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Pembrolizumab/placebo plus chemotherapy as first-line therapy in participants with HER2 negative advanced gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Gastric and gastric esophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma
Registration Number
2023-508890-10-00
Lead Sponsor
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Brief Summary

1. To compare the overall survival (OS) of the participants following administration of pembrolizumab versus placebo when each is combined with chemotherapy

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
Ended
Sex
Not specified
Target Recruitment
268
Inclusion Criteria

Has histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with known PD-L1 expression status

Has adequate organ function as demonstrated by laboratory testing within 10 days prior to the start of study treatment

Has human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative cancer

Male participants must agree to use contraception during the treatment period and through 95 days after the last dose of chemotherapy, refrain from donating sperm, and be abstinent from heterosexual intercourse, as their preferred and usual lifestyle, and agree to remain abstinent or must agree to use contraception per study protocol unless confirmed to be azoospermic during this period

Female participants who are not pregnant, not breastfeeding, and at least one of the following conditions applies: not a woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP) OR is a WOCBP who agrees to use contraception or be abstinent from heterosexual intercourse, as their preferred and usual lifestyle, during the treatment period and through 180 days after the last dose of chemotherapy or through 120 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is last, and agrees not to donate eggs to others or freeze/store for her own use for the purpose of reproduction during this period

Has measurable disease per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by investigator assessment

Has provided archival tumor tissue sample or newly obtained core or excisional biopsy of a tumor lesion not previously irradiated

Has provided tumor tissue sample deemed adequate for PD-L1 biomarker analysis

Has provided tumor tissue sample for microsatellite instability (MSI) biomarker analysis

Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 within 3 days prior to the start of study intervention

Exclusion Criteria

Has squamous cell or undifferentiated gastric cancer

Is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study treatment

Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study treatment

Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 5 years with the exception of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ (eg, breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) that have undergone potentially curative therapy

Has known active CNS metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis

Has severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) to pembrolizumab and/or any of its excipients

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

Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or has current pneumonitis

Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy

Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection

Has a known history of Hepatitis B (defined as Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or known active Hepatitis C virus (defined as Hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] detected qualitatively) infection

Has had major surgery, open biopsy, or significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to randomization, anticipation of the need for major surgery during the course of study intervention, or has not recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from previous surgery

Has a known history of active tuberculosis

Has hypokalemia (serum potassium less than the lower limit of normal)

Has hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium less than the lower limit of normal)

Has hypocalcemia (serum calcium less than the lower limit of normal)

Has a history or current evidence of any condition (eg, known deficiency of the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase), therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the participant's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator

Has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with the participant's ability to cooperate 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 180 days after the last dose of chemotherapy or through 120 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is last

Has had an allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant

Has a known severe hypersensitivity (≥ Grade 3) to any of the study chemotherapy agents (including, but not limited to, infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine) and/or to any of their excipients

For participants taking cisplatin: has Grade ≥2 audiometric hearing loss

Has preexisting peripheral neuropathy >Grade 1

Is a WOCBP who has a positive urine pregnancy test within 24 hours for urine or within 72 hours for serum prior to randomization or treatment allocation

Has had previous therapy for locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic gastric/GEJ cancer. Participants may have received prior neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy as long as it was completed ≥6 months prior to randomization

Has received prior therapy with an anti-programmed cell death (PD)-1, anti-PD-L1 or anti-programmed cell death ligand 2 (PD-L2) agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g., cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), OX- 40, CD137)

Has received prior systemic anticancer therapy including investigational agents within 4 weeks prior to randomization or has not recovered from all adverse events (AEs) due to any previous therapies to ≤Grade 1 or baseline

Has received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to study start or has not recovered from all previous radiation-related toxicities, required corticosteroids, and have not had radiation pneumonitis. A 1-week washout is permitted for palliative radiation (≤2 weeks of radiotherapy) to non-central nervous system (CNS) disease

Has received a live or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study treatment

Study & Design

Study Type
Interventional clinical trial of medicinal product
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
OS in All Participants

OS in All Participants

OS In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

OS In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

OS In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

OS In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

Number of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE)

Number of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE)

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

PFS Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

ORR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥10

DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR in All Participants

DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

DOR Per RECIST 1.1 Assessed by BICR In Participants With PD-L1 CPS ≥1

Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due To an AE

Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due To an AE

Trial Locations

Locations (24)

Istituto Oncologico Veneto

🇮🇹

Padova, Italy

Aalborg University Hospital

🇩🇰

Aalborg, Denmark

Odense University Hospital

🇩🇰

Odense C, Denmark

Rigshospitalet

🇩🇰

Copenhagen Oe, Denmark

Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol

🇪🇸

Badalona, Spain

Hospital Universitario Marques De Valdecilla

🇪🇸

Santander, Spain

Fakultni Nemocnice Plzen

🇨🇿

Plzen 23, Czechia

Dolnoslaskie Centrum Onkologii Pulmonologii I Hematologii

🇵🇱

Wroclaw, Poland

Samodzielny Publiczny Zaklad Opieki Zdrowotnej Szpital Uniwersytecki W Krakowie

🇵🇱

Cracow, Poland

Lux Med Onkologia Sp. z o.o.

🇵🇱

Warsaw, Poland

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Istituto Oncologico Veneto
🇮🇹Padova, Italy
Sara Lonardi
Site contact
00390498215910
sara.lonardi@iov.veneto.it

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