ClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT03422094Updated Oct 27, 2021

Neoantigen-based Personalized Vaccine Combined With Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed, Unmethylated Glioblastoma

A Phase 1 interventional study of NeoVax and Nivolumab in Glioblastoma, sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-10-27.

Sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Manufacturer changed focus to cell therapy

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Apr 2020, 6 years 6 months ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
3
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a single institution, open-label, multi-arm, pilot study assessing the safety, feasibility, and immunogenicity of a personalized neoantigen-based vaccine plus poly-ICLC (NeoVax) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in subjects with newly diagnosed, unmethylated glioblastoma.

02

Conditions studied

  • Glioblastoma

Browse trials for

03

In context

Glioblastoma

2,132 studies on the registry are indexed under Glioblastoma; 464 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 3 is below the median of 36 across 1,753 interventional studies indexed under Glioblastoma.

Browse Glioblastoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Washington University School of Medicine is the lead sponsor of 1,803 studies on the registry; 271 are open to participants now.

Of its 329 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 216 (66%) 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

  • Newly diagnosed confirmed unmethylated glioblastoma multiforme (WHO grade IV). Patients with secondary glioblastoma, in particular those who are IDH1 or IDH2 mutant, will not be excluded. Unmethylated MGMT must be confirmed by a PCR-based assay.
  • Patients who had craniotomy with , subtotal resection, total gross resection, or re-resection will be permitted.
  • Consented to genome sequencing and dbGaP-based data sharing and has provided or will provide germline (PBMC) and tumor DNA/RNA samples of adequate quality for sequencing. (Acquisition of specimens for sequencing and the sequencing itself may be done as part of routine care or another research project.)
  • At least 18 years of age.
  • performance status ≥ 60%
  • Normal bone marrow and organ function as defined below:

    • ≥ 1,500/mcL
    • ≥ 100,000/mcL
    • Total ≤ 1.5 x institutional (IULN)
    • (SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤ 3.0 x IULN
    • Creatinine ≤ IULN OR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
  • Systemic therapy is permitted provided dosing is no greater than 4 mg per day (dexamethasone or equivalent) on the day of vaccine administration.
  • Bevacizumab will be allowed if given for symptomatic control of vasogenic edema and to avoid high dose of corticosteroids.
  • Women of and men must agree to use adequate (hormonal or barrier method of birth control, abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation, including at least 5 months (for women of childbearing potential) and at least 7 months (for men) after last dose of study drug. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she must inform her treating physician immediately.
  • Ability to understand and willingness to sign an IRB approved written document (or that of legally authorized representative, if applicable).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • As this study aims to assess the immunogenicity of various vaccine plus adjuvant combinations, no prior immunotherapy will be permitted.
  • Inadequate tissue acquisition to allow for neoantigen screening.
  • No candidate neoantigen identified during screening.
  • A history of other ≤ 3 years previous with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, any in situ cancer that has been successfully resected and cured, treated superficial bladder cancer, or any early-stage solid tumor that was successfully resected without need for radiation or chemotherapy.
  • Receiving any other agents within 4 weeks of beginning study treatment.
  • Known allergy, or history of serious adverse reaction to, vaccines such as anaphylaxis, hives, or respiratory difficulty.
  • A history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to poly-ICLC or other agents used in the study.
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  • History of pre-existing immunodeficiency disorder or condition requiring therapy. This includes inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, systemic vasculitis, scleroderma, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, sarcoidosis, or other rheumatologic disease or any other medical condition or use of medication which might make it difficult for the patient to complete the full course of treatments or to generate an immune response to vaccines.
  • Presence of increased intracranial pressure (e.g. impending herniation) or hemorrhage, uncontrolled seizures, or requirement for immediate palliative treatment.
  • Pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Women of must have a negative pregnancy test within 7 days of first dose of vaccine.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(19)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Adjuvant and neoadjuvant

Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (usually surgery), often to shrink a tumour. Adjuvant treatment is given after it, to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cohort A: NeoVax+Nivolumab (start at time of progression)

    * NeoVax given on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase) * Nivolumab 480 mg i.v. given on Day 1 of each cycle beginning at time of progression

    Biological: NeoVax · Biological: Nivolumab · Procedure: Research blood draw · Procedure: Leukapheresis for research

  • Experimental
    Cohort B: NeoVax+Nivolumab (start with Cycle 2)

    * NeoVax given on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase) * Nivolumab 480 mg i.v. given on Day 1 of each cycle beginning with Cycle 2 (start of boosting phase)

    Biological: NeoVax · Biological: Nivolumab · Procedure: Research blood draw · Procedure: Leukapheresis for research

  • Experimental
    Cohort C: NeoVax + Nivolumab (start with Cycle 1)

    * NeoVax given on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase) * Nivolumab 480 mg i.v. given on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase)

