Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Compared to Platinum-Based Chemotherapies in Participants With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MK-3475-024/KEYNOTE-024)

Brief Summary:
This is a study to assess the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (MK-3475/SCH 900475) compared to standard of care (SOC) platinum-based chemotherapies in the treatment of participants with previously untreated stage IV, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) strong expressing Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The primary hypothesis of this study is that participants with PD-L1 strong NSCLC will have a longer Progression Free Survival (PFS), as assessed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) when treated with pembrolizumab than when treated with SOC platinum-based chemotherapies.

With Amendment 09 (20 December 2017), once participants have achieved the study objective 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.

Detailed Description:
Treatment Phase: Participants randomized to pembrolizumab will be treated for up to 35 cycles or until documented progressive disease (PD) occurs. Participants randomized to SOC chemotherapies will be treated with their randomized study drug for up to 4-6 cycles. After this, participants with non-squamous histologies may choose to be treated with maintenance pemetrexed for the remainder of the study or until disease progression, unacceptable adverse event(s) (AEs), intercurrent illness that prevents further administration of treatment, investigator's decision to withdraw the participant, noncompliance with study treatment or procedures requirements, the participant receives 35 treatments of study treatment (pembrolizumab arm only), or administrative reasons. Participants receiving pembrolizumab who stop drug administration after receiving 35 study treatments for reasons other than disease progression or intolerability, or participants who attain a complete response and stop study treatment may be eligible for retreatment with pembrolizumab upon experiencing disease progression. The decision to retreat with a second course of pembrolizumab will be at the discretion of the Investigator only if participants meet the criteria for retreatment and the study is ongoing. Retreatment (second course) is limited to 17 cycles. Participants randomized to receive SOC chemotherapy may be eligible to receive pembrolizumab if crossover criteria are met.

Cross-Over Phase: This is only applicable for participants randomized to receive SOC. Eligible participants will be treated with pembrolizumab for the remainder of the study or until disease progression, unacceptable AEs, intercurrent illness that prevents further administration of treatment, investigator's decision to withdraw the participant, noncompliance with study treatment or procedures requirements, the participant receives 35 treatments of study treatment (pembrolizumab arm only), or administrative reasons.


Study Type: Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Actual Enrollment: 305 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: A Randomized Open-Label Phase III Trial of MK-3475 Versus Platinum Based Chemotherapy in 1L Subjects With PD-L1 Strong Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Actual Study Start Date: August 25, 2014
Actual Primary Completion Date: May 9, 2016
Estimated Study Completion Date: May 31, 2019

Arm:
- Experimental: Pembrolizumab
- Active Comparator: Paclitaxel+Carboplatin
- Active Comparator: Pemetrexed+Carboplatin
- Active Comparator: Pemetrexed+Cisplatin
- Active Comparator: Gemcitabine+Carboplatin
- Active Comparator: Gemcitabine+Cisplatin