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Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Lenvatinib + Pembrolizumab for Advanced Thyroid Cancer

Phase 2
Recruiting
Led By Maria E Cabanillas
Research Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Patients who are unwilling to undergo surgery or external beam radiation
Pathologic findings supporting the clinical impression of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, including diagnoses consistent with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, squamous carcinoma, carcinoma with spindled, giant cell, or epithelial features, poorly differentiated carcinoma with pleomorphism, extensive necrosis with tumor cells present
Must not have
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
Females who are breastfeeding or pregnant at Screening or Baseline
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 4 years
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is studying how well lenvatinib and pembrolizumab work together to treat patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to other parts of the body.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults with advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer that's either spread to nearby areas and can't be surgically removed, or has metastasized. Participants need functioning major organs, no recent surgeries, controlled blood pressure without intense medication, and no severe heart issues. They must not have had chemotherapy within the last week or suffer from unmanaged autoimmune diseases. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are excluded.
What is being tested?
The study tests a combination of lenvatinib (which may halt tumor growth by blocking enzymes needed for cell growth) and pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug that might help the immune system fight cancer). The goal is to see if this combo works better than each drug alone in treating stage IVB/C anaplastic thyroid cancer.
What are the potential side effects?
Possible side effects include high blood pressure, fatigue, liver problems like increased enzymes, kidney issues reflected by changes in urine protein levels, bleeding risks especially if there's tumor invasion into major vessels, as well as potential allergic reactions to the drugs' components.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I am not willing to have surgery or radiation treatment.
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My thyroid cancer diagnosis includes specific aggressive features.
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My cancer cannot be removed by surgery and has spread.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
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I haven't needed systemic treatment for an autoimmune disease in the last 2 years.
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I am not pregnant or breastfeeding.
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I haven't had chemotherapy in the last week or still have side effects from it.
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My blood pressure is high despite taking medication.
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I have not received any anti-angiogenic treatments.
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I have had or currently have lung inflammation treated with steroids.
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I have an immune system disorder or have been on high-dose steroids or other immune-weakening medicines recently.
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I have brain metastases that have not been treated.
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I have not had major surgery within the last week.
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I do not have any open wounds or fistulas.
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I do not have serious heart problems like recent heart attacks or severe heart failure.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~4 years
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 4 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Overall survival
Tumor response

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

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: Treatment (pembrolizumab, lenvatinib)Experimental Treatment2 Interventions
Patients receive pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive lenvatinib PO daily on days 1-21. Cycles repeat every 3 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Pembrolizumab
2017
Completed Phase 3
~3130
Lenvatinib
2017
Completed Phase 4
~2070

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterLead Sponsor
3,074 Previous Clinical Trials
1,803,566 Total Patients Enrolled
National Cancer Institute (NCI)NIH
13,958 Previous Clinical Trials
41,112,555 Total Patients Enrolled
Maria E CabanillasPrincipal InvestigatorM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1 Previous Clinical Trials
50 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Lenvatinib (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04171622 — Phase 2
Thyroid Cancer Research Study Groups: Treatment (pembrolizumab, lenvatinib)
Thyroid Cancer Clinical Trial 2023: Lenvatinib Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT04171622 — Phase 2
Lenvatinib (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT04171622 — Phase 2
~4 spots leftby Aug 2025