NCT01866319 · CITED IN SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Two Different Dosing Schedules of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Compared to Ipilimumab in Participants With Advanced Melanoma (MK-3475-006/KEYNOTE-006)
An NCI or FDA source cites this study. A citation does not establish that it applies to an individual diagnosis.
- Phase
- PHASE3
- Status at capture
- COMPLETED
- Registry last update
- 2020-06-02
This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 different dosing schedules of pembrolizumab (MK-3475), every 2 weeks (Q2W) and every 3 weeks (Q3W), and compare the 2 schedules to treatment with ipilimumab in ipilimumab-naïve participants with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The primary hypotheses are that pembrolizumab is superior to ipilimumab with respect to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
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What did the study report?
Outcomes, safety and baseline populations are separate source sections. Quality-of-life measures appear under their original outcome titles.
Participant flow
Baseline characteristics
Progression-free Survival (PFS) According to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Independent Radiology Plus Oncology Review (IRO)
Percentage of Participants With Overall Survival (OS) at 12 Months
Objective Response Rate (ORR) According to RECIST 1.1 as Assessed by IRO
Adverse events
Limitations, agreements, and source contact
Who could take part
- eligibility Criteria
- Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically-confirmed diagnosis of unresectable Stage III or metastatic melanoma not amenable to local therapy (excluding uveal or ocular melanoma) * At least one measurable lesion * No prior systemic treatment (excluding adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy) for melanoma (first line) or one prior systemic treatment (excluding adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy) for melanoma (second line) * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1 * Archived tissue sample or new biopsy sample * Female participants of childbearing potential must agree to use effective contraception from Visit 1 to 120 days after the last dose of study drug; male participants must agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study drug through 120 days after the last dose of study drug Exclusion criteria: * Prior treatment with ipilimumab or other anti-cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4) agent or any anti-programmed cell death (PD-1 or PD-L2) agent * Chemotherapy, radioactive, or biological cancer therapy within four weeks prior to the first dose of study drug, or not recovered from adverse events caused by cancer therapeutics administered more than four weeks earlier * Currently participating or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 30 days of the first dose of study drug * Expected to require any other form of systemic or localized antineoplastic therapy while on study * On any systemic steroid therapy within one week before the planned date for first dose of randomized treatment or on any other form of immunosuppressive medication * History of a malignancy (other than the disease under treatment in the study) within 5 years prior to first study drug administration, excluding adequately treated Stage 1 or Stage 2 basal/squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast, or other in situ cancers. * Known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis; participants with previously treated brain metastases are eligible * Severe hypersensitivity reaction to treatment with another monoclonal antibody * Active autoimmune disease or a documented history of autoimmune disease or syndrome that requires systemic steroids or immunosuppressive agents * Active infection requiring systemic therapy * Known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) * Known history of or positive for Hepatitis B or C * Known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder * Regular user (including recreational use) of illicit drugs or had a recent history (within the last year) of substance abuse (including alcohol) * Pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive, or father children within the projected duration of the study * Received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to first dose of study drug
- healthy Volunteers
- false
- minimum Age
- 18 Years
- sex
- ALL
- std Ages
- ADULT
- OLDER_ADULT
Treatment arms and interventions
- arm Groups
- description
- Participants receive ipilimumab, 3 mg/kg intravenously (IV), once every 3 weeks (Q3W) for a total of 4 doses (up to approximately 3 months).
- intervention Names
- Biological: Ipilimumab
- label
- Ipilimumab
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- description
- Participants receive pembrolizumab, 10 mg/kg IV, once every 2 weeks (Q2W) for up to approximately 24 months.
- intervention Names
- Biological: Pembrolizumab
- label
- Pembrolizumab Q2W
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- description
- Participants receive pembrolizumab, 10 mg/kg IV, Q3W for up to approximately 24 months.
- intervention Names
- Biological: Pembrolizumab
- label
- Pembrolizumab Q3W
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- interventions
- arm Group Labels
- Pembrolizumab Q2W
- Pembrolizumab Q3W
- description
- 10 mg/kg IV, administered Q2W or Q3W based upon randomization.
- name
- Pembrolizumab
- other Names
- MK-3475
- type
- BIOLOGICAL
- arm Group Labels
- Ipilimumab
- description
- 3 mg/kg IV Q3W.
