Associations of Tissue Tumor Mutational Burden and Mutational Status With Clinical Outcomes With Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Versus Chemotherapy For Metastatic NSCLC.

Introduction: We evaluated tissue tumor mutational burden (tTMB) and mutations in STK11, KEAP1, and KRAS as biomarkers for outcomes with pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy (pembrolizumab-combination) for NSCLC among patients in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-189 (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02578680; nonsquamous) and KEYNOTE-407 (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02775435; squamous) trials. Methods: This retrospective exploratory analysis evaluated prevalence of high tTMB and STK11, KEAP1, and KRAS mutations in patients enrolled in KEYNOTE-189 and KEYNOTE-407 and the relationship between these potential biomarkers and clinical outcomes. tTMB and STK11, KEAP1, and KRAS mutation status was assessed using whole-exome sequencing in patients with available tumor and matched normal DNA. The clinical utility of tTMB was assessed using a prespecified cutpoint of 175 mutations/exome. Results: Among patients with evaluable data from whole-exome sequencing for evaluation of tTMB (KEYNOTE-189, n = 293; KEYNOTE-407, n = 312) and matched normal DNA, no association was found between continuous tTMB score and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival for pembrolizumab-combination (Wald test, one-sided p > 0.05) or placebo-combination (Wald test, two-sided p > 0.05) in patients with squamous or nonsquamous histology. Pembrolizumab-combination improved outcomes for patients with tTMB greater than or equal to 175 compared with tTMB less than 175 mutations/exome in KEYNOTE-189 (OS, hazard ratio = 0.64 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38‒1.07] and 0.64 [95% CI: 0.42‒0.97], respectively) and KEYNOTE-407 (OS, hazard ratio = 0.74 [95% CI: 0.50‒1.08 and 0.86 [95% CI: 0.57‒1.28], respectively) versus placebo-combination. Treatment outcomes were similar regardless of KEAP1, STK11, or KRAS mutation status. Conclusions: These findings support pembrolizumab-combination as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC and do not suggest the utility of tTMB, STK11, KEAP1, or KRAS mutation status as a biomarker for this regimen.

Indirect comparison of pembrolizumab monotherapy versus nivolumab + ipilimumab in first-line metastatic lung cancer.

Aim: This study indirectly compared the effectiveness of pembrolizumab monotherapy versus nivolumab + ipilimumab in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. Materials and methods: A matching-adjusted indirect comparison was conducted using pooled individual patient data from KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042 and published aggregate data from CheckMate 227 Part 1A, with platinum doublet chemotherapy as the anchor. Results: After matching, estimated hazard ratios (95% CI) of pembrolizumab monotherapy versus nivolumab + ipilimumab for overall survival and progression-free survival were 1.07 (0.82, 1.39) and 1.16 (0.93, 1.45), respectively. For objective response rate, the estimated risk ratio (95% CI) was 0.93 (0.71, 1.22) and the risk difference (95% CI) was -2.86%(-11.38, 5.67). Conclusion: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison results demonstrated comparable effectiveness between pembrolizumab monotherapy and nivolumab + ipilimumab as first-line therapies for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 tumor-proportion score ≥1%.

Outcomes With Pembrolizumab Monotherapy in Patients With Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Positive NSCLC With Brain Metastases: Pooled Analysis of KEYNOTE-001, 010, 024, and 042.

INTRODUCTION: We retrospectively evaluated outcomes in patients with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to determine whether baseline (i.e., at study enrollment) brain metastases were associated with the efficacy of pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy. METHODS: We pooled data for patients with previously treated or untreated PD-L1‒positive (tumor proportion score [TPS], ≥1%) advanced or metastatic NSCLC in KEYNOTE-001 (NCT01295827), KEYNOTE-010 (NCT01905657), KEYNOTE-024 (NCT02142738), and KEYNOTE-042 (NCT02220894). Patients received pembrolizumab (2 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or 200 mg every 3 wk or 10 mg/kg every 2 wk); chemotherapy was a comparator in all studies except KEYNOTE-001. All studies included patients with previously treated, stable brain metastases. RESULTS: A total of 3170 patients were included, 293 (9.2%) with and 2877 (90.8%) without baseline brain metastases; median (range) follow-up at data cutoff was 12.9 (0.1‒43.7) months. Pembrolizumab improved overall survival versus chemotherapy in patients with or without baseline brain metastases: benefit was seen in patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50% (0.67 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.44‒1.02] and 0.66 [95% CI: 0.58‒0.76], respectively) and PD-L1 TPS ≥1% (0.83 [95% CI: 0.62‒1.10] and 0.78 [95% CI: 0.71‒0.85], respectively). Progression-free survival was improved, objective response rates were higher, and duration of response was longer with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy regardless of brain metastasis status. The incidence of treatment-related adverse events with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy was 66.3% versus 84.4% in patients with brain metastases and 67.2% versus 88.3% in those without. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab monotherapy improved outcomes and was associated with fewer adverse events than chemotherapy in patients with treatment-naive and previously treated PD-L1‒positive advanced/metastatic NSCLC regardless of the presence of baseline treated, stable brain metastases.

