~2 spots leftby Dec 2025

Pembrolizumab + Stereotactic Radiation for Glioblastoma

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Chirag G. Patil, MD | Cedars-Sinai
Overseen byChirag Patil, MD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Phase 1 & 2
Recruiting
Sponsor: Chirag G. Patil
Must not be taking: Immunosuppressants, Steroids
Disqualifiers: Immunodeficiency, Radiation contraindication, others
No Placebo Group
Breakthrough Therapy

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?The purpose of this study is to assess the safety/tolerability/feasibility of pembrolizumab and radiation therapy before surgical resection in patients with recurrent glioblastoma as defined by treatment-related AEs and the number of patients who do not necessitate a delay in surgical resection, and to assess overall survival. The secondary objectives are to assess progression free survival, and to assess the T cell clonality, CD8 T cell activation and Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) score after treatment
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are on immunosuppressive therapy or steroids over a certain dose, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the drug pembrolizumab for glioblastoma?

Research shows that pembrolizumab, when used in combination with other treatments like stereotactic radiation, may have antitumor activity in recurrent glioblastoma. Additionally, pembrolizumab has shown effectiveness in treating other cancers, such as melanoma, by helping the immune system attack cancer cells.

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Is the combination of Pembrolizumab and Stereotactic Radiation generally safe for humans?

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has been associated with some immune-related side effects, such as type 1 diabetes in rare cases and pneumonitis (lung inflammation) in 1%-5% of patients. Common side effects include fatigue, cough, nausea, and rash. While these side effects have been observed in other conditions, they provide insight into the potential safety profile of Pembrolizumab.

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How is the treatment of pembrolizumab combined with stereotactic radiation therapy unique for glioblastoma?

This treatment is unique because it combines pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system attack cancer cells, with stereotactic radiation therapy, a precise form of radiation that targets tumors. This combination aims to enhance the body's ability to fight glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, by using both the immune system and targeted radiation.

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Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults over 18 with recurrent glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. Participants must be in good physical condition (ECOG status 0-1), have acceptable lab results, and their tumor should be smaller than 6 cm. They should also be scheduled for standard surgery to remove the tumor.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with Grade IV Glioblastoma Multiforme.
Adequate laboratory values
I am fully active or can carry out light work.
+3 more

Exclusion Criteria

Severe hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab
I am not on high-dose steroids or any drugs that weaken my immune system.
I cannot receive more radiation treatment.
+1 more

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive pembrolizumab and stereotactic radiation therapy before surgical resection

18 cycles of pembrolizumab or up to 2 years
Visits for pembrolizumab administration and radiation therapy

Surgical Resection

Surgical resection is performed after pembrolizumab and radiation therapy

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for overall survival and progression-free survival

Up to 2 years

Participant Groups

The study tests if combining pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug) with stereotactic radiation before surgical removal of the tumor is safe and feasible without delaying surgery. It also looks at how long patients live after treatment and examines immune responses within the tumor.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Pembrolizumab with stereotactic radiation therapy and surgical resectionExperimental Treatment3 Interventions

Pembrolizumab is already approved in United States, European Union, United Kingdom for the following indications:

🇺🇸 Approved in United States as KEYTRUDA for:
  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with PD-L1 CPS ≥1
  • Melanoma
  • Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
  • Urothelial carcinoma
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Gastric cancer
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Renal cell carcinoma
  • Cervical cancer
  • Endometrial carcinoma
🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as KEYTRUDA for:
  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with PD-L1 CPS ≥1
  • Melanoma
  • Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
  • Urothelial carcinoma
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Gastric cancer
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Renal cell carcinoma
  • Cervical cancer
  • Endometrial carcinoma
🇬🇧 Approved in United Kingdom as KEYTRUDA for:
  • Untreated metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with PD-L1 CPS ≥1

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Chirag G. PatilLead Sponsor
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCIndustry Sponsor
National Cancer Institute (NCI)Collaborator

