A Phase 1/2 interventional study of MK-1045 in Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin, Lymphoma, Follicular and Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Recruiting at 54 sites in 16 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 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment
Researchers are looking for new ways to treat 2 types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) called follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). FL is a slow-growing type of NHL. DLBCL is a fast-growing type of NHL. NHL is a cancer in the lymphatic system that causes swollen lymph nodes. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system.
In this study, researchers want to learn if MK-1045 can treat FL and DLBCL. MK-1045 is a study treatment that is an immunotherapy, which helps the immune system fight cancer.
The goals of this study are to learn how safe MK-1045 is and if people tolerate it. Researchers also want to see if FL and DLBCL respond (the cancer gets smaller or goes away) to treatment.
2,287 studies on the registry are indexed under Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; 287 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 280 is above the median of 40 across 1,883 interventional studies indexed under Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin.
Browse Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin 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.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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:
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.
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
A line of therapy is one course of treatment, which may combine several drugs. First-line is the first course given; second-line follows when that stops working or is not tolerated.
“Two prior lines” means two courses that count separately under the study’s rules — not simply two drugs. Ask the study team if you are unsure how yours are counted.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
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.
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 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 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.
The amount of disease can be tracked with a defined measurement, so the study can see whether it shrinks or grows. It might be a tumour measured on a scan or, in some blood cancers such as myeloma, a marker measured in blood or urine.
The criteria or the study team say which measurement counts — having no tumour visible on a scan does not by itself rule you out.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
After a transplant from a donor, the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s body, often the skin, gut or liver.
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
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.
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.
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.
Relapsed and refractory
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Line of therapy
A line of therapy is one course of treatment, which may combine several drugs. First-line is the first course given; second-line follows when that stops working or is not tolerated.
“Two prior lines” means two courses that count separately under the study’s rules — not simply two drugs. Ask the study team if you are unsure how yours are counted.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Measurable disease
The amount of disease can be tracked with a defined measurement, so the study can see whether it shrinks or grows. It might be a tumour measured on a scan or, in some blood cancers such as myeloma, a marker measured in blood or urine.
The criteria or the study team say which measurement counts — having no tumour visible on a scan does not by itself rule you out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GVHD (graft-versus-host disease)
After a transplant from a donor, the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s body, often the skin, gut or liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Bilirubin
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive Dosage A of MK-1045 by Intravenous (IV) infusion for up to approximately 1 year of treatment or until discontinuation.
Biological: MK-1045
Participants will receive Dosage B of MK-1045 by Intravenous (IV) infusion for up to approximately 1 year of treatment or until discontinuation.
Biological: MK-1045
Participants will receive Dosage C of MK-1045 by subcutaneous (SC) injection for up to approximately 1 year of treatment or until discontinuation.
Biological: MK-1045
Participants will receive Dosage D of MK-1045 by Intravenous (IV) infusion for up to approximately 1 year of treatment or until discontinuation.
Biological: MK-1045
Intravenous (IV) Infusion or Subcutaneous (SC) injection
Also known as: CN-201
Number of Participants Who Experience an Adverse Event (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. The number of participants who experience an AE will be reported.
Time frame: Up to approximately 49 months
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. The number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE will be reported.
Time frame: Up to approximately 12 months
Arms 2 and 3: Number of Participants Who Experience Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT)
DLT will be defined as any drug-related AE observed during the DLT evaluation period (up to 28 days) that results in a change to a given dose or a delay in initiating the next treatment.
