Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Establishment of Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts from Pancreatic Cancer for Chemosensitivity Testing
Published on: May 12, 2023
A Phase I Study of FOLFIRINOX Plus IPI-926, a Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor, for Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Andrew H Ko1, Noelle LoConte, Margaret A Tempero
1From the *Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; †Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; ‡Department of Radiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; and §Department of Radiology and ∥Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Objectives:
In mouse models of pancreatic cancer, IPI-926, an oral Hedgehog inhibitor, increases chemotherapy delivery by depleting tumor-associated stroma. This multicenter phase Ib study evaluated IPI-926 in combination with FOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Methods:
Patients were treated with once-daily IPI-926 plus FOLFIRINOX. A 3 + 3 dose escalation design was used, with cohort expansion at the maximum tolerated dose. A subset of patients underwent perfusion computed tomography to assess changes in tumor perfusion.
Results:
The maximum tolerated dose was identified 1 dose level below standard FOLFIRINOX. Common treatment-related adverse events included liver function test abnormalities, neuropathy, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea. Objective response rate was high (67%), and patients receiving IPI-926 maintenance showed further declines in CA19-9 levels even after FOLFIRINOX discontinuation. Treatment did not result in consistent increases in tumor perfusion. The study closed early when a separate phase II trial of IPI-926 plus gemcitabine indicated detrimental effects of this combination.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of using FOLFIRINOX as the chemotherapeutic backbone in a clinical trial design. Although robust antitumor activity and acceptable safety were observed with the addition of IPI-926 to this regimen, future development of Hedgehog inhibitors in pancreatic cancer seems unlikely.
