Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 to 70

Becotatug Vedotin with or without Immunotherapy before surgery for locally advanced head and neck cancer

Official title: A Randomized, Non-comparative Phase II Clinical Trial of Becotatug Vedotin Combined With or Without Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (Penpulimab/Ivonescimab) in the Neoadjuvant Treatment of Resectable Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Run by West China Hospital · NCT07381075 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This trial tests Becotatug Vedotin alone or together with immune checkpoint inhibitors to see if pre-surgery treatment can improve outcomes for people with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 70 Years
SexAll
Enrollment90 (estimated)
SponsorWest China Hospital
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionsivosizumab, Penpulimab, Ivonescimab
Locations1 site (Chengdu, Sichuan)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJuly 20, 2026
Main results expectedDecember 31, 2028
Study endsDecember 31, 2029
Registry record updatedSeptember 11, 2026
Trial IDNCT07381075 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults aged 18-70 with newly diagnosed, resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, ECOG 0-1, no prior head and neck cancer treatment, no distant metastasis, and adequate organ function.

Probably not a fit

Patients whose tumors do not respond to Becotatug Vedotin or to the combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor may not experience benefit from this neoadjuvant approach.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a randomized, phase II study evaluating Becotatug Vedotin as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Participants are assigned to three cohorts: Becotatug Vedotin alone, Becotatug Vedotin plus Penpulimab, or Becotatug Vedotin plus Ivonescimab, before surgery. The primary endpoint is the pathological response rate, with safety and adverse events recorded as secondary outcomes. Eligible patients are adults 18-70 with newly diagnosed, non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and good performance status. The study is led by West China Hospital in Chengdu, China.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients may achieve higher rates of tumor response before surgery, potentially improving surgical outcomes and long-term control.

How similar studies have gone: Prior studies with antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapy in other settings have shown potential, but this exact neoadjuvant combination in LAHNSCC is exploratory and results are not yet established.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age: 18 - 70 years old, gender not restricted;
2. Histopathologically diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (including oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, hypopharyngeal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer, etc.);
3. Patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC);
4. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0 or 1;
5. Have not received any treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma before, including drug treatment, radiotherapy, surgical treatment, etc.;
6. No distant metastasis;
7. The patient has the intention for radical treatment;
8. Good hematopoietic function (total white blood cell count ≥ 3.0×109 /L, absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 0.8×109/L, absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5×109/L, platelet count ≥ 100×109 /L, hemoglobin ≥ 90g/L) and no blood transfusion or biological response modifiers (such as granulocyte growth factors, erythropoietin growth factors, etc.) treatment within 14 days before the first administration;
9. Good liver function (total bilirubin (TBIL) ≤ 1.5×ULN; alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 2.5×ULN; serum albumin ≥ 28 g/L);
10. Good renal function (serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN or calculated creatinine clearance rate ≥ 50 mL/min (Cockcroft-Gault formula), urine protein less than 2+, or 24-hour urine protein quantification \< 1g);
11. Good cardiac function, that is, normal electrocardiogram or abnormal without clinical significance, and echocardiography shows left ventricular ejection fraction (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF) ≥ 50%;
12. Good coagulation function, defined as international normalized ratio (INR) or prothrombin time (PT) ≤ 1.5 times ULN, if the subject is receiving anticoagulation treatment, as long as the PT is within the range of the anticoagulant drug plan, it is acceptable;
13. During the screening period, blood pressure is well controlled (defined as systolic blood pressure ≤ 150 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mmHg), and there is no change in antihypertensive treatment within 1 week before the first administration of the study drug;
14. Patients with HBV infection who can detect HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels (≥ 10IU/mL or above the detection limit) must receive antiviral treatment before randomization according to the clinical institution practice to ensure adequate viral suppression. Patients must maintain antiviral treatment during the study and within 6 months after the last study treatment administration. Patients with positive Anti-HBc detection but no HBV DNA ( \< 10IU/mL or below the detection limit) do not require antiviral treatment, unless HBV DNA exceeds 10IU/mL or above the detection limit during the treatment period;
15. Male patients with fertility and women of childbearing age who are willing to take effective contraceptive measures from signing the informed consent form to the last administration of the study drug within 6 months; women of childbearing age include pre-menopausal women and post-menopausal women within 1 year. The blood pregnancy test result of women of childbearing age within ≤ 7 days before the first administration of the study drug must be negative;
16. The subject voluntarily joins the study, signs the informed consent form, has good compliance, and cooperates with follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Has received any form of anti-tumor treatment before;
2. Patients with allergic constitution and congenital immune deficiency;
3. Has undergone organ transplantation before;
4. Has a history of severe bleeding tendency or coagulation dysfunction; had significant clinical bleeding symptoms within 1 month before the study treatment, including but not limited to gastrointestinal bleeding and hemoptysis; had continuous anticoagulation treatment within 10 days before the study treatment;
5. Has experienced thromboembolic events such as cerebrovascular accidents (including transient ischemic attacks, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction), deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism within 6 months before the study treatment;
6. Has active autoimmune or inflammatory diseases, or has a related history, including inflammatory bowel disease (such as colitis or Crohn's disease), diverticulitis (except diverticular disease), systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis syndrome or Wegener's syndrome (such as granulomatous vasculitis, Gray's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, pituitary inflammation and uveitis). There are the following exceptions: patients with vitiligo or alopecia; patients with stable hypothyroidism after hormone replacement therapy (such as after Hashimoto's thyroiditis); any patients with chronic skin diseases that do not require systemic treatment; patients who can be included within the past 5 years without active diseases, but only after consultation with the study doctor;
7. Active infections, including tuberculosis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV 1/2 antibody positive);
8. Uncontrolled complications, including but not limited to: receiving study treatment for persistent or active infections (except HBV or HCV), symptomatic congestive heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, uncontrolled arrhythmia, active interstitial lung disease, severe chronic gastrointestinal diseases with diarrhea, or conditions that may limit compliance with study requirements, increase the risk of adverse events or affect the subject's ability to provide written informed consent;
9. Pregnant or lactating women;
10. The patient does not agree to use effective contraceptive measures during the treatment period and within the following 3 months;
11. Patients participating in other clinical studies simultaneously;
12. Patients with critical conditions unable to complete the survey;
13. Other primary malignant tumor history, but the following situations are excluded: malignant tumors treated for curative purposes, and having no known active diseases for ≥ 5 years before the study treatment and a low potential risk of recurrence; fully treated non-melanoma skin cancer or benign lentigo-like nevus without evidence of disease; fully treated carcinoma in situ with no evidence of disease;
14. Patients with a history of mental illness (such as schizophrenia, mania, anxiety disorder, depression, phobia, etc.) or patients diagnosed with mental illness during the clinical trial enrollment or their spouses;
15. Patients with communication disorders due to confusion, aphasia, or intellectual disability caused by reasons such as communication barriers or inability to answer normally;
16. Patients with other malignant tumor diseases;
17. Has a ≥ 3-grade allergy history to any component of vebecotota monoclonal antibody and/or pannipil monoclonal antibody injection and/or ivosizumab monoclonal antibody injection;
18. The investigator considers that there are other factors that are not suitable for inclusion or that may affect the subject's participation or completion of the study.

Where it's running

  • West china hospital
    Chengdu, Sichuan, China
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.