Envafolimab as Neoadjuvant Immuntherapy in Resectable Local Advanced dMMR/MSI-H Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumours of human beings. Mismatch Repair-deficient (dMMR)/ Microsatellite Instability-high (MSI-H) CRC is a specific subtype of CRC, which accounts for approximately 15% of all CRC patients, and can not benefit from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) adjuvant chemotherapy. Once patients have distant metastases, they are not sensitive to traditional palliative chemotherapy, and thus lead to much worse prognosis than that of mismatch repair-proficient (pMMR)/ microsatellite stability (MSS). A phase II clinical study of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy based on mismatch repair (MMR) status published in "N Engl J Med" showed that the objective response rate (ORR) of advanced colorectal cancer patients with dMMR received anti-PD-1 is 40%, and a longer response time can be obtained compared to conventional chemotherapy. Another study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03926338) which investigating the effect of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade with toripalimab, with or without celecoxib, on mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high, locally advanced, colorectal cancer. The result revealed that all 34 patients had an R0 resection. 15 of 17 patients (88%) in the toripalimab plus celecoxib group and 11 of 17 patients (65%) in the toripalimab monotherapy group had a pathological complete response.

In theory, anti-PD-L1 drugs should have fewer immune side-effects than anti-PD-1 drugs. However, there are no reports of anti-PD-L1 neoadjuvant therapy for the dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (Envafolimab) as neoadjuvant immuntherapy for resectable local advanced colorectal cancer patient with the dMMR/MSI-H.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Colorectal Cancer; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Mismatch Repair-deficient (dMMR); Microsatellite Instability-high (MSI-H)
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-L1 inhibitor

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 26
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Guangdong
    • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510630
      • Recruiting
      • The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
      • Contact: Jiafeng Fang, M.D. & Ph.D.; Phone Number: +8613760660785; Email: fangjf@mail.sysu.edu.cn
      • Principal Investigator: Jiafeng Fang, M.D. & Ph.D.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
2. Histological or cytological documentation of adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum.
3. Tumor tissues were identified as mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) method or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
4. Male or female subjects > 18 years < 70 of age.
5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
6. Determined CT or MRI scans (done within 14 days of registration) of the chest, abdomen and pelvis: locally advanced (cT3-4 or cN1-2 [with the definition of a clinically positive lymph node being any node ≥ 1.0 cm]).
7. Non complicated primary tumor (obstruction, perforation, bleeding).
8. No previous any systemic anticancer therapy for colorectal cancer disease or radiologic evaluation of tumor regression < 20% or unacceptable toxic effects during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
9. Adequate bone marrow, hepatic and renal function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements conducted within 7 days of starting study treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous or concurrent cancer that is distinct in primary site or histology from colon cancer within 5 years prior to randomization.
2. Significant cardiovascular disease including unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 6 months before initiating study treatment.
3. Heart failure grade III/IV (NYHA-classification).
4. Unresolved toxicity higher than CTCAE v.4.0 Grade 1 attributed to any prior therapy/procedure.
5. Subjects with known allergy to the study drugs or to any of its excipients.
6. Current or recent (within 4 weeks prior to starting study treatment) treatment of another investigational drug or participation in another investigational study.
7. Breast- feeding or pregnant women
8. Lack of effective contraception.
9. Previously received anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) antibody, anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated Protein 4, CTLA-4) antibody or other drug/antibody that acts on T cell costimulation or checkpoint pathways.
10. With any distant metastasis.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: PD-L1 inhibitor; Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-L1 inhibitor (Envafolimab)	Drug: Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-L1 inhibitor; Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-L1 inhibitor (Envafolimab), 300mg, Q3W for 4 cycles

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pathological complete response (pCR) rates	Proportion of patients experiencing a pCR to perioperative PD-L1 antibody	1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Major pathological response rates	The proportion of patients experiencing a major pathological response to perioperative PD-L1 antibody	1 year
R0 resection rates	The proportion of patients experiencing a R0 resection after perioperative treatment with PD-L1 antibody	1 year
Disease-free survival (DFS)	Defined as the time from randomization to relapse, metastasis or death from any cause	3 years
Overall survival (OS)	Defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause	5 years
Drug Safety	Assessed by evaluation of treatment-related adverse events	1 year
Drug feasibility	Any treatment-related delays in the planned surgery of no more than 28 days after the last preoperative toripalimab dose	1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): May 5, 2022
• Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED): June 30, 2024
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 29, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2022
• First Posted (ACTUAL): May 12, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): May 12, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2022
• Last Verified: May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Rectal Diseases; Genomic Instability; Colorectal Neoplasms; Microsatellite Instability; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Antineoplastic Agents; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
• Other Study ID Numbers: ENCC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No