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Local Advanced Rectal CancerPhase 3NCT07686796

Anti-PCSK9 Antibody Tafolecimab and Anti-PD-1 Antibody Sintilimab Combined With Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for pMMR/ MSS Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer : A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel-Controlled Trial

A Phase 3 study testing Short-course radiotherapy, CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine) and Sintilimab in people with Local Advanced Rectal Cancer and PD-1 Inhibitor, run by Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital at 1 site in China.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial based on prior exploratory findings, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with tafolecimab(an anti-PCSK9 inhibitor) and sintilimab (an anti-PD-1 inhibitor) versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with sintilimab… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
What is being tested?
Short-course radiotherapy, CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine) and Sintilimab
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
148 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Jan 2027to 1 Jan 2035
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 to 75 years, any sex.
  • Histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma, determined to be pMMR (proficient mismatch repair) or MSS (microsatellite stable) by immunohistochemistry and/or genetic testing; clinical stage cT3/T4 or cN+; distal tumor margin ≤ 12 cm from the anal verge; and eligible for surgical resection.
  • No evidence of distant metastases.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1.
  • Adequate hematologic and biochemical function: absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L, hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L, platelets ≥ 100 × 10⁹/L, ALT/AST ≤ 2.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), creatinine ≤ 3.0 × ULN.
  • Anticipated good compliance and provision of written informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Known allergy or severe adverse reaction to any study drug, including tafolecimab, PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab), capecitabine, oxaliplatin, or any excipients.
  • Rectal cancer confirmed as dMMR (deficient mismatch repair) or MSI-H (microsatellite instability-high).
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or patients of childbearing potential who refuse to use effective contraception during the study.
  • Other malignancies within the past 5 years, except for cured basal cell carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, papillary thyroid carcinoma, or other malignancies considered cured after adequate treatment.
  • Prior anti-tumor therapy for rectal cancer, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or local surgical excision.
  • Previous treatment with a PCSK9 inhibitor for any indication.
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  • Severe or uncontrolled neurological disease, psychiatric disorder, or cognitive impairment that, in the investigator's judgment, would affect informed consent or protocol adherence.
  • Severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, including but not limited to: unstable angina, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, or stroke within 6 months before enrollment; clinically significant arrhythmia requiring treatment or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%; New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV heart failure.
  • Active infection requiring long-term systemic therapy (e.g., antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals).
  • Active autoimmune disease, or requirement for long-term systemic immunosuppressive therapy or corticosteroids (at a dose equivalent to prednisone > 10 mg/day).
  • Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, or active syphilis, or active pulmonary tuberculosis.
  • Active hepatitis B (HBsAg positive and HBV DNA > 200 IU/mL or > 1000 copies/mL) or active hepatitis C (HCV RNA positive).
  • Any other clinical condition that, in the investigator's opinion, could interfere with study assessments, increase treatment risk, or lead to premature study discontinuation (including but not limited to severe alcohol or drug abuse).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site
  • Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital

    Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080

Other trials in China

About this study

This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial based on prior exploratory findings, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with tafolecimab(an anti-PCSK9 inhibitor) and sintilimab (an anti-PD-1 inhibitor) versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with sintilimab alone in patients with pMMR/MSS locally advanced rectal cancer. The primary endpoint is the complete response (CR) rate, including the pathological complete response (pCR) rate in patients who undergo surgery after neoadjuvant therapy, and the clinical complete response (cCR) rate in patients managed with a watch-and-wait strategy. Secondary endpoints include major pathological response (MPR) rate, objective response rate (ORR), downstaging rate, R0 resection rate, tumor regression grade, sphincter preservation rate, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and safety.

Being tested
Short-course radiotherapy, CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine), Sintilimab, Tafolecimab

What participants receive

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

  • Short-course radiotherapyRadiation

    Total dose: 25 Gy, to be completed in 5 sessions (once a day for 5 days). After the short-course radiotherapy, a 1-week rest is required before moving on to the next stage of treatment.

  • CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine)Drug

    One week after short-course radiotherapy, 6 cycles of CAPOX chemotherapy combined with PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy were administered. Each cycle lasted for 3 weeks, for a total of 6 cycles.

