Can a Four-Drug cocktail outsmart bile duct cancer?
NCT ID NCT07780838
First seen Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This phase II trial is testing whether alternating standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy with a targeted drug called pemigatinib can help people with advanced biliary tract cancers that have FGFR2 alterations. The study includes adults with cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread. The goal is to see if this combination improves overall survival and tumor response.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A combination of gemcitabine, cisplatin, durvalumab, and pemigatinib
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a new first-line treatment option for people with advanced biliary tract cancers that have FGFR2 alterations, potentially improving survival.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with a small number of participants, so results may not be conclusive. The combination of drugs may cause significant side effects, and not all patients may benefit.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 29 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults 18 years of age or older with histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable locally advanced or metastatic carcinoma of the biliary tract, including intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder, and ampulla of Vater, at the time of diagnosis * Patients must have tumors classified as having FGFR2 gene fusion/rearrangements or other gain-of function alterations involved in FGFR as detected by any analytically validated, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)-certified molecular testing, including commercial tests (Foundation Medicine, Caris, Tempus, Guardant360, and others) or other platforms of next generation sequencing. Gene rearrangements are structural variants that can include inversions, translocations, duplications, and truncations. In addition, all patients will have tumor specimens sent and stored centrally * Patients are permitted to have received one 21-day or 28-day cycle of either gemcitabine/cisplatin or gemcitabine/cisplatin with immunotherapy (either durvalumab or pembrolizumab) prior to inclusion in trial, and this will count as the first cycle in the schematic * One or more measurable lesions per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v 1.1) * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. Patients with ECOG performance status of 2 may be considered on a case-by-case basis by Principal Investigator * Life expectancy of greater than 4 months * Ability to understand and participate voluntarily, sign informed consent, and follow the study treatment plan and scheduled visits * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 × 109/L (1500/mm3) * Note: Patients must not have required a blood transfusion or growth factor support ≤ 14 days before sample collection * Platelets ≥ 75 × 109/L * Note: Patients must not have required a blood transfusion or growth factor support ≤ 14 days before sample collection * Hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L (9 g/dL) * Note: Patients must not have required a blood transfusion or growth factor support ≤ 14 days before sample collection * Prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) are all ≤ 1.5 × upper limits of normal (ULN), with the exception of patients taking blood thinners with coagulation factor elevation associated with these drugs * Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × ULN (≤ 5 × ULN if the tumor involves the liver), unless associated with patient's primary cancer and/or metastases and with Principal Investigator's approval; biliary drains and stents are acceptable * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are ≤ 3 × ULN (if with liver metastases, AST and ALT ≤ 5 × ULN), unless associated with patient's primary cancer and/or metastases and with Principal Investigator's approval; biliary drains and stents are acceptable * Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min (calculated according to Cockcroft-Gault formula) * Patients with an inherited cancer syndrome or a medical/family history suggestive of an inherited cancer syndrome are eligible * Recovery from adverse events of previous systemic anti-cancer therapies to baseline or grade 1, except for: * alopecia * stable neuropathy of ≤ grade 2 due to prior cancer therapy * Able to swallow and retain oral medication * Patients who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive may participate IF they meet the following eligibility requirements: * They must be stable on their anti-retroviral regimen with evidence of at least two undetectable viral loads within the past 6 months on the same regimen; the most recent undetectable viral load must be within the past 12 weeks. * They must have a CD4 count of greater than 250 cells/mcL over the past 6 months on this same anti-retroviral regimen and must not have had a CD4 count \< 200 cells/mcL over the past 2 years, unless it was deemed related to the cancer and/or chemotherapy induced bone marrow suppression. * For patients who have received chemotherapy in the previous one month, a CD4 count \< 250 cells/mcL during chemotherapy is permitted as long as viral loads were undetectable during this same chemotherapy. * They must have an undetectable viral load and a CD4 count ≥ 250 cells/mcL within 7 days of enrollment. * They must not be currently receiving prophylactic therapy for an opportunistic infection and must not have had an opportunistic infection within the past 6 months. HIV-infected patients will be monitored every 12 weeks for viral load and CD4 counts * For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated. Patients with a past or resolved HBV infection (defined as the presence of hepatitis B core antibody \[anti-HBc\] and absence of hepatitis B surface antigen \[HbsAg\]) are eligible * Patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured. For patients with HCV infection who are currently on treatment, they are eligible if they have an undetectable HCV viral load. Patients positive for HCV antibody are eligible only if polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is negative for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) Exclusion Criteria: * Received any definitive radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or any investigational therapies within 13 days of the first study drug administration. Patients are permitted to have received one 21- or 28-day cycle of either gem/cis or gemcitabine/cisplatin/durvalumab prior to inclusion in trial, and this will count as the first cycle in the schematic. Localized palliative radiation therapy (should not include radiation to target lesions) and ongoing bisphosphonates and denosumab, are permitted * Patients who have not recovered from reversible toxicity of prior anti-tumor therapy (except toxicities which are not clinically significant such as alopecia, grade 0-2 neuropathy) * Patients who received prior FGFR-targeted