A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of Pembrolizumab Compared to Placebo in Resected High-risk Stage II Melanoma Patients

Overview

About this study

The purpose of this 2-part study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) compared to placebo in participants with surgically resected high-risk Stage II melanoma. Participants in Part 1 will receive either pembrolizumab or placebo in a double-blind design for up to 17 cycles. Participants who receive placebo or who stop treatment after receiving 17 cycles of pembrolizumab in Part 1, do not experience disease recurrence within 6 months of completing pembrolizumab in Part 1, and do not stop treatment with pembrolizumab for disease recurrence or intolerability, may be eligible to receive up to 35 additional cycles of pembrolizumab in Part 2 in an open-label design. The primary hypothesis of this study is that pembrolizumab increases recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared to placebo.

Participation eligibility

Participant eligibility includes age, gender, type and stage of disease, and previous treatments or health concerns. Guidelines differ from study to study, and identify who can or cannot participate. There is no guarantee that every individual who qualifies and wants to participate in a trial will be enrolled. Contact the study team to discuss study eligibility and potential participation.

Inclusion:

- Has surgically resected and histologically/pathologically confirmed new diagnosis of
Stage IIB or IIC cutaneous melanoma per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th
edition guidelines

- Has not been previously treated for melanoma beyond complete surgical resection

- Has ≤12 weeks between final surgical resection and randomization

- Has no evidence of metastatic disease on imaging as determined by investigator

- Has a performance status of 0 or 1 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
Performance Scale or Lansky Play-Performance Scale (LPS) score ≥50 for participants
≤16 years old, or a Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score ≥50 for participants >16
and <18 years old

- Has recovered adequately from toxicity and/or complications from surgery prior to
study start

- Female participants must not be pregnant or breastfeeding, and must agree to use
contraception during the treatment period and for at least 120 days after the last
dose of study treatment if they are women of childbearing potential (WOCBP)

Exclusion:

- Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active
antineoplastic therapy (including hormonal) within the past 5 years with the exception
of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma
in situ (e.g., breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) that have undergone
potentially curative therapy

- Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy
or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose
of study treatment

- WOCBP who has a positive urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to randomization.
If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy
test will be required

- Has received prior therapy with an anti-Programmed Cell Death Receptor 1 (PD-1),
anti-Programmed Cell Death Receptor Ligand 1 (PD-L1) or anti-Programmed Cell Death
Receptor Ligand 2 (PD-L2) agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or
coinhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g., cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4
[CTLA-4], OX-40, CD137)

- Has received prior systemic anti-cancer therapy for melanoma including investigational
agents

- Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study treatment

- Is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational
agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of
study treatment

- Has severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) to any excipients of pembrolizumab

- Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2
years

- Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or has current
pneumonitis

- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy

- Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection

- Has a known history of hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen reactive)
or known active hepatitis C virus (defined as hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid [RNA]
[qualitative] is detected) infection

- Has a history of active tuberculosis (Bacillus tuberculosis)

- Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality
that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the participant's
participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of
the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator

- Has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with the
participant's ability to cooperate with the requirements of the study

- Has had an allogeneic tissue/solid organ transplant

Note: Other protocol defined Inclusion/Exclusion criteria may apply.

Eligibility last updated 12/30/22. Questions regarding updates should be directed to the study team contact.

Participating Mayo Clinic locations

Study statuses change often. Please contact the study team for the most up-to-date information regarding possible participation.

Mayo Clinic Location Status Contact

Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic principal investigator

Robert McWilliams, M.D.

Closed for enrollment

Contact information:

Cancer Center Clinical Trials Referral Office

(855) 776-0015

Jacksonville, Fla.

Mayo Clinic principal investigator

Winston Tan, M.D.

Closed for enrollment

Contact information:

Cancer Center Clinical Trials Referral Office

(855) 776-0015

More information

Publications

Publications are currently not available
.
CLS-20457506

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