Outcomes With Pembrolizumab Plus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Patients With NSCLC and Stable Brain Metastases: Pooled Analysis of KEYNOTE-021, -189, and -407.

INTRODUCTION: This exploratory analysis retrospectively evaluated outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC to determine whether baseline brain metastases influenced the efficacy of first-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. METHODS: We pooled data for patients with advanced NSCLC in KEYNOTE-021 cohort G (nonsquamous), KEYNOTE-189 (nonsquamous), and KEYNOTE-407 (squamous). Patients were assigned to platinum-doublet chemotherapy with or without the addition of 35 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks. All studies permitted enrollment of patients with previously treated or untreated (KEYNOTE-189 and KEYNOTE-407 only) stable brain metastases. Patients with previously treated brain metastases were clinically stable for 2 or more weeks (≥4 wk in KEYNOTE-021 cohort G), had no evidence of new or enlarging brain metastases, and had no steroid use at least 3 days before dosing. Patients with known untreated asymptomatic brain metastases required regular imaging of the brain. RESULTS: A total of 1298 patients were included, 171 with and 1127 without baseline brain metastases. Median (range) durations of follow-up at data cutoff were 10.9 (0.1‒35.1) and 11.0 (0.1‒34.9) months, respectively. Hazard ratios (pembrolizumab + chemotherapy/chemotherapy) were similar for patients with and without brain metastases for overall survival (0.48 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32‒0.70] and 0.63 [95% CI: 0.53‒0.75], respectively) and progression-free survival (0.44 [95% CI: 0.31‒0.62] and 0.55 [95% CI: 0.48‒0.63], respectively). In patients with brain metastases, median overall survival was 18.8 months with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and 7.6 months with chemotherapy, and median progression-free survival was 6.9 months and 4.1 months, respectively. Objective response rates were higher and duration of response longer with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy regardless of brain metastasis status. Incidences of treatment-related adverse events with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy were 88.2% versus 82.8% among patients with brain metastases and 94.5% versus 90.6% in those without. CONCLUSIONS: With or without brain metastasis, pembrolizumab plus platinum-based histology-specific chemotherapy improved clinical outcomes versus chemotherapy alone across all programmed death ligand 1 subgroups, including patients with programmed death ligand 1 tumor proportion score less than 1% and had a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced NSCLC. This regimen is a standard-of-care treatment option for treatment-naive patients with advanced NSCLC, including patients with stable brain metastases.

Five Year Survival Update From KEYNOTE-010: Pembrolizumab Versus Docetaxel for Previously Treated, Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Positive Advanced NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: In the KEYNOTE-010 study, pembrolizumab improved overall survival (OS) versus docetaxel in patients with previously treated, advanced NSCLC with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50% and ≥1%. We report 5-year efficacy and safety follow-up for the KEYNOTE-010 study. METHODS: Patients were randomized to pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg once every 3 weeks or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles (2 y). Patients who completed pembrolizumab treatment and subsequently had recurrence could receive second-course pembrolizumab for up to 17 cycles (1 y). Pembrolizumab doses were pooled in this analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1034 patients were randomized (pembrolizumab, n = 691; docetaxel, n = 343). Median study follow-up was 67.4 months (range: 60.0‒77.9). The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for OS was 0.55 (0.44‒0.69) for patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and 0.70 (0.61‒0.80) with PD-L1 TPS ≥1%. The 5-year OS rates for pembrolizumab versus docetaxel were 25.0% versus 8.2% in patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and 15.6% versus 6.5% with PD-L1 TPS ≥1%. Among 79 patients who completed 35 cycles/2 years of pembrolizumab, the OS rate 3 years after completion (∼5 y from randomization) was 83.0%. A total of 21 patients received second-course pembrolizumab; 11 (52.4%) had an objective response after starting the second course and 15 (71.4%) were alive at data cutoff. Exploratory biomarker analysis revealed that higher tissue tumor mutational burden (≥175 mutations per exome) was associated with improved outcomes with pembrolizumab. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab continued to provide long-term benefit than docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and ≥1%. Our findings confirm pembrolizumab as a standard-of-care treatment in the second-line or later setting.

