BEMPEG With Pembrolizumab vs Pembrolizumab Alone in Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent HNSCC (PROPEL-36)

Sponsor

Nektar Therapeutics (Industry)

Overall Status

Terminated

CT.gov ID

NCT04969861

Collaborator

SFJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Industry), Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (Industry)

Enrollment

Locations

Arms

1.4

Actual Duration (Months)

0.1

Patients Per Site

0.1

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, Phase 2/3 study that will evaluate the efficacy and safety of bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG; NKTR-214) combined with pembrolizumab compared with pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC with positive PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 1).

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer	Drug: Bempegaldesleukin Drug: Pembrolizumab	Phase 2/Phase 3

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

2 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

A Phase 2/3, Randomized, Open-label Study to Compare Bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) Combined With Pembrolizumab vs. Pembrolizumab Alone in First-Line Treatment of Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent HNSCC With PD-L1 Expressing Tumors

Actual Study Start Date :

Mar 9, 2022

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Apr 22, 2022

Actual Study Completion Date :

Apr 22, 2022

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: BEMPEG + Pembrolizumab Bempegaldesleukin plus pembrolizumab every 3 weeks (q3w) for up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years).	Drug: Bempegaldesleukin Specified dose on specified days Drug: Pembrolizumab Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) will be dosed as per the pharmacy manual.
Active Comparator: Pembrolizumab Monotherapy Pembrolizumab monotherapy q3w for up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years).	Drug: Pembrolizumab Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) will be dosed as per the pharmacy manual.

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: BEMPEG + Pembrolizumab

Bempegaldesleukin plus pembrolizumab every 3 weeks (q3w) for up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years).

Drug: Bempegaldesleukin

Specified dose on specified days

Drug: Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) will be dosed as per the pharmacy manual.

Active Comparator: Pembrolizumab Monotherapy

Pembrolizumab monotherapy q3w for up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years).

Drug: Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) will be dosed as per the pharmacy manual.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Overall Survival [Approximately 2 years]
To compare the overall survival (OS) of bempegaldesleukin plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy.
Objective Response Rate [Approximately 2 years]
To compare the objective response rate (ORR) of bempegaldesleukin plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Progression-Free Survival [Approximately 2 years]
To compare progression-free survival (PFS) of bempegaldesleukin plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy.
Time to Deterioration [Approximately 2 years]
The time from baseline to a ≥ 10-point decrease with confirmation by the subsequent visit of a ≥ 10-point deterioration from baseline in: • Global health status/quality of life assessment based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30). The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire designed to assess the quality of life of cancer patients. All scale scores are linearly converted to range from 0 to 100. A higher total score indicates a better level of functioning. • Pain and Swallowing based on respective multi-item scales of EORTC QLQ head and neck cancer specific module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35). EORTC QLQ-H&N35 consists of 7 multi-item scales that assess pain, swallowing, senses, speech, social eating, social contact and sexuality. All scale scores are linearly converted to range from 0 to 100. A higher total score indicates increased severity of symptoms.
Change in Global Health Status/Quality of Life [Approximately 2 years]
To compare mean change from baseline in global health status/quality of life scale of EORTC QLQ-C30. The EORTC QLQ-C30 is composed of multi-item scales and single item measures. These include 5 functional scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social), 3 symptom scales (fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and pain), a global health status/HRQoL scale, and 6 single items (dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties). Each of the multi-item scales includes a different set of items - no item occurs in more than one scale. All scale scores are linearly converted to range from 0 to 100. A higher total score indicates a better level of functioning.
Percentage of Patients with Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events and Serious Adverse Events [Screening baseline through end of study, approximately 2 years]
Compare the overall safety and tolerability based on assessments of treatment-emergent adverse events and serious adverse events

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

Provide written, informed consent to participate in the study and follow the study procedures.
Male or female patients, age 18 years or older at the time of signing the informed consent form (ICF).
Have histologically or cytologically-confirmed recurrent or metastatic HNSCC that is considered incurable by local therapies.
No prior systemic therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease.
The eligible primary tumor locations are oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx, and larynx.
Patients may not have a primary tumor site of nasopharynx (any histology) and/or unknown primary.
Have measurable disease based on RECIST 1.1 as determined by the local site Investigator.
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.

Measure Description: GRADE - ECOG PERFORMANCE STATUS

0 - Fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction

1 - Restricted in physically strenuous activity but ambulatory and able to carry out work of a light or sedentary nature, e.g., light housework, office work

2- Ambulatory and capable of all selfcare but unable to carry out any work activities; up and about more than 50% of waking hours

• The tumor must have positive PD-L1 expression (i.e., CPS ≥1)

Exclusion Criteria:

Has disease that is suitable for local therapy administered with curative intent.
Has progressive disease within 6 months of completion of curatively intended systemic treatment for locoregionally advanced HNSCC.
Has had radiation therapy (or other non-systemic therapy) within 2 weeks prior to initiation of study drug
Has a life expectancy of less than 3 months and/or has rapidly progressing disease (e.g., tumor bleeding, uncontrolled tumor pain) as determined by the Investigator.
Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within 5 years prior to the first dose of study drug
Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years
Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy
Use of an investigational agent or an investigational device within 28 days before the first dose of study drug.
Prior treatment with an anti PD-1, anti PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, or anti CTLA-4 antibody, agents that target IL-2 pathway, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways.

NOTE: Other protocol defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	City of Hope	Duarte	California	United States	91010
2	GenesisCare USA	Jacksonville	Florida	United States	32204
3	Florida Cancer Affiliates - Ocala	Ocala	Florida	United States	34474
4	Methodist Cancer center	Omaha	Nebraska	United States	68114
5	Inova Schar Cancer Institute	Fairfax	Virginia	United States	22031
6	Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Hospital	Camperdown	New South Wales	Australia
7	Universitätsklinikum Salzburg	Salzburg		Austria
8	Hôpital Saint-André	Bordeaux	Gironde	France
9	Attikon University General Hospital	Athens	Attiki	Greece
10	Hygeia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre of Athens	Maroúsi	Attiki	Greece
11	University General Hospital of Larissa	Larissa		Greece
12	Bioclinic Thessaloniki (Galinos Clinic)	Thessaloníki		Greece
13	Rabin Medical Center	Petah tikva		Israel
14	ASST Degli Spedali Civili di Brescia	Brescia	Lombardia	Italy
15	Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht Cancer Center - PPDS	Utrecht		Netherlands
16	National Cancer Centre	Singapore		Singapore