The Prevention of Progression to Pancreatic Cancer Trial (The 3P-C Trial)

This is a phase 2 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of patients who have high-risk intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) of the pancreas. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion and stratified by whether the patient had high-grade dysplasia (yes vs. no vs. no resection) identified in the initial resection specimen (for resected subjects), and whether or not the patient is taking metformin at the time of randomization. Patients will be required to have undergone an MRI or CT angiogram for IPMN active surveillance in accordance with the standard practice at the enrolling institution within 3 months of study entry. The CT imaging study will be used to document baseline IPMN characteristics and to ensure that there is no evidence of a preexisting pancreatic cancer. Following randomization, patients will take the study drug or placebo twice daily for up to 3 years. Both the study drug arm and the placebo arm will undergo standard laboratory, radiographic, and endoscopic assessment for IPMN progression. Every 6 months, patients will undergo assessment of serum CMP, CBC, and CA19-9. EUS will be performed 6 months after randomization (+/- 4 weeks) and then annually. CT or MRI will be performed 1 year after randomization (+/- 4 weeks) and then annually. The intent of these timings is to have the EUS and CT/MRI be on an alternating 6-month schedule per standard of care. Patients, nurses, and physicians will be blinded to the randomization. Study drug will be provided to patients in the outpatient clinic or mailed to their home. Pill diaries will be provided at the time that the study drugs are given and will be evaluated every 6 months, at the time of routine follow-up. Safety and efficacy will be assessed throughout the treatment period. Assessment for study drug complications will be made by phone call every other month (in between routine follow-up) and at routine follow-up every 6 months by the attending surgeon or designee, until the end of the study. If a complication is identified, the study drug will be discontinued. Patient evaluations will be scheduled bi-annually for the primary endpoint and off-schedule evaluations may be made to address symptoms or clinical concerns as they arise. The investigators plan to accrue 100 patients and will follow all patients for up to 3 additional years until protocol defined progression or study closure, whichever occurs first.