Ultrasound-Based Treatment (Histotripsy) with Chemoimmunotherapy for the Treatment of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Biliary Tract Cancer
This phase II trial studies the safety, feasibility, and effect of an ultrasound-based treatment called histotripsy together with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and durvalumab/pembrolizumab (GCD/P) (chemoimmunotherapy) in treating patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) or has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Histotripsy is a type of non-invasive radiology procedure that uses focused ultrasound to create tiny bubbles (cavitation bubbles) in the tumor. The bubbles expand and collapse rapidly, destroying the tumor cell. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making deoxyribonucleic acid and may kill tumor cells. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as durvalumab and 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 histotripsy together with chemoimmunotherapy may work better and be safer for patients with locally advanced or metastatic BTC than chemoimmunotherapy alone.
Inclusion Criteria
- Age >/= 18 at time of screening
- Willing and able to provide informed consent for the trial
- Histologically or cytologically confirmed biliary tract cancer (BTC) including cancers of the intrahepatic bile ducts, extrahepatic bile ducts, and gallbladder
- Locally advanced or metastatic disease not eligible for resection or transplant
- Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version (v) 1.1 measurable disease
- No prior systemic therapy for the treatment of locally advanced/metastatic disease * Recurrent disease after surgical resection must have occurred ≥ 6 months from completion of adjuvant therapy
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) 0-2
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L
- Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10^9/L
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
- Creatinine within normal limits OR measured creatinine clearance (CL) > 50 mL/min OR calculated creatinine clearance (CL) > 50 mL/min as determined by Cockcroft-Gault
- Willing and able to undergo general anesthesia and histotripsy procedure
- A tumor(s) for histotripsy treatment ≤ 3 cm in longest diameter * Note: a maximum of three (3) tumors are allowed to be treated with histotripsy during the index procedure, regardless of how many tumors the subject has
- Subject has an adequate acoustic window to visualize targeted tumor(s) using ultrasound imaging
- COHORT 1: Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) * Note: patients with Gilbert’s Syndrome may be allowed in consultation with the treating physician and the study principal investigator (PI)
- COHORT 2: Bilirubin > 1.5x ULN due to BTC-related biliary tract obstruction after at least 1 attempt at percutaneous/endoscopic stenting
- COHORT 2: With the exception of hyperbilirubinemia, no contraindication to chemoimmunotherapy
Exclusion Criteria
- Prior exposure to immune-mediated therapy, including, but not limited to, anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1 and anti-PD-L2 antibodies
- History of allogeneic or solid organ transplant
- Active or prior documented autoimmune disorders. The following are exceptions to this criterion: * Patients with vitiligo or alopecia * Patients with hypothyroidism (e.g., following Hashimoto syndrome) stable on hormone replacement * Any chronic skin condition that does not require systemic therapy * Patients with celiac disease controlled by diet alone * Patients without active disease in the last 5 years may be included but only after consultation with the study PI
- Uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including, but not limited to: * Ongoing or active infection including but not limited to the below. Patients on prophylactic antibiotics may be eligible after discussion with the study PI ** Tuberculosis (tuberculosis testing by local institutional practice is required prior to receipt of chemoimmunotherapy) ** Hepatitis B (HBV) defined as presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or anti-hepatitis B virus core antibody (HBcAb) with detectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ≥ 10 IU/mL (testing is required prior to receipt of chemoimmunotherapy) *** Patients with a past or resolved HBV infection (defined as the presence of hepatitis B core antibody [anti-HBc] and the absence of HBsAg) are eligible. ** Hepatitis C (HCV) defined as positive HCV antibody (testing is required prior to receipt of chemoimmunotherapy) *** Patients positive for hepatitis C (HCV) antibody are eligible only if the polymerase chain reaction is negative for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) ** Uncontrolled HIV/AIDS. Testing for HIV 1/2 antibodies is required prior to receipt of chemoimmunotherapy. Patients with known HIV are allowed on study provided they have: *** A stable regimen of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) *** No requirement for concurrent antibiotics or antifungal agents for the prevention of opportunistic infection *** A CD4 count > 250 cells/mcL *** An undetectable HIV viral load on standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based testing
- Symptomatic congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction (MI)/transient ischemic attack (TIA)/cerebrovascular accident (CVA) within 3 months prior to study enrollment, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
- Active interstitial lung disease (ILD) or history of immune-mediated pneumonitis
- Active primary immunodeficiency
- Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirement, substantially increase the risk of incurring adverse events (AEs), or compromise the ability of the patient to give written informed consent
