Efficacy and Safety of TPC Induction Chemotherapy Combined With Nimotuzumab and Toripalimab "Immune Sandwich" Regimen Versus Full-Course Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Summary
Immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy has become standard care for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, yet radiotherapy-induced lymphopenia may impair the efficacy of concurrent PD-1 blockade. Existing evidence supports synergistic anti-tumor activity between the anti-EGFR antibody nimotuzumab and toripalimab. This multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority Phase III trial randomizes eligible stage III-IVA LA-NPC patients 1:1 to two arms. The experimental group receives an "immune sandwich" regimen: TPC induction plus nimotuzumab and toripalimab, concurrent radiotherapy with weekly nimotuzumab only, followed by toripalimab maintenance. The control arm adopts full-course toripalimab throughout induction, concurrent radiotherapy and adjuvant phases. The primary endpoint is 3-year event-free survival, with secondary endpoints covering overall survival, local/distant control rates, objective response rate and treatment-related toxicities. A total of 566 subjects will be enrolled to verify whether the simplified sandwich strategy delivers non-inferior survival with better safety profiles.
Timeline
- Start
- 2026-07-20
- Primary completion
- 2030-07-20
- Completion
- 2033-07-20
Drugs
| Evaluation | Drug | Modality | Dose | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparator | Toripalimab | Monoclonal antibody | 240 mg | Intravenous |
| Comparator | Capecitabine | Small molecule | 1000 mg/m2 | Oral |
| Comparator | Cisplatin | Other / unclassified | 60 mg/m2 | Intravenous |
| Comparator | Nimotuzumab | Monoclonal antibody | 200 mg | Intravenous |
| Comparator | Paclitaxel | Small molecule | 200 mg/m2 | Intravenous |