Clinical trial Recruiting at 2 sites Phase1; Phase2 Interventional Ages 18 to 99

Combining Sarilumab with Capecitabine for Treating Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Official title: A Dose Finding Phase 1 of Sarilumab Plus Capecitabine in HER2/Neu-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer and a Single-arm, Historically-controlled Phase 2 Study of Sarilumab Plus Capecitabine in Stage I-III Triple Negative Breast Cancer With High-Risk Residual Disease (EMPOWER)

Run by University of Southern California · NCT04333706 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing if combining an immunotherapy drug called sarilumab with a chemotherapy drug called capecitabine can help people with advanced triple negative breast cancer or those who still have high-risk disease after initial treatment.

More Breast Cancer trials

Quick facts

PhasePhase1; Phase2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 99 Years
SexAll
Enrollment65 (estimated)
SponsorUniversity of Southern California
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionssarilumab, chemotherapy
Locations3 sites (Los Angeles, California and 2 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedSeptember 26, 2020
Main results expectedNovember 3, 2026
Study endsMay 3, 2027
Registry record updatedMarch 10, 2026
Trial IDNCT04333706 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates include adults with metastatic triple negative or hormone-resistant, HER2/neu-negative breast cancer who have not achieved a complete pathological response after prior treatments.

Probably not a fit

Patients with non-triple negative breast cancer or those who have not undergone prior chemotherapy may not benefit from this study.

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

What this trial studies

This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of combining sarilumab, an immunotherapy agent, with capecitabine, a chemotherapy drug, in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and those with high-risk residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy. The study is divided into two phases: Phase I focuses on dose finding in patients with HER2/neu-negative metastatic TNBC, while Phase II evaluates the combination treatment in patients with Stage I-III TNBC who did not achieve a complete pathological response. Blood and optional bone marrow samples will be collected to assess treatment effects and biological responses.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment combination could significantly improve survival rates and cure potential for patients with aggressive forms of breast cancer.

How similar studies have gone: While the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy is being explored in various contexts, this specific approach in TNBC is novel and has not been extensively tested.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* A. Written informed consent obtained from the subject and the ability for the subject to comply with all the study-related procedures.
* B. Both males and females ≥ eighteen years of age
* C. A clinical diagnosis of metastatic triple negative or hormone resistant, Her2/neu-negative breast cancer that has been confirmed histologically at one point during the course of the disease. TNBC is defined as ER/PR IHC positivity rate of \<10% and Her2Neu-negative (Phase I only)
* D. A life expectancy of at least 6 months. (Phase I only)
* E. Any previous cytotoxic chemotherapy must have been a minimum of 3 weeks prior to study drug administration. There is no limit on the number of prior therapies. For ER/PR-positive tumors, endocrine therapy must have been included in at least one of those prior regimens. Prior capecitabine is allowed only if not given in the treatment regimen immediately prior to the enrollment in this study. (Phase I only)
* F. A diagnosis of TNBC confirmed histologically and defined as ER/PR IHC positivity rate of \<10% and Her2/neu-negative. (Phase II and Parallel Baseline Arm only)
* G. A pathologic confirmation of stage I, or II, or III breast cancer with less than a complete pCR, defined as the absence of residual invasive cancer in resected breast specimen and sampled lymph nodes with residual noninvasive cancer or in situ disease allowed. (Phase II and Parallel Baseline Arm only)
* H. Must not have received prior systemic treatment for breast cancer except for those included in the neoadjuvant regimen and the neoadjuvant regimen must not have included capecitabine nor sarilumab. (Phase II and Parallel Baseline Arm only)
* I. An ECOG Performance Status ≤2.
* J. Adequate organ function defined as:

  1. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1500/mcl (use of G-CSF is allowed)
  2. Platelets ≥ 100,000/mcl
  3. Hemoglobin ≥ 9 (pRBC +/- ESA are allowed)
  4. ALT ≤ 5 x ULN
  5. AST ≤ 5 x ULN
  6. Bilirubin ≤ 3 x ULN
  7. GFR ≥ 30 ml/min
* K. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must be using a highly effective method of contraception to avoid pregnancy throughout the study and for at least 24 weeks after the last dose of study drug to minimize the risk of pregnancy. Prior to study enrollment, women of childbearing potential must be advised of the importance of avoiding pregnancy during trial participation and the potential risk factors for an unintentional pregnancy.
* L. Males with female partners of child-bearing potential must agree to use physician-approved contraceptive methods (e.g., abstinence, condoms, vasectomy) throughout the study and should avoid conceiving children for 24 weeks following the last dose of study drug.

Exclusion Criteria:

* A. Females or males of childbearing potential who are unwilling or unable to use an acceptable method to avoid pregnancy for the entire study period and for at least 24 weeks after the last dose of study drug.
* B. Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
* C. History of any other disease, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicates the use of protocol therapy or that might affect the interpretation of the results of the study or that puts the subject at high risk for treatment complications, in the opinion of the treating physician.
* D. Hepatitis B infection except for prior vaccination. (Phase I and Phase II only).
* E. Known history of tuberculosis injection. (Phase I and Phase II only).
* F. A history of diverticulitis. (Phase I and Phase II only).
* G. Use of live vaccines within 30 days prior to study treatment due to the risk of infection. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g. FluMist) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed. (Phase I and Phase II only)
* H. History of other malignancy that in the primary oncologist's estimation has at the time of study participation a higher risk of recurrence or death than the study-related cancer.
* I. Prisoners or subjects who are involuntarily incarcerated.
* J. Subjects who are compulsorily detained for treatment of either a psychiatric or physical illness.
* K. Subjects demonstrating an inability to comply with the study and/or follow-up procedures.

Where it's running

  • Los Angeles General Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • UF Health
    Gainesville, Florida, United States
    Active not recruiting

Study contacts

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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.