PAveMenT: Palbociclib and Avelumab in Metastatic AR+ Triple Negative Breast Cancer (PAveMenT)

March 31, 2026 updated by: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

PAveMenT: Phase Ib Study of Palbociclib and Avelumab in Metastatic AR+ Triple Negative Breast Cancer

This clinical study is aiming to determine the safest doses and schedule for the combination of two drugs named palbociclib and avelumab.

The study will also be investigating how effective the combination is for a subgroup of breast cancer patients whose cancer expresses the androgen receptor (AR) but not the oestrogen (hormone) or HER2 receptors. Palbociclib is a drug used in routine care for hormone-receptor (HR) positive and HER2 negative advanced breast cancer, the most common subtype of breast cancer.

It is possible that the combination of palbociclib and avelumab will be a more effective cancer treatment than each drug separately, but this is unknown and this study is needed to establish the best dosage and schedule of each drug as well as how effective the combination is.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a phase Ib study designed to confirm the safety and evaluate the efficacy of palbociclib combined with avelumab in AR positive TNBC. It is a multi-centre study design (it will run at several hospitals in the UK).

Palbociclib inhibits two proteins involved in cell growth called cyclin dependent kinase 4 and cyclin dependent kinase 6 (CDK4/6). Inhibiting CDK4/6 stops cells, such as cancer cells, from dividing and multiplying further. Palbociclib is currently approved for the treatment of metastatic HR positive HER2 negative breast cancer, based on good results from large clinical trials. Laboratory studies have shown that palbociclib might be also useful in some patients with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that does not express the hormone receptors or HER2 receptor, but only if the cancer is positive for the androgen-receptor (AR).

Avelumab is an immunotherapy drug which does not destroy cancer cells, but tries to stimulate the body's immune system to do this. Avelumab has been tested in a number of different types of tumours including breast cancer, but although approved for use in the USA, it is not currently an approved standard treatment in the UK. The combination of both drugs has never been tested in humans before.

Recruitment to Part A will be conducted only at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Part A of the study will establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and optimal schedule of the combination in any suitable patients with advanced breast cancer. Once this dose schedule has been confirmed, the chosen dose level will be recruited to, aiming to include 27 patients with AR positive TNBC (Part B).Part B will recruit at up to 8 high volume centres. The androgen receptor is not routinely tested for in hospital laboratories, so patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer who are interested in taking part in the study will be asked to provide consent for previously taken cancer samples/biopsies to be sent to the Royal Marsden for testing, to see if the cancer expresses the androgen receptor, which would make participants potentially eligible for part B of the study. Approximately 20% of triple negative breast cancers express AR. This phase of the study will include important translational work using new cancer samples (biopsies) and blood samples to investigate potential "biomarkers" -predictors of efficacy and resistance to the combination.

In Part A of the study, patients with previously treated, advanced breast cancer will have an ECG (heart trace) a CT scan of the body and potentially an MRI scan of the brain and a bone scan (depending upon where the breast cancer is known to have spread to) as well as blood tests to determine if participants are suitable for the study.

During the study participants will receive daily palbociclib tablets and intravenous infusions of avelumab every two weeks. Participants will be monitored with regular blood tests and repeat CT scans every 8 weeks. At whatever time point the treatment stops working, the patient will stop treatment and will be asked to have further blood tests one month later as well as a check up with the study doctor.

In Part B of the study, patients with triple negative histology and positive androgen receptor status tested at the Royal Marsden will be required to have a cancer biopsy before participants start treatment on the study. LIke in Part A, participants will also have an ECG (heart trace)a CT scan of the body and potentially an MRI scan of the brain and a bone scan (depending upon where the breast cancer is known to have spread to) as well as blood tests to determine if participants are suitable for the study. During the study participants will receive daily palbociclib tablets and intravenous infusions of avelumab every two weeks. Participants will be monitored with regular blood tests and check-ups with the study doctor and repeat CT scans every 8 weeks as well as additional blood tests for research. After 3 weeks of treatment, the patient may have a further tumour biopsy, which is optional. At whatever timepoint the treatment stops working, the patient will stop treatment and will be asked to have further blood tests and a further biopsy. Participants will also have a check-up with the study doctor and blood tests one month later.

