Patient's own immune cells plus drug tested against tough melanoma
NCT ID NCT05176470
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-stage trial tests whether giving a patient's own lab-grown tumor-fighting immune cells (Lifileucel) together with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can safely shrink advanced melanoma. Only 2 people with stage IIIB-D or IV melanoma took part. The goal is to see if this combination is feasible and safe before surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Lifileucel (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) and pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to shrink advanced melanoma tumors before surgery using a patient's own immune cells combined with an immunotherapy drug.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 trial with only 2 participants, so results may not apply to others. The treatment involves strong chemotherapy beforehand, which can cause serious side effects.
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.
- Engineered immune cells take aim at Hard-to-Treat cancers
- Two-Drug combo targets Hard-to-Treat melanoma
- Could an immune-boosting pill make melanoma treatments work better?
- New drug combo shows promise in early trial for advanced melanoma
- Milder chemo before TIL therapy shows promise for tough-to-treat melanoma
- Experimental triple therapy for advanced cancers shows early promise but trial halted