Pembrolizumab+chemotherapy versus atezolizumab+chemotherapy+/-bevacizumab for the first-line treatment of non-squamous NSCLC: A matching-adjusted indirect comparison.

OBJECTIVES: Multiple immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations are approved for the management of advanced NSCLC which have not been directly compared in randomized clinical trials. This study indirectly compared the effectiveness of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy versus atezolizumab + chemotherapy+/-bevacizumab for previously untreated non-squamous NSCLC patients without EGFR/ALK aberrations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was conducted using individual patient data (IPD) from KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G (KN021 G) (pembrolizumab + carboplatin + pemetrexed; N = 59) and KEYNOTE-189 (KN189) (pembrolizumab + pemetrexed + platinum chemotherapy; N = 410) and published aggregate data from IMpower 130 (atezolizumab + carboplatin + nab-paclitaxel; N = 451) and IMpower 150 (atezolizumab + carboplatin + paclitaxel + bevacizumab; N = 356). To adjust for cross-trial differences in baseline characteristics, data from patients randomized to pembrolizumab + chemotherapy in KN021 G/KN189 were reweighted to match the baseline characteristics of patients randomized to atezolizumab + chemotherapy from IMpower 130 or atezolizumab + chemotherapy + bevacizumab from IMpower 150. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), blinded independent review-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR). OS and PFS follow-up were truncated to the trial with shorter follow-up. Sensitivity analyses were conducted without truncation of follow-up of OS and PFS. RESULTS: After matching for cross-trial differences, the effective sample size of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy was 428 and 389 for the IMpower 130 and IMpower 150 comparisons, respectively. The estimated HRs (95 % CIs) of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy versus atezolizumab + chemotherapy were 0.80 (0.67,0.95) and 0.79 (0.67,0.93) with regard to OS and PFS, respectively. For pembrolizumab + chemotherapy versus atezolizumab + chemotherapy + bevacizumab, the estimated HR (95 % CIs) was 0.86 (0.72,1.03) for OS and 0.81 (0.68,0.96) for PFS. For ORR, the estimated risk ratio (95 % CI) and the risk difference (95 % CI) was 0.9 (0.8,1.1) and -3.5 % (-10.0,3.1) for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy versus atezolizumab + chemotherapy, respectively, and 0.8 (0.7,0.9) and -12.2 % (-19.6,-4.8) for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy versus atezolizumab + chemotherapy + bevacizumab, respectively. Findings were consistent across sensitivity analyses for both outcomes. CONCLUSION: MAIC results showed a significantly better OS and PFS for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy compared with atezolizumab + chemotherapy and a significantly better PFS for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy compared with atezolizumab + chemotherapy + bevacizumab.

Real-world outcomes of first-line pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin for metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC at US oncology practices.

Evidence from real-world clinical settings is lacking with regard to first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our aim was to describe outcomes for patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab-combination therapy for metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC in US oncology practices. Using an anonymized, nationwide electronic health record-derived database, we identified patients who initiated pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin in the first-line setting (May 2017 to August 2018) after diagnosis of metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC that tested negative for EGFR and ALK genomic aberrations. Eligible patients had ECOG performance status of 0-1. An enhanced manual chart review was used to collect outcome information. Time-to-event analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Of 283 eligible patients, 168 (59%) were male; median age was 66 years (range 33-84); and the proportions of patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) of ≥ 50%, 1-49%, < 1%, and unknown were 28%, 27%, 28%, and 17%, respectively. At data cutoff on August 31, 2019, median patient follow-up was 20.3 months (range 12-28 months), and median real-world times on treatment (rwToT) with pembrolizumab and pemetrexed were 5.6 (95% CI 4.5-6.4) and 2.8 months (95% CI 2.2-3.5), respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 16.5 months (95% CI 13.2-20.6); estimated 12-month survival was 59.5% (95% CI 53.3-65.0); rwProgression-free survival was 6.4 months (95% CI 5.4-7.8); and rwTumor response rate (complete or partial response) was 56.5% (95% CI 50.5-62.4). Median OS was 20.6, 16.3, 13.2, and 13.7 months for patient cohorts with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%, 1-49%, < 1%, and unknown, respectively. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin by describing clinical outcomes among patients with metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC who were treated at US oncology practices.

