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A Beta-only IL-2 ImmunoTherapY Study

A Phase 1/2 Open Label, Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of MDNA11, IL-2 Superkine, Administered Alone or in Combination With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05086692
Acronym
ABILITY-1
Enrollment
115
Registered
2021-10-21
Start date
2021-08-27
Completion date
2026-12-30
Last updated
2025-07-09

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

Conditions

Acral Melanoma, Advanced Solid Tumor, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Bladder Cancer, Cancer With A High Tumor Mutational Burden, Cervical Cancer, Cervical Cancers, Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Colorectal Cancer (MSI-H), Cutaneous Melanoma, Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, DMMR Cancer, DMMR Solid Malignant Tumor, Endometrial Cancer, Endometrial Carcinoma, Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma, Esophageal Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Cancer, Merkel Cell Carcinoma, MSI-H Cancer, MSI-H Solid Malignant Tumor, Mucosal Melanoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Non-squamous, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Squamous, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreas Adenocarcinoma (MSI-H), Pleural Mesothelioma, Primary Peritoneal Cancer, Skin Cancer, Solid Tumor, Solid Tumor, Adult, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Unresectable Solid Tumor, Viral Cancer

Keywords

IL-2, IL2, Interleukin-2, cancer, metastatic, ccRCC, TNBC, NSCLC, CRC, GEJ, intrahepatic, extrahepatic, MCC, SCCHN, CSCC, Gastroesophageal Junction, advanced, unresectable, MSI-H, dMMR, Microsatellite Instability-High, Mismatch Repair Deficient, PD-1, immunotherapy, anti-PD-1, BCC, RCC, HCC, Tumor Mutation Burden High, TMB-H, PDAC

Brief summary

This is a Phase 1/2, multi-center, open-label, dose-escalation and expansion study to evaluate safety and tolerability, PK, pharmacodynamic, and early signal of anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 alone or in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Detailed description

The study drug, MDNA11, long-acting beta-only recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). MDNA11 specifically engineered to overcome the shortcomings of rhIL-2 (aldesleukin) by preferentially activating immune effector cells (CD8+ T- and NK cells) responsible for killing cancer cells, with minimal or no stimulation of immunosuppressive Tregs. It is designed to potentially enhance host immune response and fusion to albumin increases the half-life further avoiding frequent dosing required with rhIL-2. The study will be conducted at up to 30 clinical sites following regulatory authority and institutional review board / independent ethics committee (IRB/ IEC) approval and completion of informed consent. The study will be conducted in multiple parts: * Monotherapy (MDNA11 alone) dose escalation * Monotherapy (MDNA11 alone) dose expansion in select tumor types * Combination (MDNA11 + pembrolizumab) dose escalation * Combination (MDNA11 + pembrolizumab) dose expansion in select tumor types Approximately 115 patients will be enrolled. After commencing treatment (first exposure of MDNA11 alone or MDNA11 + pembrolizumab), tumor assessment by CT/MRI will be performed every 8 weeks ± 1 week until immune confirmed progressive disease (iCPD) by iRECIST, discontinuation of study drug(s), withdrawal of consent or loss to follow-up. Treatment beyond progression may be permitted if criteria are met. Patients can withdraw from participation at any time.

Interventions

DRUGMDNA11

MDNA11 will be administered, IV on a once every 2 weeks (Q2W) dosing schedule. Provisional dose cohorts for monotherapy dose escalation doses ranging from 0.003 to 0.6 (mg/kg): until determining the monotherapy Recommended Dose for Expansion (mRDE).

DRUGPembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®)

MDNA11 will be administered in combination with pembrolizumab, IV. MDNA11 dose range to be evaluated in combination with pembrolizumab until determining the combination Recommended Dose for Expansion (cRDE).

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Medicenna Therapeutics, Inc.
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Sequential dose escalation (MDNA11 monotherapy and MDNA11 + pembrolizumab) followed by dose expansion with MDNA11 monotherapy and combination (MDNA11 + pembrolizumab).

