New hope for bile duct cancer? keytruda and lenvima combo tested
NCT ID NCT04550624
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial tested a combination of two drugs, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and lenvatinib (Lenvima), in 27 people with advanced biliary tract cancer that had worsened after standard treatment. The goal was to see if the combination could shrink tumors. The study is now complete.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and lenvatinib (Lenvima)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option for people with advanced biliary tract cancer who have run out of standard therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 27 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The combination may cause significant side effects and may not improve 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
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
27 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Sep 2021
- Finished
-
Dec 2025
- 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
-
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: * Patients must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible to participate in the study: 1. Unresectable or metastatic, histologically-confirmed advanced BTC (excluding periampullary cancer) 2. Failed standard systemic therapy for advanced BTC due to progression of disease or toxicity 3. Measurable disease 4. Prior chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, or radiation to the liver is allowed as long as the patient has measurable disease outside the chemoembolization or radiation area or measurable progression at the site of chemoembolization or radiation 5. ECOG Performance status ≤ 1 6. Life expectancy \> 3 months 7. Adequate renal function as defined by Cr ≤ 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN) or glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 8. Adequate hepatic function as defined by bilirubin ≤ 2.5 x ULN and alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 5x ULN 9. Adequate bone marrow reserve as evidenced by ANC \> 1500/mcl, Plts \>75,000/mcl, Hgb ≥ 9.0g/dl 10. Prothrombin time / Partial thromboplastin time (PT/PTT) \<1.5x ULN 11. Urine Protein: Creatinine ratio of \<1, if protein is \> 2+ on urinalysis 12. Age ≥ 18 years 13. Participants with past or ongoing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are eligible for the study. Treated participants must have completed their treatment at least 1 month prior to starting study intervention. Untreated or incompletely treated HCV participants may initiate anti-viral therapy for HCV if liver function remains stable for at least 3 months on study intervention 14. Participants with controlled hepatitis B are eligible for the study, as long as they meet the following criteria: Participants with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, defined as HBsAg positive and/or detectable HBV DNA, must be given antiviral therapy for HBV for at least 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study intervention and HBV viral load must be less than 100 IU/ml. prior to the first dose of study treatment. Participants on active HBV therapy with viral loads under 100 IU/ml. should stay on the same therapy throughout study intervention. Antiviral therapy after completion of study intervention should follow local guidelines. 15. Participants with clinically resolved HBV infection, defined as HBsAg negative and anti-hepatitis B core antigen (HBc) positive, and who have an undetectable HBV viral load at screening should be checked every 6 weeks for HBV viral load and treated for HBV if viral load is over 100 IU/ml. Antiviral therapy after completion of study intervention should follow local guidelines. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who exhibit any of the following conditions at screening will not be eligible to be enrolled to the study: 1. Prior treatment with other VEGF-R directed therapies 2. Periampullary cancer 3. Major surgery or radiation within the 4 weeks prior to enrollment; is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 4 weeks of registration. The treated patients must recover from their relevant treatment(i.e. to≤1 grade or baseline) and from any AEs caused by any previous treatment 4. Uncontrolled hypertension defined by systolic blood pressure (SBP)\>150 or diastolic blood pressure (DBP)\>90 despite titration of anti-hypertensive medications 5. Active, known or suspected autoimmune disease 6. Congestive heart failure or symptomatic coronary artery disease within 3 months prior to enrollment 7. Cerebrovascular accident within prior 6 months 8. Clinically significant hemorrhage, bleeding event, or thromboembolic disease within six months 9. History of bowel perforation 10. History of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or currently has pneumonitis 11. Known history of HIV infection 12. Severely impaired lung function or history of interstitial lung disease 13. Concurrent malignancy (other than adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer, superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, and cervical CIS) diagnosed within the past 5 years or any currently active malignancy 14. Positive serum pregnancy test within 72 hours of first dosing of study treatment 15. History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Advanced biliary tract carcinoma are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200233, China
-
Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200233, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- New cocktail of drugs shows promise against tough bile duct cancer
- Morning vs. afternoon: can timing boost cancer immunotherapy?
- New cocktail of drugs shows promise for tough bile duct cancer
- New combo shows promise for tough liver and bile duct cancers
- Can a common drug help cancer patients regain appetite?
- New hope for bile duct cancer: targeted combo trial launches