CA-4948 Added to Standard Chemotherapy to Treat Metastatic or Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of emavusertib (CA-4948) in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in treating patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). CA-4948 is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of abnormal proteins called interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) that signal cells to multiply. This may help keep cancer cells from growing. The usual approach for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is treatment with chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called anti-microtubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Nab-paclitaxel is an albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel which may have fewer side effects and work better than other forms of paclitaxel. Giving CA-4948 in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel may shrink or stabilize metastatic or unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.