- Other co-morbid disease or condition that would cause undue risk and/or interfere with the conduct or interpretation of the trial in the opinion of the treating investigator
- Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessments of the investigational regimen. Patients whose prior or concurrent malignancy natural history and/or treatment does NOT have the potential to impact safety or study assessments are eligible
- Any unresolved toxicity National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) Grade ≥ 2 from a previous anticancer therapy, with the exception of alopecia, vitiligo, and the laboratory values defined in the inclusion criteria. Patients with irreversible toxicity not reasonably expected to be exacerbated by treatment may be included after consultation with the study PI
- Histotripsy-related criteria: * Targeted tumor(s) treatment volume overlaps a non-targeted tumor visible via imaging * Targeted tumor(s) is not clearly visible with diagnostic ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging * Targeted tumor(s) is located in liver segment 1 * The Planned Treatment Volume intended to cover the targeted tumor includes or encompasses any portion of the main portal vein, common hepatic duct, common bile duct, gallbladder or stomach/bowel
- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or any of the study drug excipients
- Subject is pregnant or planning to become pregnant or nursing (lactating)
- Subjects of reproductive potential who are not willing to use effective birth control from screening to 180 days after the last dose of GCD/P or 90 days after last dose of D/P monotherapy
- Subject is enrolled in another investigational trial and/or is taking investigational medication and/or has been treated with an investigational device </= 30 days prior to planned procedure date
Study sponsor and potential other locations can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT07853690.
Locations matching your search criteria
United States
New York
New York
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To estimate the safety and feasibility of adding histotripsy to chemoimmunotherapy with gemcitabine + cisplatin + durvalumab/pembrolizumab (GCD/P) in patients with untreated locally advanced/metastatic BTCs. (Cohort 1)
II. To estimate the safety and feasibility of histotripsy in the setting of biliary tract obstruction in patients with untreated locally advanced/metastatic BTC and concomitant biliary tract obstruction unrelieved by biliary stenting. (Cohort 2)
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. Estimate the objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of histotripsy in combination with chemoimmunotherapy in patients with untreated locally advanced/metastatic BTCs. (Cohort 1)
II. Characterize the toxicity profile of histotripsy in combination with chemoimmunotherapy in patients with untreated locally advanced/metastatic BTCs. (Cohort 1)
III. Evaluate the effect of histotripsy on biliary drainage and liver function. (Cohort 2)
IV. Evaluate the ability of histotripsy to render patients eligible for chemoimmunotherapy. (Cohort 2)
V. Explore early evidence of efficacy by way of objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of histotripsy in combination with chemoimmunotherapy therapy in patients with untreated locally advanced/metastatic BTCs rendered eligible for GCD/P. (Cohort 2)
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. Evaluate changes in patient-reported symptoms (e.g. pruritus, fatigue, and appetite) and changes in overall quality of life (QOL) using validated instruments including patient-reported outcomes (PRO) questionnaires (PROs) European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 30-Item Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and EORTC 21-Item Cholangiocarcinoma and Gallbladder Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BIL21).
II. Determine the timeline for symptom relief and functional improvement after histotripsy.
OUTLINE: Patients who are eligible for chemoimmunotherapy are assigned to Cohort 1. Patients who are ineligible for chemoimmunotherapy are assigned to Cohort 2.
COHORT 1: Patients undergo histotripsy over 10-90 minutes once between day -6 and -1. Patients then receive the GCD/P regimen consisting of: gemcitabine intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1 and 8 of each cycle, cisplatin IV over 6-8 hours on day 1 and 8 of each cycle, and durvalumab IV over 60 minutes on day 1 of each cycle or pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles of GCD/P repeat every 3 weeks for 8 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may continue receiving durvalumab or pembrolizumab with or without gemcitabine every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity per the discretion of the treating investigator. Patients also undergo computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, as well as blood sample collection throughout the study.
COHORT 2: Patients undergo histotripsy over 10-90 minutes once between day -6 and -1. Patients then have their bilirubin levels monitored weekly. Patients whose bilirubin level test results fall into an acceptable range then receive GCD/P regimen as in Cohort 1. Patients also undergo CT or MRI scans, as well as blood sample collection throughout the study.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years.
Trial PhasePhase II
Trial Typetreatment
Lead OrganizationLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone
Principal InvestigatorKristen Renee Spencer
- Primary IDs25-00631
- Secondary IDsNCI-2026-07428
- ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT07853690