ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06931717ARCHUpdated Oct 28, 2026

A Clinical Study to Assess the Efficacy of Adjuvant Immunotherapy With Cemiplimab in Patients With Surgically Removed Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Who Have Not Received Prior Chemotherapy

A Phase 3 interventional study of Cemiplimab in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, sponsored by ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation. Recruiting at 35 sites in 9 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-28.

Sponsored by ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2026; still recruiting 9 months later.
Updated Oct 28, 2026Site recruiting status changedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
390
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

ARCH is a randomised, stratified, multicentre, phase III trial. Protocol treatment consists of cemiplimab, 350 mg i.v., every 3 weeks, for 4 cycles, followed by 700 mg i.v., every 6 weeks for 6 cycles or until relapse or unacceptable toxicities, whichever occurs first. The primary objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of adjuvant cemiplimab, as measured by disease-free survival, in patients without prior adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy, compared to observation without adjuvant treatment. The primary objective will be assessed in patients with tumours with centrally confirmed PD-L1 expression of ≥1%.

02

Conditions studied

  • Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Keywords

  • NSCLC
  • Stage II-IIIA NSCLC
03

In context

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung

7,620 studies on the registry are indexed under Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; 1,838 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 390 is above the median of 62 across 6,019 interventional studies indexed under Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung.

Browse Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung studies →

Lead sponsor

ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation is the lead sponsor of 52 studies on the registry; 5 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

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Pathological stage II-IIIA (UICC/ AJCC staging 9th edition) NSCLC Brain imaging should have been performed to complete staging, either preoperatively or postoperatively. If brain imaging has not been performed, a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI of the brain must be performed at screening prior randomisation.
  • Complete resection with negative surgical margins (R0).

    • Acceptable types of surgical resection include any of the following:
  • Lobectomy, sleeve lobectomy, bilobectomy, or pneumectomy.
  • Segmentectomy for tumours ≤2 cm is permitted in patients with poor pulmonary reserve or another major comorbidity that contraindicates lobectomy.

    • Wedge resection is not allowed.
    • Lymph node dissection should be done according to applicable guidelines.
    • No disease recurrence following surgical resection.
  • Tumour expression of ≥1%, determined locally using a locally approved immuno-histochemistry test.
  • Availability of archival FFPE tumour tissue for central PD-L1 expression testing.
  • Patient is not considered for platinum-based chemotherapy due to:

    • Documented patient refusal; or
    • Patient is unfit to receive adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy (per investigator assessment) due to:

PS2, or ECOG PS 0/1 and aged ≥70 years with substantial comorbidities or other (s) to platinum-based doublet chemotherapy.

  • Estimated of ≥3 months.
  • Age ≥18 years.
  • Patient has recovered from surgery-related complications.
  • Adequate haematological, renal and liver function.
  • Patient is able to comply with the trial protocol, in the investigator's judgment.
  • Negative pregnancy test Female participants of (including women who had their last menstruation in the last 2 years), must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 5 weeks before randomisation. Pregnancy test must be repeated within 3 days before the first dose of protocol treatment and at every treatment visit (urine beta HCG test is sufficient).
  • Use of highly effective methods Female participants of childbearing potential (including women who had their last menstruation in the last 2 years) and male participants with a female partners of childbearing potential must agree to use a highly effective method of contraception for the duration of the protocol treatment and until 4 months after the last dose of cemiplimab.
  • Written must be signed and dated by the patient and the investigator prior to any trial-related intervention.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • EGFR-mutant or ALK-rearranged NSCLC.
  • Any small cell component
  • Prior and/or adjuvant systemic treatment for NSCLC.

Note: Previous treatment for another not excluded as per next criterion (Participating in another interventional clinical trial for NSCLC) is allowed if the below conditions are fulfilled:

  • Treatment with an approved systemic therapy is completed >4 weeks before randomisation or
  • Treatment with systemic biologic therapy is completed >5 half-lives before randomisation and patient has recovered from any immune-mediated adverse events and endocrinopathies are adequately managed with hormone replacement.

    • Participating in another interventional clinical trial for NSCLC.
    • Diagnosis with another malignancy other than NSCLC that is progressing or requires active treatment.

Exceptions:

  • Non-melanoma skin cancer that has undergone potentially curative therapy
  • In situ cervical carcinoma
  • Any tumour that has been deemed to be definitively treated, such as definitively treated non- prostate cancer.

    • Has any condition requiring ongoing/continuous therapy (>10 mg prednisone/day or anti-inflammatory equivalent) within 1 week prior to randomisation. Physiologic replacement doses are allowed even if they are >10 mg of prednisone per day or equivalent, as long as they are not being administered for intent. Inhaled or topical steroids are permitted, provided that they are not for treatment of an disorder.

Note: Patients who require a brief course of steroids (ex. 3 days in the week before randomisation) or physiologic replacement are allowed to be included in the study.

  • Ongoing or recent (within 5 years) evidence of significant autoimmune disease that required treatment with systemic immunosuppressive treatments.

The following are not exclusions: vitiligo, childhood asthma that has resolved, endocrinopathies (such as hypothyroidism or type 1 diabetes) that require only hormone replacement, or psoriasis that does not require systemic treatment.

  • Encephalitis, meningitis, organic brain disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease) or uncontrolled seizures within 1 year prior to randomisation.
  • Myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to randomisation.
  • Known history of, or any evidence of, interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis within 5 years prior to randomisation.
  • Uncontrolled infection with , , or infection; or the patient has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency.

