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MK-3475/BCG in High Risk Superficial Bladder Cancer

Phase I Study of MK-3475 in Combination With BCG for Patients With High Risk Superficial Bladder Cancer

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02324582
Acronym
MARC
Enrollment
18
Registered
2014-12-24
Start date
2015-06-30
Completion date
2023-03-27
Last updated
2024-09-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bladder Cancer

Keywords

Urinary Bladder Neoplasms, Mycobacterium bovis, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor, pembrolizumab

Brief summary

This is a single center Phase I safety and efficacy study of MK-3475 therapy used in combination with bladder infused BCG treatment for patients, 18 years or older, with high risk superficial bladder cancer (cancer not yet involving the muscle of the bladder wall) who have had removal of their bladder tumor. Patients will be enrolled to a single treatment group of a fixed dose of MK 3475 and BCG.

Detailed description

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. This is a single center Phase I safety and efficacy study of MK-3475 therapy used in combination with bladder infused BCG treatment. The study will determine the safety of administering MK-3475 at a fixed dose every three weeks in conjunction with intravesicular BCG treatment in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients who had recurrence after two courses of induction (6 doses) intravesical therapy (two BCG courses, or one BCG course and one other approved intravesical therapies) administered within 12 months, or after one induction (6 doses) and one maintenance (3 doses) intravesical therapy (BCG). Subjects will have confirmation of bladder cancer non-invasive to the muscle. Approximately 20 subjects will be screened to treat 15 eligible subjects with high risk superficial bladder cancer who have had transurethral resection of their bladder tumor. The rationale for the use of the indicated dose of TICE® BCG is based upon FDA approved and commercially provided package insert/ instructions for use of the product. BCG installation has been used to treat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer for more than 30 years. It is one of the most successful biotherapies for cancer in use. Despite long clinical experience with BCG, the mechanism of its therapeutic effect is still under investigation. The first 3 subjects will be treated at a dose of 100 mg MK-3475 to ensure safety for the combination. If no safety or efficacy issues are present, dosing will be escalated to 200 mg MK-3475 every 3 weeks.

Interventions

DRUGIntravenous MK-3475/ Intravesical BCG

6 cycles (each cycle is 21 days) of pembrolizumab will be given over 9 weeks in combination with BCG. BCG treatment will begin on Day 1 of cycle 3 of pembrolizumab.

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Southern Illinois University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1.Willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent. 2.18 years of age. 3.Have pathologically documented high grade transitional cell superficial bladder cancer (Ta, T1) at time of restaging, or have pathologically documented high grade CIS of the bladder at time of initial resection for recurrent/persistent high risk transitional cell superficial bladder cancer. 4.Recurrent/persistent disease despite 2 Induction Intravesical Therapy Courses given within 12 months (with BCG being one of them), or despite one induction BCG treatment in addition to at least one maintenance course of BCG 5.Have provided tissue from an archival tissue sample or newly obtained core or excisional biopsy of a tumor lesion. 6.ECOG performance status of 0-2. 7.Demonstrate adequate organ function 8.Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy. 9.Female subjects of childbearing potential should be willing to use 2 methods of birth control or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication 10.Male subjects should agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy.