References

Pembrolizumab joins the anti-PD-1 armamentarium in the treatment of melanoma. [2017]Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor on T cells and prevents binding to its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. Blocking this receptor frees T cells from the inhibitory effects of PD-L1 and allows them to mediate antitumor effects against cancer cells. In a large Phase I study of 411 patients with melanoma, high durable response rates over a range of doses and schedules have been shown with very little toxicity. A Phase III study of pembrolizumab comparing two schedules of administration with the current standard treatment with the anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody is in progress. Combinations with other checkpoint inhibitors as well as other anticancer agents are also being evaluated. Approval of pembrolizumab for the treatment of melanoma is expected.
Treatment with pembrolizumab in programmed death ligand 1-positive recurrent glioblastoma: Results from the multicohort phase 1 KEYNOTE-028 trial. [2021]Current treatments for recurrent glioblastoma offer limited benefit. The authors report the antitumor activity and safety of the anti-programmed death 1 (anti-PD-1) immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive, recurrent glioblastoma.
Hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation with pembrolizumab and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas: results from a phase I study. [2021]Radiotherapy may synergize with programmed cell death 1 (PD1)/PD1 ligand (PD-L1) blockade. The purpose of this study was to determine the recommended phase II dose, safety/tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of combining pembrolizumab, an anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody, with hypofractionated stereotactic irradiation (HFSRT) and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas (HGGs).
Window-of-opportunity clinical trial of pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent glioblastoma reveals predominance of immune-suppressive macrophages. [2021]We sought to ascertain the immune effector function of pembrolizumab within the glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment during the therapeutic window.
Randomized Phase II and Biomarker Study of Pembrolizumab plus Bevacizumab versus Pembrolizumab Alone for Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma. [2022]VEGF is upregulated in glioblastoma and may contribute to immunosuppression. We performed a phase II study of pembrolizumab alone or with bevacizumab in recurrent glioblastoma.
Programmed Cell Death-1 Inhibitor-Induced Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. [2022]Pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck Sharp & Dohme) is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody used in cancer immunotherapy. It targets the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptor, which is important in maintaining self-tolerance. However, immune checkpoint blockade is associated with a risk for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) potentially affecting the endocrine organs. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a rare irAE of PD-1 inhibitors, occurring in 0.2% of cases.
FDA Approval Summary: Accelerated Approval of Pembrolizumab for Second-Line Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma. [2021]On September 4, 2014, the FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.) with a recommended dose of 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks by intravenous infusion for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma who have progressed following treatment with ipilimumab and, if BRAF V600 mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor. Approval was based on demonstration of objective tumor responses with prolonged response durations in 89 patients enrolled in a randomized, multicenter, open-label, dose-finding, and activity-estimating phase 1 trial. The overall response rate (ORR) by blinded independent central review per RECIST v1.1 was 24% (95% confidence interval, 15-34); with 6 months of follow-up, 86% of responses were ongoing. The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions were fatigue, cough, nausea, pruritus, rash, decreased appetite, constipation, arthralgia, and diarrhea. Immune-mediated adverse reactions included pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, hypophysitis, and thyroid disorders. The benefits of the observed ORR with prolonged duration of responses outweighed the risks of immune-mediated adverse reactions in this life-threatening disease and represented an improvement over available therapy. Important regulatory issues in this application were role of durability of response in the evaluation of ORR for accelerated approval, reliance on data from a first-in-human trial, and strategies for dose selection. Clin Cancer Res; 23(19); 5666-70. ©2017 AACR.
FDA Approval Summary: Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma. [2022]On December 18, 2015, the FDA granted regular approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.) for treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma based on results of two randomized, open-label, active-controlled clinical trials. In trial PN006, 834 patients with ipilimumab-naïve metastatic melanoma were randomized (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg i.v. every 2 or 3 weeks until disease progression or ipilimumab 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for up to four doses. In trial PN002, 540 patients with ipilimumab-refractory metastatic melanoma were randomized (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg i.v. every 3 weeks or to investigator's choice of chemotherapy. In trial PN006, patients randomized to pembrolizumab demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared with ipilimumab [every-2-week arm: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47-0.83; P < 0.001; every-3-week arm: HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.90; P = 0.004]. In both trials, patients receiving pembrolizumab demonstrated statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival. The most common (≥2%) immune-mediated adverse reactions in a pooled safety analysis were hypothyroidism, pneumonitis, and hyperthyroidism. Key considerations for approval were determination of pembrolizumab dose and interpretation of tumor response-based endpoints using RECIST or immune-related RECIST. Clin Cancer Res; 23(19); 5661-5. ©2017 AACR.
Neoadjuvant anti-programmed death-1 immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: First clinical experience. [2022]A phase II trial investigating the therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab (MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®) administered prior to surgery for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been conducted (NCT03197467). We report the first clinical results of a planned interim safety analysis after 15 patients were enrolled.
Recurrent and atypical immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced pneumonitis. [2023]Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a monoclonal antibody against the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptor on lymphocytes, which is one of the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) approved for multiple solid and hematologic malignancies. Although ICIs have proven to be more effective and less toxic compared to chemotherapy, there are reports of adverse side effects with ICIs. For example, pneumonitis is a potentially lethal side effect occurring in 1%-5% of patients who received ICIs in clinical trials, and there are case reports with clinical and radiological features of checkpoint inhibitor-pneumonitis (CIP).
11.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Acute myelomonocytic leukemia during pembrolizumab treatment for non-small cell lung cancer: A case report. [2020]Pembrolizumab is a highly selective IgG4 kappa isotype monoclonal antibody against the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) molecule. In the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pembrolizumab has demonstrated significant efficacy, significant survival outcomes, long-lasting responses, and a good safety profile compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy.
12.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Improved Survival Associated with Local Tumor Response Following Multisite Radiotherapy and Pembrolizumab: Secondary Analysis of a Phase I Trial. [2021]Multisite stereotactic body radiotherapy followed by pembrolizumab (SBRT+P) has demonstrated safety in advanced solid tumors (ASTs). However, no studies have examined the relationships between irradiated tumor response, SBRT-induced tumor gene expression, and overall survival (OS).