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Electromagnetic Fields Versus Placebo For Child-Pugh A and B Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (ARTEMIS)

Primary Purpose

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 2
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
TheraBionic Device
Placebo Device
Quality of Life Assessment
Sponsored by
THERABIONIC INC.
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Hepatocellular Carcinoma focused on measuring Child-Pugh A and B

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria:

Biopsy-proven HCC that is locally advanced or metastatic OR

  • Patients without biopsy confirmation are also eligible if they meet one of the following criteria:

    1. Radiologic diagnosis of HCC as per the AASLD guidelines OR
    2. Liver cirrhosis AND a liver mass that shows arterial phase hyperenhancement on triphasic computed tomography (CT) or MRI, AND either:

      • Is ≥ 20 mm with either non-peripheral portal washout or an enhancing capsule OR
      • Is 10-19 mm with non-peripheral portal venous washout AND an enhancing capsule
  • For Child-Pugh A and B7 patients: treatment failure (defined as documented radiological progression) and/or intolerance to at least two prior treatments with approved or experimental systemic therapies including atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, ramucirumab, nivolumab, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, pembrolizumab or any other approved or experimental first line and/or second line therapy.
  • For patients who are Child-Pugh B8 and B9 at the time of diagnosis of locally advanced or metastatic HCC: treatment failure (defined as documented radiological progression) and/or intolerance to one immunotherapy treatment, e.g., nivolumab, atezolizumab, etc. Patients with a previously lower Child-Pugh score (A-B7) who received at least two prior lines of therapy prior to progressing to B8 or B9 disease also are eligible for the study.
  • Measurable disease according to RECIST v 1.1 and mRECIST for HCC.
  • At least one target lesion that has not previously received any local therapy, such as surgery, radiation therapy, hepatic arterial embolization, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), hepatic arterial infusion, radio-frequency ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection or cryoablation, unless it has subsequently progressed by 20% or more according to RECIST v 1.1 and mRECIST for HCC.
  • Patients with Child-Pugh A or B (at time of enrollment) as defined by the parameters contained in the Child-Pugh Calculator. Subjects with Child-Pugh score of B8-B9 may be included if they have:

    • Albumin ≥ 2.8 mg/l AND
    • Total Bilirubin ≤ 3.0mg/l.
  • ECOG performance status of 0-2.
  • At least 2 weeks must have elapsed since administration of any anticancer treatment prior to initiation of protocol therapy.
  • Patients must be ≥ 18 years old and must be able to understand and sign an informed consent.

Female patients of childbearing potential and their partners and male patients must agree to use adequate contraception during the period of study treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known leptomeningeal disease. (Previously treated, asymptomatic central nervous system (CNS) metastases are eligible).
  • Fibrolamellar HCC or combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC).
  • Prior treatment with the TheraBionic Device.
  • Patients with any of the following within the 12 months prior to registration: uncontrolled/unstable angina, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attack, or pulmonary embolism.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Patients with another active malignancy within the past one year except for treated cervical cancer in situ, treated in situ carcinoma of the bladder or treated non-melanoma carcinoma of the skin, low-risk prostate cancer not requiring active treatment, treated T1/T2 glottic cancer, treated stage 0 or stage I breast cancer not requiring adjuvant therapy or treated non-invasive bladder cancer.
  • Patients receiving calcium channel blockers and any agent blocking L-type of T-type Voltage Gated Calcium Channels, e.g., amlodipine, nifedipine, ethosuximide, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), etc. unless their medical treatment is modified to exclude calcium channel blockers prior to enrollment.
  • Patients with curative treatment options available, including surgery or radiofrequency ablation, as assessed by their physician.
  • Patients receiving other anticancer treatments.
  • Patients that do not agree to be followed up according to the study protocol.

Sites / Locations

  • Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Cancer Center
  • Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
  • Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer CenterRecruiting
  • Oregon Health & Science University, Knight Cancer Institute
  • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
  • DHR Health Advanced Care Center, DHR Oncology Institute
  • University of Texas Health Science Center, Mays Cancer Center

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Placebo Comparator

Arm Label

TheraBionic Arm - Active Arm

Placebo Arm

Arm Description

For subjects who are randomized to the active arm, the device will be programmed with hepatocellular carcinoma-specific modulation frequencies and will be activated for >200 one-hour treatment sessions.

