T-DM1 and Non-pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer (THELMA)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02562378 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : September 29, 2015
Results First Posted : January 18, 2022
Last Update Posted : February 23, 2022
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The primary goal is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination of T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients previously treated with taxanes and trastuzumab-based therapy.
In addition, pharmacokinetic data on the combination of T-DM1 and liposomal doxorubicin will be obtained.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Breast Cancer | Drug: Trastuzumab and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin | Phase 1 |
Subjects: Age ≥ 18 years with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer that have relapsed or progressed on or after taxanes and trastuzumab-based therapy. Subjects must have histologic or cytologic confirmation of the HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Evidence of measurable or evaluable metastatic disease is required.
Primary objective:
- To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination of T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients previously treated with taxanes and trastuzumab-based therapy.
Secondary objectives:
- To determine the efficacy of the combination of T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, defined by the overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), number of progressions and number and reasons for deaths.
- To assess the safety profile of the combination of T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, defined by all toxicities reported during the study.
- To evaluate the cardiac safety of the combination of T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin measured by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as assessed by echocardiography, cardiac troponin I and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.
- To evaluate the potential role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the predisposition for developing cardiotoxicity.
- To analyze the pharmacokinetics (PK) profile of T-DM1 and its metabolites and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.
Type of study: This is a prospective dose-finding, multicenter and open-label phase I clinical trial.
Treatment: Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) will be administered at a fixed dose of 3.6 mg/kg IV on Day 1 every 3 weeks and three cohorts of patients with three different dose levels of conventional non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (45 mg/m2, 50 mg/m2 and 60 mg/m2) IV on Day 1 in cycles of 21 days each are planned.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 15 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Sequential Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Phase I Multicenter Clinical Trial Evaluating the Combination of Trastuzumab Emtansine (T-DM1) and Non-pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in HER2-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer |
Study Start Date : | October 2015 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | December 2018 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 2018 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Experimental arm
Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) will be administered at a fixed dose of 3.6 mg/kg IV on Day 1 every 3 weeks and three cohorts of patients with three different dose levels of conventional non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (45 mg/m2, 50 mg/m2 and 60 mg/m2) IV
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Drug: Trastuzumab and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin
3 Cohorts (3+3 design): Cohort 1- Trastuzumab 3.6 mg/kg IV on Day 1 every 3 weeks and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (45 mg/m2) IV Cohort 2- Trastuzumab 3.6 mg/kg IV on Day 1 every 3 weeks and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (50 mg/m2) IV Cohort 3- Trastuzumab 3.6 mg/kg IV on Day 1 every 3 weeks and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) IV Other Name: T-DM1 and non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin |
- Hematological - Dose Limiting Toxicities [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 6 weeks after patient entry (Cycle2Day21) ]Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade reported in ≥10% of patients.
- Non-Hematological - Dose Limiting Toxicities [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 6 weeks after patient entry (Cycle2Day21) ]Treatment-related AEs of any grade reported in ≥10% of patients.
- Overall Response Rate [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Patients with best overall response of confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) based on local investigator's assessment according to RECIST criteria guidelines (version 1.1) for target lesions and assessed by CT or MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR
- Best Overall Response [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Patients with best overall response of confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) based on local investigator's assessment according to RECIST criteria guidelines (version 1.1)
- Clinical Benefit Rate [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Clinical benefit rate (CBR) is defined as the proportion of patients with a best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) lasting more than 24 weeks based on local investigator's assessment
- Progression-free Survival [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Patients with progression. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
- Grade 3/4 Adverse Events, SAEs, Deaths and Discontinuations [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Patients with grade 3/4 adverse events, Serious Adverse Events (SAEs), deaths and discontinuations
- Discontinuation of the Study Drugs Due to Any Cardiotoxicity [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]Rate of patients who discontinued treatment due to Cardiac Function or Due to Cardiac Cause
- Left Ventricular Dysfunction Class IV [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 24 months after patient entry ]
New York Heart Association grading of Level II cardiotoxicities characterized by dose-independent reversible myocardial damage.
The classes used in this system, I to IV with I indicating less severity and higher numbers indicating greater severity.
- Serum HER-2 Levels [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 cycles of treatment (Cycle4Day21) ]Serum human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) Levels (ng/mL) - Cycle 1 Day 1 and Cycle 4 Day 1.
