Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Patients with High Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer who are not Candidates for, or Refuse, Nephroureterectomy
This phase II trial tests how well enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab works in treating patients with high grade upper-tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) who are not candidates for, or refuse, nephroureterectomy (a surgical procedure to remove a kidney and ureters). Enfortumab vedotin is a monoclonal antibody, enfortumab, linked to an anticancer drug called vedotin. It works by helping the immune system to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. Enfortumab attaches to a protein called nectin-4 on cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers vedotin to kill them. It is a type of antibody-drug conjugate. Pembrolizumab is part of a group of therapies called checkpoint inhibitors. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab may work better in treating patients with high grade UTUC who are not candidates for, or refuse, nephroureterectomy.
Inclusion Criteria
- Male/female participants who are at least 18 years of age on the day of signing informed consent with histologically confirmed diagnosis of histologically documented, high grade upper tract urothelial cancer, (UTUC can be diagnosed by direct visualization and biopsy, or by 3 dimensional imaging and positive urine cytology) will be enrolled in this study.
- Patients must refuse definitive radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), or be medically ineligible for surgery. To be medically ineligible, patients must, in the opinion of the clinical team, be at high risk of complications intra or perioperative which would adversely impact morbidity and mortality, including risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
- Subjects must not have received prior systemic therapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (in other locations such as the bladder or contralateral ureter or renal pelvis) with the following exceptions: * Subjects who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with recurrence > 12 months from completion of therapy are permitted. * Subjects that received adjuvant chemotherapy following cystectomy with recurrence > 12 months from completion of therapy are permitted.
- Subjects may have radiographic evidence of N1 disease (metastasis ≤ 2 cm in greatest dimension, in a single lymph node).
- Subjects must be age 18 years or older.
- Archival tumor tissue will be used for eligibility.
- Subjects must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0-2.
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/uL.
- Platelets ≥ 100,000/uL.
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL or ≥ 5.6 mmol/L.
- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN).
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT]) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)(serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) No adjustment in the starting dose is required when administering enfortumab vedotin (PADCEV) to patients with mild hepatic impairment (total bilirubin 1 to 1.5 x ULN and AST any, or total bilirubin ≤ ULN and AST > ULN).
- A female subject of childbearing potential is anyone born female who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (e.g., hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, bilateral oophorectomy) or has not completed menopause. Menopause is defined clinically as 12 months of amenorrhea in a person over age 45 in the absence of other biological, physiological, or pharmacological causes. Female subjects of childbearing potential must meet the following conditions: * Agree not to try to become pregnant during the study and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug. * Must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity of 25 mIU/mL or equivalent units of beta human chorionic gonadotropin [B-hCG]) within 1 day prior to administration of study drug. Female subjects with false positive results and documented verification of negative pregnancy status are eligible for participation. * If heterosexually active, must consistently use highly effective methods of birth control, with a failure rate of less than 1% starting at screening, throughout the study period, and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug. * Female subjects must agree not to breastfeed or donate ova starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug.
- A male subject who can father children is anyone born male who has testes and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (e.g., vasectomy followed by a clinical test proving that the procedure was effective). Male subjects who can father children, must meet the following conditions: * Must not donate sperm starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug. Male subjects will be informed about the negative risk to reproductive function and fertility from the study treatment. Prior to treatment male subjects should be advised to seek information on fertility preservation and sperm cryoconservation. * Must consistently use highly effective methods of birth control, with a failure rate of less than 1% starting at screening and continue throughout study period and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug. * Male subjects with a pregnant or breastfeeding partner(s) must consistently use one of 2 contraception options for preventing secondary exposure to seminal fluid for the duration of the pregnancy or time partner is breastfeeding throughout the study period and for at least 6 months after the final dose of study drug.
- Subjects must provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria
- Subjects who have previously received enfortumab vedotin or other monomethyl auristatin (MMAE)-based antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
- Subjects who have received prior treatment with a PD-(L)-1 inhibitor for any malignancy, including earlier stage UC, defined as a PD-1 inhibitor or PD-L1 inhibitor (including, but not limited to, atezolizumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, or avelumab).
- Subjects who have previously received any prior treatment with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co inhibitory T-cell receptor (including but not limited to CD137 agonists, CTLA-4 inhibitors, or OX-40 agonists).
- Subjects who have received anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy, biologics, or investigational agents not otherwise prohibited by exclusion criterion 1-3 that is not completed 4 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment (ongoing hormonal/anti hormonal treatment, e.g., for breast cancer, is allowed, provided that the subject is eligible per exclusion criteria 14).
- Subjects with uncontrolled diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes is defined as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 8% or HbA1c 7% to < 8% with associated diabetes symptoms (polyuria or polydipsia) that are not otherwise explained.
- Subjects with an estimated life expectancy < 12 weeks.
- Subjects with ongoing sensory or motor neuropathy grade 2 or higher.
- Subjects with ongoing clinically significant toxicity associated with prior treatment (including radiotherapy or surgery) that has not resolved to ≤ grade 1 or returned to baseline.
- Currently receiving systemic antimicrobial treatment for active infection (viral, bacterial, or fungal) at the time of treatment initiation. Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis is permitted.
- Subjects who have known active hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B virus surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or known active hepatitis C virus (defined as hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] [qualitative] detected) infection, testing for hepatitis B and hepatitis C is required if mandated by country health authority. Subjects who have been curatively treated for hepatitis C infection are permitted if they have documented sustained virologic response of 12 weeks.
- Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Testing is not required unless mandated by the local health authority.
- Subjects with conditions requiring high doses of steroids (> 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent) or other immunosuppressive medications are excluded. Inhaled or topical steroids are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease. Physiologic replacement doses of corticosteroids are permitted for subjects with adrenal insufficiency.
- Subjects with another active second malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancers and biochemical relapsed prostate cancer. Subjects that have completed all necessary therapy and are considered to be at less than 30% risk of relapse are not considered to have an active second malignancy and are eligible for enrollment.
- Patients may have a history of resected urothelial cancer of the bladder or contralateral upper tract, (including neoadjuvant chemotherapy) in the following categories. These disease states are not exclusions and patients with this history will have this recorded and be considered for study on a case by case basis * pT0, Tis, or T1N0 and have no evidence of disease (NED) for more than 2 years from surgery or chemotherapy; * pT2-3aN0 and NED for more than 3 years from surgery or chemotherapy; or * > pT3b, or N+ and NED for more than 5 years from surgery or chemotherapy. * Patients with concomitant high grade (HG) UTUC bilaterally will be considered for protocol on a case by case basis.
- Subjects with a documented history of a cerebral vascular event (stroke or transient ischemic attack), unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or cardiac symptoms consistent with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV within 6 months prior to treatment initiation.
- Subjects who have received radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to treatment initiation. Subject must have recovered adequately from the toxicity from the intervention prior to starting study treatment. Participants must have recovered from all radiation-related toxicities, not require corticosteroids, and not have had radiation pneumonitis.
- Subjects who have received major surgery within 4 weeks prior to treatment initiation. Subject must have recovered adequately from complications from the intervention prior to starting study treatment.
- Subjects with known severe (≥ grade 3) hypersensitivity to any enfortumab vedotin excipient contained in the drug formulation of enfortumab vedotin (including histidine, trehalose dihydrate, and polysorbate 20). Subjects with known severe (≥ grade 3) hypersensitivity to any pembrolizumab excipient contained in the drug formulations of pembrolizumab. Subjects with known severe (≥ grade 3) hypersensitivity to the platinum agent selected by the investigator for study treatment. Subjects with known severe (≥ grade 3) hypersensitivity to the gemcitabine.
- Subjects with active keratitis or corneal ulcerations. Subjects with superficial punctate keratitis are allowed if the disorder is being adequately treated in the opinion of the investigator.
- History of autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs). * Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment and is allowed. * Brief (< 7 days) use of systemic corticosteroids is allowed when use is considered standard of care. * Subjects with vitiligo, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, or resolved childhood asthma/atopy will not be excluded. * Subjects requiring intermittent use of bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, or local steroid injections will not be excluded. * Subjects with hypothyroidism that is stable with hormone replacement or Sjögren's syndrome will not be excluded.
- Subjects with a history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, organizing pneumonia, drug-induced pneumonitis, idiopathic pneumonitis, or evidence of active pneumonitis on screening chest CT scan. Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease that required steroids or has current pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease.
- Subjects who have received a prior allogeneic stem cell or solid organ transplant. * Subjects who have received a live vaccine or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days prior to treatment initiation. Administration of killed vaccines is allowed. * Note: Any licensed COVID-19 vaccine (including for emergency use) in a particular country is allowed in the study as long as they are messenger (m)RNA vaccines, adenoviral vaccines, or inactivated vaccines. These vaccines will be treated just as any other concomitant therapy. Investigational vaccines (i.e., those not licensed or approved for emergency use) are not allowed.
- Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist [registered trademark]) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed.
- Subjects with active tuberculosis.
- Subjects with another underlying medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would impair the ability of the subject to receive or tolerate the planned treatment and follow-up; any known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperating with the requirements of the study.
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT05656235.
Locations matching your search criteria
United States
District of Columbia
Washington
Maryland
Baltimore
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. Event free survival (EFS), defined as the time to systemic relapse or death.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To evaluate renal function outcomes with the combination of pembrolizumab and enfortumab vedotin for patients with high grade non-metastatic (cTxN0-1, no metastases) upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC), preferring to forego standard of care radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) surgery.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To evaluate safety and tolerability of the combination.
II. Progression free survival.
III. Overall survival.
IV. To assess feasibility of standard tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing including, FGFR mutation / fusion status, from UTUC archival biopsy specimens.
V. To assess feasibility of obtaining standard immune and tumor biomarker data from UTUC archival biopsy specimens.
OUTLINE:
Patients receive enfortumab vedotin intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8 of each cycle and pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 21 days for up to 35 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo cystoscopy and/or ureteroscopy, computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the study. Patients also may undergo bone scan and tumor tissue sample collection during screening.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30-37 days, then every 9 weeks for 18 months and then every 12 weeks until disease progression, death, study closure, or withdrawal, whichever occurs first.
Trial PhasePhase II
Trial Typetreatment
Lead OrganizationJohns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
Principal InvestigatorJean H. Hoffman-Censits
- Primary IDJ2249
- Secondary IDsNCI-2024-10694, IRB00327710
- ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05656235