ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06348797Updated Jul 21, 2026

Phase I Clinical Study of α-PD-L1/DLL3 CAR-T in Patients With R/R SCLC

A Phase 1 interventional study of α-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 CAR-T (BHP01) in Small Cell Lung Cancer Extensive Stage, sponsored by Sichuan University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-21.

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

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Apr 2025; still recruiting 1 year 7 months later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

A study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of α-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T (BHP01) in patients with Relapsed/Refractory Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and determine the appropriate CAR-T cell dose. Next, In dose expansion phase, patients were assign two groups with/without bridge radiotherapy.

Read the detailed description

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 15% of lung cancers, and two-thirds of cases are metastatic at the time of diagnosis. The inhibitory notch ligand delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is aberrantly expressed on the surface of up to 85% of SCLC cells and minimally expressed in normal tissues, making it a compelling therapeutic target. This is a phase I, first-in-human, 3+3 dose escalation study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of BHP01 in patents with relapsed/refractory SCLC who progressed after at least 1 platinum based chemotherapy regimen.This is a dose escalation and dose expansion study. 12-21 patients with relapsed/refractory SCLC are planned to be enrolled (Group Pre-A/A/B/C). After the Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation period of the related dose group finished.16 patients are planned to enroll in dose expansion phase who was assign two groups with/without bridge radiotherapy.

02

Conditions studied

  • Small Cell Lung Cancer Extensive Stage

Keywords

  • Extensive Stage-SCLC
  • DLL3 CAR-T
  • Bridge Radiotherapy
03

In context

Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

1,301 studies on the registry are indexed under Small Cell Lung Carcinoma; 367 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 56 across 1,077 interventional studies indexed under Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

Browse Small Cell Lung Carcinoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Sichuan University is the lead sponsor of 107 studies on the registry; 66 are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 70 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

  • Patients with recurrent or small cell lung cancer (SCLC) confirmed by histology or cytology who have relapsed or progressed after treatment with one previous platinum-based regimen;
  • Patients can provide sufficient tumor tissue (fresh or paraffin sections, etc.);
  • Age 18 \~70 (including boundary), for both men and women;
  • (ECOG) performance status of 0-1;
  • ≥3 months;
  • At least one extracranial ( v1.1) exists;for lesion after radiotherapy, must be confirmed that the lesion has progressed ;
  • Patients in limited-stage at the initial diagnosis must undergo radical thoracic radiotherapy and the time of tumor progression is not less than 1 months from the end of radiotherapy, or radical thoracic dose radiotherapy cannot be performed for specific reasons; The time elapsed since the completion of radiotherapy for shall be no less than 1 months;
  • The test results of (HIV), surface antigen (HBsAg), and syphilis were negative at screening (If hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) is positive, additional HBV DNA testing is required, and subjects whose test result is less than the reference value can be included in the study) ;
  • Female patients or male reproductive age patients and their partners should agree to effective from sighing Form (ICF) to 6 months after the last BHP01 infusion.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with known primary Central Nervous System (CNS) tumor, or meningeal , or patients with unstable (symptomatic, requiring hormonal therapy within 4 weeks before treatment, or no radiographic evidence of stabilization of the lesion for more than 4 weeks);
  • Received major surgical procedures (except for diagnosis) within 4 weeks before PBMCs collection, or are expected to require major surgical procedures during the study;
  • Received Chinese herbal medicine or Chinese patent medicine for anti-tumor indications within 7 days before Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) collection;
  • Patients with a history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, mechanical pneumonia (such as bronchiolitis obliterans), drug-induced pneumonia or idiopathic pneumonia, or evidence of active pneumonia by chest computer tomography (CT) at screening [a history of radiation pneumonia (fibrosis) in the irradiated field may participate in this study];
  • Poorly controlled pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, or ascites requiring repeated drainage procedures (once a month or more frequently);
  • Poorly controlled or symptomatic hypercalcemia (ionic calcium> 1.5 mmol/L, calcium> 12 mg/dL or corrected calcium> );
  • Presence of active or previous diseases or immunodeficiencies, including but not limited to myasthenia gravis, myositis, autoimmune hepatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.;
  • Severe infection within 4 weeks before the start of PBMCs collection, including but not limited to hospitalization due to infection, bacteremia, severe pneumonia, or any active infection that may affect the patient's safety;
  • Serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (such as heart disease ≥ class II, myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident), unstable arrhythmia or unstable angina pectoris within 3 months before PBMCs collection;
  • Previous treatment with DLL 3 target drugs or CAR-T or other gene-modified T cells;
  • Received any other Investigational drug within 28 days prior to PBMCs collection;
  • A history of mental illness;
  • Incapacitated persons or persons with limited capacity;
  • pregnant or lactating females; Males or females who are unwilling to use adequate ; Females of are required to undergo a pregnancy study during the screening period;
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(17)