Time frame: Up to approximately 28 days
Arms 1, 2, and 4: Objective Response Rate (ORR) per Lugano Response Criteria as assessed by Blinded Independent Central review (BICR)
ORR is defined as the percentage of the participants who had complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) and will be evaluated using computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT. Response will be assessed based on the International Working Group Criteria: Lugano Classification (Cheson et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014). CR is complete metabolic (no/minimal fluorodeoxyglucose \[FDG\] uptake) and radiologic response (target lesions regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest transverse diameter of a lesion) and no new lesions. PR is partial metabolic (moderate/high FDG uptake) and radiologic response (≥50% decrease in sum of product diameters for multiple lesions of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites, no increase in lesions, and spleen regressed by \>50% in length beyond normal). In Arms 1, 2, and 4, the percentage of participants who experience CR or PR as assessed by BICR will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 49 months
Arms 1, 2, and 4: Duration of Response (DOR) per Lugano Response Criteria as assessed by BICR
For participants who demonstrate a confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), DOR is defined as the time from CR or PR to documented disease progression or death. Participants are assessed using computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT and response will be evaluated based on the Lugano Classification (Cheson et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014). CR is complete metabolic (no/minimal fluorodeoxyglucose \[FDG\] uptake) and radiologic response (target lesions regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest transverse diameter of a lesion) and no new lesions. PR is partial metabolic (moderate/high FDG uptake) and radiologic response (≥50% decrease in sum of product diameters (SPD) for multiple lesions of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites, no increase in lesions, and spleen regressed by \>50% in length beyond normal). DOR as assessed by BICR will be presented for Arms 1, 2, and 4.
Time frame: Up to approximately 49 months
Arm 3: DOR per Lugano Response Criteria as assessed by Investigator
For participants who demonstrate a confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), DOR is defined as the time from CR or PR to documented disease progression or death. Participants are assessed using computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT and response will be evaluated based on the Lugano Classification (Cheson et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014). CR is complete metabolic (no/minimal fluorodeoxyglucose \[FDG\] uptake) and radiologic response (target lesions regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest transverse diameter of a lesion) and no new lesions. PR is partial metabolic (moderate/high FDG uptake) and radiologic response (≥50% decrease in sum of product diameters (SPD) for multiple lesions of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites, no increase in lesions, and spleen regressed by \>50% in length beyond normal). DOR as assessed by the Investigator will be presented for Arm 3.
Time frame: Up to approximately 49 months
Area Under the Concentration-time Curve Measured at Steady State (AUCss) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected to determine the AUCss of MK-1045 in plasma.
Time frame: Pre-dose and at designated time points post-dose up to 12 months
Trough Concentration (Ctrough) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected to determine the Ctrough of MK-1045 in plasma.
Time frame: Pre-dose and at designated time points post-dose up to 12 months
Maximum Serum Concentration (Cmax) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected to determine the Cmax of MK-1045 in plasma.
Time frame: Pre-dose and at designated time points post-dose up to 12 months
Arms 1, 2, and 4: Time to Maximum Serum Concentration (Tmax) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected to determine the Tmax of MK-1045 in plasma.
Time frame: Pre-dose and at designated time points post-dose up to 12 months
Arm 3: Absolute Bioavailability Expressed as a Percentage (F%) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected to determine the F% of MK-1045 in plasma.
Time frame: Pre-dose and at designated time points post-dose up to 12 months
Arm 3: ORR per Lugano Response Criteria as assessed by Investigator
ORR is defined as the percentage of the participants who had complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) and will be evaluated using computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT. Response will be assessed based on the International Working Group Criteria: Lugano Classification (Cheson et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014). CR is complete metabolic (no/minimal fluorodeoxyglucose \[FDG\] uptake) and radiologic response (target lesions regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest transverse diameter of a lesion) and no new lesions. PR is partial metabolic (moderate/high FDG uptake) and radiologic response (≥50% decrease in sum of product diameters for multiple lesions of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites, no increase in lesions, and spleen regressed by \>50% in length beyond normal). In Arm 3, the percentage of participants who experience CR or PR as assessed by the Investigator will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 49 months
Plan to share: Yes — https://trialstransparency.msdclinicaltrials.com/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Data sharing details ↗ · externaldatasharing-msd.com
Started May 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2030, 49 months after the start.
Of 69 industry-sponsored phase 1/2 interventional studies under Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin, half reached primary completion within 65 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 40 and three quarters within 103. This study's planned 49 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 135 studies reached it within 72 months; a quarter within 50 and three quarters within 106.
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.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Studies of the drug tested here: Anti-CD19/CD3 Bispecific Antibody MK-1045