Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 and up

ctDNA-guided therapy for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma using pembrolizumab with GVD

Official title: Pembrolizumab and GVD With ctDNA-guided Consolidation in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Multicenter Phase 2 Study of the University of California Hematologic Malignancies Consortium

Run by University of California, San Francisco · NCT07021989 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study tests a pembrolizumab-based regimen plus chemotherapy in adults with relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma to see if ctDNA can guide treatment response and consolidation choices.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment38 (estimated)
SponsorUniversity of California, San Francisco
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionsnivolumab, pembrolizumab, radiation, doxorubicin, prednisone
Locations6 sites (Davis, California and 5 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedAugust 18, 2026
Main results expectedJuly 31, 2029
Study endsMarch 31, 2034
Registry record updatedOctober 20, 2026
Trial IDNCT07021989 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults (18+) with histologically confirmed classic Hodgkin lymphoma that has relapsed or is refractory after one prior systemic therapy, with measurable disease on PET, and adequate organ function.

Probably not a fit

Patients without ctDNA-guided concordance or who do not achieve MRD/PET-negative status may not experience benefit and could still face toxicities from therapy.

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 phase II, single-arm, open-label, multicenter trial evaluating pembrolizumab combined with gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and liposomal doxorubicin (GVD) in adults with relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma. ctDNA/MRD status is measured at predefined time points using the Foresight CLARITY LDT to determine response and guide response-adapted consolidation. Primary outcome is ctDNA/MRD-negative, PET-negative complete response rate; secondary endpoints include progression-free and overall survival at 2 years, rate of autologous stem cell transplant after non-transplant consolidation, PET/ct versus ctDNA/MRD discordance, safety including immune-related events, quality of life, and feasibility of baseline genotyping from peripheral blood. Exploratory aims assess ctDNA/MRD kinetics and CR rates. Interventions include pembrolizumab, ISRT, and the GVD chemotherapy regimen.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients may achieve deeper remissions with ctDNA-guided decisions, potentially improving survival and reducing unnecessary treatments.

How similar studies have gone: Prior studies using ctDNA and MRD-guided approaches in hematologic malignancies have shown promise but the ctDNA-guided strategy in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma is relatively novel.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥ 18 years.
2. Histologically confirmed classic Hodgkin lymphoma (including nodular sclerosis, lymphocyte-rich, mixed cellularity, and lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin lymphoma).
3. Participants must have relapsed or refractory disease after no more than one line of systemic therapy. First line therapy must have included doxorubicin.
4. At least one site of FDG-avid disease on PET/CT that is ≥ 1.5 cm in diameter for nodal disease or ≥ 1.0 cm in diameter if extranodal disease.
5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, 1, or 2 (Karnofsky ≥ 50%).
6. Demonstrates adequate organ function as defined below:

   1. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.0 X 10\^9/ L (1000/microliter (mcL), growth factors permitted).
   2. Platelets ≥ 75 X 10\^9 / L (75,000/mcL, platelet transfusion independent).
   3. Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal, unless elevated due to Gilbert's syndrome.
   4. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) / (SGOT) ≤3 x institutional upper limit of normal.
   5. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) / (SGPT) ≤3 x institutional upper limit of normal.
   6. Creatinine clearance (CrCl, calculated) ≥ 40 mL/min/1.73 m\^2, calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation.
7. For participants with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated.
8. Individuals with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated with sustained virologic response. For individuals with HCV infection who are currently on treatment, participants are eligible if there is an undetectable HCV viral load.
9. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial.
10. Individuals with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment does not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen are eligible for this trial.
11. Females of reproductive potential (defined below) must be willing to undergo a urine or serum pregnancy test (i.e., human chorionic gonadotropin test) within 72 hours before start of trial therapy. A female is considered to not be of reproductive potential (regardless of sexual orientation, having undergone a tubal ligation, or remaining celibate by choice), if the participants meet either of the following two criteria: (1) has reached a postmenopausal state (≥ 12 continuous months of amenorrhea with no identified cause other than menopause); or (2) has undergone surgical sterilization (i.e., hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy for removal of uterus and/or ovaries). The result of the urine or serum pregnancy test must be negative in order to administer initiate trial therapy. If a urine pregnancy test cannot be confirmed as negative (e.g., an ambiguous result), a serum pregnancy test is required. In such cases, the individual must be excluded from participation if the serum pregnancy result is positive. Pregnant individuals are excluded from this study because there is a potential risk for adverse effects in the unborn child secondary to treatment of the study participant with trial therapy.
12. Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participants who previously received a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor-based regimen (e.g., nivolumab or pembrolizumab + AVD) and progressed within 6 months of last done of immune checkpoint inhibitor.
2. Receipt of systemic anti-cancer therapies or radiation within 2 weeks prior to the start of trial therapy or receipt of antibody therapy within 4 weeks prior to the start of trial therapy.
3. Has participated in a study of an investigational product and received study treatment or used an investigational device within four weeks of the first dose of treatment.
4. Prior autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
5. Systemic autoimmune disease requiring continuous immunosuppressive treatment (≥prednisone 10 mg per day or equivalent), with the exception of autoimmune thyroid disease.
6. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \<50% as assessed by transthoracic echocardiogram or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan.
7. Participants whose lifetime cumulative dose of doxorubicin would exceed 450 mg/m\^2 after receiving 4 cycles of pembro + GVD are excluded (i.e., \>330 mg/m\^2 at trial entry).
8. Has known hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and/or liposomal doxorubicin; or any of their excipients.
9. Has any significant medical condition or comorbidity that could compromise participants safety in the opinion of the treating investigator (e.g., uncontrolled serious infection).
10. Individuals who are pregnant or breast-feeding/chest-feeding. Pregnant and breastfeeding individuals are excluded because there is a potential risk for adverse effects in the unborn/nursing child secondary to treatment of the study participant with trial therapies. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test before initiation of trial therapy, as outlined in inclusion criterion #12. Breast-feeding should be discontinued before initiation of trial therapy.
11. Individuals with ongoing Grade 2 events that are not clinically stable or ongoing ≥ Grade 3 events (CTCAE v5.0 grading).
12. Notification from Foresight Diagnostics that the CLARITY LDT baseline specimen has failed sample quality control (QC) and/or the baseline ctDNA is not quantifiable. Note: Foresight will only notify sites if the specimen fails quality control (QC) or is not quantifiable. Sites will not receive notification if the specimen passes QC and is quantifiable. For QC failures, a sample re-draw may be considered upon discussion with and approval by the lead University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Principal Investigator.
13. Individuals with any condition or social circumstance that, in the opinion of the investigator, would impair the participant's ability to comply with study activities, interfere with participant safety, or study endpoints.

Where it's running

  • University of California, San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of California Davis
    Davis, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • University of California San Francisco-Fresno
    Fresno, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • University of California Irvine
    Irvine, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • University of California, San Diego
    La Jolla, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Unversity of California, Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Michael Spinner, MD — University of California, San Francisco
  • Study coordinator: UCSF Hematopoietic Malignancies Clinical Trial Recruitment
  • Email: HDFCCC.Heme@ucsf.edu
  • Phone: 877-827-3222

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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.