AzTrials
AzTrials

Biliary Tract CancerPhase 1/2NCT03937895

Allogeneic NK Cell ("SMT-NK") in Combination With Pembrolizumab in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

A Phase 1/2 study testing 'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell) and Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda] in people with Biliary Tract Cancer, run by SMT bio Co., Ltd. at 2 sites in South Korea.

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

The term of biliary tract cancer (BTC) or cholangiocarcinoma refers to all tumors that arise from the biliary tract or the biliary drainage system, including the gallbladder. According to the data from National Cancer Information Center in 2016, annual incidence of the cancer in Korea is 6,685 (13.1 per 100,000… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Biliary Tract Cancer
What is being tested?
'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell) and Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda]
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
40 participants
Where
2 sitesSouth Korea
Study dates
3 Dec 2019to 8 Jun 2021
Phase
Phase 1/2
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 19 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

[Inclusion Criteria]

Patients who received a histopathological or cytologic diagnosis of nonresectable, advanced biliary tract carcinoma (intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer) and patients with refractory disease after chemotherapy and/or patients who have difficulty with chemotherapy due to side effects of chemotherapy.

  1. A person who receives an explanation from the trial manager about the purpose, contents, and characteristics of the Investigational products for the clinical trial and is signed by the person, guardian or legal representative in the written informed consent.
  2. Be ≥19 years of age on day of signing informed consent.
  3. Histopathological or cytologic diagnosis of advanced adenocarcinoma of the biliary tract.
  4. Have a performance status of ≤2 on the ECOG Performance Scale.
  5. Patients who survival period is expected to be at least 3 months.
  6. Patients who meet the following conditions:
  • ANC(Absolute Neutrophil Count) ≥ 1,500/μL
  • Hemoglobin≥ 10 g/dL
  • Platelet> 100,000/μL
  • Serum BUN \& Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AST \& ALT ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Bilirubin ≤ 3mg/L
  1. Patients who agreed to the allogeneic natural killer cells therapy separated from the family of the patient or healthy donor's blood.
  2. Patients have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin) within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication and agreed to use 2 methods of contraception. The period of contraception is up to 6 months after the last administration of Pembrolizumab.
  3. Patients who meet one or more of the following conditions.
  • Patients have at least 1% Combined Positive Score (*CPS) PD-L1 expression detected on the tumor, as determined by **immunohistochemistry performed by a central laboratory. *CPS = (number of PD-L1 positive tumor cells, lymphocytes, macrophage)/ (total number of viable tumor cells) X 100 **immunohistochemistry: IHC 22C3 pharmDx test
  • Patients who have a positive *MSI-H or **dMMR test.
  • MSI-high positive tumors analyzed by PCR.
  • dMMR positive tumors analyzed by immunohistochemical staining .
  • *MSI-H was measured by PCR, and positive finding when two or more unstable markers were detected in PCR for 5 microsatellite markers.
  • **dMMR is analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and positive when the discovery of one or more genes in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 staining is lost.

[Exclusion Criteria]

  1. Patients who have previous history of Immune deficiency or autoimmune disease that can be aggravated by immunotherapy(for example: Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, adolescent-developed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).
  2. Diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy.
  3. Have with pneumonia, colitis, hepatitis, nephritis, endocrine disorders(for example: Pituitary gland, thyroid dysfunction, Type 1 diabetes, etc.) associated with immunodeficiency.
  4. Other malignant tumors within 5 years before the study enrollment.
  5. Previous history of anti-angiogenic agent treatment before the study enrollment.
  6. Received chemotherapy not less than 4 weeks old before the first administration of investigational products.
  7. Apparent myocardial infarction or uncontrolled arterial hypertension.
  8. Serious allergic history.
  9. Serious mental illness.
  10. Female who are pregnant, breastfeeding or intending to become pregnant during the study period.
  11. A person who participated in another clinical trial within 4 weeks prior to the start of the study(based on the date of signing the informed consent.).
  12. Previously administrated Pembrolizumab and other anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agent.
  13. Previously administrated natural killer cell.
  14. Patients who did not resolve the adverse event of the drug administered 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
  15. Previous history of active central nervous system (CNS) metastasis and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
  16. Previous history of non-infectious pneumonia.
  17. Previous history of Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  18. Previous historyof Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
  19. Previous history of active Hepatitis B (e.g., HBsAg reactive), Hepatitis C, Active tuberculosis.
  20. Have received a live vaccine within 4 weeks before the first administration of investigational products.
  21. Hypersensitivity to Pembrolizumab additive.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

South Korea2 sites
  • Severance Hospital

    Seoul, 03722

  • Gangnam Severance Hospital

    Seoul, 06273

Other trials in South Korea

About this study

Official title: Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial for the Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy of Allogeneic NK Cell ("SMT-NK") in Combination With Pembrolizumab for Patients With Gemcitabine-refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

The term of biliary tract cancer (BTC) or cholangiocarcinoma refers to all tumors that arise from the biliary tract or the biliary drainage system, including the gallbladder. According to the data from National Cancer Information Center in 2016, annual incidence of the cancer in Korea is 6,685 (13.1 per 100,000 population) which corresponds to about 2.9% of all cancers.

