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Regorafenib-pembrolizumab vs. TACE/TARE in Intermediate Stage HCC Beyond Up-to-7 (REPLACE)

Primary Purpose

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 3
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Regorafenib in combination with pembrolizumab
Loco-regional therapy
Sponsored by
Translational Research in Oncology
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Carcinoma, Hepatocellular focused on measuring Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatoma, Liver Cancer, Adult, Liver Cell Carcinoma, Liver Cell Carcinoma, Adult

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Signed and dated Patient Informed Consent Form (PICF)
  • ≥ 18 years-old at the time of PICF signature
  • Confirmed diagnosis of HCC
  • Intermediate-stage HCC, defined as follows:

    • Multinodular HCC localized to the liver
    • No evidence of EH/MVI
    • Not amenable to curative treatment
    • Child-Pugh Class A
    • ECOG PS 0 or 1
    • ALBI grade 1 or 2
  • Beyond up-to-seven criteria
  • Disease amenable to TACE
  • Measurable disease as per RECIST 1.1
  • No prior therapy for HCC
  • Adequate hematologic and organ function
  • Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests and other trial procedures
  • Women of childbearing potential (CBP) must have confirmed negative serum pregnancy test
  • Use of highly-effective contraceptive methods in women of CBP and men

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No measurable tumor of a diffuse infiltrative HCC type
  • Fibrolamellar and mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma subtypes
  • Clinically meaningful ascites
  • Prior treatment with regorafenib or a checkpoint inhibitor or other form of immunotherapy
  • Concurrent participation in another interventional clinical trial
  • Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease that might recur, which may affect vital organ function or require immune suppressive treatment including systemic corticosteroids
  • Requirement of systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (>10 mg daily prednisone equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications
  • Interstitial lung disease that is symptomatic or may interfere with the detection or management of suspected drug-related pulmonary toxicity
  • Clinically-significant uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions.
  • Infection > Grade 2 NCI-CTCAE v5.0
  • Evidence or history of bleeding diasthesis or any hemorrhage or bleeding event
  • Non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
  • Patient has a concurrent invasive malignancy or a prior invasive malignancy whose treatment was completed within 2 years before randomization
  • Patient has known history of human immunodeficiency virus infection
  • Persistent proteinuria of NCI-CTCAE v5.0 Grade 3
  • Known HIV infection
  • Unresolved clinically-significant toxicity greater than NCI-CTCAE v5.0 Grade 1
  • Patient has any other concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition, social situation, etc. that would, in the Investigator's judgment, cause unacceptable safety risks, contraindicate patient participation in the clinical trial or compromise compliance with the protocol
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding

Sites / Locations

  • UCLA Santa Monica Hematology OncologyRecruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Active Comparator

Arm Label

Regorafenib + Pembrolizumab

Loco-regional therapy

Arm Description

Investigational arm: regorafenib at a dose of 90 mg orally once per day (on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle), in combination with pembrolizumab 400 mg using a 30-minute intravenous infusion, on day 1 of a 6-week cycle.

Control arm: Patients will be treated with TACE or TARE "on-demand" according to site's standard of practice.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by the Investigator as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) for HCC
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed locally by the Investigator using mRECIST.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by the Investigator as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) Version 1.1
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed locally by the Investigator using RECIST 1.1.
Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and RECIST Version 1.1
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of PD or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed by BICR using, independently, mRECIST and RECIST 1.1.
Overall Survival (OS) of Intermediate-Stage HCC (Rego-Pembro versus Loco-regional Therapy)
OS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of death due to any cause.
Overall Response Rate (ORR) Assessed by Investigator and Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and RECIST Version 1.1
ORR, defined as the proportion of patients who have a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to RECIST v.1.1 and mRECIST, based on the Investigator's and BICR assessment.
Time to unTACEable Progression (TTUP)
To evaluate the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) with respect to TTUP. TTUP, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until any of the following criteria are met: Factors related to liver function: Decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B score > 8), including jaundice, clinical hepatic encephalopathy, and refractory ascites and/or hepatorenal syndrome Impaired portal-vein blood flow (portal-vein thrombus, hepatofugal blood flow) ECOG PS ≥ 2 Note: transient post-TACE/TARE impairment of liver function of Child-Pugh class B score > 8, that return to pre-TACE/TARE values within 4 weeks of the TACE/TARE session will not qualify as TTUP. Factors related to HCC: Failure of the treated nodule to achieve Stable Disease (SD), PR or CR by mRECIST Malignant portal vein thrombosis Marcovascular invasion (MVI) or Extra-hepatic Spread (EHS)
Duration of Response (DOR) of Rego-Pembro Versus Loco-regional Therapy
To evaluate the two treatment arms with respect to DOR. DOR, defined as the time (in months) from first documentation of response (PR or CR) to PD or death, based on Investigator's assessment or death from any cause, in patients who had a best overall response of CR or PR.
Number of Patients with Adverse Events as Assessed by the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) Version 5
The NCI-CTCAE is a descriptive terminology which can be utilized for Adverse Event (AE) reporting. A grading scale is provided for each AE term with unique clinical descriptions of severity based on this general guideline: Grade 1 (mild) to 5 (death). AEs will be tabulated by treatment arm, system organ class, preferred term, severity, and relationship to treatment.
Change from Baseline in the Physical Functioning Sub-scale Score and Global Health Status/Quality of Life Scale Score as assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer's Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)
To evaluate the patient reported outcomes in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by EORTC QLQ C30. EORTC QLQ C30 is a quality-of-life questionnaire to assess patients' physical, psychological and social functions. The questionnaire is composed of functional scales (physical, role, cognitive, emotional, social), symptom scales (fatigue, pain, and nausea and vomiting), global health status and quality of life scale, also several single-item symptom measures (scaling of items: 1 = Not at all to 4 = Very much; 1 = Very poor to 7 = Excellent). Scores range from 0 to 100, with a high score representing a better health-related quality of life.
Change from Baseline in Health-related Quality of Life in Hepatocellular Carcinoma as Assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer's Quality of Life Questionnaire for HCC (EORTC QLQ-HCC18)
To evaluate patient reported outcomes in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by EORTC QLQ-HCC18. EORTC QLQ-HCC18 is an 18-question module specifically to assess symptom burden and impact on health-related quality of life measuring HCC-specific symptoms. The instrument is an 18-item scale, and scores are based on a 4-point Likert scale (with 1 = 'not at all' to 4 = 'very much'); scaled scores range from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms.
Change from Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life as Assessed by the EuroQol's 5-level EQ-5D Health Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L)
To evaluate patient reported outcomes for health-related quality of life in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by health questionnaire EQ-5D-5L. Each dimension (Mobility, Self-care, Usual activities, Pain & discomfort, Anxiety & depression) in the EQ-5D-5L has five response levels: no problems (Level 1); slight; moderate; severe; and extreme problems (Level 5). There are 3,125 possible health states defined by combining one level from each dimension, ranging from 11111 (full health) to 55555 (worst health).

Full Information

First Posted
February 25, 2021
Last Updated
October 12, 2023
Sponsor
Translational Research in Oncology
Collaborators
Bayer
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT04777851
Brief Title
Regorafenib-pembrolizumab vs. TACE/TARE in Intermediate Stage HCC Beyond Up-to-7
Acronym
REPLACE
Official Title
A Phase III, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Systemic Therapy With Regorafenib and Pembrolizumab Versus Locoregional Therapy With Transarterial Chemoembolization or Transarterial Radioembolization, for the First-line Treatment of Intermediate-stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Beyond Up-to-7 Criteria
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
October 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
October 11, 2023 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
October 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
April 2027 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
Translational Research in Oncology
Collaborators
Bayer

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
Yes
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
REPLACE is a phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib and pembrolizumab (Rego-Pembro) versus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for the first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer). Approximately 496 patients in around 80 clinical sites worldwide will be randomized to receive either: Investigational arm: Regorafenib in combination with pembrolizumab Control arm: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or transarterial radioembolization (TARE) In both arms, patients will receive trial treatment until progressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, deterioration of patient's condition that warrants permanent trial treatment discontinuation or other treatment discontinuation criteria is met. After trial treatment discontinuation, subsequent treatment will be administered according to the Investigator's clinical judgment.
Detailed Description
REPLACE is a phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of systemic therapy with Rego-Pembro versus loco-regional therapy with TACE or TARE, for the first-line treatment of intermediate-stage HCC with beyond up-to-7 criteria. Approximately 496 patients (~248 in each arm) from approximately 80 sites will be randomized in order to power the trial efficiently to measure a clinically meaningful improvement for the primary endpoint, PFS according to mRECIST based on the Investigator´s assessment. The trial will include patients who have been diagnosed with intermediate-stage HCC by biopsy, cytology or diagnostic imaging, such as dynamic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to the criteria of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Patients should have at least one measurable lesion per RECIST 1.1, disease not amenable to curative treatment but amenable to loco-regional therapy with TACE (cTACE or DEB-TACE) or TARE, ECOG PS 0-1, Child-Pugh class A, and beyond up-to-7 criteria. The trial will include the following phases: Screening Treatment Follow-up Randomized patients will receive either: Investigational arm (Arm A): -Regorafenib at a dose of 90 mg orally q.d. on days 1 to 21 of a 4-week cycle. In combination with: -Pembrolizumab 400 mg using a 30-minutes i.v. infusion, on day 1 (D1) of a 6-week cycle. Control arm (Arm B): -Patients will be treated with TACE or TARE "on-demand" according to site's standard, with the goal of controlling all known liver lesions. In both arms, patients will receive trial treatment (Rego-Pembro or TACE/TARE) until PD per mRECIST, unacceptable toxicity, deterioration of patient's condition that warrants permanent trial treatment discontinuation or other treatment discontinuation criteria are met.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Keywords
Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatoma, Liver Cancer, Adult, Liver Cell Carcinoma, Liver Cell Carcinoma, Adult

