Clinical Research Directory

Using Biomarkers to Help Guide Safe Immunotherapy Discontinuation in Patients With Unresectable Stage IIIB-IV Melanoma, The PET-Stop Trial

This phase II trial investigates how well biomarkers on PET/CT imaging drive early discontinuation of anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with stage IIIB-IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Anti-PD-1 therapy has become a standard therapy option for patients with unresectable melanoma. This trial is being done to determine if doctors can safely shorten the use of standard of care anti-PD1 therapy for melanoma by using biomarkers seen on PET/CT imaging and tumor biopsy.

Personalized Neo-Antigen Peptide Vaccine for the Treatment of Stage IIIC-IV Melanoma, Hormone Receptor Positive HER2 Negative Metastatic Refractory Breast Cancer or Stage III-IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This phase I trial studies the safety of personalized neo-antigen peptide vaccine in treating patients with stage IIIC-IV melanoma, hormone receptor positive HER2 negative breast cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) or does not respond to treatment (refractory) or stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer. Personalized neo-antigen peptide vaccine is a product that combines multiple patient specific neo-antigens. Given personalized neo-antigen peptide vaccine together with Th1 polarizing adjuvant poly ICLC may induce a polyclonal, poly-epitope, cytolytic T cell immunity against the patient's tumor.

Time-of-Day Specified Immunotherapy for Advanced Melanoma, The TIME Trial

This phase II trial tests the safety and effectiveness of giving ipilimumab and nivolumab in the morning compared to other times of day in treating patients with melanoma that is stage IV or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as ipilimumab and nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the tumor and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. While some patients have impressive outcomes with both of these drugs, over 40% of patients do not experience any clinical benefit. Studies have shown that the time of day that vaccines and other therapies are given have had an impact on response and survival. It is not known, however, whether time of day has an impact on response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab and nivolumab. Giving ipilimumab and nivolumab earlier in the day compared to later in the day may improve response to treatment and survival in patients with stage IV or unresectable melanoma.