Phase 2
N=28
Study of Pembrolizumab With or Without Defactinib Following Chemotherapy as a Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment for Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) · Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03727880 ↗Enrolled (actual)
28
Serious AEs
17.9%
Results posted
Feb 2026
Primary outcome: Primary: Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) Rate — 0; 0 Percentage of participants
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Interventions
- Pembrolizumab (Drug); Defactinib (Drug)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- Lei Zheng
- Primary completion
- Jan 2025
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) Rate |
0; 0 | — |
| SECONDARY Overall Survival (OS) |
25.01; 27.39 | — |
| SECONDARY Disease Free Survival (DFS) |
16.59; 15.99 | — |
| SECONDARY Number of Participants Experiencing Study Drug-related Toxicities |
6; 3 | — |
Summary
This study will test the effectiveness (anti-tumor activity), safety, and ability to increase the body's immune system to fight pancreatic cancer by combining standard chemotherapy before and after surgery, with study drug PD-1 antibody, pembrolizumab, with and without study drug, focal adhesion kinase inhibitor (FAK), defactinib, in people with "high risk" resectable (surgically removable) pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if reprograming the tumor microenvironment by targeting FAK following chemotherapy can potentiate anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Age ≥18 years.
- Has pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Has resectable disease at the time of diagnosis
- Has not received any systemic therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Has stage ≤ IIb disease at time of diagnosis and enrollment
- Elevated tumor marker, CA (carbohydrate antigen) 19-9 >200
- ECOG performance status 0 or 1
- Patient must have adequate organ function defined by the study-specified laboratory tests.
- Must use acceptable form of birth control while on study.
- Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
Exclusion Criteria
Patients who have received any prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy or investigational agents for pancreatic cancer.
- Patients who have received prior treatment with anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CTLA-4, or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g., CTLA-4, OX 40, CD137).
- Has received prior therapy with FAK inhibitor.
- Woman who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Have received a live vaccine or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days prior to study drug.
- Is currently or has participated in another investigational study within 4 weeks prior to receiving study drug.
- History or current use of immunosuppressive medications within 7 days prior to study medications.
- Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 2 years or that is expected to require active treatment within two years.
- Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years.
- Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease or current pneumonitis.
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Infection with HIV or hepatitis B or C.
- Patient with uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, uncontrolled infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to the study drugs.
- Received any growth factors including, but not limited to, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), GM-CSF, erythropoietin, within 14 days of study drug administration.
- Has history of any organ transplant, including corneal transplants.
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03727880). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.