Observational Basket Trial to Collect Tissue to Develop and Train a Live Tumor Diagnostic Platform

NCT ID: NCT05520099

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

416 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-06-26

Study Completion Date

2027-01-31

Brief Summary

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The primary objective of this study is to develop and train the Elephas live tumor diagnostic platform and determine the ex-vivo accuracy of the Elephas Score using in-vivo RECIST 1.1 as the reference method

Detailed Description

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Cancer is a leading cause of death and despite many new drugs, a major diagnostic challenge remains knowing which drug will work best for a patient. A new class of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, current diagnostic methods (e.g. PDL1, MSI and TMB) do not accurately predict which patients will respond.

Elephas is developing a diagnostic platform using small 3D Live Tumor Fragments (LTFs) from participants for accurate prediction of drug response with a focus on CPIs such as Pembrolizumab (Keytruda). These LTFs contain both tumor cells and infiltrating immune cells, which are critical in determining response to CPIs and other immunotherapies.

In this observational clinical basket trial, participants will be recruited and their actual clinical response (using RECIST 1.1) to CPIs across five solid tumors (lung, head/neck, bladder, kidney, and skin) will be compared to the platform's predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI) score that is based on RNA, clinical data, and 3D microscopy images. The sensitivity and specificity of the platform's score will be determined and compared to current diagnostic methods for CPIs like PDL1, MSI, and TMB.

Conditions

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Immunotherapy Cancer Bladder Cancer Urothelial Carcinoma Bladder Kidney Cancer Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer (ccRCC) Colorectal Cancer MSI-H Colorectal Cancer DMMR Colorectal Cancer Head and Neck Cancer (H&N) Squamous Cell Carcinoma Head and Neck Cancer (HNSCC) Liver Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Lung Cancer (NSCLC) NSCLC (Non-small Cell Lung Cancer) Skin Cancer Cutaneous Melanoma Endometrial Cancer Solid Tumor Cancer

Keywords

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Immunotherapy Live Tumor Fragment Elephas Elephas Score Core Needle Biopsy Forceps Biopsy Punch Biopsy Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Ex vivo Platform

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Patients with suspected or diagnosed cancer types as listed in the description

Subjects suspected or diagnosed with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic cancer: bladder (urothelial carcinoma), kidney (ccRCC).

Subjects suspected or diagnosed with recurrent or metastatic cancer: Colon and Rectum (MSI-H/dMMR Colorectal Cancer), Head and Neck (Squamous Cell Carcinoma), liver (Hepatocellular Carcinoma), Lung (NSCLC), Skin (Cutaneous Melanoma), Uterus (endometrial cancer).

Subjects suspected or diagnosed with one of the following cancer types eligible for pure ICI neoadjuvant therapy: Skin (Cutaneous Melanoma, Stage III)

Subjects suspected or diagnosed with: Any solid tumor type that is eligible for pure ICI therapy in the neoadjuvant or advanced/metastatic setting; Any metastatic solid tumor with high TMB, MSI-High or dMMR and are being considered for treatment with ICI therapy; Any recurrent or metastatic patient with a solid tumor that the clinician plans to treat with ICI therapy.

Core Needle Biopsy, Forceps Biopsy, Punch Biopsy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Subjects must be clinically able, at investigator discretion, to undergo additional core needle biopsy, forceps biopsy, or punch biopsy passes during their biopsy. These additional biopsies may either be collected from the primary tumor or a metastatic site amenable to additional passes (e.g., liver or lymph nodes) per the clinician.

Interventions

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Core Needle Biopsy, Forceps Biopsy, Punch Biopsy

Subjects must be clinically able, at investigator discretion, to undergo additional core needle biopsy, forceps biopsy, or punch biopsy passes during their biopsy. These additional biopsies may either be collected from the primary tumor or a metastatic site amenable to additional passes (e.g., liver or lymph nodes) per the clinician.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Written informed consent and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information prior to registration. NOTE: HIPAA authorization may be included in the informed consent or obtained separately.
2. Age ≥ 18 years at the time of consent.
3. Subjects must meet one of the following criteria:

* Subjects suspected or diagnosed with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic cancer:

* Bladder: Urothelial Carcinoma (UC)
* Kidney: Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC)
* Subjects suspected or diagnosed with recurrent or metastatic cancer:

