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RecruitingNCT05317858LIMITLESSUpdated Aug 19, 2026

Blood-brain Barrier (BBB) Opening Using Exablate Focused Ultrasound With Standard of Care Treatment of NSCLC Brain Mets

A Phase 3 interventional study of Blood Brain Barrier Opening - Oncology and Pembrolizumab in Brain Tumor and Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, sponsored by InSightec. Recruiting at 14 sites in 3 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-19.

Sponsored by InSightec · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 100 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted blood brain barrier opening with Exablate Model 4000 Type 2.0/2.1 for the treatment of NSCLC brain metastases in patients who are undergoing planned FDA approved, on-label systemic therapy utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Read the detailed description

This is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, two-arm, controlled, pivotal clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted blood brain barrier opening using Exablate Model 4000 Type 2 for the treatment of NSCLC brain metastases in subjects who are undergoing planned FDA approved, on-label systemic therapy utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors for their primary disease. The study will be conducted at up to 30 centers in the US. The immunotherapy regimen (every 3 weeks for 6 cycles) of prescribed ICI therapy is per the FDA approved labeling and the subjects prescribed standard of care therapy for their primary NSCLC. The study aims to demonstrate superiority of Exablate BBBO targeted to their brain metastases over the standard of care without Exablate BBBO with respect to the percentage of subjects achieving Objective Response Rate (ORR) by 6 months follow-up.

02

Conditions studied

  • Brain Tumor
  • Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 100 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Participant is ≥ 18 years of age
  • The participant provides written informed consent for the trial
  • Participant is willing to comply with all study procedures for the duration of the study
  • Participant has a Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 70% and/or ECOG 0-2
  • Participant is a NSCLC subject prescribed immune checkpoint inhibitor systemic therapy according to on-label use with the target brain lesion(s) measuring ≥ 0.5 cm in longest diameter. Target mets may include: De novo mets for which surgery and radiation can be deferred, Mets with or without history of prior radiation, Mets with history of radiation after at least 8 weeks since last radiation treatment, and In the event a previously treated met has progressed according to institutional practice within 4 weeks post radiation treatment, the met may be study eligible, and/or if in the opinion of the Investigator, the subject may benefit from the study procedure.
  • Female subject is not planning pregnancy during the study duration and confirmed NOT PREGNANT each procedure day.
  • Screening/Baseline laboratory values Screening/Baseline should adhere to local standard of care lab values for ICI therapy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  • Participant has evidence of acute intracranial hemorrhage
  • Participant at risk for spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (e.g., history of metastatic melanoma or other tissue histology).
  • Participant has signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure or symptomatic mass effect, midline shift or evidence of subfalcine, uncal or tonsillar herniation.
  • Participant receiving Bevacizumab (Avastin) therapy, or other drugs with a proclivity for causing bleeding.
  • History of bleeding disorders or tissue pathologies which increase the subject's risk of hemorrhage for anticoagulation medications, implement pre-surgical standard procedure to avoid increased risk of a bleeding event.
  • Participant has an infectious viral infection such as active Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or detectable HIV viral load or participants with active bacterial infection such as TB (Bacillus tuberculosis) that may, in the opinion of the investigator, interfere with the subject receiving the study therapy or procedures or otherwise impact their participation in the trial.
  • Subjects with evidence of cranial or systemic infection.
  • Participant has received a solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
  • Participant has received a live vaccine within 28 days prior to the first on-study ICI infusion with or without Exablate.
  • Known sensitivity to DEFINITY® ultrasound contrast agent or hypersensitivity to perflutren microsphere or its components, e.g., polyethylene glycol, as found in MiraLAX and bowel prep products.
  • Contraindications to MRI and gadolinium-DTPA including non-MRI-compatible implanted devices, severe claustrophobia, unable to lie supine in MRI.
  • Subjects with significant liver dysfunction, (cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, severe alcohol abuse, or active hepatitis (autoimmune or infectious))
  • Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first on-study ICI infusion with or without Exablate. Note: prophylactic steroid use for ICI and chemotherapy infusion per institutional practice is allowed per protocol.
  • Has a known additional malignancy that requires active treatment that would interfere with study procedures.
  • Known presence of leptomeningeal disease.
  • Has a diagnosis of active autoimmune disease (e.g., autoimmune Hepatitis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, etc.) requiring systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment. History of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that requires steroids or has current pneumonitis
  • Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
  • Subject is currently enrolled in another intervention based clinical trial
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    ICI Systemic Therapy with Exablate BBBO

    Using Exablate Model 4000 Type 2 for the treatment of NSCLC brain metastases in subjects who are undergoing planned ICI Systemic Therapy.

