Cancer combo trial halted early: what we know
NCT ID NCT05846659
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This phase 2 trial tested whether adding an experimental drug called IMSA101 to standard immunotherapy and a special type of radiation (PULSAR) could help control cancer in people with solid tumors that had started to grow again after prior treatment. Only 16 patients were enrolled before the study was terminated early, so the results are not conclusive. The goal was to see if the combination could prevent further cancer progression for at least 12 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- IMSA101 (a STING agonist injected into tumors), plus pembrolizumab or nivolumab (immunotherapy drugs), plus PULSAR (a type of radiation therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to slow or stop cancer growth in patients whose tumors have started to progress despite other treatments.
- What could go wrong
- The trial was terminated early with only 16 participants, so results are very limited. It is unclear if the combination is safe or effective, and side effects from the drugs and radiation are possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
16 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jul 2023
- Finished
-
Nov 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male or female patients ≥ 18 years of age 2. Signed informed consent and mental capability to understand the informed consent 3. Histologically or cytologically documented solid tumor malignancies demonstrating new progression through prior anti-cancer therapy, with a prior 2 months of clinical stability (with at least Stable Disease), with radiographically documented presence of ≤ 6 metastatic lesions consistent with the diagnosis of "oligoprogressive" disease that are technically amenable to PULSAR 4. Patient's disease must be evaluable per RECIST Version 1.1 5. All metastatic lesions amenable to administration of radiotherapy, at the discretion of the investigator 6. Must have at least one single pre-defined progressing lesion/lesion site (longest diameter ≥ 10 mm and ≤ 50 mm) suitable for intra-tumoral injection 7. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of ≤ 1 8. Electrocardiogram (ECG) without evidence of clinically meaningful conduction abnormalities or active ischemia as determined by the investigator 9. Acceptable organ and marrow function as defined below: * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1,500 cells/μL * Platelets \> 50,000 cells/μL * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times (×) the upper limit of normal (ULN) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 × ULN. If liver metastases are present, AST/ALT \< 5 × ULN * Serum creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL and a measured creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min using the Cockcroft-Gault formula * Prothrombin time (PT)/partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN 10. Women of child-bearing potential (defined as a female who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone successful surgical sterilization \[hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy\]) or is not postmenopausal (defined as amenorrhea for at least 12 consecutive months with an appropriate clinical profile at the appropriate age, eg, greater than 45 years) must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to first dose of study treatment 11. Male and female patients with reproductive potential must agree to use two forms of highly effective contraception throughout the study Exclusion Criteria: 1. Prior receipt of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist 2. Prior receipt of therapeutic radiotherapy to all progressive lesions intended for PULSAR treatment 3. Anti-cancer therapy, except pembrolizumab and nivolumab, within 4 weeks or \< 5 half-lives of the first dose of study treatment 4. Existence of primary tumor that requires therapeutic treatment beyond the provided immune checkpoint inhibitor drug 5. Failure to recover, to Grade 1 or less, from clinically significant AEs due to prior anti-cancer therapy, as judged by the investigator 6. Previous life-threatening (Grade 4) immune-related adverse event (irAE) 7. Known untreated brain metastases or treated brain metastases that have not been stable (scan showing no worsening of central nervous system \[CNS\] lesion\[s\] and no requirement of corticosteroids) ≥ 4 weeks prior to study enrollment 8. Existence of actionable mutations that are eligible for a mutation-targeting drug that represents standard-of-care 9. Baseline prolongation of QT/corrected QT (QTc) interval (QTc interval \> 470) 10. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness (including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations) that in the opinion of the investigator would limit compliance with study requirements 11. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding 12. Sponsor reserves the right to exclude any patient from the study on the basis of pre-study medical histories, physical examination findings, clinical laboratory results, prior medications, or other entrance criteria
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Oligoprogressive are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
-
City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center
Irvine, California, 92618, United States
-
Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, 10016, United States
-
Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
-
MetroHealth Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio, 44109, United States
-
Montefiore Medical Center
The Bronx, New York, 10461, United States
-
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
-
UCLA
Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
-
USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
-
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States
-
University of Chicago Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
-
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, United States
-
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Zapping resistant tumors with precision radiation may extend the life of current cancer therapy
- Zapping spreading tumors could extend life on current cancer drugs
- Zapping stubborn cancer spots may extend life of current drug therapy
- Zapping resistant tumors may extend life of cancer drugs
- New study: can targeted radiation keep lung cancer treatment working longer?
- Radiation zaps resistant cancer spots, may extend immunotherapy success