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Not yet recruitingNCT07698106Updated Sep 28, 2026

Enhancing ICB Efficacy Through IL-1 Inhibition in TNBC

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Group 1-Isunakinra in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-28.

Sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is a phase I/II open-label randomized clinical trial to examine whether administration of isunakinra (EBI-005), a modified recombinant IL1 receptor antagonist, can sensitize human TNBC to the PD1 inhibitor-pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P) by changing the tumor microenvironment (TME) via reducing the recruitment of immunosuppressive tumorassociated macrophages (TAMs) and increasing activated cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs).

Read the detailed description

Pre-clinical work has found that tumor cell IL-1β drives TAM recruitment, immunosuppression, and tumor progression in TNBC. In fact, experimental evidence, across most cancer types, supports a tumor-promoting role for IL-1β making IL-1β a target with clear therapeutic potential. Roles for IL-1β in growth, invasion and angiogenesis, metastases, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumoral recruitment of TAMs and other pro-tumoral inflammatory cells have been extensively described, and IL-1β upregulation is generally associated with poorer prognosis. The best available clinical information suggests that targeting IL-1β reduces cachexia and remarkably is associated with a greater than 50% reduction of death from all cancers (phase 3 Cantos trial, testing the IL-1β inhibitor canakinumab (Ilaris®) to treat heart failure in a cohort of 10,061 patients). We are the first to suggest that TNBCs are the "perfect storm" for IL-1β production, with Notch providing IL-1β priming and the inflammasome ensuring cleavage, making TNBC an ideal candidate for IL-1β blockade. Supporting this, our most recent pre-clinical work shows that IL1β antagonists can synergize with ICB to eliminate TNBC.

This study is a phase I/II open-label randomized clinical trial evaluating the immunologic effects within the tumor, microenvironment, and host blood of patients treated with either: Group 1 Study participants randomized to Group 1 treatment group will receive isunakinra at a dose of 50mg SC daily x 24 weeks in addition to standard pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P). Group 2 Study participants randomized to Group 2, the control group, will receive standard pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P).

A total of 60 patients will be recruited across 3 institutions, randomized 1:1 to treatment (n=30) versus control (n=30).

The proposed study may provide important data regarding the mechanism of action, safety, feasibility and efficacy of isunakinra when added to NAC/P. It will inform sample size for a definitive phase 3 study designed to prove that isunakinra improves patient outcome.

02

Conditions studied

  • Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
03

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  1. Age > 18 years
  2. Newly diagnosed, locally advanced, previously untreated and centrally confirmed TNBC, as defined by the most recent American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines, and staging per current AJCC staging criteria for breast cancer as assessed by the investigator based on radiological and/or clinical assessment:

    Clinical stage T1c/N1-N2, T2-4/N0-2

  3. Provides core needle biopsies consisting of at least 2 separate tumor cores from the primary tumor to the central laboratory
  4. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
  5. Demonstrates adequate organ function
  6. Participants of childbearing potential must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception for the course of the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Male Gender
  2. Luminal A/B and HER2 positive breast cancer
  3. Multifocal early breast cancer
  4. History of invasive malignancy ≤5 years prior to signing informed consent, except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or in situ cervical cancer
  5. Received prior chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation therapy within the past 12 months
  6. Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD1, anti-PDL1/-PDL2 agent or with an agent directed to another co-inhibitory T-cell receptor
  7. Participated in an interventional clinical study with an investigational compound or device within 4 weeks of randomization for this study
  8. Pre-existing inflammatory arthritis
  9. Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of the first dose of study treatment
  10. Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs)
  11. Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy (i.e., dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone or equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study treatment
  12. Active or uncontrolled Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C
  13. Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis
  14. Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy
  15. Has significant cardiovascular disease
  16. Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive children within the duration of the study
  17. Has a known history of active tuberculosis (TB, Bacillus Tuberculosis)
  18. Platelets ≤ 100x109/L. ANC ≤ 1.5 x109/L. Hemoglobin ≤ 80 g/L
  19. ECOG≥2
  20. History of stroke or intracranial hemorrhage within 6 months prior to enrollment
  21. Presence of moderate or severe renal function impairment (estimated creatinine clearance \<60 mL/min/1.73m2)
  22. Patients with mild, moderate, or severe hepatic impairment or inadequate liver function (total bilirubin > 23 umol/L, serum albumin \< 35 g/L, INR > 1.70)
  23. Known hypersensitivity to E-coli derived proteins, isunakinra or any component of the product
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group 1-Isunakinra treatment Group

    Study participants randomized to Group 1 treatment group will receive isunakinra at a dose of 50mg SC daily x 24 weeks in addition to standard pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P).

    Drug: Group 1-Isunakinra

  • No intervention
    Group 2-Standard of care treatment group

    Study participants randomized to Group 2, the control group, will receive standard pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P).

Interventions

  • DrugGroup 1-Isunakinra

    isunakinra at a dose of 50mg SC daily x 24 weeks in addition to standard pembrolizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC/P).

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Outcome-Study will test whether IL1 blockade can reduce TAM and sensitize human TNBCs to ICB. Outcome measure-changes in the TME induced by the addition of isunakinra to NAC/P will be determined.

    The following biomarkers will be evaluated, examining the changes in their expression level between baseline and after 8 weeks of NAC/P ± isunakinra: 1. TAMs 2. Lymphocyte subsets 3. Natural Killer cells 4. Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) 5. Inflammasome expression 6. Cytokines: IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8 and C-reactive protein (CRP)

    Time frame: 6 years

06

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07698106
Lead sponsor
University Health Network, Toronto
Collaborators
Buzzard Pharmaceuticals
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 13, 2026
Start date
Oct 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 2034 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2034 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 28, 2026

Study contacts

Michael Reedijk, MD
Contact
Michael.Reedijk@uhn.ca
416-946-4432

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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