a study comparing 3 study medicines (encorafenib, binimetinib, pembrolizumab) to 2 study medicines (ipilimumab and nivolumab) in patients with advanced melanoma

Conditions: Melanoma

Summary: the purpose of this study is to learn about the effects of 3 study medicines (encorafenib, binimetinib, pembrolizumab) compared to 2 study medicines (ipilimumab and nivolumab) given for the treatment of melanoma. melanoma is a type of cancer that starts in the cells that give color to your skin. the study is seeking participants who: * have advanced or metastatic melanoma (has spread to other parts of the body); * have a certain abnormal gene called "braf". * have taken nivolumab or pembrolizumab treatment before this study. participants will either receive: * pembrolizumab given by intravenous infusion (directly into a vein) every 3 weeks at the study clinic. participants will also receive encorafenib and binimetinib by mouth every day at home, * or will receive ipilimumab and nivolumab given by intravenous infusion (directly into a vein) every 3 weeks at the study clinic 4 times. this will be followed by nivolumab given by intravenous infusion every 4 weeks at the study clinic. both pembrolizumab and nivolumab will be given for a maximum of around 2 years. however, there is no time limit for encorafenib and binimetinib treatment. the study team will see how each participant is doing after receiving the study treatments during regular visits to the study clinic.

the purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of a triplet therapy (encorafenib, binimetinib, pembrolizumab) versus a doublet/control therapy (nivolumab and ipilimumab). participants will have metastatic or unresectable locally advanced braf v600e/k-mutant melanoma, which progressed during or after prior treatment in the adjuvant or first-line metastatic setting, with an approved anti-pd-1 monotherapy (pembrolizumab or nivolumab), approximately 150 participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the triplet or the doublet/control therapy (75 participants in each arm). randomization will be stratified by baseline serum ldh level, and by type of pd-1 resistance.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * male or female participants ≥18 years of age at the time of informed consent. * histologically confirmed unresectable (stage iiib, iiic, or iiid) or metastatic (stage iv) cutaneous melanoma, according to the ajcc 8th edition. * documented evidence of a braf v600e or v600k mutation. * availability of adequate tumor tissue (archival or newly obtained; block or slides) to submit to the sponsor central laboratory(ies) during the screening period for central biomarker analyses . * must have received only 1 prior line of systemic therapy for melanoma (either adjuvant therapy or first-line anti-pd-1 monotherapy (ie, nivolumab or pembrolizumab) * must have anti-pd-1 resistant disease (primary or secondary) with confirmed disease progression per recist v1.1 either during or after receipt of an approved anti-pd-1 monotherapy (ie, nivolumab or pembrolizumab) for melanoma, defined according to the sitc immunotherapy resistance taskforce (kluger et al, 2020). * have at least one measurable lesion per recist v1.1. * ecog ps of 0-1, and adequate organ and cardiac function, including lvef ≥50% by cardiac imaging. exclusion criteria: * mucosal or ocular melanoma. * diagnosis of immunodeficiency or an active autoimmune disease that required systemic treatment with chronic systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within the past 2 years. * clinically significant cardiovascular diseases. * history of thromboembolic or cerebrovascular events ≤12 weeks prior to randomization. * history or current evidence of rvo or current risk factors for rvo. * concurrent neuromuscular disorder that is associated with the potential of elevated ck. * active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection requiring systemic therapeutic treatment within 2 weeks prior to randomization. * current non-infectious pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease or history of noninfectious pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease requiring steroids. * prior or current symptomatic brain metastasis, leptomeningeal disease or other active cns metastases. * participants who permanently discontinued prior anti-pd-1 therapy due to toxicity or will be unable to tolerate combination therapy based on investigator judgement are excluded. * prior treatment with ipilimumab; prior combined immunotherapy blockade with anti-pd-1/l-1; prior treatment with a brafi and/or meki; or previous administration of an investigational anti-cancer agent for the adjuvant or first-line treatment of melanoma prior to randomization.

Keywords: braf braf v600e/k melanoma metastatic melanoma advanced melanoma skin cancer portside