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.

Relapsed and refractory

Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Measurable disease

The amount of disease can be tracked with a defined measurement, so the study can see whether it shrinks or grows. It might be a tumour measured on a scan or, in some blood cancers such as myeloma, a marker measured in blood or urine.

The criteria or the study team say which measurement counts — having no tumour visible on a scan does not by itself rule you out.

RECIST

The standard rules for measuring tumours on CT or MRI scans, to tell whether a cancer is shrinking, stable or growing during treatment.

“Measurable disease per RECIST 1.1” usually means at least one tumour 10 mm or more at its longest on a CT scan, or a lymph node 15 mm or more across its short axis.

Brain metastases

Cancer deposits in the brain from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body (CNS metastases include the spinal cord).

Studies differ: some leave out any brain metastases, some accept ones treated and stable for some weeks. Check what this study allows.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

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.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

NYHA class (heart failure)

The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.

I
No limits: ordinary activity causes no undue tiredness or breathlessness.
II
Slight limits: comfortable at rest, ordinary activity causes symptoms.
III
Marked limits: comfortable at rest, less than ordinary activity causes symptoms.
IV
Symptoms even at rest; any activity makes them worse.

Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.

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 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    α-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 CAR-T (BHP01) Treatment

    The Patients enrolled will be sequentially assigned to the corresponding dose level, BHP01 was administered intravenous infusion at different cell dose levels. The patients were received multiple-dose infusion according to investigator's evaluation.

    Drug: α-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 CAR-T (BHP01)

Interventions

  • Drugα-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 CAR-T (BHP01)

    Preconditioning with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, based chemotherapy regimen at sub-clinical doses; Bridge radiotherapy with 15 Gray (Gy)/5 fractions; α-PD-L1/4-1BB DLL3 CAR-T (BHP01): the first dose was 5x10\^5/kg.

    Also known as: Bridge radiotherapy

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT)

    Safety

    Time frame: day1-day28

Secondary outcomes

  1. Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    The Objective Response Rate (ORR) is the percentage of participants who achieved a best overall response of Complete Response (CR) or Partial Response (PR) based on RECIST version 1.1. In the event of PR or CR, the subjects should confirm it no less than 4 weeks after the first evaluation.

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

  2. Progression-free survival (PFS)

    The time from CAR-T administration to disease progression or death.

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

  3. Disease control rate (DCR)

    The number of cases in which response (PR + CR) and stable disease (SD) are achieved from the start of cell infusion/the total number of evaluable cases (%).

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

  4. Duration of response (DOR)

    The period from the first evaluation of CR or PR to the first evaluation of PD or death of any cause

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

  5. Overall-Survival (OS)

    The period from the first infusion to any cause of death

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

  6. CAR-T cell numbers

    Monitoring CAR-T cell numbers in blood to determine the persistence of CAR-T.

