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Ruxolitinib in Operable Head and Neck Cancer

Pharmacodynamic Effects and Predictive Biomarkers of Janus Kinases (JAK)/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) Inhibition With Ruxolitinib in Operable Head and Neck Cancer: a Window Trial

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03153982
Enrollment
16
Registered
2017-05-15
Start date
2018-06-08
Completion date
2023-10-18
Last updated
2024-10-30

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

Conditions

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Keywords

JAK/STAT inhibition, Biomarkers

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib in patients with operable Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who are planned for definitive surgery.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To identify baseline and/or pharmacodynamic biomarkers of response to ruxolitinib, based upon association with quantitative change in tumor size following 14-21 days of neoadjuvant ruxolitinib in patients with operable HNSCC as determined by quantitative change in Tumor size. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To describe the tolerability of brief neoadjuvant exposure to ruxolitinib II. To assess the effect of ruxolitinib on the tumoral Ki-67 proliferation index III. To evaluate additional candidate biomarkers of ruxolitinib response or resistance in HNSCC patients as determined by quantitative change in Tumor size, OUTLINE: Participants will be assigned neoadjuvant ruxolitinib based on participant platelet counts at baseline. Participants with a platelet count of 200,000 or greater will take 20 mg twice daily and participants with a platelet count between 150,000 and 200,000 will take 15 mg twice daily. Participants may continue treatment for up to 4 weeks from the time of study entry to time of planned standard of care surgery for cancer. Participants will be followed up for 12-weeks post-operation.

Interventions

DRUGRuxolitinib

Given orally

Sponsors

Incyte Corporation
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
University of California, San Francisco
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. Histologically or cytologically confirmed, primary or recurrent, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, including variants. Patients must have at least one measureable lesion in accordance with RECIST 1.1 (tumor diameter ≥ 1 cm; short-axis lymph node diameter ≥ 1.5 cm) OR by caliper measurement (tumor diameter ≥ 1 cm). Any diagnostic pretreatment biopsy sample is acceptable including fine needle aspiration (FNA). 2. Primary tumors of any head and neck (oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx) site will be included. 3. Surgical resection of head and neck must be planned, either as primary treatment or salvage. Patients must have submitted adequate pretreatment archival or fresh tissue. 4. Age ≥ 18 years. 5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 (See Appendix 1). 6. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative serum pregnancy test (sensitivity ≤ 25 human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) IU/L) within 4 weeks prior to registration and will be repeated within 72 hours prior to the start of study drug administration. 7. Persons of reproductive potential must agree to use and utilize an adequate method of contraception throughout treatment and for at least 12 weeks after study drug is stopped. Prior to study enrollment, women of childbearing potential must be advised of the importance of avoiding pregnancy during trial participation and the potential risk factors for an unintentional pregnancy. 8. Adequate hematologic, renal and hepatic function, as defined by: 1. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/ul, platelets ≥ 150,000/ul. 2. Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN). 3. Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 x ULN. 9. Have signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

