Can a common cholesterol drug boost immunotherapy against head and neck cancer?
NCT ID NCT06636734
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase II trial tests whether adding lovastatin, a common cholesterol-lowering drug, to the immunotherapy pembrolizumab can help shrink tumors in people with head and neck cancer that has returned or spread. The study will enroll 28 adults whose tumors express PD-L1. Researchers will measure how many patients respond and how long the benefit lasts.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- lovastatin and pembrolizumab
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a more effective treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer by combining a common cholesterol drug with immunotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 28 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The combination may not work better than pembrolizumab alone, and side effects are possible.
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
-
Emory University Hospital Midtown
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30308, United States
-
Emory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30322, 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?
- 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
- New drug cocktail shows promise for tough head and neck cancers