Immunotherapy-Chemo cocktail shows promise in head and neck cancer trial
NCT ID NCT04862650
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase II trial is testing whether combining the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab with low doses of two chemotherapy drugs (paclitaxel and carboplatin) can shrink tumors in people with head and neck cancer that has come back or spread. The study includes 46 participants who have not had prior systemic therapy for their advanced disease. Researchers are measuring how many patients respond by week 12, as well as survival and side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- cemiplimab (immunotherapy) plus paclitaxel and carboplatin (chemotherapy)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option for people with advanced head and neck cancer that has returned or spread.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (46 people) without a comparison group. The combination may not improve outcomes and could cause side effects from both immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can immunotherapy boost surgery outcomes in recurrent head and neck cancer?
- Aiming to spare the neck: could smarter radiation cut side effects in oral cancer?
- Can a Three-Pronged attack shrink Hard-to-Treat head and neck cancers?
- Sharper radiation boost aims to tackle head and neck cancers that return
- New combo attack: immunotherapy plus chemo before surgery for head and neck cancer
- Leftover immunotherapy may boost chemo: new study investigates timing