A Phase II Clinical Study to Evaluate HLX43 in Subjects With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

March 3, 2026 updated by: Shanghai Henlius Biotech

A Phase II Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of HLX43 (Anti-PD-L1 ADC) in Subjects With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

The study is being conducted to to explore the reasonable dosage and evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of HLX43 (Anti-PD-L1 ADC) in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Study Overview

Detailed Description

This study is an open-label phase II clinical study to explore the reasonable dosage and evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of HLX43 (Anti-PD-L1 ADC) in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, eligible subjects will be randomized at 1:1:1 ratio, and the patients will be administered with HLX43 at different doses via intravenous infusion.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

167

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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

      • Shanghai, China, 200032
        • Recruiting
        • Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center
        • Contact:
    • Shandong
      • Jinan, Shandong, China, 250117
        • Recruiting
        • Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
        • 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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Have a full understanding of the study content, process, and possible adverse reactions before the study, and sign the informed consent form (ICF); voluntarily participate in the study; be able to complete the study as per protocol requirements;
  2. Aged ≥ 18 years and ≤ 75 years at the time of signing the ICF, male or female;
  3. Cohort 1: Patients with histologically confirmed recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who have been refractory to previous systemic treatment;

Cohort 2: Patients with histologically confirmed recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including primary oropharyngeal, oral cavity, hypopharyngeal, or laryngeal carcinoma. Previous treatment must meet the following requirements:

  1. Have not received systemic anti-tumor therapy for HNSCC in the recurrent or metastatic setting.
  2. Have not experienced disease progression or recurrence within 6 months after completion of systemic anti-tumor therapy in the locally advanced setting.

4. At least one measurable lesion as per RECIST 1.1 within 4 weeks prior to randomization; 5. Subjects who agree to provide archived tumor tissue specimens that meets the testing requirements or agree to undergo a biopsy; 6. The following conditions must be met in terms of the time of the first administration of the investigational product: at least 3 weeks (or 5 half-lives of the drug, whichever is shorter) from the previous major surgery, medical device treatment, locoregional radiotherapy (except for palliative radiotherapy for bone lesions), cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or biological product therapy; at least 2 weeks from the previous hormone therapy or small molecular targeted therapy; at least 1 week from the administration of the traditional Chinese medicine for anti-cancer indications or minor surgery; and recovery of treatment-induced AEs to Grade ≤ 1; 7. ECOG PS score of 0-1 within 1 week prior to randomization; 8. Life expectancy > 3 months; 9. Adequate organ functions as confirmed by laboratory tests within 1 week prior to randomization; 10. Male and female subjects with child-bearing potential must agree to use at least one highly effective contraception method during the study and within at least 6 months after the last dose of the investigational product; female subjects of childbearing age must be negative for pregnancy test within 7 days prior to enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who meet any of the following criteria are not allowed to be enrolled:

  1. Patients with head and neck tumor who are indicated for locoregional radical treatment;
  2. Patients with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma;
  3. Imaging examination shows that the tumor has invaded or surrounded the large blood vessels of the chest, neck, and pharynx, and there is imaging evidence that entering the study will induce risks of hemorrhage;
  4. History of any second malignancy within 2 years prior to randomization, ;
  5. History of adverse events leading to permanent discontinuation of immunotherapy, or occurrence of ≥ Grade 2 immune-related pneumonitis or myocarditis during prior immunotherapy;
  6. Presence of uncontrollable pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, or ascites requiring repeated drainage;
  7. Patients who have newly diagnosed or clinically symptomatic brain or leptomeningeal metastases, spinal cord compression, or cancerous meningitis, or uncontrolled brain or spinal cord metastases that have been evidenced;
  8. Patients with previous or current interstitial pneumonia, pneumoconiosis, drug-related pneumonitis, or severe lung function impairment that may interfere with the detection and management of suspected drug-related pulmonary toxicity; patients with radiation pneumonitis within 6 months;
  9. Patients with any poorly-controlled cardiovascular and cerebrovascular clinical symptoms or diseases, including but not limited to: (1) NYHA Class II or greater heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%; (2) unstable angina pectoris; (3) myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident within 6 months (except lacunar infarction, slight cerebral ischemia, or transient ischemic attack); (4) poorly controlled arrhythmia (including QTc intervals ≥ 450 ms for males and ≥ 470 ms for females) (QTc intervals are calculated by Fridericia's formula); (5) poorly-controlled hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 150 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg after active treatment);
  10. Patients with active systemic infectious diseases requiring intravenous antibiotics within 2 weeks prior to randomization;
  11. Patients who have used potent CYP2D6 or CYP3A inhibitors or inducers within 2 weeks prior to randomization;
  12. Patients who have received systemic corticosteroids (prednisone > 10 mg/d or equivalent dose of similar drug) or other immunosuppressants within 2 weeks prior to randomization;
  13. Patients with known active or suspected autoimmune diseases;
  14. Patients who have received live vaccine or live attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to randomization;
  15. Patients who are known to have severe anaphylaxis to macromolecular protein preparations/monoclonal antibodies or are allergic to any component in the formulation of the investigational product;
  16. Patients with active tuberculosis;
  17. Patients with a history of immunodeficiency, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive or other acquired or congenital immunodeficiencies, or history of organ transplantation;
  18. Patients with active HBV or HCV infection or HBV/HCV co-infection;
  19. Pregnant or lactating women;
  20. Patients who are not suitable for participating in this clinical study due to any clinical or laboratory abnormalities or other reasons as assessed by the investigator;
  21. Prior treatment with any medication targeting topoisomerase I, including chemotherapy or ADCs;
  22. Radical radiation therapy within 3 months prior to randomization.

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
Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 1
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)
Dose 1; HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.
Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 2
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)
Dose 2; HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.
Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 3
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)
Dose 3; HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.
Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 2 + HLX10
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)

HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.

HLX10 is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that functions as an immune checkpoint inhibitor

Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 3 + HLX10
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)

HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.

HLX10 is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that functions as an immune checkpoint inhibitor.

Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 2 + HLX10 + HLX07
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)

HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.

HLX10 is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that functions as an immune checkpoint inhibitor.

HLX07 is a recombinant humanized anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody.

Experimental: HLX43 DOSE 3 + HLX10 + HLX07
Patients with good tolerability and well controlled disease will receive the treatment once every 3 weeks (Q3W), Until disease progression, initiation of a new anti-tumor therapy, death, emergence of intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of informed consent (whichever occurs first)

HLX43 is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody conjugated with a novel high potency DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, with a drug-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 8.

HLX10 is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that functions as an immune checkpoint inhibitor.

HLX07 is a recombinant humanized anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
ORR
Time Frame: up to 24 weeks
Objective response rate (ORR) (assessed by INV according to the RECIST v1.1 criteria)
up to 24 weeks
PFS
Time Frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 14 months
Defined as the time (in months) from randomization to the first confirmed and documented progressive disease or death (whichever occurs first) as assessed by INV according to the RECIST v1.1 criteria.
From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 14 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
OS
Time Frame: From randomization to death from any cause (up to approximately 36 months)
Overall Survival
From randomization to death from any cause (up to approximately 36 months)
Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs)
Time Frame: time from the date of the first dose of study drug until the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 24 months
severity determined according to National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [NCI CTCAE] Version [v] 5.0, vital signs and clinical laboratory test results
time from the date of the first dose of study drug until the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Dongmei Ji, Fudan University
  • Principal Investigator: Chaosu Hu, Dr, Fudan University
  • Principal Investigator: Man Hu, Dr, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Principal Investigator: Jinming Yu, handong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences

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)

April 22, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 30, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 27, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 27, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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