Pancreatic CancerPhase 1CheckVACNCT05721846
Nivolumab With Ipilimumab Combined With TGFβ-15 Peptide Vaccine and Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
A Phase 1 study testing Nivolumab, Ipilimumab and SBRT in people with Pancreatic Cancer, run by Inna Chen, MD at 1 site in Denmark.
Trial summary
"Non-immunogenicity" of PC with high prevalence of immunosuppressive cells and typically a scarcity of tumor-infiltrating effector lymphocytes is considered as one of the reasons for lacking responsiveness to single-agent immunotherapies. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pancreatic Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Nivolumab, Ipilimumab and SBRT
- Type of treatment
- Vaccines, Injection or infusion, Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteDenmark
- Study dates
- 3 May 2023to 16 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Phase 1
- 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
- Signed informed consent
- Subjects must have signed and dated an IRB/IEC approved written informed consent form in accordance with regulatory and institutional guidelines. This must be obtained before the performance of any protocol related procedures that are not part of normal subject care
- Subjects must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment schedule, laboratory testing, and other requirements of the study
- Histological or cytological confirmation of advanced pancreatic carcinoma prior to entering this study
- Prior therapy requirements:
- There is no upper limit on the number of prior chemotherapy regimens received. Participants must have received and progressed during or after at least 1 line of systemic chemotherapy in the metastatic setting (gemcitabine or 5-FU based regimens).
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- Notes:
- If a participant received adjuvant/neoadjuvant systemic combinational therapy, and progressed within 6 months, the adjuvant/neoadjuvant treatment will be considered as 1 line of systemic treatment.
- In general, discontinuation of 1 drug in a multi-drug regimen and continuation of other drug(s), is considered part of the same line of treatment. Restarting the same regimen after a drug holiday or maintenance chemotherapy can also be considered part of the same line of treatment. Switching from IV (5-FU) to an oral formulation (capecitabine) of the same drug is also considered part of the same line of treatment
- Minimum time from first systemic therapy for recurrent/metastatic adenocarcinoma of pancreas to progression should be at least 3 months
- Age 18 years and older
- ECOG Performance Status (PS) 0-1
- All participants will be required to undergo mandatory pre- and on-treatment biopsies at acceptable clinical risk as judged by the investigator. An archival pre-treatment sample is not acceptable.
- Participants must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 10⁹/L
- Platelet count ≥ 75 x 10⁹/L
- Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
- AST/ALT ≤ 5 x ULN
- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or CrCl ≥ 40 mL/min (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula)
- Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must use method(s) of contraception as indicated in Appendix 3. For a teratogenic study drug and/or when there is insufficient information to assess teratogenicity (preclinical studies have not been done), a highly effective method(s) of contraception (failure rate of less than 1% per year) is required. The individual methods of contraception and duration should be determined in consultation with the investigator. WOCBP must follow instructions for birth control when the half-life of the investigational drug is greater than 24 hours, contraception should be continued for a period of 30 days plus the time required for the investigational drug to undergo five half-lives. The half-life of nivolumab and ipilimumab is up to 25 days and 18 days, respectively. WOCBP should therefore use an adequate method to avoid pregnancy during the treatment and for 23 weeks (30 days plus the time required for nivolumab to undergo five half-lives) after the last dose of investigational drug
- Men who are sexually active with WOCBP must use any contraceptive method with a failure rate of less than 1% per year. The investigator shall review contraception methods and the time period that contraception must be followed. Men that are sexually active with WOCBP must follow instructions for birth control when the half-life of the investigational drug is greater than 24 hours, contraception should be continued for a period of 90 days plus thetime required for the investigational drug to undergo five half-lives. The half-life of nivolumab is up to 25 days. Men who are sexually active with WOCBP must continue contraception during the treatment and for 31 weeks (90 days plus the time required for nivolumab to undergo five half-lives) after the last dose of investigational drug. Women who are not of childbearing potential (i.e. who are postmenopausal or surgically sterile as well as azoospermic men do not require contraception
- Subjects must have signed and dated a BIOPAC approved written informed consent form in accordance with regulatory and institutional guidelines.
Who cannot join
- Any serious or uncontrolled medical disorder that, in the opinion of the investigator, may increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, impair the ability of the subject to receive protocol therapy, or interfere with the interpretation of study results
- Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-CTLA-4 antibody, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways
- Participants with active, known or suspected autoimmune disease. Participants are permitted to enroll with vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger.
- Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days before the first dose of nivolumab, ipilimumab and radiation in combination with TGFβ-15 peptide vaccine. The following are exceptions to this criterion:
- Intranasal, inhaled, or topical steroids; or local steroid injections (e.g. intra-articular injection)
- Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not to exceed 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent
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- Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. CT scan premedication)
- Participants should be excluded if they have known history of testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- Allergies and Adverse Drug Reaction
- History of allergy to study drug components
- History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to any monoclonal antibody
- WOCBP who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Phase 1 Study of Nivolumab With Ipilimumab Combined With TGFβ-15 Peptide Vaccine and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Refractory Pancreatic Cancer (CheckVAC)
"Non-immunogenicity" of PC with high prevalence of immunosuppressive cells and typically a scarcity of tumor-infiltrating effector lymphocytes is considered as one of the reasons for lacking responsiveness to single-agent immunotherapies. Considering the emerging role of the tumor microenvironment, the combination of checkpoint blocking antibodies with immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment could lead to better responses in tumor historically resistant to radiation and checkpoint blocking antibody approaches as single modalities. For example, the data from the phase 2 study CheckPAC (NCT02866383) showed durable clinical benefit in a small subgroup of patients after adding SBRT of 15 Gy to a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (presented at ASCO GI 2022, San Fransisco) in patients with resistant metastatic PC. Furthermore, we have found that the TGFβ-15 immune response is corelated to clinical benefit, supporting the rationale for combining of TGFβ-15 peptide vaccine with CheckPAC strategy (SBRT of 15 in combination with nivolumab and ipilimumab).