A maximum of 45 breast cancer patients will be enrolled; up to 18 patients in part A and 27 patients with AR+ triple negative breast cancer in part B.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

45

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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United Kingdom
      • Cambridge, United Kingdom, CB2 0QQ
        • Recruiting
        • Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Richard Baird
        • Contact:
      • Glasgow, United Kingdom, G12 0YN
        • Recruiting
        • Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Iain MacPherson
        • Contact:
      • Leicester, United Kingdom, LE1 5WW
        • Recruiting
        • Hope Clinical Trials Cancer Centre
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Olubukola Ayodele
        • Contact:
      • London, United Kingdom, W1T 7HA
        • Recruiting
        • University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Rebecca Roylance
        • Contact:
      • London, United Kingdom, EC1M 6BQ
        • Recruiting
        • Barts Cancer Institute
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Peter Schmid
        • Contact:
      • London, United Kingdom, SW3 6JJ
      • Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG5 1PB
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Nottingham University Hospital
      • Sheffield, United Kingdom, S10 2SJ
    • Greater Manchester
      • Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, M20 4BX
        • Recruiting
        • The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Anne Armstrong
        • Contact:

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 Part A:

  1. Patients with recurrent inoperable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
  2. Previously treated with at least one prior line of chemotherapy for advanced disease, but no more than two prior lines of chemotherapy for advanced disease. Patients with ER+ breast cancer must have received at least one prior line of hormone therapy for advanced disease. Patients with HER2+ breast cancer must have received at least one prior line of HER2 directed therapy.
  3. Measurable disease (RECIST 1.1)
  4. Haematological and biochemical indices within the ranges stated in the study protocol. These measurements must be performed within one week (Day -7 to Day 1) before the patient goes in the trial.

  5. Women/female patients with child-bearing potential (defined as the fertile status following menarche and until becoming post-menopausal unless permanently sterile by methods that include hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral oophorectomy) must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to start of trial.

    Women/females of child bearing potential or their male partners must use a highly effective method of contraception for 2 weeks before starting the study treatment, throughout the treatment period and for 1 month after discontinuation of treatment with palbociclib and avelumab (women/female patients) or 14 weeks (men/male patients). Highly effective methods are defined as methods that can achieve a failure rate of less than 1% per year when used consistently and correctly are considered as highly effective birth control methods, such methods include:

    • Oral, intra-vaginal or transdermal combined hormonal contraception
    • Oral, injectable or implantable progesterone-only contraception
    • Intrauterine device
    • Intrauterine hormone-releasing system,
    • Bilateral tubal occlusion
    • Vasectomised partner
    • True abstinence:* When this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject

    Key: * it is only considered highly effective if the patient is refraining from sexual intercourse during the entire period of risk associated with the study treatments

  6. 18 years of age or over.
  7. World Health Organisation (WHO) performance status 0 or 1
  8. Estimated life expectancy of at least 3 months in the opinion of the investigator
  9. Signed and dated informed consent.
  10. Patients willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests, follow up and other procedures

Inclusion Criteria Part B:

  1. Patients with recurrent inoperable locally advanced or metastatic AR+ triple negative breast cancer with ER, PgR and HER2 status determined locally and AR determined centrally on archival metastatic tissue. Archival tissue from the primary tumour (which must have been ER/PgR negative and collected within 5 years prior to metastatic relapse) may be used for AR testing if no archival metastatic tissue is available.
  2. Previously treated with at least one prior line of chemotherapy for advanced disease, but no more than two prior lines of chemotherapy for advanced disease.
  3. Measurable disease (RECIST 1.1) amenable to fresh biopsy
  4. Haematological and biochemical indices within the ranges stated in the study protocol. These measurements must be performed within one week (Day -7 to Day 1) before the patient goes in the trial.

  5. Female patients with child-bearing potential must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to start of trial.

    Women/females of child bearing potential or their male partners must use a highly effective method of contraception for 2 weeks before starting the study treatment, throughout the treatment period and for 1 month after discontinuation of treatment with palbociclib and avelumab (women/female patients) or 14 weeks (men/male patients). Highly effective methods are defined as methods that can achieve a failure rate of less than 1% per year when used consistently and correctly are considered as highly effective birth control methods, such methods include:

    • Oral, intra-vaginal or transdermal combined hormonal contraception
    • Oral, injectable or implantable progesterone-only contraception
    • Intrauterine device
    • Intrauterine hormone-releasing system,
    • Bilateral tubal occlusion
    • Vasectomised partner
    • True abstinence:* When this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject

    Key: * it is only considered highly effective if the patient is refraining from sexual intercourse during the entire period of risk associated with the study treatments

