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This Study Will Evaluate the Effect of Canakinumab or Pembrolizumab Given as Monotherapy or in Combination as Neo-adjuvant Treatment for Subjects With Early Stages NSCLC.

Phase 2
Terminated
Conditions
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT03968419
Lead Sponsor
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the major pathological response (MPR) rate of canakinumab given as a neoadjuvant treatment, either as single agent or in combination with pembrolizumab, in addition to evaluate the MPR of pembrolizumab as a single agent and the dynamic of the tumor microenvironment changes on treatment.

Detailed Description

This was a randomized, phase II, open-label study evaluating canakinumab, an anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody, or pembrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to block the PD-1 receptor, as monotherapy or in combination as neoadjuvant therapy. The study population included adult subjects with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) planned for surgery in approximately 4-6 weeks. Subjects were treated for a maximum duration of 6 weeks (2 cycles) until surgery, progression, unacceptable toxicity or discontinuation from the study treatment for any other reason.

Subjects were randomized in a 2:2:1 ratio to one of the 3 treatment arms (canakinumab alone or canakinumab in combination with pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab alone). Surgery was performed between 4 to 6 weeks after the first dose of study treatment.

All randomized subjects were followed for safety for up to 130 days following the last dose of study treatment (safety follow-up period).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
88
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Canakinumab monotherapyCanakinumabParticipants received 200 mg of canakinumab once every 3 weeks for a maximum duration of 6 weeks prior to surgery
Canakinumab + pembrolizumabPembrolizumabParticipants received 200 mg of canakinumab in combination with 200 mg of pembrolizumab once every 3 weeks for a maximum duration of 6 weeks prior to surgery
Canakinumab + pembrolizumabCanakinumabParticipants received 200 mg of canakinumab in combination with 200 mg of pembrolizumab once every 3 weeks for a maximum duration of 6 weeks prior to surgery
Pembrolizumab monotherapyPembrolizumabParticipants received 200 mg of pembrolizumab every 3 weeks for a maximum duration of 6 weeks prior to surgery
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate at the Time of Surgery in Subjects Randomized to Canakinumab Monotherapy and in Combination With Pembrolizumab Based on Central ReviewAt time of surgery (up to 6 weeks after first dose of study treatment)

MPR was defined as the percentage of participants with major pathological response (defined as ≤10% residual viable tumor cells on surgical samples). Any participant who had \>10% residual viable cancer cells, or started new antineoplastic therapy prior to surgery, or did not have the surgery performed, or had the surgery performed but with unevaluable MPR result, was considered as a non-responder.

MPR was assessed at the time of surgery in all subjects randomized to canakinumab monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab based on central review.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Surgical Feasibility RateUp to 6 weeks after first dose

Surgical feasibility rate was defined as the percentage of subjects who underwent surgery following study treatment.

Canakinumab Antidrug Antibodies (ADA) PrevalencePredose (0 hour) on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (Cycle=21 days)

Canakinumab ADA prevalence at baseline was calculated as the percentage of participants who had a canakinumab ADA positive result at baseline

Pembrolizumab ADA PrevalencePredose (0 hour) on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (Cycle = 21 days)

Pembrolizumab ADA prevalence at baseline was calculated as the percentage of participants who had a pembrolizumab ADA positive result at baseline

Canakinumab ADA IncidenceFrom baseline (Predose on Day 1 of Cycle 1) up to 130 days after last dose of study treatment (assessed up to 24.6 weeks). Cycle = 21 days

Canakinumab ADA incidence on treatment was calculated as the percentage of participants who were canakinumab treatment-induced ADA positive (post-baseline ADA positive with ADA-negative sample at baseline) and canakinumab treatment-boosted ADA positive (post-baseline ADA positive with titer that is at least the fold titer change greater than the ADA-positive baseline titer)

Serum Canakinumab ConcentrationPredose (0 hour) on Day 1 of Cycles 1 and 2 (Cycle =21 days)

Canakinumab serum concentrations were determined at the specified time points.

Serum Pembrolizumab ConcentrationPredose (0 hour) and 0.5 hours post dose on Day 1 of Cycle 1 and predose on Cycle 2 (Cycle =21 days)

Pembrolizumab serum concentrations were determined at the specified time points.

Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate Based on the Levels of BiomarkersFrom date of randomization up to 6 weeks after first dose

MPR was defined as the percentage of participants with major pathological response (defined as ≤10% residual viable tumor cells on surgical samples). Any participant who had \>10% residual viable cancer cells, or started new antineoplastic therapy prior to surgery, or did not have the surgery performed, or had the surgery performed but with unevaluable MPR result, was considered as a non-responder.

MPR rate was analyzed by the biomarker subgroups at baseline. Biomarkers included PD-L1, CD8, hs-CRP and hs-IL-6.

Pembrolizumab ADA IncidenceFrom baseline (Predose on Day 1 of Cycle 1) up to 26 days after last dose of study treatment (assessed up to 10.7 weeks). Cycle = 21 days

Pembrolizumab ADA incidence on treatment was calculated as the percentage of participants who were pembrolizumab treatment-induced ADA positive (post-baseline ADA positive with ADA-negative sample at baseline) and pembrolizumab treatment-boosted ADA positive (post-baseline ADA positive with titer that is at least the fold titer change greater than the ADA-positive baseline titer)

Overall Response Rate (ORR) Based on Local Investigator Assessment Using RECIST v1.1From date of randomization to date of surgery, assessed up to 6 weeks

ORR is defined as the percentage of subjects with confirmed best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), as per local investigator's assessment by RECIST 1.1.

CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target lesions. In addition, any pathological lymph nodes assigned as target lesions must have a reduction in short axis to \< 10 mm.

PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameter of all target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters

Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate at the Time of Surgery in Subjects Randomized to Pembrolizumab Monotherapy Based on Central ReviewAt time of surgery (up to 6 weeks after first dose)

MPR was defined as the percentage of participants with major pathological response (defined as ≤10% residual viable tumor cells on surgical samples). Any participant who had \>10% residual viable cancer cells, or started new antineoplastic therapy prior to surgery, or did not have the surgery performed, or had the surgery performed but with unevaluable MPR result, was considered as a non-responder.

MPR was assessed at the time of surgery in all subjects randomized to pembrolizumab monotherapy arm based on central review.

Difference in Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate Between the Canakinumab Plus Pembrolizumab Arm and the Pembrolizumab Arm Based on Central ReviewAt time of surgery (up to 6 weeks after first dose of study treatment)

MPR was defined as the percentage of participants with ≤10% residual viable tumor cells on surgical samples. MPR was assessed at the time of surgery based on central review. The difference in MPR rate between the canakinumab plus pembrolizumab arm and the pembrolizumab arm based on central review along with the Chang and Zhang confidence interval was assessed.

Major Pathological Response (MPR) Rate at the Time of Surgery in All Subjects Based on Local ReviewAt time of surgery (up to 6 weeks after first dose)

MPR was defined as the percentage of participants with major pathological response (defined as ≤10% residual viable tumor cells on surgical samples). Any participant who had \>10% residual viable cancer cells, or started new antineoplastic therapy prior to surgery, or did not have the surgery performed, or had the surgery performed but with unevaluable MPR result, was considered as a non-responder.

MPR was assessed at the time of surgery in all subjects based on local review.

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

University of Kansas Medical Center Neurology Dept.

🇺🇸

Kansas City, Kansas, United States

Methodist Hospital / Methodist Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

UCLA Oncology Hematology

🇺🇸

La Jolla, California, United States

SUNY - Upstate Medical University

🇺🇸

Syracuse, New York, United States

Novartis Investigative Site

🇹🇷

Sihhiye / Ankara, Turkey

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