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

Key Inclusion Criteria: 1. Aged at least 18 years (inclusive at the time of informed consent). 2. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 to 1. 3. Must be able and willing to provide written informed consent prior to start of any study procedures and assessments and must be willing to comply with all study procedures. 4. Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor (see tumor types listed under conditions) 5. Demonstrated adequate organ function 6. Measurable disease as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, (RECIST v1.1) and documented by CT and/or MRI. 7. Life expectancy of ≥ 12 weeks. 8. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative pregnancy test at screening and within 72 hours before the first dose of study drug(s). Women must not be breastfeeding. 9. Agree to use highly effective contraception methods. WOCBP must agree to use highly effective birth control. Key

Exclusion criteria

1. Last administration of prior antitumor therapy: * Prior systemic anti-cancer therapy including investigational agents within 4 weeks (could consider shorter interval for kinase inhibitors or other short half-life drugs) prior to start of treatment. * Prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to start of treatment or has had a history of radiation pneumonitis. A 1-week washout is required for palliative radiation (\<2 weeks of radiotherapy) to non-CNS disease. * Radiation therapy to the lung that is \> 30Gy within 6 months prior to start of treatment. * Currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to start of treatment. Concomitant participation in an observational study must be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the MM for approval. 2. Has known active CNS metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis. Patients with previously treated brain metastases may participate provided they are radiologically stable, i.e., without evidence of progression for at least 4 weeks by repeat imaging (note that the repeat imaging should be performed during study screening), clinically stable and without requirement of steroid treatment for at least 14 days prior to start of treatment, subject to discussion with MM. 3. Active malignancy (other than the disease under treatment in the study) within the previous 3 years except for curable cancers. 4. Condition requiring long-term systemic treatment with either corticosteroids \> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to start of treatment. 5. Clinically significant active, known or suspected autoimmune disease, or diseases that can be exacerbated with immunotherapy. 6. Severe pulmonary, cardiac or other systemic disease. 7. Known hepatitis B or C virus infection. 8. Females who are pregnant or lactating or planning to become pregnant during the study. 9. Has had an allogeneic tissue/solid organ transplant. 10. Active infection requiring systemic therapy. 11. Any medical, emotional or psychiatric condition that interfere with the patient's ability to adhere to the protocol 12. Any other underlying medical conditions that, in the Investigator's opinion, will make the administration of study drug(s) unsafe or obscure the interpretation of toxicity determination or adverse events. 13. Known severe hypersensitivity to any component of study drug(s). 14. Inability to comply with study and follow up procedures as judged by the Investigator.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs)24 monthsRate of TEAEs in patients with advanced solid tumors
MDNA11 Recommended Dose for Expansion for monotherapy (mRDE) and Recommended Dose for Expansion for combination (cRDE)24 monthsEvaluation of tolerability as measured by number of patients with dose limiting toxicities (DLTs)
Incidence of Treatment Related Adverse Events (TRAEs)24 monthsRate of TRAEs in patients with advanced solid tumors

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pharmacokinetic characteristics on MDNA11 - AUClast (h.ug/mL)Up to 24 monthsArea under the serum concentration vs time curve from time zero to the last measurable concentration
Immunogenicity of MDNA11 (anti-drug antibodies)Up to 24 monthsIncidence and persistence of anti-drug antibodies to MDNA11
Pharmacodynamic effects of MDNA11Up to 24 monthsMeasurement of translational parameters - Flow cytometry analysis of immune cells in blood and serum measurements of cytokine levels
Anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 (alone or in combination with CPI) - Disease Control Rate (DCR)Approximately 24 monthsCR+PR+SD/Evaluable N
Anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 (alone or in combination with CPI) - Progression Free Survival (PFS)Approximately 24 monthsTime from signing ICF to disease progression
Anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 (alone or in combination with CPI) - Overall Response Rate (ORR)Approximately 24 monthsAssessed by RECIST v1.1 and iRECIST; CR+PR/Evaluable N
Pharmacokinetic characteristics on MDNA11 - Cmax (ug/mL)Up to 24 monthsMaximum observed serum drug concentration
Pharmacokinetic characteristics on MDNA11 - Tmax (h)Up to 24 monthsTime to maximum observed serum drug concentration

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Analysis of immune characteristics of the tumor microenvironmentUp to 24 monthsMeasured by change in Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) levels

Countries

Australia, Canada, Ireland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, United States

Contacts

Primary ContactNina Merchant
nmerchant@medicenna.com604-340-3081
Backup ContactMelissa Coello
mcoello@medicenna.com267-476-2313

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 11, 2026