A Prospective Study of Memantine in Patients With Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer

NCT06007846 | Recruiting Phase 2 DMC FDA Drug

• 1 other identifier: U23-01-4957
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This is a single-site prospective study to describe efficacy endpoints of single agent memantine in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic HCC otherwise not deemed candidates for intensive systemic therapy. In addition to the primary endpoint and multiple secondary efficacy endpoints, we will describe changes in quality of life on treatment over time.

Conditions

Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Cirrhosis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Patients Progression Free Survival at 6 months

  The response and progression will be evaluated by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guideline version 1.1. The progression of the disease is defined as at least a 20% increase in the sum of the Longest Diameter LD of target lesions, taking the smallest sum LD recorded as reference since the treatment started or the appearance of one or more new lesions or death due to disease without objective evidence of progression.

  6 months from the start of treatment

Other Outcomes (2)

• Change from baseline as assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality-of-life questionnaire for cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30)

  2 years from the initial visit

• Change from baseline as assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-HCC18) over treatment

  2 years from the initial visit

Study Arms (1)

Arm 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Drug: Namenda

Interventions

Namenda DRUG

Memantine 5 mg by mouth once daily, to be titrated up to 20 mg daily

Also known as: Memantine

Arm 1

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 or older.
• Patients have newly diagnosed and previously untreated, histologically or radiologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma with at least one lesion that is measurable by RECIST 1.1 criteria. A prior HCC lesion that was treated surgically or by radiation is allowed as long as it was at least 2 years or more from the current HCC diagnosis.
• Patient's cancer must be deemed locally advanced and unresectable as per the consensus of the Inova Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Conference.
• Patients must have a Child-Pugh cirrhosis score of B7 or greater and deemed not a candidate for aggressive systemic treatment.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 0-2.
• Patients must have adequate blood counts and organ function.
• Memantine is harmful to the human fetus. For this reason, sexually active males with partners of childbearing potential must agree to use an accepted and effective method of contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of the study. Women of child bearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test result within 24 hours prior to initiation of study treatment. They must also agree to use agree to use an accepted and effective method of contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of the study.
• Patients must demonstrate ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• Men and women, regardless of race, ethnic group or sexual orientation are eligible for this study.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis.
• Female patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Concomitant illness or history that would prevent adequate patient assessment or in the investigators' opinion pose an added risk for study participants.
• Life-threatening intercurrent illness.
• Anticipated poor compliance.
• Subject is enrolled in a separate interventional clinical trial.
• Active tuberculosis.
• Significant cardiovascular disease (such as New York Heart Association Class II or greater cardiac disease, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular accident) within 3 months prior to initiation of study treatment, unstable arrhythmia, or unstable angina.
• Known fibrolamellar HCC, sarcomatoid HCC, or mixed cholangiocarcinoma and HCC.
• Uncontrolled tumor-related pain. Patients requiring pain medication must be on a stable regimen at study entry for at least 10 days prior to study entry.
• Major surgical procedure, open biopsy, or significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to initiation of study treatment.
• Symptomatic, untreated, or actively progressing central nervous system (CNS) metastases.
• Patients undergoing other anti-cancer treatment. Palliative radiation for symptom control will be allowed while on protocol.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Inova Health Care Services: lead

Study Sites (2)

Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Fairfax, Virginia, 22031, United States

RECRUITING

Inova Health Care Service

Falls Church, Virginia, 22042, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Fibrosis

Interventions

Memantine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Adenocarcinoma; Carcinoma; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Digestive System Diseases; Liver Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Amantadine; Adamantane; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Hydrocarbons, Cyclic; Hydrocarbons; Organic Chemicals

Study Officials

• Arthur Winer, MD

  Inova Health Care Service

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Elahe Mollapour

CONTACT

571-472-0615; elahe.mollapour@inova.org

Keary Jane't

CONTACT

571-472-0234; keary.janet@inova.org

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 26, 2023
• First Posted: August 23, 2023
• Study Start: July 31, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: September 30, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)