Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Plus Chemotherapy vs. Placebo Plus Chemotherapy for Previously Untreated Locally Recurrent Inoperable or Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer (MK-3475-355/KEYNOTE-355)

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Plus Chemotherapy vs Placebo Plus Chemotherapy for Previously Untreated Locally Recurrent Inoperable or Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer - (KEYNOTE-355)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02819518
• Other study ID #: 3475-355
• Secondary ID: 163422MK-3475-35
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: July 27, 2016
• Est. completion date: October 30, 2023

Study information

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

Clinical Trial Summary

The study will consist of two parts.

In Part 1, the safety of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in combination with one of three different chemotherapies will be assessed in the treatment of locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which has not been previously treated with chemotherapy.

In Part 2, the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab plus background chemotherapy will be assessed compared to the safety and efficacy of placebo plus background chemotherapy in the treatment of locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic TNBC, which has not been previously treated with chemotherapy.

The primary hypotheses are that:

1. the combination of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy prolongs Progression-Free Survival (PFS) compared to placebo and chemotherapy in:

• all participants,

• participants with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥1 tumors, and

• participants with PD-L1 CPS ≥10 tumors, and

2. the combination of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy prolongs Overall Survival (OS) compared to placebo and chemotherapy in:

• all participants,

• participants with PD-L1 CPS ≥1 tumors, and

• participants with PD-L1 CPS ≥10 tumors.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 882
• Est. completion date: October 30, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: June 15, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Has locally recurrent inoperable breast cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy and which cannot be treated with curative intent OR has metastatic breast cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy.

• Has centrally confirmed TNBC, as defined by the most recent American Society of Clinical Oncology/college of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) guidelines.

• Has completed treatment for Stage I-III breast cancer, if indicated, and =6 months elapsed between the completion of treatment with curative intent (e.g., date of primary breast tumor surgery or date of last adjuvant chemotherapy administration, whichever occurred last) and first documented local or distant disease recurrence.

• Has been treated with (neo)adjuvant anthracycline, if they received systemic treatment in the (neo)adjuvant setting, unless anthracycline was contraindicated or not considered the best treatment option for the participant in the opinion of the treating physician.

• Has measurable disease based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as determined by local radiology review.

• Has provided recently or newly obtained core or excisional biopsy from a locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic tumor lesion for central determination of TNBC status and PD-L1 expression, unless contraindicated due to site inaccessibility and/or participant safety concerns.

• Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1, as assessed within 10 days prior to the start of study drug.

• Has a life expectancy =12 weeks from randomization.

• Demonstrates adequate organ function, within 10 days prior to the start of study drug.

• Female participants are eligible to participate if they are not pregnant or breastfeeding AND they are not a woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP) OR is a WOCBP using a contraceptive method that is highly effective or is abstinent from heterosexual intercourse during the intervention period and for at least the time needed to eliminate each study intervention after the last dose of study intervention AND has a negative highly-sensitive pregnancy test ([urine or serum] as required by local regulations) within 24 hours (urine) or 72 hours (serum) before the first dose of study intervention.

• Male participants are eligible to participate if they agree to refrain from donating sperm during the intervention period and for at least the time needed to eliminate each study intervention after the last dose of study intervention PLUS be abstinent from heterosexual intercourse OR must agree to use contraception unless confirmed to be azoospermic.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Is currently participating in a clinical study and receiving an investigational agent and/or using an investigational device, or has participated in a clinical study and received an investigational agent and/or used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to randomization.

• Has not recovered (e.g., to = Grade 1 or to baseline) from AEs due to a previously administered therapy.

• Has neuropathy = Grade 2.

• Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (e.g., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs).

• Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to randomization.

• Has a known additional malignancy that progressed or required active treatment within the last 5 years. Exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has undergone potentially curative therapy, and in situ cervical cancer.

• Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis. Participants with previously treated brain metastases may participate provided they have stable brain metastases and did not receive chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

• Has history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis.

• Has active, or a history of, interstitial lung disease.

• Has a known history of active tuberculosis (TB).

• Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.

• Has a history of Class II-IV congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction within 6 months of randomization.

• Has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the study.

• Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through 120 days (or longer as specified by local institutional guidelines) after the last dose of study drug.

• Has received prior therapy with an anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1), anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another co-inhibitory T cell receptor (such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 [CTLA-4], OX-40, CD137) or has previously participated in Merck pembrolizumab (MK-3475) clinical studies.

• Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

• Has known active hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

• Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to randomization.

• Has a known history of hypersensitivity or allergy to pembrolizumab and any of its components and/or to any of the study chemotherapies (e.g., nab-paclitaxel, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, or carboplatin) and any of their components.

• Is receiving any medication prohibited in combination with study chemotherapies as described in the respective product labels, unless medication was stopped within 7 days prior to randomization.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Breast Neoplasms
• Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
• Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