    Time frame: up to 1 year after the enrollment

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Ahn MJ, Cho BC, Felip E, Korantzis I, Ohashi K, Majem M, Juan-Vidal O, Handzhiev S, Izumi H, Lee JS, Dziadziuszko R, Wolf J, Blackhall F, Reck M, Bustamante Alvarez J, Hummel HD, Dingemans AC, Sands J, Akamatsu H, Owonikoko TK, Ramalingam SS, Borghaei H, Johnson ML, Huang S, Mukherjee S, Minocha M, Jiang T, Martinez P, Anderson ES, Paz-Ares L; DeLLphi-301 Investigators. Tarlatamab for Patients with Previously Treated Small-Cell Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2023 Nov 30;389(22):2063-2075. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307980. Epub 2023 Oct 20. PubMed 37861218 ↗
  • Paz-Ares L, Champiat S, Lai WV, Izumi H, Govindan R, Boyer M, Hummel HD, Borghaei H, Johnson ML, Steeghs N, Blackhall F, Dowlati A, Reguart N, Yoshida T, He K, Gadgeel SM, Felip E, Zhang Y, Pati A, Minocha M, Mukherjee S, Goldrick A, Nagorsen D, Hashemi Sadraei N, Owonikoko TK. Tarlatamab, a First-in-Class DLL3-Targeted Bispecific T-Cell Engager, in Recurrent Small-Cell Lung Cancer: An Open-Label, Phase I Study. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jun 1;41(16):2893-2903. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.02823. Epub 2023 Jan 23. PubMed 36689692 ↗
  • Megyesfalvi Z, Gay CM, Popper H, Pirker R, Ostoros G, Heeke S, Lang C, Hoetzenecker K, Schwendenwein A, Boettiger K, Bunn PA Jr, Renyi-Vamos F, Schelch K, Prosch H, Byers LA, Hirsch FR, Dome B. Clinical insights into small cell lung cancer: Tumor heterogeneity, diagnosis, therapy, and future directions. CA Cancer J Clin. 2023 Nov-Dec;73(6):620-652. doi: 10.3322/caac.21785. Epub 2023 Jun 17. PubMed 37329269 ↗
  • Rojo F, Corassa M, Mavroudis D, Oz AB, Biesma B, Brcic L, Pauwels P, Sailer V, Gosney J, Miljkovic D, Hader C, Wu M, Almarez T, Penault-Llorca F. International real-world study of DLL3 expression in patients with small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2020 Sep;147:237-243. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2020.07.026. Epub 2020 Jul 27. PubMed 32745892 ↗
  • Jaspers JE, Khan JF, Godfrey WD, Lopez AV, Ciampricotti M, Rudin CM, Brentjens RJ. IL-18-secreting CAR T cells targeting DLL3 are highly effective in small cell lung cancer models. J Clin Invest. 2023 May 1;133(9):e166028. doi: 10.1172/JCI166028. PubMed 36951942 ↗
  • Zhang Y, Tacheva-Grigorova SK, Sutton J, Melton Z, Mak YSL, Lay C, Smith BA, Sai T, Van Blarcom T, Sasu BJ, Panowski SH. Allogeneic CAR T Cells Targeting DLL3 Are Efficacious and Safe in Preclinical Models of Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 Mar 1;29(5):971-985. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-2293. PubMed 36692420 ↗
  • Zhou D, Byers LA, Sable B, Smit MD, Sadraei NH, Dutta S, Upreti VV. Clinical Pharmacology Profile of AMG 119, the First Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) Cell Therapy Targeting Delta-Like Ligand 3 (DLL3), in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). J Clin Pharmacol. 2024 Mar;64(3):362-370. doi: 10.1002/jcph.2346. Epub 2023 Oct 2. PubMed 37694295 ↗
  • Owen DH, Giffin MJ, Bailis JM, Smit MD, Carbone DP, He K. DLL3: an emerging target in small cell lung cancer. J Hematol Oncol. 2019 Jun 18;12(1):61. doi: 10.1186/s13045-019-0745-2. PubMed 31215500 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Apr 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 20 months after the start.

Of 143 phase 1 interventional studies under Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, half reached primary completion within 46 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 29 and three quarters within 64. This study's planned 20 months is below that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 18, 2024
First posted
Apr 5, 2024
StartActual
Apr 3, 2025
Primary completionEst.
Dec 30, 2026
CompletionEst.
Dec 31, 2026
Last update
Jul 21, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 21, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06348797
Lead sponsor
Sichuan University
Collaborators
Chengdu Brilliant Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Responsible party
You Lu (Chair of Department of Thoracic Cancer, Sichuan University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 5, 2024
Start date
Apr 3, 2025
Primary completion
Dec 30, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 21, 2026

Study contacts

Jianxin Xue, MD
Contact
killercell@163.com
18982251798
Zhuoran Yao, MD
Contact
yaozhuoran@outlook.com
13261660839
You Lu, MD
principal investigator · West China Hospital

Oversight

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

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