Study of HPV Specific Immunotherapy in Participants With HPV Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Prospective Study of HPV Specific Immunotherapy in Subjects With HPV Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCCa)

This is a Phase I/IIa, open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of INO-3112 DNA vaccine delivered by electroporation (EP) to participants with human papilloma virus (HPV) associated head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC).

This is a Phase I/IIa, open-label, study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of INO-3112 [6 mg of VGX-3100 (2 separate DNA plasmids respectively encoding E6 and E7 proteins of HPV 16 and HPV 18) and 1 mg of INO-9012 (DNA plasmid encoding human interleukin 12)] delivered by electroporation (EP) in up to 25 (twenty-five) participants with HPV positive head and neck cancer. The immunotherapy was studied in the following two groups of participants:

1. Participants who received immunotherapy before and after definitive surgery (Cohort I)
2. Participants who received immunotherapy at least 2 months after chemoradiation therapy (Cohort II).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Signed and dated written Ethics Committee approved informed consent.

2. Age ≥18 years.

3. Histologically confirmed HPV-positive (as assessed by p16 IHC or oncogenic HPV ISH or PCR) mucosal squamous cell head and neck cancer:

   • For pre-surgical participants, p16 positivity must be confirmed prior to the first dose.
   • For participants post-chemoradiation, HPV 16 and HPV 18 positivity must be confirmed prior to the first dose.

4. Adequate bone marrow, hepatic, and renal function. ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) ≥ 1.5x109 cell/ml, platelets ≥75,000 cells/mm3, hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL, concentrations of total serum bilirubin within 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), (Aspartate Aminotransferase) AST, (Alanine Aminotransferase) ALT within 2.5x institutional ULN, (Creatine Phosphokinase) CPK within 2.5 x ULN.

5. ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status of 0-1.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Anticipated concomitant immunosuppressive therapy (excluding non-systemic inhaled, topical skin and/or eye drop-containing corticosteroids).
2. Any concurrent condition requiring the continued use of systemic steroids (>10 mg prednisone or equivalent per day) or the use of immunosuppressive agents. All other corticosteroids must be discontinued at least 4 weeks prior to Day 0 of treatment.
3. Administration of any vaccine within 6 weeks of enrollment.