AdV-tk Therapy With Surgery and Chemoradiation for Pancreas Cancer (PaTK01) (PaTK01)

AdV-tk + Valacyclovir Therapy in Combination With Surgery and Chemoradiation for Pancreas Cancer

The purpose of this Phase 1 study is to evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of Gene Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. The approach uses an adenoviral vector (disabled virus) engineered to express the Herpes thymidine kinase gene (AdV-tk), followed by an antiherpetic prodrug, valacyclovir.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pancreatic Cancer; Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: AdV-tk; Drug: Valacyclovir

Detailed Description

The AdV-tk vector is injected into the tumor or tumor bed at the time of biopsy or standard tumor surgery after which valacyclovir pills are taken for 14 days. Two courses of AdV-tk, each followed by valacyclovir, are given as adjuvant to standard of care therapies (surgery and/or chemoradiation) which have been shown to work cooperatively with AdV-tk to kill tumor cells. Arm A is for resectable tumors in which the first course is given prior to surgery and the second is at the time of surgery. Arm B is for locally advanced disease in which both AdV-tk injections are administered by needle injection into the tumor before and during chemoradiation. The hypothesis is that this combination therapy can be safely delivered and will lead to improvement in the clinical outcome for patients with pancreatic cancer.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 27
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
      • City of Hope Medical Center
    • La Jolla, California, United States, 92037
      • Scripps Green Hospital/Scripps Cancer Center
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
      • The Ohio State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must have presumed pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on clinical and radiologic evaluation with identifiable tumor accessible for injection (pathologic diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma must be made prior to AdV-tk injection
• For Arm A, resectable disease. Arm B for locally advanced disease has completed accrual.
• Performance status must be ECOG 0-2
• SGOT (AST)<3x upper limit of normal
• Serum creatinine<2mg/dl and calculated creatinine clearance >10ml/min
• Platelets>100,000/mm3 and WBC>3000/mm3 and ANC>1500/mm3
• Must give study specific informed consent prior to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Primary hepatic dysfunction including active hepatitis but not to exclude patients due to obstructive jaundice. If obstructive jaundice is clinically significant, bilirubin should be stable or decreasing prior to enrollment.
• Evidence of clinically significant pancreatitis as determined by the investigator.
• Patients on corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs
• Known HIV+ patients
• Patients with acute infections (viral, bacterial or fungal infections requiring therapy)
• Pregnant or breast-feeding patients. Female patients of childbearing age must have negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 1 week of beginning therapy
• Evidence of distant metastatic disease at the time of enrollment or other malignancy (except squamous or basal cell skin cancers) and no prior abdominal radiation therapy or prior treatment for pancreatic cancer
• Other serious co-morbid illness or compromised organ function

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: A resectable; Arm A is for resectable tumors. The first AdV-tk course is given prior to surgery by CT or EUS guided injection into the tumor followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. The second AdV-tk injection is into the tumor bed at the time of surgery again followed by 14 days of valacyclovir.	Biological: AdV-tk; Four dose levels of AdV-tk with a fixed dose level of valacyclovir are evaluated independently in the two arms of the study due to differences in the concomitant standard of care treatments. The first AdV-tk course is given prior to surgery or radiation by CT or EUS guided injection into the tumor followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. The second AdV-tk injection is into the tumor bed at the time of surgery in Arm A or same as the first injection in Arm B again followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. The AdV-tk dose levels are: Level 1= 3x10e10 vector particles (vp), Level 2= 1x10e11 vp, Level 3= 3x10e11 vp, Level 4= 1x10e12 vp; Drug: Valacyclovir; Valacyclovir caplets at a dose of 2 grams orally three times per day is administered for 14 days starting 1-3 days after each of the two AdV-tk injections in both arms.; Other Names: Valtrex
Experimental: B locally advanced; Arm B is for locally advanced tumors for which chemoradiation is the planned standard of care treatment. AdV-tk is delivered by CT or EUS guided injection into the tumor. The first AdV-tk injection is given prior to starting chemoradiation and the second in week 3 of chemoradiation. Both injections are followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. Enrollment has been completed for Arm B.	Biological: AdV-tk; Four dose levels of AdV-tk with a fixed dose level of valacyclovir are evaluated independently in the two arms of the study due to differences in the concomitant standard of care treatments. The first AdV-tk course is given prior to surgery or radiation by CT or EUS guided injection into the tumor followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. The second AdV-tk injection is into the tumor bed at the time of surgery in Arm A or same as the first injection in Arm B again followed by 14 days of valacyclovir. The AdV-tk dose levels are: Level 1= 3x10e10 vector particles (vp), Level 2= 1x10e11 vp, Level 3= 3x10e11 vp, Level 4= 1x10e12 vp; Drug: Valacyclovir; Valacyclovir caplets at a dose of 2 grams orally three times per day is administered for 14 days starting 1-3 days after each of the two AdV-tk injections in both arms.; Other Names: Valtrex

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Incidence of treatment emergent adverse events	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Overall survival	2 years
Progression free survival	2 years
Tumor response including pathologic response	2 months
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Pancreas (FACT-Hep)	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Candel Therapeutics, Inc.
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Mark Bloomston, MD, Ohio State University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Aguilar LK, Shirley LA, Chung VM, Marsh CL, Walker J, Coyle W, Marx H, Bekaii-Saab T, Lesinski GB, Swanson B, Sanchez D, Manzanera AG, Aguilar-Cordova E, Bloomston M. Gene-mediated cytotoxic immunotherapy as adjuvant to surgery or chemoradiation for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2015 Jun;64(6):727-36. doi: 10.1007/s00262-015-1679-3. Epub 2015 Mar 21.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 6, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 13, 2008
• First Posted (Estimated): March 19, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 25, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 23, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Chemoradiation; Gene Therapy; Surgery; Immunotherapy; Radiation; Cytotoxicity; Tumor vaccine
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Endocrine System Diseases; Digestive System Neoplasms; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Pancreatic Diseases; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Anti-Infective Agents; Antiviral Agents; Valacyclovir
• Other Study ID Numbers: PaTK01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO