Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (other)
Phase: 2
Start date: Dec. 2, 2024
Planned enrollment: 24
Ivonescimab, also known as AK112 or SMT112, is a first-in-class, humanized tetravalent bispecific antibody designed to simultaneously target programmed death-1 (PD-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). This dual-targeting approach aims to enhance antitumor activity by combining immune checkpoint inhibition with anti-angiogenic effects.
Ivonescimab binds to PD-1 receptors on T cells, blocking the PD-1 pathway and thereby restoring T cell activity against tumor cells. Concurrently, it targets VEGF-A, inhibiting angiogenesis within the tumor microenvironment. This combined mechanism is intended to improve immune response and reduce tumor vascularization, potentially leading to enhanced therapeutic efficacy.
In a Phase 1a dose-escalation study involving 51 patients with advanced solid tumors, ivonescimab demonstrated promising antitumor activity. The confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 25.5%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 63.8%. Notably, responses were observed in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, microsatellite stable colorectal cancer, small cell ovarian cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and anal cancer. Among 19 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, the ORR was 26.3%, with a higher response rate at the 20 mg/kg dose level compared to 10 mg/kg (30.0% vs. 14.3%). (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
In a Phase II study (AK112-201), ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy was evaluated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC without actionable genomic alterations, the estimated 1-year overall survival rate was 85.6%, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 64.8%. The median overall survival was not reached after a median follow-up of 21.0 months. (investor.wedbush.com)
Ivonescimab was generally well-tolerated in clinical studies. In the Phase 1a study, treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 74.5% of patients, with grade ≥3 TRAEs in 27.5%. The most common TRAEs included rash (29.4%), arthralgia (19.6%), hypertension (19.6%), fatigue (17.6%), and diarrhea (15.7%). Hypertension was the most common grade ≥3 TRAE (13.7%). Immune-related toxicities such as pruritus, rash, and hypothyroidism were mostly grade 1 or 2. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
In the Phase II study, the frequency of TRAEs leading to discontinuation of ivonescimab was 11%, with no TRAEs resulting in patient death. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events were anemia, decreased neutrophil counts, and decreased white-blood cell counts. (investor.wedbush.com)
Last updated: Apr 2025
Goal: Evaluate whether ivonescimab controls disease in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), with a primary focus on objective response rate and characterization of safety and tolerability.
Patients: Adults (≥18 years) with unresectable and/or metastatic cSCC that is refractory to prior anti–PD-1 therapy, ECOG 0–1, measurable disease by RECIST v1.1, adequate organ function, and life expectancy ≥3 months. Prior anti-VEGF therapy is allowed. Key exclusions include prior severe immune-related toxicity to PD-1 therapy requiring interruption/discontinuation or systemic immunosuppression, active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, significant bleeding or thromboembolic history, active infections including HBV/HCV/HIV, recent major surgery or trauma, and unresolved ≥Grade 2 toxicities from prior therapy (with defined exceptions).
Design: Single-arm, open-label, phase 2 treatment study with non-randomized allocation; planned enrollment of 24 participants at a single sponsor site.
Treatments: Ivonescimab administered intravenously over approximately 1–2 hours on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle. Ivonescimab is a bispecific tetravalent antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, designed to enhance immune activation while inhibiting angiogenesis; binding to one target increases affinity for the other. Early-phase studies across solid tumors have shown objective responses with a manageable safety profile, and a phase 3 study in PD-L1–positive advanced NSCLC reported improved progression-free survival versus pembrolizumab, supporting its dual-mechanism activity. The antibody incorporates Fc-silencing mutations and has a half-life of roughly 6–7 days.
Outcomes: Primary: Objective response rate by RECIST v1.1. Secondary: Additional antitumor efficacy endpoints such as duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival, along with safety and tolerability. Exploratory: Biomarker analyses to identify predictors of response or resistance. Safety will be characterized by incidence and severity of adverse events graded by NCI CTCAE v5.0 through study completion (approximately 1 year).
Burden on patient: Moderate. Patients will receive IV infusions every 3 weeks, requiring regular clinic visits and routine safety monitoring labs. Imaging at standard intervals to assess response is expected, similar to other phase 2 oncology trials. There are no intensive pharmacokinetic schedules specified, but biomarker and correlative studies may involve additional blood draws and potentially optional tissue sampling. Travel and time commitments align with standard immunotherapy schedules; however, close monitoring for VEGF- and PD-1–related toxicities (hypertension, immune-related AEs) may necessitate additional visits or interventions, modestly increasing burden beyond routine follow-up.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Ability to understand and willingness to sign informed consent form prior to initiation of the study and any study procedures.
* Age ≥18 years.
* Has advanced (unresectable and/or metastatic) cSCC.
* Refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy. There is no limit on the number of prior lines of therapy.
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
* Measurable disease per the RECIST v1.1
* Life expectancy ≥3 months per treating physician's discretion.
