NCT03384836

Propranolol Hydrochloride and Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients With Stage IIIC-IV Melanoma That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

A Phase Ib/II Study of Propranolol With Fixed-Dose Pembrolizumab in Patients With Unresectable Stage III and Stage IV Melanoma

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: Phase 1 / Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 47 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Roswell Park Cancer Institute · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This phase Ib/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of propranolol hydrochloride when given together with pembrolizumab and how well they work in treating patients with stage IIIC-IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that "takes the brakes off the immune system" and thus allows for anti-tumor immune responses. Propranolol hydrochloride is a beta adrenergic blocking agent that can enhance immune cell responses when under stress. Giving propranolol hydrochloride and pembrolizumab may work better in treating patients with melanoma.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine dose limiting toxicities (DLT) of propranolol hydrochloride (propranolol) in combination with fixed dose pembrolizumab in the treatment of melanoma. II. To evaluate the efficacy of pembrolizumab in combination with propranolol in patients with melanoma, as determined by overall response rate (ORR) per immune-modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) (1). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the efficacy of pembrolizumab in combination with propranolol in patients with melanoma, as determined by secondary measures of efficacy, including: progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To correlate baseline or changes in the levels of biomarkers, like, peripheral T-cell subsets/myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC)/cytokines/urinary catecholamine and perceived stress scale (PSS) with efficacy (ORR, PFS, OS) in melanoma patients treated with pembrolizumab and propranolol. OUTLINE: This is a phase Ib, dose-escalation study of propranolol hydrochloride followed by a phase II study. Patients receive propranolol hydrochloride orally (PO) twice daily (BID) and pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes of day 1. Courses repeat every 3 weeks for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30 days, every 3 months for 6 months, and then every 6 months thereafter.

Conditions

• Stage IIIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v7
• Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v6 and v7

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Laboratory Biomarker Analysis	Correlative studies
BIOLOGICAL	Pembrolizumab	Given IV
DRUG	Propranolol Hydrochloride	Given PO

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-01-31
• Primary completion: 2027-05-31
• Completion: 2027-05-31
• First posted: 2017-12-27
• Last updated: 2025-07-02

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study