- name
- Ipilimumab
- type
- BIOLOGICAL
Study design
- allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- masking Info
- masking
- NONE
- primary Purpose
- TREATMENT
Enrollment
- count
- 834
- type
- ACTUAL
Registered outcome plans (not posted results)
- primary Outcomes
- description
- PFS was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented disease progression, based on blinded Independent Radiology plus Oncology review (IRO) using RECIST 1.1, or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Disease progression was defined as a 20% or greater increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions with an absolute increase of at least 5 mm or the appearance of new lesions. The primary analysis of PFS was performed at the time of the first protocol pre-specified statistical analysis, with data cut-off of 03-Sep-2014.
- measure
- Progression-free Survival (PFS) According to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Independent Radiology Plus Oncology Review (IRO)
- time Frame
- Up to approximately 12 months (through first pre-specified statistical analysis cut-off date of 03-Sep-2014)
- description
- OS was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. The percentage of participants with OS (OS rate) at 12 months was reported for each arm. The reported percentage was estimated using a product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data; data were censored at the date of cut-off. The primary analysis of OS was performed at the time of the second protocol pre-specified statistical analysis, with data cut-off of 03-Mar-2015.
- measure
- Percentage of Participants With Overall Survival (OS) at 12 Months
- time Frame
- Month 12
- secondary Outcomes
- description
- ORR was defined as the percentage of the participants with a best tumor response of complete response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions with any pathological lymph nodes having a reduction in short axis to \<10 mm) or partial response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions), based on IRO using RECIST 1.1. The primary analysis of ORR was performed at the time of the first protocol pre-specified statistical analysis, with data cut-off of 03-Sep-2014.
- measure
- Objective Response Rate (ORR) According to RECIST 1.1 as Assessed by IRO
- time Frame
- Up to approximately 12 months (through first pre-specified statistical analysis cut-off date of 03-Sep-2014)
Full study description
- brief Summary
- This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 different dosing schedules of pembrolizumab (MK-3475), every 2 weeks (Q2W) and every 3 weeks (Q3W), and compare the 2 schedules to treatment with ipilimumab in ipilimumab-naïve participants with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The primary hypotheses are that pembrolizumab is superior to ipilimumab with respect to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
- detailed Description
- Participants assigned to a primary course of pembrolizumab can receive up to 24 months of treatment. Participants with Stable Disease (SD) or better will then proceed to Post Treatment Follow-up. All efficacy and safety analyses will be based on the primary pembrolizumab course. Participants who experience disease progression during the Post Treatment Follow-up will be eligible for a Second Course of pembrolizumab treatment for up to 1 additional year. With Amendment 05, all Second Course participants will be treated with a fixed dose of pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W. With Amendment 06, after the study has achieved its key objectives or the study has ended, participants will be discontinued from this study and enrolled in an extension study to continue protocol-defined assessments and treatment.
Source references
- avail Ipds
- references
- citation
- Robert C,Schachter J,Long GV,Arance A,Grob JJ,Mortier L,Daud A,Carlino MS,McNeil C,Lotem M,Larkin J,Lorigan P,Neyns B,Blank CU,Hamid O,Mateus C,Shapira-Frommer R,Kosh M,Zhou H,Ibrahim N,Ebbinghaus S,Ribas A,KEYNOTE-006 investigators . Pembrolizumab versus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 19; PMID: 25891173
- type
- BACKGROUND
- citation
- Schachter J, Ribas A, Long GV, Arance A, Grob JJ, Mortier L, Daud A, Carlino MS, McNeil C, Lotem M, Larkin J, Lorigan P, Neyns B, Blank C, Petrella TM, Hamid O, Zhou H, Ebbinghaus S, Ibrahim N, Robert C. Pembrolizumab versus ipilimumab for advanced melanoma: final overall survival results of a multicentre, randomised, open-label phase 3 study (KEYNOTE-006). Lancet. 2017 Oct 21;390(10105):1853-1862. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31601-X. Epub 2017 Aug 16.
- pmid
- 28822576
- type
- RESULT
- citation
- Shin E, Bhat AG, Ramanathan M. Large Language Models for Clinical Trial Protocol Assessments. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2026 Feb;119(2):393-402. doi: 10.1002/cpt.70096. Epub 2025 Oct 21.
- pmid
- 41121745
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Long GV, Carlino MS, McNeil C, Ribas A, Gaudy-Marqueste C, Schachter J, Nyakas M, Kee D, Petrella TM, Blaustein A, Lotem M, Arance AM, Daud AI, Hamid O, Larkin J, Yao L, Singh R, Lal R, Robert C. Pembrolizumab versus ipilimumab for advanced melanoma: 10-year follow-up of the phase III KEYNOTE-006 study. Ann Oncol. 2024 Dec;35(12):1191-1199. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2024.08.2330. Epub 2024 Sep 15.
- pmid
- 39306585
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Robert C, Carlino MS, McNeil C, Ribas A, Grob JJ, Schachter J, Nyakas M, Kee D, Petrella TM, Blaustein A, Lotem M, Arance A, Daud AI, Hamid O, Larkin J, Anderson J, Krepler C, Grebennik D, Long GV. Seven-Year Follow-Up of the Phase III KEYNOTE-006 Study: Pembrolizumab Versus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Aug 20;41(24):3998-4003. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01599. Epub 2023 Jun 22.
- pmid
- 37348035
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Hamid O, Robert C, Daud A, Carlino MS, Mitchell TC, Hersey P, Schachter J, Long GV, Hodi FS, Wolchok JD, Arance A, Grob JJ, Joshua AM, Weber JS, Mortier L, Jensen E, Diede SJ, Moreno BH, Ribas A. Long-term outcomes in patients with advanced melanoma who had initial stable disease with pembrolizumab in KEYNOTE-001 and KEYNOTE-006. Eur J Cancer. 2021 Nov;157:391-402. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.08.013. Epub 2021 Sep 25.
- pmid
- 34571336
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Robert C, Hwu WJ, Hamid O, Ribas A, Weber JS, Daud AI, Hodi FS, Wolchok JD, Mitchell TC, Hersey P, Dronca R, Joseph RW, Boutros C, Min L, Long GV, Schachter J, Puzanov I, Dummer R, Lin J, Ibrahim N, Diede SJ, Carlino MS, Joshua AM. Long-term safety of pembrolizumab monotherapy and relationship with clinical outcome: A landmark analysis in patients with advanced melanoma. Eur J Cancer. 2021 Feb;144:182-191. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.11.010. Epub 2020 Dec 24.
- pmid
- 33360855
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Lala M, Li TR, de Alwis DP, Sinha V, Mayawala K, Yamamoto N, Siu LL, Chartash E, Aboshady H, Jain L. A six-weekly dosing schedule for pembrolizumab in patients with cancer based on evaluation using modelling and simulation. Eur J Cancer. 2020 May;131:68-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.02.016. Epub 2020 Apr 15.
- pmid
- 32305010
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- van Vugt MJH, Stone JA, De Greef RHJMM, Snyder ES, Lipka L, Turner DC, Chain A, Lala M, Li M, Robey SH, Kondic AG, De Alwis D, Mayawala K, Jain L, Freshwater T. Immunogenicity of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced tumors. J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Aug 8;7(1):212. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0663-4.
- pmid
- 31395089
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Robert C, Ribas A, Schachter J, Arance A, Grob JJ, Mortier L, Daud A, Carlino MS, McNeil CM, Lotem M, Larkin JMG, Lorigan P, Neyns B, Blank CU, Petrella TM, Hamid O, Su SC, Krepler C, Ibrahim N, Long GV. Pembrolizumab versus ipilimumab in advanced melanoma (KEYNOTE-006): post-hoc 5-year results from an open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol. 2019 Sep;20(9):1239-1251. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30388-2. Epub 2019 Jul 22.
- pmid
- 31345627
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Wang M, Chen C, Jemielita T, Anderson J, Li XN, Hu C, Kang SP, Ibrahim N, Ebbinghaus S. Are tumor size changes predictive of survival for checkpoint blockade based immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma? J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Feb 8;7(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0513-4.
- pmid
- 30736858
- type
- DERIVED
- citation
- Hamid O, Robert C, Ribas A, Hodi FS, Walpole E, Daud A, Arance AS, Brown E, Hoeller C, Mortier L, Schachter J, Long J, Ebbinghaus S, Ibrahim N, Butler M. Antitumour activity of pembrolizumab in advanced mucosal melanoma: a post-hoc analysis of KEYNOTE-001, 002, 006. Br J Cancer. 2018 Sep;119(6):670-674. doi: 10.1038/s41416-018-0207-6. Epub 2018 Sep 11.
- pmid
- 30202085
- type
- DERIVED
- see Also Links
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- Merck Oncology Clinical Trials Information
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice
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