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CompletedNCT03267888Updated Sep 4, 2024Results posted

Pembrolizumab and Radiation Therapy in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Pembrolizumab and Radiation Therapy in ISS Stage I Plasma Cell Myeloma, ISS Stage II Plasma Cell Myeloma and ISS Stage III Plasma Cell Myeloma, sponsored by Emory University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-09-04.

Sponsored by Emory University · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
25
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This pilot clinical trial studies the side effects of pembrolizumab and radiation therapy in treating patients with stage I-III multiple myeloma that has come back after a period of improvement or that does not respond to treatment. Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may block cancer growth in different ways by targeting certain cells. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Giving pembrolizumab and radiation therapy may work better in treating patients with stage I-III multiple myeloma.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate the safety of concurrent single/low dose radiation therapy (radiotherapy) (8 Gy/1fx) in combination with pembrolizumab in relapsed or refractory myeloma patients.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To characterize late toxicity (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE] > grade 2 toxicity at 6 and 12 months) and the effect of radiation in combination with pembrolizumab on systemic response rates using international myeloma working group (IMWG) uniform response criteria for multiple myeloma at 6 months and 12 months.

II. To assess changes in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) as a result of combining pembrolizumab and radiotherapy at 6 months and 12 months.

OUTLINE:

Patients undergo radiation therapy on day 1. Patients also receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 2 or 3. Courses with pembrolizumab repeat every 3 weeks for 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30 days and then every 12 weeks thereafter.

02

Conditions studied

  • ISS Stage I Plasma Cell Myeloma
  • ISS Stage II Plasma Cell Myeloma
  • ISS Stage III Plasma Cell Myeloma
  • Recurrent Plasma Cell Myeloma
  • Refractory Plasma Cell Myeloma

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03

In context

Multiple Myeloma

3,712 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Myeloma; 752 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 25 is below the median of 41 across 2,965 interventional studies indexed under Multiple Myeloma.

Browse Multiple Myeloma studies →

Lead sponsor

Emory University is the lead sponsor of 1,405 studies on the registry; 233 are open to participants now.

Of its 233 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 176 (76%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • International Staging System (ISS) stage I-III multiple myeloma that has progressive, relapsed, or refractory disease
  • Able to give informed consent
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1
  • Relapsed and/or refractory myeloma; there is no minimum or maximum number of previous therapies that a patient may have received previously before being put on the current trial
  • ≥ 1 osseous and/or extra-osseous lesion that can be radiated
  • Candidate for pembrolizumab (as determined by physician, and adequate organ function)
  • Candidate for radiotherapy (as determined by treatment physician); these patients can have symptomatic disease and/or asymptomatic disease; a minimum of one site of radiation is required to any osseous and/or any extra-osseous disease; radiation to any bony parts of the head and neck, skull, spine, ribs, and/or extremities are allowed; radiation to any bony part for documented lytic disease is allowed; radiation to any soft tissue plasmacytoma (including osseous and extra-osseous plasmacytoma) is allowed; the only exclusion criteria for radiation, is central nervous system (CNS) metastases
  • Measurable myeloma disease (urine protein > 200 mg in 24 hours [hr] urine collection, serum free light chain ratio > 100 with an abnormal k/l ratio, serum M protein > 0.5 g/dl); 12 of the 24 patients do not have to have measurable disease
  • Negative urine pregnancy test within 2 weeks for female subjects; female subjects of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication; if the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required

    • Female subjects of childbearing potential should be willing to use 2 methods of birth control or be surgically sterile, or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication; subjects of childbearing potential are those who have not been surgically sterilized or have not been free from menses for > 1 year
    • Male subjects should agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy
    • Abstinence is acceptable, if this is the usual life style and preferred contraception for the patient

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) or anti-PD-L1
  • Solitary plasmacytoma
  • Smoldering (asymptomatic) multiple myeloma
  • Currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment
  • Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency
  • Known history of active TB (Bacillus tuberculosis)
  • Hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab or any of its recipients
  • Known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment (exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin)
  • Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e. with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs)
  • Known history of, or any evidence of active, non-infectious pneumonitis
  • Active infection requiring systemic therapy
  • Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment
  • Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies)
  • Has known active hepatitis B (e.g., hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or hepatitis C (e.g., hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] [qualitative] is detected)
  • Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy; NOTE: seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally inactivated flu vaccines and are allowed; however intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., Flu-Mist) are live attenuated vaccines, and are not allowed
  • Patients requiring radiation for CNS diseases are excluded (CNS defined as brain soft tissue/intra parenchymal metastases within the gray and white matter of the brain and/or for cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] disseminated disease, including leptomeningeal carcinomatous disease)
  • Has a history of allogeneic stem cell transplantation
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
25 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Radiation therapy, pembrolizumab

    Patients undergo radiation therapy on day 1. Patients also receive pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 2 or 3. Courses with pembrolizumab repeat every 3 weeks for 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

    Biological: Pembrolizumab · Radiation: Radiation Therapy

Interventions

  • BiologicalPembrolizumab

    Given 200 mg IV.

