Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibitor Sarilumab in Combination With Ipilimumab, Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Patients With Unresectable Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

A Phase II Study of the Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibitor Sarilumab in Combination With Ipilimumab, Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Patients With Unresectable Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibitor Sarilumab in Combination With Ipilimumab, Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Patients With Unresectable Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma (NCT05428007) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Melanoma and Unresectable Melanoma, sponsored by NYU Langone Health. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

This study will evaluate how safe the study drug is, how well patients tolerate it, how it works in the body, and the disease's response to the drug. The study drug being tested is sarilumab, when given with the combination of ipilimumab, nivolumab, and relatlimab in patients like yourself, with stage III or stage IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Previous studies have provided a strong rationale for combining sarilumab, with ipilimumab, nivolumab and relatlimab in metastatic melanoma to reduce side effects and potentially work better for your type of cancer. Sarilumab is an FDA-approved inhibitor of the receptor for the cytokine IL-6, currently approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but it is not FDA-approved to treat melanoma. This means that the use of Sarilumab to treat melanoma is considered investigational. The other drugs which will be administered in this study, ipilimumab and nivolumab, are also monoclonal antibodies, but they target different proteins. Ipilimumab and nivolumab are both approved by the FDA to treat advanced stage III and IV melanomas. The nivolumab + relatlimab FDC (fixed dose combination) being used in this study is considered investigational, meaning it is not approved by the FDA. The combination of sarilumab, ipilimumab, nivolumab and relatlimab is considered investigational because it has not yet been approved by the FDA. The FDA has given its permission to study the investigational combination of these drugs in this research study.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Melanoma and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 105 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Melanoma subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Patients must have signed and dated an Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee -approved written willing to sign a consent form form in accordance with regulatory and institutional guidelines. This must be obtained before the performance of any protocol-related procedures that are not part of normal patient care - Patients must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment schedule, laboratory tests, tumor biopsies, and other requirements of the study. - All patients must be either Stage IIIb/c/d or Stage IV according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) (8th edition) and have histologically-confirmed melanoma that is felt to be surgically unresectable in order to be eligible. Please refer to the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 8th edition for a description of tumor, lymph node, metastasis and staging. - All melanomas, except ocular/uveal melanoma, regardless of primary site of disease will be allowed; mucosal melanomas are eligible. - Patients must not have received prior anticancer treatment for metastatic disease (for example, but not limited to, systemic, local, radiation, radiopharmaceutical). oExceptions: Surgery for melanoma and/or post-resection brain radiotherapy (RT) if central nervous system (CNS) metastases and local radiation for locoregional disease and/or prior treatment with adjuvant nivolumab, dabrafenib and trametinib, pembrolizumab, interferon (IFN) or ipilimumab (IPI) (as described in Exclusion Criterion 8,4 full protocol below). - All patients must have their disease status documented by a complete physical examination and imaging studies within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug. Imaging studies must include computerized tomography (CT) scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis, and all known sites of resected disease in the setting of Stage IIIb/c/d or Stage IV disease, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (\[MRI\]; brain CT is allowable if MRI is contraindicated). ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have signed and dated an Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee -approved written informed consent form in accordance with regulatory and institutional guidelines. This must be obtained before the performance of any protocol-related procedures that are not part of normal patient care * Patients must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment schedule, laboratory tests, tumor biopsies, and other requirements of the study. * All patients must be either Stage IIIb/c/d or Stage IV according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) (8th edition) and have histologically-confirmed melanoma that is felt to be surgically unresectable in order to be eligible. Please refer to the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 8th edition for a description of tumor, lymph node, metastasis and staging. * All melanomas, except ocular/uveal melanoma, regardless of primary site of disease will be allowed; mucosal melanomas are eligible. * Patients must not have received prior anticancer treatment for metastatic disease (for example, but not limited to, systemic, local, radiation, radiopharmaceutical). oExceptions: Surgery for melanoma and/or post-resection brain radiotherapy (RT) if central nervous system (CNS) metastases and local radiation for locoregional disease and/or prior treatment with adjuvant nivolumab, dabrafenib and trametinib, pembrolizumab, interferon (IFN) or ipilimumab (IPI) (as described in Exclusion Criterion 8,4 full protocol below). * All patients must have their disease status documented by a complete physical examination and imaging studies within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug. Imaging studies must include computerized tomography (CT) scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis, and all known sites of resected disease in the setting of Stage IIIb/c/d or Stage IV disease, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (\[MRI\]; brain CT is allowable if MRI is contraindicated). * Disease must be measurable by RECIST 1.1 * The complete set of baseline radiographic images must be available before treatment initiation. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with untreated brain metastases, carcinomatosis meningitis or current ocular/uveal melanoma are excluded. * Patients with previous non-melanoma malignancies are excluded unless a complete resection or remission was achieved at least 2 years prior to study entry and no additional therapy is required or anticipated to be required during the study period (exceptions include, but are not limited to, non-melanoma skin cancers, in situ bladder cancer, in situ gastric cancer or gastrointestinal stromal tumor, in situ colon cancers, in situ cervical cancers/dysplasia, or breast carcinoma in situ). * Patients with active, known, or suspected autoimmune disease. Patients with type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis only requiring hormone replacement, or skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis, or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment are permitted to enroll. For any cases of uncertainty, it is recommended that the Principal Investigator be consulted prior to signing informed consent. * Patients with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 10 mg daily prednisone or equivalent) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study drug administration. Inhaled or topical steroids are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Sarilumab

Injectable solutions of sarilumab are formulated in 2 mL of aqueous solution in a 5 mL vial containing 175 mg/ml of sarilumab arginine (8.94 mg), histidine (3.71 mg), polysorbate 20 (2.28 mg), sucrose (57 mg) and Water for Injection USP.Patients will be administered sarilumab at a dose of 150 mg subcutaneously in combination with ipilimumab, nivolumab and relatlimab given intravenously, with nivolumab/relatlimab given intravenously, or sarilumab at a dose of 150 mg subcutaneously given alone.

DRUG

Ipilimumab Injection

Ipilimumab injection is a sterile, nonpyrogenic, clear to slightly opalescent, colorless to pale yellow solution, single-use, preservative-free, isotonic aqueous solution that may contain particles. It is formulated at a concentration of 5 mg/mL ipilimumab in TRIS hydrochloride (also known as 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol hydrochloride), sodium chloride, mannitol, pentetic acid (also known as diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid or DTPA), polysorbate 80, and water at pH 7.0. Sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid may be used to adjust the pH of the solution. Ipilimumab Injection 200 mg/40 mL (5 mg/mL) is packaged in a 50-cc Type I flint molded glass vials.

DRUG

Nivolumab/Relatlimab

The FDC drug product, referred to as nivolumab/relatlimab, contains relatlimab and nivolumab in a single vial in a kit of 2 vials. The product is a sterile, non-pyrogenic, single-use, isotonic aqueous solution for IV infusion. It is formulated at a total protein concentration of 16 mg/mL (4 mg/mL relatlimab and 12 mg/mL nivolumab) and is packaged in a 20-cc glass vial in a kit of two vials. Each vial contains 80 mg of relatlimab and 240 mg of nivolumab.

Locations (4)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

The Angeles Clinic at Cedars Sinai

Los Angeles, California, United States

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

NYU Langone Health

New York, New York, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT05428007), the sponsor (NYU Langone Health), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT05428007 clinical trial studying?

Who can participate in NCT05428007?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT05428007?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT05428007. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT05428007. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-06-07 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.