Could an oral drug boost immunotherapy in tough melanoma cases?
NCT ID NCT02816021
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 study tested a combination of oral azacitidine (a chemotherapy-like drug) and pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy) in 24 people with advanced melanoma that had spread. The goal was to see if the combo could shrink tumors or slow the disease, both in patients who had never received PD-1 inhibitors and in those whose cancer had progressed on them. Participants took azacitidine pills for 15 days each cycle and received pembrolizumab infusions every 3 weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- azacitidine and pembrolizumab
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this combination could offer a new treatment option for patients with advanced melanoma, especially those whose cancer has stopped responding to standard immunotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 24 participants. The combination may not improve outcomes and could cause additional side effects from the two drugs.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for MELANOMA AND OTHER MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS OF SKIN are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
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
-
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77330, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a One-Two punch of immune boosters revive cancer treatment?
- Could a personal coach at home boost energy for cancer patients?
- Morning vs. afternoon: could the clock boost immunotherapy against melanoma?
- Could a common vaccine supercharge immunotherapy against melanoma?
- Engineered immune cells take aim at Hard-to-Treat cancers
- New drug cocktail targets rare, aggressive melanoma