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WithdrawnNCT03797443Updated May 31, 2019

High Dose Ascorbic Acid (AA) + Nanoparticle Paclitaxel Protein Bound + Cisplatin + Gemcitabine (AA NABPLAGEM) in Patients Who Have Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Ascorbic Acid and nab paclitaxel in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer, sponsored by Piedmont Cancer Institute. Withdrawn at 3 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-05-31.

Sponsored by Piedmont Cancer Institute · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Regulatory Review needed
Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to see if a combination of paclitaxel protein bound (also known as nab-paclitaxel), gemcitabine, and cisplatin when given with high dose Ascorbic Acid will be safe and effective in individuals with untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Vitamin C is a nutrient found in food and dietary supplements. It protects cells and also plays a key role in making collagen (which provides strength and structure to skin, bones, tissues and tendons). High-dose vitamin C may be given by intravenous (IV) infusion (through a vein into the bloodstream) or orally (taken by mouth). When taken by intravenous infusion, vitamin C can reach much higher levels in the blood than when the same amount is taken by mouth. Some human studies of high-dose IV vitamin C in patients with cancer have shown improved quality of life, as well as improvements in physical, mental, and emotional functions, symptoms of fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, and appetite loss. Intravenous high-dose ascorbic acid has caused very few side effects in clinical trials.

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Conditions studied

  • Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Keywords

  • Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Pancreatic
  • Vitamin C
  • Ascorbic Acid
  • Paclitaxel Protein Bound
  • Cisplatin
  • Gemcitabine
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In context

Pancreatic Neoplasms

3,235 studies on the registry are indexed under Pancreatic Neoplasms; 898 are open to participants now.

Browse Pancreatic Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Piedmont Cancer Institute as lead sponsor.

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial.
  • Be ≥ 18 years of age on day of signing informed consent.
  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (with measurable disease according to RECIST 1.1)
  • Have a performance status of 0 or 1 on the ECOG performance scale.
  • Demonstrate adequate organ function as defined below in Table 4, all screening labs should be performed within 21 days of treatment initiation.
  • Female participants of childbearing potential should have a negative serum pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to receiving first dose of study medication.
  • Female participants of childbearing potential must be willing to use adequate method of contraception (as outlined in section 4.4.2) for the duration of the trial through one month after the last dose of trial treatment.
  • Male participants must agree to use adequate contraception (as outlined in section 4.4.2) for the duration of the trial through one month after the last dose of trial treatment. Note: Abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual lifestyle and preferred contraception for the participant.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have received no previous radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy or investigational therapy for the treatment of metastatic disease. Prior treatments in the adjuvant setting with gemcitabine and/or 5-FU or gemcitabine administered as a radiation sensitizer are allowed, provided at least 6 months have elapsed since completion of the last dose and no lingering toxicities are present.
  • Palliative surgery and/or radiation treatment less than 4 weeks prior to initiation of study treatment.
  • Exposure to any investigational agent within 4 weeks prior to initiation of study treatment.
  • Patients who need constant use of finger stick blood glucose monitoring for tight control of their diabetes being that the ascorbic acid causes false low readings of glucose via that technology (Vasudevan and Hirsch 2014) 39
  • Any person with a G6PD deficiency
  • History of renal oxalate stones (if type of stone is unknown, need to assess urine oxalates level if >60mg/dL, then patient is not eligible for the study)
  • Patient is taking acetaminophen at any dose or any medication that contains acetaminophen within 72 hours of first dose of ascorbic acid
  • Hypersensitivity to any of the agents proposed for treatment.
  • Has a 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 that has undergone potentially curative therapy or in situ cervical cancer.
  • Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis. Patients with previously treated brain metastases may participate provided they are stable (without evidence of progression by imaging for at least four weeks prior to the first dose of trial treatment and any neurologic symptoms have returned to baseline), have no evidence of new or enlarging brain metastases, and are not using steroids for at least 7 days prior to trial treatment. This exception does not include carcinomatous meningitis, which is excluded regardless of clinical stability.
  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the patient's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the patient to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator. Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
  • For female participants: Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through one month after the last dose of trial treatment.
  • For male participants: Is expecting to impregnate a sexual partner within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through one month after the last dose of trial treatment.
  • Patients with evidence of iron overload, defined as a transferrin saturation > 45 percent AND serum ferritin > 200 ng/mL (males) or >150 ng/mL (females).
  • Current, serious, clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias as determined by the investigator, or patient receiving a digitalis derivative.
05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    AA NABPLAGEM

