ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06735820MEKMDM2Updated Jul 27, 2026

Early Phase Study Evaluating MEK and MDM2 Inhibition in Patients With NF1 and MPNST

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of APG-115 and Selumetinib in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST), Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and Atypical Neurofibroma, sponsored by AeRang Kim. Recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-27.

Sponsored by AeRang Kim · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jun 2026; still recruiting 5 months later.
Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
45
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a phase 0/1/2, multi-site study to evaluate the MEK inhibitor Selumetinib with the MDM2 Inhibitor APG-115 in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and pre-malignant and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Read the detailed description

The first primary objective of the study is to determine the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and recommended doses of selumetinib and APG-115 in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) and refractory/unresectable MPNST (Part A). The second primary objective is to determine the clinical benefit of selumetinib and APG-115 in patients with NF1 and refractory/unresectable MPNST (Part B). The secondary objective is to evaluate the percent apoptosis and tumor proliferation in resectable atypical neurofibromatus neoplasm of uncertain biologic potential (ANNUBP) after exposure to selumetinib and APG-115 (Part C)

02

Conditions studied

  • Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST)
  • Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1)
  • Atypical Neurofibroma

Keywords

  • NF1
  • MPNST
  • MEK inhibitor
  • MDM2 inhibitor
  • atypical neurofibroma
  • ANNUBP
03

In context

Neurofibrosarcoma

98 studies on the registry are indexed under Neurofibrosarcoma; 23 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 45 is close to the median of 46 across 84 interventional studies indexed under Neurofibrosarcoma.

Browse Neurofibrosarcoma studies →

Lead sponsor

AeRang Kim is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

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

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

  • AGE: Part A and C: ≥ 18 years of age AGE: Part B: ≥12 years (minimum BSA ≥0.55m2)
  • Part A and B: Patients with unresectable or confirmed NF1 associated MPNST. Part C: Patients with NF1 and ANNUBP. Diagnostic criteria based on Miettinen et al, Human Pathol:
  • : Patients must have measurable disease by RECISTv1.1. Baseline radiologic scans must be performed within 4 weeks of starting treatment.
  • Therapeutic options: Parts A and B: Patients must have experienced progression after one or more prior regimens of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Patients who have refused cytotoxic chemotherapy or for whom treatment on this protocol prior to receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy is felt to be in the best interest for the patient by the local investigator will also be eligible. Part C: Patients with ANNUBP that are planned for surgical resection
  • PRIOR THERAPY

    • Patients must have fully recovered from the acute toxic effects of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy prior to entering on this study excluding chronic grade 1 toxicities and alopecia.
    • No limitation on the number of prior chemotherapy regimens that the patient may have received prior to study entry.
    • Myelosuppressive chemotherapy: The last dose of all myelosuppressive anticancer drugs must be at least 3 weeks (≥21 days) prior to study entry (42 days if prior nitrosourea).
    • Immunotherapy: The last dose of immunotherapy (monoclonal antibody or vaccine) must be at least 4 weeks prior to study entry.
    • Anti-cancer agents not known to be myelosuppressive (e.g not associated with reduced or ANC count): ≥7 days after the last dose of the agent .
    • Radiation therapy: The last dose of radiation to more than 25% of marrow containing bones (pelvis, spine, skull) must be at least 4 weeks prior to study entry. The last dose of all other local palliative (limited port) radiation must be at least 2 weeks prior to study entry.
    • Stem Cell Transplantation. At least 2 months post- stem cell transplant or at least 3 months post-allogeneic transplant and recovered from toxicities without evidence of and on stable doses of medications, if required.
    • Growth Factors. The last dose of colony stimulating factors, such as filgrastim, sargramostim, and erythropoietin, must be at least 1 week prior to study entry, the last dose of long-acting colony stimulating factors, such as pegfilgrastim, must be at least 2 weeks prior to study entry.
  • Concurrent therapies: No other anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy) permitted.
  • PERFORMANCE STATUS

    • Lansky/ performance level ≥ 50% . Participants who are wheelchair bound or have limited mobility secondary to a need for mechanical breathing support (such as an airway PN requiring tracheostomy or continuous positive airway pressure) who must have a Lansky performance of ≥ 40 (Appendix related to performance status scale).
    • For patients ≥18: (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1, with no deterioration over the previous 2 weeks prior to baseline or day of first dosing.
    • Patients who are unable to walk because of paralysis or motor weakness, but who are able to use a wheelchair will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of calculating the performance score.
  • HEMATOLOGIC FUNCTION

