🇮🇪Ireland
16°C Partly Cloudy · Dublin
Live Updates
--:--:-- IST
Writer Login
Latest
Clinical Trials in Ireland / NCT03725059
Active, not recruiting Phase 3

Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Placebo in Combination With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy & Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in the Treatment of Early-Stage Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative (ER+/HER2-) Breast Cancer (MK-3475-756/KEYNOTE-756)

NCT03725059 · tracked via the Priya Life Science Ireland tracker
Sponsor
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Phase
Phase 3
Started
2018-12-27
Last updated
2025-07-11

Condition(s) studied

Breast Cancer

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Pembrolizumab (K)Placebo (P)Paclitaxel (X)Doxorubicin (A)Epirubicin (E)Cyclophosphamide (C)Endocrine therapyRadiation therapySurgery

Pembrolizumab (K): IV infusion Q3W

Placebo (P): Normal saline or dextrose IV infusion Q3W

Paclitaxel (X): IV infusion QW

Doxorubicin (A): IV infusion either in Q2W or Q3W

Epirubicin (E): IV infusion either in Q2W or Q3W

Cyclophosphamide (C): IV infusion either in Q2W or Q3W

Endocrine therapy: Variable endocrine therapy for up 10 years

Radiation therapy: Variable radiation therapy per local standard of care

Surgery: Surgery for breast cancer

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) versus placebo in combination with neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy and adjuvant (post-surgery) endocrine therapy in the treatment of adults who have high-risk early-stage estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer.

The primary study hypotheses are: 1) pembrolizumab is superior to placebo, both in combination with the protocol-specified neoadjuvant anticancer therapy, as assessed by pathological Complete Response (pCR) rate defined by the local pathologist, and 2) pembrolizumab is superior to placebo (both in combination with the protocol-specified neoadjuvant and adjuvant anticancer therapies) as assessed by Event-Free Survival (EFS) as determined by the investigator. The study is considered to have met its primary objective if pembrolizumab is superior to placebo with respect to either pCR (ypT0/Tis ypN0) or EFS.

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria: * Has a localized invasive breast ductal adenocarcinoma, confirmed by the local pathologist, that includes either T1c-T2 (tumor size ≥2 cm), clinical node stage (cN)1-cN2, or T3-T4, cN0-cN2. Note: Inflammatory breast cancer is allowed. * Has centrally confirmed ER+/HER2-, Grade 3 breast cancer of ductal histology, according to the most recent American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologist guidelines. * Provides a new or recently obtained core needle biopsy, consisting of multiple cores, taken from the primary breast tumor(s) for central determination of HR status (ER and progesterone receptor), HER2, grade, and PD-L1 status. Note: Sponsor agreement is required for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue sample or slides that were obtained greater than 60 days prior to the date that the documented informed consent was obtained. * Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1, as assessed within 10 days prior to initiation of study treatment. * Male participants must agree to use contraception during the treatment period and for at least 12 months (for participants who received cyclophosphamide) or 6 months (for participants who did not receive cyclophosphamide) after the last dose of study treatment and refrain from donating sperm during this period. * Female participants must agree to use effective contraception during the treatment period and for at least 12 months (for participants who received cyclophosphamide) or 6 months (for participants who did not receive cyclophosphamide) after the last dose of study treatment with pembrolizumab or placebo. * Has adequate organ function. Exclusion Criteria: * Has a history of non-infectious pneumonitis that required treatment with steroids or has current pneumonitis. * Has breast cancer with lobular histology. * Has bilateral invasive breast cancer. * Has metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer. * Has multi-centric breast cancer (presence of more than 1 tumor in different quadrants of the breast). * Has any of the following clinical lymph node staging per current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria for breast cancer staging based on radiological and/or clinical assessment: cN3, cN3a, cN3b, or cN3c. * Has ER-, progesterone receptor positive breast cancer. * Has undergone excisional biopsy of the primary tumor and/or axillary lymph nodes or has undergone sentinel lymph node biopsy prior to study treatment. * Has a known additional, invasive, malignancy that is progressing or required active treatment in the last 5 years. Note: Participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, ductal breast carcinoma in situ, or cervical carcinoma in situ that has undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded. * Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study treatment. * Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs) Note: Replacement therapy (e.g. thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment. * Has a known history of active tuberculosis (Bacillus tuberculosis). * Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy. * Has left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of \<50% or below the institution limit of normal, as assessed by echocardiogram (ECHO) or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan performed at screening. * Has other significant cardiac disease, such as: 1) History of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, or coronary angioplasty/stenting/bypass within the last 6 months. or 2) Congestive heart failure (CHF) New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II-IV or history of CHF NYHA Class III or IV. * Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. * Has a known history of hepatitis B or known active hepatitis C virus infection. * Has received prior treatment for breast cancer. * Has received prior therapy with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1), anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1), or anti-PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g. cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 \[CTLA-4\], OX 40, CD137). * Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study treatment. * Has severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) to any of the components or excipients used in the study treatments. * Is/was enrolled in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy, or used an investigational device within 4 weeks (12 months for an investigational agent or device with anticancer or antiproliferative properties) prior to the first dose of study treatment. * Is pregnant, breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through 12 months (for participants who received cyclophosphamide) or 6 months (for participants who did not receive cyclophosphamide) after the last dose of study treatment.