Read the detailed description
SBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1
Immunotherapy:
Nivolumab 3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days).
Vaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days)
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Being tested
- Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, SBRT, TGFβ-B-15 peptide
- Medical subject headings
- Pancreatic Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
NivolumabDrug
3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle
IpilimumabDrug
1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days)
SBRTRadiation
SBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1
TGFβ-B-15 peptideBiological
Vaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | SBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1
Immunotherapy:
Nivolumab 3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days).
Vaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days) Receives: Drug: Nivolumab; Drug: Ipilimumab; Radiation: SBRT; Biological: TGFβ-B-15 peptide |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Adverse events
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (6)
Overall response rate
Measured: 12 months
Overall survival
Measured: 12 months
Progression free survival
Measured: 6 months
Duration of response
Measured: 12 months
Best overall response
Measured: 6 months
Disease control rate
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Feb 2023
- Study start3 May 2023
- Primary completion16 Mar 2026
- Study completion16 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Pancreatic CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Single Group Assignment
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Inna Chen, MD
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Inna Chen, MD, Herlev Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05721846
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PA 2217
- Acronym
- CheckVAC
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 2 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Phase 1 Study of Nivolumab With Ipilimumab Combined With TGFβ-15 Peptide Vaccine and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Refractory Pancreatic Cancer (CheckVAC)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05721846
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CheckVAC / PA 2217
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Inna Chen, MDUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
"Non-immunogenicity" of PC with high prevalence of immunosuppressive cells and typically a scarcity of tumor-infiltrating effector lymphocytes is considered as one of the reasons for lacking responsiveness to single-agent immunotherapies. Considering the emerging role of the tumor microenvironment, the combination of checkpoint blocking antibodies with immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment could lead to better responses in tumor historically resistant to radiation and checkpoint blocking antibody approaches as single modalities. For example, the data from the phase 2 study CheckPAC (NCT02866383) showed durable clinical benefit in a small subgroup of patients after adding SBRT of 15 Gy to a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (presented at ASCO GI 2022, San Fransisco) in patients with resistant metastatic PC. Furthermore, we have found that the TGFβ-15 immune response is corelated to clinical benefit, supporting the rationale for combining of TGFβ-15 peptide vaccine with CheckPAC strategy (SBRT of 15 in combination with nivolumab and ipilimumab).
Detailed description
SBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1
Immunotherapy:
Nivolumab 3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days).
Vaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days)
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Single Group Assignment
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Drug: Nivolumab, Drug: Ipilimumab, Radiation: SBRT, Biological: TGFβ-B-15 peptideSBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1 Immunotherapy: Nivolumab 3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days). Vaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (22 listed)
- Signed informed consent
- Histological or cytological confirmation of advanced pancreatic carcinoma prior to entering this study
- Prior therapy requirements:
- Age 18 years and older
- ECOG Performance Status (PS) 0-1
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Any serious or uncontrolled medical disorder that, in the opinion of the investigator, may increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, impair the ability of the subject to receive protocol therapy, or interfere with the interpretation of study results
- Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-CTLA-4 antibody, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways
- Participants with active, known or suspected autoimmune disease. Participants are permitted to enroll with vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger.
- Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days before the first dose of nivolumab, ipilimumab and radiation in combination with TGFβ-15 peptide vaccine. The following are exceptions to this criterion:
- Participants should be excluded if they have known history of testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Nivolumab3 mg/kg (up to 240 mg maximum) as i.v. infusion on day 1 (± 3 days) of each 14-day treatment cycle | Drug | Experimental |
| Ipilimumab1 mg/kg as i.v. infusion on day 1 cycle 1 and subsequently every 6 weeks (± 3 days) | Drug | Experimental |
| SBRTSBRT: 15 Gy x 1 on a single site of disease on day 1 cycle 1 | Radiation | Experimental |
| TGFβ-B-15 peptideVaccine (500 μl aqueous solution of 200 μg TGFβ-B-15 peptide mixed to an emulsion with 500μl Montanide ISA-51) as s.c. injection on day 1 of the first 6 cycles and subsequently every 4 weeks (± 3 days) | Biological | Experimental |
Primary outcome
Adverse events
Time frame: 6 months
6 secondary outcomes
Overall response rate
Time frame: 12 months
Overall survival
Time frame: 12 months
Progression free survival
Time frame: 6 months
Duration of response
Time frame: 12 months
Best overall response
Time frame: 6 months
Disease control rate
Time frame: 12 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Nivolumab, Ipilimumab and SBRT in people with Pancreatic Cancer, run by Inna Chen, MD at 1 site in Denmark.
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 12 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 2 Sep 2026. 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 Denmark. 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 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.
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?
Adverse events (time frame: 6 months). 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 2 Sep 2026.