Canadian clinical trial registry

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

 This study is eligible for STEP-1 funding. Find more information here. 

This is open label, multicentre, single arm, pilot study of upfront nivolumab in patients with RRD-glioblastoma with favorable immune/genomic biomarkers. The purpose of the study is to use upfront immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) to delay/avoid radiation for patients with RRD-glioblastoma with favorable clinical (Gross total resection (GTR) or near total resection (NTR)) and biological (RRD, hypermutation, immune activation) biomarkers. At progression, patients will be undergoing surgery/biopsy and will get a combination of radiation + ICI followed by maintenance ICI. This model will allow us to additionally study the evolution tumor in response to ICI. The study will have two domains.

Domain 1 - Upfront ICI Initially 12 eligible patients will be enrolled for upfront ICI. At 12 weeks assessment if >6 patients have response (NO radiation for progression/recurrence), an additional 6 patients will be enrolled for upfront ICI. Nivolumab will be administered at a dose of 6 mg/kg every 4 weeks (cycle). All patients will be assessed at 12 weeks (3 cycles) from the start of ICI. If 6 or more out of 12 RRD-glioblastoma will recur/progress, no more patients will be recruited to this domain.

Domain 2 - Radiation + ICI → maintenance ICI All the patients experiencing tumor progression on domain 1 will be eligible for domain 2 and will receive a combination of radiation and nivolumab followed by maintenance nivolumab for a total of 2 years (24 cycles). To be eligible for domain 2 post recurrence patients will need surgery/biopsy at recurrence. If 6 RRD-glioblastoma will recur/progress at 12 weeks on domain 1 then 8 additional eligible patients may be enrolled directly in domain 2.

Patients may receive up to a total of approximately 2 years of treatment (up to 24 cycles). Follow-up may continue for up to one year following treatment discontinuation.

Inclusion Criteria

• Age: Patients must be ≥12 months and ≤25 years of age at the time of signing informed consent/assent.
• Diagnosis: Patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of glioblastoma.
• Proof of RRD: By tumor immunohistochemistry showing functional loss of mismatch repair gene expression (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2), or based on prior germline testing confirming congenital mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) or Lynch syndrome. To be done locally. Results have to be available within four weeks of last surgery.
• Tumor Tissue Specimen: Provide a tumor tissue specimen for molecular profiling, including TMB analysis. Any tumor sequencing data if available at time of enrolment will be recorded for relevant pathogenic variants in the mismatch repair and polymerase-proofreading genes to suggest RRD. A specimen from the time of relapse/ progression while on the study is required as well, when applicable.
• Favorable immune markers: High PD1 and CD8 positivity as detailed in the lab manual. To be done locally. Results have to be available within 4 weeks of last surgery.
• Surgical and disease status: Patients should have had Gross total resection (GTR)/Near Total Resection (NTR) as confirmed by the post-surgery scan. Patients are allowed a second look surgery to achieve NTR/GTR provided no tumor directed systemic or radiation therapy has been administered before this second surgery. Patients should be able to start therapy within 4 weeks of last surgery.
• Allowable Prior Therapy: 3.1.7.1 Patients must have recovered from the acute toxic effects of all prior anti-cancer therapies (with the exception of alopecia and lymphopenia). Previous treatment with nivolumab and/or other anti- PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for other prior tumors (other than high-grade glioma) will be permitted.
• Prior Therapy: No prior therapy except surgery will be permitted for high grade glioma. If the patient was previously diagnosed and treated for another tumor (other than high grade glioma), the patients must have completed that treatment and have no active disease in order to be enrolled in this trial The following time periods apply for prior therapy for other tumors:
  • Cytotoxic chemotherapy: At least 21 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from the last dose of cytotoxic or myelosuppressive chemotherapy; at least 42 days if prior nitrosourea (such as lomustine, CCNU).
  • Hematopoietic growth factors: At least 7 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from the last dose of short-acting growth factor; at least 14 days for long-acting.
  • Anti-cancer agents not known to be myelosuppressive: At least 7 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from the last dose.
  • Interleukins, interferons, and cytokines (other than hematopoietic growth factors): At least 21 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from the last dose.
  • Antibodies: At least 21 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from the last dose and toxicity related to prior antibody therapy must be recovered to Grade ≤1.
  • Radiotherapy: At least 14 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from local radiotherapy; at least 150 days from total body irradiation (TBI), craniospinal radiotherapy, or radiation to ≥50% of the pelvis; at least 42 days from other substantial bone marrow radiation.
  • Radiopharmaceutical therapy (e.g., 131I-MIBG): At least 42 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from systemically administered radiopharmaceutical therapy.
  • Autologous stem cell infusion including boost infusion: At least 42 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy.
  • Cellular therapy: At least 42 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy from any type of cellular therapy.
• Performance Status: Lansky play score ≥50 if ≤16 years of age; Karnofsky performance scale ≥50 if >16 years of age. See Appendix A. Patients unable to walk due to paralysis but who are using a wheelchair will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score.
• Organ Function:
  • Adequate bone marrow function defined as:
    • peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥750/mm3 (0.75x109/L)
    • platelet count ≥75,000/mm3 (75x109/L), transfusion independent, defined as not receiving platelet transfusions at least 7 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy
  • Adequate renal function defined as:
    • creatinine clearance or radioisotope GFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2; OR serum creatinine based on age/gender
  • Adequate liver function defined as:
    • bilirubin (sum of conjugated and unconjugated) ≤1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age
    • ALT (SGPT) ≤135 U/L (i.e., 3 x ULN). For the purposes of this study, the ULN for ALT (SGPT) is 45 U/L 3.1.9.4
  • Adequate pulmonary function defined as:
    • no evidence of dyspnea at rest, no exercise intolerance due to pulmonary insufficiency, and pulse oximetry ≥92% while breathing room air
  • Adequate cardiac function defined as:
    • no signs or symptoms of heart failure in a patient who has no history of congestive heart failure, no prior exposure to cardiotoxic drugs, and no radiotherapy to the heart; OR
    • shortening fraction of ≥27% or ejection fraction of ≥50% by echocardiogram
  • Adequate pancreatic function defined as:
    • serum lipase ≤ ULN at screening
  • Viral Infection:
    • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): Infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months prior to initiation of protocol therapy are eligible.
    • Hepatitis B virus (HBV): Patients with evidence of chronic infection with undetectable viral load are eligible. Suppressive therapy, if indicated, is allowed.
    • Hepatitis C virus (HCV): Infected patients currently on treatment with undetectable viral load are eligible. Patients with a history of infection must have been treated and cured.
    • Note: Routine screening for HBV, HCV or HIV status prior to enrollment is not required.
• Informed Consent: All patients and/or their parents or legally authorized representatives must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign, provide a thumbprint (e.g.., for illiterate patients), or use an authorized method to duly document the informed consent in line with the local IRB/IEC requirements and the regulations in force). Assent, where appropriate, will be obtained according to local regulations.

Exclusion Criteria

• CNS Tumor Bulk: Patients with CNS tumors with any of the following characteristics on imaging are not eligible:
  • Tumor with any evidence of uncal herniation or mass effect leading to severe midline shift
  • Tumor that in the opinion of the local investigator, shows significant mass effect after initial surgery or after second-look surgery.
• Concomitant Medications:
  • Corticosteroids: Patients requiring systemic corticosteroids or other forms of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy are not eligible.
  • Following initiation of protocol therapy, systemic corticosteroids or other forms of immunosuppressive therapy are permitted if administered for the treatment of toxicity, tumor flare, or pseudo-progression and can be tapered. In most cases protocol therapy must be held until the dose is tapered to 10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent. The Protocol Principal Investigator must be consulted prior to resuming treatment.
  • Physiologic corticosteroids up to 5 mg/day prednisone or equivalent are permitted.
  • Topical, ocular, intra-articular, intra-nasal, and inhaled corticosteroids are permitted.
  • Patients with CNS tumors receiving steroids must be able to discontinue these at least 7 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy.
  • Anti-cancer agents: Patients who are currently receiving other anti-cancer agents are not eligible.
  • Other investigational agents: Patients who are currently receiving or have received any other investigational agent within 14 days prior to initiation of protocol therapy are not eligible.
• Uncontrolled Intercurrent Illness: Patients with uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association Class III or IV), unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements are not eligible.
• Pregnant and/or Breastfeeding: The study agents have the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to initiation of protocol therapy. Additional pregnancy tests (serum or urine) should be obtained during study participation in accordance with local standards and guidelines. Males or females of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use an effective method of contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of treatment, and as follows:

  • Females receiving nivolumab must continue an effective method of contraception for a period of 5 months after the last dose of nivolumab.

    Should a female patient become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform the investigator immediately.

    Due to the unknown but potential risk for AEs in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with the study agents, breastfeeding must be discontinued if the mother is treated on study.

    Note: Females of reproductive potential are defined as those who are past the onset of menarche and are not surgically sterile (i.e., bilateral salpingectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, or complete hysterectomy).

• Autoimmune Disease: Patients with a history of autoimmune disease (such as autoimmune thyroid disease or inflammatory bowel disease) that has required systemic treatment within 2 years prior to initiation of protocol therapy are not eligible

  • Asymptomatic laboratory abnormalities (e.g., ANA, rheumatoid factor, altered thyroid studies) will not render a patient ineligible in the absence of a diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder.
  • Patients with atopy-related conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis are not excluded.
  • Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiological corticosteroid replacement therapy) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.
• Interstitial Lung Disease: Patients with history of interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis are not eligible.
• Transplant: Patients who have received previous solid organ transplant or allogenic stem cell transplant are not eligible.
• Adverse Reaction to Study Agent(s): Patients with previous Grade 4 life-threatening reaction or other adverse reaction that in the opinion of the investigator would preclude retreatment with nivolumab, and/or other PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies are not eligible.
• Compliance: Patients who in the opinion of the investigator may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study are not eligible.
• Treatment Start: Patients unable to start study protocol treatment within 14 days from the enrollment date or within 4 weeks of surgery (whichever is earlier)

For patients already enrolled on the study, the following exclusion criteria specifically apply prior to proceeding to Domain 2.

Specific Exclusion Criteria

• Surgery: Patient who cannot have surgery/biopsy at recurrence/progression on Domain 1 will be discontinued from the study.
• CNS Tumor Bulk: Patients with CNS tumors with any of the following characteristics on imaging post-surgery/biopsy at progression/recurrence on Domain 1 are not eligible:
  • Tumor >= 5cm in the longest dimesion.
  • Tumor with any evidence of uncal herniation or mass effect leading to severe midline shift
  • Tumor that in the opinion of the local investigator, shows significant mass effect

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

 This study is eligible for STEP-1 funding. Find more information here. 

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of pembrolizumab and to see how well it works in treating younger patients with high-grade gliomas (brain tumors that are generally expected to be fast growing and aggressive), diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (brain stem tumors), brain tumors with a high number of genetic mutations, ependymoma or medulloblastoma that have come back (recurrent), progressed, or have not responded to previous treatment (refractory). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may induce changes in the body's immune system, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread.

Inclusion Criteria

Stratum A, B, D and E Inclusion Criteria :

• Patient must have one of the following diagnoses to be eligible: 
  • Stratum A, currently closed to enrollment: Patients must have a recurrent, progressive or refractory DIPG following radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy
    • Histologic diagnosis is not required for patients with typical imaging findings of DIPG (defined as patients with a diffuse expansile mass centered in and involving at least 2/3 of the pons); patients with brainstem tumors who have undergone biopsy with a diagnosis of high-grade glioma or diffuse infiltrating glioma are also eligible
  • Stratum B: Patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of a non-brainstem high-grade glioma (NB-HGG) that is recurrent, progressive or refractory following therapy which included radiotherapy; spinal primary disease is eligible
  • Stratum D: Patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of ependymoma that is recurrent, progressive or refractory following therapy which included radiotherapy
  • Stratum E: Patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of medulloblastoma that is recurrent, progressive or refractory following therapy which included radiotherapy
• Patients must have adequate pre-trial formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor material available for use in the biology studies mutational analysis and genome wide sequencing for each stratum
  • Patients with DIPG who have tissue available are requested to submit similar tissue as patients in other strata; however, this is not required for eligibility
• All subjects must have measurable disease in 2-dimensions on MRI scan of the brain; disease should be consistently measured with the two largest perpendicular dimensions
• Patient must be >= 1 but =< 18 years of age at the time of enrollment during the safety portion. Patients < 22 may be enrolled during the efficacy portion of the study.
• Patients must have received prior radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy and recovered from the acute treatment related toxicities (defined as =< grade 1 if not defined in eligibility criteria) of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy prior to entering this study; there is no upper limit to the number of prior therapies that is allowed
• Patients must have received their last dose of known myelosuppressive anticancer therapy at least three (3) weeks prior to study enrollment or at least six (6) weeks if prior nitrosourea
• Biologic or investigational agent (anti-neoplastic): Patient must have received their last dose of the investigational or biologic agent >= 7 days prior to study enrollment
  • For agents that have known adverse events occurring beyond 7 days after administration, this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur; the duration must be discussed with and approved by the study chair
• Monoclonal antibody treatment and/or agents with prolonged half-lives: Patient must have recovered from any acute toxicity potentially related to the agent and received their last dose of the agent >= 28 days prior to study enrollment
• Patient must have completed immunotherapy (e.g. tumor vaccines, oncolytic viruses, etc.) at least 42 days prior to enrollment
• Patients must have had their last fraction of:
  • Craniospinal irradiation >= 3 months prior to enrollment
  • Other substantial bone marrow irradiation >= 6 weeks prior to enrollment
  • Local palliative radiation therapy (XRT) (small port) >= 2 weeks
• Patient must be >= 12 weeks since autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplant prior to enrollment
• Patients must be fully recovered from all acute effects of prior surgical intervention
• Both males and females of all races and ethnic groups are eligible for this study
• Patients with neurological deficits should have deficits that are completely stable for a minimum of 1 week (7 days) prior to enrollment
• Karnofsky performance scale (KPS for > 16 years of age) or Lansky performance score (LPS for =< 16 years of age) assessed within two weeks of enrollment must be >= 70; patients who are unable to walk because of neurologic deficits, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1000 cells/uL
• Platelets >= 75,000 cells /uL (unsupported, defined as no platelet transfusion within 7 days)
• Hemoglobin >= 8 g/dl (may receive transfusions)
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 times institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 3 x institutional upper limit of normal
• Albumin >= 2 g/dl
• Serum creatinine based on age/gender as noted below; patients that do not meet the criteria below but have a 24 hour creatinine clearance or glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (radioisotope or iothalamate) >= 70 ml/min/1.73 m^2 are eligible
  • Age: 1 to < 2 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.6 (male); 0.6 (female)
  • Age: 2 to < 6 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.8 (male); 0.8 (female)
  • Age: 6 to < 10 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1 (male); 1 (female)
  • Age: 10 to < 13 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.2 (male); 1.2 (female)
  • Age: 13 to < 16 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.5 (male); 1.4 (female)
  • Age: >= 16 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.7 (male); 1.4 (female)
• Pulse oximetry > 93% on room air and no evidence of dyspnea at rest
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial
• Patients must be off all colony-forming growth factor(s) for at least 1 week prior to registration (e.g. filgrastim, sargramostim, erythropoietin); 2 weeks must have elapsed for long-acting formulations
  • Patients must be willing to use brief courses (at least 72 hours) of steroids as directed for potential inflammatory side effects of the therapy if recommended by their treating physician
• Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant or breast-feeding; female patients of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication; if the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required; pregnant women are excluded from this study because pembrolizumab (MK-3475) is an agent with the potential for teratogenic effects; because there is unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with pembrolizumab (MK-3475), breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is to be treated with pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
• Patients of childbearing or child fathering potential must be willing to use 2 methods of birth control or be surgically sterile or abstain from heterosexual activity while being treated on this study and for 6 months after the last dose of study medication
• The patient or parent/guardian is able to understand the consent and is willing to sign a written informed consent document, inclusive of assent where appropriate, according to institutional guidelines

Stratum C Inclusion Criteria :

• Diagnosis of hypermutated brain tumors. Patients with brain tumors and increased tumor mutation burden as determined by
  • Confirmed diagnosis of CMMRD syndrome by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)-certified germline gene sequencing OR
  • Confirmation of high mutation burden by whole genome/exome sequencing performed in a CLIA-certified laboratory and/or the use of Foundation One next generation sequence panel or another CLIA approved targeted sequencing lab with publicly available correlations between number of mutations found in the panel and mutations per megabase and/or genome; for protocol purposes a high mutation burden will be defined as at least 180 non-synonymous coding-region mutations by whole exome/genome sequencing (well above two standard deviations of the number of median similar mutations described in pediatric CNS cancers) AND/OR a high tumor mutation burden (TMB) or intermediate TMB based on the reporting parameters of the panel; TMB parameters provided for the Foundation One reports are high tumor mutation burden is >= 20 mutations per megabase or intermediate TMB is between 6 to 19 mutations per megabase OR
  • Confirmed diagnosis of Lynch syndrome by CLIA-certified germline gene sequencing; patients with Lynch syndrome will not be accounted for in primary objective unless their tumors are determined to have the minimum number of mutations described above but they will still be eligible for this study
    • Low-grade tumors in patients with CMMRD or Lynch syndrome do not have to reach the threshold of 100 mutations for study inclusion
• Patients must have a histologically confirmed primary brain tumor that is recurrent, progressive or refractory; inclusion criteria encompasses all types of brain tumors (e.g. gliomas, embryonal tumors or any other type of brain tumor as long as other eligibility criteria are met;
  • Patients with high-grade gliomas are eligible for this clinical trial at least 2 weeks after completion of radiotherapy independent of tumor progression/recurrence as long as they are not enrolled on any other therapeutic clinical trial and there is macroscopic residual disease
  • Patients with other concomitant tumors associated with CMMRD syndrome including gastrointestinal polyps/adenomas and carcinomas, lymphomas and leukemias will be eligible as long as they are not requiring anticancer therapy directed against these other cancers and meet all other eligibility criteria
• Patients must have adequate pre-trial FFPE tumor material available and be willing to provide a blood sample for use in the genome wide sequencing studies; while tissue is required for genome-wide sequencing of tumor and germline samples, patients will be deemed eligible for the study with a minimum of approximately 10 unstained slides for the planned analysis
• Subjects must have measurable disease in 2-dimensions on MRI scan of the brain and/or spine with the exception allowed for non-progressed HGGs; disease should be consistently measured with the two largest perpendicular dimensions
• Patients must have received prior radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with the following exceptions:
  • Patients with secondary CNS cancers after a previous medical problem/malignancy who cannot receive full dose of radiotherapy (> 50 Gy) as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria
  • Patients with progressive low-grade gliomas and CMMRD or Lynch syndrome Patients must have recovered from the acute treatment related toxicities (defined as =< grade 1 if not defined in eligibility criteria) of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy prior to entering this study; there is no upper limit to the number of prior therapies that is allowed
• Patient should be < 30 years at the time of enrollment
• Patients must have received their last dose of known myelosuppressive anticancer therapy at least three (3) weeks prior to study enrollment or at least six (6) weeks if prior nitrosourea
• Patient must have received their last dose of the investigational or biologic agent >= 7 days prior to study enrollment
  • For agents that have known adverse events occurring beyond 7 days after administration, this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur; the duration must be discussed with and approved by the study chair
• Monoclonal antibody treatment and/or agents with prolonged half-lives: Patient must have recovered from any acute toxicity potentially related to the agent and received their last dose of the agent >= 28 days prior to study enrollment
• Patient must have completed immunotherapy (e.g. tumor vaccines, oncolytic viruses, etc.) at least 42 days prior to enrollme
• Patients must have had their last fraction of:
  • Craniospinal irradiation >= 3 months prior to enrollment
  • Other substantial bone marrow irradiation >= 6 weeks prior to enrollment
  • Local palliative radiation therapy (XRT) (small port) >= 2 weeks
• Patient must be:
  • >= 12 weeks since autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplant prior to enrollment
  • >= 5 years since allogeneic bone marrow transplant prior to enrollment with no evidence of active graft versus (vs.) host disease
• Patients must be fully recovered from all acute effects of prior surgical intervention
• All races and ethnic groups are eligible for this study
• Patients with neurological deficits should have deficits that are completely stable for a minimum of 1 week (7 days) prior to enrollment
• Karnofsky performance scale (KPS for > 16 years of age) or Lansky performance score (LPS for =< 16 years of age) assessed within two weeks of enrollment must be >= 60; patients who are unable to walk because of neurologic deficits, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1000 cells/uL
• Platelets >= 75,000 cells/uL (unsupported, defined as no platelet transfusion within 7 days)
• Hemoglobin >= 8 g/dl (may receive transfusions)
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 times institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT (SGPT) =< 3 x institutional upper limit of normal
• Albumin >= 2 g/dl
• Serum creatinine based on age/gender as noted below; patients that do not meet the criteria below but have a 24 hour creatinine clearance or GFR (radioisotope or iothalamate) >= 70 ml/min/1.73 m^2 are eligible
  • Age: 1 to < 2 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.6 (male); 0.6 (female)
  • Age: 2 to < 6 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.8 (male); 0.8 (female)
  • Age: 6 to < 10 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1 (male); 1 (female)
  • Age: 10 to < 13 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.2 (male); 1.2 (female)
  • Age: 13 to < 16 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.5 (male); 1.4 (female)
  • Age: >= 16 years; maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.7 (male); 1.4 (female)
• Pulse oximetry > 93% on room air and no evidence of dyspnea at rest
• HIV- infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial
• Patients must be off all colony-forming growth factor(s) for at least 1 week prior to registration (i.e. filgrastim; sargramostim; erythropoietin); 2 weeks must have elapsed for long-ac

Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria may apply. 

Exclusion Criteria

• Active autoimmune disease or documented history of autoimmune disease/syndrome that requires ongoing systemic steroids or systemic immunosuppressive agents except participants with vitiligo or resolved asthma/atopy or participants with hypothyroidism stable on hormone replacement or Sjogren’s syndrome
• History of or ongoing pneumonitis or significant interstitial lung disease
• Other malignancies
• Known active Hepatitis B (HbsAg active) or Hepatitis C (HCV RNA-qualitative is detected)
• History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to a monoclonal antibody
• Bulky tumor on imaging (not greater than 4cm in one dimension)
• Receiving any other anti-cancer or investigational drug therapy

(via: PBTC45: Brain Tumor Clinical Trial - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org))

Additional inclusion and exclusion may apply.

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

Brief Summary:

This is a pilot study that will evaluate disease status in children that have been newly diagnosed high-grade glioma with TRK fusion. The evaluation will occur after 2 cycles of the medication (Larotrectinib) have been given. The study will also evaluate the safety of larotrectinib when given with chemotherapy in your child; as well as the safety larotrectinib when given post-focal radiation therapy.

Detailed Description:

In this pilot study, we will assess the disease control rate (Continued Complete Response-CCR, Complete Response-CR, Partial Response-PR and Stable Disease-SD) as well as survical rate (overall survival- OS and progression free survival- PFS) in children with newly diagnosed HGG with TRK fusion who receive 2 cycles of larotrectinib monotherapy administered orally, twice daily, at 100 mg/m2 continuously on a 28-day cycle schedule. After 2 monotherapy cycles of larotrectinib, patients with CCR or CR will continue to receive larotrectinib maintenance therapy as monotherapy for a total of 12 cycles. Patients ≤ 48 months with PR or SD after 2 cycles of larotrectinib will go on to receive combination therapy with standard backbone chemotherapy (BABYPOG or HIT-SKK). Patients > 48 months of age (or patients ≥ 36 months of age, or patients with DIPG >18 months of age, at the discretion of the local investigator) will receive focal radiation therapy. A surgical cohort study will be explored whereby patients who have had a tumor biopsy/partial resection at their local institution and are planned to subsequently undergo definitive resection will receive 3-5 days (6-10 doses) of larotrectinib pre-surgery.

The study design of this trial requires 15 patients evaluable for disease control and for safety/ toxicity of larotrectinib as monotherapy. The surgical cohort will enroll up to 4 patients and will count towards the total 15 evaluable patients. A minimum of 6 patients will be evaluable for safety toxicity of larotrectinib in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Inclusion Criteria

• Age: Patients ≤ 21 years of age (birth to 21 years of age) at the time of study enrollment will be eligible.
• Diagnosis: Patients with newly-diagnosed high-grade (HGG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), whose tumors are documented in a CLIA/CAP certified lab (or clinically equivalent method considered standard in non-US sites) to harbor an NTRK fusion alteration by FISH, PCR, or next generation sequencing are eligible. Patients must have had histologically verified high-grade glioma such as anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma, or H3 K27-mutant diffuse midline glioma verified at a CONNECT site.

For sites that do not have CLIA-certified equivalent (certified laboratory) to assess NTRK fusion, testing will be conducted centrally at NCH. NTRK testing will be performed by NGS using targeted RNA-sequencing (Archer Solid Tumor analysis) Please submit 10 unstained sections on charged slides at 10uM thickness, or 10 scrolls cut at 10uM thickness, along with submission of an H&E slide. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue block and FFPE tissue scroll specimens must contain minimum of 25% tumor Snap-frozen tissue specimens are also acceptable and they must contain a minimum of 10% tumor. Please note that turn-around time for this test is up to 21 days.

• Disease Status: Patients with disseminated DIPG or HGG are eligible only if the patient is to receive chemotherapy only, i.e. no craniospinal RT is intended to be given. MRI of spine must be performed if disseminated disease is suspected clinically by the treating physicians. Patients with primary spinal tumors are eligible only if the patient is to receive either chemotherapy or focal radiation therapy, i.e. no craniospinal RT is intended to be given. Patients with leptomeningeal disease only, with no definitive identifiable primary tumor, and documented NTRK fusion, must be discussed with the Study Chair on a case-by-case basis.
• Surgical Cohort ONLY: Patients with newly-diagnosed HGG with NTRK fusions who have undergone prior biopsy and for whom further resection is indicated for a more definitive surgery at an enrolling site will be eligible to enroll onto the surgical study. DIPG patients are not eligible for the surgical cohort.
• Performance Level: Karnofsky ≥ 50% for patients > 16 years of age and Lansky ≥ 50 for patients ≤ 16 years of age (See Appendix I). Patients who are unable to walk because of paralysis, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score.
• Prior Therapy: Patients must not have received any prior anti-cancer chemotherapy. Prior use of corticosteroids are allowed (see below Exclusion Criteria)
• Organ Function Requirements: Adequate Bone Marrow Function Defined as:

Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1000/mm3 Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm3 (transfusion independent, defined as not receiving platelet transfusions for at least 7 days prior to enrollment) Hemoglobin >8 g/dL (may receive transfusions) - Adequate Renal Function Defined as: Serum creatinine within normal institutional limits, or Creatinine clearance or radioisotope GFR ≥ 70ml/min/1.73 m2

- Adequate Liver Function Defined as: Total bilirubin ≤ 2.5 × institutional upper limit of normal AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤ 2.5 × institutional upper limit of normal

- Adequate Cardiac Function Defined as: Shortening fraction of ≥27% by echocardiogram, or Ejection fraction of ≥ 50% by gated radionuclide study.

- Adequate Pulmonary Function Defined as: Pulse oximetry > 94% on room air if there is clinical indication for determination (e.g. dyspnea at rest).

