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TerminatedNCT02963051Updated Sep 16, 2021

A Phase Ib Study of Intravenous Copper Loading With Oral Disulfiram in Metastatic, Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

A Phase 1 interventional study of Copper and Disulfiram in Prostate Cancer, sponsored by Daniel George, MD. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to male participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-09-16.

Sponsored by Daniel George, MD · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Study stopped due to lack of efficacy.

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Dec 2018, 7 years 9 months ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
9
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and optimal dosing of intravenous copper chloride and disulfiram in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Eligible men will have neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), adenocarcinoma CRPC with non-liver/peritoneal metastases (lymph nodes, bone, or lung) or adenocarcinoma CRPC with liver and/or peritoneal metastases. Subjects will receive three doses of intravenous copper chloride and take disulfiram and oral copper gluconate until disease progression (up to two years). Subjects will also undergo a PET scan with radioactive copper 64 to measure the levels of copper in their tumor. The central hypotheses of this project are that (a) copper chloride and disulfiram are safe to give together and that (b) the combination of disulfiram with copper will have efficacy for both mCRPC and NEPC.

02

Conditions studied

  • Prostate Cancer

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Keywords

  • metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
  • neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)
  • adenocarcinoma castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)
  • Copper
  • Disulfiram
03

In context

Prostatic Neoplasms

6,370 studies on the registry are indexed under Prostatic Neoplasms; 1,400 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 9 is below the median of 58 across 4,822 interventional studies indexed under Prostatic Neoplasms.

Browse Prostatic Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Daniel George, MD is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Age ≥ 18 years
  2. Karnofsky performance status ≥ 70
  3. Life expectancy of ≥ 12 weeks as determined by treating investigator
  4. Adequate laboratory parameters

    • Adequate bone marrow function as shown by: ANC ≥ 1.5 x 109/L, Platelets ≥ 80 x 109/L, Hb>9 g/dL
    • AST/SGOT and ALT/SGPT ≤ 2.5 x Institutional Upper Limit of Normal (ULN)
    • Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x Institutional ULN
    • Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x Institutional ULN or 24-hour clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
  5. Histologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer. Histologic variants of prostate cancer, including neuroendocrine features and small cell carcinoma of the prostate are included.If neuroendocrine prostate cancer is not biopsy proven, clinical evidence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer is acceptable for stratification into group A.
  6. Radiographic evidence of metastatic disease.
  7. Ongoing ADT using an LHRH agonist (e.g. leuprolide, goserelin) or antagonist (e.g. degarelix) must continue on therapy unless prior bilateral orchiectomy has been performed. OR Screening serum testosterone must be \<50 ng/dl.
  8. Evidence of disease progression on ADT as evidenced by one of the following:

    • 2 consecutive PSA levels 50% or greater above the PSA nadir achieved on ADT and separated at least 1 week apart, OR
    • CT or MRI based evidence of disease progression (soft tissue, nodal or visceral disease progression) according to PCWG3 criteria or RECIST 1.1 criteria, or at least 1 new bone scan lesion as compared to the most immediate prior radiologic studies, OR
    • Absolute rise in PSA of 2.0ng/mL or greater, minimum 2 consecutive rising PSA levels with an interval of ≥ 1 week between each PSA level
  9. A minimum of 2 weeks elapsed off of antiandrogen therapy prior to registration (i.e. flutamide, nilutamide, and bicalutamide) without evidence of an anti-androgen withdrawal response. An anti-androgen withdrawal response is a PSA level at 2 weeks (or more) off of anti-androgen equal or higher than PSA level when anti-androgen therapy stopped.
  10. For subjects in Groups B or C, previous use of at least one androgen pathway inhibitor (either abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide) for metastatic CRPC
  11. For subjects in Group A with NEPC, previous use of at least one platinum-containing chemotherapy regimen.
  12. A minimum of 2 weeks off of enzalutamide or abiraterone if applicable, prior to registration.
  13. A minimum of 4 weeks from prior chemotherapy, including but not limited to, docetaxel, cabazitaxel, mitoxantrone, carboplatinum, cisplatin, or estramustine; if applicable, prior to registration.
  14. A minimum of 4 weeks from any major surgery prior to registration.
  15. Ability to swallow, retain, and absorb oral medication.
  16. Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
  17. Willingness to abstain from alcohol or any alcohol-containing fluids for the duration of the study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