  6. Age 18 years of age or over
  7. World Health Organisation (WHO) performance status 0 or 1
  8. Estimated life expectancy of at least 3 months in the opinion of the investigator
  9. Signed and dated informed consent
  10. Patients willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests, follow up, and other procedures
  11. Available archival breast primary tumour tissue (or metastatic tissue if de novo metastatic disease)
  12. Patient willing to undergo a mandatory baseline fresh tumour tissue biopsy procedure (clinical or radiologically-guided)

Exclusion Criteria Parts A & B:

  1. Oral chemotherapy within two weeks, weekly iv chemotherapy within three weeks or any other systemic chemotherapy or investigational medicinal products during the previous four weeks.
  2. Hormonal therapy within 7 days except luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues for ovarian suppression. Bisphosphonates or RANK ligand antagonists are permitted for the management of bone metastases.
  3. Previous exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors or immune co-stimulatory drugs in the advanced setting. (Note: Patients who have received neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant pembrolizumab are eligible if treatment was completed at 6 months prior to metastatic relapse.)
  4. Previous treatment with palbociclib or any agents which inhibit CDK4/6. (Note: Patients who have received adjuvant abemaciclib or ribociclib for early breast cancer are eligible if treatment was completed at least 12 months prior to metastatic relapse.)
  5. Major surgery (excluding minor procedures, e.g. placement of vascular access) within 4 weeks or radiation therapy within 14 days prior to study entry
  6. Patients with known symptomatic brain metastases requiring steroids, untreated brain metastases, leptomeningeal disease or spinal cord compression.
  7. Active infection requiring systemic therapy
  8. Any of the following within 12 months prior to study entry: myocardial infarction, history of myocarditis, uncontrolled angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischemic attack.
  9. Uncontrolled hypertension or cardiac dysrhythmia including atrial fibrillation
  10. Active autoimmune disease that might deteriorate when receiving an immuno-stimulatory agent. Patients with diabetes type I, vitiligo, psoriasis, or hypo- or hyperthyroid diseases not requiring immunosuppressive treatment are eligible.
  11. Current use of immunosuppressive medication, EXCEPT for the following: a. intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injection (e.g., intra-articular injection); b. Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses ≤ 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent; c. Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., CT scan premedication).
  12. Other severe acute or chronic medical conditions including colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pneumonitis (even if fully resolved), pulmonary fibrosis, end stage renal disease on haemodialysis or psychiatric conditions including recent (within the past year) or active suicidal ideation or behaviour; or laboratory abnormalities that may increase the risk associated with study participation or study treatment administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study.
  13. Patients on warfarin or direct acting oral anticoagulants. Patients requiring anticoagulation for rate-controlled AF or previous venous thromboembolism should be switched to low-molecular weight heparin.
  14. Known HIV or AIDS-related illness, active infection requiring systemic therapy, or positive HBV or HCV test indicating acute or chronic infection
  15. Known severe hypersensitivity reactions to monoclonal antibodies (Grade ≥ 3 NCI CTCAE v 5), any history of anaphylaxis, or uncontrolled asthma (that is, 3 or more features of partially controlled asthma)
  16. Inability or unwillingness to swallow pills, or receive IV injections.
  17. Persisting toxicity related to prior therapy >Grade 1 (except for stable peripheral neuropathy grade ≤2 or alopecia grade ≤2).
  18. Pregnancy or lactation (women/females of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 7 days prior to treatment initiation)
  19. Diagnosis of other malignancy within 3 years, except for previous breast cancer, adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or low-grade (Gleason ≤6) prostate cancer
  20. Is a participant or plans to participate in another interventional clinical trial, whilst taking part in this study. Participation in an observational trial would be acceptable.
  21. Known prior or suspected hypersensitivity to investigational products or to any of the excipients
  22. Vaccination within 4 weeks of the first dose of avelumab and while on trial is prohibited except for administration of inactivated vaccines. Live vaccines must also be avoided for 3 months after the last dose of avelumab.
  23. Any psychiatric condition that would prohibit the understanding or rendering of informed consent
  24. Requirement for continued use of preparations containing St. John's Wort is specifically contraindicated. Other herbal medicinal or natural products that patient is intended to take during the trial must be explored at the beginning and during the course of the trial and discussed with the investigator.
  25. Requirement for continued use of CYP3A inhibitors, inducers or substrates (listed in Appendix 4).
  26. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine as this medicinal product contains lactose.
  27. Any other condition which in the Investigator's opinion would not make the patient a good candidate for the clinical trial.

