Phase II Basket Trial of Ligufalimab (AK117) and Cadonilimab (AK104) in Advanced Hepatobiliary Cancers

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Investigational drug late phase More information Active drug More information Moderate burden on patient More information

Trial Details

Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (other)

Phase: 2

Start date: Feb. 18, 2025

Planned enrollment: 64

Trial ID: NCT06789848
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More trial details at ClinicalTrials.gov More info

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Investigational Drug AI Analysis

chevron Show for: AK117 (Ligufalimab)

chevron Show for: Cadonilimab (AK104, Kai Tan Ni)

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Goal: Evaluate the antitumor activity of the combination of ligufalimab (AK117) and cadonilimab (AK104) in patients with advanced hepatobiliary cancers that have progressed after prior anti–PD‑1/L1 therapy, with the primary endpoint of objective response rate.

Patients: Adults (≥18 years) with locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (excluding fibrolamellar) or biliary tract cancers (intrahepatic/extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or gallbladder; combined HCC-CCA allowed in the BTC cohort). Disease must be unresectable and measurable per RECIST v1.1. Patients must have previously received and become refractory to or relapsed after anti–PD‑1/L1 therapy and have ECOG 0–1. For HCC, Child-Pugh A or B7 is allowed. Key exclusions include prior liver transplant, active autoimmune disease requiring systemic therapy, significant uncontrolled comorbidities, need for systemic immunosuppression, severe prior immune-related toxicity leading to ICI discontinuation, active CNS disease requiring immediate intervention, and known HIV infection. HBV and HCV infections are permitted with protocol-defined management.

Design: Open-label, non-randomized, phase II basket study with two parallel cohorts (HCC and BTC); approximately 64 patients total. Single-arm evaluation comparing clinical outcomes to historical benchmarks.

Treatments: Ligufalimab plus cadonilimab administered as intravenous infusions on day 1 of each 21-day cycle until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Ligufalimab (AK117) is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting CD47 to block CD47–SIRPα signaling and enhance macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of tumor cells. Distinct from some CD47 antibodies, AK117 has shown no hemagglutination in preclinical/early clinical testing, potentially mitigating anemia risk and obviating a priming dose; early-phase studies across hematologic malignancies and solid tumors have demonstrated antitumor activity with a generally manageable safety profile. Cadonilimab (AK104) is a tetravalent, Fc-null bispecific antibody targeting PD‑1 and CTLA‑4 designed to intensify checkpoint blockade while reducing Fc-mediated toxicities. It has demonstrated efficacy across multiple tumors, including regulatory approval in China for cervical cancer and positive phase 3 results in gastric/GEJ cancer, with a safety profile characterized predominantly by hematologic and immune-related adverse events that are typically manageable.

Outcomes: Primary: Objective response rate by RECIST v1.1. Secondary: Overall survival, progression-free survival, and duration of response, each contextualized to historical controls; safety characterized by incidence and severity of adverse events per CTCAE v5.0. Treatment and follow-up continue up to 24 months or until progression, unacceptable toxicity, death, or discontinuation.

Burden on patient: Moderate. Patients receive IV infusions every 21 days with visits lasting approximately 4–5 hours, which entails regular travel and chair time. Standard oncologic monitoring is expected, including periodic laboratory testing, physical exams, and cross-sectional imaging per RECIST; the schedule is similar to other immunotherapy trials and not expected to require intensive pharmacokinetic sampling. Baseline archival or recent biopsy tissue is requested in certain HCC cases, which may add procedural burden if not already available. No mandated priming dose or complex inpatient monitoring is described, keeping visit intensity moderate compared with early phase studies; however, management of potential immune-related and hematologic adverse events may necessitate additional unscheduled evaluations or supportive care visits.

Last updated: Oct 2025

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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States

[email protected] / 214-648-7097

Status: Recruiting

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