Recruiting
Phase 2

SMAD4-Targeted Chemotherapy

Sponsor:

Northwestern University

Code:

NCT07748611

Conditions

Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Biospecimen Collection

Computed Tomography

Electronic Health Record Review

Fluorouracil

Gemcitabine

Study Details

Brief summary:

This phase II trial tests the impact of using SMAD4-mutant status to personalize chemotherapy in treating patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that can be removed by surgery (resectable) or that may be between resectable and unresectable (borderline resectable) before undergoing surgery (neoadjuvant). PDAC is one of the most aggressive and fastest growing tumors. SMAD4, a tumor suppressor gene, acts like a brake on cell growth and helps to prevent tumor cells from growing. However, losing it makes the tumor more aggressive and often resistant to standard of care (SOC) treatments regimens, such as gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel and fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX). Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making deoxyribonucleic (DNA) and may kill tumor cells. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Nab-paclitaxel is an albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel which may have fewer side effects and work better than other forms of paclitaxel. Fluorouracil, a type of antimetabolite, stops cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Leucovorin is a form of folic acid. It is a type of chemoprotective agent and a type of chemosensitizing agent. Irinotecan is in a class of antineoplastic medications called topoisomerase I inhibitors. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill tumor cells. Oxaliplatin is in a class of medications called platinum-containing antineoplastic agents. It damages the cell's DNA and may kill tumor cells. Instead of a one-sized fits all treatment approach with SOC therapies, matching therapy based on SMAD4 mutation status may use this specific genetic weakness against the tumor. This approach to neoadjuvant therapy may dramatically alter the path of treatment and improve outcomes, including complete resection rates, in patients with resectable or borderline resectable PDAC.

Conditions

Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Study ID

NCT07748611

Start date

Oct 26, 2026

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Feb 3, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Feb 3, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have histologically confirmed pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma

  • Most recent cross-sectional imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis will be used to rule out distant metastases (this will have been completed within standard of care timelines which will typically fall within 90 days of registration)
  • Patients must have undergone next generation sequencing (NGS) testing on the pre-treatment tumor tissue and must have either SMAD4 mutant or SMAD4 wild-type mutation identified before consenting for this study

  • Note: Before consenting to this study, standard of care NGS procedure will be performed on pre-treatment tumor biopsies that are routinely collected through endoscopic biopsy specimens (in-house Oncomine Precision NGS). The results will be documented for this study from clinic notes
  • Patients must have resectable/borderline-resectable disease

  • Note: National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) definitions of resectability will be used
  • Patients must be treatment-naïve and clinically fit and eligible for either FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy regimens (per treating physician's determination)
  • Patients must be ≥ 18 years of age
  • Patients must exhibit an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1
  • Patients must have adequate organ and bone marrow function as determined by the treating physician to be considered to be clinically fit for the physician-determined chemotherapy regimen
  • Patients must agree to use adequate contraception: (e.g. hormonal or barrier method of birth control for a patient of child-bearing potential (POCBP), prior to study entry, and for the duration of study participation. Should a female patient, or a female partner of a patient become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician and study doctor immediately. Male patients with a female partner(s) of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraceptive measures throughout the study starting with the screening visit through the time period indicated for standard of care drugs , after the last dose of study treatment is received. Males with pregnant partners must agree to use a condom; no additional method of contraception is required for the pregnant partner. Note: A POCBP is any patient (regardless of gender, sexual orientation, having undergone a tubal ligation, or remaining celibate by choice) with an egg-producing reproductive tract who meets the following criteria:

  • Has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy
  • Has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months (and therefore has not been naturally postmenopausal for > 12 months)
  • POCBP must have a negative pregnancy test prior to registration on study
  • Patients must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document and comply with the study requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with the presence of any of the following genetic or molecular abnormalities:

  • Mismatch repair (MMR)-deficiency/Lynch syndrome
  • High-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H)
  • Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)
  • Patients who are currently participating in another study and receiving a study drug
  • Patients who have not recovered from adverse events due to prior anti-cancer therapy (i.e., have residual toxicities > grade 1) with the exception of alopecia, neuropathy and other non-significant adverse events per National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v) 6.0
  • Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen (per treating physician's determination)
  • Patients who are pregnant or nursing
  • Patients who have an uncontrolled intercurrent illness (as determined by treating physician), including, but not limited to any of the following:

  • Hypertension that is not controlled on medication
  • Active infection requiring treatment
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Patient with presence of any concurrent medical or psychiatric condition/social situations which would make them inappropriate candidates for entry into this study or that would limit compliance with study requirements, or would compromise the patient's safety or study endpoints, in the treating investigator's judgment

Study Design

Enrollment

125 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Cohort A (gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel)

Patients receive gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with or without radiation therapy per SOC. Treatment continues for 8 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 8 week restaging, patients may continue to receive treatment for up to 16 or 24 weeks at the discretion of the multidisciplinary tumor board. Starting 21 days after last dose of chemotherapy, patients undergo surgical resection. Additionally, patients undergo blood sample collection and CT or MRI as clinically indicated throughout the study.

experimental: Cohort B (gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel or FOLFIRINOX)

Patients receive either physicians choice of either fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin or gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with or without radiation therapy per SOC. Treatment continues for 8 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 8 week restaging, patients may continue to receive treatment for up to 16 or 24 weeks at the discretion of the multidisciplinary tumor board. Starting 21 days after last dose of chemotherapy, patients undergo surgical resection. Additionally, patients undergo blood sample collection and CT or MRI as clinically indicated throughout the study.

Interventions

Biospecimen Collection

Undergo blood sample collection

Computed Tomography

Undergo CT

Electronic Health Record Review

Ancillary studies

Fluorouracil

Given fluorouracil

Gemcitabine

Given gemcitabine

Irinotecan

Given irinotecan

Leucovorin

Given leucovorin

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Undergo MRI

Nab-paclitaxel

Given nab-paclitaxel

Oxaliplatin

Given oxaliplatin

Radiation Therapy

Undergo radiation therapy

Surgical Procedure

Undergo surgical resection

Primary outcome measure

  • Proportion of patients who achieve R0/R1 surgical resection (Cohort A) [ Time Frame: Up to 30 days from surgical resection ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Study Coordinator

3126951301cancer@northwestern.edu

Locations

Northwestern University

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611

Contacts

Brett L. Ecker, MD

Brett.Ecker@northwestern.edu

Principal Investigator:

Brett L. Ecker, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Northwestern University

Last update posted

Oct 29, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-30. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Northwestern University on 2026-10-29. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.