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Hormone-Resistant Prostate CancerPhase 1/2NCT02499835

Vaccine Therapy and Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients With Hormone-Resistant, Metastatic Prostate Cancer

A Phase 1/2 study testing Pembrolizumab and pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine in people with Hormone-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Bone, run by University of Wisconsin, Madison at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This randomized pilot trial studies vaccine therapy and pembrolizumab in treating patients with prostate cancer that does not respond to treatment with hormones (hormone-resistant) and has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, men only
What is being tested?
Pembrolizumab and pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
66 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Jul 2015to 27 Jul 2023
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
  • Men only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Histologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma of the prostate)
  • Metastatic disease as evidenced by the presence of soft tissue and/or bone metastases on imaging studies (CT of abdomen/pelvis, bone scintigraphy)
  • Castrate-resistant disease, defined as follows:
  • All patients must have received (and be receiving) standard of care androgen deprivation treatment (surgical castration versus gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH] analogue or antagonist treatment); subjects receiving GnRH analogue or antagonist must continue this treatment throughout the time on this study
  • Patients may or may not have been treated previously with a nonsteroidal antiandrogen; for patients previously treated with an antiandrogen, they must be off use of anti-androgen for at least 4 weeks (for flutamide) or 6 weeks (for bicalutamide or nilutamide) prior to registration; moreover, subjects who demonstrate an anti-androgen withdrawal response, defined as a >= 25% decline in PSA within 4-6 week of stopping a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, are not eligible until the PSA rises above the nadir observed after antiandrogen withdrawal
  • Patients must have a castrate serum level of testosterone (< 50 ng/dL) within 6 weeks of day 1
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  • Progressive disease while receiving androgen deprivation therapy defined by any one of the following as per the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 2 (PCWG2) bone scan criteria or Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 during or after completing last therapy:
  • PSA: at least two consecutive rises in serum PSA, obtained at a minimum of 1-week intervals, with the final value >= 2.0 ng/mL
  • Measurable disease: >= 50% increase in the sum of the cross products of all measurable lesions or the development of new measurable lesions; the short axis of a target lymph node must be at least 15 mm by spiral CT to be considered a target lesion
  • Non-measurable (bone) disease: the appearance of two or more new areas of uptake on bone scan (or fluorine F 18 sodium fluoride [NaF] PET/CT) consistent with metastatic disease compared to previous imaging during castration therapy; the increased uptake of pre-existing lesions on bone scan will not be taken to constitute progression, and ambiguous results must be confirmed by other imaging modalities (e.g. X-ray, CT or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI])
  • Prior treatment with abiraterone or enzalutamide is permitted, but patients must have been off prior corticosteroid treatment for at least 3 months
  • Life expectancy of at least 6 months
  • Patients must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, 1, or 2
  • White blood cells (WBC) >= 2000/mm^3
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1000/mm^3
  • Hemoglobin (HgB) >= 9.0 gm/dL
  • Platelets >= 100,000/mm^3
  • Creatinine =< 2.0 mg/dL
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
  • No known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1 and 2, human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1, or active hepatitis B or hepatitis C
  • Patients must be at least 4 weeks from any prior treatments and have recovered (to < grade 2) from acute toxicity attributed to this prior treatment, unless considered chronic
  • Patients must be willing and able (in the opinion of the treating physician) to undergo two research biopsies for the investigational component of this trial
  • Patients must be willing to undergo two leukapheresis procedures for the investigational component of this trial
  • Patients must be willing to undergo FLT PET/CT or NaF PET/CT scans for the investigational component of this trial and have no known allergies to FLT or NaF
  • For those patients who are sexually active, they must be willing to use barrier contraceptive methods during the period of treatment on this trial (and for four weeks after the last DNA immunization treatment for patients in Arm 1)
  • Patients must be informed of the experimental nature of the study and its potential risks, and must sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved written informed consent form indicating such an understanding

Who cannot join

  • Small cell or other variant (non-adenocarcinoma) prostate cancer histology, unless there is evidence that the tumor expresses PAP
  • Patients may not be receiving other investigational agents or be receiving concurrent anticancer therapy other than standard androgen deprivation therapy
  • Concurrent bisphosphonate therapy is not excluded, however patients should not start bisphosphonate therapy while on this study; those patients already receiving bisphosphonate therapy should continue at the same dosing and schedule as prior to study entry
  • Rapidly progressive symptomatic metastatic disease, as defined by the need for increased opioid analgesics within one month of registration for the treatment of pain attributed to a prostate cancer metastatic lesion; patients receiving opioids must receive approval from the principal investigator (PI) for eligibility
  • Treatment with any of the following medications within 28 days of registration, or while on study, is prohibited:
  • Systemic corticosteroids (at doses over the equivalent of 5 mg prednisone daily) - not permitted within 3 months of registration; inhaled, intranasal or topical corticosteroids are acceptable
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  • Prostate cancer (PC)-SPES
  • Saw palmetto
  • Megestrol
  • Ketoconazole
  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors - patients already taking 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors prior to 28 days prior to registration may stay on these agents throughout the course of therapy, but these should not be started while patients are on study
  • Diethyl stilbestrol
  • Abiraterone
  • Enzalutamide
  • Radium 223 (Xofigo)
  • Any other hormonal agent or supplement being used with the intent of cancer treatment
  • External beam radiation therapy within 4 weeks of registration is prohibited, or anticipated need for radiation therapy (e.g. imminent pathological fracture or spinal cord compression) within 3 months of registration
  • Major surgery within 4 weeks of registration is prohibited
  • Prior cytotoxic chemotherapy (for example, but not limited to, docetaxel, mitoxantrone, cabazitaxel) within 6 months of registration is prohibited
  • Patients with a history of life-threatening autoimmune disease
  • Patients with a history of allergic reactions to filgrastim (GM-CSF) or the tetanus vaccine
  • Patients who have undergone splenectomy
  • Patients must not have other active malignancies other than non-melanoma skin cancers or superficial bladder cancer; subjects with a history of other cancers who have been adequately treated and have been recurrence-free for >= 3 years are eligible
  • Patients with known brain metastases
  • Any antibiotic therapy or evidence of infection within 1 week of registration
  • Any other medical intervention or condition, which, in the opinion of the PI or treating physician, could compromise patient safety or adherence with the study requirements (including biopsies or leukapheresis procedures) over the primary 3-6 month treatment period
  • Patients cannot have concurrent enrollment on other phase I, II, or III investigational treatment studies
  • NOTE: There is no exclusion for prior immune-based therapy. This includes patients previously treated on Arms 1 or 2 who are otherwise eligible for treatment on Arm 3 or 4.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

    Madison, Wisconsin, 53792

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Pilot Trial of pTVG-HP DNA Vaccine and Pembrolizumab in Patients With Castration-Resistant, Metastatic Prostate Cancer

This randomized pilot trial studies vaccine therapy and pembrolizumab in treating patients with prostate cancer that does not respond to treatment with hormones (hormone-resistant) and has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Vaccines made from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), such as pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine, may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may find tumor cells and help kill them. Giving pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine and pembrolizumab may kill more tumor cells.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To evaluate the safety of pembrolizumab in combination with pTVG-HP (pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine) in patients with castration-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer.

II. To determine the 6-month progression-free survival and median time to radiographic progression in patients with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer treated with pembrolizumab in combination with pTVG-HP.

III. To evaluate the anti-tumor response rates (objective response rate and prostate specific antigen [PSA] response rate, using Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 2 [PCWG2] criteria) in patients with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer treated with pembrolizumab in combination with pTVG-HP.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To determine whether either treatment sequence, or prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP)-specific immune response, is associated with prolonged (6-month) radiographic progression-free survival.

II. To evaluate effects of schedule (concurrent versus delayed administration of pembrolizumab) on the magnitude of PAP-specific T-cell responses, programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) expression on circulating T cells, and ligands for PD-1 (PD-L1) expression on circulating epithelial cells (CEC) and on tumor biopsies.

III. To determine the median time to radiographic progression using a concurrent administration schedule

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To evaluate effects of treatment on number of circulating tumor cells. II. To evaluate PAP-specific antibody responses following treatment with pembrolizumab and pTVG-HP DNA vaccine (pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine).

III. To determine whether either treatment sequence elicits immunologic antigen spread to other prostate-associated antigens.

IV. To determine whether pre-existing or vaccine-induced PD-L1 expression on CEC or tumor biopsies is predictive of objective clinical response.

