A Phase 3 interventional study of Sacituzumab tirumotecan and Pembrolizumab in Breast Neoplasms, Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms and HR Low-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Neoplasms, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Recruiting at 335 sites in 41 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-10.
Sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (part of Merck & Co., Inc) · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
Researchers are looking for new ways to treat types of breast cancer that are both:
Sacituzumab tirumotecan (also known as sac-TMT or MK-2870), the study medicine, is a type of targeted therapy. A targeted therapy is a treatment that works to control how specific types of cancer cells grow and spread.
The main goals of this study are to learn if people who receive sac-TMT, pembrolizumab, and chemotherapy:
1,219 studies on the registry are indexed under Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; 446 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 2,400 is above the median of 60 across 1,053 interventional studies indexed under Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms.
Browse Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms studies →Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is the lead sponsor of 2,166 studies on the registry; 132 are open to participants now.
Of its 501 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 370 (74%) have results posted.
Compared within Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Breast Neoplasms. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
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.
The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
Has previously untreated high-risk, early-stage, non- (M0) breast cancer (BC), defined as any of the following combined primary tumor (T) and regional lymph node (N) staging per AJCC 8th edition criteria as assessed by the physician investigator based on radiological and/or clinical assessment:
Exclusion Criteria:
The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
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.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
HER2 is a protein, made from the ERBB2 gene, that drives the growth of some cancers. A study may look for a level of the protein, extra copies of the gene, or a particular change in it.
In breast cancer, protein tests are read as HER2-positive, HER2-low or HER2-negative; other cancers use their own rules. Check which test result the study requires.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
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.
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.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HER2
HER2 is a protein, made from the ERBB2 gene, that drives the growth of some cancers. A study may look for a level of the protein, extra copies of the gene, or a particular change in it.
In breast cancer, protein tests are read as HER2-positive, HER2-low or HER2-negative; other cancers use their own rules. Check which test result the study requires.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants receive sacituzumab tirumotecan intravenously (IV) at a dose of 4 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W) + IV pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W), for 12 weeks; then receive IV pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W and IV carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 1.5 + IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m\^2 once weekly, for 12 weeks. 3-6 weeks later, participants undergo surgery and optional radiation therapy, and receive IV pembrolizumab 400 mg once every 6 weeks or 200 mg Q3W for up to approximately 28 weeks. Additional adjuvant treatment of physician's choice (TPC) may be administered to participants with residual disease. TPC options are olaparib 300 mg oral twice daily (BID) for 1 year (participants with germline breast cancer susceptibility gene mutation (gBRCAm) only); capecitabine 1000-1250 mg/m\^2 oral twice daily on days 1-14 and 22-35 each cycle for 4 six-week cycles; or doxorubicin 60mg/m\^2 (or epirubicin 90 mg/m\^2) IV infusion Q3W/Q2W + cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m\^2 IV infusion Q3W/Q2W for 4 doses.
Biological: Sacituzumab tirumotecan · Biological: Pembrolizumab · Drug: Rescue Medication · Drug: Carboplatin · Drug: Paclitaxel · Drug: Doxorubicin · Drug: Epirubicin · Drug: Cyclophosphamide · Drug: Capecitabine · Drug: Olaparib
Participants receive IV carboplatin AUC 1.5 and paclitaxel 80 mg/m\^2 once weekly, alongside pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W, for 6 weeks; then receive IV pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W alongside IV cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m\^2 Q3W and either doxorubicin 60 mg/m\^2 Q3W or epirubicin 90 mg/m\^2 Q3W, for up to 12 weeks. 3-6 weeks later, participants undergo surgery and optional radiation therapy, and receive IV pembrolizumab 400 mg once every 6 weeks or 200 mg Q3W for up to approximately 28 weeks. Additional adjuvant TPC may be administered to participants with residual disease. TPC options are olaparib 300 mg oral BID for 1 year (participants with germline breast cancer susceptibility gene mutation (gBRCAm) only); or capecitabine 1000-1250 mg/m\^2 oral BID on days 1-14 and 22-35 each cycle for 4 six-week cycles.
Biological: Pembrolizumab · Drug: Rescue Medication · Drug: Carboplatin · Drug: Paclitaxel · Drug: Doxorubicin · Drug: Epirubicin · Drug: Cyclophosphamide · Drug: Capecitabine · Drug: Olaparib
IV infusion
Also known as: Sac-TMT, MK-2870
IV infusion
Also known as: MK-3475, Keytruda®
Participants receive rescue medication at the investigators discretion, per approved product label. Recommended rescue medications are histamine -1 (H1) receptor agonist, histamine-2 (H2) receptor antagonist, acetaminophen or equivalent, dexamethasone or equivalent infusion, or steroid mouthwash (dexamethasone or equivalent).
