This is an open-label, single-arm, prospective phase II study conducted by Baylor Scott and White Research Institute in Dallas.~The study will enroll patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma that are planned to receive pre-operative chemotherapy followed by surgical resection and post operative treatment. Local surgical/biopsy and pathology reports will constitute adequate documentation of histology/cytology for study inclusion.~Patients will receive pre- and post-operative chemotherapy plus Anakinra. Specifically, the pre-operative chemotherapy regimen will be a combination of Nab-paclitaxel, gemcitabine and cisplatin, while post-operative chemotherapy will use 5-Fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. Patients will also receive growth factor (Neupogen followed by Neulasta) for safety and to ensure that treatment is not delayed due to neutropenic effects of chemotherapy.~Anakinra will be self-administered by the participants through out the treatment period. A treatment break of 2 days will be given prior to the surgery day.
Based on a central role of inflammation in pancreas cancer, the role of IL 1 in acute and chronic inflammation , the inhibitory effect of IL 1 alfa and beta by anakinra and preliminary experience with anakinra in combination with chemotherapy in metastasis (with FOLFIRINOX) and localized disease (with gemcitabine/abraxane/cisplatin), a phase 2 study with anakinra in combination with perioperative chemotherapy for patients with PDAC is being proposed.