Zemetostat plus Anlotinib for SWI/SNF-deficient Head and Neck Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Official title: A Single-Arm, Prospective, Phase II Clinical Study of Zemetostat Combined With Anlotinib in Patients With Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Soft Tissue Sarcoma With SWI/SNF Complex Deficiency After Failure of Standard-of-Care Therapy
Run by Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University · NCT07917949 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether zemetostat plus anlotinib can help people with recurrent or metastatic head-and-neck soft tissue sarcoma that has SWI/SNF complex deficiency after standard therapy fails.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years to 75 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 34 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | anlotinib, chemotherapy, doxorubicin |
| Locations | 1 site (Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 10, 2026 |
| Main results expected | November 10, 2028 |
| Study ends | November 10, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | November 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07917949 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18-75 with recurrent or metastatic head-and-neck soft tissue sarcoma, measurable disease, prior doxorubicin-containing therapy, unresectable disease or no curative options, and confirmed SWI/SNF deficiency.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients whose tumors do not respond to zemetostat or anlotinib, or who experience intolerable toxicity, may not benefit from this regimen.
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-center, single-arm Phase II study evaluating the combination of zemetostat and anlotinib in adults with SWI/SNF-deficient head-and-neck soft tissue sarcoma that has progressed after prior treatment. Participants receive zemetostat 350 mg twice daily and anlotinib 12 mg once daily for 14 days on a 21-day cycle, with dosing held for vomiting or missed doses as specified. Eligible patients have measurable disease, at least one prior doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy, and confirmed SWI/SNF deficiency. The study aims to determine whether the combination can produce clinical benefit and acceptable safety in this specific molecularly defined population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could offer a new targeted treatment option for SWI/SNF-deficient head-and-neck soft tissue sarcoma that has progressed after standard therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies with similar epigenetic or anti-angiogenic approaches in sarcomas have shown signals of activity in select molecular subtypes, but this exact combination in SWI/SNF-deficient head-and-neck sarcoma is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* 1\. Aged 18-75 years, regardless of gender. 2. Patients with histopathologically confirmed head-and-neck soft-tissue sarcoma that is recurrent/metastatic after surgery with no curative-intent treatment (surgery/radiotherapy) options, or locally advanced unresectable disease; with measurable lesions (≥10 mm on spiral CT scan, meeting RECIST 1.1 criteria).
3\. Have previously received at least one cycle of doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy, with radiologically confirmed disease progression or judged by the investigator to derive no further clinical benefit from prior therapy. Prior chemotherapy must have been completed at least 4 weeks before the first study drug administration, and all treatment-related toxicities must have resolved to baseline or to Grade 1 or lower per CTCAE Version 5.0.
4\. Malignant tumors with immunohistochemically-verified deficiency of the SWI/SNF (BAF) complex (including ARID1A, ARID1B, SMARCA2 (BRM), SMARCA4 (BRG1), SMARCB1 (INI1), etc.).
5\. Accessible evaluable tumor tissue (paraffin-embedded specimen obtained within the past 2 years or fresh tumor tissue).
6\. ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. 7. Expected survival ≥12 weeks. 8. Adequate major organ function within 2 weeks prior to treatment initiation, as defined below: i. Bone marrow: hemoglobin ≥100 g/L without transfusion or colony-stimulating factor support; white blood cell count ≥4.0 × 10⁹/L or absolute neutrophil count ≥2.0 × 10⁹/L; platelet count ≥100 × 10⁹/L.
ii. Liver: total serum bilirubin ≤1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN); aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤1.5 × ULN.
iii. Kidney: serum creatinine \<1.5 × ULN \*\*or\*\* creatinine clearance ≥60 mL/min; blood urea nitrogen ≤200 mg/L.
iv. Urine protein: negative on dipstick; if dipstick shows 1+ protein, 24-hour total urinary protein must be \<500 mg.
v. Blood glucose: within normal range; or patients with diabetes on stable anti-diabetic therapy with well-controlled glycemia.
vi. Cardiac function: no myocardial infarction within 1 year; no unstable angina; no symptomatic severe arrhythmia; no cardiac insufficiency.
9\. Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to the first study drug dose. Fertile men and women with child-bearing potential must use highly effective contraceptive measures throughout the study (e.g., oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, sexual abstinence, or barrier contraception combined with spermicide), and continue contraception for 12 months after treatment completion.
10\. Subjects voluntarily participate in this study, provide written informed consent, demonstrate good compliance, and are willing to complete follow-up assessments.
11\. Patients for whom the investigator judges study treatment may confer clinical benefit.
Exclusion Criteria:
* 1\. Patients previously treated with anlotinib or EZH1/2 / EZH2 inhibitors. 2. Re-irradiation to the head-and-neck region (including cervical, supraclavicular and infraclavicular lymph nodes) within 6 months prior to enrollment.