- Adequate Neurologic Function Defined as: Patients with seizure disorder may be enrolled if on anticonvulsants and well controlled. See Section 5.5.2 and Appendix III for EIAED guidelines.

- Informed Consent: All patients and/or their parents or legally authorized representatives must sign a written informed consent. Assent, when appropriate, will be obtained according to institutional guidelines.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnancy or Breast-Feeding: Pregnant or breast-feeding women will not be entered on this study due to unknown risks of fetal and teratogenic adverse events as seen in animal/human studies. Pregnancy tests must be obtained in girls who are post-menarchal. Males or females of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use an effective contraceptive method.
• Concomitant Medications Investigational Drugs: Patients who have previously received or are currently receiving another investigational drug are not eligible.

Anti-cancer Agents: Patients who have previously received or are currently receiving other anti-cancer agents, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, biologic or targeted therapy, are not eligible

• Infection: Patients must not have any active, uncontrolled systemic bacterial, viral or fungal infection.
• Patients who have received prior solid organ transplantation are not eligible.
• Patients must not have malabsorption syndrome or other condition affecting oral absorption.
• Patients must not be receiving any treatment with a strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor or inducer. (See Appendix III.) Strong inducers or inhibitors of CYP3A4 should be avoided from 7 days prior to enrollment to the end of the study.
• Patients who in the opinion of the investigator may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study are not eligible.

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

Brief Summary:

This single site, single-arm, non-randomized, dose escalation phase I toxicity clinical trial will assess primarily the safety and secondarily the efficacy of episcleral topotecan in patients with active residual or recurrent intraocular retinoblastoma in at least one eye following completion of first-line therapy.

Detailed Description:

Retinoblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant intraocular tumour and originates from the retina. Treatment of eyes with advanced intraocular retinoblastoma remains a challenge. The historic standard of care for patients with unilateral disease is enucleation and for those with bilateral disease, a variety of modalities have been tried. These include radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, periocular administration of chemotherapy, selective intra-arterial chemotherapy, and intravitreal chemotherapy. Unfortunately, all of these modalities are associated with significant morbidity and investigators are looking for new ways to treat these patients either with novel directed drug delivery methods or with new less toxic agents. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of topotecan delivered directly to the eye using a novel sustained-release topotecan episcleral plaque (also referred to as a Chemoplaque) in patients with active residual or recurrent intraocular retinoblastoma in at least one eye following completion of first-line therapy. The study intervention involves the insertion and removal of the Chemoplaque, examinations under anaesthesia (EUAs), visits to clinic to monitor for adverse events throughout, and post plaque removal toxicity evaluation. EUAs, clinic visits and laboratory tests are standard of care for retinoblastoma patients.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age. Participants must be <18 years of age.
2. Diagnosis and Treatment. Participants must have: (i) active residual or recurrent intraocular retinoblastoma in at least one eye following completion of first-line therapy (chemotherapy, systemic or intra-arterial, focal therapy or brachytherapy) or (ii) unilateral Group D retinoblastoma at diagnosis with no previous treatment.
3. One eye will be the Study Eye. When participants have two eyes with retinoblastoma, the eye with worst disease or best vision potential will be designated the Study Eye. There will only be one eye per child treated in this Phase I study, since treatment of two eyes would double the systemic dose of drug. The Non-study eye will be treated by standard of care, with only focal therapy during the Study Period, if required.
4. Disease status. Study eye must have vision potential and no clinical features suggestive of high risk of extraocular extension.
5. Performance status. Lansky play score ≥ 50 if <16 years of age; Karnofsky performance scale of ≥ 50 if ≥16 years of age (Appendix I)

6. Organ function:

   1. Adequate bone marrow function and platelet count
   2. Adequate renal function
   3. Adequate liver function
7. Pregnancy prevention. Females of reproductive potential must agree to the use of highly effective contraception during study participation and for an additional 40 days after the end of the Chemoplaque administration
8. Informed consent. All participants and/or their parents or legally authorized representatives must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent. Assent, where appropriate, will also be obtained.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Disease status. Participants known to have any of the following:

   1. tumour involving the optic nerve rim
   2. clinical or EUA evidence of extraocular extension
   3. evidence of metastatic retinoblastoma
   4. existing neuroimaging showing suspicion of, or definitive, optic nerve invasion, trilateral retinoblastoma or extra-ocular extension.
2. Allergy. Participants with reported allergy to topotecan, camptothecin or derivatives thereof.
3. Concomitant treatment. Participants may not receive chemotherapy or other focal retinoblastoma therapy or any other investigational agent within 3 weeks of the placement and removal of the Chemoplaque, nor while the Chemoplaque is in situ.
4. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness. Participants with known uncontrolled intercurrent illness that, in the investigator's opinion, would put the participant at undue risk or limit compliance with the study requirements.
5. Febrile illness. Participants with clinically significant febrile illness (as determined by the investigator) within one week prior to initiation of protocol therapy.
6. Pregnancy and lactation. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to initiation of protocol therapy. Due to the unknown but potential risk for adverse events (AEs) in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with the study agents, breastfeeding must be discontinued if the mother is treated on study.
7. Compliance. Any condition of diagnosis that could in the opinion of the Principal Investigator or delegate interfere with the participant's ability to comply with the study instruction, might confound the interpretation of the study results, or put the participant at risk.

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma (ACP) is a highly debilitating pediatric brain tumor that lacks medical anti-tumor therapies. Current therapy, which depends largely on surgery and radiation, is associated with poor quality of life and becomes more challenging and risky in the setting of recurrent disease. Recent discoveries regarding the biological characteristics of ACP indicate that available agents, including Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway inhibitors may have efficacy in the control of ACP. Binimetinib is one such agent.

In this study, up to 38 patients will receive oral binimetinib at the recommended phase 2 pediatric dose (RP2D) of 32 mg/m2/dose PO every 12 hours for 4 weeks which represents one cycle. Cycles will last 28 days and treatment may continue for up to two years (26 cycles).

It will be a multi-center Phase 2 trial with two strata for patients aged >1 year and <25 years with measurable ACP who may have been previously treated with radiation (Stratum 1, 18 patients) or without radiation (Stratum 2, 18 patients).

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients must be ≥ 12 months and ≤ 25 years of age at the time of study enrollment.
• Patients with histologically-confirmed adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) Histologic confirmation of ACP may be made on solid tumor or, if no solid tumor can be safely obtained, cyst fluid with classic ACP characteristics of thick, cholesterol-rich, greenish-brown liquid in the context of imaging features consistent with craniopharyngioma, including lobulated, cystic/solid mass with calcifications that originates in the sellar/suprasellar region.
• Disease Status: Patients must have measurable disease.
  • Stratum 1: Patients with progressive or recurrent ACP who demonstrate cystic and/or solid recurrence or progression at least 6 months post completion of radiation therapy
  • Stratum 2: Patients with measurable ACP who have undergone surgery but have NOT previously undergone irradiation (but may have received prior systemic or intracystic therapy). Progressive disease is allowed but not required.
• Performance Level: Karnofsky ≥ 50% for patients > 16 years of age and Lansky ≥ 50 for patients ≤ 16 years of age (See Appendix I). Note: Neurologic deficits in patients with CNS tumors must have been stable for at least 7 days prior to study enrollment. Patients who are unable to walk because of paralysis, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score.
• Prior Therapy: Patients must have recovered or stabilized from the acute toxic effects of prior treatments
  • Biologic (anti-neoplastic agent): At least 7 days must have elapsed after the last (systemic or intracystic) dose of a biologic agent. For agents that have known adverse events occurring beyond 7 days after administration, this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur. The duration of this interval must be discussed with the study chair
  • Immunotherapy: At least 42 days after the completion of any type of systemic immunotherapy, e.g. tumor vaccines.
  • Monoclonal antibodies: At least 21 days after the last dose of a monoclonal antibody.
  • Radiation therapy: Patients must have had their last (conventional or hypofractionated) fraction of: a) Focal irradiation > 6 months prior to enrollment and b) No prior craniospinal irradiation is permitted.
  • Corticosteroids: Patients receiving dexamethasone must be on a stable or decreasing dose for at least 1 week prior to enrollment
  • Myelosuppressive systemic therapy: At least 21 days must have elapsed after the last systemic myelosuppressive therapy.
  • Surgery: At least 6 weeks must have elapsed since surgery.
• Organ Function Requirements
  • Adequate Bone Marrow Function Defined as:
    • Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1000/mm3
    • Platelet count ≥100,000/mm3 (transfusion independent, defined as not receiving platelet transfusions for at least 7 days prior to enrollment)
    • Hemoglobin >8 g/dL (may be transfused)
  • Adequate Renal Function Defined as:
    • Creatinine clearance or radioisotope GFR > 70ml/min/1.73 m2 or
    • A serum creatinine based on (Schwartz et al. J. Peds, 106:522, 1985) age/gender as follows:
      • 1 to < 2 years: maximum serum creatinine 0.6 mg/dL for males and females.
      • 2 to < 6 years: maximum serum creatinine 0.8 mg/dL for males and females.
      • 6 to < 10 years: maximum serum creatinine 1.0 mg/dL for males and females.
      • 10 to < 13 years: maximum serum creatinine 1.2 mg/dL for males and females.
      • 13 to < 16 years: maximum serum creatinine 1.5 mg/dL for males and 1.4 mg/dL for females.
      • ≥ 16 years: maximum serum creatinine 1.7 mg/dL for males and 1.4 mg/dL for females.
  • Adequate Liver Function Defined as:
    • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × institutional upper limit of normal
    • AST (SGOT) ≤ 2.5 × institutional upper limit of normal
    • ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 × institutional upper limit of normal
  • Adequate Cardiac Function Defined as:
    • Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction greater than the institutional lower limit of normal by echocardiogram
    • QTc ≤ 480 msec (by Bazett formula)
  • Adequate Neurologic Function Defined as:
    • Patients with neurological deficits should have deficits that are stable for a minimum of 1 week prior to enrollment.
    • Patients with current seizure disorders may be enrolled if seizures are well-controlled on antiepileptic therapies.
  • Informed Consent: All patients and/or their parents or legally authorized representatives must sign a written informed consent. Assent, when appropriate, will be obtained according to institutional guidelines

