Nivolumab After Bone Marrow Transplant for Sarcoma

Recruiting at 5 trial locations

Overseen By Tammy Scott, RN

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 1 & 2

Sponsor: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Must not be taking: Systemic immunosuppressants

Disqualifiers: Severe GVHD, Uncontrolled infection, Autoimmune disease, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Breakthrough Therapy This drug has been fast-tracked for approval by the FDA given its high promise

Approved in 4 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 48 weeks

39 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether Nivolumab (also known as Opdivo), an investigational drug, can be safely administered after a "half-matched" bone marrow transplant to help prevent or delay the return or worsening of sarcomas, a type of cancer. Researchers aim to understand how the drug affects blood and tumors. Individuals who have recently undergone a "half-matched" bone marrow transplant and have either relapsed or are likely to relapse are suitable candidates for this trial. As a Phase 1, Phase 2 trial, this study focuses on understanding how the treatment works in people and measuring its effectiveness in an initial, smaller group, offering participants a chance to contribute to important research.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have mild GVHD (graft-versus-host disease), you must be off systemic immunosuppressive therapy for at least 2 weeks before starting Nivolumab. It's best to discuss your specific medications with the trial team.

Is there any evidence suggesting that Nivolumab is likely to be safe after a bone marrow transplant?

Research has shown that nivolumab is generally well-tolerated by patients with sarcoma. In one study, patients with advanced sarcoma took nivolumab with sunitinib, and the side effects were manageable. Another study found that nivolumab alone resulted in a 44% survival rate over five years, suggesting it can be a safe option for long-term use.

Although nivolumab is mainly used for other types of cancer, these findings offer some reassurance about its safety for sarcoma patients. However, individual responses can vary, and side effects may differ. Patients should always discuss potential risks and benefits with their healthcare provider. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why do researchers think this study treatment might be promising?

Nivolumab is unique because it leverages the body's own immune system to fight sarcoma by inhibiting the PD-1 pathway, which is different from the conventional treatments like surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that directly target cancer cells. Researchers are excited about this treatment because it offers a novel mechanism of action that may enhance the body's natural ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells after a bone marrow transplant. This approach has the potential to improve outcomes by reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and may produce fewer side effects compared to traditional therapies.

What evidence suggests that Nivolumab might be an effective treatment for sarcoma after a bone marrow transplant?

Research has shown that Nivolumab, a medicine that aids the immune system in fighting cancer, holds promise for treating certain sarcomas. In this trial, participants will receive Nivolumab after a bone marrow transplant to assess its effectiveness in preventing or slowing the return of sarcoma. Studies have found that when combined with other treatments, Nivolumab can reduce the risk of death in soft tissue sarcomas by 6%. In some trials, combining Nivolumab with other drugs stopped cancer growth in 82.5% of patients. Additionally, Nivolumab has proven effective in treating angiosarcoma, with a 25% response rate, meaning it helped in one out of four cases. These findings suggest that Nivolumab might help prevent or slow the return of sarcoma after a bone marrow transplant. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Nicolas J. Llosa, M.D.

Principal Investigator

Johns Hopkins University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children and adults aged between 1 to 50 years with sarcoma who have had a 'half-matched' bone marrow transplant. It's suitable for those at high risk of their cancer returning or who have already experienced a relapse. Participants must be in good health post-transplant, able to undergo biopsies, and not pregnant or breastfeeding. They should also agree to use contraception and not have severe graft-versus-host disease or uncontrolled infections.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 12 months and 50 years old.

Subjects must consent to allow for a baseline tumor biopsy. If a biopsy is not feasible, then archival tumor material must be made available

My solid tumor cancer is expected to shorten my life significantly.

Exclusion Criteria

I agree to use birth control during and after the study as required.

I had a bone marrow transplant and have recovered from IPS or VOD without needing immunosuppressants for 14 days.

I do not have any infections that are currently uncontrolled.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive Nivolumab therapy following a haploidentical bone marrow transplant

48 weeks

Every 2-4 weeks depending on dosage

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Nivolumab

Trial Overview The trial is testing Nivolumab, an investigational drug, after a haploidentical bone marrow transplant (BMT) in patients with sarcomas. The goal is to see if Nivolumab can safely prevent or delay the cancer from coming back while monitoring how it affects the blood and tumors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Nivolumab Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Adults: 240 mg IV over 30 minutes every 2 weeks OR 480 mg IV over 30 minutes every 4 weeks. Children and Adolescents weighing 40 kg or more: 240 mg IV over 30 minutes every 2 weeks OR 480 mg IV over 30 minutes every 4 weeks. Children and Adolescents weighing less than 40 kg: 3 mg/kg IV over 30 minutes every 2 weeks.A maximum of 24 cycles will be given on study.