3\. Tumor encasement, invasion or infiltration of major blood vessels; tumor invasion into skin or mucosal cavities; or ulcerated/bleeding tumor lesions.
4\. Known hypersensitivity to anlotinib, zemetostat, or any of their excipients. 5. Concurrent use of known moderate- or strong-inducers / inhibitors of CYP3A4 / CYP3A5, or P-gp inhibitors.
6\. Uncontrolled hypertension despite anti-hypertensive medication (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg).
7\. Any condition impairing oral drug ingestion, or any condition altering drug disposition (absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion) in vivo.
8\. Coagulopathy (INR \> 2.0, PT \> 16 s); bleeding diathesis; or receiving thrombolytic or anticoagulant therapy. Prophylactic low-dose aspirin and low-molecular-weight heparin are permitted.
9\. Clinically significant bleeding events or definite bleeding diathesis within 3 months before enrollment, such as hemoptysis ≥2.5 mL/day, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, high-risk esophageal-gastric varices, hemorrhagic gastric ulcer, vasculitis, etc. If baseline fecal occult blood is positive, repeat testing is required. If persistently positive, gastroscopy shall be performed. Patients with severe esophageal-gastric varices identified on gastroscopy are excluded (exception: patients who underwent gastroscopy within the preceding 3 months to rule out such findings).
10\. Known inherited or acquired bleeding or thrombotic predisposition (e.g., hemophilia, coagulation disorders, thrombocytopenia).
11\. Receiving concurrent anti-neoplastic therapy. 12. Participation in other investigational drug / therapeutic clinical trials within 4 weeks before the first study drug dose.
13\. Positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody or \*Treponema pallidum\* antibody.
14\. Active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection:
1. For subjects positive for HBsAg or HBcAb: HBV-DNA level above the upper limit of normal.
2. For subjects positive for HCV antibody: HCV-RNA level above the upper limit of normal.
15\. Symptomatic large-volume pleural effusion or ascites requiring clinical intervention.
16\. Active pulmonary disease (interstitial pneumonia, pneumonia, obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma) or history of active pulmonary tuberculosis.
17\. Any uncontrolled clinical medical conditions, including but not limited to:
<!-- -->
1. Persistent or active severe infection;
2. Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus;
3. Cardiac disease (New York Heart Association Grade III/IV congestive heart failure or cardiac conduction block).
18\. Any of the following events occurring within 6 months prior to first study drug administration: deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism; myocardial infarction; severe or unstable arrhythmia or angina pectoris; percutaneous coronary intervention, acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery bypass grafting; cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, cerebral embolism.
19\. Prior stem-cell transplantation or solid-organ transplantation. 20. History of untreatable substance abuse involving psychotropic agents, or history of psychiatric disorders.
21\. Other severe, acute or chronic medical illnesses or laboratory abnormalities that, in the investigator's opinion, may increase study-related risks or confound interpretation of study results.
22\. Poor compliance as judged by the investigator, or other conditions rendering the subject unsuitable for study participation.
23\. History of other malignant malignancies within the past 5 years.
Where it's running
-
the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Yue He, M.D. — the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Guoxin Ren, M.D.
- Email: renguoxincn@sina.com
- Phone: 13916948812
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Combining Anlotinib with Doxorubicin and Radiotherapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment
This study is testing if combining a cancer drug called anlotinib with chemotherapy and radiation can help people with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma have better treatment results before surgery.
-
Combining Cadonilimab and Anlotinib for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma
This study is testing a new combination treatment of cadonilimab and anlotinib to see if it helps people with advanced soft tissue sarcoma who haven't had success with other treatments.
-
Phase 3 test of anlotinib (AL3818) versus dacarbazine in advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and synovial sarcoma
This trial tests whether anlotinib (AL3818) helps adults with advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma, while earlier arms compared anlotinib to dacarbazine for leiomyosarcoma and synovial sarcoma that are no longer enrolling.
-
68Ga-HX01 PET/CT Imaging in Soft Tissue Sarcoma patients
This study tests whether a 68Ga-HX01 injection can help PET/CT imaging better characterize soft tissue sarcoma in adults who have exhausted standard treatments or have no good options.
-
Pucotenlimab and Anlotinib with Chemo Before Surgery for Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
This study tests a combo of pucotenlimab, anlotinib, and nab-paclitaxel before surgery in adults with newly diagnosed, stage II-III triple-negative breast cancer that is PD-L1 known.
-
Entinostat for pediatric soft tissue sarcoma with PAX abnormalities
This study tests entinostat, alone or with chemotherapy, in children whose soft tissue sarcomas have PAX-family gene abnormalities to see if it can help shrink tumors or slow progression.
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.