A Phase 2b Study of Modified Vaccinia Virus to Treat Patients Advanced Liver Cancer Who Failed Sorafenib (TRAVERSE)

July 6, 2026 updated by: Jennerex Biotherapeutics

A Phase 2b Randomized Trial of JX-594 (Vaccinia GM-CSF / TK-deactivated Virus) Plus Best Supportive Care Versus Best Supportive Care in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Who Have Failed Sorafenib Treatment

This study is to determine whether JX-594 (Pexa-Vec) plus best supportive care is more effective in improving survival than best supportive care in patients with advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) who have failed sorafenib.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This Phase 2b, open-label, randomized, multi-center study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of JX-594 (Pexa-Vec) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have previously failed sorafenib treatment. Eligible patients are randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either the experimental therapy (JX-594 plus Best Supportive Care [BSC]) or the control therapy (BSC alone).

Patients assigned to the experimental arm receive an initial intravenous (IV) infusion of JX-594 on Day 1. This is followed by intratumoral (IT) injections of JX-594 directly into viable liver tumors under imaging guidance on Day 8, Day 22, and Weeks 6, 12, and 18. These patients will also receive BSC, but active anti-cancer treatments are strictly prohibited. In contrast, patients in the control arm receive only Best Supportive Care (e.g., hydration, nutrition, pain management) at the treating physician's discretion without any study drug injections. Experimental or active anti-cancer therapies are not permitted in the control arm.

The primary objective of this study is to compare the Overall Survival (OS) between the two treatment arms. Secondary objectives include evaluating Time-to-Tumor Progression (TTP) and objective response rate based on mRECIST criteria for HCC. The study also evaluates Time-to-Symptomatic Progression (TSP), which is defined by changes in the FACT Hepatobiliary Symptom Index (FHSI-8) questionnaire and ECOG performance status. Additionally, the study assesses changes in Quality of Life (QoL) measured by EORTC and FACT-Hep questionnaires. Finally, overall safety and tolerability are closely monitored through the incidence and severity of Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) graded according to NCI CTCAE v4.03, along with clinical laboratory evaluations.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
129

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Alberta
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2B7
        • University of Alberta
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
        • University of British Columbia
    • Ontario
      • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
        • Juravinski Cancer Centre
      • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
        • Ottawa Hopsital Research Institute
  • France
    • Alsace
      • Strasbourg, Alsace, France, 67091
        • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg - Hôpital Civil
    • Aquitaine
      • Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, 33000
        • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hôpital Saint André
    • Auvergne
      • Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France, 63003
        • CHU d'Estaing
    • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
      • Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, 69317
        • Hopital de la croix rousse
    • Midi-Pyrenees
      • Toulouse, Midi-Pyrenees, France, 31059
        • Hopital Purpan
    • Île-de-France Region
      • Paris, Île-de-France Region, France, 75571
        • Hôpital Saint Antoine, CPP Ile de France V
  • Germany
      • Hamburg, Germany, 20246
        • Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
    • Bavaria
      • München, Bavaria, Germany, 81675
        • Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
    • Lower Saxony
      • Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, 30625
        • Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
    • Rhineland-Palatinate
      • Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, 55131
        • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Queen Mary Hospital
  • South Korea
      • Daegu, South Korea
        • Kyungpook National University Hospital
      • Pusan, South Korea
        • Pusan National University Hospital
      • Seoul, South Korea
        • Korea University Guro Hospital
      • Seoul, South Korea
        • Samsung Medical Center
      • Seoul, South Korea
        • Seoul National University Hospital
      • Seoul, South Korea, 138-736
        • Asan Medical Center
      • Seoul, South Korea
        • Severance Hospital,Yonsei University Health System
      • Yangsan, South Korea
        • Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital
    • Gyeonggi-do
      • Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 425-707
        • Korea University Ansan Hospital
  • Taiwan
      • Tainan, Taiwan
        • National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
      • Taipei, Taiwan
        • National Taiwan University Hospital
      • Taipei, Taiwan
        • Taipei Veterans General Hospital
  • United States
    • California
      • La Jolla, California, United States, 92093
        • Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center
      • Orange, California, United States, 92868
        • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • San Francisco, California, United States
        • California Pacific Medical Center
      • Stanford, California, United States
        • Stanford Hospital and Clinics
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States
        • University of Chicago Medical Center
    • Montana
      • Billings, Montana, United States
        • Billings Clinic
    • New Jersey
      • Paterson, New Jersey, United States
        • Saint Joseph's Hospital
    • New York
      • The Bronx, New York, United States
        • Montefiore Medical Center
    • Ohio
      • Canton, Ohio, United States
        • Gabrail Cancer Center
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States
        • University Hospitals Case Medical Center
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • The Methodist Hospital Department of Surgery

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

KEY Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of primary HCC by tissue biopsy (histological/cytological diagnosis), or clinical diagnosis
  • Previously treated with sorafenib for ≥ 14 days and has discontinued sorafenib treatment at least 14 days prior to randomization due to either intolerance or radiographic progression NOTE: Sorafenib is NOT required to be the most recent treatment received for HCC
  • ECOG performance status 0, 1 or 2
  • Child-Pugh Class A; or Child-Pugh Class B7 without clinically significant ascites
  • Hematocrit ≥30% or Hemoglobin ≥10 g/dL
  • Tumor status: Measurable viable tumor in the liver and injectable under imaging-guidance; At least one tumor in the liver that has not received prior local-regional treatment OR that has exhibited >25% growth in viable tumor size since prior local-regional treatment.

KEY Exclusion Criteria:

  • Received sorafenib within 14 days prior to randomization
  • Received systemic anti-cancer therapy other than sorafenib within 28 days of randomization
  • Prior treatment with JX-594
  • Platelet count < 50,000 PLT/ mm3
  • Total white blood cell count < 2,000 cells/mm3
  • Prior or planned organ transplant
  • Known significant immunodeficiency due to underlying illness (e.g. HIV/AIDS) and/or medication
  • Severe or unstable cardiac disease
  • Viable CNS malignancy associated with clinical symptoms
  • Pregnant or nursing an infant
  • History of inflammatory skin condition (e.g., eczema requiring previous treatment, atopic dermatitis)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: JX-594 + Best Supportive Care
Patients on Arm A will receive 1 e9 pfu (plaque forming units) total dose of JX-594 (Vaccinia GM-CSF / TK-deactivated Virus) on each of six (6) treatments over 18 weeks.
Biological: JX-594 recombinant vaccina GM-CSF
Patients will be randomised 2:1 to Arm A or Arm B and will receive 6 treatments on days 1, 8, 22, week 6, week 12, and week 18 plus best supportive care as needed.
Other: Best Supportive Care
Patients on the control arm (Arm B) will have best supportive care over 18 weeks.
Other: Best Supportive Care
Patients will be randomised 2:1 to Arm A or Arm B and will receive best supportive care as needed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Survival
Time Frame: CT scan every six weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months
Determine overall survival for patients receiving JX-594 plus best supportive care (Arm A) compared with those patients receiving best supportive care (Arm B) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have failed sorafenib treatment.
CT scan every six weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to Tumor Progression
Time Frame: CT scan every six weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months
Determine time-to-tumor-progression (TTP) for Arm A compared with Arm B based on mRECIST for HCC.
CT scan every six weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months
Quality of Life
Time Frame: assessed up to 21 months (average)
Determine the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients treated in Arm A compared with Arm B.
assessed up to 21 months (average)
Tumor Response
Time Frame: CT scan every 6 weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months (average)
Determine tumor response based on mRECIST for HCC of Arm A versus Arm B
CT scan every 6 weeks until progression or death, assessed up to 21 months (average)
Safety profile of JX594
Time Frame: assessed up to 21 months (average)
Safety will be assessed by the number of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)
assessed up to 21 months (average)
Time-to-symptomatic-progression
Time Frame: assessed up to 21 months (average)
Determine time to progression of Arm A compared to Arm B.
assessed up to 21 months (average)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Jennerex Biotherapeutics

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: James Burke, MD, Jennerex Biotherapeutics

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 8, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 27, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 1, 2011

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 4, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 6, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • JX594-HEP018

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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