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnancy or Breast-Feeding: Pregnant or breast-feeding women will not be entered on this study due to unknown risks of fetal and teratogenic adverse events as seen in animal/human studies. Pregnancy tests must be obtained in girls who are post-menarchal. Males or females of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use an effective contraceptive method for at least 90 days after discontinuation of drug for females and at least 60 days for males. For females of childbearing potential, agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use contraceptive methods (bilateral tubal ligation, male sterilization, hormonal contraceptives that inhibit ovulation, hormone-releasing intrauterine devices, and copper intrauterine devices; hormonal contraceptive methods must be supplemented by a barrier method) and agreement to refrain from donating eggs are required. For males of reproductive potential, agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use a condom, and agreement to refrain from donating sperm.
• Gastrointestinal Disease:
  • Patients with a history of serious gastrointestinal disease, including inflammatory bowel disease or gastrointestinal perforation
  • Patients who are unable to swallow, retain or absorb oral medications
• Concomitant Medications
  • Corticosteroids: Patients receiving corticosteroids who have not been on a stable or decreasing dose of corticosteroid for at least 7 days prior to enrollment are not eligible.
  • Investigational Drugs: Patients who are currently receiving another investigational drug are not eligible.
  • Anti-cancer Agents: Patients who are currently receiving other anti-cancer agents are not eligible.
• Study Specific:
  • Patients who have an uncontrolled infection are not eligible.
  • Patients who have received any live or attenuated vaccinations within three months prior to start of therapy are not eligible.
  • Any significant concurrent medical or surgical condition that would jeopardize the patient's safety or ability to complete the study, including, but not limited to, disease of the nervous, renal, hepatic, cardiac (such as symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia), pulmonary, or endocrine system
  • Patients who have a history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus or Tuberculosis infection are not eligible.
  • Patients who have received a prior solid organ transplantation are not eligible.
  • Patients who in the opinion of the investigator may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study are not eligible.
  • Patients who have a history of alcohol, drug, or chemical abuse within 6 months of screening.
  • Patients who have had surgery within the last 6 weeks or who have concerns for poor postsurgical wound healing.
  • Patients who have a history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to tocilizumab and its excipients are not eligible.

Publications

• Foreman NK, Faestel PM, Pearson J, Disabato J, Poole M, Wilkening G, Arenson EB, Greffe B, Thorne R. Health status in 52 long-term survivors of pediatric brain tumors. J Neurooncol. 1999 Jan;41(1):47-53. doi: 10.1023/a:1006145724500.
• Goldman S, Pollack IF, Jakacki RI, Billups CA, Poussaint TY, Adesina AM, Panigrahy A, Parsons DW, Broniscer A, Robinson GW, Robison NJ, Partap S, Kilburn LB, Onar-Thomas A, Dunkel IJ, Fouladi M. Phase II study of peginterferon alpha-2b for patients with unresectable or recurrent craniopharyngiomas: a Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium report. Neuro Oncol. 2020 Nov 26;22(11):1696-1704. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noaa119.
• Apps JR, Carreno G, Gonzalez-Meljem JM, Haston S, Guiho R, Cooper JE, Manshaei S, Jani N, Holsken A, Pettorini B, Beynon RJ, Simpson DM, Fraser HC, Hong Y, Hallang S, Stone TJ, Virasami A, Donson AM, Jones D, Aquilina K, Spoudeas H, Joshi AR, Grundy R, Storer LCD, Korbonits M, Hilton DA, Tossell K, Thavaraj S, Ungless MA, Gil J, Buslei R, Hankinson T, Hargrave D, Goding C, Andoniadou CL, Brogan P, Jacques TS, Williams HJ, Martinez-Barbera JP. Tumour compartment transcriptomics demonstrates the activation of inflammatory and odontogenic programmes in human adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma and identifies the MAPK/ERK pathway as a novel therapeutic target. Acta Neuropathol. 2018 May;135(5):757-777. doi: 10.1007/s00401-018-1830-2. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
• Haston S, Pozzi S, Carreno G, Manshaei S, Panousopoulos L, Gonzalez-Meljem JM, Apps JR, Virasami A, Thavaraj S, Gutteridge A, Forshew T, Marais R, Brandner S, Jacques TS, Andoniadou CL, Martinez-Barbera JP. MAPK pathway control of stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the embryonic pituitary provides insights into the pathogenesis of papillary craniopharyngioma. Development. 2017 Jun 15;144(12):2141-2152. doi: 10.1242/dev.150490. Epub 2017 May 15.
• Bendell JC, Javle M, Bekaii-Saab TS, Finn RS, Wainberg ZA, Laheru DA, Weekes CD, Tan BR, Khan GN, Zalupski MM, Infante JR, Jones S, Papadopoulos KP, Tolcher AW, Chavira RE, Christy-Bittel JL, Barrett E, Patnaik A. A phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion study of binimetinib (MEK162), a potent and selective oral MEK1/2 inhibitor. Br J Cancer. 2017 Feb 28;116(5):575-583. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.10. Epub 2017 Feb 2.
• Watanabe K, Otsu S, Hirashima Y, Morinaga R, Nishikawa K, Hisamatsu Y, Shimokata T, Inada-Inoue M, Shibata T, Takeuchi H, Watanabe T, Tokushige K, Maacke H, Shiaro K, Ando Y. A phase I study of binimetinib (MEK162) in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2016 Jun;77(6):1157-64. doi: 10.1007/s00280-016-3019-5. Epub 2016 Apr 12.
• Patel K, Allen J, Zagzag D, Wisoff J, Radmanesh A, Gindin T, Nicolaides T. Radiologic response to MEK inhibition in a patient with a WNT-activated craniopharyngioma. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Mar;68(3):e28753. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28753. Epub 2020 Oct 19. No abstract available.

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

This phase II trial tests the safety and side effects of adding melphalan (by injecting it into the eye) to standard chemotherapy in early treatment of patients with retinoblastoma (RB). RB is a type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the retina (the light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye). It may be hereditary or nonhereditary (sporadic). RB is considered harder to treat (higher risk) when there are vitreous seeds present. Vitreous seeds are RB tumors in the jelly-like fluid of the eye (called the vitreous humor).

The term, risk, refers to the chance of the cancer not responding to treatment or coming back after treatment. Melphalan is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It may kill cancer cells by damaging their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and stopping them from dividing. Other chemotherapy drugs given during this trial include carboplatin, vincristine, and etoposide. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Vincristine is in a class of medications called vinca alkaloids. It works by stopping cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill cancer cells.

Adding melphalan to standard chemotherapy early in treatment may improve the ability to treat vitreous seeds and may be better than standard chemotherapy alone in treating retinoblastoma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To determine the feasibility of administering intravitreal melphalan by cycle 6 when given in combination with systemic carboplatin, vincristine, and etoposide (CVE) for the treatment of Group D retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the safety and toxicity profile associated with intravitreal melphalan in combination with systemic CVE for the treatment of Group D retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding.

II. To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal melphalan in conjunction with systemic chemotherapy in Group D intraocular retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine if eyes that become eligible for injection at cycle 3 or later would have been eligible for injection at diagnosis by retrospective central review of examination under anesthesia (EUA) and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images from diagnosis.

II. To validate and standardize the extraction, storage and collection protocols across multiple centers to demonstrate that aqueous humor from eyes undergoing therapy have high enough tumor-derived deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentration for whole genome sequencing and RB1 testing.

III. To explore the relationship between highly-recurrent retinoblastoma (RB) somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) and ocular salvage as well as tumor fraction (% of tumor DNA) as a marker of minimal residual disease and risk of intraocular disease relapse.

IV. To evaluate the effects of intravitreal melphalan therapy in the histopathology of enucleated eyes for progressive or recalcitrant retinoblastoma while on therapy.

V. To evaluate the long-term visual potential of eyes salvaged using intravitreal therapy.

OUTLINE:

CYCLES 1-2: Patients receive CVE regimen consisting of: carboplatin intravenously (IV) over 15-60 minutes on days 1 and 2 of each cycle, vincristine IV on day 1 of each cycle, and etoposide IV over 90-120 minutes on day 1 and 2 of each cycle. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 2 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and imaging of the eye during a procedure called examination under anesthesia (EUA) at baseline and prior to each cycle. NOTE: UBM is completed prior to cycle 1 only.