    • ≥9.0 g/dL (transfusion permissible)
    • Peripheral (ANC) of ≥1000/μL
    • Platelet count ≥75,000/μL (transfusion independent (no transfusion within at least 7 days prior to enrollment))
  • HEPATIC FUNCTION

    • Total must be ≤ 1.5 times the (ULN) or ≤3×ULN in the presence of documented Gilbert's syndrome (unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia).
    • (AST)/SGPT (ALT) must be ≤ 3.0 times ULN
  • RENAL FUNCTION: Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN or >60 ml/min/1.73m2
  • CARDIAC FUNCTION:

    • Normal by ECHO by institutional normal (within 4 weeks of enrollment)
    • ≤ 450msec (within 4 weeks of enrollment)
  • Fertile men and women of must agree to use an effective method of .
  • CNS DISEASE: Patients with central nervous system disease are eligible for enrollment if they have received prior radiotherapy or surgery to sites of CNS metastatic disease and are without evidence of clinical progression or stable disease at 4 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of another primary except for:

    • A malignancy treated with curative intent and with no known active disease ≥2 years before the first dose of the study intervention and of low potential risk of recurrence.
    • Adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer or lentigo maligna without evidence of disease
    • Adequately treated carcinoma in situ without evidence of disease
    • Stable optic pathway glioma or low-grade glioma not receiving active therapy
  • History of
  • Patients receiving other anti-cancer agents are not eligible.
  • Patients who cannot swallow whole pills.
  • Current or prior use of medications within 14 days prior to study entry. The following are exceptions to this criterion:
  • Intranasal, inhaled, topical or local steroid injection (e.g., intra-articular injection)
  • Systemic corticosteroids used at physiologic doses not to exceed 10mg/day of prednisone or its equivalent
  • Steroids as premedication for reactions (e.g., CT scan premedication).
  • Any recent major surgery within a minimum of 4 weeks prior to starting drug therapy. Placement of vascular access device, percutaneous tumor , or bone marrows are not considered major surgical procedures and no minimum time frame prior to starting study drug therapy is required.
  • Patients who have any known severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions or other conditions that could affect their participation in the study such as:
  • Severely impaired lung function defined as spirometry and DLCO that is 50% of the normal predicted value corrected for and alveolar volume and/or O2 saturation that is 88% or less at rest on room air. For patients who do NOT have respiratory symptoms (e.g., dyspnea at rest, known requirement for supplemental oxygen), pulmonary function test is not required.
  • Cardiac conditions as follows:
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure ≥≥140/90 mmHg despite medical therapy.
  • For pediatric patients: blood pressure ≥95th percentile for age, height, and gender measured as described in Appendix VIII
  • Known inherited coronary disease;
  • For studies with pediatric patients: History of angina or acute coronary syndrome; Acute coronary syndrome within 6 months prior to starting drug therapy
  • Uncontrolled angina despite medical therapy (Canadian Cardiovascular Society grade II-IV despite medical therapy (Appendix IV))
  • Symptomatic heart failure Class II-IV prior or current cardiomyopathy or severe valvular disease (Appendix V)
  • Prior or current cardiomyopathy including but not limited to the following