    • Patients with known HIV infection who have controlled infection [undetectable viral load (HIV RNA PCR) and above 350 either spontaneously or on a stable antiviral regimen] are allowed to be included in the study. Patients with controlled HIV infection should be monitored according to local standards.
    • Patients with hepatitis B (HBsAg+) with controlled infection (serum hepatitis B virus DNA PCR that is below the limit of detection and receiving antiviral therapy for hepatitis B) may be included in the study. Patients with controlled infection must undergo regular monitoring of HBV DNA. Patients must remain on antiviral therapy for at least 6 months after the last dose of cemiplimab.
    • Patients who are hepatitis C virus antibody positive (HCV Ab+) with controlled infection (undetectable HCV RNA by PCR either spontaneously or in response to a successful prior course of anti-HCV therapy) may be included in the study.
  • Any infection requiring hospitalisation or treatment with intravenous anti-infectives within 2 weeks before randomisation.
  • Receipt of a within 28 days before randomisation.
  • Receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination within 1 week before randomisation.
  • Prior stem cell transplantation or received organ transplants at any time, or autologous stem cell transplantation within 12 weeks before randomisation.
  • Known or suspected to cemiplimab or its .
  • Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are in the period of lactation.
  • Sexually active men and women of who are not willing to use an effective method during the study.
  • Patients who are, or have an immediate family member who is, a member of the clinical study team, unless prior approval has been obtained from the sponsor (ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation).
  • Judgement by the investigator that the patient is unlikely to comply with study procedures, restrictions and requirements.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(21)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

PD-1, PD-L1 and checkpoint inhibitors

PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are proteins that act as brakes on the immune system. Checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab or nivolumab, block them so the immune system can attack a cancer.

PD-L1 can also be measured in a tumour sample. Some scores count stained tumour cells only (TPS); others also count certain immune cells (CPS). The study names the score and the minimum it uses.

Adjuvant and neoadjuvant

Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (usually surgery), often to shrink a tumour. Adjuvant treatment is given after it, to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

CD4 count

The number of CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell, in a given amount of blood. It is used to follow how well the immune system is doing in HIV.

Live vaccines

Vaccines made with a weakened form of the germ, such as measles–mumps–rubella (MMR), chickenpox and yellow fever. They can be risky when the immune system is weakened. Flu injections are not live; the nasal flu spray is.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Excipients

The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
390 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental Arm: Cemiplimab

    Cemiplimab, 350 mg i.v., every 3 weeks (±3 days), for 4 cycles, followed by 700 mg i.v., every 6 weeks (±1 week) for 6 cycles or until relapse or unacceptable toxicities, whichever occurs first.

    Drug: Cemiplimab

  • No intervention
    Control Arm: Observation

    Observation.

Interventions

  • Cemiplimab, 350 mg i.v., every 3 weeks (±3 days), for 4 cycles, followed by 700 mg i.v., every 6 weeks (±1 week) for 6 cycles or until relapse or unacceptable toxicities, whichever occurs first.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Disease-free survival (DFS)

    Disease free survival (in patients with tumours with centrally confirmed PD-L1 expression of ≥1%).

    Time frame: From the date of randomisation until disease recurrence (including loco-regional recurrence, a distant (metastatic) recurrence or a second primary) or death from any cause. Assessed for approximately up to 59 months.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Overall survival (OS)

    OS is defined as the time from the date of randomisation until death from any cause. Censoring (for patients who are not reported as having died) will occur at the date last known to be alive. Patients without post-randomisation information will be censored at the date of randomisation (plus 1 day).

    Time frame: From the date of randomisation until death from any cause. Assessed for approximately up to 59 months.

  2. Incidence, nature and severity of adverse events according to CTCAE v5.

    All safety parameters will be summarised in tables to evaluate the toxicity/safety profile of the protocol treatment.

    Time frame: From the date the patient has signed the Informed Consent until the trial end. Assessed for approximately up to 59 months.

07

Study locations

26 of 35 sites recruiting
08

Timeline

3 registry updates since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Jan 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2029, 38 months after the start.

Of 109 non-industry phase 3 interventional studies under Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, half reached primary completion within 81 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 49 and three quarters within 129. This study's planned 38 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 423 studies reached it within 45 months; a quarter within 30 and three quarters within 69.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Apr 2, 2025
First posted
Apr 17, 2025
StartActual
Jan 12, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Mar 2029
CompletionEst.
Mar 2029
Last update
Oct 28, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Sites
3 sites changed recruiting status (3 now recruiting)
Show 3 sites
  • CHU d'Angers · Angers, FranceNot yet recruiting→Recruiting
  • Wien AKH · Vienna, AustriaNot yet recruiting→Recruiting
  • Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg · Oldenburg, GermanyNot yet recruiting→Recruiting
across 3 updates, Sep 28, 2026 – Oct 28, 2026
Show all 3 updates
  1. Oct 28, 2026
    Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg is now Recruiting
  2. Oct 14, 2026
    Wien AKH is now Recruiting
    + 1 other change: verification date
  3. Sep 28, 2026
    CHU d'Angers is now Recruiting
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06931717
Lead sponsor
ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 17, 2025
Start date
Jan 12, 2026
Primary completion
Mar 2029 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 28, 2026

Study contacts

Heidi Roschitzki, PhD
Contact
heidi.roschitzki@etop.ibcsg.org
+41 31 511 94 00
Susanne Roux
Contact
ARCH@etop.ibcsg.org
+41 31 511 94 00
Ross Soo, MB BS, PhD, FRACP
study chair · National University Hospital, Singapore
Patrick Forde, MD, MBBCh, PhD
study chair · Trinity St James Cancer Institute, Dublin, Ireland
Servet Bölükbas, MHBA, FETCS, FEBTS, FCCP
study chair · Universitätsmedizin Essen - Ruhrlandklinik Lungenkrebszentrum am Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum (LWTZ), Essen, Germany

Oversight

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

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Studies of the drug tested here: Cemiplimab

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