Could a common heart drug boost immunotherapy against melanoma?
NCT ID NCT03384836
First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial investigates whether adding propranolol, a beta-blocker typically used for heart conditions, can enhance the effects of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in people with advanced melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. The study includes two phases: first to find the safest dose of the combination, then to measure how well it shrinks tumors. Participants have stage IIIC or IV melanoma and have not received prior treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- propranolol hydrochloride and pembrolizumab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could improve response rates and survival for people with advanced melanoma.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with a small number of participants, so results may not apply broadly. Adding propranolol could increase side effects without clear benefit.
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
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Locations
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Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center
Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
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Emory University Hospital/ Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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Penn State Milton S. Hershy Medical Center Cancer Institute
Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States
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Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, New York, 14263, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Experimental drug dinaciclib tested in advanced melanoma patients