NB2013-HR German (GPOH) / Dutch (DCOG) Trial (NB2013-HR)

November 3, 2022 updated by: Frank Berthold, University of Cologne

Randomized Phase 2 Trial Comparing Experimental Immunotherapy in Recurrent High Risk Neuroblastoma Patients With Standard Immunotherapy in Patients With Recurrent and Newly Diagnosed High Risk Neuroblastoma

Although the five year survival rate of children with high risk neuroblastoma have increased over the last three decades from 4 to 44 % (1), neuroblastoma is the second most frequent cause for cancer related death in childhood (11 %). Most patients show good initial response rates (complete (CR) and partial remission (PR) rate 95 %), but 55 % experience a largely treatment-resistant tumor progression.

Recently, a breakthrough with immunotherapy was reported by US investigators from the Children's Oncology Group (2) using the anti-ganglioside D2 (GD2) monoclonal antibody ch14.18 for tumor cell destruction and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus interleukin 2 (IL-2) for immunostimulation. This immune therapy resulted in an increase of 20 % Event free survival (EFS) at 2 year from randomization. However, this was associated with a high toxicity rate (pain, capillary leak syndrome).

The proposed trial compares the Childrens' Oncology Group (COG) "standard of care" arm (anti-GD2 + GM-CSF + IL-2 i.v. + retinoic acid oral) with an experimental arm (anti-GD2 + GM-CSF + IL-2 s.c. + retinoic acid oral) designed to reduce toxicity.

The potential benefit from this trial consists of the confirmation that the American trial design is feasible in an independent set of patients with different preceding therapy, at a different time point regarding to immune reconstitution after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), the feasibility of a newly designed immunotherapy (which is hopefully less toxic) and the investigation of immune response parameters. This pilot study is the prerequisite for a consecutive randomized clinical trial comparing two immunotherapeutic approaches in a larger set of patients.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Neuroblastoma is the second most frequent solid tumour (7.6%) and the second cause of cancer related death (11%) in childhood. In particular the large high risk (HR) group has remained a challenge to Paediatric Oncologists. Although the 5 year survival rates of children with HR disease have increased over the last 3 decades from 4 to 44.4%, the vast majority of those children will finally succumb to disease [1]. Most patients show good initial responses to chemotherapy (CR + PR-rate 95 %), but a majority experiences a highly treatment resistant tumour progression (55%). Therefore new therapeutic modalities are urgently needed.

Recently, a randomized trial demonstrated that an immunotherapeutic concept using the anti-GD2 antibody ch14.18 together with interleukin 2, GM-CSF and retinoic acid improved the outcome of neuroblastoma patients which achieved CR or very good partial remission (VGPR) response to the preceding therapy. This treatment was associated with a high rate of toxic effects (neuropathic pain 52% of patients, capillary leak syndrome 23%). An earlier study using the antibody ch14.18 alone made comparable observations: pain despite of analgesia was seen in 33% of patients and severe capillary leak syndromes in 3 of 151 children. Differences of the reported frequencies are due to the different definitions of side effects.

The investigators therefore propose a randomized clinical trial comparing the COG immunotherapy concept with newly designed hopefully equally effective but less toxic concept. This modifies the application route of IL-2 from i.v. to s.c. and increases the IL-2 dose to 6.0 mio/m²xd (from 3.0 first week and 4.5 mio second week i.v.). Oral retinoic acid is used in both arms. The proposed randomized trial will answer the following questions:

(i) Confirmation of the feasibility to apply the COG immunotherapy as consolidation treatment after a different remission induction therapy in patients with recurrent and de novo high risk neuroblastoma (ii) Investigation of the feasibility to apply the new immunotherapy concept in patients with recurrent high risk neuroblastoma (iii) Comparison of the toxicity of both immunotherapy regimens with the aim to reduce grade 2 - 4 toxicities in the experimental arm.

(iv) Comparison of the immune response (antiidiotype antibodies, immune cell phenotypes, immune mediators, functional assays as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) between treatment cycles (intraindividual), treatment arms (interindividual) and between recurrent and newly diagnosed patients (v) Comparison of pharmacokinetics of antibody ch14.18 in both arms (12.10.) (vi) Comparison of therapeutic efficacy by response evaluation at the end of the 25 week treatment (descriptive).

