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Oropharynx CancerPhase 2IMMUNEBOOSTNCT03838263

Feasibility and Tolerance of Nivolumab Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in High Risk HPV Driven Oropharynx Cancer

A Phase 2 study testing Nivolumab and Chemoradiation in people with Oropharynx Cancer, run by UNICANCER at 11 sites in France.

Completed

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

Official record
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Trial summary

The aim of this research is to study the feasibility of neoadjuvant treatment before chemoradiation in "high risk" HPV-driven Oropharynx cancer Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Oropharynx Cancer
What is being tested?
Nivolumab and Chemoradiation
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
62 participants
Where
11 sitesFrance
Study dates
25 Jul 2019to 20 Nov 2024
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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

  • Age ≥18 years old
  • Histologically confirmed HPV-positive Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) amenable to curative treatment with RT-CT (HPV status is defined on the basis of the combination of 2 assays: p16 protein overexpression assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and high-risk HPV DNA identification by in-situ Hybridization (ISH) or PCR. An HPV-driven OPSCC is defined as a tumor that is positive for both p16 IHC and HPV-DNA ISH or PCR)
  • According to the 8th TNM edition, eligible stages are as follow:
  • Irrespective of tobacco consumption: Stage T4 (any N), N2 or N3 (any T)
  • Only if tobacco consumption ≥10 pack- years: T1-3N1 and T3N0 (T1N0 and T2N0 irrespective of tobacco consumption are not eligible for the study)
  • Planned date of chemoradiation allowing 2 treatment infusions, 2 weeks apart
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  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤1
  • Screening laboratory values must meet the following criteria (using CTCAE v5.0) and should be obtained within 7 days prior to the randomisation:
  • Polynuclear neutrophils ≥1.5 x 10⁹/L
  • Platelets ≥100 x 10⁹/L
  • Hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT)/aspartate transaminase (ASAT) ≤2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Total Bilirubin ≤1.5 x ULN (except Gilbert Syndrome : <3.0 mg/dL)
  • Creatinine clearance ≥60 mL/min (measured or calculated by Cockcroft and Gault formula)
  • Potentially reproductive patients must agree to use a highly effective contraceptive method while on treatment and up to 6 months after the end of chemoradiation
  • Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test done within 72 hours before randomisation
  • Patients must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests and other study procedures (including mandatory study-specific biopsies)
  • Subjects must have at least one lesion amenable to biopsy
  • Subjects must have at least one measurable lesion (different from the lesion amenable to biopsy) as per RECIST v1.1 to assess efficacy
  • Consent to provide archived tumour tissue sample, if available
  • Patients must be affiliated to a Social Security System
  • Patient information and written informed consent form signed

Who cannot join

  • Prior treatment for OPSCC
  • Prior treatment with anti PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4
  • Distant metastases
  • Tumour embolization within 28 days prior to the first dose of study drug.
  • Contra-indication(s) to receive high-dose cisplatin as listed in the most updated Summary of Product Characteristics (including creatinine clearance <60 mL/min, pre-existing hearing loss or neurological disorder)
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, active peptic ulcer disease or gastritis, or psychiatric illness and social situations that would limit compliance with study requirement or compromise the ability of the subject to give written informed consent
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  • Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days before the first dose, including intranasal and inhaled corticosteroids or systemic corticosteroids
  • Active or prior documented autoimmune or inflammatory disease within the 2 years prior to start of treatment (including inflammatory bowel disease [e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease], celiac disease, irritable bowel disease, or other serious chronic gastrointestinal conditions associated with diarrhea; systemic lupus erythematosus; Wegener syndrome [granulomatosis with polyangiitis]; myasthenia gravis; Graves' disease; rheumatoid arthritis; hypophysitis, uveitis, etc.) The following are exceptions to these criteria:a) Subjects with vitiligo or alopecia, b) Subjects with hypothyroidism (e.g.,Hashimoto syndrome) stable on hormone replacement and c) Subjects with psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment (within the past 2 years)
  • History of primary immunodeficiency or organ transplant requiring immunosuppressive drugs
  • Patients with a known HIV, active hepatitis B or C infection
  • Other invasive malignancy within 3 years except for noninvasive malignancies such as cervical carcinoma in situ, non-melanomatous carcinoma of the skin or ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast that has/have been surgically cured
  • Pregnant women or women who are breast-feeding
  • Patients with any psychological, familial, sociological or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule; those conditions should be discussed with the patient before registration in the study
  • Individuals deprived of liberty or placed under the authority of a tutor
  • Severe infection requiring parenteral antibiotics treatment
  • Known history or active symptomatic interstitial lung disease
  • Patients with major surgery within 28 days, or open biopsy within 7 days, prior to randomisation. Patients must have recovered from major side effects of the surgery before randomisation

