New drug cocktail aims to shrink head and neck tumors before surgery

NCT ID NCT05977907

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

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This phase 2 trial is testing whether giving two drugs—pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and IO102-103—before surgery is safe and effective for people with head and neck cancer. The study will enroll 30 adults whose cancer can be surgically removed. Researchers will watch for side effects and check if the drugs shrink tumors by at least 50% 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: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and IO102-103
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a new pre-surgery treatment that shrinks head and neck cancers, potentially improving surgical outcomes.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants. The drugs may cause side effects or delay surgery, and it's unknown if they will work better than current treatments.

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.

head and neck squamous cell carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

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

HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Johns Hopkins University
RECRUITING

Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
Providence Cancer Institute
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Portland, Oregon, 97213, United States
Sibley Memorial Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20016, United States
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States

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