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Neoadjuvant Botensilimab and Balstilimab for the Treatment of Advanced Resectable Colorectal Cancer NEST3

  • PhasePhase 2
  • StatusRecruiting
  • Planned enrollment100 people
  • Recruiting US sites11
  • SponsorCity of Hope Medical Center
  • RegistryNCT07595874

Recruitment re-checked on ClinicalTrials.gov Oct 30, 2026. Public record; not medical advice.

Neoadjuvant Botensilimab and Balstilimab for the Treatment of Advanced Resectable Colorectal Cancer NEST3: a one-minute explainerNCT075958741 min

Eligibility

Who can join

The film gives the main points. The full list below is copied from the registry; the study team makes the final decision.

  • Age18 Years to no maximum
  • SexAll
  • Healthy volunteersNo

You may be able to join if

  • Documented informed consent of the participant and Legally Authorized Representative (when applicable)
  • Assent, when appropriate, will be obtained and documented for adults lacking capacity per institutional guidelines
  • Agreement to allow the use of tissue from past and future surgery and standard of care biopsies
  • Age: ≥ 18 years
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ≤ 2
  • Histologically confirmed or cytologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma. Patients with high grade dysplasia on histology plus unequivocal endoscopic or radiological evidence of invasive cancer are eligible.
  • Patients diagnosed with rectal cancer who will be treated like colon cancer with curative-intent surgery first and no radiation are also eligible, including:
  • Upper rectum or rectosigmoid considered as non-rectal and not undergoing neoadjuvant treatment
  • The tumor component should not extend to less 12 cm from the anal verge.
  • Any patient with rectal cancer for whom radiotherapy is not advised is included in this protocol (i.e., excluding rectal adenocarcinomas warranting treatment with chemoradiation)
  • Microsatellite stability by mismatch repair by immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction and/or other Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified next generation sequencing. Only patients with mismatch repair proficient or microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) tumors are allowed to enroll in the study
  • Candidate for and planning a curative resection. Must have surgeon identified
  • T4, N+ (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] TNM staging criteria), or both by central radiographic assessment.
  • Note: Patients with T3N0 stage IIA are excluded. Stage IIB, IIC, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC are included. Patients with stage IV disease are excluded
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm^3
  • Platelets ≥ 75,000/mm^3
  • NOTE: Platelet transfusions are not permitted within 14 days of platelet assessment
  • Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
  • NOTE: Red blood cell transfusions are permitted. Patients should not have active clinically significant bleeding requiring regular transfusions. Iron infusions are also allowed
  • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 X upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless has Gilbert's disease, in which case the liver function tests must meet the other eligibility in the protocol)
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 3.0 x ULN
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 3.0 x ULN
  • Creatinine clearance of ≥ 40 mL/min per the Cockcroft-Gault formula
  • Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP): negative urine or serum pregnancy test. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required
  • Agreement by females and males of childbearing potential* to use an effective method of birth control or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through at least 9 months for women, and at least 6 months for men, after the last dose of oxaliplatin therapy. If patients discontinue oxaliplatin more than 9 months (females) or 6 months (males) before discontinuation of balstilimab and/or botensilimab, females and males of childbearing potential must use an effective method of birth control or abstain from sexual activity for the course of the study through at least 120 days after the last dose of balstilimab and/or botensilimab.
  • Childbearing potential defined as not being surgically sterilized (men and women) or have not been free from menses for > 1 year (women only).
  • The following are acceptable birth control methods for this study: Surgical sterilization (tubal ligation or hysterectomy for women, or vasectomy for men), double-barrier methods (i.e. condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, or sponge, used together with spermicidal gel or foam), intrauterine device (IUD) (i.e. Progestin, Copper), or hormonal contraceptives (birth control patches, implants, pills, rings, or injections)

You cannot join if

  • Any treatment for colorectal cancer prior to enrollment that includes (but not limited to) chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and/or biological therapy.
  • Note: Surgical intervention e.g. a diverting ostomy to relieve an obstruction from colorectal cancer, those patients will be allowed to enter the study as long as no distant metastatic disease
  • Patients with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) within 14 days or another immunosuppressive medication within 30 days of the first dose of study treatment. Inhaled or topical steroids, and adrenal replacement steroid doses > 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent, are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease
  • Prior allogeneic organ transplantation
  • Herbal medications that require a prescription or are anti-cancer
  • Other active malignancy. Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment does not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen are eligible for this trial. Please note: patients with more than 1 colorectal cancer tumor at diagnosis (as long as no stage IV disease) are allowed to participate. Pathologic response to each of the tumors will be examined
  • Active acute colonic obstruction. Patients whose obstruction is relieved by a successful defunctioning stoma are allowed once recovered to a fitness level consistent with the other eligibility criteria
  • Clinically significant uncontrolled illness
  • Females only: Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Prior allergic reaction or hypersensitivity to any of the study drug components
  • Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease that required systemic treatment within 2 years before starting treatment, i.e., with use of disease-modifying agents or immunosuppressive drugs (excluding hypothyroidism, vitiligo, and psoriasis that is controlled with topical management)
  • History or current evidence of any condition, co-morbidity, therapy, that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the patient's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the patient to participate, in the opinion of the treating Investigator
  • Uncontrolled infection with human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients on stable highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are eligible. Serological testing for HIV at screening is not required
  • Uncontrolled infection with hepatitis B virus. Patients who are receiving or who have received anti-HBV therapy are eligible. Serological testing for HBV at screening is not required
  • Known active hepatitis C virus (HCV) as determined by positive serology and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Patients on or who have received antiretroviral therapy are eligible. Serological testing for HCV at screening is not required
  • Any other condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment, contraindicate the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns with clinical study procedures
  • Prospective participants who, in the opinion of the investigator, may not be able to comply with all study procedures (including compliance issues related to feasibility/logistics)

The treatment

How it is intended to work

This is how the treatment is meant to work. Whether it helps, and how safe it is, is what this trial is testing.

botensilimab. An Fc-engineered recombinant human immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 monoclonal antibody directed against the human T-cell receptor cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), with immune checkpoint inhibitory and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody botensilimab binds to CTLA-4 expressed on T cells and inhibits the CTLA-4-mediated downregulation of T-cell activation. This leads to a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated immune response against cancer cells. CTLA-4, an inhibitory receptor and member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, plays a key role in the downregulation of the immune system. The engineered Fc domain increases the stability and half-life of the antibody. NCI Drug Dictionary

balstilimab. A monoclonal antibody directed against the negative immunoregulatory human cell surface receptor programmed cell death 1 (PD-1, PCD-1; PDCD1) protein, with potential immune checkpoint inhibitory and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, balstilimab binds to PD-1, and thereby blocks its binding to the PD-1 ligand programmed cell death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), and prevents the activation of its downstream signaling pathways. This may restore immune function through the activation of cytotoxic T cells. PD-1, a transmembrane protein in the immunoglobulin superfamily expressed on activated T cells, negatively regulates T-cell activation and effector function when activated by its ligand; it plays an important role in tumor evasion from host immunity. NCI Drug Dictionary

Treatments listed in the registry

  • Balstilimab (Biological): Given IV
  • Biospecimen Collection (Procedure): Undergo blood sample collection
  • Botensilimab (Biological): Given IV
  • Computed Tomography (Procedure): Undergo CT scan
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Procedure): Undergo MRI

The study

Treatment groups

Na · Single Group · masking: None

Treatment (botensilimab and balstilimab) (Experimental)

Patients receive botensilimab IV, over 30 minutes, on day 1 and balstilimab IV, over 30 minutes, on days 1, 15, 29 and 43 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. 5-16 weeks later, patients then undergo standard of care resection surgery. Patients undergo CT scan and/or MRI and blood sample collection throughout the study.

What it involves

Procedures

As the registry describes them. Requirements to join, such as a tissue sample, are in the eligibility list above even when on-study procedures are optional. Ask the study team which steps apply to you.

  • blood samples: Part of the study plan
  • CT scans: Part of the study plan
  • MRI: Part of the study plan
  • questionnaires: Part of the study plan
  • surgery: Part of the study plan

Goals

What the study measures

Main goals

  • Two-year disease-free survival rate (At 2 years post enrollment)

Other goals

  • Major pathologic response rate
  • Incidence of adverse events
  • Pathologic response rate
  • Three-year disease-free survival rate
  • Recurrence free survival
  • Number of patients who get all four doses of balstilimab divided by number of enrolled patients
  • Change in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
  • Time to surgery
  • Proportion of patients in which adjuvant therapy is recommended, of these the percent who refuse adjuvant therapy

Planned enrollment: 100 (estimated).

Where

Recruiting US sites

  • CTCA at Western Regional Medical Center, Goodyear, Arizona
  • City of Hope Corona, Corona, California
  • City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California
  • City of Hope Seacliff, Huntington Beach, California
  • City of Hope at Irvine Lennar, Irvine, California
  • City of Hope at Long Beach Elm, Long Beach, California
  • City of Hope South Pasadena, South Pasadena, California
  • City of Hope Upland, Upland, California
  • City of Hope Atlanta Cancer Center, Newnan, Georgia
  • City of Hope at Illinois Chicago Downtown, Chicago, Illinois
  • City of Hope at Chicago, Zion, Illinois

Site status as of Oct 30, 2026. Check the live record before contacting a site.

Sources

Where this comes from

Registry record reviewed as fetched Oct 30, 2026, last updated by the sponsor Oct 18, 2026. Public record; not medical advice.

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