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RecruitingNCT05952934Updated Oct 15, 2026

Candida Therapeutic Vaccine in Head and Neck Cancer Patients to Reduce Recurrence

A Phase 2 interventional study of 0.5 mL Candin®/injection and Placebo: 0.5 mL Intravenous 0.9% NaCl solution (Saline) in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, sponsored by University of Arkansas. Recruiting at 6 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-15.

Sponsored by University of Arkansas · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Feb 2024; still recruiting 2 years 8 months later.
Updated Oct 15, 2026Study contact changedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
100
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 100 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, multi-site study of Candin. It is designed to show the efficacy and safety of a 7-dose regimen of Candin over a two-year period in terms of reducing cancer recurrence rate by comparing the recurrence rates between the Candin and the placebo arm. The ratio of the number of subjects who will receive Candin versus placebo will be 3:1. Up to 100 subjects will be screened until 80 subjects are eligible for injection.

Read the detailed description

This is a Phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a therapeutic vaccine called Candin® (Nielsen Biosciences, San Diego, CA) in adults over a two (2) year period. Each subject will be receiving a total of 7 injections of Candin (0.5 mL per dose) or placebo (saline) at a 3:1 ratio in a randomized double-blinded design. Subjects will receive one injection every 3 weeks until they receive 4 injections. Then, subjects will receive one injection every 3 months until they receive a total of 7 injections. Subjects will have 2 more visits approximately 6 months apart after the last injection. Immunological assessment T-cell repertoire analysis and by fluorescent activated cell sorter analysis (FACS) will be made at 4 time points (Visits 1, 5, 7, and 8). Stool and oral wash samples will be collected at the Screening Visit, Visit 5, Visit 7 and Visit 8 for microbiome diversity analysis.

02

Conditions studied

  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
03

In context

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

2,018 studies on the registry are indexed under Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; 573 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 100 is above the median of 48 across 1,653 interventional studies indexed under Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck.

Browse Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Arkansas is the lead sponsor of 399 studies on the registry; 38 are open to participants now.

Of its 37 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 34 (92%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Able to provide
  • Male or female 18 years of age or older
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have completed curative therapy (surgery and/or radiation and/or chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy) within the 120 days prior to the screening visit
  • No Evidence of Disease (NED) based on clinical and radiographic evaluations
  • Willing and able to comply with the requirements of the protocol

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Positive urine pregnancy test for women of
  • Being pregnant or attempting to be pregnant with the period of study participation
  • Women who are breast feeding or plan to breast feed within the period of study participation
  • Patients who are allergic to Candin®
  • If in the opinion of the PIs or other Investigators, it is not in the best interest of the patient to enter or continue in this study
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
100 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Candin vaccine

    Seven Candida (Candin). The route of administration is intradermal injection at subject's limbs at 0.5 mL/injection. The schedule is 1 injection every three weeks for the first 4 injections, and then one injection every 3 months until a total of 7 injections has been given.

    Biological: 0.5 mL Candin®/injection

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Seven placebo injections (sterile 0.9% Normal Saline). The route of administration is intradermal injection at subject's limbs at 0.5 mL/injection. The schedule is 1 injection every three weeks for the first 4 injections, and then one injection every 3 months until a total of 7 injections has been given.

    Other: Placebo: 0.5 mL Intravenous 0.9% NaCl solution (Saline)

Interventions

  • Biological0.5 mL Candin®/injection

    Drug page: Candida albicans Antigen Injection

    Candin or placebo injection every 3 weeks until 4 injections then every 3 months until a total of 7 injections.

  • OtherPlacebo: 0.5 mL Intravenous 0.9% NaCl solution (Saline)

    Placebo injection every 3 weeks until 4 injections then every 3 months until a total of 7 injections.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Assessment of clinical efficacy

    Studying the efficacy of Candida and the schedule in which this protocol specifically outlines the clinical response (i.e., reduced cancer recurrence rate) of subjects is the primary endpoint.

    Time frame: Through study completion, up to 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Assessment of adverse events

    The secondary endpoints of this study is safety, and the AEs will be diligently recorded and reviewed.

    Time frame: Regularly throughout the study, up to 2 years

07

Study locations

6 of 6 sites recruiting
08

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Contact
Study contact changed: M•••@uams.edu · •••8274→E•••@uams.edu · •••2068. See the current contact
Oct 15, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 15, 2026
    Contact Study contact changed: M•••@uams.edu · •••8274→E•••@uams.edu · •••2068. See the current contact
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05952934
Collaborators
Highlands Oncology Group, PA, NYU Langone Health
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 19, 2023
Start date
Feb 12, 2024
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2032 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 31, 2032 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 15, 2026

Study contacts

Emily Baker
Contact
EBaker2@uams.edu
501-214-2068
Aaron Holley
Contact
jaholley@uams.edu
501-686-8274
Omar Atiq
principal investigator · University of Arkansas

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Candida albicans Antigen Injection

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