New immunotherapy combo aims to extend life in Tough-to-Treat colorectal cancer
NCT ID NCT07152821
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 8 times
Summary
This Phase 3 trial is testing whether a combination of two immunotherapy drugs, botensilimab and balstilimab, can help people with advanced colorectal cancer that can't be removed by surgery and has stopped responding to chemotherapy. About 834 participants will receive either the drug combo or best supportive care. The main goal is to see if the drugs help people live longer, with additional focus on tumor shrinkage, quality of life, and safety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- botensilimab and balstilimab (immunotherapy drugs)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with advanced colorectal cancer who have run out of standard therapies, potentially helping them live longer and have a better quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a large Phase 3 trial, but immunotherapy doesn't work for everyone and can cause serious side effects. The cancer type studied (non-MSI-H) is typically less responsive to immunotherapy, so benefits may be modest or not seen at all.
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 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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21 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Finished
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Jul 2026
- Lead sponsor
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A research network
The lead sponsor is a research network or cooperative group.
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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18 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: * Must have histologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma that is not deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). * Received and failed all prior available therapies, such that the standard of care for the patient would be best supportive care (BSC). * Must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0, or 1. * Must have presence of measurable or evaluable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST 1.1). * A life expectancy of ≥ 12 weeks at the time of study entry. * Must be ≥ 18 years of age. * Participants must consent to provision of, and investigator must agree to submit, a representative archival formalin fixed paraffin block of tumour tissue for correlative analyses when tumour tissue is available. * Participants must have adequate organ and marrow function measured within 14 days prior to randomization. * Participant is able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life and health utility questionnaires in either English or French. * Participant consent must be appropriately obtained in accordance with applicable local and national regulatory requirements. * Participants must be accessible for treatment and follow-up. Investigators must assure themselves the participants enrolled on this trial will be available for complete documentation of the treatment, adverse events, and follow-up. * In accordance with CCTG policy, protocol treatment is to begin within 2 working days of participant enrolment. * Participants of childbearing potential or partners of participants of childbearing potential must have agreed to use a highly effective contraceptive method Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment does not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen may be eligible for this trial, however, consultation with CCTG in advance of enrolment is required. * A history of primary immunodeficiency, solid organ transplant or allogeneic bone marrow transplant. * Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 7 days before the first dose of study drugs, with the exceptions of intranasal and inhaled corticosteroids or systemic corticosteroids at physiological doses, which are not to exceed 10 mg/day of prednisone, or an equivalent corticosteroid. * Active or prior documented autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (including inflammatory bowel disease that has required systemic treatment within 2 years of the start of study drug. * Active or uncontrolled intercurrent illness. * Active brain metastases or leptomeningeal metastases. * Receipt of live attenuated vaccination administered within 30 days prior to randomization. * Lactating women who choose to breast feed. * Any active disease condition which would render the protocol treatment dangerous or impair the ability of the participant to receive protocol therapy. * Any condition that does not permit compliance with the protocol. * Receipt of anti-cancer chemotherapy or biologic therapy within the lesser of i) 21 days, or ii) the usual cycle length of the regimen prior to the first planned dose of study drug. * Receipt of radiotherapy or investigational agents within four weeks of first planned dose of study drug. * Any unresolved toxicity (≥ CTCAE grade 2) from previous anti-cancer therapy. * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or any of the study drug excipients. * History of partial or complete bowel obstruction within the last 3 months prior to study enrolment, signs/symptoms of bowel obstruction or known radiologic evidence of impending obstruction. * Refractory ascites defined as requiring 2 or more therapeutic paracenteses within the last 4 weeks or ≥ 4 times within the last 3 months or ≥ 1 time within the last 2 weeks or requiring diuretics within 2 weeks prior to study enrolment. * Active or ongoing diarrhea of CTCAE grade 2 or higher. * Tumour is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability- high (MSI-H) per a standard local testing method. * Prior exposure to anti-PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 therapy.
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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
Locations
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Kingston Health Science Centre
Kingston, Ontario, K0H1H0, Canada
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