Domatinostat tosylate

This phase II trial studies how well domatinostat (4SC-202) works in combination with avelumab in adult patients with advanced unresectable and/or metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma that have progressed on a previous therapy with an anti-PD-(L)1 antibody

DONIMI is a phase 1b trial testing the combination of domatinostat + nivolumab or nivolumab monotherapy in IFN-gamma signature high patients and of domatinostat + nivolumab or domatinostat + nivolumab + ipilimumab in IFN-gamma signature low patients with de-novo or recurrent macroscopic stage III cutaneous or unknown primary melanoma.
The trial will include 45 stage III cutaneous or unknown primary melanoma patients with RECIST 1.1 measurable de-novo or recurrent disease (short axis lymph node metastasis ≥1.5cm).
NanoString IFN-gamma signature high patients will be randomized to be treated pre-surgically for 6 weeks with nivolumab (arm A; 10 patients) or domatinostat + nivolumab (arm B; 10 patients).
IFN-gamma signature low patients will be randomized to be treated pre-surgically for 6 weeks with domatinostat + nivolumab (arm C; 10 patients) or domatinostat + nivolumab + ipilimumab (arm D; 15 patients). Patients will be stratified according to center.
Post-surgery (starting at week 12), the patients will start with adjuvant nivolumab or pembrolizumab for 52 weeks according to institute's standard. BRAF V600E/K mutation positive patients with no pathologic response after neoadjuvant therapy may also receive adjuvant BRAF + MEK inhibition if commercially available and according to the patient's and the treating physician's decision.
Follow-up after the adjuvant therapy will be for 2 years, according to the institutes' standard.
Toxicity and pathologic response rates will be descriptive. In case of 2/5 or 4/10 patients not undergoing their lymph node dissection at week 6 +/- 1 week due to treatment related toxicity, this arm will be declared unfeasible.