* Adequate organ and marrow function as defined below within 28 days of study treatment initiation:
* Hemoglobin \>9.0 g/dL
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥1500/mL
* Platelets ≥100,000/mL
* Total bilirubin ≤1.5 institutional upper limit of normal (ULN). Documented Gilbert syndrome is allowed if total bilirubin is ≤3 × ULN.
* AST/alanine transaminase ≤2.5 × institutional ULN. Transaminases up to 3 × ULN in the presence of liver metastases.
* Serum creatinine ≤1.5 × ULN OR measured or calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl; glomerular filtration rate can also be used in place of creatinine or CrCl) ≥60 mL/min for participants with creatinine levels \>1.5 × institutional ULN (CrCl should be calculated per institutional standard).
* Urine protein \<2+ or 24-hour urine protein quantification \<1.0 g
* For participants not receiving therapeutic anticoagulation: international normalized ratio or activated partial thromboplastin time ≤1.5 × ULN. For patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation: stable anticoagulant regimen.
* Albumin \>2.5 mg/dL.
* Participants must have adequate washout from prior therapy at the time of study treatment initiation: 4 weeks from major surgery; 4 weeks from antibody-based therapy; 2 weeks or 5 half-lives (whichever is shorter) from any targeted therapy or small molecule therapy; 3 weeks or 5 half-lives (whichever is shorter) from chemotherapy or 6 weeks in the case of certain therapies (e.g., extensive radiotherapy, mitomycin C, and nitrosoureas); 4 weeks from radiation therapy; and at least 2 weeks from palliative radiotherapy.
* Prior treatment with anti-VEGF therapy is allowed.
* Adequately controlled blood pressure with 0 or 1 antihypertensive medication (defined as blood pressure ≤150/100 mmHg at screening and no changes in antihypertensive medication within 7 days of Day 1 Cycle 1.
* Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours prior to study treatment initiation. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required.
* WOCBP must agree to use adequate contraception during the study treatment period and for 120 days after completion of study treatment. A woman is considered to be of childbearing potential if she is postmenarcheal, has not reached a postmenopausal state (≥12 continuous months of amenorrhea with no identified cause other than menopause), and is not permanently infertile due to surgery (i.e., removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes, and/or uterus) or another cause as determined by the investigator (e.g., Müllerian agenesis). Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
* Male participants of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception during the study treatment period and for 120 days after completion of study treatment.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Participants who have previously been treated with PD-1 inhibitors and required dose interruption, permanent discontinuation, or systemic immunosuppression due to irAEs.
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to ivonescimab.
* Pregnant or breastfeeding.
* Participants with an active, known or suspected autoimmune disease. Participants with type I diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism only requiring hormone replacement, skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis, or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger are permitted to enroll.
* Known history of positive test for human immunodeficiency virus or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
* Known history of acute or chronic hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection.
* Previous solid organ or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
* Active infection requiring IV antibiotics or other uncontrolled intercurrent illness requiring hospitalization.
* Unresolved toxicities from prior therapy (defined as having not resolved to NCI CTCAE v.5.0 Grade ≤1 or baseline) or any other toxicity that is deemed irreversible by the investigator. Exceptions include endocrinopathies from prior therapy or disease and successfully treated (such as hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus), alopecia, vitiligo, and Grade ≤2 peripheral neuropathy.
* Major blood vessel invasion.
* Major surgical procedures or serious trauma within 4 weeks prior to study treatment initiation, or plans for major surgical procedures within 4 weeks after the first dose of study treatment (as determined by the investigator). Minor local procedures (excluding central venous catheterization and port implantation) within 3 days prior to study treatment initiation.
* Unstable angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] classification Grade ≥2) or vascular disease (e.g., aortic aneurysm at risk of rupture) that required hospitalization within 12 months prior to study treatment initiation, or other cardiac impairment that may affect the safety evaluation of the study drug (e.g., poorly controlled arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia).
* History of esophageal gastric varices, severe ulcers, wounds that do not heal, abdominal fistula, intra-abdominal abscesses, or acute gastrointestinal bleeding within 6 months prior to study treatment initiation.
* History of arterial thromboembolic event, venous thromboembolic event of Grade ≥3 as specified in NCI CTCAE v5.0, transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, hypertensive crisis, or hypertensive encephalopathy within 6 months prior to study treatment initiation.
* Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within 4 weeks prior to study treatment initiation.
* History of perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and/or fistula, history of gastrointestinal obstruction (including incomplete intestinal obstruction requiring parenteral nutrition), extensive bowel resection (partial colectomy or extensive small bowel resection) within 6 months prior to study treatment initiation.
* Treatment with a live, attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to study treatment initiation, or anticipation of need for such a vaccine during the course of the study.
* Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment.
Exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has undergone potentially curative therapy, or in situ cervical cancer.
* Has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the study.
* Inability to comply with the study and follow-up procedures.
* Participants who are receiving any other investigational agents.
* Participants with psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
[email protected] / 713-563-3885
Status: Recruiting