For subjects randomized to the placebo arm, the device will not emit any hepatocellular carcinoma-specific modulation frequencies and will be activated for >200 one-hour treatment sessions.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Overall Survival
Overall survival assessment will be recorded in days and will represent the period starting at the date of treatment initiation and finishing at the date of patient death. Living patients at the time of analysis will have the date of last contact (consultation visit or phone contact) used to define overall survival.
Quality of Life Survey
Patient-reported hepatobiliary-specific disease-related symptoms will be assessed by the 18-item FACT-Hepatobiliary (Hep) subscale every cycle for the first 6 cycles then every other cycle thereafter, at the end of treatment, and at every 3 months during follow-up.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Progression-Free Survival
Progression free survival (PFS) will be compared between groups using a 2-sided log rank test. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for PFS will also be generated and median progression free survival and corresponding 95% confidence intervals will be estimated for each group
Proportion of Patients With Disease Control
Proportion of patients who respond and the corresponding 95% Clopper Pearson exact confidence intervals. Patients who are removed from study before the 6-month time point will be considered to not have disease control at that time point.
Proportion of Participants That Are Progression Free
we will determine the proportion of patients who are progression free after 12 weeks (after 2nd 6-week visit) and compare this between groups using a Fisher's exact test. In addition, the corresponding 95% Clopper Pearson exact confidence intervals will be calculated for the 4 month and 6 month progression free survival rates.
Incidences of Adverse Events - CTCAE version 5.0
Using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE], version 5.0, type, incidence, severity, timing, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities will be assessed.
Changes in Alfa-Fetoprotein Levels
Investigators will examine whether these is any association between the AFP levels (potential biomarker for response) and the objective response observed for each participant. Average alfa-fetoprotein levels will be examined over time, and these changes in alfa-fetoprotein rates after 6 months will be examined for each Response category (complete response/ partial response/ stable disease/ progressive disease) and tested using a 1-way ANOVA to see if the change in AFP level differs by response category.
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Item GP5
Participants will answer a single item question from the FACT-G questionnaire "I am bothered by side effects of treatment" Scoring scale of 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much) to assess for side effects to assess for patient rated treatment tolerability.
Frequency of Adverse Events - PRO-CTCAE
The frequency and nature of patient-reported symptomatic adverse events will be assessed using 10 items from the PRO-CTCAE item library. PRO-CTCAE items will assess mucositis (2 items; severity, interference), dry mouth (1 item, severity), fatigue (2 items; severity, interference), decreased appetite (2 items; severity, interference), nausea (1 item, severity), and headache (2 items; severity, interference) to measure potential adverse events associated with the study intervention. Participants will select the one response that best describes their experience with a scoring scale(s) of None to Very Severe or Not at all to Very Much.

Full Information

First Posted
March 10, 2021
Last Updated
June 25, 2023
Sponsor
THERABIONIC INC.
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT04797884
Brief Title
Electromagnetic Fields Versus Placebo For Child-Pugh A and B Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Acronym
ARTEMIS
Official Title
A Randomized Study of Intrabucally Administered Electromagnetic Fields Versus Placebo for Patients With Child-Pugh A or B With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
June 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
July 2023 (Anticipated)
Primary Completion Date
October 30, 2024 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
October 30, 2024 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
THERABIONIC INC.
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
Yes
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The primary goals of this study are to compare overall survival and quality of life in subjects with Child-Pugh A or B advanced hepatocellular carcinoma when treated with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies.
Detailed Description
Primary Objectives To compare the overall survival between subjects with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. To compare the patient-reported disease-related symptoms between subjects with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. Secondary Objectives To compare progression-free survival between subjects treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. To compare safety and tolerability between subjects treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. To compare the effect on levels of alpha-fetoprotein between subjects treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. To compare global treatment side effect bother between subjects treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies. To compare patient-rated symptomatic adverse events between subjects treated either with a device emitting radiofrequencies modulated at specific frequencies or with a device emitting unmodulated radiofrequencies.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Keywords
Child-Pugh A and B