(vii) Comparison of patients´ QoL experienced in both immunotherapy regimens as indicated by parents rating in appropriate questionnaires.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

3

Phase

  • 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

  • Germany
      • Cologne, Germany, 50924
        • University of Cologne

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

1 year to 21 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Established diagnosis of neuroblastoma according to the international criteria (INSS)
  • High risk (HR): stage 4 over 18 months of age and oncogen MYCN (MYCN) amplified neuroblastoma of any stage and any age until 25 years (recurrent disease (Germany and The Netherlands) after re-induction chemotherapy (+/- other modalities) or newly diagnosed disease (only The Netherlands):
  • Complete front-line treatment including induction chemotherapy, radioisotope (mIBG) treatment, appropriate local therapy such as surgical removal and/ or local irradiation of the primary tumor and myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous stem cell reinfusion according to the actual guidelines of the GPOH/DCOG
  • achieved response status: stable disease or better (CR, VGPR, PR, SD).
  • Written informed consent of parents or guardian and - if appropriate - of the patient.
  • For at least two weeks prior to start of trial medication off any standard or experimental treatment no tumour surgery no immediate requirements for palliative chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery
  • The patient may have had prior central nervous system (CNS) metastases provided the following criteria are all met:

The patient's CNS disease has been previously treated The patient's CNS disease has been clinically stable for four weeks prior to starting this study (assessed clinically and by MRI or CT) The patient is off steroids for four weeks prior to starting the study and will not require them during the course of the study A patient with seizure disorders may be enrolled if well controlled on anticonvulsants and if no seizures have occurred within a 6 week period prior to starting trial treatment

  • HIV sero-negative and neither active nor chronic-replicative hepatitis B infection
  • Laboratory testing: The patients should have adequate functions of the cor, lung, bone marrow, liver, kidney

Exclusion Criteria:

-

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
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard Arm
Standard IL-2 i.v. together with antibody ch14.18, GM-CSF and retinoic acid
Drug: antibody ch14.18
17.5mg/m²d 10-20h i.v, d4-7 in cycles 1,3,5 and d8-11 in cycles 2,4.
Other Names:
  • Unituxin
Drug: GM-CSF
250µg/m²xd, d1-14 s.c. or i.v (2h) in cycles 1,3,5
Other Names:
  • Leukine
  • Sargramostim
Drug: IL-2 i.v.
3.0 mio U/m²xd d1-4 continuous infusion i.v. and 4.5 mio U/m²xd d8-11 continuous infusion i.v. in cycles 2,4
Other Names:
  • Proleukin
Drug: Retinoic acid
160mg/m²xd b.i.d.oral d 11-24 in cycles 1,3,5,6 and d15-28 in cycles 2,4
Other Names:
  • isotretinoin
Experimental: Experimental Arm
IL-2 s.c. together with antibody ch14.18, GM-CSF and retinoic acid
Drug: antibody ch14.18
17.5mg/m²d 10-20h i.v, d4-7 in cycles 1,3,5 and d8-11 in cycles 2,4.
Other Names:
  • Unituxin
Drug: GM-CSF
250µg/m²xd, d1-14 s.c. or i.v (2h) in cycles 1,3,5
Other Names:
  • Leukine
  • Sargramostim
Drug: Retinoic acid
160mg/m²xd b.i.d.oral d 11-24 in cycles 1,3,5,6 and d15-28 in cycles 2,4
Other Names:
  • isotretinoin
Drug: IL-2 s.c.
0.06 mio U/m² i.v. test dosis for 30min. i.v. at least 2h before first subcutaneous (s.c.) application. 6 mio U/m²xd d1-5 and 8-12 s.c. in cycles 2,4
Other Names:
  • Proleukin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
toxic death or relevant grade 4 toxicity
Time Frame: up to 7 months
Relevant grade 4 toxicities are defined as ascites, adult respiratory distress syndrome, capillary leak syndrome, cytokine release syndrome, dyspnea, hypotension, motor neuropathy, sensory neuropathy.
up to 7 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reduction of key side effects
Time Frame: up to 7 months
Key side effects are defined as capillary leak syndrome and cytokine release syndrome. Reduction is defined by at least 1 grade or score point or day less.
up to 7 months
Maximum of antibody-related pain
Time Frame: up to 5 months
Neuralgia (with assessment of pain duration by days requiring morphine and maximum grade of pain scores during first 2 antibody cycles) will compared between both arms.
up to 5 months
Comparative pharmacokinetics
Time Frame: up to 2 months
Maximum plasma concentration of the antibody assessed during the first 2 months of treatment.
up to 2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Cologne

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Frank Berthold, Prof. Dr., University of Cologne

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

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)

November 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 23, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

January 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 12, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 23, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

December 29, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2022

Last Verified

November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Uni-Koeln-1694

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

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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