* Colon and Rectum: Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) Colorectal Cancer (CRC)
* Head and Neck: Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), excluding nasopharyngeal and salivary gland cancers
* Liver: Hepatocellular Carcinoma
* Lung: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
* Skin: Cutaneous Melanoma, excluding Uveal Melanoma
* Uterus: endometrial cancer
* Subjects suspected or diagnosed with one of the following cancer types eligible for pure ICI neoadjuvant therapy:

o Skin: Cutaneous Melanoma, Stage III
* Subjects suspected or diagnosed with:

* Any solid tumor type that is eligible for pure ICI therapy in the neoadjuvant or advanced/metastatic setting
* Any metastatic solid tumor with high TMB, MSI-High or dMMR and are being considered for treatment with ICI therapy.
* Any recurrent or metastatic patient with a solid tumor that the clinician plans to treat with ICI therapy.
4. Subjects must be clinically able, at investigator discretion, to undergo a biopsy procedure
5. Subjects who are newly diagnosed or have suspected cancer must be treatment-naïve at the time of biopsy. All other subjects should have the biopsy performed before starting their next line of treatment.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Subjects who are pregnant
2. Subjects with a known auto-immune disease that would render them ineligible for immune-oncology treatment
3. Immunocompromised subjects, and subjects known to be HIV positive and currently receiving antiretroviral therapy
4. Subjects who are enrolled or plan to be enrolled in a blinded oncology treatment trial
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Elephas

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Fred Hausheer, MD, FACP

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Elephas

Locations

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CARTI Cancer Center

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System

Salinas, California, United States

Site Status TERMINATED

AdventHealth Orlando

Orlando, Florida, United States

Site Status TERMINATED

Memorial Health System

Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States

Site Status SUSPENDED

Cleveland Clinic Florida

Stuart, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of South Florida (Tampa General Hospital)

Tampa, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Meritus Center for Clinical Research

Hagerstown, Maryland, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

John Theurer Cancer Center

Hackensack, New Jersey, United States

Site Status TERMINATED

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Buffalo, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Catarina Costa

Role: CONTACT

Phone: (609) 955 4927

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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David Hays

Role: primary

Irene Ball

Role: primary

Samantha Wright-Carless

Role: backup

Brittney Short

Role: primary

Danial Malik

Role: primary

Sheronda Brown

Role: primary

John Gaeddert

Role: primary

Markeela Lipscomb

Role: primary

Desma Jones

Role: backup

Sara John

Role: primary

References

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Chen S, Zhang Z, Zheng X, Tao H, Zhang S, Ma J, Liu Z, Wang J, Qian Y, Cui P, Huang D, Huang Z, Wu Z, Hu Y. Response Efficacy of PD-1 and PD-L1 Inhibitors in Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Oncol. 2021 Apr 16;11:562315. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.562315. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33937012 (View on PubMed)

Cherukuri AR, Lubner MG, Zea R, Hinshaw JL, Lubner SJ, Matkowskyj KA, Foltz ML, Pickhardt PJ. Tissue sampling in the era of precision medicine: comparison of percutaneous biopsies performed for clinical trials or tumor genomics versus routine clinical care. Abdom Radiol (NY). 2019 Jun;44(6):2074-2080. doi: 10.1007/s00261-018-1702-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30032384 (View on PubMed)

Ramasubramanian TS, Adstamongkonkul P, Scribano CM, Johnson C, Caenepeel S, Hrycyniak LCF, Vedder L, Dana N, Baltes C, Browning T, Chen YI, Dietz T, Flietner E, Kaplewski N, Kellner A, Korrer M, Liu C, Marhefke N, McDonnell P, Nasreen A, Pope V, Prasad A, Richardson J, Schneider S, Schultz M, Sood C, Sunil A, von Euw E, Wait E, Wargowski E, Advani P, Broome B, Bruckbauer A, Godwin A, Kokabi N, Martin R, Robaina M, Toia G, Routh J, Friedl A, Eliceiri K, Szulczewski M, Johnson S, Oliner J, Galon J, Capitini C, Mukhopadhyay D, Taube J, Braun D, Gierman HJ. A live tumor fragment platform to assess immunotherapy response in core needle biopsies while addressing challenges of tumor heterogeneity. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Jul 18:2025.07.18.663728. doi: 10.1101/2025.07.18.663728.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40791544 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ELEPHAS-02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id