A Phase 2 interventional study of nivolumab-GX-188E-GX-I7 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, sponsored by Yonsei University. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in South Korea. Open to participants aged 19 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-11.
Sponsored by Yonsei University · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is to explore the efficacy and safety of GX-188E DNA vaccination, GX-I7, and nivolumab combination therapy in HPV 16-positive and/or HPV-18 positive R/M HNSCC patients. The objective of this study is as follows.
The lead-in safety cohort enrolled 3 to 12 subjects, we will explore to occur the dose-limiting toxicity of pre-specified triple combination therapy (nivolumab 3 mg/kg IV + GX-188E 2 mg IM + GX-I7 1200 μg/kg). The lead-in safety cohort begins with a first 3 enrollment and is performed as a 3+3 design. The lead-in safety cohort will be enrolled the first 3 subjects and If none of the patients experience a DLT, it will be initiated a subsequent expansion cohort as that dose of lead-in safety cohort(nivolumab 3 mg/kg IV, GX-188E 2 mg IM, GX-I7 1200 μg/kg). If one out of three subjects initially enrolled in the lead-in safety cohort experiences DLT, three additional subjects will be enrolled to define the recommended dose. If more than 2 of the 6 additionally registered subjects experience DLT, a weight loss cohort will be initiated based on the pre-specified GX-I7 weight loss level (1200 μg/kg → 960 μg/kg). If not, administer the first dose of triple combination therapy (nivolumab 3 mg/kg IV, GX-188E 2 mg IM, GX-I7 1200 μg/kg) to a subsequent expansion cohort. If at least 2 out of 3 subjects initially enrolled in the introduction safety cohort experience DLT, the weight loss cohort will be initiated based on the pre-specified GX-I7 weight loss level (1200 μg/kg → 960 μg/kg). Evaluate the adequacy of GX-I7 weight loss based on the 3+3 design for the GX-I7 weight loss (960 μg/kg) cohort. The recommended GX-I7 dose (1200 μg/kg or 960 μg/kg) was confirmed from the weight loss cohort. After completion, additional subjects are enrolled in the subsequent expansion cohort to ensure that the total number of subjects in the entire cohort (introduction safety cohort and subsequent expansion cohort) is 21. If the recommended dose of .GX-I7 is not confirmed, the study should be redesigned.
In this study, the test drug is administered according to the following procedure.
1,680 studies on the registry are indexed under Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; 539 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 21 is below the median of 49 across 1,432 interventional studies indexed under Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck.
Browse Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck studies →Yonsei University is the lead sponsor of 1,387 studies on the registry; 232 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The patient must have adequate organ function as defined below. Specimens must be collected within 28 days prior to be administered the investigational drug.
[hematology]
Patients with RECIST measurable disease defined as:
Tumor lesions with a long axis diameter (LD) ≥1 cm on axial CT or MRI images (reconstruction interval ≤5 mm) or lymph nodes ≥1.5 cm in the short axis on CT (reconstruction interval ≤5 mm)
For women of childbearing potential (WOCBP), a patient with a negative serum or urine pregnancy test result within 72 hours prior to the first administration of the investigational drug. If the urine test result cannot be confirmed as positive or negative, a serum pregnancy test should be performed.
A woman who has started menarche and has not reached amenorrhea for at least 12 consecutive months without a postmenopausal condition, an identified cause other than menopause, and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (removal of the ovaries and/or uterus) is considered a woman of childbearing potential.
Exclusion Criteria:
If it is confirmed that there is another malignant disease that is currently ongoing or required active treatment within the past 3 years.
NOTE: Subjects with cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, or carcinoma in situ (eg breast cancer) who have received potentially curative treatment are not excluded.
Patients who received systemic chemotherapy including other investigational drugs within 4 weeks prior to the first administration of this study drug, or who received targeted small molecule therapy with a half-life of less than 48 hours within 2 weeks Note: Subjects must have had any adverse reactions caused by previous treatment to have returned to Grade 1 or less or baseline levels. Grade 2 neuropathy and/or grade 2 anemia may be appropriate.
Note: If a subject has undergone major surgery, the subject must have adequately recovered from toxicity and/or complications from the intervention prior to initiation of treatment.
Unstable/improper heart function:
Drug: nivolumab-GX-188E-GX-I7
* Nivolumab 3 mg/kg IV administered every 2 weeks * GX-188E 2 mg IM at Weeks 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 19 * GX-I7 1200 μg/kg or the recommended dose of the introductory safety cohort is administered at weeks 2, 10, and 18
Objective Response Rate(ORR)
ORR will be evaluated according to RECIST v1.1 after IP administration and Response data will be used for the primary endpoint.
Time frame: documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 24 months
Best Overall Response Rate(BORR)
Time frame: documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 24 months
Time to Best Overall Response
Time frame: documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 24 months
Duration of response
Time frame: Up to 2 years
median progression-free survival
Time frame: Up to 2 years
progression-free survival
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Overall survival (OS)
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Median Overall survival
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Plan to share: No
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Yonsei University