Leflunomide or Combination of MEK Inhibitor and Hydroxychloroquine for Refractory Patients With RAS Mutations

Study Purpose

There is a huge variety of nucleotide substitutions that activate RAS. The search for new "universal" drugs for the RAS pathway that either interfere with RAS upregulation upstream in the signaling pathway or offset the consequences of RAS activation is important for improving therapeutic outcomes for patients with refractory malignancies. The use of leflunomide or the combination of MEK inhibitor + hydroxychloroquine ± bevacizumab is promising for patients with mutations in RAS cascade genes who have failed all existing treatment standards.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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

Yes
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 - 85 Years
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patient is able to provide informed consent and sign approved consent forms to participate in the study. 2. Patient age is at least 18 years old. 3. Performance status Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2. 4. Histologically confirmed metastatic metastatic disease stage 4. 5. Must have documented RAS (KRAS, HRAS, NRAS) mutation identified within the last 5 years by a local test on tumor tissue. 6. More than 2 lines of standard drug antitumor therapy in the anamnesis. 7. Must have disease progression as defined by RECIST version 1.1 criteria. 8. Appropriate hematologic and liver function:
  • - Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 109/L (1500/μL) - Lymphocyte count ≥ 0.5 x 109/L (500/μL) - Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L (100,000/μL) without transfusion.
  • - Hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L without transfusion.
  • - Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min.
  • - Serum albumin ≥ 25 g/L (2.5 g/dL) - Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x HGH, with the following exception: - Patients with known Gilbert's disease or liver metastases: serum bilirubin level ≤ 3 x IUH.
  • - AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphate ≤ 2.5 x HGN; 10.
For women of childbearing potential: consent to abstinence (abstain from heterosexual intercourse) or use at least two forms of effective contraception with an ineffectiveness rate < 1% per year during treatment. 11. Patients with asymptomatic new or advanced brain metastases (active brain metastases) are eligible to participate if the treating physician determines that localized treatment is not required.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Age over 85 years. 2. Рresence of acute or active chronic infections. 3. Impaired renal and hepatic function;
  • - left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 45% 4.
Known history of acute or chronic hepatitis B or C due to known potential hepatotoxicity of leflunomide. 5. History of allergic reactions associated with compounds similar in chemical or biological composition to leflunomide or teriflunomide or other drugs in the combination. 6. Uncontrolled intercurrent disease, including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina, cardiac arrhythmias, or mental illness/social situations that limit study compliance. 7. Patients should not be pregnant or breastfeeding due to the potential for teratogenic effects and side effects of planned chemotherapeutic regimens. 8. History of retinal disease (retinal tear, exudate, hemorrhage) or retinal vein occlusion, central serous retinopathy or retinal pigment epithelium detachment, or current risk factors for ROS (e.g., uncontrolled glaucoma or ocular hypertension, history of hyperviscosity or hypercoagulability syndromes). Exit criteria: 1. Refusal to continue participation in the study. 2. Intolerable toxicity. 3. Progression according to RECIST 1.1 and IRECIST criteria or clinically significant (in the opinion of the physician) progression requiring a change in anticancer treatment. 4. Non-compliance with IND procedures.

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.

NCT06229340
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 2
Lead Sponsor

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

N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology
Principal Investigator

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

Evgeny Imyanitov
Principal Investigator Affiliation N.N. Petrov NMRC of Oncology
Agency Class

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

Other
Overall Status Recruiting
Countries Russian Federation
Conditions

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

RAS Mutation, Ras (Kras or Nras) Gene Mutation, Colorectal Cancer Recurrent, Pancreas Cancer, Lung Cancer, Melanoma, Refractory Cancer
Additional Details

Mutations in the RAS gene are a common cause for the development of many tumors. It is of practical interest to study the potential efficacy of several drugs registered for the treatment of other diseases, which may also be able to affect various parts of the RAS pathway. Leflunomide, with its active metabolite , inhibits the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). DHODH plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of pyrimidine, which is particularly important for the growth of RAS mutant cells. Tumors with KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS mutations are characterized by increased MEK kinase activity. The combination of MEK inhibitor + hydroxychloroquine ± bevacizumab is able to affect MEK kinase activity by direct inhibition as well as regulation of autophagy, which is controlled in this case by the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. The use of bevacizumab is appropriate because there is evidence of its efficacy in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer, including colorectal cancer with mutations in the KRAS gene.

Arms & Interventions

Arms

Experimental: Group 1

Leflunomide

Experimental: Group 2

Combination of MEK Inhibitor and Hydroxychloroquine ( Plaquenil)

No Intervention: historical control group

standard therapy

Interventions

Drug: - Leflunomide

100 mg daily for 3 days at the loading dose, then 20 mg daily at the standard dose.

Drug: - The combination of MEK inhibitor + hydroxychloroquine( plaquenil) ± bevacizumab

Use of one of the possible MEK-inhibitor options: Trametinib 2 mg once daily orally; Cobimetinib 60 mg on days 1-21, break 7 days, cycle 28 days orally; Binimetinib 45 mg 2 times a day daily orally. + Hydroxychloroquine 600 mg 2 times a day daily orally. ± Bevacizumab 7.5 mg/m² every 3 weeks intravenously.

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.

International Sites

Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Status

Recruiting

Address

Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Saint Petersburg, ,

Site Contact

Liliya Baboshkina

[email protected]

+79869932745

Stay Informed & Connected