A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Pembrolizumab before randomization and Chemotherapy in Metastatic NSCLC, sponsored by Intergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique. Recruiting at 44 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 74 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-01.
Sponsored by Intergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique · Phase 2/3, Interventional, and Treatment
Immunotherapeutic approaches recently have demonstrated clinical efficacy in several cancer types, including melanoma and NSCLC. As a matter of fact, first registration trials of immune-checkpoints inhibitors (ICI) in second-line settings (pembrolizumab as well as nivolumab or atezolizumab) had stated that ICI could be continued until disease progression or not tolerable toxicity, up to 5 years. This is only for the first-line registration studies that the arbitrary maximal duration of treatment of 2 years was set up by the Companies sponsoring such trials.
The aim is to study a de-escalation scheme of treatment from 2 years of immunotherapy to 6 months (27-weeks), in patients with controlled disease.
This is a phase II-III randomized, open-labelled, multicentre study for NSCLC patients who are naive of treatment for advanced disease. Patients will be given first-line chemotherapy + pembrolizumab: platinum doublet for at least 3 cycles, either paclitaxel-carboplatin for patient with SCC or 3 cycles of pemetrexed-platinum salt followed by 2 cycles of pemetrexed and 6 cycles of pembrolizumab.
Only patients with disease control, confirmed at 6 months (27-weeks) without drug-related toxicity imposing treatment discontinuation will be randomized 1:1 either to continuation of pembrolizumab (± pemetrexed for non-SCC) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity or 2 years, or observation (± pemetrexed for non-SCC).
Patients will be stratified by performance status (0 versus 1), histology (SCC versus non-SCC), PD-L1 (PD-L1 \< 1% versus 49%≥PD-L1 ≥ 1% versus PD-L1>49%), sex and response at randomization (partial response versus stabilisation).
Intergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique is the lead sponsor of 57 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Signed Written Informed Consent:
The Investigator must confirm prior to enrolment that the patient has adequate tumor tissue available. Tumor biopsy should be exploitable for molecular analysis. If archival tissue is either insufficient or unavailable, the patient may still be eligible upon discussion with IFCT.
Note: Tumor tissue collected after the patient was diagnosed with metastatic disease is preferred.
Tumor tissue sample must not be from locations previously radiated. Tumor sample must be 1 block or at least 7 unstained slides of analyzable tissue.
Adequate biological functions:
Creatinine Clearance ≥ 45 mL/min (Cockcroft or MDRD or CKD-epi); neutrophils≥ 1500/mm3 ; platelets ≥100 000/mm3 ; Hemoglobin≥ 9g/dL ; AST and ALT\< 3x ULN, total bilirubin \< 2xULN (patients with hepatic metastases or Gilbert's syndrome must have AST and ALT ≤ 5 x ULN and a baseline total bilirubin ≤ 2xULN).
Exclusion Criteria:
Small cell lung cancer or tumors with mixed histology including a SCLC component.
Note : Sarcomatoid histology is allowed. Neuro-endocrine large cell lung cancer with molecular features of small-cell lung cancer (i.e; Rb loss associated with TP53 mutation) will not be eligible. Other neuro-endocrine large cell subtypes, i.e. with adenocarcinoma features (STK11 or K-Ras mutations) will be eligible. In case of doubt, please contact the sponsor.
History of active autoimmune disease including but not limited to rheumatoid polyarthritis, myasthenia, autoimmune hepatitis, systemic Lupus, Wegener's granulomatosis, vascular thrombosis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome with interstitial pulmonary disease, recent Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, vasculitis, or glomerulonephritis.
Patients with type I diabetes, or hypothyroidism, or immune cutaneous disease (vitiligo, psoriasis, alopecia) or benign rheumatoid polyarthritis not needing any immunosuppressive systemic treatment, or benign sicca syndrome (Sjogren) without interstitial pulmonary disease, or history of past Guillain-Barre syndrome, totally reversible with no sequelae, no systemic immunosuppressive treatment during the last 20 years, are allowed to be included.
6 months treatment by chemotherapy + pembrolizumab followed by pembrolizumab ± pemetrexed for patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) until 2 years max
Drug: Pembrolizumab before randomization · Drug: Chemotherapy · Drug: Pemetrexed · Drug: Pembrolizumab after randomization
6 months treatment by chemotherapy + pembrolizumab followed by pemetrexed for patients with non-SCC or observation for patients with SCC
Drug: Pembrolizumab before randomization · Drug: Chemotherapy · Drug: Pemetrexed
Pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks before randomization
Platinum doublet - 4 cycles: either paclitaxel-carboplatin for patient with SCC or pemetrexed-platinum salt followed by 2 cycles of pemetrexed until reaching the 6 months time-point for randomization Carboplatin AUC 5 for non-squamous cell carcinoma and AUC6 for squamous cell carcinoma every 3 weeks or cisplatin 75 mg/m² every 3 weeks Pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 3 weeks or paclitaxel 175 mg/m² every 3 weeks
Maintenance pemetrexed after randomization Pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 3 weeks
Pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks after randomization
Phase II: 18-month overall survival (OS)
Rate of patients not dead 18 months after inclusion
Time frame: 18 months after inclusion
Phase III: overall survival
Time from date of inclusion to the date of death due to any cause
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
Incidence, nature, and severity of adverse events
Graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 5.0 (NCI CTCAE v5.0)
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
Time until definitive health related quality of life score deterioration
The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30/LC13 questionnaire will be used to determine time until definitive HRQoL score deterioration.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
Change from baseline of EuroQol Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale
Change from baseline of EuroQol Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L) at all scheduled time points.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Time between the date of randomization and the first date of documented progression, as determined by investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
OS according to histological subtype
Time from date of inclusion to the date of death due to any cause according to histological subtype.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
PFS according to histological subtype
Time between the date of randomization and the first date of documented progression, as determined by investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first according to histological subtype.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
OS according to PDL1 tumor level
Time from date of inclusion to the date of death due to any cause according to PDL1 tumor level.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
PFS according to PDL1 tumor level
Time between the date of randomization and the first date of documented progression, as determined by investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first according to PDL1 tumor level.
Time frame: about 24 months after randomization
Plan to share: Yes
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Intergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique