Pembrolizumab (pembro) versus placebo (pbo) in patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) previously treated with sorafenib: Updated data from the randomized, phase 3 KEYNOTE-240 study.

Authors

null

Richard S. Finn

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Richard S. Finn , Julien Edeline , Mohamed Bouattour , Ann-Lii Cheng , Stephen Lam Chan , Thomas Yau , Marcelo Garrido , Jennifer J. Knox , Bruno Daniele , Andrew X. Zhu , Valeriy Vladimirovich Breder , Ho Yeong Lim , Sadahisa Ogasawara , Abby B. Siegel , Ahmadur Rahman , Ziwen Wei , Philippe Merle

Organizations

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France, Hôpital Beaujon, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Clichy, France, National Taiwan University Cancer Center and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Sir YK Pao Centre for Cancer, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, UHN Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Ospedale del Mare, Naples, Italy, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russian Federation, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France

Research Funding

Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA

Background: KEYNOTE-240 (NCT02702401) examined the anti?PD-1 antibody pembro and showed improvement in OS and PFS vs pbo in pts with aHCC previously treated with sorafenib. The study did not meet prespecified statistical significance criteria for OS and PFS. Median OS (final analysis) was 13.9 mo for pembro vs 10.6 mo for pbo (HR 0.781; 95% CI 0.611-0.998). At the first interim analysis when testing for PFS and ORR was prespecified, median PFS was 3.0 mo for pembro vs 2.8 mo for pbo (HR 0.775; 95% CI 0.609-0.987) and ORR was 16.9% (CR, n = 3) for pembro and 2.2% (CR, n = 0) for pbo. AEs were consistent with the known safety profile of pembro. Longer term data from KEYNOTE-240 after ̃1.5 y of additional follow-up are reported. Methods: Adults with confirmed aHCC for whom sorafenib therapy failed (progression or intolerance) were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive pembro 200 mg IV Q3W + best supportive care (BSC) or pbo + BSC for ≤35 cycles or until confirmed progression/unacceptable toxicity, pt withdrawal of consent, or investigator decision to withdraw pt. Dual primary end points were OS and PFS, assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) per RECIST v1.1. Secondary end points included ORR, DOR, DCR, TTP (all assessed by BICR per RECIST v1.1), and safety. Results: Of 413 pts, 278 were randomized to receive pembro; 135, to pbo.As of July 13, 2020, median time (range) from randomization to data cutoff was 39.6 mo (31.7-48.8) for pembro and 39.8 mo (31.7-47.8) for pbo. Median OS (95% CI) was 13.9 mo (11.6-16.0) for pembro and 10.6 mo (8.3-13.5) for pbo (HR 0.771; 95% CI 0.617-0.964). Estimated OS rates at 24 and 36 mo for pembro and pbo were 28.8% and 20.4% and 17.7% and 11.7%, respectively. Median PFS (95% CI) was 3.3 mo (2.8-4.1) for pembro and 2.8 mo (1.6-3.0) for pbo (HR 0.703; 95% CI 0.559-0.885). Estimated PFS rate at 24 mo was 11.8% for pembro and 4.8% for pbo. ORR (95% CI) was 18.3% (14.0-23.4) for pembro and 4.4% (1.6-9.4) for pbo. Median time to response (95% CI) was 2.7 mo (1.2-16.9) for pembro and 2.9 mo (1.1-6.9) for pbo. Median DOR (range) was 13.9 mo (1.5+ to 41.9+) for pembro and 15.2 mo (2.8-21.9) for pbo; 53.7% of responders in the pembro arm and 50.0% of responders in the pbo arm had DOR ≥12 mo. DCR was 61.9% for pembro and 53.3% for pbo. Best overall responses were 10 CR, 41 PR, 121 SD, and 85 PD for pembro and 0 CR, 6 PR, 66 SD, and 54 PD for pbo. Median TTP (95% CI) was 4.0 mo (2.8-5.3) for pembro and 2.8 mo (1.6-3.0) for pbo. No new or unexpected AEs occurred. The frequency of sponsor-assessed immune-mediated hepatitis events did not increase with additional follow-up. There continued to be no HBV or HCV viral flare events. Conclusions: In previously treated pts with aHCC, improvement in OS and PFS was maintained over time with pembro vs pbo, and the safety profile remained consistent. These data support the benefit:risk profile of pembro. Clinical trial information: NCT02702401

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2021 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Gastrointestinal Cancer—Gastroesophageal, Pancreatic, and Hepatobiliary

Track

Gastrointestinal Cancer—Gastroesophageal, Pancreatic, and Hepatobiliary

Sub Track

Hepatobiliary Cancer

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT02702401

Citation

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 4072)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.4072

Abstract #

4072

Poster Bd #

Online Only

Abstract Disclosures