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Looking for participantsPhase1/Phase2

A Study of Bispecific Antibody MCLA-158 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Sponsor: Merus B.V.

NCT ID: NCT03526835

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

At a glance

What the study gets you
Access to the study treatment being tested
Type of study
Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
Time in hospital
In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
Drug or intervention
MCLA-158 (drug), MCLA-158 + Pembrolizumab (combination product), MCLA-158 + FOLFIRI (combination product), MCLA-158 + FOLFOX (combination product)
How long the study runs
Study runs about 126 months (dates as stated)
About the drug or intervention
MCLA-158 — drug: full-length IgG1 bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and LGR5 · MCLA-158 + Pembrolizumab — combination product: MCLA-158 in combination with pembrolizumab will be explored first in HNSCC patients eligible to receive pembrolizumab as first-line monotherapy. · MCLA-158 + FOLFIRI — combination product: MCLA-158 in combination with FOLFIRI will be explored in mCRC patients with up to 1 line of prior regimen. · MCLA-158 + FOLFOX — combination product: MCLA-158 in combination with FOLFOX will be explored in mCRC patients with up to 1 line of prior regimen.
Patient visit burden
Not specified by the sponsor

In plain English

This study tests a bispecific antibody called MCLA-158 (also known as petosemtamab) in people with advanced or spread solid tumours, including bowel (colorectal), stomach, head and neck, lung, and food pipe (oesophageal) cancers. A bispecific antibody is a man-made protein designed to attach to two different targets in the body to help the immune system attack cancer. The sponsor is Merus B.V.

Who can take part

  • Adults with confirmed advanced or spread solid tumours that cannot be treated with standard therapy aiming to cure
  • Willing and able to provide a tumour sample (fresh biopsy) if safe and possible, plus a stored tumour sample
  • Tumours that can be measured on scans
  • Generally well and active (performance status 0 or 1), with a life expectancy of at least 12 weeks
  • Good heart pumping function (at least 50%) and adequate organ function
  • For the bowel cancer group: tumours without certain gene changes (RAS, BRAF and others), stable (MSS) disease, and 2–4 previous treatments in the advanced setting, or no previous anti-EGFR treatment for the combination groups (full details depend on the cohort)

Who may not be able to

  • Untreated or symptomatic cancer spread to the brain, or needing steroids or radiation to control it, or spread to the tissues around the brain and spinal cord
  • Taking part in another trial or having an experimental drug within the last 4 weeks
  • Recent cancer treatment (within 4 weeks, or 6 weeks for some drugs or immunotherapies), major surgery, or radiotherapy within 3 weeks
  • Ongoing significant side effects from previous cancer treatment (except hair loss and some mild numbness)
  • Certain serious heart problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or a heart attack in the last 6 months
  • Severe breathlessness at rest, needing oxygen, or a history of lung scarring or inflammation
  • Another cancer in the past, unless it was minor skin or cervical changes, or cured with no signs of disease for 3 years
  • Active hepatitis B (not on antiviral medicine) or hepatitis C infection
  • Serious ongoing illness or infection
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding; people who can become pregnant must use highly effective contraception during the study and for 6 months after the last dose

What taking part involves

  • • MCLA-158 (petosemtamab) given on its own (some groups now closed to new patients, such as second- or third-line head and neck cancer)
  • • MCLA-158 combined with pembrolizumab as a first treatment for head and neck cancer (group closed to new patients)
  • • MCLA-158 combined with chemotherapy regimens called FOLFIRI or FOLFOX for bowel cancer that has spread (groups open to new patients)

Time commitment: Not stated — ask the trial team about how often you would attend hospital, how long the study lasts, and exactly what tests and treatments taking part would involve.

Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.

Type of study
Testing a treatment
Ages
18 Years and over
Who
All
Number of participants
560
Started
2018-05-02
Last checked
2026-07

Plain English Summary

What is this study?

  • • Testing a new treatment for advanced/metastatic solid tumors
  • • Phase1/Phase2 - 560 participants
  • • This is a Phase 1/2 open-label, multi-center, multi-national study with an initial dose escalation part to determine the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) of MCLA-158 single agent in patients with mCRC

Who can take part?

  • • Ages 18 Years and over
  • • Diagnosed with advanced/metastatic solid tumors

Where?

  • • Cambridge - Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • • London - Sarah Cannon Research Institute

This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.

About This Trial

This is a Phase 1/2 open-label, multi-center, multi-national study with an initial dose escalation part to determine the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) of MCLA-158 single agent in patients with mCRC. The dose escalation part has been completed and the RP2D will be further evaluated in an expansion part of the study. Cohorts of selected solid tumor indications for which there is evidence of EGFR dependency and potential sensitivity to EGFR inhibition will be evaluated including head and neck cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The study will further assess the safety, tolerability, PK, PD, immunogenicity, and anti-tumor activity of MCLA-158 in monotherapy or in combination with other therapies.

More detail

Study Design: This open label, multicenter, first-in-human study consists of 2 parts. Part 1 is a dose escalation to find the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) of MCLA-158 studying patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Enrollment in the dose escalation part has been completed. In the dose expansion (single-agent cohorts) part of the study, the activity, safety, and tolerability of MCLA-158 at 1500 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) (preliminary RP2D) as a single agent will be evaluated in cohorts of selected solid tumor indications with dependency on EGFR signaling. The most recently enrolled cohorts were in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Enrollment into the HNSCC cohort of single-agent MCLA-158 for the treatment of patients with second/third line (2L/3L) HNSCC is closed. In the dose expansion part of the study, safety was also characterized at two dose levels in this setting. Other closed cohort indications included gastric/ gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEA) with EGFR amplification and/or high EGFR expression, esophageal carcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Enrollment is currently being explored in mCRC (RAS/RAF wild type) patients in the 3L/4L/5L setting. Additionally, in the dose expansion (combination cohorts) part of the study, the activity, safety, and tolerability of MCLA-158 at 1500 mg Q2W will be evaluated in combination with other therapies. Enrollment in the combination cohort of treatment of MCLA-158 with pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with first line (1L) HNSCC is closed. Additionally, two combination cohorts of MCLA-158 with FOLFIRI or with FOLFOX chemotherapy (i.e., 5-fluorouracil \[5-FU\], leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)) will be explored in mCRC (RAS/RAF wild type) patients in the 1L/2L setting. Other expansion cohorts may be considered for monotherapy or combination treatment in the future

Advanced/Metastatic Solid TumorsColorectal CancerGastric CancerGastroesophageal-junction CancerNSCLCHNSCCHead and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaEsophageal Cancer

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What we know so far

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Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.

Eligibility at a Glance

Key info

  • Age: 18 Years and over
  • Who can join: All genders

Biomarkers mentioned

EGFRKRASBRAFHER2PD-L1combined positive

Treatment history

Treatments you must have had:

  • ✓ in the metastatic setting including:
  • ✓ an MSS tumor

What the study is looking for

  • ✓confirmed by testing a sample solid tumors with evidence of that has spread or that has grown locally disease not...
  • ✓A baseline fresh tumor sample (FFPE) from a that has spread or primary site (if safe/feasible).
  • ✓Amenable for biopsy (if safe/feasible).
  • ✓cancer that can be measured on scans as defined by RECIST version 1.1 by radiologic methods.
  • ✓activity scale (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.

Who cannot take part

  • ✗Central nervous system metastases that are untreated or causing symptoms, or require radiation, surgery, or continued...
  • ✗Known leptomeningeal involvement.
  • ✗Participation in another clinical study or treatment with any investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to study entry.
  • ✗Requirement for immunosuppressive medication (e.g. methotrexate, cyclophosphamide)
  • ✗Persistent grade \>1 clinically significant toxicities related to prior antineoplastic therapies (except for...
See the full criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumors with evidence of metastatic or locally advanced disease not amenable to standard therapy with curative intent. * A baseline fresh tumor sample (FFPE) from a metastatic or primary site (if safe/feasible). * Amenable for biopsy (if safe/feasible). * Measurable disease as defined by RECIST version 1.1 by radiologic methods. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1. * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks, as per investigator. * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% by echocardiogram (ECHO) or multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA). * Adequate organ function * Expansion cohorts: patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic disease for the following indications: SINGLE AGENT: * SECOND-/THIRD-LINE HNSCC PATIENTS (cohort closed to enrolment): patients who have progressed on or after, or are intolerant to, anti-PD-(L)1 therapy and platinum therapy as monotherapy or in combination with other agents and no previous exposure to EGFR inhibitors. Patients treated with platinum-containing therapy only in the adjuvant setting, or in the context of multimodal therapy for locally advanced disease should have disease progression within 6 months of the last dose of platinum containing therapy. Patients with no more than 2 prior lines of treatment in recurrent or metastatic disease. • Human papilloma virus (HPV) status determined by p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) or molecular HPV test for all oropharyngeal tumors should be reported when available. * The eligible HNSCC primary tumor locations are oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx, and larynx. * 3L+ mCRC (cohort open to enrolment) patients must have: * No oncogenic missense mutations in KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, or EGFR ectodomain, and no HER2 (ERBB2) or KRAS amplification, as detected in plasma by ctDNA NGS central testing performed during screening. * A microsatellite stable (MSS) tumor. * Received ≥2 and no more than 4 lines of prior therapy in the metastatic setting including: 1. Chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and a fluoropyrimidine, 2. Targeted therapy with an anti-VEGF therapy COMBINATION: * FIRST-LINE HNSCC (cohort closed to enrolment): patients eligible to receive pembrolizumab as first-line monotherapy with tumors expressing programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1), combined positive score (CPS) ≥1, as determined by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved test in the US, or by an approved equivalent test in other countries; patients should not have previous systemic therapy administered in the recurrent or metastatic setting, although previous systemic therapy as part of multimodal treatment for locally advanced disease is allowed if ended ≥6 months prior to signing the ICF. The eligible HNSCC primary tumor locations are oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx, and larynx. Previous treatments with anti PD-(L)1 or anti-EGFR therapies are not allowed. * mCRC (cohorts open to enrolment): Patients should have been previously diagnosed with histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum. Patients must be RAS/ RAF WT as determined using tumor tissue (primary or metastatic) by an appropriate tumor tissue based assay, to be confirmed by the sponsor, and must have an MSS tumor. Patients must be naive to prior anti-EGFR therapy. i. Cohort to be treated with petosemtamab and FOLFIRI: patients may have received up to 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for the metastatic setting, consisting of 1L fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy ± bevacizumab. ii. Cohort to be treated with petosemtamab and FOLFOX: patients may have received up to 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in the metastatic setting consisting of 1L fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan-based chemotherapy ± bevacizumab Exclusion Criteria: * Central nervous system metastases that are untreated or symptomatic, or require radiation, surgery, or continued steroid therapy to control symptoms within 14 days of study entry. * Known leptomeningeal involvement. * Participation in another clinical study or treatment with any investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to study entry. * Any systemic anticancer therapy within 4 weeks or 5 half-lives whichever is shorter of the first dose of study treatment. For cytotoxic agents that have major delayed toxicity ( e.g. mitomycin C,nitrosoureas), or anticancer immunotherapies, a washout period of 6 weeks is required. * Requirement for immunosuppressive medication (e.g. methotrexate, cyclophosphamide) * Major surgery or radiotherapy within 3 weeks of the first dose of study treatment. Patients who received prior radiotherapy to ≥25% of bone marrow are not eligible, irrespective of when it was received. * Persistent grade \>1 clinically significant toxicities related to prior antineoplastic therapies (except for alopecia); stable sensory neuropathy ≤ grade 2 NCI-CTCAE v4.03 is allowed. * History of hypersensitivity reaction to any of the excipients of petosemtamab, human proteins or any non-IMP treatment required for this study. * Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 150 mmHg and/or diastolic BP \> 100 mmHg) with appropriate treatment or unstable angina. History of congestive heart failure of Class II-IV New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria, or serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring treatment (except atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). History of myocardial infarction within 6 months of study entry. * History of prior malignancies with the exception of excised cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or nonmelanoma skin cancer, or curatively treated cancer deemed at low risk for recurrence with no evidence of disease for 3 years. * Current dyspnea at rest of any origin, or other diseases requiring continuous oxygen therapy. Patients with a history of interstitial lung disease (e.g., pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis) or evidence of ILD on baseline chest computerized tomography (CT) scan. * Current serious illness or medical conditions including, but not limited to uncontrolled active infection,clinically significant pulmonary, metabolic or psychiatric disorders. * Patients with known infectious diseases: i. Active hepatitis B infection (hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] positive) without receiving antiviral treatment. ii. Positive test for hepatitis C ribonucleic acid (HCV) RNA). • Pregnant or breastfeeding patients; patients of childbearing potential must use highly effective contraception methods prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 6 months after the last dose of MCLA-158.

Where Is This Study? (2 UK sites)

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Cambridge, United Kingdom

COMPLETED
Hospital R&D contact (matched)

Stephen Kelleher

cuh.research@nhs.net01223 348490

Sarah Cannon Research Institute

London, United Kingdom

Recruiting

How to Get in Touch

Silke Thiele, MD

Sponsor contact

CONTACT

+31 85 016 2500 enquiries-merus@genmab.com

Eduardo Pennella, MD

Sponsor contact

CONTACT

+1 617 401 4499 USenquiries-merus@genmab.com
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov · Last verified: 2026-07