  1. To determine whether treatment elicits expression of other regulatory molecules on tumor-specific T cells (e.g. hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 [TIM3], B and T lymphocyte associated [BTLA], and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 [LAG3]) or tumor cells (e.g. tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 14 [HVEM], phosphatidyl serine, ligands for programmed death receptor-2 [PD-2] [PD-L2]).

VI. To determine whether PD-1-regulated antigen-specific T cells identified by trans vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) testing can identify patients who develop objective clinical responses with PD-1 blockade therapy in combination with pTVG-HP.

VII. To determine whether changes in lymph nodes and soft tissue tumor lesions are observed by fluorothymidine F-18 (FLT) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) after treatment with vaccine with or without pembrolizumab.

VIII. To determine if PD-1 inhibitor therapy in combination with pTVG-HP will change number and activity (SUV) in osteoblastic metastases as measured by NaF PET/CT.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients receive pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine intradermally (ID) every other week on days 1, 15, 29, 43, 57, and 71 and pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes every 3 weeks on days 1, 22, 43, and 64.

ARM II: Patients receive pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine ID as in Arm I and pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 weeks on days 85, 106, 127, and 148.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and then annually for 2 years.

ARM III: Extended Treatment. Patients received pTVG-HP + Pembrolizumab Extended Treatment

ARM IV: Extended Treatment. Patients receive pTVG-HP every two weeks, and Pembrolizumab every 4 weeks

Being tested
Pembrolizumab, pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Medical subject headings
Prostatic Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • PembrolizumabBiological

    Also called 1374853-91-4, Immunoglobulin G4, Anti-(Human Programmed Cell Death 1), Lambrolizumab

    Given IV

  • pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA VaccineBiological

    Given ID

Study groups in NCT02499835
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Arm I (pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine, concurrent pembrolizumab)ExperimentalPatients receive pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine ID every other week on days 1, 15, 29, 43, 57, and 71 and pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 weeks on days 1, 22, 43, and 64.
Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab; Biological: pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Arm II (pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine, sequential pembrolizumab)ExperimentalPatients receive pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine ID as in Arm I and pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 weeks on days 85, 106, 127, and 148.
Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab; Biological: pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Extended Treatment Arm IIIExperimentalpTVG-HP (100 μg) with rhGM-CSF (208 μg) administered intradermally (i.d.) every 3 weeks, for a maximum of 16 doses. Pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, with a maximum dose of 200 mg, administered intravenously every 3 weeks, for a maximum of 16 doses, beginning on day 1 after the first pTVG-HP vaccination.
Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab; Biological: pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Extended Treatment Arm IVExperimentalpTVG-HP (100 µg) with rhGM-CSF (208 µg) administered intradermally (i.d.) every 2 weeks, for a maximum of 24 doses Pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, with a maximum dose of 200 mg, administered intravenously every 4 weeks, for a maximum of 12 doses, beginning on day 1 after the first pTVG-HP vaccination
Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab; Biological: pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine

What is being measured

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

  1. Incidence of Adverse Events, Using the National Cancer Common Terminology Criteria, Version 4

    Toxicities will be summarized by type, as reported in the adverse events section, and total events calculated per arm.

    Measured: Up to 23 months (Up to 12 months after completion of study treatment)

  2. 6-month Progression Free Survival Rate

    6-month progression-free survival rate will be reported for each arm, and for overall combined study. Progression is at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and a 0.5cm minimum increase, or the appearance of one or more new lesions. In order to evaluate the 6-month progression-free rate as a function of baseline time point (pretreatment or 3-months post treatment), analysis will be conducted using two different baseline values: date of randomization, and 3-months disease assessment. Central tendency is appropriate due to 20% increase and measurements being a mean of growth across time periods.

    Measured: 6 months

  3. Median Time to Radiographic Progression

    Median time to radiographic progression will be estimated for each, and for both study arms combined, using Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test will be used to perform comparison of time to radiographic progression between study arms. A one-sided 0.10 significance level will be used to conduct the comparison of the 6-month progression-free survival rate and time to radiographic progression between study arms. In order to evaluate the median time to radiographic progression as a function of baseline time point (pretreatment or 3-months post treatment), analysis will be conducted.

    Measured: Up to 2 years

  4. Number of Participants Who Have an Objective Response

    Will be calculated for each study arm and for all arms combined. Complete response is the disappearance of all target lesions. Partial response is at least 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions.