Nivolumab is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada, Switzerland for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Opdivo for:

• Advanced or metastatic gastric cancer
• Gastroesophageal junction cancer
• Esophageal adenocarcinoma
• Melanoma
• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• Urothelial carcinoma
• Colorectal cancer
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Approved in European Union as Opdivo for:

• Melanoma
• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• Urothelial carcinoma
• Colorectal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Gastroesophageal junction cancer
• Esophageal adenocarcinoma

Approved in Canada as Opdivo for:

• Melanoma
• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• Urothelial carcinoma
• Colorectal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Gastroesophageal junction cancer
• Esophageal adenocarcinoma

Approved in Switzerland as Opdivo for:

• Melanoma
• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• Urothelial carcinoma
• Colorectal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Gastroesophageal junction cancer
• Esophageal adenocarcinoma

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Lead Sponsor

Trials

578

Recruited

33,600+

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Industry Sponsor

Trials

2,731

Recruited

4,127,000+

Headquarters

New York City, USA

Known For

Oncology & Cardiovascular

Top Products

Eliquis, Opdivo, Revlimid, Orencia

Christopher Boerner

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

PhD in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; BA in Economics and History from Washington University in St. Louis

Deepak L. Bhatt

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Chief Medical Officer since 2024

MD from Yale University; MSc in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania

Published Research Related to This Trial

The combination of the mTOR inhibitor nab-sirolimus and the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab was found to be safe for patients with advanced sarcoma, with a maximum-tolerated dose established at 100 mg/m2 and no unexpected adverse events reported.

While the treatment did not improve overall outcomes compared to nivolumab alone, the best responses were observed in patients with specific genetic mutations, such as PTEN loss and TSC2 mutation, indicating potential for biomarker-driven approaches in future research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Phase I/II Investigation of Safety and Efficacy of Nivolumab and nab-Sirolimus in Patients With a Variety of Tumors With Genetic Mutations in the mTOR Pathway. Gordon, EM., Angel, NL., Omelchenko, N., et al.[2023]

In a meta-analysis of five studies involving 2399 patients, nivolumab was found to significantly lower the risk of hematological toxicities such as anemia, neutropenia, and leukopenia compared to other treatments.

The relative risks for these conditions were notably low, indicating that nivolumab may be a safer option regarding hematological side effects, which is important for clinicians when considering treatment options.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The risks of hematological toxicities of nivolumab in cancer patients: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis. Shi, Z., Liu, X., Chen, M., et al.[2023]

Nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, was administered to a 63-year-old female patient with metastatic melanoma after renal transplantation, highlighting the potential for anti-tumor activity in high-risk patients, despite the challenges of concurrent immunosuppression.

The patient experienced acute renal allograft rejection and renal failure shortly after starting nivolumab, indicating significant risks associated with this treatment in transplant recipients, but she later showed a positive clinical response after re-challenging with nivolumab while on hemodialysis.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antitumor activity of nivolumab on hemodialysis after renal allograft rejection. Ong, M., Ibrahim, AM., Bourassa-Blanchette, S., et al.[2023]

Nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, has demonstrated significant safety and efficacy in treating various advanced solid tumors, including melanoma and lung cancer, based on multiple high-level studies.

Future research should aim to identify predictive biomarkers for treatment response and explore the potential of combining nivolumab with other therapies, as well as determining the best treatment strategies and duration.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An update on the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety and clinical efficacy of nivolumab in the treatment of solid cancers. Wong, AC., Ma, B.[2018]

Nivolumab (OPDIVO) received accelerated FDA approval for treating unresectable or metastatic melanoma based on a 31.7% objective response rate in a study of 120 patients, showing promising efficacy after prior treatments.

The treatment demonstrated durable responses, with 87% of responding patients maintaining their response for at least 6 months, although it carries risks of immune-mediated adverse reactions that were monitored in a safety assessment of 268 patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

U.S. FDA Approval Summary: Nivolumab for Treatment of Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma Following Progression on Ipilimumab. Hazarika, M., Chuk, MK., Theoret, MR., et al.[2023]

In a phase 2 study involving 85 patients with metastatic sarcoma, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab showed a higher confirmed response rate (16%) compared to nivolumab alone (5%), indicating that the combination therapy may be more effective for certain sarcoma subtypes.

While both treatments had manageable safety profiles, serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 19% of patients receiving nivolumab and 26% in those receiving the combination therapy, suggesting that while the combination is promising, careful monitoring for side effects is necessary.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nivolumab with or without ipilimumab treatment for metastatic sarcoma (Alliance A091401): two open-label, non-comparative, randomised, phase 2 trials. D'Angelo, SP., Mahoney, MR., Van Tine, BA., et al.[2021]

Nivolumab is shown to be the most cost-effective treatment option for advanced melanoma patients in England, with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of £24,483 for BRAF mutation-negative and £17,362 for mutation-positive patients.

