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Monoclonal Antibodies

Pembrolizumab for High-Grade Meningioma

Phase 2
Waitlist Available
Led By Priscilla Brastianos, MD
Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Patients with measurable and progressive meningioma who have received radiation and show evidence of progressive disease in the radiated field after completion of radiation
ECOG Performance Status < 2
Must not have
Participants with brainstem lesions
Participants who have had chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy or study therapy within 14 days of protocol treatment, or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 2 weeks earlier
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up up to 35 months
Awards & highlights
All Individual Drugs Already Approved
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is studying pembrolizumab to see how well it works in treating patients with high grade meningioma.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults with recurrent or residual high-grade meningioma. Candidates can have had previous treatments but must show measurable disease progression post-radiation, if applicable. They should be in good physical condition (ECOG Performance Status < 2), not pregnant or nursing, and on a stable low dose of dexamethasone. People with brainstem lesions, active infections, certain psychiatric conditions, recent immunosuppressive treatments, known hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab or its components are excluded.
What is being tested?
The study tests Pembrolizumab's effectiveness for treating high-grade meningioma that has recurred after treatment or remains after surgery. Participants will receive this immunotherapy drug to see how it affects their cancer compared to the standard care they would otherwise receive.
What are the potential side effects?
Pembrolizumab may cause immune-related side effects such as inflammation in various organs including lungs (pneumonitis), liver problems, skin reactions, hormone gland issues (like thyroid dysfunction), and could potentially worsen pre-existing autoimmune diseases.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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My meningioma has grown after I completed radiation therapy.
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I can do most of my daily activities without help.
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My meningioma has come back or spread beyond its original location.
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I've been on a stable dose of dexamethasone (2mg or less) for the last week.
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My cancer has grown by 25% or more in less than 2 years.
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I have a Grade II or III meningioma with measurable disease after surgery.
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My meningioma has come back or spread beyond its original location.
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My meningioma has spread beyond the brain.
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My MRI shows a tumor in my brain that's at least 10mm big after surgery.
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I am 18 years old or older.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
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I have a lesion in my brainstem.
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I haven't had cancer treatment or recovered from its side effects in the last 2 weeks.
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I have been diagnosed with an immunodeficiency.
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I need to take more than 2mg/day of dexamethasone before starting therapy.
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I have an active tuberculosis infection.
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I do not have any unmanaged ongoing illnesses.
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I have an autoimmune disease treated with medication in the last 2 years.
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I have a history of lung inflammation not caused by an infection.
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I am currently being treated for an infection.
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I have been diagnosed with HIV.
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I have an active Hepatitis B or C infection.
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I have not received a live vaccine in the last 30 days.
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I have another cancer that is getting worse or needs treatment.
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I have been treated with drugs targeting PD-1, PD-L1, or PD-L2.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~up to 35 months
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and up to 35 months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Progression-free Survival at 6 Months (PFS6)
Secondary study objectives
Number of Participants With Intracranial Response
Overall Survival (OS)
Overall Survival (OS) at 3 Months
+2 more

Side effects data

From 2024 Phase 3 trial • 804 Patients • NCT03040999
64%
Radiation skin injury
63%
Stomatitis
58%
Anaemia
56%
Nausea
48%
Dry mouth
45%
Constipation
45%
Weight decreased
44%
Dysphagia
42%
Neutrophil count decreased
33%
Dysgeusia
33%
Vomiting
32%
Fatigue
31%
White blood cell count decreased
28%
Hypomagnesaemia
26%
Decreased appetite
25%
Hypothyroidism
25%
Hypokalaemia
24%
Lymphocyte count decreased
24%
Platelet count decreased
23%
Oropharyngeal pain
23%
Blood creatinine increased
22%
Diarrhoea
22%
Odynophagia
20%
Hypoacusis
20%
Alanine aminotransferase increased
20%
Hyponatraemia
19%
Tinnitus
19%
Oral candidiasis
19%
Asthenia
16%
Pyrexia
16%
Cough
15%
Aspartate aminotransferase increased
15%
Rash
14%
Insomnia
13%
Acute kidney injury
13%
Pharyngeal inflammation
13%
Pruritus
12%
Dysphonia
12%
Gamma-glutamyltransferase increased
11%
Pneumonia
11%
Dehydration
10%
Hyperthyroidism
10%
Hypoalbuminaemia
10%
Hypocalcaemia
10%
Headache
10%
Productive cough
9%
Neck pain
9%
Peripheral sensory neuropathy
8%
Gastrooesophageal reflux disease
8%
Hiccups
8%
Hyperglycaemia
8%
Hyperuricaemia
8%
Dizziness
8%
Hypophosphataemia
7%
Urinary tract infection
7%
Ear pain
7%
Localised oedema
7%
Hyperkalaemia
7%
Erythema
7%
Oral pain
6%
Abdominal pain upper
6%
Arthralgia
6%
Anxiety
6%
Febrile neutropenia
6%
Dyspepsia
6%
Saliva altered
5%
Back pain
5%
Oedema peripheral
5%
Hypertension
5%
Dyspnoea
4%
Nasopharyngitis
4%
Alopecia
4%
Dry skin
3%
Sepsis
3%
Pneumonia aspiration
3%
Trismus
3%
Pneumonitis
3%
Laryngeal oedema
2%
Malnutrition
2%
Pharyngeal haemorrhage
2%
Cellulitis
1%
Septic shock
1%
Systemic infection
1%
Clostridium difficile colitis
1%
Cardiac arrest
1%
Death
1%
Bronchitis
1%
Hepatitis
1%
Immune-mediated hepatitis
1%
Oesophagitis
1%
General physical health deterioration
1%
Hypophagia
1%
Tumour haemorrhage
1%
Cerebrovascular accident
1%
Syncope
1%
Acute respiratory failure
1%
Aspiration
1%
Colitis
1%
Mouth haemorrhage
1%
Hypersensitivity
1%
Acute myocardial infarction
1%
Abscess neck
1%
Device related infection
1%
Stoma site infection
1%
Vascular device infection
1%
Wound infection
1%
Hypercalcaemia
1%
Pulmonary embolism
1%
Respiratory failure
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Study treatment Arm
Pembrolizumab + CRT Followed by Pembrolizumab
Placebo + CRT Followed by Placebo

Awards & Highlights

All Individual Drugs Already Approved
Therapies where all constituent drugs have already been approved are likely to have better-understood side effect profiles.
No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: PembrolizumabExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
* Pembrolizumab will be administered every 3 weeks * Pembrolizumab will be administered through IV infusion
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Pembrolizumab
FDA approved

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCIndustry Sponsor
4,032 Previous Clinical Trials
5,189,816 Total Patients Enrolled
Massachusetts General HospitalLead Sponsor
3,026 Previous Clinical Trials
13,413,773 Total Patients Enrolled
Priscilla Brastianos, MDPrincipal InvestigatorMassachusetts General Hospital
6 Previous Clinical Trials
494 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Pembrolizumab (Monoclonal Antibodies) Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT03279692 — Phase 2
Brain Tumor Research Study Groups: Pembrolizumab
Brain Tumor Clinical Trial 2023: Pembrolizumab Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT03279692 — Phase 2
Pembrolizumab (Monoclonal Antibodies) 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT03279692 — Phase 2
~3 spots leftby Dec 2025