    Biological: NeoVax · Biological: Nivolumab · Procedure: Research blood draw · Procedure: Leukapheresis for research

  • Experimental
    Cohort D: NeoVax+Ipilimumab+Nivolumab (start with Cycle 3)

    * NeoVax given on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase) * Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg i.v. given on Days 1 and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase) * Nivolumab 480 mg i.v. given on Day 1 of Cycle 3 and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle

    Biological: NeoVax · Biological: Nivolumab · Biological: Ipilimumab · Procedure: Research blood draw · Procedure: Leukapheresis for research

  • Experimental
    Cohort E: NeoVax+Ipilimumab+Nivolumab (day 1&15 each cycle)

    * NeoVax given on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of Cycle 1 (priming phase), and then on Day 1 of each subsequent cycle (boosting phase) * Ipilimumab 1 mg/kg i.v. given every 6 weeks beginning on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (C1D1, C2D15, C4D1, C5D15, C7D1, C8D15 ...) * Nivolumab 3 mg/kg i.v. given on Days 1 and 15 of each cycle (q2w) beginning on Day 1 of Cycle 1

    Biological: NeoVax · Biological: Nivolumab · Biological: Ipilimumab · Procedure: Research blood draw · Procedure: Leukapheresis for research

Interventions

  • BiologicalNeoVax

    Drug pages: NeoVax · Poly ICLC

    At each vaccination time point, patients will receive up to 20 synthetic long peptides co-administered with 1.5 mg of poly-ICLC divided into a maximum of four injections (pools). Each pool (of vaccine + poly IC:LC) will be administered to one of the four limbs (right axilla, left axilla, right inguina, left inguina) by subcutaneous injection.

    Also known as: Synthetic long peptides plus poly-ICLC

  • BiologicalNivolumab

    Nivolumab is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody

    Also known as: Opdivo

  • BiologicalIpilimumab

    Ipilimumab is a recombinant, human monoclonal antibody that binds to the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4)

    Also known as: Yervoy

  • ProcedureResearch blood draw

    -Baseline, cycle 2 day 1, cycle 4 day 1, and time of progression or discontinuation of treatment

  • ProcedureLeukapheresis for research

    -Baseline, cycle 4 day 1, and time of progression or discontinuation of treatment

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Safety and tolerability of regimen as measured by a <= 33% dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate for a given cohort

    * The DLT observation period is 60 days after C1D1 for patients enrolled to Cohorts A, C, and D and is 90 days after C1D1 for patients enrolled to Cohorts B and E. * DLT is defined as any grade 3 or greater event that occurs during the DLT observation period that is considered at least possibly related to the study treatment.

    Time frame: Up to 90 days after start of treatment

  2. Feasibility of generating a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the ability to identify candidate tumor-specific neoantigens

    Time frame: From time of resection to 4 weeks post-radiation therapy (approximately 14 weeks)

  3. Feasibility of generating a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the the ability to manufacture a neoantigen-based synthetic long peptide vaccine

    Time frame: From time of resection to 4 weeks post-radiation therapy (approximately 14 weeks)

  4. Feasibility of generating a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the ability to administer the vaccine to a patient at 4 weeks post-completion of radiotherapy

    Time frame: From time of resection to 4 weeks post-radiation therapy (approximately 14 weeks)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Immunogenicity of a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the ability to generate a measurable neoantigen-specific T cell response in vaccinated patients

    Time frame: Week 4 post-vaccination

  2. Immunogenicity of a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the ability to generate a measurable neoantigen-specific T cell response in vaccinated patients

    Time frame: Week 16 post-vaccination

  3. Immunogenicity of a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the number of individual neoantigens per number of neoantigens vaccinated against, with which a measurable T cell-specific response

    Time frame: Week 4 post-vaccination

  4. Immunogenicity of a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine as measured by the number of individual neoantigens per number of neoantigens vaccinated against, with which a measurable T cell-specific response

    Time frame: Week 16 post-vaccination

  5. Number of high quality candidate neoantigens present in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma

    High quality neoantigens will be defined as those that meet criteria for inclusion in a vaccine

    Time frame: Up to 2 weeks post sequencing

  6. Progression-free (PFS) survival rate

    Time frame: 6 months

  7. Overall survival (OS) rate

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Washington University School of Medicine
    Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
08

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Oct 2018 to primary completion in Apr 2020, 17 months.

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

Registered
Jan 29, 2018
First posted
Feb 5, 2018
StartActual
Oct 31, 2018
Primary completionActual
Apr 26, 2020
CompletionActual
Dec 31, 2020
Last update
Oct 27, 2021
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 Oct 27, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03422094
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 5, 2018
Start date
Oct 31, 2018
Primary completion
Apr 26, 2020
Completion
Dec 31, 2020
Last update
Oct 27, 2021

Study contacts

Tanner Johanns, M.D., Ph.D.
principal investigator · Washington University School of Medicine

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

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

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion