Optimal Neo-adjuvant Combination Scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab

Summary

This is an open-label three-arm phase 2 trial (including a Simon stage 2 design) consisting of 90 stage III melanoma patients randomized 1:1:1 to receive either 2 courses 3 mg/kg ipilimumab + 1 mg/kg nivolumab every 3 weeks (Arm A), 2 courses 1 mg/kg ipilimumab + 3 mg/kg nivolumab every 3 weeks (Arm B), or 2 courses ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, directly followed by 2 courses nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Arm C). All three treatment arms are applied prior to surgery at week 6, 30 patients per arm. Patients will be stratified according to treatment center. An interim analysis will be performed after 13 patients have been included in each arm, thus in total 39 patients have been included. PRADO extension cohort The trial will enroll in total about 100-110 melanoma patients with macroscopic stage III disease (RECIST measurable disease); inclusion will stop when 50 patients have achieved a pCR or pnCR. All patients will be treated (after marker placement into the largest lymph node metastasis) with the winner combination identified in the first part of the OpACIN-neo study which is 2 courses ipilimumab 1mg/kg + nivolumab 3mg/kg, q3wks. After 6 weeks of treatment, the patients will undergo only surgical resection of the marked index lymph node. Thereafter subsequent surgery and adjuvant therapy will be performed according to the achieved pathologic response.

Timeline

Start

2016-11-24

Primary completion

2020-01-03

Completion

2025-06

Publications

• Hoeijmakers LL, Dimitriadis P, Wijnen SCMA, Reijers ILM, Lopez-Yurda M, Menzies AM, Broeks A, Cornelissen S, Torres Acosta A, van der Wal A, Saw RPM, Versluis JM, van Houdt WJ, Wouters MW, Romano J, Rozeman EA, Grijpink-Ongering LG, Kapiteijn E, van der Veldt AAM, Suijkerbuijk KPM, Eriksson H, Hospers GAP, van der Hage JA, Grunhagen DJ, Witkamp AJ, Lijnsvelt JM, Klop WMC, Zuur CL, Bruining A, Al-Mamgani A, Pennington TE, Shannon KF, Ch'ng S, Colebatch AJ, Gonzalez M, Spillane AJ, Haanen JBAG, Rawson RV, Scolyer RA, van de Wiel BA, van Akkooi ACJ, Long GV, Blank CU. Neoadjuvant ipilimumab plus nivolumab in melanoma: 5-year survival and biomarker analysis from the phase 2 PRADO-trial. Nat Med. 2026 Mar;32(3):952-963. doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-04158-9. Epub 2026 Jan 28.
• Fraterman I, Reijers ILM, Dimitriadis P, Broeks A, Gonzalez M, Menzies AMM, Lopez-Yurda M, Kapiteijn E, van der Veldt AAM, Suijkerbuijk KPM, Hospers GAP, Long GV, Blank CU, van de Poll-Franse LV. Association between pretreatment emotional distress and neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade response in melanoma. Nat Med. 2023 Dec;29(12):3090-3099. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02631-x. Epub 2023 Nov 13.
• Hoefsmit EP, Vollmy F, Rozeman EA, Reijers ILM, Versluis JM, Hoekman L, van Akkooi ACJ, Long GV, Schadendorf D, Dummer R, Altelaar M, Blank CU. Systemic LRG1 Expression in Melanoma is Associated with Disease Progression and Recurrence. Cancer Res Commun. 2023 Apr 20;3(4):672-683. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-23-0015. eCollection 2023 Apr.
• Zijlker LP, van der Burg SJC, Blank CU, Zuur CL, Klop WMC, Wouters MWMJ, van Houdt WJ, van Akkooi ACJ. Surgical outcomes of lymph node dissections for stage III melanoma after neoadjuvant systemic therapy are not inferior to upfront surgery. Eur J Cancer. 2023 May;185:131-138. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.03.003. Epub 2023 Mar 7.
• Gorry C, McCullagh L, O'Donnell H, Barrett S, Schmitz S, Barry M, Curtin K, Beausang E, Barry R, Coyne I. Neoadjuvant treatment for stage III and IV cutaneous melanoma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 17;1(1):CD012974. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012974.pub2.
• Reijers ILM, Menzies AM, van Akkooi ACJ, Versluis JM, van den Heuvel NMJ, Saw RPM, Pennington TE, Kapiteijn E, van der Veldt AAM, Suijkerbuijk KPM, Hospers GAP, Rozeman EA, Klop WMC, van Houdt WJ, Sikorska K, van der Hage JA, Grunhagen DJ, Wouters MW, Witkamp AJ, Zuur CL, Lijnsvelt JM, Torres Acosta A, Grijpink-Ongering LG, Gonzalez M, Jozwiak K, Bierman C, Shannon KF, Ch'ng S, Colebatch AJ, Spillane AJ, Haanen JBAG, Rawson RV, van de Wiel BA, van de Poll-Franse LV, Scolyer RA, Boekhout AH, Long GV, Blank CU. Personalized response-directed surgery and adjuvant therapy after neoadjuvant ipilimumab and nivolumab in high-risk stage III melanoma: the PRADO trial. Nat Med. 2022 Jun;28(6):1178-1188. doi: 10.1038/s41591-022-01851-x. Epub 2022 Jun 5.
• Versluis JM, Reijers ILM, Rozeman EA, Menzies AM, van Akkooi ACJ, Wouters MW, Ch'ng S, Saw RPM, Scolyer RA, van de Wiel BA, Schilling B, Long GV, Blank CU. Neoadjuvant ipilimumab plus nivolumab in synchronous clinical stage III melanoma. Eur J Cancer. 2021 May;148:51-57. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.02.012. Epub 2021 Mar 15.
• Rozeman EA, Hoefsmit EP, Reijers ILM, Saw RPM, Versluis JM, Krijgsman O, Dimitriadis P, Sikorska K, van de Wiel BA, Eriksson H, Gonzalez M, Torres Acosta A, Grijpink-Ongering LG, Shannon K, Haanen JBAG, Stretch J, Ch'ng S, Nieweg OE, Mallo HA, Adriaansz S, Kerkhoven RM, Cornelissen S, Broeks A, Klop WMC, Zuur CL, van Houdt WJ, Peeper DS, Spillane AJ, van Akkooi ACJ, Scolyer RA, Schumacher TNM, Menzies AM, Long GV, Blank CU. Survival and biomarker analyses from the OpACIN-neo and OpACIN neoadjuvant immunotherapy trials in stage III melanoma. Nat Med. 2021 Feb;27(2):256-263. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-01211-7. Epub 2021 Feb 8.
• Rozeman EA, Menzies AM, van Akkooi ACJ, Adhikari C, Bierman C, van de Wiel BA, Scolyer RA, Krijgsman O, Sikorska K, Eriksson H, Broeks A, van Thienen JV, Guminski AD, Acosta AT, Ter Meulen S, Koenen AM, Bosch LJW, Shannon K, Pronk LM, Gonzalez M, Ch'ng S, Grijpink-Ongering LG, Stretch J, Heijmink S, van Tinteren H, Haanen JBAG, Nieweg OE, Klop WMC, Zuur CL, Saw RPM, van Houdt WJ, Peeper DS, Spillane AJ, Hansson J, Schumacher TN, Long GV, Blank CU. Identification of the optimal combination dosing schedule of neoadjuvant ipilimumab plus nivolumab in macroscopic stage III melanoma (OpACIN-neo): a multicentre, phase 2, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Oncol. 2019 Jul;20(7):948-960. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30151-2. Epub 2019 May 31.

Drugs

Indications