Adoptive cellular therapy for head and neck cancer

The adoptive T-cell therapy ADP-A2M4 is showing promise as a potential new treatment for patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Providence Cancer Institute is one of four centers in the US, and the only center in the Pacific Northwest, to offer a groundbreaking study of ADP-A2M4 in combination with the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab.

Get study details here:

A Phase 2 Study of ADP-A2M4 in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Subjects with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

ADP-A2M4 is an investigational cellular therapy in which autologous T lymphocytes (T cells) are genetically engineered to express a T-cell receptor targeting the MAGE-A4 cancer antigen. The modified T cells are designed to bolster patients’ immune responses to their cancers.

MAGE-A4 is an intracellular antigen found in head and neck cancer and other solid tumors. It is a challenging target for existing therapies that are more effective in recognizing surface cell antigens.

In earlier studies, ADP-A2M4 demonstrated promising efficacy and a manageable safety profile in patients with solid tumors whose cancers express MAGE-A4, opening the field for a potential new class of therapies for solid tumors lacking surface cell antigens.

In this single-arm pilot study, patients with first-line recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer will receive standard-of-care pembrolizumab and a single infusion of ADP-A2M4 cells.

Patients must be positive for HLA-A*02, PD-L1 and MAGE-A4, and may receive up to two cycles of pembrolizumab monotherapy while undergoing screening. Patients with and without human papillomavirus are eligible.

For more information or to enroll a patient, call our Clinical Research office at 503-215-2614 or submit a referral form.

More head and neck cancer studies

Providence Cancer Institute has several studies open for patients with head and neck cancers. See all head and neck cancer studies.

New studies are added frequently. Please visit our website to view our list of studies for all cancers at Providence Cancer Institute.

Providence Head and Neck Cancer Clinic

The Providence Head and Neck Cancer Program offers world-class care for patients with benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity (mouth), tongue, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), nose, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands and thyroid gland, as well as tumors at the skull base. Our medical and surgical oncology teams work collaboratively to start patients on treatment regimens very quickly.

The clinic’s co-directors – medical oncologist Rom Leidner, M.D., and oncological surgeon R. Bryan Bell, M.D., D.D.S., FACS – are innovative leaders committed to elevating the current standard of care for oncology patients by offering advancements such as adoptive cellular therapy and pre-operative immunotherapy. Their aim is to improve surgical outcomes and reduce the risk of recurrence.

To learn more about our comprehensive care for patients with head and neck cancer, visit our website and follow us on FacebookTwitter and LinkedIn.

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