Trial of Interleukin-2 in Combination With Pembrolizumab for Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
Trial of Interleukin-2 in Combination With Pembrolizumab for Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
This study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of IL-2 when given in combination with pembrolizumab to patients with advanced melanoma. Aldesleukin may stimulate white blood cells to melanoma cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving aldesleukin and pembrolizumab may kill more tumor cells.
There are two parts to this study:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To determine an optimal tolerated dose (OTD) of aldesleukin (interleukin [IL]-2) that is effective and tolerable in combination with pembrolizumab.
II. To characterize the efficacy of the OTD of IL-2 in combination with pembrolizumab.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To characterize the safety of IL-2 in doses ranging up to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved dose when administered in combination with pembrolizumab.
II. To characterize clinical endpoints, including overall survival, progression-free survival, and complete response rate.
TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To characterize immune parameters in the blood and tumor microenvironment and cellular and molecular features of the tumor tissue that correlate with response to combination therapy for study as potential predictive biomarkers.
OUTLINE:
Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1 every 3 weeks and aldesleukin IV every 8 hours for up to 14 doses at weeks 4, 7, 16, 19, 28, and 31 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months up to 10 years.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Has primary ocular melanoma
Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment
Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic immunosuppressive steroid therapy or any other form of systemic immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment; exception: physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency is not considered systemic immunosuppressive steroid therapy
Has received previous high dose IL-2 therapy, any programmed death (PD)-1 blocking antibody (e.g. pembrolizumab, nivolumab), or any programmed death ligand (PD-L)1 blocking antibody in the metastatic setting; prior therapy with any PD-1 blocking antibody is allowed if given in the adjuvant setting and the last dose was > 6 months prior to study entry; prior therapy with ipilimumab is allowed (in the adjuvant or metastatic setting); other prior therapy (in the adjuvant or the metastatic setting) is allowed, including targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or experimental therapy
Has a history of significant congestive heart failure or significant pulmonary disease
Has a known history of active TB (bacillus tuberculosis)
Hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab or any of its excipients
Has had a prior anti-cancer monoclonal antibody (mAb) within 4 weeks prior to study day 1 or who has not recovered (i.e., =< grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier
Has had prior chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy within 2 weeks prior to study day 1 or who has not recovered (i.e., =< grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to a previously administered agent
Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment; exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has undergone potentially curative therapy or in situ cervical cancer
Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis; subjects with previously treated brain metastases may participate provided they are stable (without evidence of progression by imaging for at least four weeks prior to the first dose of trial treatment and any neurologic symptoms have returned to baseline), have no evidence of new or enlarging brain metastases, and are not using steroids for at least 7 days prior to trial treatment; this exception does not include carcinomatous meningitis which is excluded regardless of clinical stability
Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e. with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs); replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment
Has known history of, or any evidence of active, non-infectious pneumonitis
Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy
Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator
Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial
Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment
Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies)
Has known active hepatitis B (e.g., hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or hepatitis C (e.g., hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] [qualitative] is detected)
Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy