Triple threat: new combo aims to stop pancreatic cancer spread

NCT ID NCT02648282

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase II trial tested a combination of a pancreatic cancer vaccine (GVAX), an immunotherapy drug (pembrolizumab), and focused radiation (SBRT) in 58 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The goal was to see if this approach could delay the spread of the cancer to other parts of the body. Participants had already received standard chemotherapy before joining the study.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: pancreatic cancer vaccine (GVAX) plus pembrolizumab (immunotherapy) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could delay or prevent the spread of pancreatic cancer, offering a new treatment option for patients with locally advanced disease.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial (58 participants) with no control group, so results may not be definitive. The combination therapy carries risks of serious side effects, including immune-related toxicities.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

malignant pancreatic neoplasm pancreatic adenocarcinoma pancreatic neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

PANCREATIC CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer at Johns Hopkins

Baltimore, Maryland, 21231, United States

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