A Phase II Study of the Combination of Azacitidine and Pembrolizumab for Patients Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma

May 14, 2026 updated by: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
This study is a Phase II single-center clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of pembrolizumab in combination with the 7-day regimen of azacitidine for the treatment of relapsed/refractory HL.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

OBJECTIVES:

Primary Objectives:

• To assess the overall response rate (ORR) of Pembrolizumab in combination with azacitidine in patients with relapsed or progressed classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Secondary Objectives:

  • To assess the duration of response (DOR), relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) of patients with refractory/relapsed HL treated with this combination.
  • To assess the safety of Pembrolizumab in combination with azacitidine in children with refractory/relapsed HL.
  • To assess the proportion of patients who proceed to stem cell transplantation upon achieving response with the combination of Pembrolizumab and Azacitidine regimen.

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 (Estimated)

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.
24

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Recruiting
        • MD Anderson Cancer Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • David McCall, MD

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

1 year and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • HL patients with relapse or progression. Prior checkpoint inhibitors will be allowed
  • AML patients with relapse or progression. Patients may receive cytoreduction prior to enrollment for patients with rapidly proliferative disease before the start of study therapy, as needed, for clinical benefit and after discussion with the PI. Concurrent therapy for central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis or continuation of therapy for controlled CNS disease is permitted
  • Patients with relapsed HL involving extranodal sites
  • HL patients who are not regarded as a candidate for high-dose, conventional chemotherapy
  • Age of enrollment: Minimum age 1 year. No maximum age, study will include anyone in the pediatric/adolescent center
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 3 or Lansky performance status >= 50
  • Adequate renal function per age unless related to the disease
  • Adequate hepatic function including total bilirubin < 2x upper limit of normal (ULN) unless increase is due to Gilbert's disease, and AST < 3x ULN unless considered due to lymphoma involvement.
  • Provision of written informed consent or assent as per MDACC policy for study subjects.
  • Females must be surgically or biologically sterile or if of childbearing potential, must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 72 hours before the start of the treatment and each subsequent dose.
  • Women of childbearing potential must agree to use an adequate method of contraception during the study and until 4 months after the last treatment. Males must be surgically or biologically sterile or agree to use an adequate method of contraception during the study until 1 month after the last treatment
  • Males need to inform the doctor right away if the partner becomes pregnant or suspects pregnancy. While in this study and for 30 days after the last treatment the patient should not donate sperm for the purposes of reproduction. He will need to use a condom while in this study and for 30 days after the last treatment

Exclusion criteria:

  • Allergy to azacitidine or pembrolizumab or the drugs' components
  • Active and uncontrolled comorbidities including active uncontrolled infection, uncontrolled hypertension despite adequate medical therapy, active and uncontrolled congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III/IV, clinically significant and uncontrolled arrhythmia as judged by the treating physician
  • Patients with known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or active Hepatitis B or C
  • Any other medical, psychological, or social condition that may interfere with study participation or compliance, or compromise patient safety in the opinion of the investigator
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start study therapy
  • Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days prior to the first dose of pembrolizumab.

The following are exceptions to this criterion:

  • Intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injections (eg, intra-articular injection)
  • Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not to exceed 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent
  • Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (eg, computed tomography [CT] scan premedication)

  • As per Inclusion criteria #2

    • Active or prior documented autoimmune disease (including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, Wegener syndrome) within the past 2 years. Subjects with childhood atopy or asthma, vitiligo, alopecia, Hashimoto syndrome, Grave's disease, or psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment (within the past 2 years) are not excluded
    • Has known active central nervous system metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group 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: Pembrolizumab plus Azacitidine
Pembrolizumab by vein over about 30 minutes every 3 weeks. Azacitidine by vein over about 60-90 minutes on Days 1-7 of each 28-day study cycle
Drug: Azacytidine
Given by Vein (IV)
Other Names:
  • 5-AZC
  • Ladakamycin
  • Vidaza™
  • 5-azacytidine
  • 5-aza
  • AZA-CR
  • NSC-102816
Drug: Pembrolizumab
Given by Vein (IV)
Other Names:
  • KEYTRUDA®

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
Time Frame
To assess the overall response rate (ORR)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
through study completion, an average of 1 year

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.
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

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.
  • Principal Investigator: David McCall, MD, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

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.

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 5, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2026

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).
April 25, 2022

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.
April 25, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

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.
May 2, 2022

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.
May 18, 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.
May 14, 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.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 2021-0916
  • NCI-2022-03778 (Other Identifier: NCI-CTRP-Clinical Trial Reporting Registry)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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