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Phase 2 N=7 Treatment

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

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

OutcomeResultp-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).
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

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.

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