Metastatic Melanoma
Conditions
Keywords
Metastatic Melanoma, anti-PD1, Nivolumab, Microbiome, SER-401
Brief summary
This study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of treatment with oral microbiome study intervention (SER-401) or matching placebo in combination with anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy (nivolumab) in participants with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The study also intends to assess clinical outcomes, the impact of microbiome study intervention administration on the microbiome profile, and its association with clinical and immunological outcomes.
Detailed description
This is a Phase 1b, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study in adult participants with anti-PD-1 therapy naïve, unresectable or metastatic melanoma to evaluate the safety and tolerability of SER-401, or matching placebo in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy (nivolumab). Prior to initiating microbiome study intervention and nivolumab, participants will undergo an antibiotic or antibiotic placebo treatment lead-in to prime the gut microbiome for engraftment of the oral microbiome study intervention. Study intervention groups will be assessed for safety, changes in the microbiome, changes in the percentage of tumoral CD8 T cells, and antitumor activity. Participants must have measurable disease that can be biopsied and consent to baseline and on-treatment biopsies, as well as stool and blood biomarker collection throughout the study.
Interventions
Placebo for antibiotic will be administered orally four times a day for 4 days, followed by a 2-3 day washout.
Vancomycin (125mg) will be administered orally four times a day, followed by a 2-3 day washout.
Nivolumab (480 mg) will be administered intravenously (IV) according to institutional guidelines every 4 weeks for up to 12 cycles. A cycle is defined as 4 calendar weeks.
Administered once a day for 7 days during the lead-in phase, followed by once a day for 8 weeks during the microbiome/anti-PD-1 treatment phase.
Administered once a day for 7 days during the lead-in phase, followed by once a day for 8 weeks during the microbiome/anti-PD-1 treatment phase.
Sponsors
Study design
Masking description
Participants will be randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to oral microbiome study intervention or matching placebo. Nivolumab will be administered open-label as standard of care to all groups. Investigators, site personnel, and participants will remain blinded to the assignment of microbiome study intervention throughout the course of the study. Select Sponsor personnel, including but not limited to the Medical Monitor, Clinical Scientists, Biostatistician, and Patient Safety, will be unblinded to treatment assignment for ongoing safety monitoring.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
1. Participant must be willing to provide a baseline stool sample. 2. Histologically-confirmed Stage IV cutaneous melanoma or Stage III cutaneous, acral or mucosal melanoma that is judged inoperable. Participants with a history of uveal melanoma are not eligible. 3. Measurable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1; ie, defined as at least 1 lesion that can be accurately measured in at least 1 dimension \[longest diameter to be recorded\] with a minimum size of ≥ 10 mm by computerized tomography \[CT\] scan or caliper measurement on clinical exam or ≥ 20 mm by chest X-ray). 1. Malignant lymph nodes must be ≥ 15 mm in short axis when assessed by CT scan to be considered pathologically enlarged and measurable. 2. Participants must have at least one measurable lesion by RECIST and a separate lesion amenable to biopsy that has not been previously irradiated. i. Participants must be willing to undergo a newly-obtained core needle or incisional biopsy at baseline (prior to antibiotic or antibiotic placebo administration). Fine needle aspiration is not acceptable. 4. Participants must be willing to undergo tumor biopsy on treatment. 5. Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant melanoma therapy is permitted if completed at least 6 weeks prior to randomization and all related AEs have either returned to baseline or stabilized. 1. Prior anti-CTLA-4 therapy in the adjuvant setting is allowed if completed at least 12 weeks prior to the first dose of anti-PD-1.
Exclusion criteria
1. Participants who require hemodialysis. 2. Participants with a history of another cancer in the last 5 years, except for: a) curatively resected non-melanoma skin cancer; b) curatively treated cervical carcinoma in situ; c) localized prostate cancer not requiring systemic therapy; and c) other primary tumors with no known active disease present that, in the opinion of the Investigator and the Sponsor, will not affect participant outcome in the setting of the current diagnosis. 3. Any known, untreated brain metastases. Participants with brain metastases are eligible if these have been treated, and provided: 1. Brain metastases must be stable (image-documented) 4 weeks after completion of treatment for brain metastases and require treatment with less than 10 mg/day prednisone equivalent for at least 2 weeks prior to study intervention administration. 2. Neurological symptoms should be absent or returned to baseline. 4. Prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 in the adjuvant setting. a. Exception: Participants with stage 3 or 4 cutaneous melanoma status post-resection who have received up to one year of adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy who have recurred \> 6 months after their last dose of anti-PD-1 therapy are eligible. 5. Other prior systemic treatment (ie, anticancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or investigational agents) for unresectable or metastatic melanoma EXCEPT: 1. Prior BRAF-targeted therapy (ie, BRAF or BRAF-MEK) in the metastatic setting is allowed if completed at least 4 weeks prior to the first dose of anti-PD-1. 2. Prior anti-CTLA 4 therapy in the adjuvant setting are allowed if completed at least 12 weeks prior to the first dose of anti-PD-1. 6. History of active inflammatory bowel disease (eg, active Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) with diarrhea OR major gastrointestinal surgery (not including appendectomy or cholecystectomy) within 3 months of enrollment (ie, signed informed consent for the study), OR any history of total colectomy or bariatric surgery (bariatric surgery which does not disrupt the gastrointestinal lumen, ie, restrictive procedures such as banding, are permitted). 7. Any diagnosis of autoimmune disease. Participants with Type I diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism only requiring hormone replacement, adrenal insufficiency on replacement dose steroids, skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger are permitted to enroll. a. Participants with controlled Type 1 diabetes mellitus on a stable insulin regimen may be eligible. 8. Has a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study intervention administration or has a contrast allergy requiring premedication with corticosteroids. Inhaled or topical steroids, and adrenal replacement doses \> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease. 9. History of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonitis (including drug induced), organizing pneumonia (ie, bronchiolitis obliterans, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, etc.), or evidence of active pneumonitis on screening chest CT scan. a. History of radiation pneumonitis in the radiation field (fibrosis) is permitted. 10. Has a transplanted organ or has undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplant. 11. Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to first dose. Participants must not receive live, attended influenza vaccine (eg, FluMist) within 30 days prior to Cycle 1, Day 1 or at any time during the study and 100 days after last dose of nivolumab. 12. Has used antibiotics within 30 days prior to randomization or has planned or required need for antibiotic prophylaxis for more than 24 consecutive hours during the course of the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Up to 2 years | Investigators recorded AEs during each participant interaction. Symptoms were evaluated by the Investigator using the CTCAE version 5.0. This system grades AEs on a 1 to 5 scale: Grades 1 and 2 indicate mild to moderate events; Grade 3 denotes severe events; Grades 4 and 5 signify life-threatening or fatal outcomes. A treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) is defined as any event that either occurs after the initiation of study intervention, having been absent at baseline, or, if present at baseline, appears to have worsened in severity or frequency, regardless of its relation to the intervention. Adverse events deemed 'Possibly', 'Probably', or 'Definitely' related to the intervention were labeled as treatment-related adverse events (TRAE). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Objective Response Rate (ORR) | Up to week 52 | Objective Response Rate (ORR) is defined as the proportion of participants who attain a best overall response of complete response (CR; disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR; \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions), as determined by RECIST version 1.1. Confirmation of response by a repeat tumor assessment is not required. |
| Disease Control Rate (DCR) | Up to week 52 | Defined as CR, PR, or stable disease (SD) for ≥ 24 weeks as best response by RECIST v1.1. |
| Progression-free Survival (PFS) | Up to 2 years | Defined as the time from randomization to date of first documented progression of disease, date of death due to any cause, or date of most recent participant contact that documented progression-free status |
| Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Up to 2 years | Engraftment was defined as the number of spore-forming species detected in SER-401 that were absent in participant baseline samples, and present post-microbiome-treatment, also referred to as newly appearing dose species. |
| Duration of Response | Up to 2 years | Defined as time from date of documented CR or PR to date of first documented progression of disease, date of death due to any cause, or date of most recent participant contact that documented response (ie, scan date). |
| Absolute Change in the Percentage of CD8 Cells in Tumor Tissue From Baseline at Cycle 2. | At cycle 2 (each cycle is 28 days) | Absolute change in the percentage of CD8 cells in tumor tissue from baseline at Cycle 2. |
| Overall Survival (OS) | Up to 2 years | Defined as the time from randomization until death or last contact if still alive at the time of final data collection (after completion of anti-PD-1 therapy). |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab Participants will undergo a 4-day lead-in pretreatment with antibiotic placebo, then matching placebo for SER-401 and nivolumab (480 mg) treatment.