    Measured: Up to 2 years

  5. Number of Participants Who Have a PSA Response

    Will be calculated for each study arm and for all arms combined. PSA complete response is a decrease in PSA to ,0.2 ng/mL; partial response is greater than or equal to 50% reduction in baseline PSA.

    Measured: Up to 2 years

Secondary outcomes (4)

  1. PAP-specific Immune Response

    Number of PAP-specific immune responses will be summarized in tabular format for each study arm and all study arms combined. A significant antigen-specific response resulting from immunization will be defined as a PAP specific response.

    Measured: Up to 2 years

  2. PAP-specific T-cell Response

    Number and frequencies of PAP-specific T-cell responses will be summarized in tabular format.

    Measured: Up to 2 years

  3. PD-1 Expression

    PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels will be summarized in terms of means, standard deviations and ranges for each study arm separately and for both arms combined. A linear regression model or a negative binomial regression model will be utilized to evaluate effects of schedule (concurrent versus delayed administration pembrolizumab) on PD-1 expression on number of circulating T cells, and PD-L1 expression on number of circulating epithelial cells. Choice of the model will be dependent on distribution of outcome variables (number of circulating T-cells and number of circulating epithelial cells).

    Measured: Up to day 85

  4. PD-L1 Expression

    PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels will be summarized in terms of means, standard deviations and ranges for each study arm separately and for both arms combined. A linear regression model or a negative binomial regression model will be utilized to evaluate effects of schedule (concurrent versus delayed administration pembrolizumab) on PD-1 expression on number of circulating T cells, and PD-L1 expression on number of circulating epithelial cells. Choice of the model will be dependent on distribution of outcome variables (number of circulating T-cells and number of circulating epithelial cells).

    Measured: Up to day 85

Timeline

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

  1. First posted16 Jul 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study start1 Jul 2015
  3. Primary completion9 Aug 2021
  4. Study completion27 Jul 2023

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Once at least 12 subjects per arm are accrued to Arms 1 and 2, and Arm 3 is open to accrual, accrual will occur only to Arm 3 (other arms will be closed). Extended treatment Arm 4 will open only when Arm 3 has met accrual.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
66 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02499835
Sponsor's protocol ID
UW15014
Other IDs
2015-0453, NCI-2015-01154, A534260, SMPH\MEDICINE\HEM-ONC, Protocol Version 3/19/2018
Status last verified
Jul 2023
First submitted
14 Jul 2015
Last updated
1 Aug 2023
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • McNeel DG, Eickhoff JC, Wargowski E, Zahm C, Staab MJ, Straus J, Liu G. Concurrent, but not sequential, PD-1 blockade with a DNA vaccine elicits anti-tumor responses in patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer. Oncotarget. 2018 May 22;9(39):25586-25596. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.25387. eCollection 2018 May 22.

    PubMed 29876010

  • McNeel DG, Eickhoff JC, Wargowski E, Johnson LE, Kyriakopoulos CE, Emamekhoo H, Lang JM, Brennan MJ, Liu G. Phase 2 trial of T-cell activation using MVI-816 and pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Mar;10(3):e004198. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004198.

    PubMed 35277461

  • Rastogi I, McNeel DG. Prostate tumor immune microenvironment changes following immunotherapy shared by patients who developed anti-tumor response or immune-related adverse events. Oncoimmunology. 2025 Dec 31;14(1):2595788. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2025.2595788. Epub 2025 Dec 11.

    PubMed 41378786

  • Scarpelli M, Zahm C, Perlman S, McNeel DG, Jeraj R, Liu G. FLT PET/CT imaging of metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with pTVG-HP DNA vaccine and pembrolizumab. J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Jan 30;7(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0516-1.

    PubMed 30700328

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing Pembrolizumab and pTVG-HP Plasmid DNA Vaccine in people with Hormone-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Bone, run by University of Wisconsin, Madison at 1 site 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 26 inclusion and 28 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Aug 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site 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 1 Dec 2022). 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?

Incidence of Adverse Events, Using the National Cancer Common Terminology Criteria, Version 4 (time frame: Up to 23 months (Up to 12 months after completion of study treatment)). The study lists 5 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 NCT02499835, which also lists 4 linked publications.

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 1 Aug 2023.

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