    Device: Blood Brain Barrier Opening - Oncology · Drug: Pembrolizumab · Drug: Atezolizumab · Drug: Cemiplimab · Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Iptilimumab

  • Active comparator
    Control Arm (ICI Systemic Therapy on-label use only)

    subjects will undergo planned on-label ICI Systemic Therapy.

    Drug: Pembrolizumab · Drug: Atezolizumab · Drug: Cemiplimab · Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Iptilimumab

Interventions

  • DeviceBlood Brain Barrier Opening - Oncology

    BBB opening via Exablate Type 2 system with microbubble resonators on the day of ICI infusion to treat brain metastases.

    Also known as: Exablate BBBO

  • DrugPembrolizumab

    Pembrolizumab infusion

    Also known as: KEYTRUDA

  • DrugAtezolizumab

    Atezolizumab infusion

    Also known as: Tecentriq

  • DrugCemiplimab

    Cemiplimab infusion

    Also known as: LIBTAYO

  • DrugNivolumab

    Nivolumab infusion

  • DrugIptilimumab

    Iptilimumab infusion

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Adverse events

    Adverse events \[ Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 6 months\]. All adverse events and/or Serious Adverse Events will be documented and reported according to CTCAE criteria.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

  2. tumor lesion(s) on the MRI images

    Efficacy will be determined by the response of the tumor lesion(s) compared to baseline. Tumor lesions on the MRI images (units: mm) will be measured every three weeks up to six months.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. evaluation of Neuro Oncology Brain Mets (RANO-BM) response

    The evaluation of the percentages of subjects that achieved the stable disease (SD), partial response (PR) as the best objective response using the response assessment in Neuro Oncology Brain Mets (RANO-BM) response criteria measured at baseline and every 3 weeks during each treatment cycle to up to 6 months of therapy.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

  2. Time to response for brain metastases by treatment arm [applicable to the completed stage 1a only]

    The time to achieve a confirmed complete response or partial response for brain metastases by treatment arm as assessed using the RANO-BM criteria evaluated every 3 weeks up to 6 months during treatment cycles.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

Other outcomes

  1. Patient reported quality of life measurement questionnaires

    patient reported health and quality of life questionnaire completed every 3 weeks up to 6 months during treatment cycle.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

  2. Measurement of BBB Opening

    Measurement of blood brain barrier opening (BBBO) assessment of post-sonication contrast-enhanced MR imaging evaluated every 3 weeks up to 6 months in comparison with pre-sonication imaging.

    Time frame: up to 6 months

06

Study locations

8 of 14 sites recruiting
  • St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
    Phoenix, Arizona 85013, United States
    Withdrawn
  • Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
    Newport Beach, California 92663, United States
    Recruiting
  • Broward Health
    Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316, United States
    Recruiting
  • Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health
    Miami, Florida 33176, United States
    Recruiting
  • Moffitt Cancer Center
    Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
    • Carie Bliss · Contact · Carie.Bliss@moffitt.org · (813) 745-2131
    • Yolanda Pina, Neuro-Oncology · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • University of Maryland
    Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
    • Kaitlyn Henry · Contact · KHenry@som.umaryland.edu · 410-328-0939
    • Rayne Noyes · Contact · anoyes@som.umaryland.edu · 410-328-5332
    • Graeme Woodworth, MD · Principal investigator
    • Howard Eisenberg, MD · Sub investigator
    • Alexander Ksendzovsky, MD · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
  • Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
    Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103, United States
    Recruiting
  • Oregon Health & Science University
    Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
    Recruiting
  • Rhode Island Hospital
    Providence, Rhode Island 02903, United States
    Recruiting
  • Johnston Willis Hospital
    Richmond, Virginia 23235, United States
    Active, not recruiting
  • Sunnybrook Research Institute
    Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
    Active, not recruiting
  • Samsung Medical Center
    Seoul, Seoul 06351, South Korea
    Not yet recruiting
  • Seoul National University Hospital
    Seoul, South Korea
    • Eun-jung Lee · Contact · eunjlee21@snu.ac.kr · +82-10-4110-0121
    • Eun-jung Lee · Principal investigator
    Not yet recruiting
  • Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System
    Soeul, South Korea
    • Hyun Ho Jung · Contact · JUNGHH@yuhs.ac · +82-10-8797-3815
    • Hyun Ho Jung · Principal investigator
    Not yet recruiting
07

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05317858
Lead sponsor
InSightec
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 8, 2022
Start date
Aug 12, 2022
Primary completion
Jun 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 1, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 19, 2026

Study contacts

Alyssa Voelker-Christy
Contact
clinicalresearchquestions@insightec.com
817-948-5219
Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA
principal investigator · Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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