Placebo for antibiotic: Placebo for antibiotic will be administered orally four times a day for 4 days, followed by a 2-3 day washout.
Nivolumab: Nivolumab (480 mg) will be administered intravenously (IV) according to institutional guidelines every 4 weeks for up to 12 cycles. A cycle is defined as 4 calendar weeks.
Matching Placebo for SER-401: Administered once a day for 7 days during the lead-in phase, followed by once a day for 8 weeks during the microbiome/anti-PD-1 treatment phase. | 6 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab Participants will undergo a 4-day lead-in pretreatment with antibiotic (vancomycin) to prime the gut microbiome for engraftment of the oral microbiome study intervention, then SER-401 and nivolumab treatment.
Vancomycin pretreatment: Vancomycin (125mg) will be administered orally four times a day, followed by a 2-3 day washout.
Nivolumab: Nivolumab (480 mg) will be administered intravenously (IV) according to institutional guidelines every 4 weeks for up to 12 cycles. A cycle is defined as 4 calendar weeks.
SER-401: Administered once a day for 7 days during the lead-in phase, followed by once a day for 8 weeks during the microbiome/anti-PD-1 treatment phase. | 8 |
| Total | 14 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Adverse Event | 1 | 0 |
| Overall Study | Lack of Efficacy | 1 | 5 |
| Overall Study | Physician Decision | 0 | 1 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | SER-401/ Nivolumab | SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 3 Participants | 3 Participants | 6 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 5 Participants | 3 Participants | 8 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 66.3 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.73 | 55.5 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 22.31 | 61.6 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 17.21 |
| Age, Customized | 64 years | 60.5 years | 64 years |
| Cancer Stage at Enrollment IIIA | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Enrollment IIIB | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Enrollment IIIC | 2 Participants | 1 Participants | 3 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Enrollment IV | 6 Participants | 3 Participants | 9 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IIA | 2 Participants | 0 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IIC | 2 Participants | 2 Participants | 4 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IIIA | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IIIB | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IIIC | 2 Participants | 0 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis IV | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Cancer Stage at Initial Diagnosis Unknown | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| ECOG Performance Score at Screening 0 | 7 Participants | 6 Participants | 13 Participants |
| ECOG Performance Score at Screening 1 | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 7 Participants | 6 Participants | 13 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Melanoma Subtype Acral | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Melanoma Subtype Cutaneous | 7 Participants | 3 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Melanoma Subtype Mucosal | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Melanoma Subtype Unknown | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 7 Participants | 5 Participants | 12 Participants |
| Ruminococcaceae abundance-based metric at Screening High | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Ruminococcaceae abundance-based metric at Screening Low | 5 Participants | 4 Participants | 9 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 1 Participants | 3 Participants | 4 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 7 Participants | 3 Participants | 10 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 1 / 6 | 4 / 8 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 6 / 6 | 8 / 8 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 1 / 6 | 1 / 8 |
Outcome results
Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs)
Investigators recorded AEs during each participant interaction. Symptoms were evaluated by the Investigator using the CTCAE version 5.0. This system grades AEs on a 1 to 5 scale: Grades 1 and 2 indicate mild to moderate events; Grade 3 denotes severe events; Grades 4 and 5 signify life-threatening or fatal outcomes. A treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) is defined as any event that either occurs after the initiation of study intervention, having been absent at baseline, or, if present at baseline, appears to have worsened in severity or frequency, regardless of its relation to the intervention. Adverse events deemed 'Possibly', 'Probably', or 'Definitely' related to the intervention were labeled as treatment-related adverse events (TRAE).
