Active Cancer NIHR-supported project Infection & Immunity

VELOCITY-HNSCC Substudy-01: A Phase 2 Study of Novel Combination Therapies in Participants With Previously Untreated Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Regardless of PD-L1 Expression Status

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Doctors are testing whether adding a second immune-boosting drug to a standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination can shrink head and neck cancers that have returned or spread. Around 120 patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma will receive either zimberelimab plus domvanalimab alongside paclitaxel and carboplatin, or zimberelimab with chemotherapy alone. Current treatments for this aggressive cancer often stop working, and many patients are not eligible for existing immunotherapies because their tumours lack a specific marker called PD-L1. This trial includes patients regardless of PD-L1 expression, addressing a gap in treatment options for a large group. If the dual immunotherapy approach proves safe and effective, it could become a new standard first-line therapy for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, potentially extending survival and delaying disease progression. The study is funded by Gilead Sciences and will run across roughly 70 hospitals globally.

View original technical description
This is a Phase 2 study to learn about the safety and effectiveness of the study medications zimberelimab and domvanalimab when given with the chemotherapy medications paclitaxel and carboplatin in participants with head and neck cancer that has returned after treatment or spread to another part of the body. Zimberelimab and domvanalimab are medications called inhibitors, which are designed to work by targeting specific parts of your immune cells to help the immune system to better attack and destroy the cancer cells.The study is split into two cohorts:Cohort 1 participants will be randomised (chosen by chance—like flipping a coin) into either treatment Group A or Group B to receive:• Group A: zimberelimab, domvanalimab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin.• Group B: zimberelimab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin.Cohort 2 is a biomarker cohort that may open at the discretion of the sponsor. Participants will receive domvanalimab + zimberelimab + paclitaxel + carboplatin.Participant involvement will include:• Screening Period- will determine if the participant meets the requirements to take part in the study. Will be a maximum of 28 days.• Treatment- Study treatments will be administered via an intravenous (IV) infusion in 3-week (21 days) cycles. This means that it is given slowly through a needle, which will be inserted in a vein.• Follow-up- After stopping study medications the participant will have an End of Dosing Visit within 7 days after last dose of study medications, then Safety Follow Up Visits will happen 30, 60, and 100 days after last dose of study medications. Participants will enter a long-term follow-up and shall be contacted every 12 weeks.Approximately 120 participants (100 in Cohort 1 and 20 in Cohort 2) will take part in this study. The study will be run atabout 70 clinics/hospitals located globally.Gilead Sciences is the sponsor for this study responsible for starting, overseeing, and/or paying for a clinical researchstudy.

Researchers

Kevin Harrington (Principal Investigator)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

A Phase 2 Study of Novel Combination Therapies in Participants With Previously Untreated Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Regardless of PD-L1 Expression Status
A Phase 2 Platform Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Novel Treatment Combinations in Patients with Lung Cancer (VELOCITY - (Sub Study One))
A Phase 2 Study of Magrolimab Combination Therapy in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A Phase II, Open-label, Platform Study, to evaluate Immunotherapy-based combinations in participants with advanced Non-SmallCell Lung Cancer
STAR-121: A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Zimberelimab and Domvanalimab in Combination with Chemotherapy Versus Pembrolizumab with Chemotherapy for the First-Line Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With No Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor or Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Genomic Tumor Aberrations

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.