Acasunlimab + Pembrolizumab for Lung Cancer

Recruiting at 32 trial locations

Overseen By Genmab Trial Information

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Phase 3

Recruiting

Sponsor: Genmab

Must be taking: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, Platinum chemotherapy

Must not be taking: Docetaxel, 4-1BB agents

Disqualifiers: EGFR, ALK, CNS metastases, others

No Placebo Group

Pivotal Trial (Near Approval)

Prior Safety Data

Breakthrough Therapy

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, international, Phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acasunlimab in combination with pembrolizumab versus docetaxel (standard of care) in participants with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have been treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitor and platinum-containing chemotherapy, administered either in combination or sequentially in the metastatic setting.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires that you have not taken any anticancer agent within 28 days before starting the trial treatment. Other specific medication requirements are not detailed in the provided information.

What data supports the effectiveness of the drug Acasunlimab + Pembrolizumab for lung cancer?

Research shows that pembrolizumab, a part of this drug combination, improves outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is well tolerated, especially when tumors express PD-L1 in at least 50% of cells. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the combination of Acasunlimab and Pembrolizumab safe for humans?

There is safety data available for Pembrolizumab, which has been shown to be generally safe in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with little impact on severe toxicity. However, there is no specific safety data available for the combination of Acasunlimab and Pembrolizumab. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What makes the drug Acasunlimab + Pembrolizumab unique for lung cancer treatment?

Acasunlimab + Pembrolizumab is unique because it combines two different types of immune therapies: Acasunlimab, which targets specific proteins on cancer cells, and Pembrolizumab, which helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. This combination aims to enhance the body's immune response against lung cancer more effectively than using either drug alone. ^{2 5 8 11 12}

Research Team

Study Official

Principal Investigator

Genmab

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for people with PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have already tried treatments with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy. It's not suitable for those who can't take docetaxel or have had certain previous treatments that the study excludes.

Inclusion Criteria

Participant has measurable disease according to RECIST v1.1 as assessed by the investigator at baseline

Participant has a life expectancy of ≥3 months

My recent tests show my organs and bone marrow are functioning well.

Exclusion Criteria

I have new or worsening brain metastases or a history of cancer in my brain's lining.

My cancer has specific mutations and I can't get targeted therapies.

I have been treated with docetaxel for lung cancer.

Trial Timeline

Pre-screening

Optional pre-screening period to assess initial eligibility

8 weeks

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either Acasunlimab and Pembrolizumab every 6 weeks or Docetaxel every 3 weeks

Up to 2 years

Every 3-6 weeks (in-person)

Safety Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety after treatment completion

13 weeks

Post-treatment Follow-up

Participants are monitored for long-term outcomes and survival

Up to 5 years

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Acasunlimab (Monoclonal Antibodies)
• Docetaxel (Anti-microtubule agent)
• Pembrolizumab (Monoclonal Antibodies)

Trial Overview The trial compares a new combination of drugs, Acasunlimab and Pembrolizumab, against the standard treatment, Docetaxel. Participants are randomly assigned to one of these treatments to see if the new combo is more effective.

Participant Groups

Group I: Arm A Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Acasunlimab, 100 mg and pembrolizumab, 400 mg will be administered via intravenous (IV) infusion, once every 6 weeks (Q6W) (Cycle length=42 days).

Group II: Arm B Active Control 1 Intervention

Docetaxel, 75 mg/m\^2 will be administered via IV infusion, once every 3 weeks (Q3W) (Cycle length=21 days).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Genmab

Lead Sponsor

Trials

76

Recruited

15,300+

Dr. Jan van de Winkel

Genmab

Chief Executive Officer since 2010

PhD in Immunology, University of Utrecht

Dr. Judith Klimovsky

Genmab

Chief Medical Officer since 2019

MD, University of Copenhagen

BioNTech SE

Industry Sponsor

Trials

84

Recruited

120,000+

Prof. Dr. Ugur Sahin

BioNTech SE

Chief Executive Officer since 2008

MD from University of Cologne

Prof. Özlem Türeci

BioNTech SE

Chief Medical Officer since 2018

MD from Saarland University

Findings from Research

In a long-term study of 123 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, the combination of pembrolizumab with pemetrexed-carboplatin significantly improved the objective response rate (58% vs. 33%) and progression-free survival (24.5 months vs. 9.9 months) compared to chemotherapy alone.

Patients who completed 2 years of pembrolizumab treatment had a remarkable 92% survival rate at the data cutoff, indicating a durable clinical benefit, while the safety profile remained manageable with no new safety concerns identified.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-Term Overall Survival From KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G: Pemetrexed and Carboplatin With or Without Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC. Awad, MM., Gadgeel, SM., Borghaei, H., et al.[2021]

A 68-year-old patient with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma showed an unexpected positive response to paclitaxel after failing treatment with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

The patient experienced a response duration of over fourteen months with paclitaxel, suggesting that combining or sequencing chemotherapy with immunotherapy may enhance treatment effectiveness in certain cases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Prolonged response with paclitaxel after immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in lung cancer]. Zapata, E., Mennecier, B., Leduc, C., et al.[2017]

In a phase 2 trial involving 117 patients with advanced, refractory squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, nivolumab demonstrated a 14.5% objective response rate, indicating its potential effectiveness as a treatment option.