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2, Phase 3
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
ParticipantCare ProviderInvestigatorOutcomes Assessor
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
166 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
TheraBionic Arm - Active Arm
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
For subjects who are randomized to the active arm, the device will be programmed with hepatocellular carcinoma-specific modulation frequencies and will be activated for >200 one-hour treatment sessions.
Arm Title
Placebo Arm
Arm Type
Placebo Comparator
Arm Description
For subjects randomized to the placebo arm, the device will not emit any hepatocellular carcinoma-specific modulation frequencies and will be activated for >200 one-hour treatment sessions.
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
TheraBionic Device
Intervention Description
Each treatment day consists of three courses of 60-minute treatments to be administered in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Each 6-week treatment period will be considered a cycle of treatment. With the exception of the first 60-minute treatment, which will be delivered at one of the recruiting site, all other treatments will be self-administered at the patient's home.
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
Placebo Device
Intervention Description
Each treatment day consists of three courses of 60-minute treatments to be administered in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Each 6-week treatment period will be considered a cycle of treatment. With the exception of the first 60-minute treatment, which will be delivered at the recruiting site, all other treatments will be self-administered at the patient's home.
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
Quality of Life Assessment
Intervention Description
Ancillary services
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Overall Survival
Description
Overall survival assessment will be recorded in days and will represent the period starting at the date of treatment initiation and finishing at the date of patient death. Living patients at the time of analysis will have the date of last contact (consultation visit or phone contact) used to define overall survival.
Time Frame
Baseline to 6 months
Title
Quality of Life Survey
Description
Patient-reported hepatobiliary-specific disease-related symptoms will be assessed by the 18-item FACT-Hepatobiliary (Hep) subscale every cycle for the first 6 cycles then every other cycle thereafter, at the end of treatment, and at every 3 months during follow-up.
Time Frame
Baseline to 6 months
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Progression-Free Survival
Description
Progression free survival (PFS) will be compared between groups using a 2-sided log rank test. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for PFS will also be generated and median progression free survival and corresponding 95% confidence intervals will be estimated for each group
Time Frame
Up to 2 years
Title
Proportion of Patients With Disease Control
Description
Proportion of patients who respond and the corresponding 95% Clopper Pearson exact confidence intervals. Patients who are removed from study before the 6-month time point will be considered to not have disease control at that time point.
Time Frame
At 4 months and 6 months and up to 2 years
Title
Proportion of Participants That Are Progression Free
Description
we will determine the proportion of patients who are progression free after 12 weeks (after 2nd 6-week visit) and compare this between groups using a Fisher's exact test. In addition, the corresponding 95% Clopper Pearson exact confidence intervals will be calculated for the 4 month and 6 month progression free survival rates.
Time Frame
At 12 weeks, 4 months and 6 months and up to 2 years
Title
Incidences of Adverse Events - CTCAE version 5.0
Description
Using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE], version 5.0, type, incidence, severity, timing, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities will be assessed.
Time Frame
Up to 28 days after study treatment administration or until death
Title
Changes in Alfa-Fetoprotein Levels
Description
Investigators will examine whether these is any association between the AFP levels (potential biomarker for response) and the objective response observed for each participant. Average alfa-fetoprotein levels will be examined over time, and these changes in alfa-fetoprotein rates after 6 months will be examined for each Response category (complete response/ partial response/ stable disease/ progressive disease) and tested using a 1-way ANOVA to see if the change in AFP level differs by response category.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Item GP5
Description
Participants will answer a single item question from the FACT-G questionnaire "I am bothered by side effects of treatment" Scoring scale of 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much) to assess for side effects to assess for patient rated treatment tolerability.
Time Frame
At baseline and every 6 weeks up to 6 months
Title
Frequency of Adverse Events - PRO-CTCAE
Description
The frequency and nature of patient-reported symptomatic adverse events will be assessed using 10 items from the PRO-CTCAE item library. PRO-CTCAE items will assess mucositis (2 items; severity, interference), dry mouth (1 item, severity), fatigue (2 items; severity, interference), decreased appetite (2 items; severity, interference), nausea (1 item, severity), and headache (2 items; severity, interference) to measure potential adverse events associated with the study intervention. Participants will select the one response that best describes their experience with a scoring scale(s) of None to Very Severe or Not at all to Very Much.
Time Frame
At baseline and every 8 weeks up to 6 months