    (One cycle is defined as: Oxaliplatin, 130 mg/m², intravenous infusion, on day 1. Capecitabine, 1000 mg/m², orally, twice a day (morning and evening), from day 1 to day 14.)

  • SintilimabDrug

    For patients with a body weight of less than 60 kg, the dose is 3 mg/kg, administered by intravenous infusion on the first day; for patients with a body weight of 60 kg or more, the dose is 200 mg, also administered by intravenous infusion on the first day.

  • TafolecimabDrug

    The entire course of treatment with PCSK9 inhibitor (Tafolecimab) was administered, with 450 mg of Tafolecimab administered subcutaneously. (The treatment involved neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and Tafolecimab. The treatment was carried out from the time the patient began receiving short-course radiotherapy. Each cycle consisted of 4 weeks, with injection on the first day of each cycle, for a total of 6 times.)

Study groups in NCT07686796
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy plus Sintilimab and TafolecimabExperimentalShort-course radiotherapy (SCRT): total dose 25 Gy in 5 daily fractions, followed by a 1-week rest. One week after SCRT, 6 cycles of CAPOX chemotherapy plus sintilimab are given (each cycle = 21 days). CAPOX consists of oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² IV on Day 1 and capecitabine 1000 mg/m² orally twice daily on Days 1-14. Sintilimab is administered at 3 mg/kg IV (body weight <60 kg) or 200 mg IV (body weight ≥60 kg) on Day 1 of each cycle. Throughout the neoadjuvant period, tafolecimab 450 mg is administered subcutaneously once every 4 weeks for 6 doses, starting on the first day of SCRT.
Receives: Radiation: Short-course radiotherapy; Drug: CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine); Drug: Sintilimab; Drug: Tafolecimab
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy plus SintilimabActive comparatorShort-course radiotherapy (SCRT): total dose 25 Gy in 5 daily fractions, followed by a 1-week rest. One week after SCRT, 6 cycles of CAPOX chemotherapy plus sintilimab are given (each cycle = 21 days). CAPOX consists of oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² IV on Day 1 and capecitabine 1000 mg/m² orally twice daily on Days 1-14. Sintilimab is administered at 3 mg/kg IV (body weight <60 kg) or 200 mg IV (body weight ≥60 kg) on Day 1 of each cycle.
Receives: Radiation: Short-course radiotherapy; Drug: CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine); Drug: Sintilimab

What is being measured

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

  1. Complete Response (CR) Rate

    Defined as the Proportion of Participants Achieving Pathological Complete Response (pCR) After Surgery or Clinical Complete Response (cCR) Under Watch-and-Wait Strategy Following Neoadjuvant Therapy

    Measured: Within 4 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy for cCR and within 2 weeks after the time of surgery for pCR

  2. Number of Participants with Treatment-Related Adverse Events as Assessed by CTCAE v5.0

    Measured: From the first dose of neoadjuvant treatment

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate

    Measured: within 2 weeks after the time of surgery

  2. Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    Measured: Within 4 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy or within 2 weeks after surgery;

  3. Downstaging Rate

    Measured: Within 4 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy or within 2 weeks after surgery;

  4. Tumor Regression Grade (TRG)

    Measured: Within 2 weeks after surgery;

  5. R0 Resection Rate

    Measured: Within 2 weeks after surgery;

  6. Disease-Free Survival (DFS)

    Measured: approximately 5 years after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy

  7. Overall Survival (OS)

    Measured: approximately 5 years after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Timeline

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

  1. First posted7 Jul 2026
  2. Study start1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Jan 2030 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Jan 2035 (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 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
148 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07686796
Sponsor's protocol ID
PIONEER-02
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
1 Jun 2026
Last updated
7 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Short-course radiotherapy, CAPOX (oxaliplatin/capecitabine) and Sintilimab in people with Local Advanced Rectal Cancer and PD-1 Inhibitor, run by Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital at 1 site in China.

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 6 inclusion and 13 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 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 1 site in China. 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 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

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

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Yong Li (13822177479, liyong@gdph.org.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Complete Response (CR) Rate (time frame: Within 4 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy for cCR and within 2 weeks after the time of surgery for pCR). 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 7 Jul 2026.

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