A trial of IMCgp100 for melanoma that cannot be removed

Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.

Cancer type:

Melanoma
Skin cancer

Status:

Closed

Phase:

Phase 1

This trial is looking at a drug called IMCgp100 for melanoma that cannot be removed with surgery, or has spread to other parts of the body.

Doctors often treat melanoma with surgery. But sometimes it cannot be completely removed or has spread to other parts of the body. Researchers are looking for new treatments to help people in this situation.

In this trial, they are looking at a new drug called IMCgp100 which is a type of immunotherapy Open a glossary item. It targets melanoma cells and helps the immune system to find and attack them. This is the first time the drug has been tested in people.

The aims of the study are to

  • Find the highest safe dose of IMCgp100
  • Learn more about the side effects and what happens to the drug in your body
  • See if IMCgp100 helps people with melanoma

Who can enter

You can enter this trial if you

  • Have melanoma that is stage 3 and cannot be removed with surgery, or has spread to another part of your body (stage 4) and there are no other standard treatments Open a glossary item available to you
  • Have a protein in your blood called HLA-A2 (about half the population have this protein but the trial doctors will check by doing a blood test)
  • Are well enough to carry out all your normal activities, apart from heavy physical work (performance status of 0 or 1)
  • Have satisfactory blood test results
  • Are willing to use a reliable form of contraception during the trial and for 6 months afterwards if there is any chance you or your partner could become pregnant
  • Are at least 18 years old

You cannot enter this trial if you

  • Have melanoma that has spread to your brain and needs treatment
  • Have had surgery in the last 4 weeks, apart from surgery to remove melanoma from your skin
  • Have had radiotherapy in the last 4 weeks, or in the last 2 weeks if it was to just to a small area
  • Have had chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or an experimental drug in the last 4 weeks
  • Have not recovered from side effects of earlier treatment, unless they are very mild
  • Have had any other type of cancer in the last 5 years, apart from carcinoma in situ Open a glossary item or non melanoma skin cancer that has been completely removed, or another cancer if your doctor thinks it is now cured
  • Have raised pressure inside your skull (intracranial pressure)
  • Have inflammation of your eye (uveitis)
  • Have had a heart attack in the last year or have certain other heart problems
  • Have liver problems – the doctors will do liver function tests to check this
  • Have bleeding problems or take drugs to thin your blood (anti coagulants)
  • Have had fits (seizures) in your adult life
  • Have had your spleen removed or have another condition that damps down your immune system, including organ transplant
  • Have any other medical condition that the trial doctors think would make it unsafe for you to take part
  • Are known to be HIV positive
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Trial design

This is trial is in 2 parts.

In part 1, doctors look for the highest safe dose of IMCgp100. The first patients taking part have a very low dose. If they don't have any serious side effects, the next few patients have a higher dose. And so on, until the researchers find the highest safe dose. This is called a dose escalation study.

You can have IMCgp100 in 2 different ways. Some people have IMCgp100 once a week for 8 weeks. Each period of 8 weeks is called a cycle of treatment.

Some people have IMCgp100 on 4 consecutive days. Then 3 weeks later, they have it for another 4 days. For them, this 6 week period is a cycle of treatment.

If you don't have bad side effects, you may be able to carry on having cycles of treatment for up to 6 or 7 months.

You have IMCgp100 through a drip into a vein. It can take up to 30 minutes each time.

In part 2, the researchers want to learn more about how well IMCgp100 works. Some people will have weekly IMCgp100. Some people will have daily IMCgp100. You have the highest safe dose for that way of having treatment that was found in the first part of the trial.

Whether you have weekly or daily doses of IMCgp100 will depend on when you join the trial. Your doctor will explain this to you.

Hospital visits

You see the trial doctors and have some tests before you start treatment. The tests include

  • Physical examination including hearing tests and an eye test
  • Heart trace (ECG Open a glossary item)
  • Heart ultrasound (echocardiogram Open a glossary item)
  • Urine test
  • CT scan
  • MRI scan

Before your first dose of IMCgp100, the study team will photograph any areas of melanoma on your skin. And they may ask your permission to take a biopsy Open a glossary item.

If you have weekly IMCgp100, you will need to stay in hospital for 24 hours after the first dose.

If you have daily doses of IMCgp100, you will need to stay in hospital for the first 4 days.

You have a number of tests and scans throughout the treatment including blood tests, ECGs, skin photography and biopsies. You also have eye tests and hearing tests. Some people in part 2 of the trial will be asked to have a lumbar puncture Open a glossary item. This is so the researchers can discover more about how IMCgp100 works in the body.

When you finish treatment, the study team will continue to check how you are every few months.

Side effects

This is the first time IMCgp100 has been tested in people and there may be side effects we don’t know about yet. A small number of people have now had IMCgp100 and the side effects seen have included

  • Skin rash (if you develop a skin rash during the study, photographs may be taken)
  • A drop in the number of white blood cells causing an increased risk of infection
  • A drop in blood pressure
  • Temporary breathing difficulties
  • Flu like symptoms
  • A condition called vitiligo, which causes white patches on the skin

IMCgp100 may also cause inflammation of the eye or ear, which can cause changes to your vision and problems with your hearing or balance.It is possible you could have a more severe allergic reaction.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Professor Mark Middleton

Supported by

Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Immunocore

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

Oracle - 7815

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Last reviewed:

Rate this page:

Currently rated: 3.6 out of 5 based on 50 votes
Thank you!
We've recently made some changes to the site, tell us what you think