A Phase 2 interventional study of Biopsy Procedure and Biospecimen Collection in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma, Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Liver and Resectable Colorectal Carcinoma, sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-05.
Sponsored by Mayo Clinic · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
This phase IIb trial tests the effect of HRX215 in treating patients with colorectal cancer that has spread from where it first started to the liver (liver metastasis) after undergoing a portal vein embolization (PVE). Currently, surgery to remove the tumor (hepatectomy) remains the only potential treatment for cure. However, less than 30% of patients are considered resectable (can be removed by surgery) at the time of diagnosis. The risk of liver failure and other complications rise with larger areas liver that is removed during surgery. Therefore, the potential for surgery is determined by the amount of liver that will remain after resection. PVE is a standard strategy to increase the potential for resection. A PVE is a procedure that blocks the portal vein (a blood vessel that carries blood to the liver) to prevent flow of blood to the tumor. HRX215 targets and binds to MKK4, a protein found on liver cells plays a part in cellular growth and prevents liver repair and regrowth of cells and tissue. Blocking the activity of MKK4 may help prevent liver failure, protect liver cells and improve liver mass. Giving HRX215 after a PVE may help improve the rate of liver regrowth and increase the likelihood of hepatectomy in patients with colorectal liver metastasis.
5,599 studies on the registry are indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms; 1,459 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is close to the median of 77 across 4,123 interventional studies indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms.
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Of its 445 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 313 (70%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
REGISTRATION: Contraindications to imaging or perioperative management:
REGISTRATION: Any of the following because this study involves an investigational agent, the genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects of which on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown
REGISTRATION: Any of the following prior therapies:
REGISTRATION: Failure to recover from any adverse events related to any of the following therapies received prior to registration:
REGISTRATION: Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to:
REGISTRATION: Immunocompromised patients and patients known to be HIV positive and currently receiving antiretroviral therapy
Patients undergo scheduled PVE on day 0. Starting 2 hours before undergoing PVE, patients receive HRX215 PO BID (orally twice daily) on days 0-27 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Starting on or after day 32, patients may undergo scheduled hepatectomy. Patients also undergo blood sample collection, CT, MRI, and CT-PET throughout the study. Additionally, patients may undergo tissue biopsy during scheduled hepatectomy on study.
Procedure: Biopsy Procedure · Procedure: Biospecimen Collection · Procedure: Computed Tomography · Drug: Darizmetinib · Drug: Embolization Therapy · Procedure: Hepatectomy · Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Procedure: Positron Emission Tomography
Patients undergo scheduled PVE on day 0. Starting 2 hours before undergoing PVE, patients receive placebo PO BID (orally twice daily) on days 0-27 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Starting on or after day 32, patients may undergo scheduled hepatectomy. Patients also undergo blood sample collection, CT, MRI, and CT-PET throughout the study. Additionally, patients may undergo tissue biopsy during scheduled hepatectomy on study.
Procedure: Biopsy Procedure · Procedure: Biospecimen Collection · Procedure: Computed Tomography · Drug: Embolization Therapy · Procedure: Hepatectomy · Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Drug: Placebo Administration · Procedure: Positron Emission Tomography
Undergo tissue biopsy
Also known as: Biopsy, BIOPSY_TYPE, Bx
Undergo blood sample collection
Also known as: Biological Sample Collection, Biospecimen Collected, Sample Collection, Specimen Collection
Undergo CT and CT-PET
Also known as: CAT, CAT Scan, Computed Axial Tomography, Computerized Axial Tomography, Computerized axial tomography (procedure), Computerized Tomography, Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, CT, CT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan Service Type, tomography
Given PO
Also known as: HRX 215, HRX-215, HRX215, LN 3348, LN-3348, LN3348
Undergo PVE
Also known as: Embolization, therapy, embolization
Undergo hepatectomy
Also known as: Liver Resection
Undergo MRI
Also known as: Magnetic Resonance, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure), Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan, Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, MR, MR Imaging, MRI, MRI Scan, MRIs, NMR Imaging, NMRI, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, sMRI, Structural MRI
Given PO
Undergo CT-PET
Also known as: Medical Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, PET (positron emission tomography), PET Scan, Positron emission tomography (procedure), Positron Emission Tomography Scan, Positron-Emission Tomography, PT
Future liver remnant size (FLR)
Will be defined as the percentage of the liver expected to remain after a planned hepatectomy. Will be compared between the two treatment groups \[HRX215 versus (vs) placebo\] utilizing an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) F-test controlling for age, gender, and FLR at baseline.
Time frame: At day 28 post-baseline
FLR size
Will be defined as the percentage of the liver expected to remain after a planned hepatectomy. Will be compared between the two treatment groups (HRX215 vs placebo) utilizing an ANCOVA F-Test controlling for age, gender, and FLR at baseline.
Time frame: At day 7 post-baseline
Incidence of adverse events (AEs)
AEs will be graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 5.0. Each type of AE and grade will be recorded for each patient. The distribution of serious AEs as well as AEs of special interest will be compared between treatment arms descriptively to look for trends.
Time frame: Up to 28 days after last dose of study treatment
Resectability after PVE
The proportion of patients will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a Chi-Square test.
Time frame: At or after 28 days post-baseline
Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF)
Will be defined according to the criteria issued by the International Study Group for Liver Surgery (ISGLS). Grading of PHLF into grades A to C will be performed, and grades B-C will be defined as severe PHLF. The proportion of patients will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a Chi-Square test.
Time frame: Between postoperative days 5 and 7
Post-operative morbidity
Will be defined according to the system issued in "Classification of surgical complications: a new proposal with evaluation in a cohort of 6336 patients and results of a survey," a standardized, therapy-oriented system for grading postoperative surgical complications according to the treatment required to manage them rather than subjective severity. Complications range from Grade I, defined as any deviation from the normal postoperative course not requiring specific therapy, to Grade V, defined as death. Intermediate grades reflect increasing therapeutic intensity, from pharmacological treatment (Grade II), to interventions with or without general anesthesia (Grade III), and life-threatening complications requiring intensive care (Grade IV).. The proportion of patients will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a Chi-square test.
Time frame: Up to 360 days post-PVE
Post-operative mortality
Defined as patient death within the first 90 days after liver resection. The proportion of patients will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a Chi-Square test.
Time frame: Up to the first 90 days after liver resection
Recurrence-free survival (RFS)
Defined as the time from major liver resection to disease recurrence. Will be analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier Method. The distribution of RFS will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a two-sided log-rank test.
Time frame: From major liver resection to disease recurrence, assessed up to 360 days
Overall survival (OS)
Defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause. Will be analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier Method. The distribution of OS will be compared between treatment arms utilizing a two-sided log-rank test.
Time frame: From randomization to death from any cause, assessed up to 360 days
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 ↗
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