First-in-human study of inhaled Azacitidine in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Aerosolized Azacitidine has been shown to inhibit orthotopic lung cancer growth and induce re-expression of methylated tumor suppressor genes in murine models. We hypothesized that inhaled Azacitidine is safe and effective in reversing epigenetic changes in the bronchial epithelium secondary to chronic smoking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report the first in human study of inhaled Azacitidine. Azacitidine in aqueous solution was used to generate an aerosol suspension of 0.25-5 µm particle size. Main inclusion criteria: Stage IV or recurrent NSCLC with predominantly lung involvement, ≥1 prior systemic therapy, ECOG PS 0-1, and adequate pulmonary function. Patients received inhaled Azacitidine daily on days 1-5 and 15-19 of 28-day cycles, at 3 escalating doses (15, 30 and 45 mg/m2 daily). The primary objective was to determine the feasibility and tolerability of this new therapeutic modality. The key secondary objectives included pharmacokinetics, methylation profiles and efficacy. RESULTS: From 3/2015 to 2/2018, eight patients received a median number of 2 (IQR = 1) cycles of inhaled Azacitidine. No clinically significant adverse events were observed, except one patient treated at the highest dose developed an asymptomatic grade 2 decreased DLCO which resolved spontaneously. One patient receiving 12 cycles of therapy had an objective and durable partial response, and two patients had stable disease. Plasma Azacitidine was only briefly detectable in patients treated at the higher doses. Moreover, in 2 of 3 participants who agreed and underwent pre- and post-treatment bronchoscopy, the global DNA methylation in the bronchial epithelium decreased by 24 % and 79 % post-therapy, respectively. The interval between last inhaled treatment and bronchoscopy was 3 days. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled Azacitidine resulted in negligible plasma levels compared to the previously reported subcutaneous administration and was well-tolerated. The results justify the continued development of inhaled Azacitidine at non-cytotoxic doses for patients with lung-confined malignant and/or premalignant lesions.

Overall Survival With Second-Line Pembrolizumab in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Randomized Phase III Clinical Trial Versus Propensity-Adjusted Real-World Data.

PURPOSE: To compare and characterize overall survival (OS) differences between clinical trial data from the KEYNOTE-010 trial and real-world data (RWD) from the Flatiron Health database in patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-expressing advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received second-line pembrolizumab monotherapy. METHODS: Clinical trial data were from the randomized phase II/III KEYNOTE-010 trial that enrolled patients from August 28, 2013, to February 27, 2015. At data cutoff for KEYNOTE-010, the median survival follow-up time for pembrolizumab patients was 11.2 months. RWD were from Flatiron Health advanced NSCLC database and included patients who initiated second-line pembrolizumab from January 26, 2015, to February 28, 2019. At data cutoff for Flatiron, the median survival follow-up time for pembrolizumab-treated patients was 6.1 months. Clinical trial data from KEYNOTE-010 and RWD from Flatiron were analyzed without adjustment, with propensity adjustment, and filtered per the main KEYNOTE-010 eligibility criteria (EC) of histologically/cytologically confirmed PD-L1-positive NSCLC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0/1, no prior therapy with docetaxel for NSCLC, and laboratory values indicative of adequate organ function in addition to prior line of therapy requirements. RESULTS: Among 243 patients from KEYNOTE-010 and 782 from Flatiron, median age was 63 v 68 years, and 64% v 54% were male, respectively. OS data from KEYNOTE-010 and Flatiron were similar without any adjustment (n = 782; hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.15) and after both filtering and propensity adjustment (n = 221; HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.34). CONCLUSION: Without any adjustment, as well as after applying similar EC and appropriate statistical methods, RWD demonstrated similar effectiveness for pembrolizumab in second-line NSCLC as observed in randomized clinical trials.

Pembrolizumab Plus Ipilimumab or Placebo for Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer With PD-L1 Tumor Proportion Score ≥ 50%: Randomized, Double-Blind Phase III KEYNOTE-598 Study.

PURPOSE: Pembrolizumab monotherapy is standard first-line therapy for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50% without actionable driver mutations. It is not known whether adding ipilimumab to pembrolizumab improves efficacy over pembrolizumab alone in this population. METHODS: In the randomized, double-blind, phase III KEYNOTE-598 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03302234), eligible patients with previously untreated metastatic NSCLC with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% and no sensitizing EGFR or ALK aberrations were randomly allocated 1:1 to ipilimumab 1 mg/kg or placebo every 6 weeks for up to 18 doses; all participants received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for up to 35 doses. Primary end points were overall survival and progression-free survival. RESULTS: Of the 568 participants, 284 were randomly allocated to each group. Median overall survival was 21.4 months for pembrolizumab-ipilimumab versus 21.9 months for pembrolizumab-placebo (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.37; P = .74). Median progression-free survival was 8.2 months for pembrolizumab-ipilimumab versus 8.4 months for pembrolizumab-placebo (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.30; P = .72). Grade 3-5 adverse events occurred in 62.4% of pembrolizumab-ipilimumab recipients versus 50.2% of pembrolizumab-placebo recipients and led to death in 13.1% versus 7.5%. The external data and safety monitoring committee recommended that the study be stopped for futility and that participants discontinue ipilimumab and placebo. CONCLUSION: Adding ipilimumab to pembrolizumab does not improve efficacy and is associated with greater toxicity than pembrolizumab monotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic NSCLC with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% and no targetable EGFR or ALK aberrations. These data do not support use of pembrolizumab-ipilimumab in place of pembrolizumab monotherapy in this population.

Long-Term Overall Survival From KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G: Pemetrexed and Carboplatin With or Without Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: In cohort G of KEYNOTE-021 (NCT02039674), first-line pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin significantly improved the objective response rate and progression-free survival versus chemotherapy alone with manageable toxicity in advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. We report the long-term outcomes from this study. METHODS: Patients with previously untreated advanced nonsquamous NSCLC without sensitizing EGFR or ALK alterations were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive open-label pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 plus carboplatin at area under the concentration-time curve of 5 mg/mL/min (four cycles) with or without pembrolizumab 200 mg (up to 2 years), with optional pemetrexed maintenance, each administered every 3 weeks. Eligible patients could crossover from the chemotherapy arm to pembrolizumab monotherapy after progression. Responses were assessed per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. RESULTS: After the median time of 49.4 months from randomization to data cutoff, objective response rate (58% versus 33%) and progression-free survival (median: 24.5 versus 9.9 mo; hazard ratio: 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.35‒0.83) remained improved with pembrolizumab combination (n = 60) versus chemotherapy (n = 63), regardless of programmed death ligand 1 status. Median overall survival was 34.5 versus 21.1 months (hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% confidence interval: 0.45‒1.12), despite a 70% crossover rate from chemotherapy alone to anti‒programmed death (ligand) 1 therapy. Among the 12 patients who completed 2 years of pembrolizumab, 92% were alive at data cutoff; the estimated 3-year duration of response rate was 100%. Grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 39% of patients receiving pembrolizumab combination and 31% receiving chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: First-line pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin continued to show improved response and survival versus chemotherapy alone in advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, with durable clinical benefit in patients who completed 2 years of therapy. No new safety signals were observed with longer follow-up.

A Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Pembrolizumab + Chemotherapy vs. Nivolumab + Ipilimumab as First-Line Therapies in Patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥1% Metastatic NSCLC.

BACKGROUND: In the absence of head-to-head trials, this study indirectly compared the effectiveness of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs nivolumab + ipilimumab for the first-line treatment of metastatic stage IV NSCLC patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1%. METHODS: An anchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was conducted using pooled individual patient data (IPD) from the ITT population in KEYNOTE-021G, KEYNOTE-189 and KEYNOTE-407 (n = 816) and published aggregate data of nivolumab + ipilimumab from CheckMate 227 Part 1A (n = 793). To adjust for cross-trial differences in baseline characteristics, data from KEYNOTE-021G/KEYNOTE-189/KEYNOTE-407 were re-weighted to match the baseline characteristics of CheckMate 227 Part 1A. Outcomes included OS, PFS and ORR. Base case analyses were restricted to patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥1%, with sub-group analyses in PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and 1-49%. RESULTS: The estimated HR (95% CI) of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs nivolumab + ipilimumab was 0.80 (0.59,1.09) and 0.53 (0.41,0.68) for OS and PFS, respectively. For ORR, the estimated risk ratio was 1.8 (1.3,2.4) for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs nivolumab + ipilimumab and the risk difference was 25.5% (15.0,36.0). PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and 1-49% sub-groups showed an OS HR of 0.89 (0.58,1.36) and 0.68 (0.46,1.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: These MAIC results suggest that pembrolizumab + chemotherapy leads to a greater clinical benefit vs nivolumab + ipilimumab in patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥1% across multiple endpoints.

Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer without tumor PD-L1 expression: A pooled analysis of 3 randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes over chemotherapy alone in patients with previously untreated advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of tumor programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. This study pooled data from 3 randomized controlled trials to evaluate outcomes with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC negative for PD-L1 (ie, a tumor proportion score < 1%). METHODS: Individual patient data were pooled from KEYNOTE-021 cohort G (nonsquamous; NCT02039674), KEYNOTE-189 (nonsquamous; NCT02578680 and NCT03950674), and KEYNOTE-407 (squamous; NCT02775435). Treatment comprised pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (pemetrexed and platinum for nonsquamous histology and carboplatin and paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel for squamous histology) or chemotherapy alone. Responses were assessed according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 by blinded, independent, central review. No α was assigned to this descriptive, exploratory analysis. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-four of the 1328 patients (33.4%) who were enrolled across the 3 trials had PD-L1-negative tumors (256 on pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy [nonsquamous, n = 155; squamous, n = 94; other, n = 7] and 188 on chemotherapy alone [nonsquamous, n = 83; squamous, n = 99; other, n = 6]). The median time from randomization to the data cutoff was 28.0 months (range, 14.7-55.4 months). Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy improved overall survival (OS; hazard ratio [HR], 0.63; 95% CI, 0.50-0.79) and progression-free survival (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83) over chemotherapy. Sixteen patients in the pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy arm completed 2 years of treatment; the objective response rate was 87.5% (95% CI, 61.7%-98.4%), and the 3-year OS rate was 100%. Adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 99.2% of the patients who received pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and by 98.9% of the patients who received chemotherapy alone, with grade 3 or higher AEs occurring in 71.4% and 72.0%, respectively; immune-mediated AEs and infusion reactions were experienced by 29.0% and 12.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated response and survival improvements with manageable safety in comparison with chemotherapy alone in PD-L1-negative advanced/metastatic NSCLC, and it is a standard-of-care first-line therapy for patients with advanced NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 expression. LAY SUMMARY: Some tumors produce a protein called programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), which interacts with the body's immune system and prevents an immune response against cancer. Antibody therapies such as pembrolizumab block interactions between tumor PD-L1 and the immune system and enable an immune response. Used alone, pembrolizumab provides benefit for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors that produce PD-L1. However, when it is combined with chemotherapy, which can stimulate anticancer immune responses, pembrolizumab provides a benefit, regardless of tumor PD-L1 production. This article shows that among patients with NSCLC whose tumors produce no PD-L1, outcomes are better with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in comparison with chemotherapy alone.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Squamous NSCLC: Protocol-Specified Final Analysis of KEYNOTE-407.

INTRODUCTION: In the randomized KEYNOTE-407 study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02775435), pembrolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel (chemotherapy) significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated metastatic squamous NSCLC. We report updated efficacy outcomes from the protocol-specified final analysis and, for the first time, progression on next line of treatment. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomized to chemotherapy plus either pembrolizumab (n = 278) or placebo (n = 281). After positive results from the second interim analysis, patients still receiving placebo could cross over to pembrolizumab monotherapy at the time of confirmed progressive disease. The primary end points were OS and PFS. PFS-2 (time from randomization to progression on next-line treatment/death, whichever occurred first) was an exploratory end point. RESULTS: After median (range) follow-up of 14.3 (0.1-31.3) months, pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy continued to exhibit a clinically meaningful improvement over placebo plus chemotherapy in OS (median, 17.1 mo [95% confidence interval (CI): 14.4‒19.9] versus 11.6 mo [95% CI: 10.1‒13.7]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.71 [95% CI: 0.58‒0.88]) and PFS (median, 8.0 mo [95% CI: 6.3‒8.4] versus 5.1 mo [95% CI: 4.3‒6.0]; HR, 0.57 [95% CI: 0.47‒0.69]). PFS-2 was longer for patients randomized to first-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (HR, 0.59 [95% CI: 0.49‒0.72]). Grade 3 to 5 adverse events occurred in 74.1% and 69.6% of patients receiving pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and placebo plus chemotherapy, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy continued to exhibit substantially improved OS and PFS in patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC. The PFS-2 outcomes support pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy as a standard first-line treatment in patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Pembrolizumab for Previously Treated, PD-L1-expressing Advanced NSCLC: Real-world Time on Treatment and Overall Survival.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been rapidly adopted for therapy of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) based on clinical trial findings. Our aim was to examine outcomes in United States oncology practice settings for patients prescribed pembrolizumab monotherapy for previously treated, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)-expressing aNSCLC, thus clinically similar to patients in the KEYNOTE-010 trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study used a nationally representative database to identify adult patients with histologically confirmed aNSCLC and PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 1% previously treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy (and appropriate tyrosine kinase inhibitor if nonsquamous aNSCLC with EGFR/ALK genomic tumor aberration). Eligible patients initiated pembrolizumab monotherapy from January 1, 2016, to November 29, 2018; data cutoff was May 31, 2019. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate real-world time on treatment (rwToT) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The 349 eligible patients included 199 (57%) men; the median age was 68 years (range, 37-84 years); 70 (25%) of 278 patients with known performance status had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥ 2. The median patient follow-up was 8.1 months (range, 1 day to 39.2 months). The median rwToT was 4.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-5.8 months) overall and 5.8 months (95% CI, 4.2-6.6 months) for the TPS ≥ 50% cohort (n = 218). The median OS was 13.8 months (95% CI, 11.0-16.5 months) and 16.5 months (95% CI, 13.7-22.0 months) overall and for TPS ≥ 50%, respectively; 12-month survival rates were 54% and 60%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients treated at oncology practices with pembrolizumab monotherapy for previously treated PD-L1-expressing aNSCLC experienced rwToT and OS similar to treatment duration and OS in phase III clinical trial settings.

Health-Related Quality of Life With Carboplatin-Paclitaxel or nab-Paclitaxel With or Without Pembrolizumab in Patients With Metastatic Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: In the phase 3 KEYNOTE-407 study, the addition of pembrolizumab to carboplatin-paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rate in patients with previously untreated metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with little impact on severe toxicity. We present patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from KEYNOTE-407. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive 4 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo once every 3 weeks plus carboplatin plus paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel, followed by pembrolizumab or placebo for an additional 31 cycles. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was evaluated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Lung Cancer Module 13 (QLQ-LC13). Key PRO endpoints were change from baseline to weeks 9 and 18 (during and after platinum therapy) in the QLQ-C30 global health status/quality of life (GHS/QoL) score and time to deterioration in the composite endpoint of cough, chest pain, or dyspnea from the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13. Two-sided, nominal P values are provided. RESULTS: A total of 554 and 553 patients completed ≥ 1 QLQ-C30 or ≥ 1 QLQ-LC13 assessment, respectively. GHS/QoL score improved for the pembrolizumab-combination group (least squares [LS] mean [95% CI] change from baseline: week 9, 1.8 [-0.9 to 4.4]; week 18, 4.3 [1.7 to 6.9]) and deteriorated in the placebo-combination group (week 9, -1.8 [-4.4 to 0.7]; week 18, -0.57 [-3.3 to 2.2]). Between-group differences were improved for the pembrolizumab-combination group (difference in LS mean scores: week 9, 3.6 [95% CI, 0.3 to 6.9], nominal P = .0337; week 18, 4.9 [1.4 to 8.3], nominal P = .0060). Median time to deterioration in cough, chest pain, or dyspnea was not reached in either group (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.06]; nominal P = .125). CONCLUSION: Addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy maintained or improved HRQoL measurements relative to baseline and improved HRQoL versus chemotherapy alone at weeks 9 and 18. These results support use of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line therapy for metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Outcomes of first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for PD-L1-positive (TPS ≥50%) metastatic NSCLC at US oncology practices.

Aim: To determine real-world outcomes with first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 tumor expression ≥50%. Methods: This retrospective study included adults with ECOG 0-1 initiating first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy on/after 24 October 2016 (EHR cohort) or from 1 December 2016 through 30 November 2017 (spotlight cohort) with ≥6-month follow-up. We estimated Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS, both cohorts), and, for spotlight, real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) by Kaplan-Meier and real-world tumor response (rwTR). Results: For 423 patients in the EHR cohort and 188 in spotlight, median OS was 18.9 months (95% CI: 14.9-25.5) and 19.1 months (12.6-not reached), respectively. For spotlight, median rwPFS was 6.8 months (5.3-8.1); rwTR of complete/partial response was 48% (41-56%). Conclusion: Observed OS, rwPFS and rwTR were consistent with clinical trial findings.

Safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab monotherapy in elderly patients with PD-L1-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: Pooled analysis from the KEYNOTE-010, KEYNOTE-024, and KEYNOTE-042 studies.

OBJECTIVES: Most lung cancer diagnoses occur in elderly patients, who are underrepresented in clinical trials. We present a pooled analysis of safety and efficacy in elderly patients (≥75 years) who received pembrolizumab (a programmed death 1 inhibitor) for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)‒positive tumors. METHODS: The pooled analysis included patients aged ≥18 years with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1-positive tumors from the KEYNOTE-010 (NCT01905657), KEYNOTE-024 (NCT02142738), and KEYNOTE-042 (NCT02220894) studies. In KEYNOTE-010, patients were randomized to pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W) or docetaxel, as second- or later-line therapy. In KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042, patients were randomized to first-line pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W or platinum-based chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and safety data were summarized in elderly patients (≥75 years). RESULTS: The analysis included 264 elderly patients with PD-L1-positive tumors (PD-L1 tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥1%); among these, 132 had PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%. Pembrolizumab improved OS among elderly patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 1% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.56-1.02]) and PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% (HR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.25-0.64]). Pembrolizumab as first-line therapy also improved OS among elderly patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% (from KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042) compared with chemotherapy (HR, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.23‒0.73]). Pembrolizumab was associated with fewer treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in elderly patients (overall, 68.5% vs 94.3%; grade ≥3, 24.2% vs 61.0%) versus chemotherapy. Immune-mediated AEs and infusion reactions were more common with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy (overall, 24.8% vs 6.7%; grade 3‒4: 9.4% vs 0%; no grade 5 events). CONCLUSIONS: In this pooled analysis of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1‒positive tumors, pembrolizumab improved OS versus chemotherapy, with a more favorable safety profile. Outcomes with pembrolizumab in patients ≥75 years were comparable to those in the overall populations in the individual studies.

Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (KEYNOTE-001): 3-year results from an open-label, phase 1 study.

BACKGROUND: The anti-programmed death 1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab has shown antitumour activity and is a first-line and second-line treatment option for patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-expressing advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. We report updated 3-year safety and efficacy outcomes from the phase 1 study, KEYNOTE-001. METHODS: KEYNOTE-001 is a multicohort, open-label, phase 1 study of pembrolizumab (2 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 2 or 3 weeks) in treatment naive or previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with measurable disease at baseline. Two cohorts were randomly assigned to a pembrolizumab dose by use of a computer-generated randomisation schedule at cohort-dependent ratios, and a further four cohorts were assigned to a pembrolizumab dose without randomisation. We present 3-year outcomes for the full analysis set of patients who received at least one dose of study treatment, pooled for all pembrolizumab doses. The primary efficacy endpoint was proportion of patients with objective response, analysed here as investigator-assessed response according to immune-related response criteria. Secondary efficacy endpoints included overall survival, duration of response, and progression-free survival. Safety endpoints included incidence of adverse events. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01295827, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between May 8, 2012 and July 13, 2014, 550 patients (101 treatment naive and 449 previously treated) were enrolled. Median follow-up was 34·5 months at data cutoff (Sept 1, 2016). At 36 months, investigator-assessed objective response according to immune-related response criteria was achieved for 41 of 101 treatment naive patients (41% [95% CI 30·9-50·8]; median duration of response was 16·7 months [95% CI 12·6-not reached]) and 102 of 449 previously treated patients (23% [18·9-26·9]; 33·3 ([22·5-not reached]). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival at 36 months was 26·4% (95% CI 14·3-40·1) for treatment naive patients and 19·0% (15·0-23·4) for previously treated patients, with median overall survival of 22·3 months (95% CI 17·1-31·5) and 10·5 months (8·6-13·2). PD-L1 tumour proportion score ≥50% was associated with longer median overall survival (95% CI) versus tumour proportion score 1-49% (treatment naive: 34·9 [20·3-not reached] vs 19·5 [10·7-26·3] months; previously treated: 15·4 [10·5-18·5] vs 8·5 [6·0-12·7] months). Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 66 patients (12%), and 30 (6%) discontinued owing to a treatment-related adverse event. The most frequent grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were pneumonitis (10 [2%] of 550) and fatigue (5 [1%] of 550). Overall, 227 patients (41%) of 550 had serious adverse events, of which 50 (9%) were treatment related. INTERPRETATION: Pembrolizumab provides durable response and long-term effects on overall survival, with tolerable safety, for treatment naive and previously treated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer expressing PD-L1. FUNDING: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

Randomised phase 2 study of pembrolizumab plus CC-486 versus pembrolizumab plus placebo in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Preclinical and early clinical studies suggest that combining epigenetic agents with checkpoint inhibitors can potentially improve outcomes in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase 2 trial examined second-line pembrolizumab + CC-486 (oral azacitidine) in patients with advanced NSCLC. METHODS: Patients with one prior line of platinum-containing therapy were randomised in a ratio of 1:1 to CC-486 or placebo, on days 1-14, in combination with pembrolizumab on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS). Key secondary end-points included overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and safety. RESULTS: Among 100 patients randomised (pembrolizumab + CC-486: 51; pembrolizumab + placebo: 49), most were male (57.0%), were white (87.0%) and had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1 (68.0%). No significant difference in PFS was observed between the pembrolizumab + CC-486 and pembrolizumab + placebo arms (median, 2.9 and 4.0 months, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 1.374; 90% confidence interval [CI], 0.926-2.038; P = 0.1789). Median OS was 11.9 months versus not estimable (HR, 1.375; 90% CI, 0.830-2.276; P = 0.2968); ORR was 20% versus 14%. Median treatment duration was shorter (15.0 versus 24.1 weeks), and the number of cycles was lower (5.0 versus 7.0) with pembrolizumab + CC-486 versus pembrolizumab + placebo. No new safety signals for CC-486 or pembrolizumab were detected. Treatment-emergent adverse events were more common in the pembrolizumab + CC-486 arm, particularly gastrointestinal, potentially impacting treatment feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: No improvement in PFS was observed with pembrolizumab + CC-486 versus pembrolizumab + placebo. Decreased treatment exposure due to adverse events may have impacted efficacy with pembrolizumab + CC-486.