Finotonlimab plus Stapokibart for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer
Official title: The Safety and Efficacy of Finotonlimab Combined With Stapokibart in the Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a Phase Ib Study
Run by Beijing Tongren Hospital · NCT07040072 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will see if combining Finotonlimab with Stapokibart helps adults with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who progressed after PD‑1 therapy.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years to 75 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 10 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Beijing Tongren Hospital Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, Finotonlimab |
| Locations | 1 site (Beijing, Beijing Municipality) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 9, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 2027 |
| Study ends | June 2028 |
| Registry record updated | May 4, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07040072 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (≥18) with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC who progressed within 24 weeks after PD‑1‑based therapy, have ECOG 0–1, measurable disease, and adequate organ function.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who have not received prior PD‑1 therapy, who progressed outside the 24‑week window, have poor performance status, or have life expectancy under three months are unlikely to benefit or will be ineligible.
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 single‑arm phase Ib trial testing the safety and early activity of combining Finotonlimab with Stapokibart in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC after prior PD‑1 ± platinum therapy. Ten participants will be enrolled at Beijing Tongren Hospital: five will start the combination regimen and investigators will conduct a planned safety review after the third participant completes the third treatment cycle. Based on that review the protocol allows dose, schedule, or sample size adjustments or termination before enrolling the remaining five participants. The study's primary focus is safety with exploratory measures of tumor response and progression per RECIST 1.1.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could offer a new option for patients whose head and neck cancer progressed after PD‑1 therapy by controlling tumor growth or delaying progression.
How similar studies have gone: Other early‑phase trials combining immune agents or targeted drugs in PD‑1–resistant HNSCC have shown mixed results, and this specific Finotonlimab‑Stapokibart combination is novel with limited prior data.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Voluntarily sign the ICF;
2. Recurrent/metastatic HNSCC of the oral cavity, oropharyngeal, pharyngeal, and laryngeal regions;
3. Male/female, ≥ 18 years old, ECOG 0\~1;
4. After PD-1 and platinum therapy, or PD-1 monotherapy, disease progression occurs within 24 weeks after the last ICI administration (as assessed by RECIST 1.1);
5. Target lesion (RECIST 1.1);
6. Previous PD-L1 expression test results may provide tissue for PD-L1 immunohistochemical testing;
7. Expected to survive for more than 3 months;
8. The main organ functions must meet the following requirements (laboratory test values within 7 days before enrollment must meet the following standards):
* Blood routine examination: (No blood transfusion, no use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, no medication correction within 14 days before screening): a) Neutrophils ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L; b) Platelets ≥ 75 × 10\^9/L; c) Hemoglobin ≥ 90g/L; ② Biochemical examination: (No albumin transfusion within 14 days before screening): a) Blood creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), or creatinine clearance rate\>50 mL/min; b) Serum total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × ULN; c) Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 × ULN; ③ Coagulation function: a) International normalized ratio (INR) ≤ 2.3 or prothrombin time (PT) exceeding the normal control range ≤ 6 seconds.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Suitable for local treatment;
2. Merge with other malignant tumors;
3. Brain metastasis;
4. If the toxicity does not recover to level 0-1 after surgery/radiotherapy/drug treatment, excluding chronic toxicity;
5. Allergic to known medication ingredients;
6. Major surgeries, radiation therapy (excluding palliative care), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and biologics within 4 weeks prior to enrollment;
7. Received TKI, palliative surgery, and non-specific immunomodulatory therapy (such as thymosin and interferon) within 2 weeks before enrollment;
8. Use immunosuppressive drugs within 4 weeks before enrollment (excluding short-term, local, and physiological dose hormone therapy);
9. Patients with the following infection conditions:
Active infections require systemic use of antibiotics; Active mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (i.e. tuberculosis infection); Hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV Ab) positive and hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) positive; Hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) ≥ 1000 IU/mL; History of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or HIV antibody positivity during screening period.
10. Uncontrollable pleural effusion, abdominal effusion, and pericardial effusion;
11. Previous grade ≥ 3 irAE or grade ≥ 2 myocarditis;
12. Have a serious history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, including but not limited to:
Major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (such as congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stroke, transient ischemic attack, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, etc.) occurred within 6 months before the first administration; Corrected QT interval (QTcF)\>480 msec; Echocardiography (ECHO) indicates that the subject's left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \< 50%; New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart function classification ≥ 2; Clinically uncontrollable hypertension (If blood pressure is controlled with or without intervention, subjects can continue to be screened); Other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that have been evaluated by the researchers as unsuitable for participation in this study;
13. Active autoimmune diseases;
14. There is a significant risk of bleeding;
15. Receive a live vaccine within 4 weeks before enrollment;
16. During pregnancy or lactation, subjects with fertility do not receive contraceptive measures;
17. The presence of mental illness may affect the conduct of clinical trials;
18. History of organ transplantation or stem cell transplantation.
Where it's running
-
Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Luo Zhang
- Email: dr.luozhang@gmail.com
- Phone: (86)13910830399
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Neoadjuvant finotonlimab plus TP chemotherapy for SMARCB1-deficient sinonasal cancer
This study tests whether giving finotonlimab with the TP chemotherapy regimen before surgery can shrink locally advanced SMARCB1-deficient sinonasal tumors in adults.
-
TMV vaccine alone or with toripalimab for recurrent head and neck cancer
This study tests a personalized TMV vaccine, alone and with toripalimab, in adults whose head and neck cancer has returned and is planning salvage surgery.
-
Targeted alpha therapy for B7-H3 expressing solid tumors using AKY-2519
This phase 1b trial tests a radiolabeled drug (AKY-2519) to see if it's safe and tolerable in adults with B7-H3 positive advanced solid tumors, including NSCLC and SCLC, with imaging to help guide use.
-
TS-104: a first-in-human, dose-escalation study for advanced solid tumors
This study tests TS-104, a peptide-drug conjugate, as a single therapy in adults with advanced solid tumors like NSCLC, HNSCC, esophageal, gastric, ovarian, or endometrial cancer to see if it is safe and tolerable and whether it shows any benefit.
-
Intratumoral fluorescent nivolumab before surgery in head and neck cancer
This study tests injecting fluorescently labeled nivolumab directly into head and neck tumors to see if it is safe and whether it reaches nearby lymph nodes before surgical removal.
-
SKB571 in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer in adults
This study tests SKB571, alone or with Pembrolizumab and platinum chemotherapy, to see if it helps adults with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.