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CompletedNCT04205552NEOpredictUpdated Jun 11, 2026

Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Combination Treatment in Resectable Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

A Phase 2 interventional study of Nivolumab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution and Relatlimab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution in NSCLC Stage II, NSCLC, Stage IIIA and NSCLC, Stage I, sponsored by University Hospital, Essen. Completed at 4 sites in 3 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-11.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Essen · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
90
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The primary objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of four weeks of preoperative immunotherapy with Nivolumab, and Nivolumab plus Relatlimab in patients with early stage or locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer eligible for curative resection.

02

Conditions studied

  • NSCLC Stage II
  • NSCLC, Stage IIIA
  • NSCLC, Stage I
03

In context

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung

6,488 studies on the registry are indexed under Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; 1,632 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 90 is above the median of 62 across 5,213 interventional studies indexed under Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung.

Browse Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung studies →

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Essen is the lead sponsor of 111 studies on the registry; 35 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) eligible for anatomic resection (Clinical stages I B, II and selected stage III A)
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ≤ 1
  • Sufficient pulmonary function to undergo curative lung cancer surgery
  • Adequate hematological, hepatic and renal function parameters:
  • Sufficient cardiac left ventricular defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% documented either by echocardiography or multigated acquisition scan (MUGA)
  • Patient able and willing to provide written informed consent and to comply with the study protocol and with the planned surgical procedures

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active or history of autoimmune disease or immune deficiency
  • Subjects with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study drug administration
  • Subjects who have undergone organ transplant or allogeneic stem cell transplantation
  • Uncontrolled or significant cardiovascular disease
  • Patients with active neurological disease
  • Active malignancy or a prior malignancy within the past 3 years
  • Receipt of live attenuated vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study medication
  • Peripheral polyneuropathy NCI CTCAE Grade ≥ 2
  • History of gastric perforation or fistulae in past 6 months
  • Serious or non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture within 28 days prior to enrollment.
  • The patient has undergone major surgery within 28 days prior to enrollment except staging mediastinoscopy, diagnostic Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) or implantation of a venous port-system.
  • Any other concurrent preoperative antineoplastic treatment including irradiation
  • Pregnant/Breastfeeding women
  • Subjects with history of severe toxicity or life-threatening toxicity (grade 3 or 4) related to prior immune therapy
  • Prior treatment with Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) targeting Agent
  • Previous treatment with Nivolumab or Relatlimab
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
90 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Nivolumab

    Nivolumab 2 cycles, every two weeks (q2w) o Nivolumab 240 mg i.v. over 30 min

    Drug: Nivolumab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution

  • Experimental
    Nivolumab/Relatlimab (80 mg)

    Nivolumab/Relatlimab (80 mg) 2 cycles, every two weeks (q2w) * Nivolumab 240 mg i.v. over 30 min * Relatlimab 80 mg i.v. over 30 min (within 30 min of nivolumab)

    Drug: Nivolumab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution · Drug: Relatlimab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution

  • Experimental
    Nivolumab/Relatlimab (240 mg)

    Nivolumab/Relatlimab (240 mg) 2 cycles, every two weeks (q2w) * Nivolumab 240 mg i.v. over 30 min * Relatlimab 240 mg i.v. over 30 min (within 30 min of nivolumab)

    Drug: Nivolumab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution · Drug: Relatlimab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution

Interventions

  • DrugNivolumab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution

    Neoadjuvant 2 cycles, every two weeks (q2w) Nivolumab 240 mg i.v. over 30 min

  • DrugRelatlimab 10 MG/ML Intravenous Solution

    Neoadjuvant 2 cycles, every two weeks (q2w) Relatlimab 80 mg i.v. over 30 min

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility of four weeks of preoperative immunotherapy with Nivolumab, Nivolumab plus Relatlimab (80 mg), and Nivolumab plus Relatlimab (240 mg)

    Time frame: Within 43 days after first study medication

Secondary outcomes

  1. Estimation of pathological tumor response rate

    Time frame: Within 43 days after first study medication (day of surgery)

  2. Estimation of curative (R0) resection rate

    Time frame: Within 43 days after first study medication (day of surgery)

  3. Objective radiological response rate

    Objective radiological response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1

    Time frame: After 3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-surgery

  4. Disease-free survival rate at 12 months

    Assessment of disease-free survival rate at 12 months per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1

    Time frame: 12 months

  5. Overall survival rate at 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

  6. Morbidity

    Estimation of morbidity within 90 days after surgery

    Time frame: within 90 days after surgery

  7. Mortality

    Estimation of mortality within 90 days after surgery

    Time frame: within 90 days after surgery

07

Study locations

4 sites
  • Jessa Hospital Hasselt
    Hasselt, Belgium
  • University Hospital Essen
    Essen, Germany
  • Thoraxklinik Heidelberg gGmbH-Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
    Heidelberg, 69126, Germany
  • Netherlands Cancer Institute
    Amsterdam, Netherlands
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Schuler M, Cuppens K, Plones T, Wiesweg M, Du Pont B, Hegedus B, Koster J, Mairinger F, Darwiche K, Paschen A, Maes B, Vanbockrijck M, Lahnemann D, Zhao F, Hautzel H, Theegarten D, Hartemink K, Reis H, Baas P, Schramm A, Aigner C. Neoadjuvant nivolumab with or without relatlimab in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized phase 2 trial. Nat Med. 2024 Jun;30(6):1602-1611. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-02965-0. Epub 2024 Apr 30. PubMed 38689060 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 11, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04205552
Lead sponsor
University Hospital, Essen
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 19, 2019
Start date
Mar 4, 2020
Primary completion
Nov 27, 2025
Completion
Nov 27, 2025
Last update
Jun 11, 2026

Study contacts

Martin Schuler, Prof. Dr.
principal investigator · University Hospital, Essen

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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