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Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaPhase 1/2NCT01468896

Cetuximab and Recombinant Interleukin-12 in Treating Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck That is Recurrent, Metastatic, or Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

A Phase 1/2 study testing Cetuximab, Edodekin alfa and Laboratory Biomarker Analysis in people with Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 2 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of recombinant interleukin-12 when given together with cetuximab and to see how well they work in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has come back, spread to another place in the body, or cannot be removed by surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Cetuximab, Edodekin alfa and Laboratory Biomarker Analysis
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
23 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
26 Oct 2011to 31 Mar 2027
Phase
Phase 1/2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients must have histologically-proven recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that is unresectable; patients in the phase II portion of the trial must have measurable disease
  • Any number of prior systemic therapies for metastatic/recurrent disease are permitted in both the phase I and II portions of the study; patients need not have received a prior cetuximab-based chemotherapy regimen to be eligible for this trial
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2 (Karnofsky >= 60%)
  • Life expectancy of greater than 6 months
  • Leukocytes >= 3,000/mcL
  • Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/mcL
Show all 12Show fewer
  • Platelets >= 100,000/mcL
  • Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 times upper limit of normal
  • Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance >= 60 mL/min/1.73 m^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
  • The effects of IL-12 on the developing human fetus are unknown; for this reason, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Who cannot join

  • Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier
  • Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents
  • Patients with known brain metastases may be enrolled if this site of disease has been adequately treated, the patient does not require steroids, and the patient has been stable for at least 3 months prior to enrollment
  • History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to IL-12 or other agents used in study
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
  • Pregnant women are excluded from this study because IL-12 is an agent with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects; because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with IL-12, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with IL-12; these potential risks may also apply to other agents used in this study

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites

  • Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

    Columbus, Ohio, 43210

  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Phase I/II Trial of Cetuximab in Combination With Interleukin-12 Administered to Patients With Unresectable Primary or Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of recombinant interleukin-12 when given together with cetuximab and to see how well they work in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has come back, spread to another place in the body, or cannot be removed by surgery. Recombinant interleukin-12 may stimulate the white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread Giving recombinant interleukin-12 together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To find a safe and tolerable interleukin (IL)-12 (recombinant interleukin-12) dose for use in combination with cetuximab in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. (Phase I) II. To determine the response rate to the combination of IL-12 and cetuximab. (Phase II)

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To characterize the immunologic effects of IL-12 when administered in combination with cetuximab.

OUTLINE: This is a phase I, dose-escalation study of recombinant IL-12 followed by a phase II study.

Patients receive cetuximab intravenously (IV) over 1-2 hours on day 1 and recombinant interleukin-12 subcutaneously (SC) on days 2 and 5 beginning in course 2. Treatment repeats every 2 weeks for 12 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving clinical response or stable disease may continue with therapy until disease progression.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 1 year.

Being tested
Cetuximab, Edodekin alfa, Laboratory Biomarker Analysis
Medical subject headings
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • CetuximabBiological

    Also called C 225, C-225, C225, Cetuxa

    Given IV

  • Edodekin alfaBiological

    Also called Cytotoxic Lymphocyte Maturation Factor, IL-12, Interleukin 12, Interleukin-12

    Given SC

  • Laboratory Biomarker AnalysisOther

    Correlative studies

Study groups in NCT01468896
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Treatment (cetuximab and recombinant interleukin-12)ExperimentalPatients receive cetuximab IV over 1-2 hours on day 1 and recombinant interleukin-12 SC on days 2 and 5 beginning in course 2. Treatment repeats every 2 weeks for 12 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving clinical response or stable disease may continue with therapy until disease progression.
Receives: Biological: Cetuximab; Biological: Edodekin alfa; Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Number of Dose-limiting Toxicity Incidents to Determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose of IL-12, Evaluated Using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 (Phase I)

    Measured: 14 days

  2. Proportion of Patients Who Have Any Response to Treatment (Complete Response or Partial Response), Determined According to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (Phase II)

    The proportion of successes will be estimated by the number of successes divided by the total number of evaluable patients. Ninety percent confidence intervals for the true success proportion will be calculated according to the approach of Duffy and Santner. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.

    Measured: Up to 6 months

Secondary outcomes (5)

  1. Induction of Systemic Plasma Levels of Interferon-gamma

    Explores graphically how changes in this marker differ between those with versus without an objective response to therapy as well as other potential factors.

    Measured: Baseline up to day 50

  2. Number of Confirmed Clinical Responses (Phase I)

    Summarized by simple descriptive summary statistics. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.

    Measured: Up to 6 months

  3. Overall Survival (Phase II)

    The Kaplan-Meier method will be used to estimate overall survival distribution.

    Measured: From the date of registration to date of death, assessed up to 1 year

  4. Proportion of Patients Who Are Progression-free (Phase I)

    Summarized by simple descriptive summary statistics. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.

    Measured: 6 months

  5. Time to Disease Progression (Phase II)

    The Kaplan-Meier method will be used to estimate time to progression distributions.

    Measured: From date of registration to date of progression, assessed up to 1 year

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Nov 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study start26 Oct 2011
  3. Primary completion29 Sep 2015
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1/2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
23 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01468896
Sponsor's protocol ID
NCI-2011-03631
Other IDs
NCI-2011-03631, 2011C0019, 11010, CDR0000715306, 8860, 8860, N01CM00070, P30CA016058
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
8 Nov 2011
Last updated
29 Jul 2026
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing Cetuximab, Edodekin alfa and Laboratory Biomarker Analysis in people with Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 12 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 31 Aug 2017). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Number of Dose-limiting Toxicity Incidents to Determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose of IL-12, Evaluated Using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 (Phase I) (time frame: 14 days). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01468896.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Jul 2026.

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