Primary outcome measure(s)

Trial sites (244)

FacilityCityRegionStatus
Southern Cancer Center, PC ( Site 8003) Daphne Alabama
Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center ( Site 0001) Goodyear Arizona
Arizona Oncology Associates PC- HOPE ( Site 8008) Tucson Arizona
Cedars Sinai Medical Center Samuel Oschin Comp. Cancer Institute ( Site 0079) Los Angeles California
El Camino Hospital Cancer Center ( Site 0004) Mountain View California
Stanford Cancer Center ( Site 0072) Palo Alto California
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center ( Site 0073) Sacramento California
University of Colorado, Anschutz Cancer Pavilion ( Site 0008) Aurora Colorado
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center ( Site 0014) Jacksonville Florida
Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Inc. ( Site 0075) Newnan Georgia
The University of Chicago Medical Center ( Site 0080) Chicago Illinois
Orchard Healthcare Research Inc. ( Site 0020) Skokie Illinois
Midwestern Regional Medical Center, Inc. ( Site 0077) Zion Illinois
Goshen Center for Cancer Care ( Site 0021) Goshen Indiana
MercyOne Waterloo Cancer Center ( Site 0016) Waterloo Iowa
James Graham Brown Cancer Center ( Site 0022) Louisville Kentucky
Maryland Oncology Hematology, P.A. ( Site 8007) Bethesda Maryland
Massachusetts General Hospital ( Site 0024) Boston Massachusetts
MGH - North Shore Cancer Center ( Site 0081) Danvers Massachusetts
MGH Newton-Wellesley Hospital's Vernon Cancer Center ( Site 0082) Newton Massachusetts
Henry Ford Health System ( Site 0028) Detroit Michigan
Mayo Clinic and Medical School (Rochester) ( Site 0029) Rochester Minnesota
St. Vincent Frontier Cancer Center ( Site 0033) Billings Montana
Oncology Hematology West, PC dba Nebraska Cancer Specialists ( Site 0039) Omaha Nebraska
Holy Name Medical Center ( Site 0041) Teaneck New Jersey
Weill Cornell Medical College ( Site 0043) New York New York
CTCA Southwestern ( Site 0074) Tulsa Oklahoma
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute ( Site 0051) Portland Oregon
Northwest Cancer Specialists, P.C. ( Site 8000) Tigard Oregon
Geisinger Medical Center ( Site 0052) Danville Pennsylvania
Fox Chase Cancer Center ( Site 0078) Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Cancer Treatment Centers of America-Eastern Regional Medical Center ( Site 0076) Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Medical University of South Carolina ( Site 0053) Charleston South Carolina
Tennessee Oncology, PLLC/The Sarah Cannon Research Institute ( Site 7000) Nashville Tennessee
Texas Oncology-Austin Central ( Site 8004) Austin Texas
Texas Oncology-Dallas Presbyterian Hospital ( Site 8002) Dallas Texas
Texas Oncology-Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center ( Site 8009) Dallas Texas
Texas Oncology-Memorial City ( Site 8012) Houston Texas
University of Texas-MD Anderson Cancer Center ( Site 0083) Houston Texas
Texas Oncology- Plano East ( Site 8010) Plano Texas

+ 204 more sites — see the full list on the official registry below.

Official registry record

This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.

View NCT03725059 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ← All trials in Ireland