- Doxorubicinol - Concentration (Cmax) [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) and end of Cycle 2 (C2D21) ]Plasma concentration of Doxorubicinol using a validated liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method
- Doxorubicinol - Area Under Curve (AUC) [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) and end of Cycle 2 (C2D21) ]Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve for the pharmacokinetic parameters for doxorubicinol by treatment dose level
- Doxorubicinol - Apparent Half-life (t1/2) [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) and end of Cycle 2 (C2D21) ]Apparent half-life for doxorubicinol by treatment dose level.
- Doxorubicinol - Tmax [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) and end of Cycle 2 (C2D21) ]Maximum concentration of drug in plasma (Tmax)
- Trastuzumab - Cmax [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1 Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for trastuzumab
- Trastuzumab - AUC [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for trastuzumab
- Trastuzumab - Tmax [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for trastuzumab
- DM-1 - Cmax [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for emtansine (DM1) by treatment dose level
- DM-1 - AUC [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for DM1 by treatment dose level
- DM-1 - Tmax [ Time Frame: Baseline (Cycle1Day1) ]Pharmacokinetic parameters for DM1 by treatment dose level

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Signed informed consent
- Patient able and willing to comply with protocol
- Cytologically or histologically confirmed carcinoma of the breast.
- Incurable locally advanced or metastatic disease who have previously received up to two previous chemotherapy regimens in this setting. Patient must have progressed or relapsed on or after taxane and trastuzumab-based therapy.
- HER2-positive disease
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At least one measurable lesion according to RECIST version 1.1; or patients with non measurable lesions could be included with these exceptions:
o patients with only blastic bone lesions / with only pleural, peritoneal or cardiac effusion, or meningeal carcinomatosis
- ≥ 18 years of age
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0 or 1
- Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
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Adequate bone marrow function:
- Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dl.
- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 109/L.
- Platelets ≥ 100 x 109/L without transfusions within 21 days
- International normalized ratio (INR) < 1.5 × the upper limit of normal (ULN).
- Adequate hepatic and renal function
- Adequate cardiovascular function with LVEF ≥ 55%
- Recovery from all reported toxicities of previous anti-cancer therapies to baseline or grade ≤ 1 (CTCAE version 4.0), except for alopecia
- For women of childbearing potential and not postmenopausal, and who have not undergone surgical sterilization with a hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy, and men with partners of childbearing potential, use of forms of contraception
Exclusion Criteria:
- Previous treatment with T-DM1 or anthracyclines
- More than two chemotherapeutic regimens for locally advanced incurable disease or metastatic disease
- Prior anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy within 3 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin-C), hormonal therapy or lapatinib within 7 days, prior trastuzumab within 21 days (7 days if weekly trastuzumab) or any other targeted therapy within the last 21 days prior to starting study treatment
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Previous radiotherapy for the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced/recurrent or mBC is not allowed if:
- The last fraction of radiotherapy has been administered within 21 days prior to first study drug administration (except for brain irradiation; at least 28 days will be required)
- More than 25% of marrow-bearing bone has been irradiated
- History of intolerance (including Grade 3 or 4 infusion reaction) or hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients of T-DM1 or non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin
- Patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. However, patients with metastatic CNS tumors may participate in this trial if the patient is > 4 weeks from radiotherapy completion, is clinically stable with respect to CNS tumor at the time of study entry and is not receiving steroid therapy for brain metastases
- Severe/uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
- Cardiopulmonary dysfunction
- Current peripheral neuropathy of Grade ≥ 3 per the NCI CTCAE, v4.0
- History of a decrease in LVEF to < 40% or symptomatic congestive heart failure (CHF) with previous trastuzumab treatment
- Prior malignancy, other than carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or non-melanoma skin cancer, unless the prior malignancy was cured ≥ 5 years before first dose of study drug with no subsequent evidence of recurrence
- Current known active infection with HIV, hepatitis B, and/or hepatitis C virus
- Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02562378
France | |
MedSIR investigative site | |
Paris, France, 75020 | |
MedSIR investigative site | |
Paris, France, 92210 | |
Spain | |
MedSIR investigative site | |
Barcelone, Spain, 00835 | |
MedSIR investigative site | |
Madrid, Spain, 08035 |
Study Director: | Javier Cortés, MD | Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain |
Documents provided by MedSIR:
Responsible Party: | MedSIR |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02562378 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
MedOPP038 2014-001056-28 ( EudraCT Number ) |
First Posted: | September 29, 2015 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | January 18, 2022 |
Last Update Posted: | February 23, 2022 |
Last Verified: | October 2021 |
Breast Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Doxorubicin Liposomal doxorubicin Trastuzumab |
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic Antineoplastic Agents Topoisomerase II Inhibitors Topoisomerase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological |