New cocktail aims to stall pancreatic cancer after chemo
NCT ID NCT03404960
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding an immunotherapy drug (ipilimumab or nivolumab) to niraparib, a targeted therapy, can prevent advanced pancreatic cancer from growing. It enrolled 104 adults whose cancer had not worsened after platinum-based chemotherapy. The goal was to see how long the cancer stayed under control and whether the combination was safe.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- niraparib plus either ipilimumab or nivolumab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option to keep advanced pancreatic cancer from growing for longer after initial chemotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase, completed trial with only 104 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Combining drugs also raises the risk of serious side effects.
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 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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104 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Finished
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Oct 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
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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18 years and older
- Sex
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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. Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with locally advanced or metastatic disease 2. ≥18 years of age 3. Patients must be able to understand the study procedures and agree to participate in the study by providing written informed consent 4. Patients must have received treatment with platinum-based (cisplatin, oxaliplatin or carboplatin) treatment for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer and have received a minimum of 16 weeks of therapy without evidence of disease progression based on the investigator's opinion. This does not have to be the patient's current treatment. * This requires at least stable imaging and a stable or decreasing tumor marker as applicable and as determined by the investigator. * If a patient has demonstrated a biochemical and imaging response to platinum therapy and has not progressed within 16 weeks of starting this therapy but had to discontinue platinum prior to 16 weeks for a legitimate medical reason (as determined by the investigator), the patient may still be considered for the trial 5. Patients may have previously failed non-platinum containing therapy or may never have previously progressed on treatment * Discontinuation of the platinum component of the regimen for chemotherapy-related toxicity is permissible provided the patient has previously received at least 16 weeks of platinum-based therapy without evidence of disease progression ≤8 weeks after treatment with the platinum agent 6. Measurable disease is not a requirement for study entry 7. Female participant has a negative serum pregnancy test within 24 hours prior to taking study treatment if of childbearing potential and agrees to abstain from activities that could result in pregnancy from screening through 6 months after the last dose of study treatment, or is of nonchildbearing potential 8. Male patient agrees to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose through 90 days after the last dose of study treatment 9. Adequate organ function confirmed by the following laboratory values obtained ≤7 days prior to the first day of study therapy: * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5 x 109/L * Platelets\>100 x 109/L * Hemoglobin ≥9g/dL * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤3 x upper limit of normal (ULN); if liver metastases, then ≤5 x ULN * Total bilirubin ≤1.5 x ULN; if liver metastases or metabolic disorder such as Gilbert's syndrome, then ≤2.5 x ULN. * Serum creatinine ≤1.5 x ULN or estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥45 mL/min using Cockcroft Gault formula. 10. Eastern Cooperative Oncology (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Prior treatment with a PARP inhibitor, ipilimumab, nivolumab or other cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein (CTLA-4), PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor. 2. Patients who have demonstrated resistance to platinum agents (e.g. oxaliplatin, cisplatin) are not eligible to participate in this study 3. Clinical evidence of uncontrolled malabsorption and/or any other gastrointestinal disorder or defect that would, in the opinion of the investigator, interfere with the absorption of niraparib 4. Acute infection requiring intravenous antibiotics, antiviral or antifungal agents during the 14 days prior to first dose of study therapy 5. Patients will be excluded if they have an active, known or suspected autoimmune disease, defined as: patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease are excluded from this study, as are patients with a history of symptomatic autoimmune disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic progressive sclerosis (scleroderma), systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune vasculitis e.g. Wegener's Granulomatosis); motor neuropathy considered of autoimmune origin (e.g. Guillain-Barre Syndrome). NOTE: Patients are permitted to enroll if they have vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger. 6. Has a history of interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis 7. Has received a live vaccine within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of trial therapy (Note: seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally inactivated and are allowed; however intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g. Flu-Mist) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed 8. For fertile patient (female able to become pregnant or male able to father a child), refusal to use effective contraception during the period of the trial and: * Female patients refusing to use effective contraception for 6 months after the last dose of study drug. * Male patients refusing to use effective contraception for 90 days after the last dose of study drug. 9. Received any systemic treatment for pancreatic cancer ≤14 days prior to first dose of therapy. Patients must not have had investigational therapy administered ≤4 weeks, or within a time interval less than at least 5 half-lives of the investigational agent, whichever is longer, prior to the first scheduled day of dosing in this study 10. Patients will be excluded if they have a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\>10mg daily prednisone equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study drug administration. Inhaled or topical steroids and adrenal replacement doses \>10mg daily prednisone equivalents are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease. 11. Patient has had any known Grade 3 or 4 anemia, neutropenia or thrombocytopenia due to prior chemotherapy that persisted \> 4 weeks and was related to the most recent treatment. 12. Non-study related minor surgical procedure ≤5 days, or major surgical procedure ≤21 days, prior to the first dose of therapy; in all cases, patients must be sufficiently recovered and stable before treatment administration. 13. Active drug or alcohol use or dependence that would interfere with study compliance. 14. Presence of any other condition that may increase the risk associated with study participation or may interfere with the interpretation of study results, and, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into the study. 15. Patient must not have any known history of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 16. Patients must not be simultaneously enrolled in any therapeutic clinical trial 17. Patients must not have had radiotherapy within 4 weeks of the first dose of study treatment 18. Patients must not have a known hypersensitivity to the components of niraparib or the excipients 19. Patients must not have received a transfusion (platelets or red blood cells) ≤ 4 weeks of the first dose of study treatment 20. Patients must not be undergoing treatment for an active cancer at the time of randomization. Exceptions include: local therapies for skin cancers and hormonal therapies for breast or prostate cancer. 21. Patients must not have a history of positive test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and must not test positive for HIV during study screening. 22. Patients must not have known, symptomatic brain or leptomeningeal metastases
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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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University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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