Trial locations and contacts

11 sites in 1 country.

11 sites in 1 country

France11 sites
  • Institut Sainte Catherine

    Avignon, 84918

  • Hopital Beaujon

    Clichy, 92100

  • Centre Léon Bérard

    Lyon, 69373

  • Centre Antoine Lacassagne

    Nice, 06189

  • Institut Curie

    Paris, 75005

  • Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou

    Paris, 75015

  • Hopital Tenon

    Paris, 75970

  • Centre Henri Becquerel

    Rouen, 76038

  • Hopital Foch

    Suresnes, 92150

  • Institut de cancerologie de Lorraine Alexis Vautrin

    Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54519

  • Institut Gustave Roussy

    Villejuif, 94805

Other trials in France

About this study

Official title: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open Label, Phase II Study Evaluating the Feasibility and Tolerance of Nivolumab Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in High Risk HPV Driven Oropharynx Cancer

The aim of this research is to study the feasibility of neoadjuvant treatment before chemoradiation in "high risk" HPV-driven Oropharynx cancer

Read the detailed description

Methodology:

Patient screened wil be randomized 2:1 between 2 arms:

  • Experimental arm: Nivolumab 2 infusions (2 weeks part) before standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with cisplatin at week 1, 4, and 7
  • Control arm: Standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with cisplatin at week 1, 4, and 7

Primary Objective:

To assess the feasibility and tolerance of neoadjuvant nivolumab treatment before chemoradiation in "high-risk" HPV-driven Oropharynx Cancer

Being tested
Nivolumab, Chemoradiation
Keywords
Nivolumab, High-risk, HPV-driven oropharynx cancer
Medical subject headings
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • NivolumabDrug

    Also called ANY

    2 nivolumab infusion (240 mg IV) 2 weeks apart (on day 1 and day 15) followed by standard chemoradiation.

  • ChemoradiationRadiation

    Also called Radiation + cisplatin

    Standard of Care chemoradiation for 7 weeks (70 Gray delivered to the tumor by IMRT) with high-dose cisplatin (100mg/m2) at week 1, 4 and 7

Study groups in NCT03838263
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental armExperimentalExperimental arm with nivolumab 2 infusions (2 weeks apart) before Standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m²) at week 1, 4 and 7
Receives: Drug: Nivolumab; Radiation: Chemoradiation
Control armActive comparatorControl arm: Standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m²) at week 1, 4 and 7
Receives: Radiation: Chemoradiation

What is being measured

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

  1. The rate of patients that fulfill the 3 or 5 conditions as described below (Feasibility assessment of nivolumab neoadjuvant treatment before chemoradiation)

    the rate of patients :

    (1) who can receive the 2 nivolumab infusions planned at D1 and between D14 to D16 among patients in the experimental arm And (2) who can receive chemoradiation at D30 (-2 /+7) after the second nivolumab infusion, without delay of more than 7 days with respect to the planned start of chemoradiation (RT-CT) among patients in the experimental arm And (3) with no radiotherapy break of one week or more, among patients in the experimental arm and patients in the control arm separately And (4) with minimal dose of radiotherapy (dose received >95% of theoretical dose) among patients in the experimental arm and patients in the control arm separately And (5) with minimal dose of chemotherapy of ≥200 mg/m² of cisplatin (CDDP) among patients in the experimental arm and patients in the control arm separately

