Novel Small Molecule EBNA1 Inhibitor, VK 2019, in Patients With Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-Positive Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC) and Other Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Associated Cancers, With Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Correlative Studies

NCT04925544 | Active Not Recruiting Phase 2 DMC FDA Drug

• 4 other identifiers: IRB-59886VAR02075R01CA235633NCI-2022-02830
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 13
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

To evaluate the anti cancer effect of VK 2019 in subjects with EBV related nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) for whom there is no other standard treatment available

Conditions

Nasopharyngeal Cancer; Epstein-Barr Virus Related Carcinoma

Keywords

Epstein-Barr Virus; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; Nasopharynx cancer; VK-2019; NPC; EBNA1 inhibitor; EBV

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Response rate

  Response rate to VK 2019 in EBV related NPC subjects will be assessed using RECIST v 1.1 criteria. Response Evaluable Subjects: All treated subjects with measurable disease at baseline and one of the following: 1) at least one post dose tumor assessment, 2) discontinuation prior to the first efficacy assessment due to clinical disease progression or toxicity or 3) death either on treatment or within 28 days of last VK 2019 dose.

  12 months

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Progression free survival

  24 months

• Overall survival

  24 months

• Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC)

  Day 56 (ie, Day 0 Cycle 3 after 2, (each cycle is 28 days)

• Time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax),

  Day 56 (ie, Day 0 Cycle 3 after 2, (each cycle is 28 days)

• Peak Plasma Concentration (Cmax)

  Day 56 (ie, Day 0 Cycle 3 after 2, (each cycle is 28 days)

Study Arms (1)

VK-2019_arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Dose escalation and expansion up to 31 additional patients at a maximum of 1800 mg twice daily. Cycles will be defined as 28 days of treatment, subjects will receive VK 2019 until progression or dose limiting toxicity, for up to 12 cycles.

Drug: VK-2019

Interventions

VK-2019 DRUG

VK-2019 binds to EBNA1 and inhibits EBNA1 DNA binding activity. VK-2019 API is synthesized by Anthem BioSciences Pvt. Ltd and formulated into capsules by Emerson Resources Inc,

VK-2019_arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Informed consent obtained prior to any protocol mandated study specific procedures in accordance with institutional policies.
• Either loco regionally recurrent or metastatic EBV positive RECIST evaluable nasopharyngeal carcinoma not amenable to curative treatment with no accepted effective standard of care therapeutic option.
• Addendum for phase 2 exploratory cohorts: subjects with PTLD or EBV lymphoma not amenable to curative treatment with no accepted effective standard of care therapeutic option.
• Not eligible for other approved or standard therapies
• Prior palliative radiation must have been completed at least 2 weeks prior to study Cycle 1 Day 0
• Prior anti cancer systemic treatment must have been completed greater than 4 weeks prior to the first dose of VK 2019 or subjects must have recovered from all acute prior treatment related AEs
• Toxicities related to prior anti cancer therapy must have returned to Grade 1 or less. Peripheral neuropathy must be Grade 2 or less. Chronic but stable toxicities Grade \> 1 (eg, dysphasia, G tube dependence, etc.) are permissible.
• Age ≥ 18
• Absolute neutrophil count \> 1500/µL (stable off any growth factor for at least 1 week of study drug administration)
• Hemoglobin \> 9g/dL (transfusion to achieve this level is permitted)
• Platelet count \> 75 x 103/ µL (transfusion to achieve this level is NOT permitted)
• Serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) .Total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min as calculated per Cockcroft Gault equation
• Urinary protein \< 2+ by dipstick. If dipstick ≥ 2+, then a 24 hour urine collection can be done and the subject may enter only if urinary protein is \< 1 g/24 hour
• Sexually active subjects must agree to utilize birth control method during treatment and for 18 weeks after the last dose of VK 2019.

You may not qualify if:

• Prior therapy restrictions.
• Concurrent treatment with systemic cancer directed therapy including complementary, alternative, herbal or nutritional supplement based treatments whose purpose is for anti cancer effect
• Severe or active symptomatic cardiopulmonary diseases, including unstable angina, congestive heart failure, or peripheral vascular disease within 12 months prior to study drug administration; and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization within 4 weeks prior to study drug administration. Subjects with effectively treated conditions (eg, stenting for coronary artery disease) are eligible if stable for at least 4 weeks prior to study drug administration
• Metastatic disease with active central nervous system (CNS) involvement, defined as parenchymal brain involvement. Subjects with cranial nerve or base of skull involvement without the above are eligible. Subjects with CNS metastases that are stable on imaging at least 1 month following focal treatment with radiation are eligible
• Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) unless the HIV positive subjects has:
• A stable regimen of highly active anti retroviral therapy (HAART)
• No requirement for concurrent antibiotics or antifungal agents for the prevention of opportunistic infections
• A CD4 count above 250 cells/mcL and an undetectable HIV viral load on standard PCR based test
• Serious uncontrolled medical disorder or active infection which would, in the opinion of the Investigator, impair the ability of the subject to receive protocol therapy or whose control may be jeopardized by the complications of this therapy
• NPC subjects: Have received a prior organ allograft or allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
• Current non prescription drug or alcohol dependence
• For all female subjects: pregnancy or breastfeeding
• All female subjects with reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test (serum or urine) prior to enrollment
• Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, or may interfere with the interpretation of study results, or in the judgment of the investigator would make the subject inappropriate for entry into the study
• Corrected QT by Fridericia's formula (QTcF) of \> 470 ms average (mean) on triplicate ECG performed during screening

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University: lead
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): collaborator
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Stanford University

Stanford, California, 94305, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pharyngeal Neoplasms; Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Nasopharyngeal Diseases; Pharyngeal Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Herpesviridae Infections; DNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Infections; Tumor Virus Infections; Carcinoma; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Neoplasms by Histologic Type

Study Officials

• A. Dimitrios Colevas

  Stanford Universiy

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Two stage phase 2 single arm trial with three strata: 1. EBV related NPC subjects receiving VK 2019 2. EBV related lymphoma subjects receiving VK 2019 3. EBV related PTLD subjects receiving VK 2019

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2021
• First Posted: June 14, 2021
• Study Start: January 25, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 17, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 17, 2027
• Last Updated: October 21, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)