A Phase 2/3 interventional study of MK-1045 and Rituximab in Follicular Lymphoma, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Recruiting at 38 sites in 14 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 2/3, Interventional, and Treatment
Researchers are looking for new ways to treat follicular lymphoma (FL). A standard (usual) treatment for FL includes a targeted therapy called rituximab and chemotherapy. In this study, researchers want to learn if giving a study medicine called MK-1045 and rituximab can treat FL. MK-1045 is a type of treatment called immunotherapy.
The goals of this study are to learn:
1,891 studies on the registry are indexed under Lymphoma, Follicular; 290 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 960 is above the median of 48 across 1,503 interventional studies indexed under Lymphoma, Follicular.
Browse Lymphoma, Follicular 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.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Child-Pugh class
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive escalating doses of MK-1045 (from 2 mg to 90 mg) once weekly (QW) for up to approximately 12 months. Participants will also receive 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab (or biosimilar) once every 4 weeks (Q4W) for up to approximately 6 months.
Biological: MK-1045 · Biological: Rituximab · Biological: Rituximab biosimilar
Participants will receive MK-1045 QW at the dose determined in Part 1 for up to approximately 12 months. Participants will also receive 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab (or biosimilar) Q4W for up to approximately 6 months.
Biological: MK-1045 · Biological: Rituximab · Biological: Rituximab biosimilar
Participants will receive physician's choice of: 90 mg/m\^2 bendamustine on Days 1 and 2 of each 4-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 6 months) plus 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab (or biosimilar) Q4W for up to approximately 6 months OR 750 mg/m\^2 cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m\^2 doxorubicin, and 1.4 mg/m\^2 vincristine on day 1 of each 3-week cycle (Q3W) and 100 mg/m\^2 prednisone (or prednisolone) once daily on days 1 through 5 Q3W for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months) plus 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab (or biosimilar) Q3W for up to approximately 4 months OR 750 mg/m\^2 cyclophosphamide and 1.4 mg/m\^2 vincristine Q3W and 40 mg/day prednisone (or prednisolone) once daily on days 1 through 5 of each 3-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months) plus 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab (or biosimilar) Q3W for up to approximately 6 months.
Biological: Rituximab · Biological: Rituximab biosimilar · Drug: Bendamustine · Drug: Cyclophosphamide · Drug: Vincristine · Drug: Prednisone · Drug: Prednisolone · Drug: Doxorubicin Hydrochloride
Intravenous (IV) infusion
Also known as: CN201
IV infusion
IV infusion
Also known as: TRUXIMA®, RUXIENCE®, RIABNI®
IV infusion
Also known as: Bendeka, Treanda, Belrapzo
IV infusion
Also known as: Cytoxan, Neosar, Cytophosphane
IV infusion
Also known as: Oncovin, Vincasar PFS
Per approved product label
Also known as: Prednisone acetate
Per approved product label
Also known as: Prednisolone acetate
IV infusion
Also known as: Adriamycin
Part 1: Number of Participants Who Experience an Adverse Event (AE)
An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.
Time frame: Up to approximately 15 months
Part 1: Number of Participants Who Discontinue Study Treatment Due to an AE
An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.
Time frame: Up to approximately 12 months
Part 1: Number of Participants Who Experience Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT)
DLT will be defined as any drug-related AE observed during the DLT evaluation period that results in a change to a given dose or a delay in initiating the next cycle.
Time frame: Up to approximately 36 days
Part 1: Complete Response (CR) Rate
For participants who demonstrate a confirmed Complete Response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) per Lugano response criteria. CR rate is defined as the percentage of participants who experience a CR. The CR rate as assessed by physician investigator will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 60 months
Part 2: Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
PFS is defined as the time from randomization to the first documented disease progression per Lugano response criteria by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 63 months
Part 1: Objective Response Rate (ORR)
ORR is defined as the percentage of participants with CR (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or Partial Response (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per Lugano response criteria. The percentage of participants who experience CR or PR as assessed by physician investigator will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 60 months
Part 1: Duration of CR
For participants who demonstrate CR (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) at end of treatment per Lugano response criteria, defined as the time from the first documented evidence of CR until disease progression or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 60 months
Part 1: Area Under the Concentration-Time Curve at Steady State (AUCss) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected at multiple time points to estimate the AUCss of MK-1045.
Time frame: Predose and at designated time points post-dose (up to approximately 12 months)
Part 1: Maximum Concentration (Cmax) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected at multiple time points to estimate the Cmax of MK-1045.
Time frame: Predose and at designated time points post-dose (up to approximately 12 months)
Part 1: Trough Concentration (Ctrough) of MK-1045
Blood samples will be collected at multiple time points to estimate the Ctrough of MK-1045.
Time frame: Predose and at designated time points post-dose (up to approximately 12 months)
Part 2: CR Rate at 30 Months
For participants who demonstrate a confirmed CR (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) per Lugano response criteria. CR rate is defined as the percentage of participants who experience a CR by month 30. The CR rate as assessed by BICR at month 30 will be presented.
Time frame: 30 months
Part 2: ORR
ORR is defined as the percentage of participants with CR (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per Lugano response criteria. The percentage of participants who experience CR or PR as assessed by BICR will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 63 months
Part 2: Overall Survival (OS)
OS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.
Time frame: Up to approximately 63 months
Part 2: Event-Free Survival (EFS)
EFS is defined as the time randomization to the first documented disease progression per Lugano response criteria by BICR, death due to any cause, initiation of a new anticancer therapy or a positive biopsy for residual disease, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 63 months
Part 2: Duration of CR
For participants who demonstrate CR (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) per Lugano response criteria by BICR, defined as the time from the first documented evidence of CR until disease progression or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 63 months
Part 2: Number of Participants Who Experience an AE
An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.
Time frame: Up to approximately 15 months
Part 2: Number of Participants Who Discontinue Study Treatment Due to an AE
An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, disease, or worsening of preexisting condition temporally associated with study treatment and irrespective of causality to study treatment.
Time frame: Up to approximately 12 months
Part 2: Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQoL) on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lymphoma (FACT-Lym) Trial Outcome Index (TOI)
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately month 13
Part 2: Change From Baseline in HRQoL on FACT-Lym Total Score
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately month 13
Part 2: Change From Baseline in HRQoL on FACT-Lym Physical Well-being (PWB) (Items General Physical [GP]1 Through GP7)
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to approximately month 13
Plan to share: Yes — https://trialstransparency.msdclinicaltrials.com/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Data sharing details ↗ · externaldatasharing-msd.com
Started Jun 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2032, 73 months after the start.
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 ↗
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Studies of the drug tested here: Anti-CD19/CD3 Bispecific Antibody MK-1045