A Study of APG-115 in as a Monotherapy or Combination With Pembrolizumab in Patients With Metastatic Melanomas or Advanced Solid Tumors

NCT ID: NCT03611868

Last Updated: 2025-08-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 230 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-08-29
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-30

Brief Summary

This study aims to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of APG-115, an MDM2 inhibitor, either alone or in combination with pembrolizumab, a programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, in patients with metastatic melanomas or advanced solid tumors. Our hypothesis is that restoration of the immune response concomitant to inhibition of the MDM2 pathway (which restores p53 functions) may promote cancer cell death, leading to effective anticancer therapy.

Detailed Description

This is a phase I/II study to assess the safety and tolerability of APG-115 alone or in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, NSCLC, solid tumors with ATM mutation, liposarcoma, urothelial carcinomas, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST)The hypothesis is that the current therapy may improve ORR, progression-free survival, and synergistic effect of APG-115 alone or in combination with pembrolizumab in these patients. (n=230, ID: NCT03611868).

Conditions

Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma or Advanced Solid Tumors; Melanoma; Uveal Melanoma; P53 Mutation; MDM2 Gene Mutation; Cutaneous Melanoma; Mucosal Melanoma; Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors (MPNST)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

APG-115+pembrolizumab open label, two-part phase Ib/II

single arm dose escalation and dose expansion

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Phase 1b: APG-115+pembrolizumab

Intervention Type: DRUG

dose escalation of APG-115 in combination with label dose of pembrolizumab, Four dose levels of APG-115 will be tested: 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg. APG-115 will be administrateddose escalation of APG-115 in combination with label dose of pembrolizumab, Fourfour dose levels of APG-115 will be tested: 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg. APG-115 will be administrated orally every other day (QOD) for consecutive 2 weeks (ie. dosed at Day 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13), with one week dosing off as there are cycles every 3-weeks a cycle. Pembrolizumab is administrated following FDA approved label dose, i.e., 200 mg intravenous infusion at Day 1 of every 3 weeks as a cycle.

Phase II: Combination of APG-115 at 150 mg (RP2D) and pembrolizumab or APG-115 monotherapy alone.

Interventions

Phase 1b: APG-115+pembrolizumab

dose escalation of APG-115 in combination with label dose of pembrolizumab, Four dose levels of APG-115 will be tested: 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg. APG-115 will be administrateddose escalation of APG-115 in combination with label dose of pembrolizumab, Fourfour dose levels of APG-115 will be tested: 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg. APG-115 will be administrated orally every other day (QOD) for consecutive 2 weeks (ie. dosed at Day 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13), with one week dosing off as there are cycles every 3-weeks a cycle. Pembrolizumab is administrated following FDA approved label dose, i.e., 200 mg intravenous infusion at Day 1 of every 3 weeks as a cycle.

Phase II: Combination of APG-115 at 150 mg (RP2D) and pembrolizumab or APG-115 monotherapy alone.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

KEYTRUDA®

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or non-pregnant, non-lactating female patients age ≥18 years, an exception for MPNST cohort: adolescents ≥12 years old (who weigh at least 40 kg) is allowed
• Part 2:

1. Measurable disease according to RECIST 1.1. Lesions situated in a previously irradiated area, or an area subject to other loco-regional therapy (e.g., intralesional injections) should be considered non-measurable

2. ECOG performance status 0-2

3. Cohort A: Histologically confirmed, unresectable or metastatic melanoma, and refractory or relapse after PD-1 antibody treatment and ineligible for other standard of care therapy per NCCN guideline (previous PD-1/PD-L1 antibody treatment not required for uveal melanoma)

4. Cohort F: Histologically confirmed, metastatic or unresectable MPNST

• Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
• Continuance of treatment related toxicities (except alopecia) due to prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy agents or biological therapy (including PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies) must be ≤ grade 1 at the time of dosing
• Adequate bone marrow and organ function without continuous supportive treatment
• QTcF interval (mean of 3, 1-3 minutes between tests) ≤450 ms in males and ≤470 ms in females
• Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ lower limit of institutional normal (LLN) as assessed by echocardiogram (ECHO) or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan
• Tumor tissue must be provided for all subjects for biomarker analysis before treatment with investigational product
• Willingness to use contraception by a method that is deemed effective by both male and female patients of childbearing potential and their partners throughout the treatment period and for at least three months following the last dose of study drug
• Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria

• Any prior systemic MDM2-p53 inhibitor treatment
• Received chemotherapy within 21 days (42 days for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to first dose
• Part 2 Cohort A: Prior loco-regional treatment with intralesional therapy (e.g., talimogene laherparepvec) for unresectable or metastatic melanoma in the last 6 weeks prior to start of study treatment
• Part 2 Cohort B: Has received radiation therapy to the lung that is >30Gy within 6 months of the first dose of trial treatment
• Part 2 Cohort E: Known FGFR translocation mutation
• Received hormonal and biologic, small molecule targeted therapies or other anti-cancer therapy within 21 days prior to first dose
• Radiation or surgery within 14 days prior to first dose, thoracic radiation within 28 days prior to first dose
• Has known active central nervous (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis. Or has neurologic instability per clinical evaluation due to tumor involvement of the CNS.
• Requirement for corticosteroid treatment (with the exception of megestrol and local use of steroid: i.e., topical corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids for reactive airway disease, ophthalmic, intraarticular, and intranasal steroids
• Concurrent treatment with an investigational agent or device within 21 days prior to the first dose of therapy
• Failure to recover adequately, as judged by the investigator, from prior surgical procedures. Patients with active wound healing, patients who have had major surgery within 28 days from 1st dose of study treatment, and patients who have had minor surgery within 14 days from 1st dose of study treatment.
• Unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or a coronary revascularization procedure within 180 days of study entry
• Active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active inflammatory bowel disease, chronic infections, or any other disease or condition associated with chronic inflammation
• Active infection requiring systemic antibiotic/ antifungal medication, and known clinically active viral infection such as hepatitis B or C, HIV infection, or active COVID-19
• Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to first dose.
• Has had an allogeneic tissue/solid organ transplant, prior stem cell or bone marrow transplant
• Has previously had a severe hypersensitivity reaction to treatment with another monoclonal antibody (mAb)
• Any other condition or circumstance that would, in the opinion of the investigator, make the patient unsuitable for participation in the study
• History of organ transplant requiring use of immunosuppressive medication
• A woman of childbearing potential who has a positive urine or serum pregnancy test (within 72 hours) prior to treatment.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Ascentage Pharma Group Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Yifan Zhai, MD, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Ascentage Pharma

Locations

University of Arizona Cancer Center

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Highlands Oncology

Rogers, Arkansas, United States

UCLA Hematology & Oncology Clinic

Los Angeles, California, United States

Sarcoma Oncology Research Center

Santa Monica, California, United States

Children's National Research Institute

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Sarah Cannon/FCSRI

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Memorial Sloan Kettering

New York, New York, United States

Duke Cancer Institute

Durham, North Carolina, United States

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Penn State Hershey Medical Center Cancer Institute

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Sarah Cannon Cancer Center

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Next Oncology

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Virginia Cancer Specialists

Fairfax, Virginia, United States

Metro South Hospital and Health Services via Princess Alexandra Hospital

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Queensland Children's Hospital

South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Flinders Medical Centre

Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia

Austin Health

Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Countries

United States; Australia

Other Identifiers

Keynote B66

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

MK3475-B66

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

APG-115-US-002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id