Intervention

Biological:
• Pembrolizumab
IV infusion

Drug:
• Nab-paclitaxel
IV infusion
• Paclitaxel
IV infusion
• Gemcitabine
IV infusion
• Carboplatin
IV infusion
• Normale 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
Primary	Part 1: Percentage of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE) - All Participants	An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.	Up to approximately 39 months
Primary	Part 1: Percentage of Participants Who Discontinued Study Drug Due to an AE - All Participants	An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.	Up to approximately 39 months
Primary	Part 2: Progression-Free Survival (PFS) - All Participants	Progression-free survival was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease (PD) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) based on assessments by blinded independent central review (BICR) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. 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. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Primary	Part 2: PFS - Participants With Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Combined Positive Score (CPS) =1 Tumors	Progression-free survival was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented PD per RECIST 1.1 based on assessments by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. 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. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Primary	Part 2: PFS - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	Progression-free survival was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented PD per RECIST 1.1 based on assessments by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. 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. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Primary	Part 2: Overall Survival (OS) - All Participants	Overall survival is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up.	Up to approximately 53 months
Primary	Part 2: OS - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	Overall survival is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up.	Up to approximately 53 months
Primary	Part 2: OS - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	Overall survival is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: Objective Response Rate (ORR) - All Participants	Objective response rate is defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who have a complete response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions). The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR as assessed by BICR based on RECIST 1.1 is presented.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: ORR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	Objective response rate is defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who have a complete response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions). The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR as assessed by BICR based on RECIST 1.1 is presented.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: ORR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	Objective response rate is defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who have a complete response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions). The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR as assessed by BICR based on RECIST 1.1 is presented.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: Duration of Response (DOR) - All Participants	For participants who demonstrate a confirmed CR (Disappearance of all target lesions) or confirmed PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per RECIST 1.1, DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR until progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as at least a 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 at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: DOR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	For participants who demonstrate a confirmed CR (Disappearance of all target lesions) or confirmed PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per RECIST 1.1, DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR until progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as at least a 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 at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: DOR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	For participants who demonstrate a confirmed CR (Disappearance of all target lesions) or confirmed PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per RECIST 1.1, DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR until progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as at least a 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 at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: Disease Control Rate (DCR) - All Participants	Disease control rate is defined as the percentage of participants who have achieved CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) or have demonstrated stable disease (SD: Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for progressive disease [PD: At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD]) for at least 24 weeks, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: DCR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	Disease control rate is defined as the percentage of participants who have achieved CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) or have demonstrated stable disease (SD: Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for progressive disease [PD: At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD]) for at least 24 weeks, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: DCR - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	Disease control rate is defined as the percentage of participants who have achieved CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) or have demonstrated stable disease (SD: Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for progressive disease [PD: At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD]) for at least 24 weeks, based on assessments by BICR per RECIST 1.1.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: Percentage of Participants Who Experienced an AE- All Participants	An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.	Up to approximately 53 months
Secondary	Part 2: Percentage of Participants Who Discontinued Study Drug Due to an AE- All Participants	An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.	Up to approximately 52 months
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) Global Health Status (Item 29) and Quality of Life (Item 30) Combined Score- All Participants	The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to the questions "How would you rate your overall health during the past week?" (Item 29) and "How would you rate your overall quality of life during the past week?" (Item 30) were scored on a 7-point scale (1= Very poor to 7=Excellent). Using linear transformation, raw scores were standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a better overall health status. The change from baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Items 29 and 30 combined score are presented.	Baseline and Week 15
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in EORTC QLQ-C30 Global Health Status (Item 29) and Quality of Life (Item 30) Combined Score - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to the questions "How would you rate your overall health during the past week?" (Item 29) and "How would you rate your overall quality of life during the past week?" (Item 30) were scored on a 7-point scale (1= Very poor to 7=Excellent). Using linear transformation, raw scores were standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a better overall health status. The change from baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Items 29 and 30 combined score are presented.	Baseline and Week 15
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in EORTC QLQ-C30 Global Health Status (Item 29) and Quality of Life (Item 30) Combined Score-Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to the questions "How would you rate your overall health during the past week?" (Item 29) and "How would you rate your overall quality of life during the past week?" (Item 30) were scored on a 7-point scale (1= Very poor to 7=Excellent). Using linear transformation, raw scores were standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a better overall health status. The change from baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Items 29 and 30 combined score are presented.	Baseline and Week 15
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in Systemic Therapy Side Effects Using the EORTC Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23)-All Participants	EORTC-QLQ-BR23 is a 23-item breast cancer-specific companion module to the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and consists of four functional scales (body image, sexual enjoyment, sexual functioning, future perspective) and four symptom scales (systemic therapy side effects, upset by hair loss, arm symptoms, breast symptoms). Participant responses to 7 questions about their systemic therapy side effects were scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score denotes worse symptoms for the systemic therapy side effects symptom scale. The change from baseline in systemic therapy side effects (EORTC QLQ-BR23 Items 1-4, 6, 7, and 8) score is presented.	Baseline and Week 15
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in Systemic Therapy Side Effects Using the EORTC QLQ-BR23 - Participants With PD-L1 CPS =1 Tumors	EORTC-QLQ-BR23 is a 23-item breast cancer-specific companion module to the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and consists of four functional scales (body image, sexual enjoyment, sexual functioning, future perspective) and four symptom scales (systemic therapy side effects, upset by hair loss, arm symptoms, breast symptoms). Participant responses to 7 questions about their systemic therapy side effects were scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score denotes worse symptoms for the systemic therapy side effects symptom scale. The change from baseline in systemic therapy side effects (EORTC QLQ-BR23 Items 1-4, 6, 7, and 8) score is presented.	Baseline and Week 15
Secondary	Part 2: Change From Baseline to Week 15 in Systemic Therapy Side Effects Using the EORTC QLQ-BR23- Participants With PD-L1 CPS =10 Tumors	EORTC-QLQ-BR23 is a 23-item breast cancer-specific companion module to the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and consists of four functional scales (body image, sexual enjoyment, sexual functioning, future perspective) and four symptom scales (systemic therapy side effects, upset by hair loss, arm symptoms, breast symptoms). Participant responses to 7 questions about their systemic therapy side effects are scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score denotes worse symptoms for the systemic therapy side effects symptom scale. The change from baseline in systemic therapy side effects (EORTC QLQ-BR23 Items 1-4, 6, 7, and 8) score is presented.	Baseline and Week 15

External Links

•   Merck Clinical Trial Information