Phase 2
N=7
Tadalafil and Pembrolizumab in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer · Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma · Head and Neck Carcinoma · Head and Neck Cancer Stage III · Head and Neck Cancer Stage IV
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03993353 ↗Enrolled (actual)
7
Serious AEs
16.7%
Results posted
Feb 2026
Primary outcome: Primary: Rate of Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT) — 1 Participants
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Interventions
- Pembrolizumab (Drug); Tadalafil (Drug)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- University of California, San Diego
- Primary completion
- Apr 2022
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Rate of Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT) |
1 | — |
| PRIMARY Overall Survival (OS) |
3 | — |
| SECONDARY Response Measured by RECIST 1.1 |
1 | — |
| SECONDARY Progression Free Survival |
21.56 | — |
| SECONDARY Adverse Event Rates |
6 | — |
Summary
This study will examine the combination of pembrolizumab and tadalafil for safety and efficacy in advanced head and neck cancer.
Eligibility Criteria
Selected Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients (at least 18 years of age) must have recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
- Presence of measurable disease.
- Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks
- Patients must have normal organ and marrow function
Selected Exclusion Criteria:
- Prior therapy with an PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor in the recurrent or metastatic setting
- Uncontrolled central nervous system metastases (stable metastases permitted)
- Active autoimmune disease
- Chemotherapy ≤28 days prior to first administration of study treatment and/or monoclonal antibody ≤8 weeks prior to first administration of study treatment.
- Prior daily use of tadalafil or other long-acting PDE5 inhibitors for one month or greater within 3 months of trial enrollment
- Current use of all other long-acting PDE5 inhibitors.
- Known severe hypersensitivity to tadalafil or any of the excipients of this product
- Current treatment with nitrates
- Current systemic treatment with a potent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor such as ketoconazole or ritonavir.
- Current treatment with guanylate cyclase (GC) stimulators such as riociguat.
- History of hypotension and/or blindness and/or sensorineural hearing loss during prior treatment with tadalafil or other PDE-5 inhibitors
- History of known hereditary degenerative retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa
- Prior history of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
- Pregnant or breastfeeding; a negative pregnancy test is required within 14 days of randomization for all women of childbearing potential.
- History of stroke within prior 6 months.
- History of acute myocardial infarction within prior 3 months, uncontrolled angina, uncontrolled arrhythmia, or uncontrolled congestive heart failure
- Left ventricular outflow obstructions, such as aortic stenosis and idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
- Angina requiring treatment with long-acting nitrates
- Angina requiring treatment with short-acting nitrates within 90 days of planned tadalafil administration
- Unstable angina within 90 days of visit 1 (Braunwald 1989)
- Positive cardiac stress test without documented evidence of subsequent, effective cardiac intervention
- History of any of the following coronary conditions within 90 days of planned tadalafil administration:
- Myocardial Infarction
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (for example, angioplasty or stent placement)
- Any evidence of heart disease (NYHA ≥ Class II as defined in Protocol Attachment LVHG.3) within 6 months of planned tadalafil administration
- Concurrent systemic immunosuppressant therapy (e.g., cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, etc., or chronic administration of >10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent)
- Prior organ transplantation
- Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or active infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03993353). 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.