Drug cocktail aims to shrink kidney tumors before surgery and prevent return
NCT ID NCT07691476
First seen Jul 09, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial is testing whether a combination of two drugs—zanzalintinib (a pill taken daily) and pembrolizumab (given by IV every three weeks)—can shrink advanced kidney tumors before surgery and help prevent the cancer from coming back afterward. The study enrolls people with a type of kidney cancer called clear cell renal cell carcinoma that is locally advanced or has spread but can still be surgically removed. Participants receive the drug combination for about 18 weeks before surgery, then continue pembrolizumab alone for about 33 weeks after surgery. The main goal is to see how many patients' tumors shrink or disappear with the treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- zanzalintinib and pembrolizumab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could shrink tumors before surgery and reduce the chance of cancer returning afterward, offering a new treatment option for people with advanced kidney cancer that can be surgically removed.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 48 participants and no comparison group, so results may not apply broadly. The drug combination can cause significant side effects, and it is not yet known if it improves long-term survival.
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
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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19 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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. Subjects with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (clear cell RCC) confirmed by pathological or cytological diagnosis. meeting one or more of the following criteria: * Locally advanced disease or resectable metastatic disease. * Resectable intermediate- to high-risk or high-risk patients are eligible for enrollment. * Resectability is determined by multidisciplinary Resectability will be determined based on multidisciplinary evaluation. Resectable metastatic disease is defined as cases in which, in the presence of a primary tumor, complete resection of both the primary tumor and all identifiable metastatic lesions is deemed feasible by multidisciplinary assessment. All metastatic lesions must be amenable to complete resection within the planned surgical schedule. Subjects will be excluded from enrollment if metastatic lesions have already been completely resected prior to study entry, are deemed unresectable, or are expected to have residual disease after attempted resection. Intermediate-High Risk Group cT2· Grade 4· or· Sarcomatoid cT3, any Grade, N0 High Risk Group cT4, any Grade, N0 any cT, any Grade, N+ Resectable Metastatic Disease any cT, any cN, any Grade, M1 2. Age 19 years or older on the day of consent 3. ECOG performance status 0\~1 4. Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative result on a serum or urine pregnancy test conducted during the clinical trial screening period. If the urine test result is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test must be performed. 5. Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use highly effective method of contraception (defined in Appendix E) during the course of the study and for a specified period after the last dose of treatment, as defined below. Subjects and their partners must consistently use highly effective contraception, and an additional contraceptive method (e.g., condom) is required. * Male subjects: Must use a condom during the treatment period and for 120 days after the last dose and must agree not to donate sperm during this period. * Female subjects: Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must comply with protocol-specified contraceptive methods during the treatment period and for 186 days after the last dose. The durations reflect the longer washout period between Zanzalintinib and Pembrolizumab. 6. Measurable disease according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 as determined by the Investigator. 7. Capable of understanding and complying with the protocol requirements and must have signed the informed consent document. 8. Adequate organ and marrow function as defined by the table below. Table 2. Organ function requirements for eligibility evaluation Organ System Laboratory Test Criteria Hematological Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1,500/μL Platelets ≥100,000/μL Hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL or ≥5.6 mmol/L Renal Creatinine OR creatinine clearance (CrCl) (If CrCl is used, estimated GFR may also be acceptable) ≤1.5 × ULN OR CrCl ≥60 mL/min (if applicable to the study population) Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≤1.5 mg/mg Hepatic Total bilirubin ≤1.5 × ULN OR, if subject has known Gilbert's syndrome: direct bilirubin ≤1.5 × ULN (Subjects with other causes of hyperbilirubinemia: total bilirubin ≤3 × ULN and ALT \<3 × ULN) AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) ≤2.5 × ULN (or ≤5 × ULN for subjects with liver metastasis) Coagulation International Normalized Ratio (INR) or Prothrombin Time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) ≤1.5 × ULN, or if the subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy within the treatment range, no restrictions apply. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Concurrent anticancer treatments other than the investigational therapy, including chemotherapy, curative radiotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, biological therapy, or tumor embolization. 2. Radiation therapy for bone metastasis within 2 weeks, any other radiation therapy within 4 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Systemic treatment with radionuclides within 6 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Subjects with clinically relevant ongoing complications from prior radiation therapy are not eligible. 3. Known brain metastases or cranial epidural disease unless adequately treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery (including radiosurgery) and stable for at least 4 weeks before first dose of study treatment. 4. History of prior treatment with anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2 therapies, or vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors. 5. Any complementary medicine within 2 weeks prior to first dose of treatment. 6. History of another malignancy within the 2 years prior to the first dose of study treatment, except for basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma treated solely by local excision, cervical carcinoma in situ, or completely resected papillary thyroid carcinoma. 7. Diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy (\> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 2 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment. Inhaled, intranasal, intraarticular, and topical corticosteroids and mineralocorticoids are allowed 8. Presence of untreated fistulas, irrespective of cancer status. 9. Presence of uncontrolled concomitant diseases, including but not limited to ongoing or active infections, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina, cardiac arrhythmias, immunosuppressive conditions, autoimmune diseases, underlying pulmonary disorders, or psychiatric or social conditions that may limit compliance with clinical trial requirements. 10. Active autoimmune diseases requiring systemic treatment (e.g., disease-modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressants) within 2 years before the treatment of trial. Physiologic corticosteroid replacement for thyroid hormone, insulin, or adrenal/pituitary insufficiency is excluded from this criterion. 11. Thrombotic, embolic, venous, or arterial events (e.g., cerebrovascular accident including transient ischemic attack, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism) within 6 months before the treatment of trial. 12. Concomitant anticoagulation with oral anticoagulants and platelet inhibitors. Only low-dose aspirin and LMWH are permitted. 13. Subjects must have discontinued anticoagulant within 3 days or 5 half-lives prior to the first dose of treatment (whichever is longer) 14. History of non-infectious pneumonitis requiring corticosteroid therapy or presence of current pneumonitis. 15. Uncontrolled hypertension (\>140 mmHg systolic or \>90 mmHg diastolic despite optimal antihypertensive treatment 16. Prior history of myocarditis 17. Known gastric or esophageal varices 18. Ascites, pleural effusion, or pericardial fluid requiring drainage in last 4 weeks 19. Clinically significant hematuria, hematemesis, or hemoptysis of \> 0.5 tsp of red blood, or other history of significant bleeding within 12 weeks before first dose of study treatment 20. Symptomatic cavitating pulmonary lesion(s) or endobronchial disease (asymptomatic or radiated lesions allowed) 21. Lesions invading or encasing any major blood vessels 22. Serious non-healing wound/ulcer/bone fracture. Note: non-healing wounds or ulcers are permitted if due to tumor-associated skin lesions 23. Malabsorption syndrome 24. Pharmacologically uncompensated, symptomatic hypothyroidism 25. Moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B-C) 26. Requirement for hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis 27. History of solid organ or allogeneic stem cell transplant 28. Major surgery within 8 weeks or minor surgery within 14 days prior to study treatment. Subjects must have complete wound healing following major or minor surgery prior to the first dose of study treatment. If a tumor biopsy is performed prior to treatment initiation, study treatment may only be initiated after at least 14 days have elapsed from the date of the biopsy and complete wound healing at the biopsy site has been clinically confirmed. Complete wound healing is defined as closure of the biopsy site without the need for dressing, and absence of active bleeding, hematoma, infection, erythema, drainage, worsening pain, or wound dehiscence. If complications such as bleeding, hematoma, infection, persistent pain, drainage, wound dehiscence, or any complication requiring additional intervention occur after biopsy, study treatment must not be initiated until such complications have resolved and complete wound healing has been confirmed. The investigator may further delay the initiation of study treatment if additional waiting time is considered necessary, taking into account the biopsy location, procedure, and risk of bleeding. 29. History of psychiatric illness likely to interfere with ability to comply with protocol requirements or give informed consent. 30. Inability to swallow tablets or ingest a suspension either orally or by a NG or PEG tube 31. Previously identified allergy or hypersensitivity to components of treatment 32. Other conditions, which in the opinion of the investigator, would compromise the safety of the patient or the patient's ability to complete the study 33. Known positive test for tuberculosis infection if supported by clinical or radiographic evidence of disease 34. History of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, organizing pneumonia, drug induced pneumonitis, idiopathic pneumonitis, or evidence of active pneumonitis on screening chest CT scan. History of radiation pneumonitis in the radiation field is permitted. 35. Free thyroxine (FT4) outside the laboratory normal reference range. Asymptomatic subjects with FT4 abnormalities can be eligible after Principal Investigator approval. 36. Administration of a live, attenuated vaccine within 30 days before first dose of study treatment. 37. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Negative serum or urine pregnancy test results must be confirmed within 1 week before the treatment of trial. 38. History of HIV infection or chronic or active hepatitis C requiring antiviral therapy. In cases of hepatitis B, enrollment is permitted if the patient is receiving appropriate antiviral treatment and viral DNA is undetectable.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
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