Clinical trial Recruiting at 7 sites Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Pembrolizumab for ultra-rare sarcomas

Official title: URSa-1: A Minibasket Study of Pembrolizumab in Ultra-Rare Sarcomas

Run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · NCT07089992 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This trial will test whether pembrolizumab can help people with certain ultra-rare sarcomas and cause only mild side effects.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment32 (estimated)
SponsorMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy, radiation, prednisone, pembrolizumab
Locations7 sites (Basking Ridge, New Jersey and 6 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedDecember 4, 2025
Main results expectedDecember 2028
Study endsDecember 2028
Registry record updatedJuly 28, 2026
Trial IDNCT07089992 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults with a pathology-confirmed diagnosis of pleomorphic liposarcoma, PEComa, epithelioid sarcoma, CIC-rearranged sarcoma, or sclerosing epithelioid/low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma who have measurable recurrent or metastatic disease and documented progression after the most recent line of therapy.

Probably not a fit

Patients whose disease is considered curable by other means, who do not have measurable disease per RECIST 1.1, or who cannot tolerate immune checkpoint inhibitors are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.

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

What this trial studies

This Phase 2 trial gives pembrolizumab, a PD-1 blocking antibody, to adults with specified ultra-rare sarcoma subtypes who have recurrent or metastatic disease and have progressed after their most recent therapy. Eligible patients must have measurable disease by RECIST 1.1 and molecular tumor characterization will be recorded when available. The study monitors tumor response, safety, and immune system changes during treatment. All protocol activities are conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center sites in New Jersey with defined follow-up visits.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If effective, pembrolizumab could shrink tumors or slow progression and provide a new treatment option for people with these rare sarcomas.

How similar studies have gone: PD-1 inhibitors have produced responses in some sarcoma subtypes but outcomes have been mixed, so using pembrolizumab in these specific ultra-rare subtypes remains somewhat exploratory.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion:

* Patients must have pathologically confirmed diagnosis of one of the following:

  1. Pleomorphic liposarcoma
  2. PEComa (perivascular epithelial cell tumor)
  3. Epithelioid sarcoma
  4. CIC-rearranged sarcoma
  5. SEF/LGFMS: Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma - low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma
* Molecular characterization of the tumor, if available, will be recorded. If no such molecular data are available, note as such.
* Patient should have recurrent or metastatic disease not judged to be curable with other means
* Patients must have progressed (in the opinion of the treating investigator) following the most recent line of therapy or stop prior therapy due to toxicity or patient choice. The reason for this progression or other reason for changing therapy must be documented, employing tumor measurements when available.
* Definition of Measurable Disease

  * Measurable disease as per RECIST 1.1. Lesions situated in a previously irradiated area are considered measurable if progression has been demonstrated in such lesions for a minimum of 3 months after completion of such therapy
  * Patients with treated brain metastases are eligible if follow up brain imaging after CNS-directed therapy shows no evidence of progression at least 4 weeks after the completion of therapy as shown by follow up imaging before study screening
  * One to 3 prior lines of therapy are permitted (including neoadjuvant/adjuvant or metastatic/recurrent disease)
  * Participants who have AEs due to previous anticancer therapies must have recovered to ≤Grade 1 or baseline. Participants with endocrine-related AEs who are adequately treated with hormone replacement or participants who have ≤Grade 2 neuropathy are eligible. Patients with alopecia and other toxicities considered clinically nonsignificant and/or stable on supportive therapy, as determined by the investigator, are also permitted on study.
  * Administration of killed vaccines is allowed
* Age ≥ 18 years of age.
* ECOG Performance Status 0-1 (Karnofsky 70-100)
* Required organ function (specimens to be collected within 14 days of the start of the study intervention)

  * Adequate hematologic function, defined as:

    * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,000 cells/mm\^3
    * Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/mm\^3
    * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dl
  * Adequate renal function defined, as:

    * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (patients with known Gilbert disease who have bilirubin level ≤ 3 x ULN may be enrolled)
    * AST and ALT ≤3 x institutional ULN
  * Adequate cardiac function, defined as: class II or better New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification.
  * For patients with known HIV, HBV, and/or HCV infection \[HIV, HBV, and HCV testing do not need to be performed as part of the study; the below language provides guidelines for inclusivity of patients with known HIV, HBV, and/or HCV infection\]:

    * HIV-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months and CD4+ T cell count of at least 350 cell/mm3 are eligible for this trial.
    * HIV-infected patients with a history of either Kaposi sarcoma or Castleman disease are excluded from this study
    * HIV-infected patients must not have had an AIDS defining opportunistic infection within the past 12 months
  * For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated.
  * Patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured. For patients with HCV infection who are currently on treatment, they are eligible if they have an undetectable HCV viral load.

Exclusion:

* No prior diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 14 days prior to the first dose of study drug.
* No other active malignancy, other than breast or prostate cancer stable for at least 6 months on hormonal therapy, or CLL Rai stage 0. Cancer in situ will not be considered an active malignancy.
* No active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years except replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid)
* No prior (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease that required steroids or has current pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease.
* Must have adequately recovered from major surgery (at least 4 weeks), without ongoing surgical complications. Patients should have had any minor procedures (e.g. port placement, percutaneous nephrostomy) at least 2 weeks prior to the first day of treatment.
* Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality or other circumstance that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the participant's ability to cooperate with the requirements of the study participation for the full duration of the study, such that it is not in the best interest of the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
* No known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
* Not pregnant or breastfeeding or expecting to conceive children within the projected duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment.
* No prior allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant.
* Patients with documented leptomeningeal disease are excluded from study, even if treated.
* No prior systemic anti-cancer therapy including investigational agents within 4 weeks, 2 weeks for kinase inhibitors or intravenous chemotherapy, prior to starting therapy on study
* No investigational agent(s) administration or use of investigational device within 4 weeks prior to study intervention administration.
* No prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of start of study intervention or radiation-related toxicities requiring corticosteroids. Note: Two weeks or fewer of palliative radiotherapy for non-CNS disease is permitted. The last radiotherapy treatment must have been performed at least 7 days before the first dose of study intervention.
* No prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (eg, CTLA-4, OX-40, CD137).
* No live vaccine or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days before the first dose of study intervention.
* No known bleeding diathesis (e.g. hemophilia, DIC)
* No active infection requiring systemic therapy
* No history of allergic reaction to the study agent(s), compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to the study agent (s) (or any of its excipients).

Where it's running

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge (All Protocol Activities)
    Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Middletown, New Jersey, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Montvale, New Jersey, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Suffolk- Commack (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Commack, New York, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering at Westchester (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Harrison, New York, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
    New York, New York, United States
    Recruiting
Show 1 more location
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (All Protocol Activities)
    Uniondale, New York, United States
    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.