Memory-Like Natural Killer Cells With Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Advanced or Metastatic Melanoma After Progression on Checkpoint Inhibitors

Study Purpose

This is a Phase 1 open-label, study designed to characterize the safety, tolerability, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of memory-like natural killer cells (ML NK) in combination with nivolumab and relatlimab in subjects with advanced and/or metastatic melanoma. There will be two arms to test the variables of ML NK cell source. ML NK cells from an autologous source will be used for Arm 1, and ML NK cells from an allogeneic source will be used for Arm 2. The investigators hypothesize that ML NK cells from either an autologous source or allogeneic source are safe and tolerable in subjects with advanced and/or metastatic melanoma.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms

No
Study Type

An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes.


An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.


Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.

Interventional
Eligible Ages 18 Years and Over
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - Diagnosis of histologically confirmed advanced or metastatic melanoma that has progressed after at least 12 weeks or a minimum of 2 doses of treatment with a standard of care PD1/PDL1 containing therapy (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, or durvalumab) as their last treatment regimen.
  • - Age: ≥18 years of age.
  • - Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG) ≤ 2 at screening Form Arm 1 only: Patients must meet the eligibility criteria to undergo apheresis to obtain autlogous NK cells.
  • - For Arm 2 only: Patient must have an available allogeneic NK cell donor who meets the eligibility criteria.
  • - Adequate organ function as defined below: - Total bilirubin < 2 mg/dL.
  • - AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) < 3.0 x ULN.
  • - Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min/1.73 m^2 by Cockcroft-Gault Formula.
  • - Oxygen saturation ≥ 90% on room air.
  • - Ejection fraction ≥ 45% - Patients with a prior history of symptomatic CNS metastases must have received treatment and be neurologically stable for at least for 4 weeks and off anti-seizure medication and steroids for 7 days prior to initiation of LDC.
  • - Able to be off corticosteroids and any other immune suppressive medications for at least 14 days prior to apheresis or lymphodepletion and continuing until 30 days after the infusion of the ML NK cells.
However, use of physiological dosing of corticosteroids (defined as ≤15mg prednisone or equivalent) is permitted if deemed medically necessary.
  • - Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 21 days prior to study registration.
Female and male patients (along with their female partners) must agree to use two forms of acceptable contraception, including one barrier method, throughout participation in the study and for at least 5 months after the last dose of relatlimab.
  • - Life expectancy >12 weeks.
  • - Ability to understand and willingness to sign an IRB approved written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - Active autoimmune disorder requiring immunosuppression (physiologic steroids defined as ≤15mg prednisone or equivalent are acceptable).
  • - Prior history of an immune-related Grade 3 or 4 AE attributed to prior cancer immunotherapy (other than endocrinopathy managed with either replacement therapy or asymptomatic elevation of serum amylase or lipase) that resulted in permanent discontinuation of the prior immunotherapeutic agent.
  • - Patients with Grade ≤2 irAE who have not completely recovered from irAE (i.e. have residual toxicities >Grade 1) related to prior cancer immunotherapy (other than endocrinopathy management with replacement therapy or stable vitiligo).
Patients treated with corticosteroids for irAE must demonstrate absence of related signs or symptoms for ≥7 days following discontinuation of corticosteroids.
  • - Leptomeningeal disease, carcinomatous meningitis, or symptomatic CNS metastases.
Patients with asymptomatic brain metastasis with no pending intervention needed, or patients with treated CNS disease and stable for at least 4 weeks and off anti-seizure medication and steroids for 7 days prior to initiation of LDC are eligible.
  • - Has previously received and progressed on prior nivolumab and relatlimab therapy.
  • - Known hypersensitivity to one or more of the study agents.
  • - Comorbidities and any conditions, that in the opinion of the investigator, that put the subject at unacceptable risk for study therapy or prevent the participant from consenting or participating in the study.
  • - Uncontrolled and active systemic infections, including but not limited to HIV, Hepatitis B or C infection.
  • - Uncontrolled angina, severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, or EKG suggestive of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities.
  • - New progressive pulmonary infiltrates concerning for new or uncontrolled infectious process.
Infiltrates attributed to infection must be stable/ improving after 1 week of appropriate therapy (4 weeks for presumed or proven fungal infections).
  • - Received any investigational drugs within the 14 days prior to the first dose of fludarabine.
  • - Pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • - Subjects are not acceptable candidates if they received prior tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy (either in the setting of clinical trial or standard of care if TIL therapy is FDA approved in the future), or an organ allograft.
  • - Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or required active treatment within the past 2 years.
Note: participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ (eg. Breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) that has undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded.
  • - Received a live or attenuated vaccine within 28 days prior to the beginning of the lymphodepletion therapy.
Eligibility Criteria for Haploidentical Donors (For Arm 2 only)
  • - Donor must be at least 18 years of age.
  • - Donor must be willing, in general good health, and medically able to tolerate leukapheresis required for harvesting the NK cells for this study.
  • - Donor must be negative for hepatitis, HTLV, and HIV on donor viral screen.
  • - Donor may not be pregnant and/or breastfeeding.
Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 30 days prior to apheresis.
  • - Donor must be able to understand and willing to sign an IRB-approved written informed consent document.
  • - Only haploidentical donors will be included.
  • - Donor must meet the requirements of institutional donor guidelines, including the requirements of Foundation for the Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FACT) criteria.
Eligibility Criteria for Autologous Patients (For Arm 1 only)
  • - Patient must be willing and medically able to tolerate leukapheresis required for harvesting the NK cells for this study.
  • - Patient must be negative for hepatitis, HTLV, and HIV on the viral screen.
  • - Patient may not be treated with any cytotoxic treatment within 2 weeks prior to leukapheresis.

Trial Details

Trial ID:

This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.

NCT05629546
Phase

Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans.

Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data.

Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs.

Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.

Phase 1
Lead Sponsor

The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.

Washington University School of Medicine
Principal Investigator

The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.

Alice Y Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator Affiliation Washington University School of Medicine
Agency Class

Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.

Other
Overall Status Not yet recruiting
Countries United States
Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.

Advanced Melanoma, Metastatic Melanoma
Study Website: View Trial Website
Arms & Interventions

Arms

Experimental: Arm 1: Autologous: Memory-like natural killer cells + nivolumab + relatilimab

Subjects enrolled into arm 1 will receive autologous ML NK cells on Day 0. Relatlimab and nivolumab will be initiated at day 29 and continue every 28 days for 11 cycles, or until unacceptable toxicity, or progression, whichever is earlier.

Experimental: Arm 2: Allogeneic: Memory-like natural killer cells + nivolumab + relatilimab

Subjects with a haploidentical donor will enroll into Arm 2 Subjects will receive the IV infusion of ML NK cells on Day 0. Relatlimab and nivolumab will be initiated at day 29 and continue every 28 days for 11 cycles, or until unacceptable toxicity, or progression, whichever is earlier.

No Intervention: Allogeneic Donors

Interventions

Biological: - Cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cells

Cell product processing is performed at the Siteman Cancer Center Biological Therapy Core Facility (BTCF).

Biological: - Relatilmab

Standard of care

Biological: - Nivolumab

Standard of care

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri

Status

Address

Washington University School of Medicine

Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110

Site Contact

Alice Y Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.

[email protected]

314-362-5677

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