BTC is one of the most prognostic cancer with less than 30% of 5-year survival rate and the case with long-term survival can be possibly done with early detection of the cancer. However, most of BTC is found in advanced stages due to the difficulty of early detection, resulting in that the 5-year survival rate of the advanced BTC becomes less than 3%. More than 50% of the patients depends on Gemcitabine based chemotherapy but response rate of the chemotherapy remains around 30%. Thus, improving the survival rate with the standard chemotherapy is very limited and furthermore selection of second-line therapy is not easy. For this reason, development of an alternative therapeutic agent is urgently required.

Read more

NK (natural killer) cells are important cytotoxic innate immune cells that are involved in the elimination of cancer cells. Two main NK cell subsets have been defined on the basis of CD56 and CD16 expression: CD56^brightCD16- NK subset produces abundant cytokines including interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas CD56^dimCD16+ NK subpopulation has high cytolytic activity and releases the granules containing perforin and granzymes.

Various clinical studies have been conducted to treat cancers using NK cells worldwide including Korea and therapeutic clinical results are shown for various cancers. The clinical application of NK cells is carried out by culturing and activating the NK cells isolated from blood of either patient (autologous) or blood donor (allogeneic). Recently, NK cell therapy for cholangiocarcinoma has been successfully done (NCT03358849) with allogeneic NK cell, showing safety and potential efficacy.

Like T cells, a recent study with digestive cancer has shown that NK cells also express PD-1, especially with more number of PD-1 in cancer patients than in healthy individuals, suggesting that blocking PD-1 can be used as a potential strategy to increase the anticancer activity of NK cells. Therefore, combined therapy with the immune-check point such as pembrolizumab can be useful in elevating the anticancer activity of NK cells.

Being tested
'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell), Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda]
Keywords
Biliary Tract Cancer, BTC, Cholangiocarcinoma
Medical subject headings
Biliary Tract Neoplasms, Cholangiocarcinoma

What participants receive

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

  • 'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell)Biological

    In 120 mL, 3x10^6 (± 20%) cells/kg. weekly administration via Intravenous for 2 weeks. After that, 1 week is a withdrawal period.

  • Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda]Drug

    Administration via Intravenous of 200 mg every 3 weeks(one administration per cycle.).

Study groups in NCT03937895
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental: single armExperimental* Biological: 'SMT-NK' Inj. (allogeneic Natural Killer cell) weekly administration for 2 weeks. After that, 1 week is a withdrawal period. (Phase 1: up to *cycle 3, Phase 2a: up to cycle 9) * Drug: Pembrolizumab administration of Pembrolizumab 200mg/m2 at first week during cycle. * Cycle: 1 cycle is 3 weeks in total.'SMT-NK' Inj is administered at first and second week, and Pembrolizumab is administered at first week. The third week is a withdrawal period.
Receives: Biological: 'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell); Drug: Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda]

What is being measured

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

  1. Phase 1 - Dose Limiting Toxicity of the dose of 'SMT-NK' Inj. in combination with Pembrolizumab.

    DLT (Dose Limiting Toxicity) Assessment

    Measured: Up to 9 weeks from Baseline.

  2. Phase 2a - Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    ORR (Objective Response Rate, sum of PR and CR) is finally evaluated In the third tumor response evaluation by CT(according to RECIST V1.1).

    Measured: Up to 27 weeks from Baseline.

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Phase 2a - Time to Progression

    The length of time from the baseline until determine to progressive disease(PD).

    Measured: Up to 39 weeks from Baseline

  2. Phase 2a - Toxicity (according to CTCAE 5.0)

    Levels of adverse events and changes of experimental parameters are described according to CTCAE (version 5.0). Defined as incidence and severity of adverse events, significant laboratory changes, changes in vital signs, incidence of concomitant medications, changes from baseline over time in ECOG PS/100-mm Visual Analog Score for pain, incidence of dose adjustments over the treatment period.

    Measured: Up to 39 weeks from Baseline

Timeline

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

  1. First posted6 May 2019
  2. Study start3 Dec 2019
  3. Primary completion8 Jun 2021
  4. Study completion8 Jun 2021

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
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03937895
Sponsor's protocol ID
SNK-SIT-02
Status last verified
Mar 2022
First submitted
29 Apr 2019
Last updated
29 Mar 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing 'SMT-NK' Inj (allogeneic Natural Killer cell) and Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda] in people with Biliary Tract Cancer, run by SMT bio Co., Ltd. at 2 sites in South Korea.

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

Who may be eligible to take part?

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 29 Mar 2022. 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 South Korea. 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?

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?

Phase 1 - Dose Limiting Toxicity of the dose of 'SMT-NK' Inj. in combination with Pembrolizumab. (time frame: Up to 9 weeks from Baseline.). 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?
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 Mar 2022.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in