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: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Two-part phase 1b trial of induction palbociclib with avelumab

Recruitment to Part A will be conducted at the Royal Marsden Hospital only. Up to 18 patients will be recruited for dose escalation of palbociclib in combination with fixed dose avelumab.

Part B will recruit at up to 8 high volume centres. Up to 27 patients will be recruited to treatment with the maximum tolerated dose and schedule established in part A. In Part B of the study, additional selection by triple negative histology and positive androgen receptor status will define the study population.
Drug: Palbociclib
Highly selective oral inhibitor of CDK4 and CDK6.
Other Names:
  • Ibrance
Drug: Avelumab
Fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) binds to the PD-L1 cell surface ligand and blocks its interaction with the PD-1 cell surface receptor.
Other Names:
  • Bavencio

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Part A: Determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of palbociclib plus avelumab in advanced breast cancer
Time Frame: 18 month recruitment period
Define MTD of palbociclib delivered in combination with avelumab
18 month recruitment period
Part B: Determine the confirmed objective response rate of AR+ TNBC patients treated with palbociclib plus avelumab
Time Frame: Up to 24 month recruitment period
Response rate assessed by RECIST 1.1 by local radiology review
Up to 24 month recruitment period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Determine the clinical benefit rate (CR/PR/SD for a minimum of 24 weeks) in AR+ TNBC patients treated with palbociclib plus avelumab
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Clinical benefit rate (response or stable disease lasting at least 24 weeks), assessed by RECIST 1.1 by local radiology review.
Total 42 month recruitment period
Determine the median PFS in AR+ TNBC patients treated with palbociclib plus avelumab
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Progression-free survival, calculated from day 1 of study treatment to the date of radiological disease progression or death from any cause.
Total 42 month recruitment period
Assess the safety and tolerability of palbociclib plus avelumab by recording adverse events until 30 days after the last dose of either study treatment
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Overall safety and tolerability of palbociclib with avelumab. Toxicity will be assessed by CTCAE (version 5) every 4 weeks during study treatment. Adverse events, including serious adverse events, will be recorded until 30 days after the last dose of study treatment with palbociclib or avelumab.
Total 42 month recruitment period
Assess overall survival in both parts A & B
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Overall survival, calculated from day 1 of study treatment to the date of death from any cause.
Total 42 month recruitment period

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
RR in patients with PAM50 luminal archival primary tumours compared to PAM50 non luminal as a potential alternative companion diagnostic
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Objective response rate in PAM50 luminal tumours compared to PAM50 non-luminal tumours
Total 42 month recruitment period
Determine the RR in patients with PD-L1 positive compared to PDL-1 negative tumours
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Objective response rate in PDL-1 positive compared to PDL-1 negative tumours
Total 42 month recruitment period
Determine the RR in patients with high versus low mutational load
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Objective response rate in high mutational load tumours compared to low mutational load tumours
Total 42 month recruitment period
Determine the RR in patients with high tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the baseline and on-treatment biopsy compared to low TILs.
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Objective response rate in high TILs tumours compared to low TILs tumours at baseline and at D15
Total 42 month recruitment period
Investigate the significance of ctDNA suppression as a potential biomarker on palbociclib run-in for patients with trackable ctDNA mutations.
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Exploratory assessment of ctDNA suppression as a potential biomarker of response. Described as the proportion of patients with any suppression among the patients with the best overall response of CR or PR and the non-responders SD or PD patients the 95% CI will be reported as appropriate.
Total 42 month recruitment period
Investigate changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients receiving avelumab and palbociclib and the relationship with treatment response
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Exploratory assessment of tumour reactive PBMC changes between baseline, D15 and D43.
Total 42 month recruitment period
Investigate changes in T-cell and T-cell receptor clonality in patients receiving avelumab and palbociclib and the relationship with treatment response
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Exploratory assessment of dynamic changes in T-cell clonality and T-cell receptor clonality between baseline and D15 and disease progression
Total 42 month recruitment period
Evaluate potential biomarkers of sensitivity and resistance to the combination including RB1 mutations, PIK3CA mutations and loss of PTEN expression.
Time Frame: Total 42 month recruitment period
Exploratory assessment of biomarkers of response in baseline tumour biopsy, and of acquired resistance in progression biopsies and plasma DNA.
Total 42 month recruitment period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Collaborators

Pfizer
Breast Cancer Now

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Alicia Okines, The Royal Marsden Hospital

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)

August 11, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 7, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 21, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

April 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CCR4884

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There is not a plan to make IPD available.

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.

Yes

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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