ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT06771674Updated Sep 9, 2025

Real-world Study of First Line Pembrolizumab- or Nivolumab-treated HPV-positive Recurrent/Metastatic Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

An observational study in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, sponsored by Hookipa Biotech GmbH. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-09.

Sponsored by Hookipa Biotech GmbH · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
662
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Pembrolizumab and nivolumab (with or without chemotherapy) are used to treat head and neck cancer. The middle part of the throat (oropharynx) is a common location for head and neck cancer. This cancer is known as oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and is most often caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This real-world evidence study carried out in the United States (US) will assess patient demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and effectiveness of pembrolizumab and nivolumab (with or without chemotherapy) in patients with HPV positive (HPV+) OPSCC after their cancer spread (metastatic) and/or returned (recurrent). The collected real-world data can be compared with data derived from matched study populations in clinical studies that test new therapies in patients with HPV+ OPSCC. This will allow a more reliable evaluation of the clinical benefits and better-informed design of future clinical studies in this patient population.

Read the detailed description

This non-interventional study will be conducted as a single-phase, multicenter medical chart review of US patients with HPV+ recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) OPSCC treated with first-line (1L) pembrolizumab or nivolumab (with or without chemotherapy). Participating physicians (Cardinal Health's Oncology Provider Extended Network) and clinical sites (Practice Research Network) will be asked to submit data on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1L treatment outcomes during a 10-week data collection period. The networks do not overlap, eliminating the chance of duplicate patient records. The completion of data collection defines the study completion date. The data collection period will be followed by a data validation period based on responses of the participating physicians and clinical sites to follow-up questions.

The data obtained in this study will create external control arms (ECAs) comprised of patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC initiating 1L therapy with pembrolizumab monotherapy, or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy. The use of these ECAs will allow for a more accurate estimation of the effectiveness of therapies currently assessed in interventional clinical studies versus pembrolizumab or nivolumab (with or without chemotherapy) as assessed in this observational study in a non-randomized setting. This information will serve to increase the reliability of the study data from interventional clinical studies investigating therapies in matching indications and patient populations and improve the accuracy of the clinical data to inform future clinical trials.

02

Conditions studied

  • Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Keywords

  • oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
  • throat
  • head and neck cancer
  • squamous cell cancer
  • OPSCC
  • HNSCC
  • human papillomavirus
  • HPV
  • immunotherapy
  • real-world study
  • PD-L1 therapy
  • checkpoint inhibitor
  • pembrolizumab
  • nivolumab
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 enrollment of 662 is above the median of 100 across 236 observational studies indexed under Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck.

Browse Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck studies →

Lead sponsor

Hookipa Biotech GmbH is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; none are 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
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC who received 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy, or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy will be evaluated. The ECAs derived from this real-world study are matched to respective study populations from interventional clinical studies. Propensity score matching will be used to generate the ECAs. The baseline characteristics used for matching will encompass key demographic and clinical factors potentially associated with treatment outcomes and may include:

  • Type of disease (only recurrent/metastatic including any recurrent)
  • Smoking history
  • Sex at birth
  • Race/Ethnicity
  • Hemoglobin

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

  • Confirmed diagnosis of HPV+ R/M OPSCC (base and posterior one-third of tongue, the tonsils, soft palate, and lateral pharyngeal walls).
  • Initiated and treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy, or nivolumab (monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy) as 1L therapy for HPV+ R/M OPSCC on or after 05 June 2024 (may have had curative intent treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy for non-/non-recurrent disease).
  • Have access to baseline assessment scan within 30 days prior to initiating 1L therapy for HPV+ R/M OPSCC and response assessment confirmed by objective measurements within 26 weeks of initiation of 1L therapy.
  • Must have been followed for 6 months or more since initiation of 1L therapy for R/M OPSCC.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participation in a controlled clinical trial for 1L R/M OPSCC.
  • Central nervous system involvement or other concurrent at the time of 1L initiation.
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.

Metastases

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

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.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
662 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • ECA 1

    A representative sample of real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Drug: Pembrolizumab

  • ECA 3

    A representative sample of real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and high CPS (at least 20 or more) treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Drug: Pembrolizumab

  • ECA 2

    A representative sample of real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy.

    Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Pembrolizumab

  • ECA 4

    A representative sample of real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy.

    Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Pembrolizumab

Interventions

  • Given as monotherapy.

    Also known as: Keytruda

  • Given in combination with chemotherapy.

    Also known as: Opdivo

  • Given without chemotherapy.

    Also known as: Opdivo

  • Given in combination with chemotherapy.

    Also known as: Keytruda

  • Given without chemotherapy.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Patient demographics with ECA 1

    Patient demographics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  2. Clinical characteristics with ECA 1

    Clinical characteristics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  3. Treatment patterns with ECA 1

    Treatment patterns among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  4. 1L treatment outcomes with ECA 1

    1L treatment outcomes among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  5. Patient demographics with ECA 2

    Patient demographics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  6. Clinical characteristics with ECA 2

    Describe the clinical characteristics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  7. 1L treatment outcomes with ECA 2

    1L treatment outcomes among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  8. Treatment patterns with ECA 2

    Treatment patterns among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  9. Patient demographics with ECA3

    Patient demographics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and with a CPS of at least 20 or more treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  10. Clinical characteristics with ECA3

    Clinical characteristics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and with a CPS of at least 20 or more treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  11. Treatment patterns with ECA3

    Treatment patterns among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and with a CPS of at least 20 or more treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  12. 1L treatment outcomes with ECA3

    1L treatment outcomes among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and with a CPS of at least 20 or more treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  13. Patient demographics with ECA 4

    Patient demographics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  14. Clinical characteristics with ECA 4

    Describe the clinical characteristics among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  15. Treatment patterns with ECA 4

    Treatment patterns among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  16. 1L treatment outcomes with ECA 4

    1L treatment outcomes among real-world patients with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Real-world ECA 1 population versus a population from an interventional clinical study

    Compare clinical outcomes of a matched patient population from an interventional clinical study with those of the representative ECA 1 real-world population with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy from this study.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  2. Real-world ECA 2 population versus a population from an interventional clinical study

    Compare clinical outcomes of a matched patient population from an interventional clinical study with those of the representative ECA 2 real-world population with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with pembrolizumab or nivolumab with chemotherapy from this study.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  3. Real-world ECA 3 population versus a population from an interventional clinical study

    Compare clinical outcomes of a matched patient population from an interventional clinical study with those of the representative ECA 3 real-world population with HPV+ R/M OPSCC and with CPS of at least 20 or more treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy from this study.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

  4. Real-world ECA 4 population versus a population from an interventional clinical study

    Compare clinical outcomes of a matched patient population from an interventional clinical study with those of the representative ECA 4 real-world population with HPV+ R/M OPSCC treated with pembrolizumab or nivolumab with or without chemotherapy from this study.

    Time frame: Whole study period (05 June 2024 through 30 April 2025)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Cardinal Health
    Dublin, Ohio 43017, United States
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Jun 2024 to primary completion in Feb 2025, 8 months.

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

Registered
Jan 8, 2025
First posted
Jan 13, 2025
StartActual
Jun 5, 2024
Primary completionActual
Feb 28, 2025
CompletionActual
Feb 28, 2025
Last update
Sep 9, 2025
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 Sep 9, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06771674
Lead sponsor
Hookipa Biotech GmbH
Collaborators
Cardinal Health
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 13, 2025
Start date
Jun 5, 2024
Primary completion
Feb 28, 2025
Completion
Feb 28, 2025
Last update
Sep 9, 2025

Oversight

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

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This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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