Study of Pemetrexed+Platinum Chemotherapy With or Without Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Participants With First Line Metastatic Nonsquamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (MK-3475-189/KEYNOTE-189)

Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Study of Platinum+Pemetrexed Chemotherapy With or Without Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in First Line Metastatic Non-squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Subjects (KEYNOTE-189)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02578680
• Other study ID #: 3475-189
• Secondary ID: 163421MK-3475-18
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: January 15, 2016
• Est. completion date: June 22, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: July 2023
• Source: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is an efficacy and safety study of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) combined with pemetrexed/platinum chemotherapy versus pemetrexed/platinum chemotherapy alone in participants with advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not previously received systemic therapy for advanced disease. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab combined with pemetrexed/platinum (Investigators choice of cisplatin or carboplatin), OR pemetrexed/platinum (Investigators choice of cisplatin or carboplatin).

With Amendment 10 (effective date 23-Dec-2019), active participants, investigator, and sponsor personnel or delegate(s) involved in the treatment administration or clinical evaluation of the participants will be unblinded, and all participants in the 'control' arm will discontinue saline placebo.

With Amendment 11 (effective date 31-Jan-2022), once the study objectives have been met or the study has ended, participants will be discontinued from this study and will be enrolled in an extension study to continue protocol-defined assessments and treatment.

The primary hypothesis is that pembrolizumab in combination with pemetrexed/platinum chemotherapy prolongs Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) compared to pemetrexed/platinum chemotherapy alone.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 616
• Est. completion date: June 22, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: November 8, 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Has a histologically-confirmed or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of stage IV nonsquamous NSCLC.

• Has confirmation that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-directed therapy is not indicated.

• Has measurable disease.

• Has not received prior systemic treatment for their advanced/metastatic NSCLC.

• Can provide tumor tissue.

• Has a life expectancy of at least 3 months.

• Has a performance status of 0 or 1 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status.

• Has adequate organ function

• If female of childbearing potential, is willing to use adequate contraception for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication or through 180 days after last dose of chemotherapeutic agents.

• If male with a female partner(s) of child-bearing potential, must agree to use adequate contraception starting with the first dose of study medication through 120 days after the last dose of study medication or through 180 days after last dose of chemotherapeutic agents.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Has predominantly squamous cell histology NSCLC.

• Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to administration of pembrolizumab.

• Before the first dose of study medication: a) Has received prior systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy for metastatic disease, b) Has received antineoplastic biological therapy (e.g., erlotinib, crizotinib, cetuximab), c) Had major surgery (<3 weeks prior to first dose)

• Received radiation therapy to the lung that is >30 Gray (Gy) within 6 months of the first dose of study medication.

• Completed palliative radiotherapy within 7 days of the first dose of study medication.

• Is expected to require any other form of antineoplastic therapy while on study.

• Received a live-virus vaccination within 30 days of planned start of study medication.

• Has clinically active diverticulitis, intra-abdominal abscess, gastrointestinal obstruction, peritoneal carcinomatosis.

• Known history of prior malignancy except if participant has undergone potentially curative therapy with no evidence of that disease recurrence for 5 years since initiation of that therapy, except for successful definitive resection of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, superficial bladder cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, in situ cervical cancer, or other in situ cancers.

• Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.

• Previously had a severe hypersensitivity reaction to treatment with another monoclonal antibody (mAb).

• Known sensitivity to any component of cisplatin, carboplatin or pemetrexed.

• Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years.

• Is on chronic systemic steroids.

• Is unable to interrupt aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other than an aspirin dose =1.3 g per day, for a 5-day period (8-day period for long-acting agents, such as piroxicam).

• Is unable or unwilling to take folic acid or vitamin B12 supplementation.

• Had prior treatment with any other anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), or PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or PD-L2 agent or an antibody targeting other immuno-regulatory receptors or mechanisms. Has participated in any other pembrolizumab study and has been treated with pembrolizumab.

• Has an active infection requiring therapy.

• Has known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

• Has known active Hepatitis B or C.

• Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.

• Is a regular user (including "recreational use") of any illicit drugs or had a recent history (within the last year) of substance abuse (including alcohol).

• Has symptomatic ascites or pleural effusion.

• Has interstitial lung disease or a history of pneumonitis that required oral of IV glucocorticoids to assist with management.

• Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children prior to 120 days after the last dose of study medication or through 180 days after last dose of chemotherapeutic agents.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
• Lung Neoplasms
• Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

Intervention

Biological:
• Pembrolizumab 200 mg
IV infusion

Drug:
• Cisplatin
IV infusion
• Carboplatin
IV infusion
• Pemetrexed
IV infusion

Dietary Supplement:
• Folic acid 350-1000 µg
Orally; at least 5 doses of folic acid must be taken during the 7 days preceding the first dose of pemetrexed, and folic acid dosing must continue during the full course of therapy and for 21 days after the last dose of pemetrexed.
• Vitamin B12 1000 µg
Intramuscular injection in the week preceding the first dose of pemetrexed and once every 3 cycles thereafter. Subsequent vitamin B12 injections may be given the same day as pemetrexed administration.

Drug:
• Dexamethasone 4 mg
For prophylaxis; orally twice per day (or equivalent). Taken the day before, day of, and day after pemetrexed administration.
• Saline solution
IV infusion

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Progression-Free Survival (PFS) as Assessed by Investigator Immune-related RECIST (irRECIST) Response Criteria		Up to 24 months
Primary	Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 as Assessed by Blinded Central Imaging	PFS was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as =20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of =5 mm. Note: The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. The PFS per RECIST 1.1 is presented.	Through Database Cutoff Date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months)
Primary	Overall Survival (OS)	OS was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the interim analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up. The OS is presented.	Through Database Cutoff Date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months)
Secondary	Overall Response Rate (ORR) Per RECIST 1.1 as Assessed by Blinded Central Imaging	ORR was defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who had a Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: =30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters) per RECIST 1.1. The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR is presented.	Through Database Cutoff Date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months)
Secondary	Duration of Response (DOR) Per RECIST 1.1 as Assessed by Blinded Central Imaging	For participants who demonstrated a confirmed CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (=30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per RECIST 1.1, DOR was defined as the time from first documented evidence of a CR or PR until PD or death. DOR for participants who had not progressed or died at the time of analysis was to be censored at the date of their last tumor assessment. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as =20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also have demonstrated an absolute increase of =5 mm. Note: The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. DOR assessments were based on blinded central imaging review with confirmation. The DOR per RECIST 1.1 for all participants who experienced a confirmed CR or PR is presented.	From time of first documented evidence of CR or PR through database cutoff date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months)
Secondary	Number of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE)	An AE was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a study participant administered study drug and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this study drug. For participants who switched from the Control group to receiving pembro, AEs that occurred after the first dose of pembro are excluded from this interim analysis, but will be included in the final analysis. The number of participants who experienced an AE is presented.	Through Database Cutoff Date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months); Serious AEs: Up to 90 days after last dose of study treatment, Other AEs: Up to 30 days after last dose of study treatment
Secondary	Number of Participants Who Discontinued Any Study Drug Due to an AE	The number of participants who discontinued any randomized study drug due to an AE is presented.	Through Database Cutoff Date of 08-Nov-2017 (Up to approximately 21 months)

External Links

•   Merck Clinical Trials Information