Recruiting
Phase 1
Phase 2

Axelopran & Nivolumab

Sponsor:

John Kirkwood

Code:

NCT07631325

Conditions

Unresectable Cutaneous Melanoma

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Axelopran

Nivolumab

Study Details

Brief summary:

This first-in-human study will evaluate the safety, clinical activity, and immunologic effects of combining axelopran with nivolumab in patients with PD-1-refractory unresectable or metastatic cutaneous melanoma. Exploratory analyses incorporating opioid exposure history and post-hoc OPRM1 genotyping will inform future precision immuno-oncology strategies.

Conditions

Unresectable Cutaneous Melanoma

Study ID

NCT07631325

Start date

Nov 30, 2026

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 31, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Histologically confirmed, unresectable or metastatic cutaneous melanoma with documented PD-1-refractory disease, defined as disease progression during or after prior anti-PD-1-based therapy, meeting criteria for either primary or secondary (acquired) resistance, as follows57:

1. Primary resistance: Disease progression as best response, or stable disease lasting <6 months, following at least 6 weeks (approximately two cycles) of anti-PD-1-based therapy, with progression confirmed by RECIST v1.1.
2. Secondary (acquired) resistance: Disease progression occurring after an initial objective response (complete or partial response) or durable stable disease (≥6 months) per RECIST v1.1 while receiving anti-PD-1-based therapy, or within 12 weeks of discontinuation of anti-PD-1 therapy following prior clinical benefit.
3. Note: Disease must have been histologically confirmed through prior pathology assessment conducted as per SOC.
4. Note: Prior anti-PD-1-based therapy may have been administered as monotherapy or in combination with other agents.
2. Age ≥ 18 years.
3. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Scale (PS) 0-2
4. Measurable disease using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1.
5. Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

1. absolute neutrophil count ≥1,000/mcL
2. platelets ≥75,000/mcL
3. total bilirubin ≤1.5 × the institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
4. AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤2.5 × institutional ULN (≤5 × the institutional ULN for patients with liver metastasis)
5. Creatinine clearance ≥40 mL/min/1.73 m2 for patients with a creatinine level above institutional normal.
6. Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use highly effective methods of contraception prior to study entry, during the course of the study, and for 5 months after the last dose of treatment (whichever is later). In addition, men must agree not to donate sperm and women must agree not to donate eggs (ova, oocyte) for the purpose of reproduction during these same periods.
7. Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant or breastfeeding at screening. Female subjects are considered to be of childbearing potential unless one of the following criteria is met:

a. Permanent sterilization (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy) or documented postmenopausal status (defined as 12 months of amenorrhea in a woman > 45 years-of-age in the absence of other biological or physiological causes). Note: Documentation may include review of medical records, medical examination, or medical history interview by study site staff.
8. Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
9. If known to have prior brain metastases, must not have evidence of active (enlarging and/or symptomatic lesions) brain disease on MRI/CT evaluation done within 28 days of start of study treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participant is not a candidate to continue anti-PD-1 therapy due to unresolved toxicities resulting from previous treatment with anti-PD-1 therapy.
2. Has an active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment within the past 3 months, or a syndrome that requires ongoing systemic steroids or immunosuppressive agents. Subjects with vitiligo, Graves' disease, or psoriasis not requiring systemic therapy or resolved childhood asthma/atopy would be an exception to this rule.

i. Subjects that require intermittent use of bronchodilators or local steroid injections would not be excluded from the study. Subjects with stable hypothyroidism or Sjogren's syndrome will not be excluded from the study.

ii. Physiological replacement doses of steroids are permitted.
3. Participant is taking a daily dose of opioids that is >30 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) i. Daily opioid doses ≤30 MME are allowed
4. Has a history of non-infectious pneumonitis that required steroids, evidence of interstitial lung disease, or currently active non-infectious pneumonitis.
5. Prior malignancy within 2 years that in the investigator's opinion would be likely to affect the outcomes of the patients with unresectable melanoma.
6. Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, 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.
7. Known HIV or active Hepatitis B or C. Checking viral serology will not be mandated.
8. Patients with major gastrointestinal surgery within 12 weeks prior to the first dose of study treatment. Patients who have a colostomy will be excluded from the trial.
9. Are unable to swallow pills or have known active inflammatory gastrointestinal disease, chronic diarrhea, previous gastric resection or lap band dysphagia, short-gut syndrome, gastroparesis, or other condition that limits the ingestion or gastrointestinal absorption of drugs administered orally.

i. Note: Gastroesophageal reflux disease under medical treatment is allowed (assuming no drug interaction potential).
10. Subjects taking moderate to strong CYP3A inhibitors or P-gp inhibitors

Study Design

Enrollment

28 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Axelopran + Nivolumab

Run in (1 week):

Days -6 to 0, Axelopran monotherapy with dose escalating to 15mg PO daily by day 0

Combination Phase:

Axelopran: 15 mg PO daily Nivolumab: 480 mg IV q4w (until disease progression, up to 3 years)

Interventions

Axelopran

A peripherally restricted mu-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) designed to mitigate the undesirable peripheral effects of opioids without compromising their central analgesic action.

Nivolumab

An immune checkpoint inhibitor that helps the immune system attack cancer cells by blocking PD-1 receptors.

Primary outcome measure

  • Adverse Events Related to Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 30 days post end of treatment ]
  • Best objective response rate (BORR) [ Time Frame: Up to 3 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Danielle Bednarz, RN, BSN

412-623-1191bednarzdl@upmc.edu

Locations

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Recruiting

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15232

Contacts

Dannielle Bednarz, RN, BSN

412-623-1191bednarzdl@upmc.edu

Principal Investigator:

John M Kirkwood, MD

More Information

Sponsor

John Kirkwood

Last update posted

Oct 19, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Keywords

  • anti-PD-1
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)
  • OPRM1-mu opioid receptor (MOR)

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-20. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by John Kirkwood on 2026-10-19. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.