mRNA-4157 + Pembrolizumab for Cancer

(KEYNOTE-603 Trial)

Not currently recruiting at 37 trial locations

Overseen By Moderna WeCare Team

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 1

Sponsor: ModernaTX, Inc.

Must not be taking: Immunosuppressants, Steroids, Chemotherapy, others

Disqualifiers: Psychiatric disorders, Substance abuse, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new treatment, mRNA-4157 (an experimental cancer vaccine), used alone or with pembrolizumab, a cancer drug, in individuals with solid tumors. The study examines the body's response to these treatments and their potential to combat cancer. It includes various groups testing combinations of these treatments, sometimes alongside standard chemotherapy. Individuals with certain cancers, such as melanoma or lung cancer, who have not recently undergone treatment, may qualify for this trial. As a Phase 1 trial, the research focuses on understanding how the treatment works in people, offering participants the chance to be among the first to receive this new treatment.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial requires stopping certain medications before starting. You must not have taken investigational agents, certain cancer treatments, or live-virus vaccines within specific timeframes before the first dose. Check with the trial team for details on your specific medications.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that mRNA-4157, when combined with pembrolizumab, has a manageable safety profile. In earlier studies, this combination reduced cancer recurrence and improved patient health. The safety data indicated it was generally well-tolerated.

Pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, has undergone extensive testing and consistently demonstrates a reliable safety record across various cancer types. Common side effects include fatigue, pain, and rash, which are usually mild.

Overall, current research has shown both treatments to be safe. Prospective trial participants can feel reassured by the available safety information. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about mRNA-4157 combined with pembrolizumab because of its innovative approach to treating cancer. Unlike traditional cancer treatments that may rely heavily on chemotherapy alone, mRNA-4157 is a personalized cancer vaccine that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, further boosts the body's immune response by blocking a protein that prevents immune cells from killing cancer cells. This combination aims to enhance the effectiveness of the body's natural defenses against cancer, offering a potentially more targeted and efficient treatment option.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for cancer?

Research has shown that the combination of mRNA-4157 and pembrolizumab, which participants in this trial may receive, yields promising results in cancer treatment. One study found that this combination reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 49% and decreased the likelihood of cancer spreading by 62% compared to other treatments. This improvement means patients had a better chance of living longer without their cancer returning. Pembrolizumab alone, another treatment option in this trial, has proven effective in extending survival in various cancers, with some patients living up to five years or more. These treatments enhance the immune system's ability to fight cancer more effectively. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

Adults with certain unresectable solid tumors or those who are disease-free after resection can join. They must have measurable disease, not received prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy (for some parts), and be suitable for pembrolizumab treatment. Participants need a tumor sample for sequencing and agree to use contraception.

Inclusion Criteria

My skin cancer was surgically removed and was stage II, III, or IV.

I have a tumor sample for testing and at least one tumor that can be biopsied.

My cancer is advanced, cannot be surgically removed, and can be measured for changes.

Exclusion Criteria

I have not had chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation recently.

I haven't taken any experimental cancer treatments or vaccines recently.

I have not received a live-virus vaccine recently.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Dose Escalation

Participants receive mRNA-4157 in a dose escalation regimen to identify doses for the expansion phase

Up to 9 cycles (approximately 27 weeks)

1 visit per 21-day cycle

Dose Expansion

Participants receive mRNA-4157 at a recommended dose for expansion, with or without pembrolizumab and SoC chemotherapy

Up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years)

1 visit per 21-day cycle

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

Up to 3 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• mRNA-4157
• Pembrolizumab

Trial Overview

The trial is testing the safety and immune response to mRNA-4157 alone in patients with removed tumors, and combined with pembrolizumab in those with unresectable tumors. It aims to understand how well these treatments are tolerated.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Part E3: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle, pembrolizumab Q3W via IV infusion, and SoC chemotherapy Q2W or Q3W for up to 4 cycles during the perioperative and adjuvant phases.

Group II: Part E2: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle, pembrolizumab Q6W via IV infusion, and SoC chemotherapy Q3W for up to 4 cycles during the perioperative and adjuvant phases.

Group III: Part E1: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle, pembrolizumab every 6 weeks (Q6W) via IV infusion, and SoC chemotherapy every 3 weeks (Q3W) for up to 4 cycles during the perioperative and adjuvant phases.

Group IV: Part D: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 9 cycles and pembrolizumab via IV infusion on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 18 cycles (approximately 1 year of treatment), whichever is sooner.

Group V: Part C: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 9 cycles and pembrolizumab via IV infusion on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years of treatment), whichever is sooner.

Group VI: Part B: Dose Escalation and Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via an IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 9 cycles and pembrolizumab via IV infusion on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 35 cycles (approximately 2 years of treatment), whichever is sooner.

