Pilot Study of Paclitaxel Plus Pembrolizumab in Metastatic HER2-Negative Breast Cancer (PePPy)
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03018080 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : January 11, 2017
Last Update Posted : June 13, 2022
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Breast - Female Male Breast Cancer | Drug: Pembrolizumab Drug: Paclitaxel | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 40 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | LCI-BRE-H2N-PEPP-001: A Pilot Study of Paclitaxel Plus Pembrolizumab in Patients With Metastatic HER2-Negative Breast Cancer (The PePPy Trial) |
Actual Study Start Date : | June 12, 2017 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | July 29, 2021 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | December 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Cohort A
Paclitaxel will be given as an IV infusion over 60 minutes, on days 1 and 8 every 21 (+/- 3) days during Cycles 1 and 2. No pembrolizumab will be given during Cycles 1 and 2. Starting with cycle 3 and subsequent cycles, pembrolizumab will be given as an IV infusion over 30 minutes before paclitaxel on day 1 every 21 (+/- 3) days.
|
Drug: Pembrolizumab
IV (in the vein) on day 1 of a 21 day cycle
Other Name: Keytruda Drug: Paclitaxel IV (in the vein) on days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle
Other Name: Taxol |
Experimental: Cohort B
Pembrolizumab will be given as an IV infusion on day 1 before paclitaxel every 21 (+/- 3) days. Paclitaxel will be given as an IV infusion over 60 minutes, on days 1 and 8 every 21 (+/- 3) days.
|
Drug: Pembrolizumab
IV (in the vein) on day 1 of a 21 day cycle
Other Name: Keytruda Drug: Paclitaxel IV (in the vein) on days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle
Other Name: Taxol |
- Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event [ Time Frame: 18 weeks ]
- Objective response rate [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
- Progression-free survival [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
- Disease control rate [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
- Duration of response [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

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
Subjects must meet all of the following criteria:
-
Histologically or cytological confirmed diagnosis of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer or locally advanced disease not amenable to resection.
- Available ER and PR status from tumor sample with either hormone receptor positive or negative tumor(s).
- For subjects with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, they are eligible if they have already received or been intolerant to at least two lines of endocrine therapies (including the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting), or are appropriate candidates for chemotherapy (i.e. large burden of visceral disease).
- Measurable disease by RECIST 1.1, or evaluable bone disease, i.e., bone lesions that are lytic or mixed (i.e. lytic + sclerotic) in the absence of measurable lesion. Refer to section 11 for the evaluation of measurable disease.
- Male or female age ≥18 years.
- ECOG performance status 0, 1 or 2.
-
Must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:
-
Hematologic - Absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/mcL
- Platelets ≥75,000/mcL
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
-
Renal
- Creatinine ≤ 1.5X ULN or
- Measured or calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 30 mL/min for subject with creatinine levels > 1.5X ULN [CrCl should be calculated per institutional standard; GFR can also be used in place of creatinine or CrCl]
-
Hepatic
- Total bilirubin ≤1.5X ULN or for subjects with total bilirubin levels >1.5X ULN, direct bilirubin ≤ULN
- AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤2.5X ULN
-
Coagulation
- PT and PTT ≤ 1.5X ULN; subjects receiving anticoagulant therapy are eligible if PT or PTT is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants per investigator discretion.
- INR ≤ 1.5; Patients receiving anticoagulant therapy are eligible if their INR is stable and within the recommended range for the desired level of anticoagulation per investigator discretion.
-
- Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 14 days prior to receiving C1D1.
- Female subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use an adequate method of birth control as outlined in Section 8.1.10, be surgically sterile, or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study and 120 days after the last dose of study therapy. Subjects of childbearing potential are those who have not been surgically sterilized or have not been free from menses for > 1 year. Male subjects of reproductive potential should agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy and 120 days after the last dose of study therapy. Abstinence is acceptable if this is the established and preferred contraception for the subject.
-
Has completed the screening requirement of a core or punch biopsy of a tumor lesion per Section 5 (bone tissue not acceptable). Biopsy of the breast tumor or other regional areas is acceptable (i.e. lymph nodes, skin lesions).
- Subjects who are unable to meet the screening requirement of a tumor biopsy due to inaccessible tumor, subject safety concern, or bone-only disease may submit an archived tumor specimen from primary tumor or metastatic biopsy collected within 12 months from consent.
- Subjects who decline tumor biopsy may submit archived tumor specimen as specified above (within 12 months from consent) only after Sponsor-Investigator approval.
- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign the written informed consent document.
Exclusion Criteria
Subjects must not meet any of the following criteria:
- Prior chemotherapy within 3 weeks, prior targeted small molecule therapy or radiation therapy within 2 weeks, or prior anti-cancer monoclonal antibody (mAb) for direct anti-neoplastic treatment within 4 weeks prior to Cycle 1 Day 1.
-
Not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1) from adverse events due to agents previously administered.
o Note: Subjects with ≤ Grade 2 neuropathy or alopecia of any grade are an exception and may qualify for the study.
-
More than three prior lines of chemotherapy for HER2-negative metastatic disease or for locally advanced disease that is not amenable to resection.
o Note: Non-Chemotherapy regimens do not count as prior lines (ex: hormonals, biologics)
- Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g. CTLA-4, OX-40, CD137) or has participated in Merck MK-3475 trial(s) and received MK-3475 as part of protocol therapy.
- Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to Cycle 1 Day 1
- Has had major surgery within 3 weeks prior to Cycle 1 Day 1.
- Has received any other investigational agents within 4 weeks of Cycle 1 Day 1 of study therapy.
-
Known active uncontrolled or symptomatic central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis as indicated by clinical symptoms, cerebral edema, and/or progressive growth.
o Note: Subjects with treated CNS metastases are eligible if they are asymptomatic, have no requirement for steroids, no requirement for anticonvulsants, and stable CNS radiographic study showing no significant vasogenic edema ≥ 4 weeks since completion of radiation and ≥ 2 weeks since discontinuation of steroids.
- History of known allergic reaction to paclitaxel
- Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
- Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment. Pregnant women are excluded from this study because paclitaxel is an agent with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with paclitaxel, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with paclitaxel. These potential risks also apply to pembrolizumab being used in this study.
- Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency disorder (AIDS). HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with paclitaxel and pembrolizumab. In addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy.
- Has known active infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
-
Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years (i.e. with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs).
o Replacement therapy (i.e., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.
-
Has a known additional malignancy that progressed or required active treatment within the last 5 years.
o Note: Exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has undergone potentially curative therapy, or in situ cervical cancer.
- Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis.
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
- Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of Cycle 1 Day 1 of study therapy. o Note: Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally inactivated flu vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., Flu-Mist®) are live attenuated vaccines, and are not allowed.

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): NCT03018080
United States, North Carolina | |
Levine Cancer Institute | |
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28204 |
Principal Investigator: | Antoinette Tan, MD | Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) |
Responsible Party: | Wake Forest University Health Sciences |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03018080 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
IRB00081370 00019078 LCI-BRE-H2N-PEPP-001 ( Other Identifier: Atrium Health ) |
First Posted: | January 11, 2017 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | June 13, 2022 |
Last Verified: | May 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Undecided |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Breast Neoplasms Breast Neoplasms, Male Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Paclitaxel Pembrolizumab |
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic Antineoplastic Agents Tubulin Modulators Antimitotic Agents Mitosis Modulators Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological |