Radiation Therapy with Dual Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy (Botensilimab and Balstilimab) for the Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Miami EMPIRE Trial
This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy (RT) given with dual immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy with botensilimab and balstilimab works in treating patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). RT uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as botensilimab and balstilimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. RT with dual ICI may be effective in treating patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).
Inclusion Criteria
- ≥ 18 years old
- Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Microsatellite stable (MSS) disease by pathologic assessment
- Patients must have measurable disease as defined by RECIST 1.1
- Progression on ≥ 1 line of systemic therapy
- No concomitant therapy with any of the following: interleukin (IL)-2, interferon, non-study immunotherapy regimens, cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunosuppressive agents, other investigational therapies, and/or chronic use of systemic corticosteroids
- No known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or active infection with hepatitis B
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1
- Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,000 cells/μL (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- White blood count (WBC) ≥ 2,000 cells/μL (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Platelets ≥ 75,000 per μL (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Serum total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤ 3 × upper limit of normal (ULN) (or ≤ 5 × ULN in patients with liver metastases) (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- International normalized ratio or prothrombin time ≤ 1.5 × ULN (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Activated partial thromboplastin time ≤ 2.5 × ULN (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) ≥ 1000 cells/μL at baseline (obtained < 4 weeks prior to starting protocol treatment)
- At least 1 previously unirradiated lesion amenable to pre-treatment biopsy
- No limit on overall numbers of lesions, but liver tumor burden ≤ 25% of total liver volume
- Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP): negative serum pregnancy test (within 7 days prior to day 1 of protocol therapy) * Females of non-childbearing potential are defined as: ** ≥ 50 years of age and has not had menses for greater than 1 year ** Amenorrheic for ≥ 2 years without a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy and a follicle-stimulating hormone value in the postmenopausal range upon pre-study (screening) evaluation ** Status is post-hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, or tubal ligation
- Male and female patients of reproductive potential must use effective methods of contraception or abstain from sexual activity for the course of the study through at least 6 months after the last dose of balstilimab and/or botensilimab
Exclusion Criteria
- Liver tumor burden exceeding 25% of total liver volume
- Active, untreated central nervous system (CNS) metastases
- Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease that required systemic treatment within 2 years of the start of study treatment (i.e., with use of disease-modifying agents or immunosuppressive drugs)
- Participants with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) within 14 days or another immunosuppressive medication within 30 days of randomization. Inhaled or topical steroids, and adrenal replacement steroid doses (≤ 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease
- Previous external beam radiation therapy to the liver or radioisotope therapy directed to the liver or any liver embolization
- Clinically significant ascites requiring a paracentesis in the last 4 weeks, or clinically significant history of liver failure defined as any prior episode of hepatic encephalopathy and/or any prior history of an elevated serum ammonia level
- Partial or complete bowel obstruction within the last 3 months prior to study enrollment, signs/symptoms of bowel obstruction, or known radiologic evidence of impending obstruction
- Clinically significant (i.e., active) cardiovascular disease: cerebral vascular accident/stroke or myocardial infarction within 6 months of study enrollment, unstable angina, congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class ≥ III), or serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication * QTcF (QT interval corrected using Fridericia’s formula) of > 480 ms
- Prior allogeneic organ transplantation
- Treatment with chemotherapy or targeted therapy within 2 weeks prior to initiating Eradication of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer with Immuno-Radiation (EMPIRE) treatment
- Persistent grade ≥ 2 adverse events (aEs) from prior therapy (except neuropathy)
- Known additional malignancy requiring active treatment
- History of non-infectious pneumonitis
- Active infection requiring antibiotic
- Live vaccine within 30 days of protocol treatment
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine or booster < 7 days before cycle (C) 1 day (D) 1. For vaccines requiring more than 1 dose, the full series should be completed prior to C1D1, when feasible. Booster shot not required but also must be administered > 7 days from C1D1 or > 7 days from future cycle on study
- History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to monoclonal antibody
- Participants with impaired decision-making capacity
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT06843551.
Locations matching your search criteria
United States
Florida
Miami
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. Determine the preliminary clinical efficacy of RT (including comprehensive ablation of liver metastases) followed by dual ICI in patients with mPDAC who have progressed on ≥ 1 line of systemic therapy.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. Determine objective response rate (ORR).
II. Determine progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
III. Determine the safety of sequential RT and dual ICI in patients with mPDAC who have progressed on ≥ 1 line of systemic therapy.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To define objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 response criteria.
II. To define objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) based on unirradiated tumors.
III. To compare objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) of extrahepatic versus (vs.) intrahepatic disease.
IV. To describe patient reported quality of life (QoL).
V. To identify novel radiomic, transcriptomic, and immunologic signatures and circulating immune cellular phenotypes of response following ICI/RT through biomarker analysis of longitudinal imaging, tissue, and peripheral blood samples.
VI. To assess the effect of contrast enhancement on the accuracy of online adaptive radiation treatment (oART), specifically regarding tumor delineation and visualization of hepatic vessels.
OUTLINE:
Patients undergo RT over 15 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Starting concurrently with RT or no later than 7 days after completion of RT, patients receive botensilimab intravenously (IV) on day 1 of cycles 1, 4, 7, and 10, and balstilimab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles of balstilimab repeat every 2 weeks for up to 1 year, and cycles of botensilimab repeat every 6 weeks for up to 4 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Additionally, patients undergo blood sample collection and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the trial. Patients may also optionally undergo biopsy throughout the trial.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 90 days and then per standard of care intervals for up to 5 years.
Trial PhasePhase II
Trial Typetreatment
Lead OrganizationUniversity of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Cancer Center
Principal InvestigatorBenjamin Spieler
- Primary ID20240455
- Secondary IDsNCI-2025-04589
- ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT06843551