CYCLES 3+: Patients receive CVE regimen as in cycles 1-2. Patients also undergo EUA prior to each cycle to determine eligibility to receive melphalan. If found eligible, patients receive intravitreal injection of melphalan once between days -14 to 14 of each cycle. Patients who are not eligible for melphalan for any cycle receive CVE only regimen for that cycle. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. NOTE: Patients may be eligible to receive additional cycles of melphalan alone (maximum of 6 injections).

Additionally, patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging and may undergo aqueous humor and tissue sample collection throughout the trial.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 4 weeks, then every 3 months for 1 year, and then every 3-6 months for years 2-5

Inclusion Criteria

• Patient must be < 18 years of age at enrollment
• Patient must have newly diagnosed intraocular (localized) retinoblastoma and meet one of the following criteria:
  • Unilateral Group D retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding; OR
  • Bilateral retinoblastoma with worst eye Group D, with vitreous seeding present and the contralateral eye is Group A-C; OR
  • Bilateral Group D retinoblastoma with at least one eye with vitreous seeding; OR
  • Bilateral retinoblastoma with one Group D eye with vitreous seeding and one Group E eye where the Group E eye has been enucleated prior to any therapy. Note exclusion for high-risk features
  • Bilateral retinoblastoma with one Group D eye with vitreous seeding and one Group E eye where the Group E eye has not been enucleated prior to any therapy at the discretion of the treating physician. Note exclusion for patients with evidence of metastatic or extra orbital spread
• Patients must have a performance status corresponding to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0, 1 or 2. Use Karnofsky for patients > 16 years of age and Lansky for patients =<16 years of age
• Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 750/uL (must be performed within 7 days prior to enrollment unless otherwise indicated)
• Platelet count >= 75,000/uL (transfusion independent) (must be performed within 7 days prior to enrollment)
• A serum creatinine based on age/gender as follows (must be performed within 7 days prior to enrollment; must be repeated prior to the start of protocol therapy if > 7 days have elapsed from their most recent prior assessment):
  • 1 month to < 6 months = 0.4 (male and female)
  • 6 months to < 1 year = 0.5 (male and female)
  • 1 to < 2 years = 0.6 (male and female)
  • 2 to < 6 years = 0.8 (male and female)
  • 6 to < 10 years = 1.0 (male and female)
  • 10 to < 13 years = 1.2 (male and female)
  • 13 to < 16 years = 1.5 (male) and 1.4 (female)
  • >= 16 years = 1.7 (male) and 1.4 (female) OR - a 24-hour urine Creatinine clearance >= 70 mL/min/1.73 m^2 OR - a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) >= 70 mL/min/1.73 m^2. GFR must be performed using direct measurement with a nuclear blood sampling method OR direct small molecule clearance method (iothalamate or other molecule per institutional standard)
  • Note: Estimated GFR (eGFR) from serum creatinine, cystatin C or other estimates are not acceptable for determining eligibility
    • For patients < 1 month of age, serum creatinine levels must be < 1.5 x the treating institution's creatinine upper limit of normal (ULN) for patients < 1 month of age or the creatinine clearance or radioisotope GFR must be >= 70 mL/min/1.73 m^2
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age (must be performed within 7 days prior to enrollment; must be repeated prior to the start of protocol therapy if > 7 days have elapsed from their most recent prior assessment)
• Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) (alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) =< 135 U/L (must be performed within 7 days prior to enrollment; must be repeated prior to the start of protocol therapy if > 7 days have elapsed from their most recent prior assessment)
  • Note: For the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT (ALT) has been set to the value of 45 U/L

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with evidence of metastatic or extra-orbital spread
• Patients must not have an invasive infection at time of protocol entry
• Patients must not have had any prior anti-cancer therapy other than cryotherapy and/or laser therapy (green or infrared) to the study eye(s) and non-study eye, including systemic chemotherapy, intra-arterial chemotherapy, radioactive plaque, brachytherapy, or radiation therapy.
  • Note: A study eye is defined as being Group D with vitreous seeding. Patients may have had enucleation of one eye as long as the remaining eye is Group D with vitreous seeds
• Patients with bilateral disease who undergo enucleation of a Group E eye prior to initiation of therapy and show evidence of high-risk histopathology features in the enucleated eye. High-risk histopathology includes choroid involvement >= 3 mm, post lamina optic nerve involvement, full thickness scleral invasion or optic nerve invasion to the cut end
• Female patients who are pregnant since fetal toxicities and teratogenic effects have been noted for several of the study drugs. A pregnancy test is required for female patients of childbearing potential
• Lactating females who plan to breastfeed their infants
• Sexually active patients of reproductive potential who have not agreed to use an effective contraceptive method for the duration of their study participation
• All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent
• All institutional, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirements for human studies must be met

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

This is a Phase 1/2, multicenter, open-label trial of avapritinib in patients aged 2 to less than 18 years of age with with relapsed/refractory (R/R) solid tumors with mutations (including non-synonymous point mutations, insertions, and deletions) in KIT or PDGFRA, or gliomas with the H3K27M mutation, and no available alternative treatment options. This is a single-arm trial in which all patients will receive avapritinib. The study consists of 2 parts: dose confirmation, safety, and PK (Part 1) and initial efficacy, safety, and PK at the Part 2 recommended dose (Part 2).

Inclusion Criteria

• Patient has confirmed diagnosis of a R/R solid or CNS tumor with a mutation in KIT or PDGFRA (confirmed by local mutational testing of tumor sample) that has progressed despite standard therapy and no alternative treatment option is available OR Confirmed diagnosis of H3K27M mutant glioma that has failed standard therapy or for which no standard therapy that may convey clinical benefit exists, as judged by the Investigator.
• Patients with CNS disease should be on a stable dose (≤10% change) of corticosteroids for at least 7 days prior to first dose of avapritinib, with no plans for dose escalation.
• Disease extent

  1. Part 1: All patients must have at least 1 measurable lesion as defined by RECIST v1.1 or RANO (for CNS tumors). If radiation therapy has been administered, at least 1 measurable lesion must not have been irradiated, or must have clearly progressed since being irradiated.

  2. Part 2: At least one measurable lesion as defined by RECIST v1.1 (RANO for CNS tumors). If radiation therapy has been administered, at least 1 measurable lesion must not have been irradiated within the previous 12 weeks, or must have clearly progressed since being radiated (per RANO). For up to 5 patients with H3K27M mutant gliomas where there is no standard therapy that may convey clinical benefit as judged by the investigator, progression of disease of a measurable lesion after irradiation is not required.
• A Lansky (≤16 years of age) or Karnofsky (>16 years of age) score of at least 50. If the patient is unable to walk due to paralysis, but is mobile in a wheelchair, the patient is considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing their performance status.
• Patient agrees to utilize contraception consistent with local regulations

Exclusion Criteria

• Patient has any of the following within 14 days before the first dose of study treatment:

  1. Platelet count <75 × 109/L (<100 × 109/L if a CNS tumor).
  2. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <1.0 × 109/L.
  3. Hemoglobin <8.0 g/dL (RBC transfusion ≥14 days before test is permitted to meet criterion).
  4. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >3 × the upper limit of normal (ULN) for age; except in patients with tumor involvement of the liver who must not have AST and ALT >5 × ULN for age.
  5. Total bilirubin >1.5 mg/dL for age; and in presence of Gilbert's syndrome, total bilirubin > 3 × ULN or direct bilirubin > 1.5 × ULN.
  6. Serum creatinine >1.5 × ULN for age.
  7. International normalized ratio (INR) or prothrombin time (PT) >ULN (>1.5 × ULN if on prophylactic reversible anticoagulants).
• Patient has a QT interval corrected using Fridericia's formula (QTcF) >470 msec. Patient has a familial or personal history of prolonged QT syndrome or Torsades de pointes.
• Patient has clinically significant, uncontrolled, cardiovascular disease including congestive heart failure Grade III or IV according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification; myocardial infarction or unstable angina within the previous 6 months, uncontrolled hypertension (>99th percentile for age), or clinically significant, uncontrolled arrhythmias, including bradyarrhythmias that may cause QT prolongation (eg, Type II second degree heart block or third-degree heart block).
• Patient received the following systemic antineoplastic therapies:
  1. Systemic antineoplastic therapy (including experimental therapy within 5 half-lives or 28 days [6 weeks if prior nitrosurea], whichever is shorter).
  2. Focal external beam radiotherapy, including stereotactic radiosurgery, within 6 weeks prior to the first dose of avapritinib to either target or non-target lesions. Systemic radiopharmaceuticals, including nonstereotactic radiosurgery, within 2 weeks of the first dose of avapritinib (within 6 weeks for patients with CNS tumors). Craniospinal irradiation within 12 weeks prior to the first dose of avapritinib.
  3. All AEs related to other antineoplastic therapies (eg, systemic antineoplastics, radiotherapy) must have resolved to Grade ≤1 (Grade ≤2 for peripheral neuopathy and/or ototoxicity) prior to the first dose of avapritinib.
• Patient has previously received treatment with avapritinib.
• Patient received autologous stem cell transplant (SCT) following myeloablative therapy or chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy within 3 months prior to the first dose of avapritinib or prior allogeneic SCT within 1 year and no evidence of Grade 1 or greater graft-versus-host disease and no immunosuppressants for graft-versus-host disease (steroids for primary malignancy being permitted). Patients who received stem cell reinfusion following nonmyeloablative therapy are eligible once they meet the peripheral blood count criteria in Exclusion Criterion #1.
• Patient requires on going treatment or has received treatment within 28 days before the start of avapritinib administration with drugs or foods that are strong CYP3A inhibitors or inducers or EIAEDs (eg, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and primidone). Please refer to Appendix 1 for a list of these drugs and/or foods.
• Patient has had a major surgical procedure within 14 days of the first dose of study treatment (procedures such as central venous catheter placement, tumor needle biopsy, and feeding tube placement are not considered major surgical procedures).
• Patient has a history of another primary malignancy that has been diagnosed or required therapy within 3 years before the first dose of avapritinib. The following prior malignancies are not exclusionary: completely resected basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer, curatively treated localized prostate cancer, and completely resected carcinoma in situ of any site.
• Female subjects of childbearing potential who are unwilling, if not post-menopausal or surgically sterile, to abstain from sexual intercourse or employ highly effective contraception from the time of informed consent and for at least 6 weeks after the last dose of study treatment. Male subjects who are unwilling, if not surgically sterile, to abstain from sexual intercourse or employ highly effective contraception from the time of informed consent and for at least 6 weeks after the last dose of study treatment. Refer to Section 5.4.2 for acceptable methods of contraception.
• Patient is pregnant
• Patient is breastfeeding.
• Patient has prior or ongoing clinically significant illness, medical condition, surgical history, physical finding, or laboratory abnormality that, in the Investigator's opinion, could affect the safety of the patient; alter the absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of the study drug; or impair the assessment of study results.
• History of thrombosis requiring treatment within the past 6 months.
• Patients who require anticoagulants, with the exception of stable doses of prophylactic reversible anticoagulants.
• Patients who are unable to swallow tablets (in Part 1) or mini-tablets (in Part 2) within the sprinkle capsules.
• Patients with a known risk of intracranial bleeding, such as a brain aneurysm that has not been removed or repaired, or a history of intracranial bleeding within the past year, or radiographic evidence of hemorrhage on Screening MRI. Exceptions are patients with primary CNS tumors who are eligible unless CNS bleeding has occurred within 2 weeks of the first dose of avapritinib and patients with punctate hemorrhages <3 mm.
• History of a seizure disorder that is not well controlled on current antiepileptic medications. EIAEDs carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and primidone are prohibited.
• Patient is unwilling or unable to comply with scheduled visits, treatment administration plan, laboratory tests, or other study procedures and study restrictions

Go to family friendly version

Centres

Study Description

 This study is eligible for STEP-1 funding. Find more information here. 

This is a Phase I study to evaluate the safety profile of a type of immune therapy called HER2 CAR T cells (short for HER2 chimeric antigen receptor T cells). In addition to looking for side effects, we will study how well this treatment works against a brain tumor called ependymoma that has come back after treatment (recurrent) or has not responded well to treatment (progressive) in children. The HER2 CAR T cells used in this trial are made from the patient's own blood. A new gene, called the HER2 CAR, will be inserted into patient's T cells to allow them recognize a protein on the tumor called HER2. These HER2-specific CAR T cells may be able to target and kill ependymoma tumors that express HER2. This research is also studying how doable it is to provide this type of CAR T cell treatment to children being treated at different hospitals.

The primary objectives of the Phase I study are to determine the safety of intravenous injection of HER2-specific CAR T cells after lymphodepleting chemotherapy, and to evaluate the multicenter feasibility of administering up to three infusions of HER2-CAR T cells after lymphodepletion.

Patients will receive one infusion of HER2psecific CAR T cells after lymphodepleting chemotherapy. Following recovery from their first treatment (no earlier than 8 weeks and no later than 12 weeks), patients will resume treatment with HER2-specific CAR T cells for up to 2 infusions after lymphodepleting chemotherapy if they meet laboratory parameters. The length of time on study for patients enrolled on the Phase I study is anticipated to be 9 months on treatment. Patients will then be followed for 15 years after treatment.

Surgical Study

The objective of the Surgical study is to evaluate the post-treatment tumor tissue for presence of HER2-specific CAR T cells administered intravenously in children undergoing surgical resection. The surgical study will be initiated following completion of the safety evaluation period of 6 patients treated in the Phase I study.

Once the surgical study is open for enrollment, all patients who have clinical indication for surgery, except those needing urgent surgery, will be eligible for enrollment to the surgical study. Patients will receive one infusion of HER2-specific CAR T cells after lymphodepleting chemotherapy 4-6 weeks before surgical resection of their tumor, at which time samples will be taken for analysis. Following recovery from surgery (no earlier than 8 weeks and no later than 15 weeks), patients will resume treatment with HER2-specific CAR T cells for up to 2 infusions if they meet laboratory parameters.

The first patient in the surgical study will complete a 6-week safety evaluation period prior to enrollment of the subsequent patient. The length of time on study for patients enrolled on the Surgical study is anticipated to be 10 months on treatment. Patients will then be followed for 15 years after treatment.

Dosing

All patients on Phase I and Surgical study will receive HER2 CAR T cells at a patient-specific dose level 1 (8x10^7 CAR-positive T cells/m^2) for infusion. The cell dose will be based on the patient weight and height obtained by the treating institution at the time of procurement. For patients whose BMI is greater than 95th percentile for given age and sex, the Body surface area (BSA) will be calculated using the ideal body weight.

In the event that dose level 1 is found to have excessive toxicity, three additional doses of CAR T cells at dose level -1 (5x10^7 CAR-positive T cells/m^2) will be made to be used in the event that dose de-escalation occurs before a patient is enrolled for treatment.

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria - Treatment

1. Diagnosis: Patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of HER2 positive ependymoma that is recurrent or progressive. Histologic verification may be from time of diagnosis or time of recurrence. In cases where there is question of recurrence, histologic verification, or verification of progression on follow up imaging is required prior to enrolling for protocol treatment.
2. Disease Status: 
   • Phase I (Stratum 1) - Patients must have evaluable disease to be eligible. Evaluable disease includes either measurable OR non-measurable disease, defined as follows:
     • Measurable disease (enhancing or non-enhancing tumor):
       • at least 1 cm, or
       • at least two times (in both perpendicular diameters) the MRI slice thickness, plus the interslice gap.
     • Non-measurable disease (tumor that is too small to be accurately measured):
       • less than 1 cm in at least one perpendicular dimension, or
       • less than two times the MRI slice thickness, plus the interslice gap.
     • Note: Leptomeningeal disease is considered non-measurable but evaluable.
     • Surgical Study (Stratum 2) - Patients with measurable disease (Section 3.3.1.2.1) in whom tumor resection is clinically indicated and feasible after the CAR T cell infusion.
3. Age: Patient must be ≥ 1 but ≤ 22 years of age at the time of enrollment for treatment.
4. HER2 CAR T cell product: The patient must have, at a minimum, one prescribed dose of the cryopreserved, autologous HER2 CAR T cell product available for infusion.
5. Prior Anti-neoplastic Therapy:
   • Cytotoxic chemotherapy: Patients must not have received cytotoxic chemotherapy for at least 28 days prior to study enrollment for treatment and must have recovered from the acute treatment related toxicities (defined as < grade 1 if not defined in eligibility criteria; excludes alopecia) prior to entering this study.
   • Biological, targeted, or investigational agents (anti-neoplastic): Patients must have a period of at least 28 days from the last receipt of said drug and must have recovered from all acute toxic effects.
     • For agents that have known acute adverse events occurring beyond 28 days after administration, this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur.
   • Monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and other agents with known prolonged half-lives: Patient must have recovered from any acute toxicity potentially related to the agent and received their last dose of the agent ≥ 28 days prior to study enrollment.
   • Adoptive cellular therapies: Patient must have recovered from any acute toxicity potentially related to the cellular product and received their last dose of the cellular product at least 90 days prior to study enrollment. (Note: Patients who have previously received an adoptive cellular therapy may continue long-term follow up evaluations per the prior study's evaluation schedule as needed for assessment of long-term toxicities including genotoxicity.)
   • Radiation: Patients must have had their last fraction of:
     • Craniospinal irradiation, whole brain radiation, total body irradiation or radiation to >50% of pelvis or spine ≥ 3 months prior to enrollment (90 days) prior to enrollment.
     • Focal palliative irradiation to the tumor ≥ 42 days prior to enrollment. c. Patients who receive tumor-directed radiation (non-palliative) should have confirmed disease progression on the imaging study done at least 6 weeks after the completion of the last fraction of radiation.
   • Surgery: Patients must have not had surgery within 14 days of enrollment for treatment and must have adequate wound healing and recovered from other acute effects from surgery. One exception is the placement of central venous catheter which will be allowed at any time point until treatment initiation on the study.
6. Growth Factors: Patients must be off all colony-forming growth factor(s) for at least 7 days prior to enrollment (e.g., filgrastim, sargramostim, or erythropoietin). 14 days must have elapsed if the patient received a long-acting formulation.
7. Corticosteroids: Patients who are receiving systemic corticosteroids must be on a stable or decreasing dose for at least 14 days prior to enrollment for treatment, and corticosteroid dose must be less than or equal to dexamethasone 0.5 mg/m2/day (or equivalent) during the 14 days preceding enrollment. Use of topical, ocular, intranasal, or inhaled corticosteroids are permitted.
8. Neurologic Status: In patients with neurological deficits, deficits should be stable for a minimum of 7 days prior to enrollment. A baseline detailed neurological exam should clearly document the neurological status of the patient at the time of enrollment for treatment on the study. Patients with seizure disorders may be enrolled if seizures are well controlled.
9. Performance Status: Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS for > 16 years of age) or Lansky Performance Score (LPS for ≤ 16 years of age) (Appendix C) assessed within one week of enrollment must be ≥ 60%. Patients who are unable to walk because of neurologic deficits, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score.
10. Organ Function: Patients must have adequate organ and bone marrow function as defined in Section 3.2.1.4.
11. Pregnancy Prevention: Patients of childbearing or child fathering potential must be willing to use a medically acceptable form of birth control, which includes abstinence, while being treated on this study.
12. Informed Consent: The patient or parent/guardian can understand the consent and is willing to sign a written informed consent document according to institutional guidelines. Age- and developmentally appropriate assent should be obtained as required by institutional guidelines.
    • Patients who meet eligibility criteria per Section 3.3.1.2.1 must be enrolled using Phase I treatment consent (Stratum 1).
    • Patients who meet eligibility criteria per Section 3.3.1.2.2 must be enrolled using Surgical Study treatment consent (Stratum 2).