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 3
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
496 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Regorafenib + Pembrolizumab
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Investigational arm: regorafenib at a dose of 90 mg orally once per day (on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle), in combination with pembrolizumab 400 mg using a 30-minute intravenous infusion, on day 1 of a 6-week cycle.
Arm Title
Loco-regional therapy
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
Control arm: Patients will be treated with TACE or TARE "on-demand" according to site's standard of practice.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Regorafenib in combination with pembrolizumab
Other Intervention Name(s)
Stivarga® (regorafenib), Keytruda® (pembrolizumab)
Intervention Description
Randomized patients will receive regorafenib at a dose of 90 mg per day by mouth on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle, in combination with pembrolizumab 400 mg using a 30-minute intravenous infusion, on day 1 (D1) of a 6-week cycle.
Intervention Type
Procedure
Intervention Name(s)
Loco-regional therapy
Other Intervention Name(s)
Convention transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE), Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE), Transarterial radioembolization (TARE)
Intervention Description
Patients will be treated with TACE or TARE "on-demand" according to site's standard of practice.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by the Investigator as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) for HCC
Description
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed locally by the Investigator using mRECIST.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by the Investigator as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) Version 1.1
Description
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed locally by the Investigator using RECIST 1.1.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Progression-free Survival (PFS) Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and RECIST Version 1.1
Description
PFS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of PD or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. PD will be assessed by BICR using, independently, mRECIST and RECIST 1.1.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Overall Survival (OS) of Intermediate-Stage HCC (Rego-Pembro versus Loco-regional Therapy)
Description
OS, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until the date of death due to any cause.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Overall Response Rate (ORR) Assessed by Investigator and Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) as per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and RECIST Version 1.1
Description
ORR, defined as the proportion of patients who have a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to RECIST v.1.1 and mRECIST, based on the Investigator's and BICR assessment.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Time to unTACEable Progression (TTUP)
Description
To evaluate the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) with respect to TTUP. TTUP, defined as the time (in months) from the date of randomization until any of the following criteria are met: Factors related to liver function: Decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B score > 8), including jaundice, clinical hepatic encephalopathy, and refractory ascites and/or hepatorenal syndrome Impaired portal-vein blood flow (portal-vein thrombus, hepatofugal blood flow) ECOG PS ≥ 2 Note: transient post-TACE/TARE impairment of liver function of Child-Pugh class B score > 8, that return to pre-TACE/TARE values within 4 weeks of the TACE/TARE session will not qualify as TTUP. Factors related to HCC: Failure of the treated nodule to achieve Stable Disease (SD), PR or CR by mRECIST Malignant portal vein thrombosis Marcovascular invasion (MVI) or Extra-hepatic Spread (EHS)
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Duration of Response (DOR) of Rego-Pembro Versus Loco-regional Therapy
Description
To evaluate the two treatment arms with respect to DOR. DOR, defined as the time (in months) from first documentation of response (PR or CR) to PD or death, based on Investigator's assessment or death from any cause, in patients who had a best overall response of CR or PR.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Number of Patients with Adverse Events as Assessed by the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) Version 5
Description
The NCI-CTCAE is a descriptive terminology which can be utilized for Adverse Event (AE) reporting. A grading scale is provided for each AE term with unique clinical descriptions of severity based on this general guideline: Grade 1 (mild) to 5 (death). AEs will be tabulated by treatment arm, system organ class, preferred term, severity, and relationship to treatment.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Change from Baseline in the Physical Functioning Sub-scale Score and Global Health Status/Quality of Life Scale Score as assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer's Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)
Description
To evaluate the patient reported outcomes in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by EORTC QLQ C30. EORTC QLQ C30 is a quality-of-life questionnaire to assess patients' physical, psychological and social functions. The questionnaire is composed of functional scales (physical, role, cognitive, emotional, social), symptom scales (fatigue, pain, and nausea and vomiting), global health status and quality of life scale, also several single-item symptom measures (scaling of items: 1 = Not at all to 4 = Very much; 1 = Very poor to 7 = Excellent). Scores range from 0 to 100, with a high score representing a better health-related quality of life.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Change from Baseline in Health-related Quality of Life in Hepatocellular Carcinoma as Assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer's Quality of Life Questionnaire for HCC (EORTC QLQ-HCC18)
Description
To evaluate patient reported outcomes in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by EORTC QLQ-HCC18. EORTC QLQ-HCC18 is an 18-question module specifically to assess symptom burden and impact on health-related quality of life measuring HCC-specific symptoms. The instrument is an 18-item scale, and scores are based on a 4-point Likert scale (with 1 = 'not at all' to 4 = 'very much'); scaled scores range from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms.
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years
Title
Change from Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life as Assessed by the EuroQol's 5-level EQ-5D Health Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L)
Description
To evaluate patient reported outcomes for health-related quality of life in the two treatment arms (rego-pembro versus loco-regional therapy) as assessed by health questionnaire EQ-5D-5L. Each dimension (Mobility, Self-care, Usual activities, Pain & discomfort, Anxiety & depression) in the EQ-5D-5L has five response levels: no problems (Level 1); slight; moderate; severe; and extreme problems (Level 5). There are 3,125 possible health states defined by combining one level from each dimension, ranging from 11111 (full health) to 55555 (worst health).
Time Frame
up to 3.5 years