Exclusion criteria

1. Currently has active or progressive metastatic disease. 2. Currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment. 3. Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment. 4. Prior monoclonal antibody within 4 weeks prior to study Day 1 or who has not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier. 5. Prior systemic chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy for bladder cancer. 6. If subject received major surgery, they must have recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from the intervention prior to starting therapy. 7. Known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment. 8. Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years. 9. Has evidence of interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis. 10. Active infection, including a concurrent febrile illness, requiring systemic therapy. 11. History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator. 12. Known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial. 13. Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 4 months after the last dose of trial treatment. 14. Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody (including ipilimumab or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways) including anti-CD40 and anti-OX40 antibodies. 15. Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies). 16. Has known active Hepatitis B (e.g., HBs Ag reactive) or Hepatitis C (e.g., HCV RNA \[qualitative\] is detected). 17. Has known active tuberculosis. Subjects will not be specifically tested for the study; however, subjects that are tested within 28 days of beginning study or while on study and test positive with the PPD test before treatment should have active tuberculosis ruled out before therapy begins for their superficial bladder cancer. 18. Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment. 19. Has an active urinary tract infection, gross hematuria, or known broken mucosal barrier of the bladder. 20. Less than 14 days post bladder biopsy, TUR, or traumatic catheterization. 21. Evidence of muscle invasive bladder cancer, or transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse Eventschange from baseline to 23 weeksGrade and quantity of treatment related adverse events. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants Without Bladder Tumors Upon Cystoscopy Following Treatment.19 weeksComplete response rate per cystoscopy assessment of the bladder at 19 weeks from start of treatment with MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) at week 1.Subjects presenting at Week 19 with a bladder free of tumors upon cystoscopy and without local or metastatic spread were considered a complete response.. Suspicious lesions would be biopsied and sent for confirmation of pathology. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Enrollment for the study was open between 02 June 2015 through 10Oct 2019 in 2 urologic outpatient clinics.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Intravenous MK-3475-100 mg/ Intravesical BCG
3 subjects will be treated at a dose of 100 mg MK-3475 every 3 weeks (Q3W) intravenously (IV) for 6 doses and 1 vial (50 mg) intravesicular BCG suspended in 50 ml preservative-free saline once per week of 6 weekly doses Intravenous MK-3475/ Intravesical BCG: 6 cycles (each cycle is 21 days) of pembrolizumab will be given over 19 weeks in combination with BCG. 6 cycles of BCG treatment will begin on Day 1 of cycle 3 of pembrolizumab.
3
Intravenous MK-3475-200 mg/ Intravesical BCG
Up to 12 subjects will be treated at a dose of 200 mg MK-3475 every 3 weeks (Q3W) intravenously (IV) for 6 doses and 1 vial (50 mg) intravesicular BCG suspended in 50 ml preservative-free saline once per week of 6 weekly doses Intravenous MK-3475/ Intravesical BCG: 6 cycles (each cycle is 21 days) of pembrolizumab will be given over 19 weeks in combination with BCG. 6 cycles of BCG treatment will begin on Day 1 of cycle 3 of pembrolizumab.
10
Total13

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyScreen Failures05

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicIntravenous MK-3475-100 mg/ Intravesical BCGIntravenous MK-3475-200 mg/ Intravesical BCGTotal
Absence of tumor in the bladder following restaging resection.3 Participants10 Participants13 Participants
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
2 Participants6 Participants8 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
1 Participants4 Participants5 Participants
Age, Continuous68 years70 years69 years
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
3 Participants9 Participants12 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
3 participants10 participants13 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
3 Participants8 Participants11 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 33 / 10
other
Total, other adverse events
3 / 310 / 10
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 36 / 10

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse Events

Grade and quantity of treatment related adverse events. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.

Time frame: change from baseline to 23 weeks

Population: Thirteen patients were dosed (3 with 100mg MK3475 and 10 with 200 mg MK-3475) with a combination of MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) and BCG. All patients were evaluated for Grade 3 and higher adverse events considered related or possibly related to the addition of pembrolizumab to the treatment regimen. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Intravenous MK-3475-100 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse EventsNumber of Subjects with Grade 3, 4, or 5 treatment related adverse event(s)0 Participants
Intravenous MK-3475-100 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse EventsNumber of Subjects without a Grade 3, 4, or 5treatment related adverse event(s)3 Participants
Intravenous MK-3475-200 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse EventsNumber of Subjects with Grade 3, 4, or 5 treatment related adverse event(s)4 Participants
Intravenous MK-3475-200 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants With Grade 3, 4, and 5 Treatment Related Adverse EventsNumber of Subjects without a Grade 3, 4, or 5treatment related adverse event(s)6 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants Without Bladder Tumors Upon Cystoscopy Following Treatment.

Complete response rate per cystoscopy assessment of the bladder at 19 weeks from start of treatment with MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) at week 1.Subjects presenting at Week 19 with a bladder free of tumors upon cystoscopy and without local or metastatic spread were considered a complete response.. Suspicious lesions would be biopsied and sent for confirmation of pathology. Due to the small sampling of subjects, no statistical analysis will be performed. Descriptive statistics in the form of counts calculated as percentages will be reported.

Time frame: 19 weeks

Population: Subjects presenting at Week 19 for cystoscopy with a bladder free of tumors or local or metastatic spread would be considered a complete response. Suspicious lesions would be biopsied and sent for confirmation of pathology.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Intravenous MK-3475-100 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants Without Bladder Tumors Upon Cystoscopy Following Treatment.2 Participants
Intravenous MK-3475-200 mg/ Intravesical BCGNumber of Participants Without Bladder Tumors Upon Cystoscopy Following Treatment.6 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 24, 2026