MK-3475/BCG in High Risk Superficial Bladder Cancer (MARC)

April 9, 2024 updated by: Southern Illinois University

Phase I Study of MK-3475 in Combination With BCG for Patients With High Risk Superficial Bladder Cancer

This is a single center Phase I safety and efficacy study of MK-3475 therapy used in combination with bladder infused BCG treatment for patients, 18 years or older, with high risk superficial bladder cancer (cancer not yet involving the muscle of the bladder wall) who have had removal of their bladder tumor. Patients will be enrolled to a single treatment group of a fixed dose of MK 3475 and BCG.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. This is a single center Phase I safety and efficacy study of MK-3475 therapy used in combination with bladder infused BCG treatment. The study will determine the safety of administering MK-3475 at a fixed dose every three weeks in conjunction with intravesicular BCG treatment in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients who had recurrence after two courses of induction (6 doses) intravesical therapy (two BCG courses, or one BCG course and one other approved intravesical therapies) administered within 12 months, or after one induction (6 doses) and one maintenance (3 doses) intravesical therapy (BCG). Subjects will have confirmation of bladder cancer non-invasive to the muscle. Approximately 20 subjects will be screened to treat 15 eligible subjects with high risk superficial bladder cancer who have had transurethral resection of their bladder tumor.

The rationale for the use of the indicated dose of TICE® BCG is based upon FDA approved and commercially provided package insert/ instructions for use of the product. BCG installation has been used to treat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer for more than 30 years. It is one of the most successful biotherapies for cancer in use. Despite long clinical experience with BCG, the mechanism of its therapeutic effect is still under investigation.

The first 3 subjects will be treated at a dose of 100 mg MK-3475 to ensure safety for the combination. If no safety or efficacy issues are present, dosing will be escalated to 200 mg MK-3475 every 3 weeks.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

18

Phase

  • Phase 1

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

    • Illinois
      • Springfield, Illinois, United States, 62702
        • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
      • Springfield, Illinois, United States, 62702
        • Simmons Cancer Institute-SIU School of Medicine
    • Michigan
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202
        • Henry Ford Health Systems

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1.Willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent.

2.18 years of age.

3.Have pathologically documented high grade transitional cell superficial bladder cancer (Ta, T1) at time of restaging, or have pathologically documented high grade CIS of the bladder at time of initial resection for recurrent/persistent high risk transitional cell superficial bladder cancer.

4.Recurrent/persistent disease despite 2 Induction Intravesical Therapy Courses given within 12 months (with BCG being one of them), or despite one induction BCG treatment in addition to at least one maintenance course of BCG 5.Have provided tissue from an archival tissue sample or newly obtained core or excisional biopsy of a tumor lesion.

6.ECOG performance status of 0-2. 7.Demonstrate adequate organ function 8.Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy.

9.Female subjects of childbearing potential should be willing to use 2 methods of birth control or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication 10.Male subjects should agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Currently has active or progressive metastatic disease.
  2. Currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment.
  3. Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment.
  4. Prior monoclonal antibody within 4 weeks prior to study Day 1 or who has not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier.
  5. Prior systemic chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy for bladder cancer.
  6. If subject received major surgery, they must have recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from the intervention prior to starting therapy.
  7. Known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment.
  8. Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years.
  9. Has evidence of interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis.
  10. Active infection, including a concurrent febrile illness, requiring systemic therapy.
  11. History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
  12. Known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
  13. Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 4 months after the last dose of trial treatment.
  14. Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody (including ipilimumab or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways) including anti-CD40 and anti-OX40 antibodies.
  15. Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies).
  16. Has known active Hepatitis B (e.g., HBs Ag reactive) or Hepatitis C (e.g., HCV RNA [qualitative] is detected).
  17. Has known active tuberculosis. Subjects will not be specifically tested for the study; however, subjects that are tested within 28 days of beginning study or while on study and test positive with the PPD test before treatment should have active tuberculosis ruled out before therapy begins for their superficial bladder cancer.
  18. Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment.
  19. Has an active urinary tract infection, gross hematuria, or known broken mucosal barrier of the bladder.
  20. Less than 14 days post bladder biopsy, TUR, or traumatic catheterization.
  21. Evidence of muscle invasive bladder cancer, or transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intravenous MK-3475/ Intravesical BCG
3 subjects will be treated at a dose of 100 mg MK-3475 at 100 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W) intravenously (IV) for 6 doses and 1 vial intravesicular BCG suspended in 50 ml preservative-free saline once per week of 6 weekly doses 12 subjects will be treated at a dose of 200 mg MK-3475 at 100 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W) intravenously (IV) for 6 doses and 1 vial intravesicular BCG suspended in 50 ml preservative-free saline once per week of 6 weekly doses
6 cycles (each cycle is 21 days) of pembrolizumab will be given over 9 weeks in combination with BCG. BCG treatment will begin on Day 1 of cycle 3 of pembrolizumab.
Other Names:
  • pembrolizumab

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse Events
Time Frame: change from baseline to 23 weeks
Grade and quantity of treatment related adverse events. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.
change from baseline to 23 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Without Bladder Tumors Upon Cystoscopy Following Treatment.
Time Frame: 19 weeks
Complete response rate per cystoscopy assessment of the bladder at 19 weeks from start of treatment with MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) at week 1.Subjects presenting at Week 19 with a bladder free of tumors upon cystoscopy and without local or metastatic spread were considered a complete response.. Suspicious lesions would be biopsied and sent for confirmation of pathology. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.
19 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Krishna Rao, MD, Southern Illinois University

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.

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)

June 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 18, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

March 27, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 11, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 23, 2014

First Posted (Estimated)

December 24, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 3, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 9, 2024

Last Verified

April 1, 2024

More Information

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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