Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39853679›Full record

Trial reportCancer2025

A phase 2 basket study of talabostat, a small-molecule inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidases, administered in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid cancers.

Jibran Ahmed, Filip Janku, Daniel D Karp, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Apostolia M Tsimberidou, Timothy Anthony Yap, Bettzy Stephen, Yali Yang, Serdar Gurses, Qian Liu and 3 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The dual roles ofFrontiers in oncology · 2026
    Review
  2. Targeting collagen to optimize cancer immunotherapy.Experimental hematology & oncology · 2025
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Jibran AhmedDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Filip JankuDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Daniel D KarpDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Sarina A Piha-PaulDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Apostolia M TsimberidouDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2713-233X
Timothy Anthony YapDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Bettzy StephenDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1653-2012
Yali YangDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Serdar GursesDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Qian LiuDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Juhee SongDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Funda Meric-BernstamDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6816-6072
Aung NaingDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4803-8513

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Fabien Delerue · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
BioXcel Therapeutics 57621National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) P30CA016672NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTalabostat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidases (DPP4 and DPP8/9), has shown synergistic activity with immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical studies. This open label, phase 2 basket trial assessed the antitumor activity of combining talabostat and pembrolizumab (anti-programmed death-1 antibody) in advanced solid tumor patients.

methodsThe primary objective was assessment of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rates in the first six patients (lead-in stage) and response rate (efficacy stage; included cohort A [checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) naive] and cohort B [ICI pretreated]) for the study treatment using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 and immune RECIST (iRECIST). Efficacy was assessed using a Bayesian optimal phase 2 design.

resultsA total of 31 patients enrolled in this trial (14 in cohort A, 17 in cohort B). The median age was 61 years; 17 (55%) patients were male and 21 (68%) patients were White. Among 19 (61%) patients evaluable for response, the best response was stable disease in nine patients, unconfirmed progressive disease in seven patients, and clinical progressive disease in three patients based on iRECIST. Disease control rate was 47%. One patient with programmed death-ligand 1 negative, microsatellite stable endometrial cancer had unconfirmed partial response. Median progression-free survival was 2.7 months; median overall survival was 20.5 months. One patient (cohort A) experienced a grade 4 hypotension as a DLT and treatment discontinuation. The most common toxicities were hypotension (22.6%), fatigue (9.7%), diarrhea, rash, thrombocytopenia, vomiting, syncope, general disorders and administration site conditions-other, and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders-other, each in 6.5% of patients.

conclusionsThis study of the combination of talabostat and pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors demonstrated predictable adverse events and limited activity. The combination was shown to be safe. Efficacy data shows immune stable disease in nine of 19 evaluable patients, and an unconfirmed immune partial response in a patient with endometrial cancer.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarbamatesNeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedResponse Evaluation Criteria in Solid TumorsAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCarbamatespembrolizumabcancerimmunotherapypembrolizumabtalabostat

Identifiers

PMID39853679
PMCPMC11940889

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.