IV infusion
Also known as: Paraplatin
IV infusion
Also known as: Taxol, Onxol
IV infusion
Also known as: ADRIAMYCIN®
IV infusion
Also known as: Ellence®
IV infusion
Also known as: Cytophosphane
Oral tablet
Also known as: Xeloda®
Oral tablet
Also known as: LYNPARZA®
Percentage of Participants with Pathological Complete Response (pCR) at the Time of Definitive Surgery
pCR (ypT0/Tis ypN0) is defined as the absence of residual invasive cancer on hematoxylin and eosin evaluation of the complete resected breast specimen and all sampled regional lymph nodes after completion of neoadjuvant systemic therapy per current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria assessed by the local pathologist at the time of definitive surgery.
Time frame: Up to approximately 30 weeks
Event-Free Survival (EFS)
EFS is defined as the time from randomization to disease progression that precludes surgery, local or distant recurrence, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 92 months
Overall Survival (OS)
OS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.
Time frame: Up to approximately 115 months
Percentage of Participants with pCR with No Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (pCR-no DCIS) at the Time of Definitive Surgery
pCR-no ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (ypT0 ypN0) is defined as the absence of residual invasive and in situ cancer on hematoxylin and eosin evaluation of the complete resected breast specimen and all sampled regional lymph nodes after completion of neoadjuvant systemic therapy per current AJCC staging criteria assessed by the local pathologist at the time of definitive surgery.
Time frame: Up to approximately 30 weeks
Percentage of Participants with pCR at the Time of Definitive Surgery (High-risk, early-stage, TNBC subset)
pCR (ypT0/Tis ypN0) is defined as the absence of residual invasive cancer on hematoxylin and eosin evaluation of the complete resected breast specimen and all sampled regional lymph nodes after completion of neoadjuvant systemic therapy per current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria assessed by the local pathologist at the time of definitive surgery. The pCR will be presented for the subset of participants who enrolled with high-risk, early-stage, TNBC.
Time frame: Up to approximately 30 weeks
Event-Free Survival (EFS) (High-risk, early-stage, TNBC subset)
EFS is defined as the time from randomization to disease progression that precludes surgery, local or distant recurrence, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. The EFS will be presented for the subset of participants who enrolled with high-risk, early-stage, TNBC.
Time frame: Up to approximately 92 months
Overall Survival (OS) (High-risk, early-stage, TNBC subset)
OS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.
Time frame: Up to approximately 115 months
Distant Progression or Distant Recurrence-Free Survival (DPDRFS)
DPDRFS is defined as the time from randomization to first distant progression or distant recurrence event as assessed by investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 92 months
Change from Baseline in European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) Global Health Status-Quality of Life Score
The EORTC-QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire developed to assess the QoL of cancer patients. Participant responses to Item 30 (""How would you rate your overall quality of life during the past week?") is scored on a 7-point scale (1=Very Poor to 7=Excellent). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher value indicates a better level of function. The change from baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Item 30 score will be reported.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately 3 years
Change from Baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Physical Functioning Score
The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to questions about their physical functioning are scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a better level of physical functioning.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately 3 years
Change from Baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Role Functioning Score
The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to questions about their role functioning are scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a better level of physical functioning.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately 3 years
Change from Baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 Fatigue Score
The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of cancer patients. Participant responses to questions about their fatigue are scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A lower score indicates a better level of function.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately 3 years
Change from Baseline in EORTC QLQ Breast Cancer 42 (BR42) Systemic Therapy Side Effects Score
The EORTC QLQ-BR42 is a 42-item questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life of breast cancer patients. Participant responses to questions about their systemic therapy side effects are scored on a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much). Using linear transformation, raw scores are standardized, so that scores range from 0 to 100. A lower score indicates a lower level of side effects.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately 3 years
Number of Participants Who Experience One or More Adverse Events (AEs)
An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention.
Time frame: Up to approximately 67 weeks
Number of Participants Who Discontinue Study Treatment Due to an AE
An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention.
Time frame: Up to approximately 54 weeks
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Plan to share: Yes — https://trialstransparency.msdclinicaltrials.com/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Data sharing details ↗ · externaldatasharing-msd.com
Started Jun 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2033, 92 months after the start.
Of 60 phase 3 interventional studies under Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 65 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 39 and three quarters within 103. This study's planned 92 months is above that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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 ↗
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Sacituzumab tirumotecan
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms →