Clinical trial NCT02362594: Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Placebo After Complete Resection of High-Risk Stage III Melanoma (MK-3475-054/1325-MG/KEYNOTE-054)
Official title: Adjuvant Immunotherapy With Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Placebo After Complete Resection of High-risk Stage III Melanoma: A Randomized, Double- Blind Phase 3 Trial of the EORTC Melanoma Group
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Melanoma
Keywords: Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1)
Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD1)
Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1, PDL1)
Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 2 (PD-L2, PDL2)
Lead sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Sponsor class: INDUSTRY
Collaborators: name: European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
First posted: 2015-02-13
Enrollment: 1019
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study will assess whether post-surgery therapy with pembrolizumab improves recurrence-free survival (RFS) as compared to placebo for high-risk participants with melanoma (Stage IIIA \[\> 1 mm metastasis\], IIIB and IIIC). The study will also assess whether pembrolizumab improves RFS versus placebo in the subgroup of participants with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive tumor expression. Participants will be stratified for stage of disease and region and then will be randomly assigned to receive either pembrolizumab or placebo as post-surgery therapy in Part 1. In Part 2, participants who experience a disease recurrence are eligible for pembrolizumab treatment (if treated with placebo in Part 1) or pembrolizumab rechallenge (if treated with pembrolizumab in Part 1). Participants deriving benefit from pembrolizumab will be given the opportunity to transfer to a pembrolizumab extension study, if available, upon study closure, and will be monitored following the standard of assessments of the pembrolizumab extension study.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria:

* Completely resected Stage III melanoma
* Tumor tissue available for evaluation of PD-L1 expression
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
* Adequate organ function
* No prior therapy for melanoma except surgery for primary melanoma lesions (or previously treated with interferon for thick primary melanomas without evidence of lymph node involvement are eligible)
* Female participants of childbearing potential should be willing to use adequate methods of birth control or be surgically sterile, or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication
* Male participants should agree to use an adequate method of birth control starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study medication

Exclusion criteria:

* Mucosal or ocular melanoma
* History of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis
* History of or current interstitial lung disease
* History of hematologic or primary solid tumor malignancy, unless no evidence of that disease for 5 years
* Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years
* Active infection requiring therapy
* Unstable hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
* Diagnosis of immunodeficiency
* Systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study medication
* Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), active Hepatitis B or C
* Treatment with live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study medication are not eligible
* Prior treatment with any anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) monoclonal antibody or anti-programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1), anti-programmed cell death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1), or anti-programmed cell death receptor ligand 2 (PD-L2) agent, or prior participation in any Merck pembrolizumab clinical trial
* Currently participating and receiving study therapy, or participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigation device within 4 weeks of the first dose of study medication
* Pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of study medication
* Participant is or has an immediate family member (e.g., spouse, parent/legal guardian, sibling or child) who is investigational site or Sponsor staff directly involved with this trial without prospective Institutional Review Board approval (by chair or designee) is given

Primary outcomes:
measure: Part 1: Percentage of Participants With Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) At 6 Months Among All Participants
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Part 1: Percentage of Participants With Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) At 6 Months Among Participants With PD-L1-positive Tumor Expression
timeFrame: 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Distant Metastases-free Survival (DMFS) in All Participants
timeFrame: Up to 10 years
measure: Distant Metastases-free Survival (DMFS) for Participants With PD-L1-positive Tumor Expression
timeFrame: Up to 10 years
measure: Overall Survival (OS) for All Participants
timeFrame: Up to 10 years
measure: Overall Survival (OS) for Participants With PD-L1-positive Tumor Expression
timeFrame: Up to 10 years
measure: Number of Participants Who Experienced At Least 1 Adverse Event (AE)
timeFrame: Up to 22 months
measure: Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event (AE)
timeFrame: Up to 22 months
measure: Clearance (CL) of Pembrolizumab
timeFrame: Pre-dose on Day 1 of Cycles 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8, and then Day 1 of cycle for every 4 cycles afterwards (up to approximately 16 months). Each cycle is 3 weeks.
measure: Volume of Distribution (V) of Pembrolizumab
timeFrame: Pre-dose on Day 1 of Cycles 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8, and then Day 1 of cycle for every 4 cycles afterwards (up to approximately 16 months). Each cycle is 3 weeks.
measure: Number of Participants Positive for Anti-Drug Antibodies (ADA) After Pembrolizumab Treatment
timeFrame: Pre-dose on Day 1 of Cycles 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8, and then Day 1 of cycle for every 4 cycles afterwards (up to approximately 16 months). Each cycle is 3 weeks.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
name: Medical Director
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Kennedy OJ, Kicinski M, Valpione S, Gandini S, Suciu S, Blank CU, Long GV, Atkinson VG, Dalle S, Haydon AM, Meshcheryakov A, Khattak A, Carlino MS, Sandhu S, Larkin J, Puig S, Ascierto PA, Rutkowski P, Schadendorf D, Koornstra R, Hernandez-Aya L, Di Giacomo AM, van den Eertwegh AJM, Grob JJ, Gutzmer R, Jamal R, van Akkooi ACJ, Robert C, Eggermont AMM, Lorigan P, Mandala M. Prognostic and predictive value of beta-blockers in the EORTC 1325/KEYNOTE-054 phase III trial of pembrolizumab versus placebo in resected high-risk stage III melanoma. Eur J Cancer. 2022 Apr;165:97-112. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.01.017. Epub 2022 Feb 24.
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