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RecruitingNCT05077137TdVaxUpdated Jul 8, 2026

A Feasibility Study Utilizing Immune Recall to Increase Response to Checkpoint Therapy

A Phase 1 interventional study of Tetanus Diptheria Vaccine and Polio Boost Immunization in Melanoma, sponsored by Duke University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-08.

Sponsored by Duke University · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Sep 2021; still recruiting 5 years 1 month later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
25
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and feasibility of administering the Tetanus Diptheria Vaccine (Td) or Polio Boost Immunization (IPOL) to patients with metastatic melanoma who are receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (IO) therapy per standard of care. Subjects will have the vaccine at cycle 4 of IO therapy and will have research blood and tissue samples collected prior to starting IO therapy, at cycle 4 prior to vaccine administration, and at 12-17 days post vaccine.

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Conditions studied

  • Melanoma

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03

In context

Melanoma

3,006 studies on the registry are indexed under Melanoma; 520 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 25 is below the median of 38 across 2,351 interventional studies indexed under Melanoma.

Browse Melanoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,025 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.

Of its 194 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 159 (82%) have results posted.

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

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Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  1. Histologically confirmed advanced metastatic melanoma
  2. Male or female participants who are at least 18 years of age on the day of signing informed consent
  3. Participants must be planned or scheduled by their treating physician to receive PD-1 therapy or PD-1 plus anti CTLA-4 therapy as standard of care
  4. Participant (or legally acceptable representative if applicable) provides written informed consent for the trial
  5. Participant must have at least 1 lesion that is at least 8 mm in size and is cutaneous, subcutaneous, palpable, or amenable to ultrasound guided core biopsy. The lesion chosen for biopsy can also be a target lesion but does not have to be a target lesion
  6. Adequate organ function as defined below. Standard of care labs drawn within 45 days prior to consent may be used for the purposes of determining eligibility

    1. ANC >/= 1500/uL
    2. platelets >/=100,000/uL
    3. Hemoglobin >/= 9.0 g/dL

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Uveal or mucosal melanoma
  2. Any women known to be pregnant or breastfeeding
  3. Any prior systemic therapy for metastatic melanoma (prior surgery is allowed)
  4. Known diagnosis of immunodeficiency or receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in doses exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone or equivalent), or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to first research biopsy
  5. Patients with symptomatic CNS metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis

    a) Patients with asymptomatic, stable CNS metastases are allowed provided that they are not on >10mg prednisone daily

  6. History of or active (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids
  7. Active infection requiring systemic therapy
  8. Known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection
  9. Known history of Hepatitis B (defined as Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or known active Hepatitis C virus (defined as HCV RNA [qualitative] is detected) infection. NOTE: no testing for Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C is required
  10. Known history of active TB (Bacillus Tuberculosis)
  11. History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with subject's participation for the full duration of the study, or make it not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating physician
  12. Known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial
  13. History of allogenic tissue or solid organ transplant
  14. History of allergic reaction to IPOL or Td vaccine
  15. Receipt of Td vaccine within 30 days prior to starting IO therapy
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Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Td Vaccine

    The first 15 subjects enrolled will receive the Td (tetanus diphtheria) vaccine at cycle 4 of IO therapy. The Td vaccine is administered as 0.5 mL intramuscular injection in the extremity (thigh or upper arm) in closest proximity to the largest tumor.

    Biological: Tetanus Diptheria Vaccine

  • Experimental
    IPOL Vaccine

    Subjects 16 through 25 will receive the IPOL (polio booster) vaccine at cycle 4 of IO therapy. The IPOL vaccine is administered as 0.5 mL intramuscular or subcutaneous injection in the extremity (thigh or upper arm) in closest proximity to the largest tumor

    Biological: Polio Boost Immunization

Interventions

  • BiologicalTetanus Diptheria Vaccine

    tetanus and diphtheria toxoids

    Also known as: Tenivac

  • BiologicalPolio Boost Immunization

    trivalent inactivated polio vaccine

    Also known as: IPOL

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of subjects out of the proposed 25 that successfully receive the vaccine after 4 cycles of IO therapy

    Evaluable patients are defined as those who receive four cycles of IO therapy and then receive a Td or IPOL vaccine

    Time frame: informed consent through date of vaccine (est apx 4-5 months)

  2. Safety, as measured by the change in the number and severity of adverse events deemed related to the vaccine or study procedures (blood draw and biopsies)

    Adverse events will only include those that are determined to be related to the study vaccine or study procedures (blood draw and biopsies)

    Time frame: Baseline, cycle 4 of IO therapy (apx 12-16 weeks), 12-17 days post vaccine, SOC scan following vaccine (apx 8-12 weeks post vaccine)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Preliminary efficacy, as measured by objective response rate

    Number of patients that experience tumor response vs. stable disease vs. progression as determined by PI assessment of standard of care scans

    Time frame: up to 36 months

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Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Duke University Medical Center
    Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
    Recruiting
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — IPD will only be used internally by the study team

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 8, 2026, 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
NCT05077137
Lead sponsor
Duke University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 14, 2021
Start date
Sep 7, 2021
Primary completion
Jul 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 1, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 8, 2026

Study contacts

Carol Ann Wiggs, BSN
Contact
carolann.wiggs@duke.edu
919-684-0281
Georgia Beasley, 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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