  1. Symptomatic subjects who accept treatment with approved palliative or life-prolonging systemic therapies, including docetaxel and cabazitaxel chemotherapy. (Note: subjects who refuse chemotherapy or are not symptomatic or in immediate need for standard systemic therapies may be included.)
  2. Known history of Wilson's disease or a copper deficiency.
  3. Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP >160 mmHg or diastolic BP > 95 mmHg) or other medical condition that could jeopardize the assessment of toxicity on study.
  4. Active or symptomatic viral hepatitis or chronic liver disease.
  5. Known history of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C (HCV) infection.
  6. Clinically significant heart disease as evidenced by myocardial infarction, or arterial thrombotic events in the past 6 months, severe or unstable angina, or New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II-IV heart disease or cardiac ejection fraction measurement of \< 50% at baseline.
  7. Symptomatic atrial fibrillation or other cardiac arrhythmia for which the therapy is not stable or requiring changes in therapy within 1 month of treatment initiation. Atrial fibrillation or other cardiac arrhythmia which is clinically stable on stable therapy is allowed.
  8. Corrected QT interval calculated by the Bazett formula (QTcB) >480 msec.
  9. Other malignancy, except non-melanoma skin cancer, with a ≥ 30% probability of death within 24 months.
  10. Administration of an investigational therapeutic within 30 days of Cycle 1, Day 1.
  11. Any condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude participation in this trial.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
9 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)

    Subjects with neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) Copper will be administered intravenously at a dose of 1, 3, 5, or 7 mg on cycle 1 days 1, 8, 15. Disulfiram will administered orally at a dose of 80 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 2. Copper gluconate will be administered orally at a dose of 1.5 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 16.

    Drug: Copper · Drug: Disulfiram · Drug: Copper gluconate

  • Experimental
    Adenocarcinoma CRPC with non-liver/peritoneal metastases

    Subjects with adenocarcinoma CRPC with non-liver/peritoneal metastases (lymph nodes, bone, or lung) Copper will be administered intravenously at a dose of 1, 3, 5, or 7 mg on cycle 1 days 1, 8, 15. Disulfiram will administered orally at a dose of 80 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 2. Copper gluconate will be administered orally at a dose of 1.5 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 16.

    Drug: Copper · Drug: Disulfiram · Drug: Copper gluconate

  • Experimental
    Adenocarcinoma CRPC with liver and/or peritoneal mets

    Subjects with adenocarcinoma CRPC with liver and/or peritoneal metastases Copper will be administered intravenously at a dose of 1, 3, 5, or 7 mg on cycle 1 days 1, 8, 15. Disulfiram will administered orally at a dose of 80 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 2. Copper gluconate will be administered orally at a dose of 1.5 mg three times a day starting on cycle 1 day 16.

    Drug: Copper · Drug: Disulfiram · Drug: Copper gluconate

Interventions

  • DrugCopper

    1 mg, 3 mg, 5 mg or 7 mg intravenously on cycle 1 day 1, 8 and 15

    Also known as: Copper chloride

  • DrugDisulfiram

    80 mg three times a day Source of disulfiram: Cantex Pharmaceuticals

    Also known as: Anatabuse

  • DrugCopper gluconate

    1.5 mg three times a day Source of copper gluconate: Cantex Pharmaceuticals

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of adverse events

    Safety (NCI CTC v4.0) and tolerability of IV CuCl2 and DSF in men with mCRPC

    Time frame: Up to 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Median radiographic progression free survival (PFS)

    Radiographic PFS based on PCWG3 criteria or based on the onset of a skeletal related event. Imaging obtained every 12 weeks.

    Time frame: Every 12 weeks, up to 2 years

  2. Amount of 64-Copper uptake by the tumor

    64-Copper PET imaging

    Time frame: Baseline

  3. Change in PSA

    PSA response

    Time frame: Every 4 weeks, up to 2 years

  4. Time to PSA nadir

    Time to PSA nadir

    Time frame: Every 4 weeks, up to 2 years

  5. Time to PSA progression

    Time to PSA progression

    Time frame: Every 4 weeks, up to 2 years

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Duke University Medical Center
    Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 16, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02963051
Lead sponsor
Daniel George, MD
Collaborators
Give 1 For Dad Campaign, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, Peter Michael Foundation, Cantex Pharmaceuticals
Responsible party
Daniel George, MD (Professor of Medicine, Duke University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Nov 15, 2016
Start date
Jul 11, 2017
Primary completion
Dec 30, 2018
Completion
Feb 1, 2020
Last update
Sep 16, 2021

Study contacts

Daniel George, MD
principal investigator · Duke University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Sep 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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