Slow enrollment

This is a prospective, multicenter study that will be conducted at up to 40 centers in the United States and Outside United States (OUS). Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to receive either ONCO-DOX or sorafenib treatment. This study will evaluate the study participants' outcomes (medical condition) after being treated with ONCO-DOX and compare it to those treated with sorafenib alone.

This is a prospective, two-arm, stratified then randomized (1:1), open label, controlled, multicenter Phase III trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ONCOZENE™ Microspheres loaded with doxorubicin (ONCO-DOX) in comparison with orally administered sorafenib in patients with unresectable, locally-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients will be stratified by ECOG Performance Status 0 versus 1, portal vein invasion (yes vs. no), and alpha feto protein <400 versus ≥400. They will then be randomized at each site within each stratum.

The study will be conducted at up to 40 centers in the United States, Europe & Asia. Enrolled patients will be randomized with equal allocation by study site.

Patients will be followed for two years after the onset of treatment.

The study will assess prospectively the efficacy and safety of DEB-TACE (ONCO-DOX) in patients with unresectable, locally-advanced HCC. The primary objective of this study is to compare the overall survival between DEB-TACE (ONCO-DOX) and sorafenib treatment groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Written Informed Consent
2. ≥18 years of age
3. Diagnosis of HCC
4. Locally advanced HCC
5. Preserved liver function
6. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0 or 1

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of extra-hepatic spread of disease.
2. Macrovascular invasion of lobar portal vein branches or main portal vein.
3. Candidate for surgical resection, transplantation, or local ablation.
4. Prior intra-arterial embolization, chemotherapy or systemic therapy for HCC.
5. Any contraindication for TACE.
6. Platelet count <50,000/mm3 or international normalized ratio >1.5.
7. Previous treatment with anthracycline antibiotics (e.g. Doxorubicin) or sorafenib.
8. Unstable coronary artery disease or recent myocardial infarct (i.e. within 1 year).
9. Known ejection fraction < 50%.
10. Current infections requiring antibiotic therapy.
11. Suffering from a known bleeding disorder.
12. Renal insufficiency (serum creatinine > 2 mg/dL).
13. Aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine transaminase >5 times upper limit of normal.
14. Presence of advanced liver disease.
15. Any contraindication for doxorubicin administration:
16. Any co-morbid condition or social situation, which has a high likelihood of causing poor compliance with the study protocol or jeopardizes the patient's safety.
17. Patient has another primary tumor, with the exception of conventional basal cell carcinoma, superficial bladder cancer, melanoma in situ, or treated prostate cancer currently without biochemical or radiographic evidence of active disease
18. Participation in a clinical trial of an investigational device or drug within 4 weeks of study entry.
19. Pregnant or breast-feeding patients.

Only two subjects were randomized prior to the suspension of the study. Both subjects were randomized to the Sorafenib arm of the study. No subjects were randomized to DEB-TACE.

2 months

Only two subjects were randomized prior to the suspension of the study and both were randomized to the Sorafenib arm. No subjects were randomized to DEB-TACE.

The planned analyses were not performed due to early termination.