A Phase 2 Clinical Trial of the Safety and Effects of IRX-2 in Treating Patients With Operable Head and Neck Cancer

Summary

This was a Phase 2a trial to investigate the safety and biological activity of the RIX-2 Regimen in patients with untreated, resectable squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (HNSCC).

Timeline

Start

2005-07

Primary completion

2010-12

Completion

2012-03

Publications

• Background Schilling B, Harasymczuk M, Schuler P, Egan JE, Whiteside TL. IRX-2, a novel biologic, favors the expansion of T effector over T regulatory cells in a human tumor microenvironment model. J Mol Med (Berl). 2012 Feb;90(2):139-47. doi: 10.1007/s00109-011-0813-8. Epub 2011 Sep 14.
• Background Czystowska M, Szczepanski MJ, Szajnik M, Quadrini K, Brandwein H, Hadden JW, Whiteside TL. Mechanisms of T-cell protection from death by IRX-2: a new immunotherapeutic. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2011 Apr;60(4):495-506. doi: 10.1007/s00262-010-0951-9. Epub 2010 Dec 23.
• Background Naylor PH, Hernandez KE, Nixon AE, Brandwein HJ, Haas GP, Wang CY, Hadden JW. IRX-2 increases the T cell-specific immune response to protein/peptide vaccines. Vaccine. 2010 Oct 8;28(43):7054-62. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.08.014. Epub 2010 Aug 13.
• Background Naylor PH, Hadden JW. Preclinical studies with IRX-2 and thymosin alpha1 in combination therapy. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 Apr;1194:162-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05475.x.
• Background Rapidis AD, Wolf GT. Immunotherapy of head and neck cancer: current and future considerations. J Oncol. 2009;2009:346345. doi: 10.1155/2009/346345. Epub 2009 Aug 9.
• Background Czystowska M, Han J, Szczepanski MJ, Szajnik M, Quadrini K, Brandwein H, Hadden JW, Signorelli K, Whiteside TL. IRX-2, a novel immunotherapeutic, protects human T cells from tumor-induced cell death. Cell Death Differ. 2009 May;16(5):708-18. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2008.197. Epub 2009 Jan 30.
• Background Bright J, Al-Shamahi A. BioPartnering Europe--15th Annual Conference. Highlights from open house and emerging company presentations--Part 1. IDrugs. 2007 Dec;10(12):855-7. No abstract available.
• Background Egan JE, Quadrini KJ, Santiago-Schwarz F, Hadden JW, Brandwein HJ, Signorelli KL. IRX-2, a novel in vivo immunotherapeutic, induces maturation and activation of human dendritic cells in vitro. J Immunother. 2007 Sep;30(6):624-33. doi: 10.1097/CJI.0b013e3180691593.
• Background Hadden JW, Verastegui E, Hadden E. IRX-2 and thymosin alpha1 (Zadaxin) increase T lymphocytes in T lymphocytopenic mice and humans. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Sep;1112:245-55. doi: 10.1196/annals.1415.032. Epub 2007 Jun 28.
• Background Naylor PH, Quadrini K, Garaci E, Rasi G, Hadden JW. Immunopharmacology of thymosin alpha1 and cytokine synergy. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Sep;1112:235-44. doi: 10.1196/annals.1415.036. Epub 2007 Jun 13.
• Background Bayes M, Rabasseda X, Prous JR. Gateways to clinical trials. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2004 Sep;26(7):587-612.
• Background Hadden JW. Immunodeficiency and cancer: prospects for correction. Int Immunopharmacol. 2003 Aug;3(8):1061-71. doi: 10.1016/S1567-5769(03)00060-2.
• Results Freeman SM, Franco JL, Kenady DE, Baltzer L, Roth Z, Brandwein HJ, Hadden JW. A phase 1 safety study of an IRX-2 regimen in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Am J Clin Oncol. 2011 Apr;34(2):173-8. doi: 10.1097/COC.0b013e3181dbb9d8.
• Results Wolf GT, Fee WE Jr, Dolan RW, Moyer JS, Kaplan MJ, Spring PM, Suen J, Kenady DE, Newman JG, Carroll WR, Gillespie MB, Freeman SM, Baltzer L, Kirkley TD, Brandwein HJ, Hadden JW. Novel neoadjuvant immunotherapy regimen safety and survival in head and neck squamous cell cancer. Head Neck. 2011 Dec;33(12):1666-74. doi: 10.1002/hed.21660. Epub 2011 Jan 31.
• Results Berinstein NL, Wolf GT, Naylor PH, Baltzer L, Egan JE, Brandwein HJ, Whiteside TL, Goldstein LC, El-Naggar A, Badoual C, Fridman WH, White JM, Hadden JW. Increased lymphocyte infiltration in patients with head and neck cancer treated with the IRX-2 immunotherapy regimen. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2012 Jun;61(6):771-82. doi: 10.1007/s00262-011-1134-z. Epub 2011 Nov 6.
• Results Whiteside TL, Butterfield LH, Naylor PH, Egan JE, Hadden JW, Baltzer L, Wolf GT, Berinstein NL. A short course of neoadjuvant IRX-2 induces changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2012 Jun;61(6):783-8. doi: 10.1007/s00262-011-1136-x. Epub 2011 Nov 23.

Drugs

Indications