1. Subjects who fail to meet the above criteria. 2. Prior therapy for head and neck cancer is allowed, and the number of treatments is not limited. However, any systemic therapy should have been completed at least 30 days prior to study enrollment. Any radiation to the head and neck should have been completed at least 30 days prior to study enrollment. Palliative radiation outside of the head and neck does not require a washout. 3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Women (patients or partners of male patients) of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must practice acceptable methods of birth control to prevent pregnancy. All WOCBP must have a negative pregnancy test within 4 weeks prior to registration, and this must be repeated within 72 hours prior to first receiving ruxolitinib. If the pregnancy test is positive, the patient must not receive ruxolitinib and must not be enrolled in the study. 4. Any unresolved chronic toxicity ≥ grade 2 from previous anticancer therapy (except alopecia and anemia), according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0 (CTCAE). 5. Current active infection requiring systemic antibiotic or antifungal therapy. 6. Acute hepatitis or known HIV. 7. Treatment with a non-approved or investigational drug within 30 days prior to Day 1 of study treatment. 8. New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV heart disease. 9. History of thromboembolic event or other condition currently requiring anticoagulation with warfarin (coumadin). Patients who are treated with low molecular weight heparin or fondaparinux are eligible. 10. History of significant bleeding disorder unrelated to cancer, including: diagnosed congenital bleeding disorders (e.g., von Willebrand's disease, diagnosed acquired bleeding disorder within one year (e.g., acquired anti-factor VIII antibodies, or ongoing or recent (≤ 3 months) significant gastrointestinal bleeding 11. Concomitant Medications, any of the following should be considered for exclusion: Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors: (Patients must discontinue drug 7 days prior to starting ruxolitinib), including but not limited to boceprevir, clarithromycin, conivaptan, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lopinavir, mibefradil, nefazodone, nelfinavir, posaconazole, ritonavir, saquinavir, telaprevir, telithromycin, or voriconazole. In addition, patients will be instructed to avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice, starfruit, or seville oranges. 12. Prisoners or subjects who are compulsorily detained (involuntarily incarcerated) for treatment of either a psychiatric or physical (e.g., infectious) illness.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportional Percent Change in Tumor Size by GroupUp to 4 weeksMeasured clinical ruxolitinib response of quantitative change in tumor size measured as a proportional percent (range -100% to +100%) from baseline to day 14-21 by group.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Treatment-related Adverse EventsUp to 12 weeksThe number of participants with treatment-related adverse events, defined as definite, probable or possibly related to the study intervention and classified according to NCI CTCAE version 4 will be reported.
Number of Participants With Documented Surgical ComplicationsUp to 12 weeks.The number of participants with documented surgical complications will be reported.
Median Length of Hospital StayUp to 12 weeksThe median length of hospital stay following the standard of care, surgical procedure will be reported.
Median Change in Ki-67 Proliferative Index ValueUp to 12 weeksA high Ki-67 proliferation index means many cells are dividing quickly and that the cancer is likely to grow and spread. A Ki-67 proliferation index over 30% is typically considered high. The Ki-67 proliferative index will be measured at baseline and post-treatment tumor tissue.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Neoadjuvant Ruxolitinib
Participants will take 15 mg or 20 mg of ruxolitinib by mouth twice daily for up to 4 weeks during the pre-operative window for 14-21 days, or up to 28 days for delays in planned surgery. Dose will be assigned based on participant platelet count at baseline. The last dose will be taken the morning of planned surgery. Ruxolitinib will be dispensed in 5 mg tablets. Participants will either take three tables (15 mg) in the morning and evening, or four tablets in the morning and evening (20 mg). Participants will be asked to fill out a drug diary indicating when doses of study drug are taken and any side effects they experience.
16
Total16

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicNeoadjuvant Ruxolitinib
Age, Customized
40-49 years old
1 Participants
Age, Customized
50-59 years old
6 Participants
Age, Customized
60-69 years old
3 Participants
Age, Customized
70-79 years old
5 Participants
Age, Customized
80-89 years old
1 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
2 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
14 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
13 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
16 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
8 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
8 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
2 / 16
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 16
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 16

Outcome results

Primary

Proportional Percent Change in Tumor Size by Group

Measured clinical ruxolitinib response of quantitative change in tumor size measured as a proportional percent (range -100% to +100%) from baseline to day 14-21 by group.

Time frame: Up to 4 weeks

Population: Data not collected

Secondary

Median Change in Ki-67 Proliferative Index Value

A high Ki-67 proliferation index means many cells are dividing quickly and that the cancer is likely to grow and spread. A Ki-67 proliferation index over 30% is typically considered high. The Ki-67 proliferative index will be measured at baseline and post-treatment tumor tissue.

Time frame: Up to 12 weeks

Population: Ki-67 proliferative index data not collected

Secondary

Median Length of Hospital Stay

The median length of hospital stay following the standard of care, surgical procedure will be reported.

Time frame: Up to 12 weeks

Population: Hospital stay length data not collected

Secondary

Number of Participants With Documented Surgical Complications

The number of participants with documented surgical complications will be reported.

Time frame: Up to 12 weeks.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Neoadjuvant RuxolitinibNumber of Participants With Documented Surgical Complications0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Treatment-related Adverse Events

The number of participants with treatment-related adverse events, defined as definite, probable or possibly related to the study intervention and classified according to NCI CTCAE version 4 will be reported.

Time frame: Up to 12 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Neoadjuvant RuxolitinibNumber of Participants With Treatment-related Adverse Events1 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026