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RecruitingNCT06699602Updated Mar 4, 2026

A Study of Cemiplimab and Fianlimab in People With Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

A Phase 2 interventional study of Cemiplimab and Fianlimab in Renal Cell Carcinoma, sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Recruiting at 7 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-04.

Sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Feb 2025; still recruiting 1 year 7 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The researchers are doing this study to find out whether it is practical (feasible) to give cemiplimab and fianlimab before a nephrectomy and whether it causes any delays with surgery in people with kidney cancer. The researchers will also look at whether cemiplimab and fianlimab given before a nephrectomy is a safe and effective treatment approach and if there is a change in the size of the tumor following immunotherapy prior to planned surgery.

02

Conditions studied

  • Renal Cell Carcinoma

Keywords

  • Cemiplimab
  • Fianlimab
03

In context

Carcinoma, Renal Cell

1,965 studies on the registry are indexed under Carcinoma, Renal Cell; 378 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 42 across 1,480 interventional studies indexed under Carcinoma, Renal Cell.

Browse Carcinoma, Renal Cell studies →

Lead sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the lead sponsor of 1,930 studies on the registry; 328 are open to participants now.

Of its 129 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 66 (51%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  1. Age ≥ 18 years at the time of informed consent.
  2. Patient must be able to provide informed consent, or a legal authorized representative (LAR) must be identified to provide consent in cases where the patient cannot.
  3. Signed and dated IRB-approved Informed Consent Form
  4. Patients must be planned for nephrectomy for high risk non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

    • Non-metastatic disease will be defined by no evidence of metastases other than regional lymphadenopathy as assessed by imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis with CT of the chest and MR of the abdomen/pelvis (CT abdomen/pelvis will suffice for those unable to undergo MR imaging).
    • 'High-risk non-metastatic' is defined as those patients with a 12-year probability of metastases of ≥ 30% as per an established pre-operative nomogram
  5. Patients must undergo baseline biopsy to confirm clear cell histology prior to treatment initiation.
  6. Patients must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
  7. Patients must have adequate organ and bone marrow function, defined by the following laboratory results obtained within 14 days prior to the first study treatment:

    i. ANC ≥ 1500 cells/μL (without granulocyte colony stimulating factor support within 2 weeks prior to Cycle 1, Day 1) ii. WBC counts ≥ 2500/μL and ≤ 15,000/μL without G-CSF iii. Absolute Lymphocyte count ≥ 500/μL iv. Platelet count ≥100,000/μL (without transfusion within 2 weeks prior to Cycle 1, Day 1) v. Hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL (without transfusion within 2 weeks prior to Cycle 1, Day 1) vi. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 3 X upper limit of normal (ULN). ALP ≤ 5 x ULN if patient has documented bone metastases.

vii. Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN. Patients with known Gilbert disease who have serum bilirubin level ≤ 2 x ULN may be enrolled.

viii. Creatinine ≤ 2.0 x ULN or Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) ≥ 40mL/min using the CKD-EPI formula.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Prior receipt of any systemic therapy for renal cell carcinoma.
  2. Prior receipt of any immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for any indication.
  3. Inability to safely delay surgery by 9 weeks as per surgeon's discretion.
  4. Patients who are receiving any other investigational agents.
  5. History of allergic reactions or known hypersensitivity attributed to the active substances or to any of the excipients
  6. History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to any monoclonal antibody.
  7. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection requiring therapy, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia.
  8. Patients with a history of myocarditis.
  9. Patients with Troponin TnT or troponin I TnI > 2x institutional ULN at baseline.

    ° Patients with TnT or TnI levels between > 1 to 2x ULN are permitted if repeat levels within 24 hours are ≤ 1x ULN. If TnT or TnI levels are > 1 to 2x ULN within 24 hours, the subject may undergo a cardiac evaluation and be considered for treatment by the investigator based on the medical judgement in the patient's best interest.

  10. Patients with active autoimmune disease or recent history (within 2 years) of autoimmune disease that might recur, which may affect vital organ function, or require immune suppressive treatment including systemic corticosteroids, should be excluded. These include but are not limited to patients with a history of immune related neurologic disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune (demyelinating) neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis; systemic autoimmune disease such as SLE, connective tissue diseases, scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis; and patients with a history of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or phospholipid syndrome should be excluded because of the risk of recurrence or exacerbation of disease. Patients are permitted to enroll if they have vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger (precipitating event).
  11. Patients should be excluded if they have a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study drug administration. Patients are permitted to use topical, ocular, intra-articular, intranasal, and inhalational corticosteroids (with minimal systemic absorption). A brief course of corticosteroids for prophylaxis (e.g., contrast dye allergy) or for treatment of non-autoimmune conditions (e.g., delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction caused by contact allergen) is permitted.
  12. Diagnosis of another malignancy within 2 years before first dose of study treatment, except for superficial skin cancers, or localized, low grade tumors deemed cured and not treated with systemic therapy.
  13. Prior allogeneic stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant.
  14. History or current evidence of significant (CTCAE grade ≥2) local or systemic infection (eg, cellulitis, pneumonia, septicemia) requiring systemic antibiotic treatment within 2 weeks prior to the first dose of trial medication.
  15. Use of live vaccines against infectious disease (e.g. varicella) within 30 days of initiation of study therapy. Killed vaccinations (e.g. influenza) are allowed at any appropriate time before and during the study. If a patient intends to receive a COVID19 vaccine before the start of study drug, participation in the study should be delayed at least 1 week after any COVID-19 vaccination. During the treatment period, it is recommended to delay COVID-19 vaccination until patients are receiving and tolerating a steady dose of study drug. A vaccine dose should not be less than 48 hours before or after study drug dosing.
  16. Uncontrolled infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus (HBV or HCV) infection; or diagnosis of immunodeficiency that is related to, or results in chronic infection.

    • Patients with known HIV infection who have controlled infection (undetectable viral load on HIV RNA PCR) and CD4 count above 350 (either spontaneously or on a stable antiviral regimen) are permitted. For patients with controlled HIV infection, monitoring will be performed per local standards.
    • Patients with HBV (hepatitis B surface antigen positive; HBsAg+) who have controlled infection (serum HBV DNA PCR that is below the limit of detection and receiving anti-viral therapy for HBV) are permitted. Patients with controlled infections must undergo periodic monitoring of HBV DNA. Patients must remain on anti-viral therapy for at least 6 months after the last dose of cemiplimab.
    • Patients who are HCV antibody positive (HCV Ab+) who have controlled infection (undetectable HCV RNA by PCR, either spontaneously or in response to successful prior course of anti-HCV therapy) are permitted.
    • Patients with HIV or hepatitis must be reviewed by a qualified specialist (eg, infectious disease or hepatologist) managing this disease prior to commencing and regularly throughout the duration of their participation in the trial
  17. Women with a positive serum beta-hCG pregnancy test at screening/baseline visit. If positive, pregnancy must be ruled out by ultrasound for patient to be eligible.
  18. Breast-feeding women.
  19. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) who are sexually active and are not willing to practice highly effective contraception prior to the first treatment, during the study, and for at least 6 months after the last dose. Highly effective contraceptive measures include:

    • stable use of combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception (oral, intravaginal, transdermal) or progestogen-only hormonal contraception (oral, injectable, implantable) associated with inhibition of ovulation initiated 2 or more menstrual cycles prior to screening;
    • intrauterine device; intrauterine hormone-releasing system;
    • bilateral tubal occlusion/ligation;
    • vasectomized partner (provided that the male vasectomized partner is the sole sexual partner of the WOCBP study participant and that the vasectomized partner has obtained medical assessment of surgical success for the procedure); and/or
    • sexual abstinence - Sexual abstinence is considered a highly effective method only if defined as refraining from heterosexual intercourse during the entire period of risk associated with the study drugs. The reliability of sexual abstinence needs to be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical trial and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject.
  20. Male study participants with WOCBP partners are required to use condoms during the study and until 6 months after the last dose of study treatment unless they are vasectomized or practice sexual abstinence.
  21. WOCBP must agree not to donate eggs (ova, oocytes) for the purposes of assisted reproduction during the entire trial and until 6 months after last treatment.
  22. All men must agree not to donate sperm during the trial and for 6 months after receiving the last therapy dose.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cemiplimab and Fianlimab

    All patients will be treated as follows: cemiplimab and fianlimab every 3 weeks for a total of 3 treatments, or until unacceptable toxic effects, overt disease progression, or withdrawal from study.

    Drug: Cemiplimab · Drug: Fianlimab

Interventions

  • DrugCemiplimab

    cemiplimab IV flat

  • DrugFianlimab

    fianilmab IV flat

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. response

    will be evaluated in this study using the international criteria proposed by RECIST version 1.1. Changes in the largest diameter (unidimensional measurement) of the tumor lesion and the shortest diameter in the case of malignant lymph nodes are used in the RECIST criteria

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

7 of 7 sites recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activites)
    Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Middletown, New Jersey 07748, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Montvale, New Jersey 07645, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Suffolk - Commack (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Commack, New York 11725, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering West Harrison (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Harrison, New York 10604, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activites)
    New York, New York 10065, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Limited Protocol Activities)
    Uniondale, New York 11553, United States
    • Martin Voss, MD · Contact · 646-888-4721
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center supports the international committee of medical journal editors (ICMJE) and the ethical obligation of responsible sharing of data from clinical trials. The protocol summary, a statistical summary, and informed consent form will be made available on clinicaltrials.gov when required as a condition of Federal awards, other agreements supporting the research and/or as otherwise required. Requests for deidentified individual participant data can be made beginning 12 months after publication and for up to 36 months post publication. Deidentified individual participant data reported in the manuscript will be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement and may only be used for approved proposals. Requests may be made to: crdatashare@mskcc.org.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 4, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06699602
Lead sponsor
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 21, 2024
Start date
Feb 11, 2025
Primary completion
Feb 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Feb 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 4, 2026

Study contacts

Martin Voss, MD
Contact
vossm@mskcc.org
646-888-4721
Abraham Hakimi, MD
Contact
hakimia@mskcc.org
646-422-4497
Martin Voss, MD
principal investigator · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Oversight

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

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