Please note there is additional criteria for screening, outlined below: 

1. Tumor: Patient must have a diagnosis of ependymoma that is recurrent or progressive. All tumors must have histologic verification either at the time of diagnosis or recurrence.

2. Prior Therapy: Patient must have received standard of care therapy including maximal safe surgical resection followed by local adjuvant radiation therapy prior to enrollment.

3. Adequate Pre-trial Tumor Tissue: Patient must have adequate pre-trial tumor material available to determine HER2 status. Tumor tissue from the most recent resection or biopsy of recurrent disease in preferred. If unavailable, tumor tissue from prior recurrences or from the time of initial diagnosis is acceptable.

   a. One exception will be patients who have previously received HER2-directed therapy (including but not limited to trastuzumab); these patients will need evaluation of tumor HER2 status after stopping treatment due to the possibility of HER2 downregulation or loss. Tumor biopsy will not be performed for the purpose of HER2 screening. Patients will not be eligible for screening on PBTC-059 if tumor tissue is not available or inadequate for HER2 testing. Tumor screening by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) will be done centrally using the testing method validated at Texas Children's Hospital. Sample for screening must be shipped within 7 days of enrollment for screening.

4. Known HIV Positivity: Patients that are known to be HIV-positive are ineligible due to the unknown safety and efficacy of infusing these patients with CAR T cells genetically modified using retroviral vectors. Additionally, the immunosuppression used for treatment in this study will pose an unacceptable risk.

5. Age: Patient must be ≥ 1 but ≤ 21 years of age at the time of screening consent.

6. Screening Consent: The patient or parent/guardian can understand the consent and is willing to sign a written informed consent document according to institutional guidelines. Age- and developmentally appropriate assent should be obtained as required by institutional guidelines.

7. Potential Eligibility for Study Treatment Enrollment: Patients are screened for this trial should be reasonably anticipated to meet the criteria for treatment described in Section 3.3 if their tumor is HER2-positive.

Please note there is additional criteria for procurement, outlined below: 

Criteria for Procurement: All subjects must meet following inclusion and exclusion eligibility criteria at the time of peripheral blood procurement for manufacturing the HER2 CAR T-cell product. No exceptions will be given. All clinical and laboratory evaluations to establish eligibility for procurement must be done within 14 days prior to enrollment. See Section 6.1 for details of laboratory requirements and planning of procurement blood collection date.

1. Tumor: Patient must have a diagnosis of ependymoma that is recurrent or progressive. All tumors must have histologic verification either at the time of diagnosis or recurrence.
2. Performance Score: Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS for > 16 years of age) or Lansky Performance Score (LPS for ≤ 16 years of age) (Appendix C) assessed within one week of procurement must be ≥ 60%. Patients who are unable to walk because of neurologic deficits, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the performance score provided the neurological deficit is stable as described in Section 3.3.1.7.
3. Prior Therapy: Patients must have received last dose of cytotoxic chemotherapy greater than 21 days preceding the date of enrollment for procurement.
4. Organ Function: Patient must have adequate organ and bone marrow function as defined below:
   • Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 1.0 x 109 cells/L
   • Platelet count ≥ 75 100 x 109 cells/L (unsupported, defined as no platelet transfusion within 4 days)
   • Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL (may receive red blood cell transfusions)
   • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) for age
   • Alanine transaminase (ALT /SGPT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST/SGOT) ≤ 3 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) for age
   • Serum creatinine < 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal for age and gender. Patients that do not meet the criteria but have a 24-hour Creatinine Clearance or Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (radioisotope or iothalamate) ≥ 70 mL/min/1.73 m2 are eligible.
   • Pulmonary Function
     • Oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry is ≥ 93% on room air
5. Concomitant Medication: Patients who are receiving systemic corticosteroids must be on a stable or decreasing dose for at least two weeks prior to procurement, and corticosteroid dose must be less than or equal to dexamethasone 0.75 mg/m2/day (or equivalent). Use of topical, ocular, intranasal, or inhaled corticosteroids are permitted.
6. Procurement Consent: The patient or parent/guardian can understand the consent and is willing to sign a written informed consent document according to institutional guidelines. Age- and developmentally appropriate assent should be obtained as required by institutional guidelines.
7. Potential Eligibility for Study Enrollment: Patients whose blood samples have been successfully procured for this trial should be reasonably anticipated to meet the criteria for treatment described in Section 3.3 and to begin treatment within 180 days from the date of procurement. The treatment slot will not be held beyond the specified 180 days, and such patients may not be able to receive treatment on this study depending on slot availability.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria: Treatment

1. Patients with Bulky Tumors on Imaging Studies
   • Bulky tumors will be defined as those:
     • > 6 cm in single maximum dimension, or
     • tumor causing uncal herniation or mass effect leading to midline shift with or without symptoms or signs of impending herniation or
     • obstruction to Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow.
2. Infratentorial tumors with symptoms or signs arising from brain stem involvement by the tumor. Patients with stable cranial nerve deficit(s) secondary to prior surgery will not be excluded.
3. Surgical Study (Stratum 2): Patients who have urgent need for surgical resection of tumor.
4. Pregnancy or Breast-feeding
   • Pregnant women or nursing mothers are excluded from this study. Female patients of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 7 days of start of enrollment for treatment. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required. Pregnant or breast-feeding women are excluded from this study because there is an unknown but potential risk of adverse events to the fetus or the nursing infant with the use of T cells genetically modified to express HER2 CAR. Pre-clinical studies in mice demonstrate the target antigen HER2 is necessary for normal fetal development of cardiac trabeculae, cranial sensory ganglia, and motor neuron development.75 Additionally, the lymphodepleting chemotherapy drugs fludarabine and cyclophosphamide are both Pregnancy Class D drugs.
5. Concurrent Illness: 
   • Patients with active autoimmune disease, documented history of autoimmune disease/syndrome, or any other condition that requires ongoing systemic steroids or systemic immunosuppressive agents, except a. Patients with vitiligo or resolved asthma/atopy b. Patients with hypothyroidism stable on hormone replacement or Sjogren's syndrome c. Patients requiring physiologic doses of corticosteroids (up to 0.5 mg/m2/day dexamethasone equivalent)
   • History of or ongoing pneumonitis or significant interstitial lung disease
   • Ongoing or active uncontrolled infection
   • Patients with any clinically significant unrelated systemic illness (serious infections or significant cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic or other organ dysfunction), that in the opinion of the investigator, would compromise the patient's ability to tolerate protocol therapy, put them at additional risk for toxicity or would interfere with the study procedures or results.
   • Patients with any of the following cardiac diseases
     • New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV
     • Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia including, but not limited to, Torsade de pointes or requiring a pacemaker
     • Left ventricular ejection fraction below 50% as determined by echocardiography (ECHO)
   • Known HIV positivity
     • HIV-positive patients are ineligible due to the unknown safety and efficacy of infusing these patients with CAR T cells genetically modified using retroviral vectors. Additionally, the immunosuppression used for treatment in this study will pose an unacceptable risk.
6. Concomitant Medications:
   • Patients who are receiving any other anti-cancer or investigational drug therapy are ineligible.
   • Patients who have received the last vaccination of a live vaccine ≤ 30 days prior to enrollment are ineligible.
     • Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and typhoid (oral) vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., Flu-Mist®) are live attenuated vaccines and must meet timeline for live vaccine.
   • Herbal preparations/medications (except for vitamins) including, but not limited to: St. John's wort, Kava, ephedra (ma huang), gingko biloba, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), yohimbe, saw palmetto, black cohosh, and ginseng. Patients should stop using all herbal medications and dietary supplements at least 7 days prior to enrollment.
7. Inability to participate: Patients who in the opinion of the investigator are unwilling or unable to return for required follow-up visits or obtain follow-up studies required to assess toxicity to therapy or to adhere to drug administration plan, other study procedures, and study restrictions.
8. Allergy: Patients with a history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition (murine protein-containing products, Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), or dextran 40).