This is a Phase 1 / Phase 2 study of newly diagnosed patients with biopsy-proven head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) who are undergoing standard radiation therapy and treatment with cisplatin. BMX-001 added to radiation therapy and cisplatin is expected to reduce radiation-induced mucositis and xerostomia and also has the potential to benefit the survival of head and neck cancer patients. In Phase 1, safety and tolerability of BMX-001 will be assessed using a Continual Reassessment Method (CRM) and a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) will be determined. BMX-001 will be given subcutaneously first with a loading dose zero to four days prior to the start of chemoradiation and followed by twice a week doses at one-half of the loading dose for the duration of radiation therapy plus two weeks. In Phase 2 both safety and efficacy of BMX-001 will be evaluated. Impact on mucositis and xerostomia will also be assessed. A maximum of 48 patients will be enrolled to the MTD dose determined in Phase 1 to confirm the MTD. The investigators hypothesize that BMX-001 when added to standard radiation therapy and cisplatin will be safe at pharmacologically relevant doses in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer. The investigators also hypothesize that in Phase 2 of this study the addition of BMX-001 will reduce the severity of radiation-induced mucositis and xerostomia in patients receiving head and neck radiation therapy.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, or oral cavity with clinical or pathologic high-risk features for whom cisplatin and radiation would be considered appropriate care.

2. Treatment plan to receive a continuous course of IMRT delivered as single daily fractions of 2.0 to 2.1 Gy with a cumulative radiation dose between 60 Gy and 70 Gy depending on whether patients are considered post-operative high risk or unresectable/organ preservation high risk. Planned radiation treatment fields must include at least two oral sites buccal mucosa, retromolar trigone, floor of mouth, oral tongue, soft palate, hard palate) with a portion of each site receiving a minimum total of 50 Gy.

3. Patients who are to undergo definitive chemoradiation must have clinically or radiographically evident measurable disease at the primary site and/or at nodal stations. Tonsillectomy or local excision of the primary without removal of nodal disease is permitted.

4. Limited neck dissections retrieving ≤ 4 nodes are permitted and considered as non-therapeutic nodal excisions. Fine needle aspirations of the neck that are positive for squamous cell carcinoma are sufficient for diagnosis pending pathology review at participating institutions.

5. For patients undergoing curative intent resection the following criteria are required:

   • Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
   • Patients must have undergone gross total surgical resection within 42 days prior to registration and beginning of therapy under the clinical trial. Note: Patients may have biopsy under general anesthesia in an operating room followed by definitive ablative cancer surgery representing gross total resection.

6. Clinical or pathologic stage Stage III-IVb per the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), 7th edition.

7. General history and physical examination by a radiation oncologist and medical oncologist within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

8. Examination by an ear/nose/throat (ENT) or head and neck surgeon, including laryngopharyngoscopy (mirror and/or fiberoptic and/or direct procedure) within 8 weeks prior to enrollment.

9. Zubrod Performance Status 0-2 within 4 weeks prior to enrollment

10. Complete blood count (CBC)/differential obtained within 7 days prior to starting the study drug with adequate bone marrow function, defined as follows:

    • Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dl;
    • Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/mm3;
    • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 1,500 cell/mm3.

11. Adequate hepatic function as defined as follows:

    • Total bilirubin < 2x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) within 7 days prior to starting the study drug;
    • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and AST <3x institutional ULN within 7 days prior to starting the study drug.

12. Adequate renal function defined as follows:

    • Serum creatinine < 1.5 mg/dl within 7 days prior to starting the study drug or creatinine clearance rate (CCr) ≥ 50 mL/min within 7 days prior to starting the study drug determined by 24-hour collection or estimated by Cockcroft-Gault formula:

    CCr male = [(140 - age) x (wt in kg)]/[(Serum Cr mg/dl) x (72)] CCr female = 0.85 x (CrCl male)

13. Negative pregnancy test for women of child-bearing potential within 48 hours prior to first dose of BMX-001.

14. Women of childbearing potential and male participants must agree to use a medically effective means of birth control throughout their participation in the treatment phase of the study and until 12 months following the last study treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Stage I or II; T1N1 and T2N1 stage III presentations per AJCC 7th edition

2. Distant metastasis

3. Hypertension requiring 3 or more anti-hypertensive medications to control

4. Grade ≥2 hypotension at screening

5. Requirement for concurrent treatment with nitrates or other drugs that may, in the judgment of the treating investigator, create a risk for a precipitous decrease in blood pressure

6. History of syncope within the last 6 months

7. Patients receiving, or unable to stop use at least 1 week prior to receiving the first dose of BMX-001, medications listed in Section 12.2 of the protocol are not eligible.

8. Pregnancy or women of childbearing potential and men who are sexually active and not willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception; this exclusion is necessary because the treatment involved in this study may be significantly teratogenic

9. Women who are breast feeding are not eligible

10. Prior allergic reaction to cisplatin

11. Known hypersensitivity to compounds of similar chemical composition to BMX-001

12. Grade 3-4 electrolyte abnormalities (CTCAE v 4.03) except sodium, which must be ≥126 mmol/L.

13. Prior unrelated malignancy requiring current active treatment with the exception of cervical carcinoma in situ, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, resected T1-2N0M0 differentiated thyroid cancers, invasive cancers with a 3-year disease-free interval, Ta bladder cancers, or low and favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer.

14. Prior history of HNSCC receiving radiation or chemo-radiation.

15. Prior systemic chemotherapy for the study cancer (including neoadjuvant chemotherapy); note that prior chemotherapy for a different cancer is allowable.

16. Prior radiotherapy that would result in overlap of radiation treatment fields with planned treatment for study cancer.

17. Severe, active co-morbidity, defined as follows:

    • Cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease, for example cerebrovascular accidents or myocardial infarction ≤ 6 months prior to study enrollment, unstable angina, New York Heart Association (NYHA) Grade II or greater congestive heart failure (CHF), or serious cardiac arrhythmia uncontrolled by medication or with the potential to interfere with protocol treatment;
    • Significant vascular disease (e.g., aortic aneurysm requiring surgical repair or recent arterial thrombosis) within 6 months prior to enrollment;
    • History or evidence upon physical/neurological examination of central nervous system disease (e.g., seizures) unrelated to cancer unless adequately controlled by medication;
    • Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics within 7 days of enrollment;
    • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days of registration;
    • Patients known to be HIV positive or have active viral hepatitis.

dose escalation

From the time the subject signs the informed consent form through and of treatment visit (one year follow up)

An AE can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended or worsening sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of BMX-001, whether or not related to use of the BMX-001. Abnormal laboratory findings without clinical significance (based on the PI's judgment) should not be recorded as AEs, but laboratory value changes that require therapy or adjustment in prior therapy are considered adverse events.

This was a dose escalation study with all subjects receiving the intervention. There was no control arm for comparison. This will be addressed in a future clinical trial. This study design was effective for a safety, dose-escalation study.