Pembrolizumab (pembro) versus platinum-based chemotherapy (chemo) as first-line therapy for advanced/metastatic NSCLC with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 1%: Open-label, phase 3 KEYNOTE-042 study.

Authors

Gilberto Lopes

Gilberto Lopes

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL

Gilberto Lopes , Yi-Long Wu , Iveta Kudaba , Dariusz Kowalski , Byoung Chul Cho , Gilberto Castro Jr., Vichien Srimuninnimit , Igor Bondarenko , Kaoru Kubota , Gregory M. Lubiniecki , Jin Zhang , Debra A. Kush , Tony Mok

Organizations

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong General Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China, Riga East Clinical University - Latvian Oncology Center, Riga, Latvia, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Warszawa, Poland, Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China

Research Funding

Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company

Background: In KEYNOTE-024, pembro significantly improved PFS (primary end point) and OS (secondary end-point) over chemo as first-line therapy for metastatic NSCLC without targetable alterations and PD-L1 TPS ≥50%. In KEYNOTE-042, we compared pembro with chemo at the lower TPS of ≥1% (NCT02220894). Methods: Eligible patients (pts) were randomized 1:1 to ≤35 cycles of pembro 200 mg Q3W or investigator’s choice of ≤6 cycles of paclitaxel + carboplatin or pemetrexed (peme) + carboplatin with optional peme maintenance (nonsquamous only). Randomization was stratified by region (east Asia vs non-east Asia), ECOG PS (0 vs 1), histology (squamous vs nonsquamous), and TPS (≥50% vs 1-49%). Primary end-points were OS in pts with TPS ≥50%, ≥20%, and ≥1%. OS differences were assessed sequentially using the stratified log-rank test. Efficacy boundaries at the prespecified second interim analysis were one-sided P = .0122, .01198, and .01238, respectively. Results: 1274 pts were randomized: 637 to each arm. 599 pts (47.0%) had TPS ≥50%, 818 (64.2%) had TPS ≥20%. After 12.8-mo median follow-up, 13.7% were still on pembro and 4.9% were receiving peme maintenance. Pembro significantly improved OS in pts with TPS ≥50% (HR 0.69), TPS ≥20% (HR 0.77), and TPS ≥1% (HR 0.81) (Table). Grade 3-5 drug-related AEs were less frequent with pembro (17.8% vs 41.0%). The external DMC recommended continuing the trial to evaluate PFS (secondary end-point). Conclusion: KEYNOTE-042 is the first study with a primary end-point of OS to demonstrate superiority of pembro over platinum-based chemo in pts with previously untreated advanced/metastatic NSCLC without sensitizing EGFR or ALK alterations and a PD-L1 TPS ≥1%. These data confirm and potentially extend the role of pembro monotherapy as a standard first-line treatment for PD-L1-expressing advanced/metastatic NSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT02220894

PD-L1 TPS
≥50%
≥20%
≥1%
Pembro
N = 299
Chemo
N = 300
Pembro
N = 413
Chemo
N = 405
Pembro
N = 637
Chemo
N = 637
OS
HR (95% CI)0.69 (0.56-0.85)0.77 (0.64-0.92)0.81 (0.71-0.93)
P.0003.0020.0018
Median (95% CI), mo20.0
(15.4-24.9)
12.2
(10.4-14.2)
17.7
(15.3-22.1)
13.0
(11.6-15.3)
16.7
(13.9-19.7)
12.1
(11.3-13.3)

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2018 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Plenary Session

Session Title

Plenary Session Including the Science of Oncology Award and Lecture

Track

Special Sessions

Sub Track

Metastatic Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT02220894

Citation

J Clin Oncol 36, 2018 (suppl; abstr LBA4)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2018.36.18_suppl.LBA4

Abstract #

LBA4

Abstract Disclosures