Clinical Research Directory

Lovastatin and Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer, LAPP Trial

This phase II trial tests how well lovastatin and pembrolizumab work in treating patients with head and neck cancer that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) or that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Lovastatin is a drug used to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood and may also cause tumor cell death. In addition, studies have shown that lovastatin may make the tumor cells more sensitive to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving lovastatin and pembrolizumab may kill more tumor cells in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.