Pidnarulex plus cemiplimab for refractory microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer.

A Phase 1 and Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Pidnarulex (CX-5461) and Cemiplimab (REGN2810) in Refractory Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer

This tests whether combining pidnarulex with cemiplimab is safe and can help people whose microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer has stopped responding to standard treatments.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase1; Phase2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 86 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI) (NIH)
• Drugs / interventions: cetuximab, panitumumab, bevacizumab, cemiplimab, fruquintinib, immunotherapy, prednisone
• Locations: 1 site (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Trial ID: NCT07147231 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a Phase 1/2 dose-finding and efficacy trial that first determines the recommended Phase 2 dose of pidnarulex alone and combined with the anti‑PD‑1 antibody cemiplimab, then compares outcomes of pidnarulex alone versus the combination in patients with refractory, MSS metastatic colorectal cancer. Primary goals include safety/tolerability and progression‑free survival, with secondary endpoints of objective response rate, disease control rate, duration of response, overall survival, and pharmacokinetics. The study requires baseline and on‑treatment tumor biopsies for whole exome and RNA sequencing to explore biomarkers of response related to replication stress. Participants undergo regular imaging and biospecimen collection per protocol to document tumor response and drug exposure.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with unresectable or metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma that is microsatellite‑stable/proficient MMR, have measurable disease by RECIST 1.1, and have progressed on or are intolerant of standard therapies.

Not a fit: Patients with microsatellite‑high (MSI‑H) tumors, resectable disease, effective remaining standard treatment options, or major contraindications to PD‑1 therapy or required procedures are unlikely to benefit or are excluded.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could slow tumor growth and extend progression‑free (and possibly overall) survival for patients with refractory MSS colorectal cancer where single‑agent PD‑1 therapy is ineffective.

How similar studies have performed: Anti‑PD‑1 drugs have shown benefit mainly in MSI‑high CRC, and combining PD‑1 blockade with agents targeting replication stress like pidnarulex is a novel approach with limited prior clinical evidence in MSS CRC.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must have pathologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma that is unresectable and/or metastatic and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective
* Patients must have measurable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version (v) 1.1
* Patients must have pathologically confirmed proficient mismatch repair proteins (pMMR) and/or not microsatellite-high status (non-MSI-H). This may be confirmed by local tissue testing of the primary tumor and/or any metastatic lesion utilizing approved immunohistochemistry (for mismatch repair status) and/or polymerase chain reaction or next generation sequencing (for microsatellite status) assays. Historical (i.e., previously obtained) biopsy mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) status may be utilized. If historical tissue is available, MMR and/or MSI testing may be performed on that tissue if not done previously. Clinical documentation of the patient's MMR and/or MSI status in the medical record may also be utilized to determine MMR and/or MSI status for the purposes of eligibility. pMMR results for eligibility testing must be available prior to study enrollment and no eligibility testing will be conducted on study
* Phase 2 patients must have at least one liver metastasis at study entry (by imaging and/or histology, per investigator assessment); this metastasis does not need to be measurable
* Phase 2 patients must have local/standard of care tumor molecular testing (tumor tissue or circulating tumor DNA) demonstrating MYC amplification or deleterious/likely deleterious FBXW7 mutation, as defined in the report
* Phase 2 patients must have at least one tumor lesion amenable to biopsy
* Patients must undergo a washout period of 28 days for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, including cetuximab and panitumumab
* Patients must have progressed on or have intolerance to (if eligible and not contraindicated per treating investigator) fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, bevacizumab, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor. These are standard of care treatments for this patient population with proven survival benefit, so it would not be appropriate for patients to enroll in this trial without this criterion being met. Subsequent standard of care treatments (trifluridine/tipiracil, fruquintinib, and regorafenib) have a very modest improvement on survival of only a few months compared to placebo and thus clinical trial options are commonly sought after oxaliplatin and irinotecan but before these other agents
* Age ≥ 18 years. Because no dosing or adverse event data are currently available on the use of pidnarulex (CX-5461) in combination with cemiplimab in patients \< 18 years of age, children are excluded from this study
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2 (Karnofsky ≥ 60%)
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mcL
* Platelets ≥ 100,000/mcL
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) (however, patients with known Gilbert disease who have serum bilirubin level of up to 3 mg/dl may be enrolled)
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase \[SGPT\]) ≤ 3 × institutional ULN, (5 × ULN for patients with liver involvement)
* Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥ 50 mL/min/1.73 m\^2
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial
* 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
* Patients with treated brain metastases are eligible if follow-up brain imaging after central nervous system (CNS)-directed therapy shows no evidence of progression for ≥ 1 month after treatment of the brain metastases
* Patients 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
* Patients with known history or current symptoms of cardiac disease, or history of treatment with cardiotoxic agents, should have a clinical risk assessment of cardiac function using the New York Heart Association Functional Classification. To be eligible for this trial, patients should be class II or better
* The effects of that pidnarulex (CX-5461) on the developing human fetus are unknown. Based on its mechanism of action, cemiplimab (REGN2810) can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Animal studies have demonstrated that inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway can lead to increased risk of immune-mediated rejection of the developing fetus resulting in fetal death. For these reasons, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) 14 days prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation and for at least 4 months after the last dose of cemiplimab (REGN2810) and 6 months after the last dose of pidnarulex (CX-5461). Sexual abstinence is considered a highly effective method only if defined as refraining from heterosexual intercourse during the entire period of risk associated with the study intervention. The reliability of sexual abstinence needs to be evaluated in relation to the duration of the study and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the participant. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. Women should not breastfeed while taking cemiplimab (REGN2810) for at least 4 months after cessation of treatment, and for pidnarulex (CX-5461), for 6 months after cessation of treatment. Women should not donate eggs for 14 days prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 6 months after completion of pidnarulex (CX-5461) and cemiplimab (REGN2810). Male patients must also agree to not donate sperm for 14 days prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 6 months after completion of pidnarulex (CX-5461) and cemiplimab (REGN2810) administration
* Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Legally authorized representatives may sign and give informed consent on behalf of study participants

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with active autoimmune diseases, defined as requiring systemic treatment in the past 2 years with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs. Replacement therapy (eg; thyroxine, insulin, physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment
* Patients with prior treatment with an RNA polymerase inhibitor, G quadruplex stabilizer, or immunotherapy. This includes prior treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor agent
* Presence of known photosensitivity disorders

  * Patients who do not agree to use sunglasses and sunscreen (≥ sun protective factor (SPF) 50 to ultraviolet B (UVB) and a high degree of protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) if exposed to sunlight during the study and for 4 weeks after the last dose are not eligible. Patients may also not use sun tanning beds during the study, and within 4 weeks after the last dose
* Patients with a history of cicatricial conjunctivitis or active ocular surface disease (as evaluated by ophthalmologist as needed; routine eye exam for all study participants is not needed)
* Patients who have not recovered from adverse events due to prior anti-cancer therapy (i.e., have residual toxicities \> grade 1) with the exception of alopecia
* Patients who are receiving any other investigational agents
* Patients with a history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to pidnarulex (CX-5461) and cemiplimab
* Patients who use strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or strong CYP3A4 inducers. Pidnarulex (CX-5461) has been shown to be metabolized primarily by the CYP3A4 enzyme. Inhibitors and substrates of these enzymes can increase pidnarulex (CX-5461) plasma concentrations while inducers of these enzymes can decrease pidnarulex (CX-5461) plasma concentrations
* Patients who are taking corticosteroids at a dose greater than 10 mg of prednisone daily or other immunosuppressive or disease-modifying agents, as this may reduce efficacy of an immunotherapy regimen
* Patients with uncontrolled intercurrent illness or any other significant condition(s) that would make participation in this protocol unreasonably hazardous
* Pregnant and lactating women are excluded from this study. The exclusion is based on the potential risk of adverse effects of pidnarulex (CX-5461) on fetal development and newborn health. The safety of pidnarulex (CX-5461) has not been established in pregnant or lactating women, and there is a possibility that the drug could cause harm to the developing fetus or be transferred to the infant through breast milk. Additionally, the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation could alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pidnarulex (CX-5461), leading to unpredictable drug exposure and efficacy. There is also an increased risk of immune-mediated rejection of the developing fetus with cemiplimab (REGN2810)

Where this trial is running

Baltimore, Maryland

• JHU Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center LAO — Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Wells A Messersmith — JHU Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center LAO

Conditions Metastatic Colorectal Adenocarcinoma; Refractory Colorectal Adenocarcinoma; Stage III Colorectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IV Colorectal Cancer AJCC v8; Unresectable Colorectal Adenocarcinoma