NCT02220894 · CITED IN SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Participants With Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1)-Positive Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MK-3475-042/KEYNOTE-042)

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: 2026-06-25

In this study, participants with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will be randomized to receive single agent pembrolizumab for up to 35 treatments or standard of care (SOC) platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel or carboplatin + pemetrexed for 4 to 6 21-day cycles). Participants in the platinum-based chemotherapy arms with non-squamous tumor histologies may receive pemetrexed maintenance therapy after the 4 to 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The primary study hypothesis is that pembrolizumab prolongs overall survival (OS) compared to SOC chemotherapy.

Open the original ClinicalTrials.gov record → · Download preserved record

What did the study report?

Outcomes, safety and baseline populations are separate source sections. Quality-of-life measures appear under their original outcome titles.

flow

Participant flow

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baseline

Baseline characteristics

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outcome · POSTED

Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%

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outcome · POSTED

Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%

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outcome · POSTED

Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%

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outcome · POSTED

Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%

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outcome · POSTED

Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%

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outcome · POSTED

Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%

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outcome · POSTED

Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%

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outcome · POSTED

Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%

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outcome · POSTED

Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%

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outcome · POSTED

Number of Participants Who Experienced At Least One Adverse Event (AE)

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outcome · POSTED

Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event (AE)

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adverse events

Adverse events

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more info

Limitations, agreements, and source contact

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Who could take part

eligibility Criteria: Inclusion criteria: * Histologically- or cytologically-confirmed diagnosis of advanced or metastatic NSCLC * PD-L1 positive tumor * Measureable disease based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 * Life expectancy of at least 3 months * No prior systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of the participant's advanced or metastatic disease (treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation as part of neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy is allowed as long as completed at least 6 months prior to diagnosis of advanced or metastatic disease) * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1 * Adequate organ function * No prior malignancy, with the exception of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, superficial bladder cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ cancer, or has undergone potentially curative therapy with no evidence of that disease recurrence for 5 years since initiation of that therapy * Submission of formalin-fixed diagnostic tumor tissue (in the case of participants having received adjuvant systemic therapy, the tissue should be taken after completion of this therapy) * Female participants of childbearing potential must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test and must be willing to use two adequate barrier methods of contraception or a barrier method plus a hormonal method starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab or 180 days after the last dose of chemotherapeutic agents used in the study * Male participants with a female partner(s) of child-bearing potential must be willing to use two adequate barrier methods of contraception from screening through 120 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab or 180 days after the last dose of chemotherapeutic agents used in the study Exclusion criteria: * Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-sensitizing mutation and/or is echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4(EML4) gene/anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fusion positive * Currently participating or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of study therapy * No tumor specimen evaluable for PD-L1 expression by the central study laboratory * Squamous histology and received carboplatin in combination with paclitaxel in the adjuvant setting * Is receiving systemic steroid therapy ≤3 days prior to the first dose of study therapy or receiving any other form of immunosuppressive medication with the exception of daily steroid replacement therapy * The NSCLC can be treated with curative intent with either surgical resection and/or chemoradiation * Expected to require any other form of systemic or localized antineoplastic therapy while on study * Any prior systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy, biological therapy or major surgery within 3 weeks of the first dose of study therapy; received lung radiation therapy \>30 Gy within 6 months of the first dose of study therapy * Prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody (including ipilimumab or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways) * Known central nervous system metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis * Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years * Had allogeneic tissue/solid organ transplantation * Interstitial lung disease or history of pneumonitis that has required oral or IV steroids * Has received or will receive a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first study therapy (seasonal flu vaccines that do not contain live vaccine are permitted) * Active infection requiring intravenous systemic therapy * Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) * Known active Hepatitis B or C * Regular user (including "recreational use") of any illicit drugs or had a recent history (within the last year) of substance abuse (including alcohol) * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the study
healthy Volunteers: false
minimum Age: 18 Years
sex: ALL
std Ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT

Treatment arms and interventions

arm Groups

description
Participants receive pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenous (IV) on Day 1 of every 21-day cycle (every 3 weeks, or Q3W) for up to 35 treatments.
intervention Names
Biological: pembrolizumab
label
Pembrolizumab
type
EXPERIMENTAL
description
Participants receive carboplatin target dose Area Under Curve (AUC) 5 (maximum dose 750 mg) or AUC 6 (maximum dose 900 mg) + paclitaxel 200 mg/m\^2 IV on Day 1 of every 21-day cycle (Q3W) for a maximum of 6 cycles OR carboplatin target dose AUC 5 (maximum dose 750 mg) or AUC 6 (maximum dose 900 mg) + pemetrexed 500 mg/m\^2 IV on Day 1 Q3W for a maximum of 6 cycles; participants with non-squamous histologies may go on to receive optional treatment with pemetrexed 500 mg/m\^2 IV on Day 1 Q3W.
intervention Names
Drug: carboplatin
Drug: paclitaxel
Drug: pemetrexed
label
SOC Treatment
type
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

interventions

arm Group Labels
Pembrolizumab
name
pembrolizumab
other Names
MK-3475
KEYTRUDA®
type
BIOLOGICAL
arm Group Labels
SOC Treatment
name
carboplatin
other Names
PARAPLATIN®
type
DRUG
arm Group Labels
SOC Treatment
name
paclitaxel
other Names
TAXOL®
type
DRUG
arm Group Labels
SOC Treatment
name
pemetrexed
other Names
ALIMTA®
type
DRUG

