Sponsor: Processa Pharmaceuticals (industry)
Phase: 2
Start date: Oct. 2, 2024
Planned enrollment: 90
PCS6422 is an investigational drug developed by Processa Pharmaceuticals, designed to enhance the efficacy and safety of capecitabine-based chemotherapy. Capecitabine is an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), commonly used in treating various solid tumors. When combined with PCS6422, this regimen is referred to as Next Generation Capecitabine (NGC-Cap). (processapharmaceuticals.com)
PCS6422 is an irreversible inhibitor of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the enzyme responsible for the rapid catabolism of 5-FU into inactive metabolites. By inhibiting DPD, PCS6422 reduces the breakdown of 5-FU, leading to increased availability of its active form in cancer cells. This mechanism aims to enhance the therapeutic potency of capecitabine while potentially reducing dose-limiting side effects associated with 5-FU catabolites. (processapharmaceuticals.com)
In a Phase 1b clinical trial involving patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers, NGC-Cap demonstrated promising efficacy:
66.7% of evaluable patients (8 out of 12) achieved either partial response or stable disease, with progression-free survival ranging from approximately 5 to 11 months. (biospace.com)
At the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 225 mg capecitabine administered twice daily following a single dose of PCS6422, all three evaluable patients experienced progression-free survival of approximately 5 to 7 months. (biospace.com)
These results suggest that NGC-Cap may offer improved efficacy compared to standard capecitabine therapy.
The safety profile of NGC-Cap in the Phase 1b trial indicated:
No dose-limiting toxicities observed in the initial cohorts.
Treatment-related adverse events were primarily Grade 1, with no instances of hand-foot syndrome reported. (processapharmaceuticals.com)
These findings suggest that NGC-Cap may have a favorable safety profile, potentially allowing for higher therapeutic doses with manageable side effects.
Last updated: Aug 2025
The Phase 2 clinical trial NCT06568692, initiated by Processa Pharmaceuticals, is evaluating the combination of PCS6422 with capecitabine (NGC-Cap) in patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The trial commenced on October 2, 2024, with the first patient dosed on that date. (stockwatch.com)
This global, multicenter, open-label study employs an adaptive design to compare two different doses of NGC-Cap against FDA-approved monotherapy capecitabine. The primary goals are to assess the safety and efficacy profiles of NGC-Cap, determine optimal dosage regimens in line with the FDA's Project Optimus Initiative, and explore the potential for personalized therapy. (stockwatch.com)
An interim analysis is planned for mid-2025 to evaluate preliminary results. These findings are anticipated to inform the safety and efficacy of NGC-Cap and guide further development. (stockwatch.com)
As of July 8, 2025, the trial is ongoing, with a completion date projected for September 30, 2026. The required reporting date for results is September 30, 2027. (fdaaa.trialstracker.net)
Last updated: Aug 2025
Goal: To assess the efficacy and safety of combining PCS6422, an investigational DPD inhibitor, with capecitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer who are ineligible for anthracycline, taxane, or other available therapies.
Patients: Adults with unresectable, advanced or metastatic breast cancer, including both triple-negative and hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative subtypes, who have measurable disease per RECIST 1.1 and who are not candidates for standard anthracycline, taxane, PD-1, or PARP inhibitor therapies. Patients must have received prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting and have adequate organ function.
Design: This is an adaptive, multi-center, open-label, phase 2 randomized trial. Eligible patients are randomized to one of up to two investigational regimens of PCS6422 with capecitabine or to standard capecitabine monotherapy.
Treatments: Two regimens of the investigational combination (PCS6422 with capecitabine at varying doses) are being evaluated against standard capecitabine dosed at 1000 mg/m² BID. PCS6422 is an oral, irreversible inhibitor of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). By inhibiting DPD, PCS6422 decreases catabolism of 5-FU (the active metabolite of capecitabine), thereby increasing 5-FU exposure and potentially enhancing anti-tumor activity while reducing toxic metabolites. In prior phase 1b studies (in gastrointestinal cancers), this combination produced disease control in 66.7% of evaluable patients and showed a favorable safety profile, with mainly grade 1 toxicities and no hand-foot syndrome.
Outcomes: Primary endpoints are objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1 and the incidence of adverse events across treatment arms. Secondary endpoints include disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), time to response (TTR), and progression-free survival (PFS), all assessed up to 24 weeks post end of treatment.
Burden on patient: The burden on patients is expected to be moderate, similar to other phase 2 studies of oral chemotherapy. Participation involves regular clinic visits for assessments and imaging per RECIST protocol, standard lab monitoring, and adverse event review. As PCS6422 is oral and does not require additional invasive procedures or frequent pharmacokinetic sampling in this protocol, patient inconvenience is minimized. Those requiring travel will do so at typical intervals for cancer clinical trials (e.g., every 3 months for imaging), with no extraordinary testing schedules described.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Aged ≥18 years at Screening
2. Diagnosis of histologically confirmed breast cancer that is unresectable. The following subsets of breast cancer are included:
1. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer, advanced or metastatic
2. Patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive, ER positive, HER2 negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer
3. Has measurable disease in accordance with RECIST 1.1 obtained by imaging within 28 days prior to C1D1
4. Other therapies are not indicated (eg, resistant or intolerant to taxanes and/or an anthracycline-containing regimen) for treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer
5. Has a life expectance of at least 24 weeks
6. Has Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) 0 or 1 at screening
7. Has adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements conducted within 7 days before C1D1 (Note: labs will also be repeated pre-dose on C1D1 to confirm eligibility): a. Hemoglobin ≥9 g/dL (≥90 g/L) b. Adequate renal function by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) defined as a creatinine clearance \>50 mL/min (\>0.84 mL/s) (Cockcroft-Gault equation) and normalized to body surface area c. Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of ≥1.5×109/L d. Platelet count of ≥100×109/L without growth factor/transfusion e. Total bilirubin \<1.5× upper limit of normal (ULN); or ≤3×ULN if the patient has Gilbert's disease f. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \<2.5×ULN, with liver metastasis \<5×ULN g. International normalized ratio (INR) \<1.5 and prothrombin time (PT) ≤1.5×ULN, unless both of the following conditions are met: i. Patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy, and ii. PT or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulant h. Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) ≤1.5×ULN, unless both of the following conditions are met: i. Patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy, and ii. PT or PTT is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Received any line of treatment for advanced or metastatic breast cancer within 21 days or 5 half-lives (whichever is longer) prior to randomization
2. Currently receiving any hormone replacement therapy, unless discontinued within 21 days prior to randomization
3. Received IV 5-FU or oral 5-FU analog in the 4 weeks prior to C1D1
4. Received DPD inhibitor within 4 weeks prior to C1D1
5. Has homozygous or compound heterozygous DPYD variants that result in complete or near-complete absence of DPD activity
6. Cardiac:
1. Has history or presence of clinically significant abnormal 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) results, in the Medical Monitor or Investigator's opinion
2. Has prolonged QTc (with Fridericia's correction) of \>480 msec performed at Screening
3. Has a history of prolonged QTc interval, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation or significant ventricular arrhythmia, or Torsades de Pointes, or a history of ventricular ablation for arrhythmia
4. Has congenital long QT syndrome or a family history of long QT syndrome
5. Has other clinically significant cardiac disease including, but not limited to, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cardiac or other vascular stenting, angioplasty, or surgery ≤12 months prior to randomization, congestive heart failure
* Class II per the New York Heart Association, or history of myocarditis
7. Is pregnant or breastfeeding
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