This is a multicenter, open-label, Phase II, randomized, controlled study to determine the efficacy, safety, and other indicators of clinical and biological activity of the combination of danvatirsen and pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for R/M HNSCC.~After providing informed consent, patients will be assessed for eligibility during the screening phase of the study. All patients must be willing and able to provide a formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) archival or fresh tumor sample collected during the screening period; a fresh biopsy is preferred if safe and feasible to obtain and consented to by the patient. Following the screening period, eligible patients will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to danvatirsen + pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab monotherapy, respectively. Patients will receive treatment in 21-day cycles. Patients assigned to the pembrolizumab monotherapy arm will receive treatment until a criterion for discontinuation is met or a maximum of 24 months of treatment. Patients assigned to combination therapy will receive both treatments until a criterion for discontinuation is met or the patient has received a maximum of 24 months of treatment, after which they may remain on danvatirsen monotherapy.~Patients in both treatment arms will have radiologic tumor assessments every 6 weeks (±1 week), regardless of treatment delays, until objective disease progression, initiation of new anticancer treatment, death, withdrawal of consent, or end of study, whichever occurs first.~All patients who discontinue study treatment for any reason will have a safety follow-up visit 30 days (+7 days) after the last dose of study treatment and a follow-up for AEs 90 days (+7 days) after the last dose of pembrolizumab. Patients will be followed for survival at 12 week (±7 days) intervals until death or withdrawal of consent, whichever occurs first. Survival follow-up will continue until at least 15 months after the last patient is randomized in the study.
Open-label, Phase II, randomized, controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of danvatirsen in combination with pembrolizumab compared with pembrolizumab alone as first-line treatment of patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC. Two-thirds of patients will be randomized to receive danvatirsen and pembrolizumab and one-third will be randomized to receive pembrolizumab alone.