Safety and Efficacy of OTL78 (Zopocianine)

September 8, 2026 updated by: Clinton Bahler

Safety and Efficacy of OTL78 (Zopocianine), a Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-Targeted Fluorescent Agent, for Intraoperative Imaging of Prostate Cancer: A Phase IIb Trial

This study is being done to support the selection of single dose and timing regimen of Zopocianine (OTL78) in combination with Near InfraRed (NIR) fluorescent imaging to improve the detection of malignant (growing in an uncontrolled way) tissue in adult patients undergoing prostatectomy and lymph node dissection for biopsy confirmed prostate cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death behind lung cancer. Prostate cells express Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed in PCa cells in over 90% of patients. On Target has developed a PSMA-targeted agent, the drug product OTL78, that fluoresces under NIR illumination to help with the identification of prostate cancer tissue during resection surgery that has extended beyond the capsule of the prostate into adjacent tissue and lymph nodes. Intra-operative identification of cancer tissue using real-time imaging modalities that could improve tumor identification, demarcation and lymph node involvement may provide a very useful tool to reduce the frequency of residual cancer and increase complete removal of locally involved lymph nodes.

This study is an open label trial of an imaging agent, PSMA targeted fluorescent dye (zopocianine, OTL78), in up to 32 participants with biopsy confirmed PCa who have been scheduled to undergo a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection in order to confirm the optimal dose and administration-to-surgery interval of the drug in visualizing cancerous tissue during a standard of care radical prostatectomy.

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.
36

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
  • Phase 3

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
    • Indiana
      • Carmel, Indiana, United States, 46032
        • Indiana University Health North Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Clint Bahler, MD
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Indiana University School of Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Clint Bahler, 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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent and HIPAA form
  2. Male participants 18 years of age and older

  3. Known primary prostate cancer and any one of the following:

    1. Grade group 3-5;
    2. Suspected extra-prostatic extension (EPE) or seminal vesicle invasion (SVI);
    3. Suspected lymph node metastasis (clinical stage cN1) by magnetic resonance imaging or by Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen positron emission tomography
  4. Planned to undergo a standard of care robotic prostatectomy and lymph node dissection
  5. Ability to understand the requirements of the study and agree to abide by the study restrictions and to return for the required assessments
  6. Agree to use a medically acceptable method of birth control (e.g., spermicide in conjunction with a barrier such as a condom) or sexual abstinence for the duration of the study, including through final study visit (6 weeks) after the dose of study drug. Sperm donation is prohibited during the study and for 3 months after the dose of study drug. Female partners must use hormonal or barrier contraception unless postmenopausal or abstinent.
  7. Patient scheduled to have or has had a PSMA-PET Scan for surgical treatment planning within 12 months of surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. The surgeon plans to perform an extraperitoneal approach
  2. History of anaphylactic reactions to products containing indocyanine green

  3. History of allergy to any of the components of ZOPOCIANINE:

    1. 2-[3-(1,3-dicarboxypropyl)ureido] pentanedioic acid (DUPA)
    2. Polyethylene glycol-dipeptide linker
    3. Chlorodye

  4. Impaired renal or hepatic function:

    1. Renal: creatinine clearance (eGFR) < 50 mL/min
    2. Hepatic: total bilirubin > 2 × upper limit of normal or ALT/AST > 3 × upper limit of normal.
  5. Patients with QTc interval ≥ 470 msec per electrocardiogram (ECG) at screening calculated via the Bazett formula.
  6. Significant acute or chronic medical, neurologic, or illness in the participant that, in the judgment of the Principal Investigator, could compromise participant safety, limit the ability to complete the study, and/or compromise the objectives of the study.

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: 0.06mg/kg ZOPOCIANINE given 1-7 days prior to surgery
A single dose of 0.06mg/kg ZOPOCIANINE (given 1-7 days prior to surgery) used with NIR fluorescent imaging during prostatectomy and lymph node dissection for biopsy confirmed prostate cancer.
Drug: 0.06mg/kg ZOPOCIANINE given 1-7 days prior to surgery
A single dose of 0.06mg/kg ZOPOCIANINE used with NIR fluorescent imaging during prostatectomy and lymph node dissection

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
Proportion of subjects who have a Clinically Significant Event
Time Frame: Day of surgery
a) Histologically confirmed cancer in residual non-nodal soft tissue resected solely because of "NIR only" detection as suspicious following prostatectomy. b) One or more resected NIR- positive lymph nodes that contain metastatic disease as confirmed by pathology.
Day of surgery

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
Detection of Primary cancer
Time Frame: Day of surgery
For primary cancer, the number of lesions that are either: fluorescence positive, and prostate cancer positive (i.e., true positive); fluorescence positive but cancer negative (i.e., false positive); fluorescence negative but cancer positive (i.e., false negative); or, fluorescence negative and cancer negative (i.e., true negative). We will consider disease state at four (4) defined prostate regions - right posterior, left posterior, anterior, and at the bladder neck
Day of surgery
Execution of pre-surgery plan
Time Frame: Day of surgery
The pre-surgery plan will be documented and compared to the documented surgery performed if surgeon reports of changes in scope from initial plan.
Day of surgery
Detection of Metastatic Cancer
Time Frame: Day of surgery
For metastatic cancer spread to lymph nodes, the number of lesions that are either: fluorescence positive, and prostate cancer positive (i.e., true positive); fluorescence positive but cancer negative (i.e., false positive); fluorescence negative but cancer positive (i.e., false negative); or, fluorescence negative and cancer negative (i.e., true negative). We will use six (6) defined lymph node regions (external iliac, internal iliac, common iliac and right and left)
Day of surgery
Incidence rates AEs and all SAEs
Time Frame: Screening to 6 week follow-up
Incidence rates of all causally related AEs and all SAEs
Screening to 6 week follow-up

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.
Clinton Bahler

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Indiana University
On Target Laboratories, LLC

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: Clint Bahler, MD, Indiana University

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 (Estimated)

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 1, 2026

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.
July 1, 2027

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.
September 1, 2027

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).
July 21, 2026

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 21, 2026

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.
July 24, 2026

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.
September 10, 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.
September 8, 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.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • UROL-CC-IUSCCC-0965

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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