    • Known hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
    • Known arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
    • Previous moderate or severe impairment of left ventricular systolic function ( \<45% on echocardiography or equivalent of MUGA) even if full recovery has occurred
  • Symptomatic or uncontrolled atrial fibrillation despite treatment or asymptomatic sustained ventricular tachycardia.
  • Active primary immunodeficiency
  • Ophthalmological conditions as follows (ophthalmology exam within 4 weeks of study enrollment)
  • Current or past history of retinal pigment epithelial detachment/central serous retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion
  • Known intraocular pressure (IOP)>21 mmHg (or adjusted by age) or uncontrolled glaucoma.
  • Any other significant abnormality on ophthalmic examination that would make the subject unsuitable for enrolment into the study, as assessed by the investigator.
  • Subjects with ophthalmological findings secondary to long standing optic pathway glioma (such as visual loss, optic nerve pallor, or strabismus) or long standing orbito-temporal PN (such as vision loss, strabismus) will not be considered a significant abnormality for purposes of this study.
  • Any Supplementation with vitamin E in the 7 days prior to initiation of selumetinib.
  • Hypersensitivity to products, or drugs with similar chemical structures to investigational products.
  • Patients unwilling or unable to comply with the protocol.
  • Seville orange, star fruit, grapefruit juice, St. Johns' Wort use are not allowed while on study.
  • nausea and vomiting, chronic gastrointestinal disease, inability to swallow the formulated product, or previous significant bowel resection that would preclude adequate absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of selumetinib.
  • Receiving herbal supplements or medications known to be strong or moderate inhibitors or inducers of the cytochrome P450 (CYP)2C19 and enzymes or fluconazole unless such products can be safely discontinued at least 14 days or 5 half-lives (whichever is longer) before the first dose of study medication.
  • Persistent toxicities ( Grade ≥2) caused by previous anticancer therapy, excluding hair changes such as alopecia or hair lightening.
  • Currently pregnant (confirmed with positive pregnancy test) or breastfeeding (lactation must be discontinued throughout the period of the study and until at least one week after the last dose of study intervention)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(29)

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.

Metastases

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

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

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.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

GVHD (graft-versus-host disease)

After a transplant from a donor, the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s body, often the skin, gut or liver.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

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.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

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.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)

The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.

QT and QTc

On an ECG, the QT interval is the time the heart’s lower chambers take to activate electrically and recover in each beat. QTc is that time adjusted for heart rate (QTcF by Fridericia’s formula, QTcB by Bazett’s). Some medicines lengthen it, and a long QTc can raise the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.

The study may name a correction formula and a limit in milliseconds, often around 450–480.

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.

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.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Leptomeningeal disease

Cancer that has spread to the leptomeninges, the thin layers covering the brain and spinal cord, and the fluid between them. It is not the same as brain metastases.

Criteria often treat it separately, and many studies leave it out even where treated brain metastases are allowed.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

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.

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.

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.

CYP3A (CYP3A4) inhibitors and inducers

CYP3A is a group of enzymes, mainly CYP3A4, in the liver and gut that break down many medicines. Some medicines, supplements and foods (grapefruit, St John’s wort) slow them down or speed them up, which changes how much of a study drug stays in the body.

Studies list them so they can be avoided or switched; bring a list of everything you take, including supplements.

CTCAE grade

The US National Cancer Institute’s scale of how severe an adverse event is — any unwanted medical event during a study, such as a symptom, an illness or an abnormal test result, whether or not a treatment caused it. Whether it did is judged separately.

1
Mild.
2
Moderate.
3
Severe.
4
Life-threatening.
5
Death due to the event.

“Side effects of earlier treatment resolved to grade 1 or less” means they have settled to mild or gone.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
45 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    APG-115 and Selumetinib

    There is only one arm. It is combination therapy of APG-115 and Selumetinib.

    Drug: APG-115 · Drug: Selumetinib

Interventions

  • Combination therapy of APG-115 and Selumetinib

    Also known as: alrizomadlin

  • Combination therapy of APG-115 and Selumetinib

    Also known as: koselugo

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The number of treated patients with adverse events as determined by the common criteria for adverse version 5 (CTCAEv5).

    We will be looking at safety and dose recommendations using adverse event evaluation per dose level as determined by CTCAEv5 (Part A)

    Time frame: 15 months

  2. Tumor response by imaging using RECISTv1.1

    We will determine the clinical benefit of this combination by evaluating tumor response by imaging using RECISTv1.1 guidelines (Part B)

    Time frame: 28 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percent apoptosis and tumor proliferation

    To evaluate the percent apoptosis and tumor proliferation in resected tumor tissue ANNUBP after exposure to selumetinib and APG-115 (Part C)

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

2 of 2 sites recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 27, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06735820
Lead sponsor
AeRang Kim
Responsible party
AeRang Kim (Pediatric Oncologist, Children's National Research Institute) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Dec 16, 2024
Start date
Jun 1, 2026
Primary completion
Oct 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Oct 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 27, 2026

Study contacts

Vidya Chenji
Contact
nchenji@childrensnational.org
202-476-3745
AeRang Kim, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Children's National Research Institute

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: Alrizomadlin

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