    Measured: Between baseline and until 3 months (at the end of chemoradiation)

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. The incidence of Adverse Events related or not related to chemoradiation and Nivolumab

    Acute and delayed toxicities assessed according to national cancer institute (NCI) common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) version 5.0

    Measured: During treatment phase and until 90 days after the last fraction of radiotherapy

  2. Objective Response Rate in the experimental arm

    Radiological response will be assessed according to RECIST 1.1.

    Measured: Between baseline and up to 17 days after the second infusion of nivolumab

  3. Tumor Response in both arms

    Radiological response will be assessed according to RECIST 1.1.

    Measured: Between baseline and 3 months after the end of chemoradiation

  4. Overall Survival (OS)

    the time from randomization to death from any cause

    Measured: Between baseline and 2 years after the end of chemoradiation

  5. Locoregional control (LRC)

    the absence of disease progression (radiological progression according to RECIST 1.1 or clinical progression) or recurrence at the site of the primary tumor and loco-regional lymph nodes.

    Measured: Between baseline and 2 years after the end of chemoradiation

  6. Progression-Free Survival (PFS)

    The time from randomization to progression or death from any cause

    Measured: Between baseline and 2 years after the end of chemoradiation

  7. Objective Response Rate in the experimental arm

    Standardized uptake value (SUV) evolution will be assessed by positron emission tomography (PET)-scan.

    Measured: Between baseline and up to 17 days after the second infusion of nivolumab

  8. Tumor Response in both arms

    SUV evolution will be assessed by PET-scan.

    Measured: Between baseline and 3 months after the end of chemoradiation

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Feb 2019
  2. Study start25 Jul 2019
  3. Primary completion1 Apr 2022
  4. Study completion20 Nov 2024

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 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
In this study, there are 2 arms: * Experimental arm with nivolumab 2 infusions (2 weeks apart) before Standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m²) at week 1, 4 and 7 * Control arm: Standard of care chemoradiation for 7 weeks with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m²) at week 1, 4 and 7
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
62 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03838263
Sponsor's protocol ID
UC-0130/1804
Other IDs
2018-000626-60, 2018
Acronym
IMMUNEBOOST
Status last verified
Feb 2025
First submitted
6 Feb 2019
Last updated
4 Mar 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Unicancer will share de-identified individual data that underlie the results reported. A decision concerning the sharing of other study documents, including protocol and statistical analysis plan will be examined upon request.

Publications

  • Mirghani H, Auperin A, Even C, Larive A, Fayette J, Geoffrois L, Clatot F, Calderon B, Tao Y, Nguyen F, Fabiano E, Kreps S, Gaultier AL, Bidault F, Puech J, Morin B, Picavet L, Tartour E, Ben Hariz A, Chevrot M, Monard L, Veyer D, Badoual C, Pere H, Blanchard P. Induction Nivolumab Before Chemoradiation in High-Risk Human Papillomavirus-Driven Oropharynx Cancers: IMMUNEBOOST-HPV, a Multicenter Randomized Phase II Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2026 Mar 20;44(9):787-800. doi: 10.1200/JCO-25-00835. Epub 2026 Jan 22.

    PubMed 41570275

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Nivolumab and Chemoradiation in people with Oropharynx Cancer, run by UNICANCER at 11 sites in France.

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 22 inclusion and 17 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 4 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 11 sites in France. 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 phase mean?

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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

The rate of patients that fulfill the 3 or 5 conditions as described below (Feasibility assessment of nivolumab neoadjuvant treatment before chemoradiation) (time frame: Between baseline and until 3 months (at the end of chemoradiation)). 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 NCT03838263, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 4 Mar 2025.

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