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Signed and dated Patient Informed Consent Form (PICF) ≥ 18 years-old at the time of PICF signature Confirmed diagnosis of HCC Intermediate-stage HCC, defined as follows: Multinodular HCC localized to the liver No evidence of MVI or EHS Not amenable to curative treatment Child-Pugh Class A ECOG PS 0 or 1 ALBI grade 1 or 2 Beyond up-to-seven criteria Disease amenable to TACE or TARE and no contradiction to intra-arterial treatment Measurable disease by CT or MRI as per RECIST 1.1 No prior systemic therapy or loco-regional therapy for HCC Adequate hematologic and organ function Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests and other trial procedures Women of childbearing potential (CBP) must have confirmed negative serum pregnancy test Use of highly-effective contraceptive methods in women of CBP and men Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are eligible if they meet criteria as defined within the protocol Exclusion Criteria: No measurable tumor of a diffuse infiltrative HCC type. Fibrolamellar HCC, sarcomatoid HCC or mixed hepatocellular/ cholangiocarcinoma subtypes. Clinically meaningful ascites. Prior treatment with regorafenib, a PD-1, PD-L1/PD-L2, or cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways. Major surgical procedure, open biopsy, or significant traumatic injury ≤28 days prior to randomization. Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease that might recur, which may affect vital organ function or require immune suppressive treatment including systemic corticosteroids. Requirement of systemic treatment with either corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications ≤ 14 days prior to randomization. Interstitial lung disease, non-infectious pneumonitis or uncontrolled lung diseases including pulmonary fibrosis, or clinically significant acute lung diseases. Cardiovascular conditions as defined within the protocol. Patient has a concurrent invasive malignancy or a prior invasive malignancy whose treatment was completed ≤ 2 years before randomization. Persistent proteinuria of NCI-CTCAE v5.0 Grade 3. Pregnant or breast-feeding (lactating) women or women who plan to become pregnant or breast-feed during the trial.
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Project Management
Phone
+33 1 58 10 08 81
Email
041@trioncology.org
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Peter R Galle, MD
Organizational Affiliation
University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
Official's Role
Study Chair
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Richard S Finn, MD
Organizational Affiliation
UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology
Official's Role
Study Chair
Facility Information:
Facility Name
UCLA Santa Monica Hematology Oncology
City
Santa Monica
State/Province
California
ZIP/Postal Code
90404
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Recruiting

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Learn more about this trial

Regorafenib-pembrolizumab vs. TACE/TARE in Intermediate Stage HCC Beyond Up-to-7

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