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NCT Number: NCT04626518

Substudy 03B: A Study of Immune and Targeted Combination Therapies in Participants With Second Line Plus (2L+) Renal Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-03B/KEYMAKER-U03)

Substudy 03B is part of a larger research study that is testing experimental treatments for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The larger study is the umbrella study (U03).

The goal of substudy 03B is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of experimental combinations of investigational agents in participants with advanced second line plus (2L+) clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

This substudy will have two phases: a safety lead-in phase and an efficacy phase. The safety lead-in phase will be used to demonstrate a tolerable safety profile for the combination of investigational agents. There will be no hypothesis testing in this study.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1 / Phase 2

Primary location

Blacktown Hospital ( Site 3601), Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Has a histologically confirmed diagnosis of locally advanced/metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
  • Has experienced disease progression on or after having received systemic treatment for locally advanced or metastatic RCC with a programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-(L)1) checkpoint inhibitor (in sequence or in combination with a vascular endothelial growth factor. - tyrosine kinase inhibitor [VEGF-TKI]) where PD-(L)1 checkpoint inhibitor treatment progression is defined by meeting ALL of the following criteria: (a) has received ≥2 doses of an anti-PD-(L)1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (b) has shown radiographic disease progression during or after an anti-PD-(L)1 mAb as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) by investigator (c) disease progression has been documented within 12 weeks from the last dose of an anti-PD-(L)1 mAb
  • Has experienced disease progression on or after having received systemic treatment for locally advanced or metastatic RCC with a VEGF-TKI (in sequence or in combination with a PD-[L]1 checkpoint inhibitor) where VEGF-TKI treatment progression is defined by meeting the following criterion: has shown radiographic disease progression during or after a treatment with a VEGF-TKI as defined by RECIST 1.1 by investigator.
  • Is able to swallow oral medication
  • Has adequate organ function
  • Participants receiving bone resorptive therapy must have therapy initiated at least 2 weeks before randomization/allocation
  • Has resolution of toxic effects of prior therapy to ≤Grade 1
  • Has adequately controlled blood pressure (BP ≤150/90 mm Hg) with no change in hypertensive medications within 1 week before randomization/allocation
  • Male participants are abstinent from heterosexual intercourse or agree to use contraception during treatment with and for at least 7 days after the last dose of lenvatinib and /or belzutifan; 7 days after lenvatinib and/or belzutifan is stopped, if the participant is only receiving pembrolizumab, pembrolizumab/quavonlimab, favezelimab/pembrolizumab, MK-4830 or a combination of the aforementioned drugs, no contraception is needed
  • Female participant is not pregnant or breastfeeding and is not a woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP) or is a WOCBP abstinent from heterosexual intercourse or using contraception during the intervention period and for at least 120 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, pembrolizumab/quavonlimab, favezelimab/pembrolizumab, MK-4830 or 30 days after the last dose of lenvatinib or belzutifan, whichever occurs last and must abstain from breastfeeding during the study intervention period and for at least 120 days after study intervention

Exclusion criteria

  • Has urine protein ≥1 g/24 hours and has any of the following: (a) a pulse oximeter reading <92% at rest, or (b) requires intermittent supplemental oxygen, or (c) requires chronic supplemental oxygen (d) active hemoptysis within 3 weeks prior to the first dose of study intervention
  • Has clinically significant cardiovascular disease within 12 months from the first dose of study intervention administration
  • Has had major surgery within 3 weeks before first dose of study interventions
  • Has a history of lung disease
  • Has a history of inflammatory bowel disease
  • Has preexisting gastrointestinal (GI) or non-GI fistula
  • Has malabsorption due to prior GI surgery or disease
  • Has previously received treatment with a combination of pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib
  • Has received prior treatment with belzutifan
  • Has received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of start of study intervention
  • Has received a live or live attenuated vaccine within 30 days before the first dose of study intervention; killed vaccines are allowed
  • Has received more than 4 previous systemic anticancer treatment regimens
  • Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving any form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of study intervention
  • Has known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 3 years
  • Has known central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis
  • Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years; replacement therapy is not considered a form of systemic treatment and is allowed
  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy
  • Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
  • Has a known history of Hepatitis B
  • Has had an allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant

Treatment and study plan

Pembrolizumab

Biological

Administered via IV infusion at a dose of 200 mg Q3W or 400 mg Q6W

Other names: MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®

MK-4830

Biological

Administered via IV infusion at a dose of 800 mg Q3W

Belzutifan

Drug

Administered via oral tablet at a dose of 120 mg QD

Other names: MK-6482, WELIREG™

Lenvatinib

Drug

Administered via oral capsule at a dose of 20 mg QD

Other names: MK-7902, E7080, LENVIMA®

Pembrolizumab/Quavonlimab

Biological

Administered via IV infusion at a dose of 400 mg/25 mg Q6W

Other names: MK-1308A

favezelimab/pembrolizumab

Biological

Administered via IV infusion at a dose of 800 mg/200 mg Q3W

Other names: MK-4280A

Primary outcomes

  1. Safety Lead-in Phase: Number of participants who experience one or more dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs)

    Time frame: Up to ~21 days

    DLTs are defined as one or more of the following toxicities: (1) grade (gr) 4 nonhematologic toxicity (2) gr 4 hematologic toxicity lasting >7 days OR gr 4 platelet count decreased of any duration OR gr 3 platelet count decreased if associated with bleeding (3) gr 3 nonhematologic toxicity except gr 3 fatigue (lasting ≤3 days), diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or rash without standard of care (4) gr 3 or 4 nonhematologic abnormality if medical intervention is required or if it leads to hospitalization or persists for >1 week (5) gr 3 or 4 febrile neutropenia (6) gr 3 or 4 alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and/or bilirubin laboratory value (7) treatment related adverse event (AE) causing study intervention discontinuation during the first 21 days (8) treatment related AE causing intervention administration delay for >14 days during the first 21 days (9) gr 5 toxicity. The number of participants who experience one or more DLTs in the safety lead-in phase will be presented.

  2. Safety Lead-in Phase: Number of participants who experience one or more adverse events (AEs)

    Time frame: Up to ~21 days

    An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who experience one or more AEs in the safety lead-in phase will be presented.

  3. Safety Lead-in Phase: Number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE

    Time frame: Up to ~21 days

    An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE in the safety lead-in phase will be presented.

  4. Efficacy Phase: Number of participants who experienced DLTs

    Time frame: Up to ~21 days

    DLTs are defined as one or more of the following toxicities: (1) grade (gr) 4 nonhematologic toxicity (2) gr 4 hematologic toxicity lasting >7 days OR gr 4 platelet count decreased of any duration OR gr 3 platelet count decreased if associated with bleeding (3) gr 3 nonhematologic toxicity except gr 3 fatigue (lasting ≤3 days), diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or rash without standard of care (4) gr 3 or 4 nonhematologic abnormality if medical intervention is required or if it leads to hospitalization or persists for >1 week (5) gr 3 or 4 febrile neutropenia (6) gr 3 or 4 alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and/or bilirubin laboratory value (7) treatment related adverse event (AE) causing study intervention discontinuation during the first 21 days (8) treatment related AE causing intervention administration delay for >14 days during the first 21 days (9) gr 5 toxicity. The number of participants who experience one or more DLTs in the efficacy phase will be presented.

  5. Efficacy Phase: Number of participants who experience one or more AEs

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who experience one or more AEs in the efficacy phase will be presented.

  6. Efficacy Phase: Number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE in the efficacy phase will be presented.

  7. Efficacy Phase: Objective response rate (ORR)

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    ORR is defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who have a complete response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or partial response (PR: at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters). Responses are according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) by blinded independent central review (BICR).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Efficacy Phase: Duration of response (DOR)

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    For participants in the analysis population who demonstrate a confirmed CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or confirmed PR (at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters), DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR until progressive disease or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. Responses are according to RECIST 1.1.

  2. Efficacy Phase: Progression-free survival (PFS)

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    PFS is defined as the time from randomization to the first documented progressive disease or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. Responses are according to RECIST 1.1 by BICR.

  3. Efficacy Phase: Overall survival (OS)

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    OS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.

  4. Efficacy Phase: Clinical benefit rate (CBR)

    Time frame: Up to ~56 months

    CBR is defined as the percentage of participants who have achieved CR (disappearance of all target lesions) or PR (at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters) or stable disease (SD: neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for progressive disease) of ≥6 months. Responses are according to RECIST 1.1 by BICR.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A Phase 1b/2 Study of Immune and Targeted Combination Therapies in Participants With RCC (KEYMAKER-U03): Substudy 03B in Second-Line Metastatic Participants

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Nov 12, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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