    Ascorbic Acid Paclitaxel protein-bound cisplatin gemcitabine

    Drug: Ascorbic Acid · Drug: nab paclitaxel · Drug: Cisplatin · Drug: Gemcitabine

Interventions

  • DrugAscorbic Acid

    Four escalating dose levels are planned in order to determine the MTD for Phase II The dose level for Phase II patients will be determined following completion of the Phase 1b study based on response from 3-6 patients receiving the designated dose level of ascorbic acid.

    Also known as: Vitamin C

  • Drugnab paclitaxel

    30 minute IV infusions on days 1 and 8 repeated every 21 days, followed by Cisplatin

  • DrugCisplatin

    60minute IV infusion on days 1 and 8 repeated every 21 days followed by Gemcitabine

  • DrugGemcitabine

    30 minute IV infusion on days 1 and 8 repeated every 21 days

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximum Tolerated Dose

    To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of high dose ascorbic acid (AA) with triple therapy of nanoparticle paclitaxel protein bound+ cisplatin + gemcitabine (NABPLAGEM) in patients with advanced stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer

    Time frame: approx 63 days

  2. Disease control rate (CR+PR+SD x18 weeks)

    To determine the preliminary efficacy (Disease control rate of CR+ PR+SD X 18 weeks) of the combination of high dose ascorbic acid (AA) at MTD with triple therapy of nanoparticle albumin- bound paclitaxel + cisplatin + gemcitabine (NABPLAGEM) in patients with advanced stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer.

    Time frame: approx 63 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incidence of Treatment

    Lab testing will be completed to evaluate standard of care labs for subject safety

    Time frame: 63 days

  2. Percent of patients who normalize their CA19-9

    Lab testing will be completed to evaluate normalization of CA19-19

    Time frame: 63 days

  3. Overall survival (OS)

    Telephone followup will be conducted every 12 weeks from the last dose of treatment to determine survival status

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  4. Progression free

    Telephone followup will be conducted every 12 weeks from the last dose of treatment to determine status of disease progression

    Time frame: approximately 12 weeks from last study treatment ]

  5. Changes in patient's self-reported quality of life

    Changes in patient's self-reported quality of life will be determined by administering the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Gastrointestinal Cancer (MDASI-GI) to assess the severity of multiple gastrointestinal cancer-related syymptoms and the impact of these symptoms of daily functiong.

    Time frame: 63 days

  6. Changes in patient's self-reported pain levels

    Changes in patient's self-reported pain levels will be determined by administering the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) to assess the severity of pain and the impact of pain on daily functions.

    Time frame: 63 days

07

Study locations

3 sites
  • Piedmont Cancer Institute
    Atlanta, Georgia 30318, United States
  • Piedmont Cancer Institute
    Fayetteville, Georgia 30214, United States
  • Piedmont Cancer Institute
    Newnan, Georgia 30265, United States
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 31, 2019, 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
NCT03797443
Lead sponsor
Piedmont Cancer Institute
Collaborators
Cancer Research UK, Stand Up To Cancer, Lustgarten Foundation, Destroy Pancreatic Cancer, Translational Genomics Research Institute
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 9, 2019
Start date
Jan 1, 2019
Primary completion
Jan 2022 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2022 (estimated)
Last update
May 31, 2019

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 withdrawn, as verified in May 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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