Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT03889795

Phase IB Metformin, Digoxin, Simvastatin in Solid Tumors

This is a single-center trial in subjects with pancreatic cancer and other advanced solid tumors. It is an open-label, single arm dose escalation Phase IB trial with subjects accrued in a 3 subject dose escalation cohort. Subjects with treated advanced solid tumors, and showing disease progression on established standard therapy, will be enrolled in this trial.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

University of Toledo, Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center

Toledo, Ohio, 43614, United States

About this study

This is a single-center trial in subjects with pancreatic cancer and other advanced solid tumors. It is an open-label, single arm dose escalation Phase IB trial with subjects accrued in a 3 subject dose escalation cohort. Subjects with treated advanced solid tumors, and showing disease progression on established standard therapy, will be enrolled in this trial.

C3 (Simvastatin + Digoxin + Metformin) will be given as three oral pills within recommended package insert safe levels. Subjects will be accrued in 3-subject dose escalation cohorts. 3 additional subjects will be treated at the presumptive maximum effective cohort dose/schedule for a total of 6 subjects at maximum effective level.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Subject ≥18 years with histologically confirmed solid tumor.
  • Dose expansion subjects must have at least one tumor mass amenable to core needle biopsy.
  • Refractory or intolerant to established standard of care.
  • Have at least one tumor mass amenable to core needle biopsy. Adequate Archival Tissue required for patients that will take part in the dose escalation cohorts.
  • ECOG performance status (PS) = 0-2, or Karnofsky PS ≥60%, or Lansky PS ≥60%.
  • Normal organ and marrow function: absolute granulocyte count ≥1,000/mm3, absolute lymphocyte count ≥400/mm3, platelets ≥100,000/mm3, total bilirubin ≤ institutional upper normal limit, AST/ASL ≤2x institutional upper limit of normal, GFR >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and creatinine <1.5 mg/dL.
  • Subject has recovered to CTCAE Grade 1 or better from all adverse events associated with prior therapy or surgery. Pre-existing motor or sensory neurologic pathology or symptoms must be recovered to CTCAE Grade 2 or better.
  • If female of childbearing potential, has a negative urine or serum pregnancy test. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a negative serum test will then be required for study entry.
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed protocol specific consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Anti-cancer chemotherapy, biologic therapy or immunotherapy within 3 weeks or radiation therapy within 2 weeks of first infusion.
  • Known history of other malignancy unless having undergone curative intent therapy without evidence of that disease for ≥ 3 years except cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, in situ cervical cancer or other in situ cancers are allowed if definitively resected.
  • Patients with only PET non-avid disease.
  • Brain metastases unless treated with curative intent (gamma knife or surgical resection) and without evidence of progression for ≥ 2 months.
  • Known history of rhabdomyolysis.
  • History of or current evidence of any condition (including medical, psychiatric or substance abuse disorder), therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the Investigator.
  • Known HIV or chronic Hepatitis B or C infection.
  • Have signs and symptoms consistent with an active infection.
  • Live vaccination for the prevention of infectious disease administered <30 days prior to the start of study therapy or inactivated vaccination <14 days prior to the start of study therapy.
  • History of severe allergic, anaphylactic, or other hypersensitivity reactions to Metformin, Simvastatin, and/or Digoxin.
  • Patients diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome or electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern. Other cardiac conditions including: Previous MI with evidence of residual electrographic pattern consisted with bradycardia/heart block. Atrio-ventricular (AV) heart block (currently ongoing). History of ventricular fibrillation. Sick Sinus Syndrome or Sinus bradycardia thought to be caused by sinus node disease, unless effectively treated. Heart failure associated with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, including constructive pericarditis, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and Amyloid heart muscle disease.
  • Women of childbearing potential who are found to be pregnant as evidenced by positive serum pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of HCG) or nursing.

Treatment and study plan

metformin

Drug

Metformin oral pill will be taken daily at breakfast (cohort 1) and breakfast and dinner (cohort 2 and 3).

Other names: Glucophage

simvastatin

Drug

Simvastatin oral pill will be taken daily in the evening.

Other names: Zocor

Digoxin

Drug

Digoxin oral pill will be taken once daily.

Other names: Digitalis

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximum Tolerated Dose and/or Recommended Dose within the tested C3 dose range

    Time frame: Up to one year

    Occurrence of any ≥ Grade 3 toxicity encountered within the four weeks following the administration of C3, regardless of attribution

Secondary outcomes

  1. Safety and Tolerability: Occurrence of treatment - emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and other abnormalities

    Time frame: Up to 2 years

    Occurrence of treatment - emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and occurrence of abnormalities in laboratory test values, markedly abnormal vital sign measurements, and clinically significant abnormal electrocardiograms (ECGs), including conduction abnormalities and changes in QT interval

  2. Efficacy (Disease Response)

    Time frame: Up to 2 years

    Response and progression evaluated using Response Evaluation criteria in solid tumors

  3. Assess BIRC5 levels of expression in tumor tissue

    Time frame: RNA and protein levels of expression at baseline and at 2 months after C3 treatment

    Blood samples for pharmacokinetic analysis of C3 will be collected at designated time points.

  4. Assess molecular changes induced by C3 administration in the blood for biomarker sensitivity/resistance assessment

    Time frame: Baseline and at 2 months

    Molecular signal tumor blood (plasma) and microenvironment protein expression patterns via quantitative mass spectrometry.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Danae Hamouda, MD

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Phase IB Trial of Metformin, Digoxin, Simvastatin in Subjects With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer and Other Advanced Solid Tumors

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Mar 26, 2019
Registry last updated
Oct 20, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.