, Sjogren's syndrome, and psoriasis controlled with topical medication and patients with only positive serology, such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA) or anti-thyroid antibodies, should be evaluated for the presence of target organ involvement and potential need for systemic treatment but should otherwise be eligible
* Pneumonitis should be evaluated for the nature of the disease process, need for treatment prior study treatment, and the risk of exacerbation with study treatment
* Able to swallow oral medication: No known medical condition causing an inability to swallow oral formulations of agents
* No condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study registration. Patients are permitted the use of topical, ocular, intra-articular, intranasal, and inhalational corticosteroids (with minimal systemic absorption). Adrenal replacement steroid doses \> 10 mg daily prednisone are permitted. A brief (less than 3 weeks) course of corticosteroids for prophylaxis (e.g., contrast dye allergy) or for treatment of non-autoimmune conditions (e.g., delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction caused by a contact allergen) is permitted
* Concomitant anticoagulation with coumarin agents (e.g., warfarin), direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., dabigatran), direct factor Xa inhibitor betrixaban, or platelet inhibitors (e.g., clopidogrel) is prohibited. Allowed anticoagulants are the following:

  * Prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin for cardio-protection (per local applicable guidelines) and low-dose low molecular weight heparins (LMWH).
  * Therapeutic doses of LMWH or anticoagulation with direct factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, edoxaban, or apixaban in subjects without known brain metastases who are on a stable dose of the anticoagulant for at least 1 week before first dose of study treatment without clinically significant hemorrhagic complications from the anticoagulation regimen or the tumor
* Concomitant use of any medications or substances that are strong inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4 is discouraged; if unavoidable, the dose of cabozantinib on study should be adjusted accordingly. Any complementary medications (e.g., herbal supplements or traditional Chinese medicines) intended to treat the disease under study are prohibited

Primary outcomes:
measure: Progression-free survival (PFS)
timeFrame: From randomization to the first of either progression or death from any cause, or censored at last known tumor assessment date, assessed up to 2 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Overall survival (OS)
timeFrame: From randomization to death from any cause, or censored at last known follow-up, assessed up to 2 years
measure: Incidence of adverse events
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Response by subgroups of interest
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: ORR
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
measure: Predictors of response
timeFrame: Up to 2 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Irvine
country: United States
facility: UCI Health - Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care
state: California
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: Keck Medicine of USC Koreatown
state: California
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: Los Angeles General Medical Center
state: California
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
state: California
city: Newport Beach
country: United States
facility: USC Norris Oncology/Hematology-Newport Beach
state: California
city: Orange
country: United States
facility: UC Irvine Health/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
state: California
city: Palo Alto
country: United States
facility: Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto
state: California
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Emory University Hospital Midtown
state: Georgia
city: Boise
country: United States
facility: Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center-Boise
state: Idaho
city: Caldwell
country: United States
facility: Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center-Caldwell
state: Idaho
city: Coeur d'Alene
country: United States
facility: Kootenai Health - Coeur d'Alene
state: Idaho
city: Nampa
country: United States
facility: Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center-Nampa
state: Idaho
city: Post Falls
country: United States
facility: Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services - Post Falls
state: Idaho
city: Sandpoint
country: United States
facility: Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services - Sandpoint
state: Idaho
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Northwestern University
state: Illinois
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: University of Illinois
state: Illinois
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
state: Illinois
city: Danville
country: United States
facility: Carle at The Riverfront
state: Illinois
city: DeKalb
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Kishwaukee
state: Illinois
city: Effingham
country: United States
facility: Carle Physician Group-Effingham
state: Illinois
city: Geneva
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor
state: Illinois
city: Glenview
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Glenview Outpatient Center
state: Illinois
city: Grayslake
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Grayslake Outpatient Center
state: Illinois
city: Harvey
country: United States
facility: Ingalls Memorial Hospital
state: Illinois
city: Lake Forest
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
state: Illinois
city: Mattoon
country: United States
facility: Carle Physician Group-Mattoon/Charleston
state: Illinois
city: New Lenox
country: United States
facility: UC Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross
state: Illinois
city: Orland Park
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Orland Park
state: Illinois
city: Orland Park
country: United States
facility: University of Chicago Medicine-Orland Park
state: Illinois
city: Urbana
country: United States
facility: Carle Cancer Center
state: Illinois
city: Warrenville
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville
state: Illinois
city: Ankeny
country: United States
facility: UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Ankeny Clinic
state: Iowa
city: Clive
country: United States
facility: Mercy Cancer Center-West Lakes
state: Iowa
city: Clive
country: United States
facility: UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - West Des Moines Clinic
state: Iowa
city: Council Bluffs
country: United States
facility: Heartland Oncology and Hematology LLP
state: Iowa
city: Council Bluffs
country: United States
facility: Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital
state: Iowa
city: Council Bluffs
country: United States
facility: Nebraska Cancer Specialists/Oncology Hematology West PC - MEJ
state: Iowa
city: Des Moines
country: United States
facility: Iowa Methodist Medical Center
state: Iowa
city: Des Moines
country: United States
facility: UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Des Moines Clinic
state: Iowa
city: Des Moines
country: United States
facility: Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines
state: Iowa
city: Des Moines
country: United States
facility: UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Laurel Clinic
state: Iowa
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Tufts Medical Center
state: Massachusetts
city: Bemidji
country: United States
facility: Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center
state: Minnesota
city: Saint Louis
country: United States
facility: Mercy Hospital South
state: Missouri
city: Anaconda
country: United States
facility: Community Hospital of Anaconda
state: Montana
city: Billings
country: United States
facility: Billings Clinic Cancer Center
state: Montana
city: Bozeman
country: United States
facility: Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital
state: Montana
city: Great Falls
country: United States
facility: Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute
state: Montana
city: Kalispell
country: United States
facility: Logan Health Medical Center
state: Montana
city: Missoula
country: United States
facility: Community Medical Center
state: Montana
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: Nebraska Cancer Specialists/Oncology Hematology West PC - MECC
state: Nebraska
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: Nebraska Methodist Hospital
state: Nebraska
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: Oncology Associates PC
state: Nebraska
city: Basking Ridge
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge
state: New Jersey
city: Middletown
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
state: New Jersey
city: Montvale
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
state: New Jersey
city: Commack
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack
state: New York
city: Harrison
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
state: New York
city: Uniondale
country: United States
facility: Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau
state: New York
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
state: North Carolina
city: Charlotte
country: United States
facility: Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
state: North Carolina
city: Huntersville
country: United States
facility: Novant Health Cancer Institute - Huntersville
state: North Carolina
city: Matthews
country: United States
facility: Novant Health Cancer Institute - Matthews
state: North Carolina
city: Mooresville
country: United States
facility: Novant Health Cancer Institute - Mooresville
state: North Carolina
city: Bismarck
country: United States
facility: Sanford Bismarck Medical Center
state: North Dakota
city: Fargo
country: United States
facility: Sanford Broadway Medical Center
state: North Dakota
city: Fargo
country: United States
facility: Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center
state: North Dakota
city: Cincinnati
country: United States
facility: Good Samaritan Hospital - Cincinnati
state: Ohio
city: Lawton
country: United States
facility: Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma Research
state: Oklahoma
city: Oklahoma City
country: United States
facility: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
state: Oklahoma
city: Tulsa
country: United States
facility: Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute-Tulsa
state: Oklahoma
city: Ontario
country: United States
facility: Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center-Ontario
state: Oregon
city: Portland
country: United States
facility: Oregon Health and Science University
state: Oregon
city: Charleston
country: United States
facility: Medical University of South Carolina
state: South Carolina
city: Sioux Falls
country: United States
facility: Sanford Cancer Center Oncology Clinic
state: South Dakota
city: Sioux Falls
country: United States
facility: Sanford USD Medical Center - Sioux Falls
state: South Dakota
city: Morgantown
country: United States
facility: West Virginia University Healthcare
state: West Virginia
city: Parkersburg
country: United States
facility: Camden Clark Medical Center
state: West Virginia
city: Eau Claire
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center-EC Cancer Center
state: Wisconsin
city: Marshfield
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center-Marshfield
state: Wisconsin
city: Minocqua
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center - Minocqua
state: Wisconsin
city: Rice Lake
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center-Rice Lake
state: Wisconsin
city: Stevens Point
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center-River Region at Stevens Point
state: Wisconsin
city: Weston
country: United States
facility: Marshfield Medical Center - Weston
state: Wisconsin
Study officials:
affiliation: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
name: Glenn J Hanna
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: