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Chemotherapy

Pembrolizumab + Chemotherapy for Stomach Cancer

Phase 3

Waitlist Available

Research Sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Has previously untreated localized gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma as defined by T3 or greater primary lesion or the presence of any positive nodes - N+ (clinical nodes) without evidence of metastatic disease

Plans to proceed to surgery following pre-operative chemotherapy based on standard staging studies per local practice

Must not have

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

Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up up to approximately 2 years

Awards & highlights

Pivotal Trial

All Individual Drugs Already Approved

Approved for 10 Other Conditions

Summary

This trial will study whether the use of pembrolizumab can help treat patients with gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma.

Who is the study for?

Adults with untreated gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma, planning surgery after chemotherapy, able to provide tissue samples, and in good physical condition (ECOG score 0-1). Must have a life expectancy over 6 months and adequate organ function. Women must use contraception for 180 days post-chemo or 120 days post-pembrolizumab; men also need to agree to contraception.

What is being tested?

The trial is testing if pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy before and/or after surgery is better than placebo plus chemotherapy for increasing the time without cancer events (EFS) and improving complete response rates at surgery in stomach/GEJ cancer patients.

What are the potential side effects?

Pembrolizumab may cause immune-related side effects like inflammation of organs, infusion reactions, fatigue, skin issues, hormonal gland problems (like thyroid), lung issues (pneumonitis), digestive tract problems, liver inflammation, muscle pain/joint pain/arthritis.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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My stomach cancer has not spread but is advanced.

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I plan to have surgery after chemotherapy, as recommended by my doctors.

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I agree to give tumor tissue samples before and during surgery.

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I am fully active or restricted in physically strenuous activity but can do light work.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I have had pneumonitis treated with steroids or have it now.

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I am currently being treated for an infection.

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I have been treated with specific immune system targeting drugs or participated in a Merck pembrolizumab trial.

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I have received treatment, including experimental drugs, for my current cancer.

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I have an active case of tuberculosis.

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I have received an organ or tissue transplant from another person.

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I have not received a live vaccine in the last 30 days.

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I have an immune system disorder or have been on high-dose steroids or other immune-weakening medicines recently.

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I have a history of Hepatitis B or active Hepatitis C.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ up to approximately 2 years

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~up to approximately 2 years

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and up to approximately 2 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Pharmacotherapy

Overall Survival (OS) - Pembrolizumab+Chemotherapy and Placebo+Chemotherapy Treatment Arms

Pathological Complete Response (pathCR) Rate - Pembrolizumab+Chemotherapy and Placebo+Chemotherapy Treatment Arms

+2 more

Secondary study objectives

Disease-free Survival (DFS) Per Response Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) - Pembrolizumab+Chemotherapy and Placebo+Chemotherapy Treatment Arms

Event-free Survival (EFS) Per Response Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) - Pembrolizumab+Chemotherapy and Placebo+Chemotherapy Treatment Arms and Pembrolizumab+FLOT and Placebo+FLOT Cohorts

Overall Survival (OS) - Pembrolizumab+Chemotherapy and Placebo+Chemotherapy Treatment Arms and Pembrolizumab+FLOT and Placebo+FLOT Cohorts

+2 more

Side effects data

From 2024 Phase 3 trial • 804 Patients • NCT03040999

64%

Radiation skin injury

63%

Stomatitis

58%

Anaemia

56%

Nausea

48%

Dry mouth

45%

Constipation

45%

Weight decreased

44%

Dysphagia

42%

Neutrophil count decreased

33%

Dysgeusia

33%

Vomiting

32%

Fatigue

31%

White blood cell count decreased

28%

Hypomagnesaemia

26%

Decreased appetite

25%

Hypothyroidism

25%

Hypokalaemia

24%

Lymphocyte count decreased

24%

Platelet count decreased

23%

Oropharyngeal pain

23%

Blood creatinine increased

22%

Diarrhoea

22%

Odynophagia

20%

Hypoacusis

20%

Alanine aminotransferase increased

20%

Hyponatraemia

19%

Tinnitus

19%

Oral candidiasis

19%

Asthenia

16%

Pyrexia

16%

Cough

15%

Aspartate aminotransferase increased

15%

Rash

14%

Insomnia

13%

Acute kidney injury

13%

Pharyngeal inflammation

13%

Pruritus

12%

Dysphonia

12%

Gamma-glutamyltransferase increased

11%

Pneumonia

11%

Dehydration

10%

Hyperthyroidism

10%

Hypoalbuminaemia

10%

Hypocalcaemia

10%

Headache

10%

Productive cough

Neck pain

Peripheral sensory neuropathy

Gastrooesophageal reflux disease

Hiccups

Hyperglycaemia

Hyperuricaemia

Dizziness

Hypophosphataemia

Urinary tract infection

Ear pain

Localised oedema

Hyperkalaemia

Erythema

Oral pain

Abdominal pain upper

Arthralgia

Anxiety

Febrile neutropenia

Dyspepsia

Saliva altered

Back pain

Oedema peripheral

Hypertension

Dyspnoea

Nasopharyngitis

Alopecia

Dry skin

Sepsis

Pneumonia aspiration

Trismus

Pneumonitis

Laryngeal oedema

Malnutrition

Pharyngeal haemorrhage

Cellulitis

Septic shock

Systemic infection

Clostridium difficile colitis

Cardiac arrest

Death

Bronchitis

Hepatitis

Immune-mediated hepatitis

Oesophagitis

General physical health deterioration

Hypophagia

Tumour haemorrhage

Cerebrovascular accident

Syncope

Acute respiratory failure

Aspiration

Colitis

Mouth haemorrhage

Hypersensitivity

Acute myocardial infarction

Abscess neck

Device related infection

Stoma site infection

Vascular device infection

Wound infection

Hypercalcaemia

Pulmonary embolism

Respiratory failure

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

Study treatment Arm

Pembrolizumab + CRT Followed by Pembrolizumab

Placebo + CRT Followed by Placebo

Awards & Highlights

Pivotal Trial

The final step before approval, pivotal trials feature drugs that have already shown basic safety & efficacy.

All Individual Drugs Already Approved

Therapies where all constituent drugs have already been approved are likely to have better-understood side effect profiles.

Approved for 10 Other Conditions

This treatment demonstrated efficacy for 10 other conditions.

Trial Design

4Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: Pembrolizumab+FLOT CohortExperimental Treatment5 Interventions

FLOT=docetaxel+oxaliplatin+5FU+leucovorin (calcium folinate). Neoadjuvant: Prior to surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS docetaxel 50 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, 5FU 2600 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, and leucovorin (calcium folinate) 200 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion Q2W (on Days 1 and 15 of Cycle 1; Day 8 of Cycle 2, and Day 1 of Cycle 3, for 4 administrations). Adjuvant: 4 to 10 weeks postsurgery, participants receive 3 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg via IV infusion Day 1 Q3W PLUS docetaxel 50 mg/m\^2, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m\^2, 5FU 2600 mg/m\^2, and leucovorin 200 mg/m\^2 Q2W (on Days 1 and 15 of Cycle 1; Day 8 of Cycle 2, and Day 1 of Cycle 3, for 4 administrations), followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy 200 mg via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W for up to 11 additional cycles.

Group II: Pembrolizumab+ChemotherapyExperimental Treatment4 Interventions

Neoadjuvant: Prior to surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg via intravenous (IV) infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle (Q3W) PLUS cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and capecitabine 1000 mg/m\^2 via oral tablets twice each day (BID) on Days 1 to 14 of each 3-week cycle OR cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) 800 mg/m\^2 via continuous IV infusion on Days 1 to 5 of each 3-week cycle. Adjuvant: 4 to 10 weeks post-surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and capecitabine 1000 mg/m\^2 via oral tablets BID on Days 1 to 14 of each 3-week cycle OR cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and 5FU 800 mg/m\^2 via continuous IV infusion on Days 1 to 5 of each 3-week cycle, followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy 200 mg via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W for up to 11 additional cycles.

Group III: Placebo+ChemotherapyPlacebo Group4 Interventions

Neoadjuvant: Prior to surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of placebo (normal saline solution) via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and capecitabine 1000 mg/m\^2 via oral tablets BID on Days 1 to 14 of each 3-week cycle OR cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and 5FU 800 mg/m\^2 via continuous IV infusion on Days 1 to 5 of each 3-week cycle. Adjuvant: 4 to 10 weeks post-surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of placebo via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and capecitabine 1000 mg/m\^2 via oral tablets BID on Days 1 to 14 of each 3-week cycle OR cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W and 5FU 800 mg/m\^2 via continuous IV infusion on Days 1 to 5 of each 3-week cycle, followed by placebo monotherapy via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W for up to 11 additional cycles.

Group IV: Placebo+FLOT CohortPlacebo Group5 Interventions

Neoadjuvant: Prior to surgery, participants receive 3 cycles of placebo (normal saline solution) via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS docetaxel 50 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, 5FU 2600 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, and leucovorin 200 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion Q2W (on Days 1 and 15 of Cycle 1; Day 8 of Cycle 2, and Day 1 of Cycle 3, for 4 administrations). Adjuvant: 4 to 10 weeks postsurgery, participants receive 3 cycles of placebo via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W PLUS docetaxel 50 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, 5FU 2600 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion, and leucovorin 200 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion Q2W (on Days 1 and 15 of Cycle 1; Day 8 of Cycle 2, and Day 1 of Cycle 3, for 4 administrations), followed by placebo monotherapy via IV infusion on Day 1 Q3W for up to 11 additional cycles.

Treatment

First Studied

Drug Approval Stage

How many patients have taken this drug

Leucovorin

FDA approved

Docetaxel

FDA approved

Cisplatin

FDA approved

Capecitabine

FDA approved