Study design

allocation

RANDOMIZED

intervention Model

PARALLEL

masking Info

masking: NONE

primary Purpose

TREATMENT

Enrollment

count: 1274
type: ACTUAL

Registered outcome plans (not posted results)

primary Outcomes

description
OS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥50% and was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the interim analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up. The OS was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was OS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The OS for participants with a TPS ≥50% is presented.
measure
Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
OS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥20% and was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the interim analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up. The OS was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was OS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The OS for participants with a TPS ≥20% is presented.
measure
Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
OS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥1% and was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause. Participants without documented death at the time of the interim analysis were censored at the date of the last follow-up. The OS was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was OS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The OS for participants with a TPS ≥1% is presented.
measure
Overall Survival (OS) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months

secondary Outcomes

description
PFS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥50% and was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as ≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. The PFS per RECIST 1.1 was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was PFS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The PFS for participants with a TPS ≥50% is presented.
measure
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
PFS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥20% and was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as ≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. The PFS per RECIST 1.1 was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was PFS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The PFS for participants with a TPS ≥20% is presented.
measure
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
PFS was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥1% and was defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as ≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. The PFS per RECIST 1.1 was calculated using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was PFS in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The PFS for participants with a TPS ≥1% is presented.
measure
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
ORR was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥50%. ORR was determined per RECIST 1.1 and was defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who had a Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters) per RECIST 1.1. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was ORR in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The percentage of participants who had a TPS ≥50% and who experienced a CR or PR is presented.
measure
Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
ORR was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥20%. ORR was determined per RECIST 1.1 and was defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who had a Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters) per RECIST 1.1. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was ORR in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The percentage of participants who had a TPS ≥20% and who experienced a CR or PR is presented.
measure
Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥20%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
ORR was determined for participants with a TPS of ≥1%. ORR was determined per RECIST 1.1 and was defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who had a Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters) per RECIST 1.1. The efficacy hypothesis was analyzed using a sequential testing strategy that involved testing a hypothesis only if the superiority of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy was established for all the preceding hypotheses. The order of testing was ORR in participants with TPS≥50%, then with TPS≥20%, and finally with TPS≥1%. The percentage of participants who had a TPS ≥1% and who experienced a CR or PR is presented.
measure
Objective Response Rate (ORR) Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as Assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) in Participants With a Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥1%
time Frame
Up to approximately 44 months
description
An AE was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a study treatment and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment. An AE could therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure, whether or not considered related to the study treatment or protocol-specified procedure. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a pre-existing condition that was temporally associated with the use of study treatment, was also an AE. The number of participants who experienced at least one AE is presented.
measure
Number of Participants Who Experienced At Least One Adverse Event (AE)
time Frame
Up to approximately 38 months
description
An AE was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a study treatment and which did not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment. An AE could therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure, whether or not considered related to the study treatment or protocol-specified procedure. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a pre-existing condition that was temporally associated with the use of study treatment, was also an AE. The number of participants who discontinued study treatment due to an AE is presented.
measure
Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event (AE)
time Frame
Up to approximately 35 months

Full study description

brief Summary: In this study, participants with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will be randomized to receive single agent pembrolizumab for up to 35 treatments or standard of care (SOC) platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel or carboplatin + pemetrexed for 4 to 6 21-day cycles). Participants in the platinum-based chemotherapy arms with non-squamous tumor histologies may receive pemetrexed maintenance therapy after the 4 to 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The primary study hypothesis is that pembrolizumab prolongs overall survival (OS) compared to SOC chemotherapy.
detailed Description: Pembrolizumab-treated participants, who attain a confirmed complete response (CR) or who stop trial treatment after 35 administrations of study medication for reasons other than disease progression or intolerability, may consider stopping trial treatment. These participants may be eligible for re-treatment with pembrolizumab monotherapy after they have experienced radiographic disease according to protocol-defined criteria. Response or progression in the Second Course Phase will not count towards the objective response rate (ORR) and progression free survival (PFS) endpoints in this trial. The global study for MK-3475-042 enrolled 1274 participants. Of the 1274 total participants enrolled in the global study, 92 were also enrolled in the China extension study for MK-3475-042 (NCT03850444).

Source references

references

citation
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36306479
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pmid
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type
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citation
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pmid
30955977
type
DERIVED