The safety profile of nivolumab was manageable, with 17% of patients experiencing severe treatment-related adverse events, suggesting that while there are risks, the benefits may outweigh them for patients with limited treatment options.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Activity and safety of nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, for patients with advanced, refractory squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (CheckMate 063): a phase 2, single-arm trial. Rizvi, NA., Mazières, J., Planchard, D., et al.[2022]

The KEYNOTE-001 trial demonstrated that pembrolizumab significantly improves clinical outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, indicating its efficacy as a treatment option.

Patients whose tumors express PD-L1 in at least 50% of cells showed better responses to pembrolizumab, suggesting that PD-L1 expression is a key factor in predicting treatment effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab Shows Promise for NSCLC. [2015]

In the JAVELIN Lung 100 trial involving 1214 patients with advanced NSCLC, avelumab showed longer median progression-free survival (PFS) compared to platinum-based chemotherapy (8.4 months vs. 5.6 months), indicating its potential efficacy as a first-line treatment.

Although avelumab demonstrated longer median overall survival (OS) compared to chemotherapy (20.1 months vs. 14.9 months), the differences were not statistically significant, suggesting that while avelumab may be beneficial, it did not meet the primary objective of the trial.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Avelumab Versus Platinum-Based Doublet Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Patients With High-Expression Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Positive Metastatic NSCLC: Primary Analysis From the Phase 3 JAVELIN Lung 100 Trial. Reck, M., Barlesi, F., Yang, JC., et al.[2023]

In a phase Ib study involving 64 patients with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the combination of necitumumab and pembrolizumab showed a confirmed overall response rate of 23.4%, indicating modest efficacy in this patient population.

The treatment was well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities reported, and the safety profile was consistent with typical effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors and immunotherapies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy and safety of necitumumab and pembrolizumab combination therapy in patients with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Besse, B., Garrido, P., Cortot, AB., et al.[2021]

In a phase II trial involving 15 patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), neoadjuvant treatment with pembrolizumab showed a major pathologic response in 27% of patients, indicating promising antitumor activity before surgery.

The treatment was found to be feasible and safe, with only 33% of patients experiencing moderate adverse events, and no postoperative mortality, suggesting that pembrolizumab does not compromise surgical outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neoadjuvant anti-programmed death-1 immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: First clinical experience. Eichhorn, F., Klotz, LV., Kriegsmann, M., et al.[2022]

In a study of 24 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with pembrolizumab, the objective response rate was 45.8%, indicating that nearly half of the patients experienced a reduction in tumor size after treatment.

Pembrolizumab showed promising results even in PD-L1-negative patients, with a major pathological response of 75% and a pathological complete response of 50% in those who underwent surgery, suggesting its potential effectiveness across different patient profiles.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective, single-centre, single-arm study. Guo, T., Ding, Y., Chen, L., et al.[2022]

In the KEYNOTE-407 study involving 1107 patients with untreated metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival and quality of life without increasing severe toxicity.

Patients receiving pembrolizumab reported better health-related quality of life scores at weeks 9 and 18 compared to those receiving placebo, indicating that pembrolizumab enhances patient well-being while maintaining effective cancer treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health-Related Quality of Life With Carboplatin-Paclitaxel or nab-Paclitaxel With or Without Pembrolizumab in Patients With Metastatic Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Mazieres, J., Kowalski, D., Luft, A., et al.[2020]

Pembrolizumab is a safe and effective immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets the PD-1 receptor, currently approved for treating advanced melanoma and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Ongoing studies are exploring the potential of pembrolizumab in combination with other treatments for lung cancer and other cancer types, while also investigating biomarkers that may predict patient response to this therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab for the treatment of PD-L1 positive advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Dang, TO., Ogunniyi, A., Barbee, MS., et al.[2020]

The combination of vibostolimab and pembrolizumab is well tolerated by patients, indicating a favorable safety profile for this treatment regimen.

This combination therapy demonstrates antitumor activity, suggesting it may be an effective option for cancer treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Anti-TIGIT Antibody with a PD-1 Inhibitor Shows Promise in Solid Tumors. [2022]

In a Phase 2 study involving 35 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, neoadjuvant pembrolizumab was found to be safe and well tolerated, with only one surgery delay due to thyroiditis and no mortality within 90 days post-surgery.

The study showed a high rate of R0 resection (88%) and a major pathologic response in 28% of patients, indicating that pembrolizumab may be more effective than standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this setting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perioperative outcomes of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Tong, BC., Gu, L., Wang, X., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-Term Overall Survival From KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G: Pemetrexed and Carboplatin With or Without Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC. [2021]

2. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Prolonged response with paclitaxel after immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in lung cancer]. [2017]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Activity and safety of nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, for patients with advanced, refractory squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (CheckMate 063): a phase 2, single-arm trial. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab Shows Promise for NSCLC. [2015]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Avelumab Versus Platinum-Based Doublet Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Patients With High-Expression Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Positive Metastatic NSCLC: Primary Analysis From the Phase 3 JAVELIN Lung 100 Trial. [2023]

6. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy and safety of necitumumab and pembrolizumab combination therapy in patients with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. [2021]

7. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neoadjuvant anti-programmed death-1 immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: First clinical experience. [2022]

8. China pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective, single-centre, single-arm study. [2022]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health-Related Quality of Life With Carboplatin-Paclitaxel or nab-Paclitaxel With or Without Pembrolizumab in Patients With Metastatic Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. [2020]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab for the treatment of PD-L1 positive advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. [2020]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Anti-TIGIT Antibody with a PD-1 Inhibitor Shows Promise in Solid Tumors. [2022]

12. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perioperative outcomes of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. [2022]