Placebo-Controlled Trial of IFx-Hu2.0 Followed By Pembrolizumab In Checkpoint Inhibitor Naïve Par… (NCT06947928) | Clinical Trial Compass
RecruitingPhase 2/3
Placebo-Controlled Trial of IFx-Hu2.0 Followed By Pembrolizumab In Checkpoint Inhibitor Naïve Participants With Advanced Or Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma
United States118 participantsStarted 2025-12-11
Plain-language summary
This Phase 2/3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate the Objective Response Rate (ORR) of IFx-Hu2.0 as an adjunctive therapy to pembrolizumab in adult participants (≥18 years) with advanced or metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma. A total of 118 participants will be randomized to receive either IFx-Hu2.0 or placebo via intralesional injection in a single lesion, followed by pembrolizumab.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. At least 18 years of age.
. Life expectancy equal to or greater than six months.
. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status \< 2.
. Must be recurrent and/or unresectable Stage III or Stage IV American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) (8th edition) and have histologically confirmed Merkel cell carcinoma
. Must have at least one injectable lesion equal to or greater than 3 mm.
. Must have measurable disease as defined by RECIST v1.1.
. Participants should be CPI naïve i.e., no prior therapy with CPI including but not limited to Pembrolizumab, avelumab, ipilimumab, nivolumab.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Objective response rate (ORR)
Timeframe: 12 weeks post-treatment initiation and confirmed on a second response assessment at least 28 days after the initial response assessment
. Tumor tissue from an archival core biopsy or resected site of disease must be provided for biomarker analyses. If archival tissue is not available, then a new biopsy should be performed.
Exclusion criteria
. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with protocol requirements.
. Participants with known active brain metastases with the exception of treated brain metastases that have imaging proving stability at least 4 weeks prior to the start of study treatment, no new metastases, and not requiring steroids.
. Participants with recurrent resectable MCC
. Participants with prior systemic chemotherapy
. Pregnant or breastfeeding females and females desiring to become pregnant or breastfeed within the timeframe of this study.
. Active, known, or suspected autoimmune disease. Potential Participants with type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis only requiring hormone replacement, skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis, or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment are permitted to enroll. Low-grade autoimmune toxicity is NOT an exclusion under this criterion.
. A condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of randomization. Inhaled or topical steroids are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease.