🏛️ Verified NIH Record • Updated 2026-06-11
Pembrolizumab in Combination With Gemcitabine in People With Advanced Mycosis Fungoides or Sézary Syndrome (NCT04960618)
🔵 Active, Not Recruiting Phase2 💊 Investigational Drug / Biologic Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
The purpose of this study is to find out whether the combination of pembrolizumab and gemcitabine is an effective treatment for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (15 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (22 items).
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activities) — Basking Ridge, New Jersey
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- A WOCBP who has a positive urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to the first dose of treatment (see Appendix C). If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required.
- Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti PD L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g., CTLA-4, OX 40, CD137).
- Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study drug.
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past year. Participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ (e.g., breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) that have undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded.
- Is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study intervention. A shorter timeframe down to 2 weeks may be acceptable if the investigator feels that this is in the best interests of the patient.
- Has received prior systemic anti-cancer therapy including investigational agents, phototherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study intervention excluding topical steroids. A shorter timeframe down to 2 weeks may be acceptable if the investigator feels that this is in the best interests of the patient.
- Participants must have recovered from all radiation-related toxicities, not require corticosteroids, and not have had radiation pneumonitis. A 1-week washout is permitted for palliative radiation (≤ 2 weeks of radiotherapy) to non-CNS disease.
- Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study drug. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette- Guérin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist®) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed.
- Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past year (i.e. with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids (exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.
- Has known active CNS lymphoma. Participants with previously treated CNS lymphoma may participate provided they are radiologically stable, i.e. without evidence of progression for at least 4 weeks by repeat imaging (note that the repeat imaging should be performed during study screening), clinically stable and without requirement of steroid treatment for at least 14 days prior to first dose of study intervention.
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (8 Sites)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activities) — Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Limited Protocol Activities) — Middletown, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Limited Protocol Activities) — Montvale, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk - Commack (Limited Protocol Activities) — Commack, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Limited Protocol Activities) — Harrison, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All protocol activities) — New York, New York
- Columbia University — New York, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Limited protocol activities) — Uniondale, New York
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.