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Population: Safety Population is defined as all participants who received at least 1 dose of any study intervention
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Grade 3 or Grade 4 TRAE | 1 Participants |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Serious TRAE | 1 Participants |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Grade 5 TRAE | 0 Participants |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | TRAE leading to treatment discontinuation | 1 Participants |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Treatment-related adverse event (TRAE) | 5 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | TRAE leading to treatment discontinuation | 0 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Treatment-related adverse event (TRAE) | 4 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Grade 3 or Grade 4 TRAE | 0 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Grade 5 TRAE | 0 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Percentage of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) | Serious TRAE | 0 Participants |
Absolute Change in the Percentage of CD8 Cells in Tumor Tissue From Baseline at Cycle 2.
Absolute change in the percentage of CD8 cells in tumor tissue from baseline at Cycle 2.
Time frame: At cycle 2 (each cycle is 28 days)
Population: Only participants with available CD8 values at both baseline at Cycle 2 are included in the analysis.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Absolute Change in the Percentage of CD8 Cells in Tumor Tissue From Baseline at Cycle 2. | 62.7 percentage of CD8 cells |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Absolute Change in the Percentage of CD8 Cells in Tumor Tissue From Baseline at Cycle 2. | 27.1 percentage of CD8 cells |
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
Defined as CR, PR, or stable disease (SD) for ≥ 24 weeks as best response by RECIST v1.1.
Time frame: Up to week 52
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Disease Control Rate (DCR) | 5 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Disease Control Rate (DCR) | 3 Participants |
Duration of Response
Defined as time from date of documented CR or PR to date of first documented progression of disease, date of death due to any cause, or date of most recent participant contact that documented response (ie, scan date).
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Population: The overall number of participants evaluated for duration of response includes only those who achieved a complete (CR) or partial response (PR) as per RECIST v1.1.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Duration of Response | NA month |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Duration of Response | NA month |
Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species
Engraftment was defined as the number of spore-forming species detected in SER-401 that were absent in participant baseline samples, and present post-microbiome-treatment, also referred to as newly appearing dose species.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Population: Participants were excluded from analysis at a specific time point if a stool sample was not collected or there was insufficient material available to run the assay.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 1 Day 1 | 6.83 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 8.424 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 3 Day 1 | 8.50 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 12.629 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 2 Day 1 | 7.67 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 10.539 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 4 Day 1 | 4.80 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 1.483 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 1 Day 8 | 7.60 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 9.209 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 7 Day 1 | 11.20 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 18.349 |
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Day -7 | 5.33 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 7.202 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 7 Day 1 | 25.33 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 8.963 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 2 Day 1 | 28.38 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 16.767 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Day -7 | 1.67 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 1.862 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 1 Day 1 | 25.71 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 17.661 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 1 Day 8 | 23.29 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 5.187 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 3 Day 1 | 29.00 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 12.853 |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Mean Change From Baseline in the Number of Newly Appearing Spore-forming Species | Cycle 4 Day 1 | 21.25 spore-forming species | Standard Deviation 6.551 |
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Objective Response Rate (ORR) is defined as the proportion of participants who attain a best overall response of complete response (CR; disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR; \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions), as determined by RECIST version 1.1. Confirmation of response by a repeat tumor assessment is not required.
Time frame: Up to week 52
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Objective Response Rate (ORR) | 4 Participants |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Objective Response Rate (ORR) | 2 Participants |
Overall Survival (OS)
Defined as the time from randomization until death or last contact if still alive at the time of final data collection (after completion of anti-PD-1 therapy).
Time frame: Up to 2 years
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Overall Survival (OS) | NA month |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Overall Survival (OS) | 21.1 month |
Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Defined as the time from randomization to date of first documented progression of disease, date of death due to any cause, or date of most recent participant contact that documented progression-free status
Time frame: Up to 2 years
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|
| SER-401 Matching Placebo/ Nivolumab | Progression-free Survival (PFS) | 15 month |
| SER-401/ Nivolumab | Progression-free Survival (PFS) | 5.2 month |