The analysis utilized a Markov state-transition model based on patient-level data from clinical trials, indicating that nivolumab provides long-term survival benefits while being economically favorable compared to other treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The cost-effectiveness of nivolumab monotherapy for the treatment of advanced melanoma patients in England. Meng, Y., Hertel, N., Ellis, J., et al.[2020]

Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared to docetaxel in patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the CheckMate 017 trial.

Nivolumab was better tolerated than docetaxel, with manageable adverse effects, making it a promising treatment option for patients who have already undergone chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nivolumab: a review in advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Keating, GM.[2022]

Nivolumab significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma compared to dacarbazine, with hazard ratios of 0.42 and 0.43 respectively, based on a trial involving 418 patients.

The most common side effects of nivolumab included fatigue, diarrhea, and rash, but it was still considered to have a favorable benefit-risk profile compared to dacarbazine.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

FDA Approval of Nivolumab for the First-Line Treatment of Patients with BRAFV600 Wild-Type Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma. Beaver, JA., Theoret, MR., Mushti, S., et al.[2018]

In a study of five patients with metastatic sarcoma treated with SBRT and concurrent pembrolizumab, the combination was found to be safe, with no severe (grade 5) toxicities reported and only manageable side effects observed.

The treatment resulted in high local control rates, with two patients showing enhanced tumor regression or potential abscopal effects, suggesting that this combination may improve outcomes in metastatic sarcoma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effect of Concurrent Stereotactic Body Radiation and Anti-PD-1 Therapy for Recurrent Metastatic Sarcoma. Callaghan, CM., Seyedin, SN., Mohiuddin, IH., et al.[2023]

In a study of 47 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab, 48.9% experienced immune-related adverse events (irAEs), with rash being the most common.

Patients who developed irAEs had significantly longer progression-free survival (13.1 months vs. 4.87 months) and overall survival (26.0 months vs. not reached) compared to those without irAEs, indicating that the presence of irAEs may be a positive prognostic factor.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association between immune-related adverse events and prognosis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab. Ishihara, H., Takagi, T., Kondo, T., et al.[2020]

In a review of 18 studies involving 4,653 patients, anti-CTLA-4 inhibitors were associated with a significantly higher incidence of diarrhea (35.4%) and colitis (8.8%) compared to anti-PD-1 inhibitors, which had incidences of 13.7% and 1.6%, respectively.

The study found that patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapy had a lower relative risk of developing diarrhea (0.58) and colitis (0.16) compared to those on anti-CTLA-4 therapy, indicating that PD-1 inhibitors may be a safer option regarding these gastrointestinal toxicities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Risk of Diarrhea and Colitis in Patients With Advanced Melanoma Undergoing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Tandon, P., Bourassa-Blanchette, S., Bishay, K., et al.[2019]

Citations

1. ascopubs.org ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_432234

Immunotherapy in Sarcoma: Current Data and Promising ... The phase II DART trial confirmed efficacy of the nivolumab/ipilimumab combination in angiosarcoma with an ORR of 25%, and the phase II ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7366226/

Immunotherapy with nivolumab for the treatment of soft ... Studies have shown efficacy of this adjuvant chemotherapy in STS, with a reduction in the absolute risk of death by 6% when compared to the isolated therapy of ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590018823000357;

Review Immune checkpoint inhibitors in sarcomas This systematic review will focus on results from clinical trials using ICIs in different sarcoma types either as monotherapy or in combination with other ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03190174

NCT03190174 | Nivolumab (Opdivo®) Plus ABI-009 (Nab ... This study investigates the safety/toxicity and potential anti-tumor activity of sequential administration of nivolumab and escalating doses of the ...

5. ajmc.com ajmc.com/view/first-line-combo-yields-strong-results-in-advanced-sarcoma

First-Line Combo Yields Strong Results in Advanced ... The overall response rate was 24.7% and the disease control rate was 82.5%. The most common response to the treatment was SD in 57 patients (59 ...

6. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39077795/

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab monotherapy in patients ... Efficacy and safety of nivolumab monotherapy in patients with unresectable clear cell sarcoma and alveolar soft part sarcoma (OSCAR Trial/ ...

7. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1605958/full

The real-world safety of Nivolumab: a pharmacovigilance ... Furthermore, this trial demonstrated superior 5-year overall survival rates for combination therapy (52%) and nivolumab monotherapy (44%) versus ...

8. opdivo.com opdivo.com/clinical-trial-results

Clinical Trial Results It is not known if OPDIVO is safe and effective in children younger than 12 years of age with melanoma or MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer. It is not ...