therapy * Within 2 weeks before the first dose of study drug, the subject's calcium and phosphate level continuing to exceed the ULN despite medical treatment * Current evidence of endocrine alterations of calcium/phosphate homeostasis, e.g., parathyroid disorders, history of parathyroidectomy, tumor lysis, tumoral calcinosis, or medical conditions that increase their risk of developing hyperphosphatemia or hypercalcemia * History and/or current evidence of extensive tissue calcification including, but not limited to, the soft tissue, kidneys, intestine, myocardium, and lung, with the exception of calcified lymph nodes, minor pulmonary parenchymal calcifications, and asymptomatic coronary calcification * Patients with clinically significant gastrointestinal dysfunction that may affect drug intake, transport or absorption (e.g., ulcerative diseases, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, small bowel resection) * Current evidence of corneal or retinal abnormalities that may increase eye toxicity, including but not limited to: * Currently suffering from central serous retinopathy (CSR) or retinal vein occlusion (RVO), or with relevant history; * Active wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD); * Diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; * Uncontrollable glaucoma; * Keratopathy, such as keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis, keratopathy, corneal abrasion, inflammation or ulceration * Consumed or anticipate consuming diet or drugs known to be strong or moderate cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitors, strong CYP3A4 inducers or strong inhibitors of efflux transports including P-gp and BCRP for 28 days (or 5 half-lives, whichever is shorter) before the first dose of study drug or during the study drug treatment * Patients with active or prior documented autoimmune or inflammatory disorders * Participants must not have an active, known or suspected autoimmune disease which may affect vital organ function or has/may require systemic immunosuppressive therapy for management. Participants with inflammatory disorders (including inflammatory bowel disease \[e.g., colitis or Crohn's disease\], diverticulitis \[with the exception of diverticulosis\], systemic lupus erythematosus, Sarcoidosis syndrome, or Wegener syndrome \[granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Graves' disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hypophysitis, uveitis, etc.\]) are also excluded with the exception of the following: participants with type I diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism (e.g. following Hashimoto syndrome) only requiring and stable on hormone replacement, skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis, or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger (such as celiac disease controlled by diet) are permitted to enroll. Patients without active disease for 5 years may also be enrolled after consultation with the study physician * Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days before the first dose of durvalumab. The following are exceptions to this criterion: * Intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injections (e.g., intra articular injection); * Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not to exceed 10 mg of prednisone or its equivalent. * Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., CT scan premedication) * Receipt of live attenuated vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy. * Note: Patients, if enrolled, should not receive live vaccine while receiving immunotherapy and up to 30 days after the last dose of immunotherapy * Must not have prior history of organ transplantation, allogeneic transplantation, or double umbilical cord transplantation * Active hepatitis B virus (HBV DNA \< ULN is required if HBs-Ag or HBc-Ab is positive), active hepatitis C, or uncontrolled HIV infection * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any study treatment * Major surgery (thoracotomy, laparotomy, etc.) within 4 weeks or minor surgery (superficial skin surgery, lymphadenectomy, hernia repair, etc.) within 2 weeks before the first dose of study drug * Patients with brain metastases or metastases elsewhere within the central nervous system (CNS) are excluded * Patients with unresolved spinal cord compression * Clinically significant, uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to: * Acute symptomatic or active infection requiring systemic therapy and medical intervention (e.g., IV antibiotics and/or hospitalization); * Psychiatric illness and/or social situations that would limit compliance with completion of study requirements or ability to give informed consent * Has a history of uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases including: * Known New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade II or higher congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction within 6 months before the first dose of study drug; * Arrhythmias requiring treatment at screening; * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \< 50% at screening; * Clinically significant prolonged QTc interval, or QTc interval \> 470 ms in women and \> 450 ms in men at screening; * Cerebrovascular accident within 6 months before the first dose of study drug * History of active bleeding within 6 months, signs of portal hypertension leading to gastric esophageal venous bleeding within 2 months before the first dose of study drug, or the investigator believes that there is uncontrolled bleeding (such as bleeding esophageal varices, local active ulcer lesions, etc.) * At the investigator's discretion, with evidence of severe or uncontrolled systemic disease (such as unstable or non-compensatory lung, liver, or kidney disease); or any unstable systemic disease (including active clinically severe infections, uncontrolled hypertension, or liver, kidney, or metabolic disease) * Pregnant or lactating women, as well as women with childbearing potential who are unwilling or unable to perform contraception from screening to 6 months after the last study drug administration; fertile men who are unwilling or unable to perform contraception from screening to at least 6 months after the last study drug administration * History of another primary malignancy except adequately treated in situ carcinoma of the cervix or non-melanoma carcinoma of the skin or any other curatively treated malignancy that is not expected to require treatment for recurrence during the course of the study or affect survival * Any other medical condition that would, in the investigator's judgment, prevent the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns or compliance with clinical study procedures * History of hypovitaminosis D requiring supraphysiologic doses (e.g., 50,000 IU/weekly) to replenish the deficiency. Vitamin D supplements are allowed
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
RECRUITINGColumbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
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