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Not yet recruitingNCT07706179Updated Sep 29, 2026

Targeting Aurora A Kinase to Overcome Treatment Resistance in Advanced HR+/HER2+ Breast Cancer

A Phase 2 interventional study of Alisertib in HR+/HER2+ Breast Cancer and Metastatic Breast Cancer, sponsored by University of Wisconsin, Madison. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-29.

Sponsored by University of Wisconsin, Madison · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if alisertib in addition to usual care works to treat HR+/HER2+ breast cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does alisertib stop the communication between HR and HER2?
  • Are there genetic markers that predict how well someone's cancer will respond to alisertib?

Participants will receive alisertib in addition to their usual care.

Read the detailed description

This pilot clinical trial will evaluate alisertib in combination with standard of care endocrine therapy and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2)-targeted therapy in participants with Stage IV hormone receptor positive (HR+)/ HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer, utilizing our novel 3-gene biomarker signature for patient selection and response prediction

02

Conditions studied

  • HR+/HER2+ Breast Cancer
  • Metastatic Breast Cancer

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03

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age > 18 years at the time of consent.
  • ECOG performance status \</=2 (Karnofsky >/=60%).
  • Metastatic HR+/HER2+ breast cancer (estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) ≥1%, HER2 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or amplified by in situ hybridization (ISH).
  • Prior standard induction treatment with chemotherapy + trastuzumab + pertuzumab (HP) or fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and have completed a minimum of 4 cycles without progressive disease.
  • Planned to start or are receiving endocrine therapy + HER2-directed (HP or pertuzumab/trastuzumab/hyaluronidase-zzxf (PHESGO®)) therapy.
  • Demonstrate adequate organ function; all screening labs to be obtained within 28 days prior to registration.
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50% as assessed by echocardiogram (ECHO) or multi-gated acquisition scan (MUGA) documented within 6 weeks prior to the study treatment.
  • Patients must have measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors volume 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) or evaluable disease with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) that is detectible. Measurable disease is defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded for non-nodal lesions and short axis for nodal lesions) as ≥20 mm (≥2 cm) by chest x-ray or as ≥10 mm (≥1 cm) with CT scan, MRI, or calipers by clinical exam.
  • Willingness to receive growth factor injections for neutropenia prophylaxis. Only patients without any grade 3 or higher neutropenia during induction chemotherapy or T-DXd will be permitted to proceed without prophylactic growth factor support. If the enrolled patients in this trial develop high grade or prolonged neutropenia, the addition of growth factor will be required.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen are not eligible for this trial.
  • Treatment with any investigational drug within 14 days prior to registration, or within 5 half-lives of the investigational product, whichever is longer.
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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
    Alisertib plus standard of care

    Participants receive alisertib in addition to usual care

    Drug: Alisertib

Interventions

  • DrugAlisertib

    Alisertib 40mg on days 1-7 of 21-day cycles for 4 cycles

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical benefit defined as partial tumor response (PR)

    As defined by RECIST 1.1. Changes in the largest diameter (unidimensional measurement) of the tumor lesions and the shortest diameter in the case of malignant lymph nodes are used in the RECIST criteria. PR is at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  2. Clinical benefit defined as complete tumor response (CR)

    As defined by RECIST 1.1 Changes in the largest diameter (unidimensional measurement) of the tumor lesions and the shortest diameter in the case of malignant lymph nodes are used in the RECIST criteria. CR is disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  3. Clinical benefit defined as decline in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)

    Clinical benefit is defined as a decline in ctDNA by \>50%.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Evaluate safety of adding alisertib to usual care by assessing adverse events

    To assess safety, adverse events related to alisertib will be assessed. They will be assessed using CTCAE v6.0.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  2. BRD8 signature expression

    The 3-gene BRD8 signature (BRD8/AFF3/RBM24) will be evaluated as a predictive biomarker for response to alisertib combination therapy.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

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Study locations

1 site
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07706179
Lead sponsor
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 15, 2026
Start date
Oct 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Sep 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 29, 2026

Study contacts

Cancer Connect
Contact
clinicaltrials@cancer.wisc.edu
800-622-8922
Kari Wisinski, MD
principal investigator · University of Wisconsin, Madison

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

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

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