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Biopsy-proven HCC that is locally advanced or metastatic OR Patients without biopsy confirmation are also eligible if they meet one of the following criteria: Radiologic diagnosis of HCC as per the AASLD guidelines OR Liver cirrhosis AND a liver mass that shows arterial phase hyperenhancement on triphasic computed tomography (CT) or MRI, AND either: Is ≥ 20 mm with either non-peripheral portal washout or an enhancing capsule OR Is 10-19 mm with non-peripheral portal venous washout AND an enhancing capsule For Child-Pugh A participants: treatment failure (defined as documented radiological progression) and/or intolerance to at least two prior treatments with approved or experimental systemic therapies including atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, ramucirumab, nivolumab, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, pembrolizumab or any other approved or experimental first line and/or second line therapy. Child-Pugh B participants are not required to have received any prior treatment. Measurable disease according to RECIST v 1.1. At least one target lesion that has not previously received any local therapy, such as surgery, radiation therapy, hepatic arterial embolization, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), hepatic arterial infusion, radio-frequency ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection or cryoablation, unless it has subsequently progressed by 20% or more according to RECIST v 1.1 and mRECIST for HCC. Patients with Child-Pugh A or B (at time of enrollment) as defined by the parameters contained in the Child-Pugh Calculator. Subjects with Child-Pugh score of B8-B9 may be included if they have: Albumin ≥ 2.8 mg/l AND Total Bilirubin ≤ 3.0mg/l. ECOG performance status of 0-2. At least 2 weeks must have elapsed since administration of any anticancer treatment prior to initiation of protocol therapy. Patients must be greater than or equal to 18 years old and must be able to understand and sign an informed consent. Female patients of childbearing potential and their partners and male patients must agree to use adequate contraception during the period of study treatment. Exclusion Criteria: Known leptomeningeal disease. (Previously treated, asymptomatic central nervous system (CNS) metastases are eligible). Fibrolamellar HCC or combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC). Prior treatment with the TheraBionic Device. Patients with any of the following within the 12 months prior to registration: uncontrolled/unstable angina, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attack, or pulmonary embolism. Pregnant or breastfeeding women. Patients with another active malignancy within the past one year except for treated cervical cancer in situ, treated in situ carcinoma of the bladder or treated non-melanoma carcinoma of the skin, low-risk prostate cancer not requiring active treatment, treated T1/T2 glottic cancer, treated stage 0 or stage I breast cancer not requiring adjuvant therapy or treated non-invasive bladder cancer. Patients receiving calcium channel blockers and any agent blocking L-type of T-type Voltage Gated Calcium Channels, e.g., amlodipine, nifedipine, ethosuximide, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), etc. unless their medical treatment is modified to exclude calcium channel blockers prior to enrollment. Patients with curative treatment options available, including surgery or radiofrequency ablation, as assessed by their physician. Patients receiving other anticancer treatments. Patients that do not agree to be followed according to the study protocol.
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Valerie K Pasche, MD
Phone
3129610168
Email
valerie.pasche@therabionic.com
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Boris C Pasche, MD, PhD
Phone
3122864703
Email
boris.pasche@therabionic.com
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Valerie K Pasche, MD
Organizational Affiliation
THERABIONIC INC.
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Cancer Center
City
Tampa
State/Province
Florida
ZIP/Postal Code
33606
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Principal Investigator
Email
andreask@usf.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Andreas Karachristos, MD
Facility Name
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
City
Chicago
State/Province
Illinois
ZIP/Postal Code
60611
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Al B Benson, MD
Email
albenson@nm.org
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Al Benson, MD
Facility Name
Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
City
Winston-Salem
State/Province
North Carolina
ZIP/Postal Code
27157
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Study Nurse
Email
snmoore@wakehealth.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Ravi Paluri, MD
Facility Name
Oregon Health & Science University, Knight Cancer Institute
City
Portland
State/Province
Oregon
ZIP/Postal Code
97239
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Principal Investigator
Email
kardosh@ohsu.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Adel Kardosh, MD
Facility Name
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
City
Philadelphia
State/Province
Pennsylvania
ZIP/Postal Code
19107
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Principal Investigator
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
James.PoseyIII@jefferson.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
James Posey, III, MD
Facility Name
DHR Health Advanced Care Center, DHR Oncology Institute
City
Edinburg
State/Province
Texas
ZIP/Postal Code
78539
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Prinicipal Investigator
Email
l.drinkard@dhr-rgv.com
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Lee Drinkard, MD
Facility Name
University of Texas Health Science Center, Mays Cancer Center
City
San Antonio
State/Province
Texas
ZIP/Postal Code
78229
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Principal Investigator
Email
aroras@uthscsa.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Sukeshi P Arora, MD

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
Yes
IPD Sharing Plan Description
The investigators of this project will make the non-proprietary results and accomplishments of the research plan available to the research community and to the public at large by the timely release and sharing of data. As a means of sharing knowledge, the investigators supported by this grant will seek to publish the original research in primary scientific journals. The investigators will also assert copyright in scientific and technical articles based on data produced under the grant where necessary. For each publication that results from the grant-supported research, we will include an acknowledgment of NIH grant support and follow guidelines regarding free access to published materials. Information on each publication resulting from work performed under the NIH grant supported project will be included in the annual and/or final progress report submitted to the NIH awarding office. Proprietary developments will be protected using intellectual property rights.
IPD Sharing Time Frame
Within six months of data publication

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Electromagnetic Fields Versus Placebo For Child-Pugh A and B Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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