    Also known as: Keytruda, MK-3475

  • RadiationRadiation Therapy

    Patients will receive radiotherapy (8 Gy/1 fx) to an extra-osseous site and/or any bony site containing myeloma deposit.

    Also known as: Radiotherapy

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants With Adverse Events

    Greater than grade 2 toxicity will be assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months after study start

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of Patients Achieving Any Response

    Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR according to International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months after study start

  2. Number of Participants Who Showed an Overall Response to Treatment Based on Baseline Changes on Positron Emission to Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

    Will be defined using International IMWG criteria.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months after study start

  3. Overall Survival

    Will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method.

    Time frame: From first treatment on course 1, day 1 to the earlier of date of death and/or last follow up, assessed up to 12 months

07

Results

Posted Sep 4, 2024

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Started25
Completed25
Not completed0

Outcome measures

PrimaryNumber of Participants With Adverse Events

Greater than grade 2 toxicity will be assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.

Time frame:
Up to 12 months after study start
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Adverse Events
ParticipantsRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Number of Participants With Adverse Events8
SecondaryNumber of Patients Achieving Any Response

Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR according to International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria.

Time frame:
Up to 12 months after study start
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Patients Achieving Any Response
ParticipantsRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Number of Patients Achieving Any Response8
SecondaryNumber of Participants Who Showed an Overall Response to Treatment Based on Baseline Changes on Positron Emission to Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

Will be defined using International IMWG criteria.

Time frame:
Up to 12 months after study start
Reported as:
Number · participants
Number of Participants Who Showed an Overall Response to Treatment Based on Baseline Changes on Positron Emission to Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
participantsRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Number of Participants Who Showed an Overall Response to Treatment Based on Baseline Changes on Positron Emission to Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography20 (7 to 41)
SecondaryOverall Survival

Will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method.

Time frame:
From first treatment on course 1, day 1 to the earlier of date of death and/or last follow up, assessed up to 12 months
Reported as:
Number · participants
Overall Survival
participantsRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Overall Survival15

Adverse events

Collected over The first 12 months of treatment. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab10/25 (40%)1/25 (4%)8/25 (32%)
Most frequent serious events
Most frequent serious events
EventRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
FatigueGeneral disorders1/25
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventRadiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
FatigueGeneral disorders4/25
FeverImmune system disorders2/25
Rigours during infusionMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders1/25
HypothyroidismEndocrine disorders1/25

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Median62 (48 to 67)
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Female11
Male14
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
Hispanic or Latino0
Not Hispanic or Latino25
Unknown or Not Reported0
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
American Indian or Alaska Native0
Asian0
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0
Black or African American6
White19
More than one race0
Unknown or Not Reported0
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Radiation Therapy, Pembrolizumab
United States25
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute
    Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Khan MK, Nasti TH, Qian JY, Kleber TJ, Switchenko JM, Kaufman JL, Nooka AJ, Dhodapkar MV, Buchwald ZS, Obiekwe D, Lonial S, Ahmed R. Pembrolizumab and low-dose, single-fraction radiotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: a prospective, single-centre, single-group, open-label, phase 2 pilot trial in the USA. Lancet Haematol. 2024 Jul;11(7):e510-e520. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(24)00105-4. Epub 2024 May 23. PubMed 38797190 ↗

Study documents

  • Protocol and statistical analysis plan · Jun 30, 2022
  • Informed consent form · Dec 5, 2022

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

10

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from May 2018 to primary completion in Sep 2022, 51 months.

Results were first posted in Sep 2024, 2 years after primary completion.

Of 102 non-industry phase 1/2 interventional studies under Multiple Myeloma, half reached primary completion within 67 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 46 and three quarters within 92. This study's 51 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 201 studies reached it within 64 months; a quarter within 44 and three quarters within 90.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 29, 2017
First posted
Aug 30, 2017
StartActual
May 29, 2018
Primary completionActual
Sep 2, 2022
CompletionActual
Sep 2, 2022
Results first posted
Sep 4, 2024
Last update
Sep 4, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 4, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03267888
Lead sponsor
Emory University
Responsible party
Mohammad K. Khan (Principal Investigator, Emory University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 30, 2017
Start date
May 29, 2018
Primary completion
Sep 2, 2022
Completion
Sep 2, 2022
Results posted
Sep 4, 2024
Last update
Sep 4, 2024

Study contacts

Mohammad K. Khan, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Emory University

Oversight

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

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This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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