NCT03993353CompletedPhase 2
Tadalafil and Pembrolizumab in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer
A Phase II Study of Tadalafil and Pembrolizumab in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 12 Feb 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This study will examine the combination of pembrolizumab and tadalafil for safety and efficacy in advanced head and neck cancer.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 7 (actual)
- First submitted
- 18 Jun 2019
- Start date
- 7 Apr 2020
- Primary completion date
- 16 Apr 2022
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Diego
- NCT number
- NCT03993353
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
- Participants enrolled: 7
- From 7 Apr 2020 to the primary completion date, 16 Apr 2022
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Criteria the registry did not label
- Selected Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients (at least 18 years of age) must have recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
- Presence of measurable disease.
- Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks
- Patients must have normal organ and marrow function
- Selected Exclusion Criteria:
- Prior therapy with an PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor in the recurrent or metastatic setting
- Uncontrolled central nervous system metastases (stable metastases permitted)
- Active autoimmune disease
- Chemotherapy ≤28 days prior to first administration of study treatment and/or monoclonal antibody ≤8 weeks prior to first administration of study treatment.
- Prior daily use of tadalafil or other long-acting PDE5 inhibitors for one month or greater within 3 months of trial enrollment
- Current use of all other long-acting PDE5 inhibitors.
- Known severe hypersensitivity to tadalafil or any of the excipients of this product
- Current treatment with nitrates
- Current systemic treatment with a potent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor such as ketoconazole or ritonavir.
- Current treatment with guanylate cyclase (GC) stimulators such as riociguat.
- History of hypotension and/or blindness and/or sensorineural hearing loss during prior treatment with tadalafil or other PDE-5 inhibitors
- History of known hereditary degenerative retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa
- Prior history of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
- Pregnant or breastfeeding; a negative pregnancy test is required within 14 days of randomization for all women of childbearing potential.
- History of stroke within prior 6 months.
- History of acute myocardial infarction within prior 3 months, uncontrolled angina, uncontrolled arrhythmia, or uncontrolled congestive heart failure
- Left ventricular outflow obstructions, such as aortic stenosis and idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
- Angina requiring treatment with long-acting nitrates
- Angina requiring treatment with short-acting nitrates within 90 days of planned tadalafil administration
- Unstable angina within 90 days of visit 1 (Braunwald 1989)
- Positive cardiac stress test without documented evidence of subsequent, effective cardiac intervention
- History of any of the following coronary conditions within 90 days of planned tadalafil administration:
- Myocardial Infarction
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (for example, angioplasty or stent placement)
- Any evidence of heart disease (NYHA ≥ Class II as defined in Protocol Attachment LVHG.3) within 6 months of planned tadalafil administration
- Concurrent systemic immunosuppressant therapy (e.g., cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, etc., or chronic administration of \>10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent)
- Prior organ transplantation
- Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or active infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCSD Moores Cancer Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | La Jolla | United States | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.