Group VII: Part A: Dose Escalation and Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via an intramuscular (IM) injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 9 cycles.

Group VIII: Part A2: Dose Expansion Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will receive mRNA-4157 via an IM injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle and a SoC treatment every 2 weeks (Q2W) on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle starting from Cycle 5 of mRNA-4157 for up to 12 cycles.

mRNA-4157 is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as mRNA-4157 for:

• High-risk melanoma (adjuvant treatment)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

ModernaTX, Inc.

Lead Sponsor

Trials

127

Recruited

66,790,000+

Dr. Stephen Hoge

ModernaTX, Inc.

Chief Medical Officer

MD from Harvard Medical School

Stéphane Bancel

ModernaTX, Inc.

Chief Executive Officer since 2011

MBA from Harvard Business School, MSc in Engineering from École Centrale Paris

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Industry Sponsor

Trials

4,096

Recruited

5,232,000+

Chirfi Guindo

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Chief Marketing Officer since 2022

Degree in Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris, MBA from New York University Stern School of Business

Robert M. Davis

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Chief Executive Officer since 2021

JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Bachelor's in Finance from Miami University

Published Research Related to This Trial

Pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, has demonstrated clinical effectiveness in treating various solid tumors, particularly in patients with PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer and unresectable/metastatic melanoma.

Early-phase trials and ongoing studies are focused on further confirming the clinical benefits of pembrolizumab in thoracic malignancies, highlighting its potential as a significant treatment option in cancer therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab for the treatment of thoracic malignancies: current landscape and future directions. Karim, S., Leighl, N.[2017]

The 400 mg dose of pembrolizumab administered every 6 weeks (Q6W) is predicted to have similar drug exposure levels as the 200 mg dose given every 3 weeks (Q3W), based on simulations from a model using data from 2993 subjects across multiple cancer trials.

Safety profiles for the 400 mg Q6W regimen are expected to be comparable to the lower doses, as predicted peak concentrations are significantly lower than the maximum clinical dose of 10 mg/kg given every 2 weeks, suggesting that efficacy and safety will be maintained across different dosing schedules.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A six-weekly dosing schedule for pembrolizumab in patients with cancer based on evaluation using modelling and simulation. Lala, M., Li, TR., de Alwis, DP., et al.[2021]

Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that effectively blocks the PD-1 receptor on T cells, enhancing their ability to attack cancer cells, particularly in melanoma patients.

In a Phase I study involving 411 patients, pembrolizumab demonstrated high durable response rates with minimal toxicity, indicating its potential as a safe and effective treatment option for melanoma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pembrolizumab joins the anti-PD-1 armamentarium in the treatment of melanoma. Hersey, P., Gowrishankar, K.[2017]

Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, can cause pneumonitis in 1%-5% of patients, and this case report highlights an atypical presentation of this side effect in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.

The patient was successfully treated with steroid therapy after ruling out other potential causes, leading to complete resolution of the pneumonitis, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and managing atypical cases of checkpoint inhibitor-pneumonitis.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Recurrent and atypical immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced pneumonitis. Jeon, WJ., Nguyen, J., Castillo, DR., et al.[2023]

Pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) was approved by the FDA for treating advanced melanoma, showing an overall response rate of 24% in a trial of 89 patients, with 86% of responses lasting at least 6 months.

While there are potential immune-mediated side effects, the benefits of prolonged tumor response durations were deemed to outweigh these risks, marking an improvement over existing treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

FDA Approval Summary: Accelerated Approval of Pembrolizumab for Second-Line Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma. Chuk, MK., Chang, JT., Theoret, MR., et al.[2021]

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved by the FDA for treating metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) in patients with tumors expressing PD-L1, showing significant improvements in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in two major clinical trials with thousands of participants.

In the KEYNOTE-024 trial, pembrolizumab demonstrated a 40% reduction in the risk of death compared to chemotherapy, while in the KEYNOTE-010 trial, it also showed a significant survival advantage over chemotherapy in patients who had previously progressed on treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

FDA Approval Summary: Pembrolizumab for Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: First-Line Therapy and Beyond. Pai-Scherf, L., Blumenthal, GM., Li, H., et al.[2022]

In a long-term study of 123 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, the combination of pembrolizumab with pemetrexed-carboplatin significantly improved the objective response rate (58% vs. 33%) and progression-free survival (24.5 months vs. 9.9 months) compared to chemotherapy alone.

Patients who completed 2 years of pembrolizumab treatment had a remarkable 92% survival rate at the data cutoff, indicating a durable clinical benefit, while the safety profile remained manageable with no new safety concerns identified.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-Term Overall Survival From KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G: Pemetrexed and Carboplatin With or Without Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC. Awad, MM., Gadgeel, SM., Borghaei, H., et al.[2021]

Pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor used in cancer treatment, can lead to rare but serious immune-related adverse events, including type 1 diabetes mellitus, occurring in about 0.2% of cases.

A review of 42 cases revealed that patients may develop diabetic ketoacidosis during treatment, highlighting the need for blood glucose monitoring and awareness of this potential side effect among clinicians.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Programmed Cell Death-1 Inhibitor-Induced Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Clotman, K., Janssens, K., Specenier, P., et al.[2022]

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) effectively blocks the PD-1 pathway, enhancing T-cell activity against tumors, which supports its role in promoting tumor regression and immune rejection.

Preclinical studies in cynomolgus monkeys showed that pembrolizumab has a favorable safety profile with no significant toxicological findings, aligning with its demonstrated safety and efficacy in human clinical trials.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Biophysical and Immunological Characterization and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology in Nonhuman Primates of the Anti-PD-1 Antibody Pembrolizumab. Hutchins, B., Starling, GC., McCoy, MA., et al.[2021]

In a phase II trial involving 15 patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), neoadjuvant treatment with pembrolizumab showed a major pathologic response in 27% of patients, indicating promising antitumor activity before surgery.

The treatment was found to be feasible and safe, with only 33% of patients experiencing moderate adverse events, and no postoperative mortality, suggesting that pembrolizumab does not compromise surgical outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neoadjuvant anti-programmed death-1 immunotherapy by pembrolizumab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: First clinical experience. Eichhorn, F., Klotz, LV., Kriegsmann, M., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 1033 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pembrolizumab significantly improved overall survival compared to docetaxel, with a hazard ratio of 0.66, indicating a 34% reduction in the risk of death.

The effectiveness of pembrolizumab was consistent across both archival and newly collected tumor samples, with better outcomes observed in patients with higher PD-L1 expression (TPS ≥50%), showing hazard ratios of 0.64 and 0.40 for overall survival, respectively.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Use of archival versus newly collected tumor samples for assessing PD-L1 expression and overall survival: an updated analysis of KEYNOTE-010 trial. Herbst, RS., Baas, P., Perez-Gracia, JL., et al.[2023]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10082298/

Five-Year Outcomes With Pembrolizumab Versus ...

With 5-year OS rates of up to 22%, these data support the continued use of pembrolizumab monotherapy as a standard-of-care treatment for previously untreated PD ...

2.

merck.com

merck.com/news/five-year-data-for-mercks-keytruda-pembrolizumab-plus-chemotherapy-showed-sustained-survival-benefit-versus-chemotherapy-alone-in-two-studies-for-metastatic-non-small-cell-lung-cancer-nsclc/

Five-Year Data for Merck's KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab ...

Five-year overall survival rate of 19.4% and 18.4% for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy in KEYNOTE-189 and KEYNOTE-407, respectively.

3.

keytrudahcp.com

keytrudahcp.com/efficacy/

Efficacy Data for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab)

The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were decreased appetite (25%), fatigue (25%), dyspnea (23%), and nausea (20%). In KEYNOTE⁠-⁠671, adverse reactions ...

4.

clinical-lung-cancer.com

clinical-lung-cancer.com/article/S1525-7304(24)00081-0/fulltext

5-Year Real-World Outcomes With Frontline ...

With 5-year follow-up in a real-world population, frontline pembrolizumab monotherapy continues to demonstrate long-term effectiveness.

5.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02142738

NCT02142738 | Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) ...

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.

6.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959804924000066

Safety profile of pembrolizumab monotherapy based on an ...

This pooled analysis of 31 clinical trials showed that pembrolizumab has a consistent safety profile across indications.

7.

keytrudahcp.com

keytrudahcp.com/safety/adverse-reactions/

Select Adverse Reactions for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab)

The safety and effectiveness of KEYTRUDA as a single agent have been established in pediatric patients with melanoma, MCC, and MSI⁠-⁠H or dMMR cancer. Use of ...

8.

merck.com

merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/k/keytruda/keytruda_pi.pdf

keytruda_pi.pdf

Safety data are available for the first 203 patients who received KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy (n=101) or placebo and chemotherapy (n=102). Patients with ...

9.

keytruda.com

keytruda.com/side-effects/

Side Effects of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab)

Common side effects of KEYTRUDA when used alone include feeling tired; pain, including pain in muscles; rash; diarrhea; fever; cough; decreased appetite; ...

10.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8830697/

Retrospective analysis of clinical trial safety data ...

We analyzed over ten thousand adverse event reports from Keynote clinical trials of pembrolizumab for various cancer indications with or without co-occurring ...