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NCT Number: NCT03727880

Study of Pembrolizumab With or Without Defactinib Following Chemotherapy as a Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment for Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

This study will test the effectiveness (anti-tumor activity), safety, and ability to increase the body's immune system to fight pancreatic cancer by combining standard chemotherapy before and after surgery, with study drug PD-1 antibody, pembrolizumab, with and without study drug, focal adhesion kinase inhibitor (FAK), defactinib, in people with "high risk" resectable (surgically removable) pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if reprograming the tumor microenvironment by targeting FAK following chemotherapy can potentiate anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–100 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Samuel Oschin Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥18 years.
  • Has pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
  • Has resectable disease at the time of diagnosis
  • Has not received any systemic therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
  • Has stage ≤ IIb disease at time of diagnosis and enrollment
  • Elevated tumor marker, CA (carbohydrate antigen) 19-9 >200
  • ECOG performance status 0 or 1
  • Patient must have adequate organ function defined by the study-specified laboratory tests.
  • Must use acceptable form of birth control while on study.
  • Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion criteria

Patients who have received any prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy or investigational agents for pancreatic cancer.

  • Patients who have received prior treatment with anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CTLA-4, or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g., CTLA-4, OX 40, CD137).
  • Has received prior therapy with FAK inhibitor.
  • Woman who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Have received a live vaccine or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days prior to study drug.
  • Is currently or has participated in another investigational study within 4 weeks prior to receiving study drug.
  • History or current use of immunosuppressive medications within 7 days prior to study medications.
  • Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 2 years or that is expected to require active treatment within two years.
  • Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years.
  • Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease or current pneumonitis.
  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Infection with HIV or hepatitis B or C.
  • Patient with uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, uncontrolled infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to the study drugs.
  • Received any growth factors including, but not limited to, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), GM-CSF, erythropoietin, within 14 days of study drug administration.
  • Has history of any organ transplant, including corneal transplants.

Treatment and study plan

Pembrolizumab

Drug

Following standard of care neoadjuvant chemotherapy, subjects will receive two doses of pembrolizumab (200mg) IV 3 weeks apart prior to surgery. After surgery, subjects will receive adjuvant standard of care chemotherapy. Following adjuvant chemotherapy, subjects will receive 8 doses of pembrolizumab (200mg) IV 3 weeks apart.

Other names: MK-3475, Keytruda

Defactinib

Drug

Following 2 cycles of standard of care neoadjuvant chemotherapy, subjects will receive 400 mg defactinib twice a day up until 2 days preceding their surgery (approximately 6 weeks) during the immunotherapy cycles with pembrolizumab. After surgery, subjects will receive adjuvant standard of care chemotherapy. Following adjuvant chemotherapy, subjects will receive 400mg defactinib twice a day for 24 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) Rate

    Time frame: 4 years

    Percent of subjects with a pathologic complete response (pCR) per the tumor regression grade scores established by the College of American Pathologist: Grade 0= complete response (no viable cancer cells), Grade 1= near complete response (single cells or rare small groups of cancer cells), Grade 2= partial response (residual tumor with evidence of regression), or Grade 3= no response (extensive residual tumor with no evidence of regression).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Overall Survival (OS)

    Time frame: 4 years

    Number of months until death

  2. Disease Free Survival (DFS)

    Time frame: 4 years

    Number of months until disease recurrence

  3. Number of Participants Experiencing Study Drug-related Toxicities

    Time frame: 4 years

    Number of participants experiencing drug-related adverse events as defined by CTCAE v5.0

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Lei Zheng

Other

Collaborators

  • Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
  • Verastem, Inc.

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized Phase II Study of Pembrolizumab With or Without Defactinib, a Focal Adhesion Kinase Inhibitor Following Chemotherapy as a Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment for Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 1, 2018
Registry last updated
Feb 4, 2026

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.

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