A Phase 1 interventional study of DFF332 and RAD001 in Carcinoma, Renal Cell, sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Terminated at 11 sites in 7 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-03.
Sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment
This was a first in human study of DFF332, a small molecule that targets a protein called HIF2α. By acting on HIF2α, DFF332 may be able to stop the growth of certain types of cancer. DFF332 was planned to be tested at different doses as single agent and in combination with Everolimus (RAD001, an mTOR inhibitor), and also in combination with Spartalizumab (PDR001, an anti-PD1) plus Taminadenant (NIR178, an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist), in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations.
This was a first in human (FIH), Phase I/Ib, open-label, multi-center study of DFF332 as a single agent and in combination with Everolimus or Spartalizumab plus Taminadenant in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations.
The study consisted of two parts, dose escalation and dose expansion. The dose escalation part of the study initially evaluated DFF332 single agent. Dose escalation groups receiving DFF332 in combination with Everolimus or DFF332 in combination with Spartalizumab plus Taminadenant were planned to be opened after at least two dose levels of single agent DFF332 had been evaluated.
The dose expansion part of single agent included two treatment arms: Arm1A was planned to enroll ccRCC patients (age 18 yo or above) and Arm1B was planned to enroll patients with malignancies harboring HIF stabilizing mutations (age 12 yo and above). These included the following:
The expansion part of the combination therapies was planned to enroll patients with ccRCC and to include Arm2A (DFF332 with Everolimus) and Arm3A (DFF332 with Spartalizumab plus Taminadenant).
Novartis halted enrollment of study CDFF332A12101 in September 2023 due to business reasons and not due to safety concerns. The DFF332 single agent dose expansion arms and the dose escalation and expansion of the combination arms did not open.
Histologically confirmed and documented clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Disease must be measurable as determined by RECIST v1.1.
For Arm 1B: histologically confirmed and documented malignancies in the context of the following cancer predisposing syndromes/disorders or harboring somatic mutations on one of these genes:
Patient with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic ccRCC with documented disease progression following all standard of care therapy, including PD-1/L1 checkpoint inhibitor and a VEGF targeted therapy as monotherapy or in combination.
Escalation: No restriction on the number of prior treatments Expansion (with the exception of Arm 1B): Up to 3 prior lines of treatment for advanced/metastatic disease For Arm 1B: Patients must have either metastatic disease or locally advanced disease that is unresectable or that patients be unfit for resection or other treatment modalities. Patients must have received prior standard therapy appropriate for their tumor type and stage of disease, and have no available therapies of proven clinical benefit; or in the opinion of the investigator, would be unlikely to tolerate or derive clinically meaningful benefit from appropriate standard of care therapy.
Exclusion Criteria:
Impaired cardiac function or clinically significant cardiac disease, including any of the following:
Treatment with any of the following anti-cancer therapies prior to the first dose of study treatment within the stated timeframes:
Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
DFF332 Single Agent
Drug: DFF332
Combination treatment DFF332 + Everolimus. This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332 · Drug: RAD001
Combination treatment DFF332 + Spartalizumab + Taminadenant. This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332 · Drug: PDR001 · Drug: NIR178
DFF332 Single Agent in patients with ccRCC (age 18 years old and above). This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332
DFF332 Single Agent in patients with HIF stabilizing malignancies (age 12 years old and above). This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332
Combination treatment DFF332 + Everolimus in patients with ccRCC (age 18 years old and above). This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332 · Drug: RAD001
Combination treatment DFF332 + Spartalizumab + Taminadenant in patients with ccRCC (age 18 years old and above). This arm did not open.
Drug: DFF332 · Drug: PDR001 · Drug: NIR178
Hif2alpha inhibitor
mTOR inhibitor
Also known as: Everolimus
anti-PD-1
Also known as: Spartalizumab
Adenosine A2A antagonist receptor
Also known as: Taminadenant
Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)
Number of participants with AEs/SAEs to characterize the safety and tolerability of DFF332 as a single agent, in combination with Everolimus (RAD001), and in combination with Spartalizumab (PDR001) plus Taminadenant (NIR178) in patients with advanced clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) and advanced malignancies with Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) stabilizing mutations
Time frame: 3 years
Number of participants with dose interruptions and dose reductions
Number of participants with dose interruptions and dose reductions to characterize the tolerability of DFF332 as a single agent, in combination with Everolimus (RAD001), and in combination with Spartalizumab (PDR001) plus Taminadenant (NIR178) in patients with advanced ccRCC and advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations.
Time frame: 3 years
Dose intensity for DFF332 for dose escalation and expansion
Dose intensity will be computed as the ratio of actual cumulative dose received and actual duration of exposure
Time frame: 3 years
Incidence of Dose Limiting Toxicities (DLTs) in Cycle 1 (28 days) for DFF332 as a single agent and in combinations
Number of participants with DLTs
Time frame: 28 days
Overall Response Rate (ORR)
To assess the anti-tumor activity of DFF332 as single agent and combination in patients with advanced ccRCC and with advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations based on RECIST v1.1
Time frame: 3 years
Best Overall Response (BOR)
To assess the anti-tumor activity of DFF332 as single agent and combination in patients with advanced ccRCC and with advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations based on RECIST v1.1
Time frame: 3 years
Progression Free Survival (PFS) for Recommended Dose (RD) only
To assess the anti-tumor activity of DFF332 as single agent and combination in patients with advanced ccRCC and with advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations based on RECIST v1.1
Time frame: 3 years
Duration of Response (DOR) for Recommended Dose (RD) Only
To assess the anti-tumor activity of DFF332 as single agent and combination in patients with advanced ccRCC and with advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations based on RECIST v1.1
Time frame: 3 years
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
To assess the anti-tumor activity of DFF332 as single agent and combination in patients with advanced ccRCC and with advanced malignancies with HIF stabilizing mutations based on RECIST v1.1
Time frame: 3 years
Maximum Concentration (Cmax) of DFF332 single agent and combination
PK parameters will be based on plasma concentration of DFF332 and Taminadenant, whole blood concentration of Everolimus, serum concentration of Spartalizumab
Time frame: 3 years
Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of DFF332 single agent and combination
PK parameters will be based on plasma concentration of DFF332 single agent and in combination.
Time frame: 3 years
Plan to share: No
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Novartis Pharmaceuticals