Plain-English translation of NCT04988074 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.
This trial is testing , an immunotherapy medication that helps your immune system fight cancer, for patients with HPV-related head and neck cancer. You would receive this medication first, sometimes combined with chemotherapy, followed by surgery or radiation therapy. After your main treatment, you would continue on the medication for several more months to help prevent the cancer from returning.
Current treatments for advanced HPV-related head and neck cancer often involve aggressive surgery and radiation that can affect quality of life and long-term side effects. This trial is testing whether starting with this newer immunotherapy could make follow-up treatments less intense while still curing the cancer.
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You would start by receiving the medication as IV infusions over 9 weeks, with your medical team monitoring you weekly. At week 9 or 10, imaging and testing would determine whether you need standard surgery or radiation, or whether a less intensive approach (such as robotic surgery or lower-dose radiation) might work for you. After your surgery or radiation, you would continue on the medication for 4 more months, receiving doses every 3 weeks. Throughout the trial, you would have regular clinic visits and imaging scans to check how you are responding.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 30, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States
Phase
Testing effectiveness
Sponsor
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Collaborators
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Enrollment target
~32 participants
Started
December 2021
Primary completion
June 2027
Age range
18 Years and older
Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in March 2026.
Reach out to the team running this trial. Response times vary — some teams are faster than others.
Central contact
Zubair Khan, M.D.
Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
Tell us you're interested and we'll help connect you with the research team. We'll walk you through what to expect first — no email needed to get started.