Experimental chemo drug tested for advanced breast cancer
NCT ID NCT04796324
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial tested the chemotherapy drug ixabepilone in 13 patients with metastatic breast cancer that had stopped responding to standard treatments. The goal was to see if the drug could shrink tumors or slow the disease. The study was terminated early, so the full results are not available.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ixabepilone (a chemotherapy drug)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a treatment option for metastatic breast cancer patients who have not responded to standard chemotherapies.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early-phase trial that was terminated, so results are limited. Ixabepilone may not work for all patients and can cause side effects like nerve damage and low blood cell counts.
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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13 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2021
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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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: 1. Signed informed consent form 2. Age 18 years or older 3. Patients with histologically or cytological confirmed carcinoma of the breast. Patients with locally recurrent or metastatic disease 4. Patients with HR-positive, HER negative tumors or triple negative tumors 5. Previous chemotherapies (neo, adjuvant or in the metastatic setting) must have included a taxane and an anthracycline unless anthracycline therapy is not indicated. 6. Maximum of three (3) prior chemotherapies in the metastatic setting in addition to any number of prior lines of endocrine therapy 7. Measurable disease 8. Performance status of ECOG ≤ 1 9. With an Ixabepilone DRP - score of \>33% (Germany \>67%) 10. Adequate conditions as evidenced by the following clinical laboratory values: 1. Absolute neutrophils count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 109/L 2. Hemoglobin \> 6.2 mmol/L 3. Platelets ≥ 100 x 109 /L 4. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN 5. Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.0 ULN 6. Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 x ULN or ≤5x ULN if documented liver/bone metastases. Creatinine ≤ 1.5 ULN 7. Blood urea within normal limits 11. Because of possible interference of cytochrome P450 3A4 activity by ixabepilone, patients were excluded from receiving the following medications at enrollment and while enrolled onto the study: amiodarone, clarithromycin, erythromycin, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir 12. Women of childbearing age and potential must be willing to use effective contraception during the study and at least until 90 days after last dose of study drug. Male patients or male patients who have female partners of childbearing age and potential must be willing to use effective contraception during the study and at least until 90 days after last dose of study drug. Highly effective methods of birth control are defined as those which result in a low failure rate (i.e. less than 1% per year) when used consistently and correctly such as intrauterine devices or hormonal contraception (oral contraceptive pills, implants, transdermal patches, vaginal rings or long-acting injections) Exclusion Criteria: 1. HER2 positive tumor 2. Concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, or other investigational drug except non-disease related conditions (e.g. insulin for diabetes) during study period 3. Patients with intracranial disease 4. Other malignancy with exception of curative treated non-melanoma skin cancer or cervical carcinoma in situ within 5 years prior to entering the study 5. Any active infection requiring parenteral or oral antibiotic treatment. 6. Patients with grade 2, in case of diabetes grade 1 or greater neuropathy 7. Clinically significant (i.e. active) cardiovascular disease: 8. Stroke within ≤ 6 months prior to day 1 9. Transient ischemic attach (TIA) within ≤ 6 months prior to day 1 10. Myocardial infarction within ≤ 6 months prior to day 1 11. Unstable angina 12. New York Hart Association (NYHA) Class II or greater congestive heart failure (CHF) 13. Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication 14. Other medications or conditions, including surgery, that in the Investigator's opinion would contraindicate study participation for safety reasons or interfere with the interpretation of study results. 15. Requiring immediate palliative treatment of any kind including surgery and/or radiotherapy 16. Female patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding (pregnancy test with a positive result before study entry) 17. Known prior severe hypersensitivity reactions to agents containing polyoxyethylated castor oil (Cremophor EL) 18. Known hypersensitivity to fluoropyrimidines; 19. Known or suspected dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency; 20. Patients must not continue treatment with the following strong inhibitors of CYP3A4: ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, amprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, delavirdine and voriconazole. These therapies should be discontinued 72 hours prior to initiation of study drug 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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Antwerp University Hospital
Antwerp, Edegem, 2650, Belgium
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Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Glasgow, Scotland, G12 0YN, United Kingdom
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CHU de Liege, Oncology Department
Liège, 4000, Belgium
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Cancer Institute Singleton Hospital
Swansea, Wales, SA2 8QA, United Kingdom
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Centrum Onkologii Ziemi Lubelskiej im.
Lublin, 20-090, Poland
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Berlin, 10117, Germany
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Clin. Univ. Saint-Luc
Brussels, 1200, Belgium
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Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital
Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom
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Ikazia Hospital Rotterdam
Rotterdam, 3083, Netherlands
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Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5NY, United Kingdom
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Modena University Hospital
Modena, 41124, Italy
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Nottingham University Hospitals
Nottingham, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, United Kingdom
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Oddział Onkologii Klinicznej, Szpital Kliniczny Przemienienia Pańskiego UM w Poznaniu
Poznan, 61-848, Poland
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis
Aalst, Aalst, 9300, Belgium
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Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Taunton, Somerset, TA1 5DA, United Kingdom
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St James Hospital
Leeds, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom
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Tampere University Hospital
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, 33520, Finland
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Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne
Gdansk, 80-214, Poland
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Wojewodzki Szpital Specjalietyczny
Biała Podlaska, Biala Podlaska, 21-500, Poland
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