MK-2870 for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Recruiting at 252 trial locations

Overseen By Toll Free Number

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 3

Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Must be taking: EGFR TKIs

Must not be taking: Immunosuppressants, Corticosteroids

Disqualifiers: Squamous NSCLC, Cardiovascular disease, Pneumonitis, others

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

Pivotal Trial (Near Approval) This treatment is in the last trial phase before FDA approval

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: Up to approximately 41 months

556 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new drug, sacituzumab tirumotecan (also known as MK-2870), against standard chemotherapy options for people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have specific genetic mutations. The researchers aim to determine if the new drug more effectively stops cancer growth and improves survival compared to chemotherapy. Suitable participants have advanced or metastatic NSCLC and have received previous treatments, but their cancer has progressed. As a Phase 3 trial, this study serves as the final step before potential FDA approval, offering participants a chance to contribute to a treatment that could soon become widely available.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, you cannot have received any systemic anticancer therapy, including investigational agents, within 4 weeks before joining the study.

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

Studies have shown that sacituzumab tirumotecan, a treatment being tested for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is generally safe. In research involving patients with advanced NSCLC, most tolerated the treatment well. Some experienced side effects, but healthcare professionals found these manageable.

Patients with advanced NSCLC who previously received sacituzumab tirumotecan reported encouraging results, and researchers deemed the treatment's safety acceptable compared to past data. This suggests that the treatment could be a good option for people with certain genetic changes in their cancer. However, like any treatment, there is a risk of side effects, so discussing these risks with a healthcare provider is important when considering joining a trial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this study treatment for non-small cell lung cancer?

Researchers are excited about sacituzumab tirumotecan for non-small cell lung cancer because it offers a novel approach compared to traditional chemotherapy options like docetaxel and pemetrexed. Unlike these standard treatments, sacituzumab tirumotecan is an antibody-drug conjugate, which means it combines an antibody with a chemotherapy drug to specifically target cancer cells, potentially reducing damage to healthy cells. This targeted delivery system could lead to fewer side effects and more effective cancer cell destruction, which is a significant advancement in treating this type of lung cancer.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for non-small cell lung cancer?

This trial studies sacituzumab tirumotecan as a promising treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in patients with EGFR mutations. Research has shown that it can reduce the risk of death by 40%, marking a significant improvement. It has also demonstrated strong effectiveness and manageable side effects in patients who have already undergone other treatments. Meanwhile, participants in another arm of this trial will receive traditional chemotherapy options, either docetaxel or pemetrexed. Docetaxel typically allows patients to live without cancer worsening for about 3 months and has a 24% chance of shrinking the cancer. Pemetrexed is known for having fewer side effects and has been effective, particularly in advanced stages of nonsquamous NSCLC, by helping to delay cancer progression. These findings suggest that sacituzumab tirumotecan might offer better survival benefits compared to these traditional chemotherapy options for certain genetic types of NSCLC. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Medical Director

Principal Investigator

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults with advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who have specific mutations and have already tried some treatments. They should be relatively healthy (ECOG status of 0 or 1), not have certain infections, and must not have had recent vaccinations or other cancer treatments within the last month.

Inclusion Criteria

My advanced lung cancer is non-squamous and has specific mutations.

My cancer has grown despite treatment, as shown by scans.

I've had specific lung cancer treatments, including a targeted therapy for a certain mutation.

Exclusion Criteria

Has received an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to study intervention administration

I experience significant numbness or pain in my hands or feet.

I have severe dry eye, eyelid inflammation, or corneal disease.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive sacituzumab tirumotecan or chemotherapy (docetaxel or pemetrexed) in 6-week cycles

Up to approximately 41 months

IV infusions on Days 1, 15, and 29 for sacituzumab tirumotecan; Days 1 and 22 for chemotherapy

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

Up to approximately 6 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Docetaxel
• MK-2870
• Pemetrexed

Trial Overview The study tests MK-2870 against standard chemotherapy drugs (docetaxel or pemetrexed) in patients with certain genetic changes in their lung cancer. The goal is to see if MK-2870 can improve survival without the disease getting worse compared to chemotherapy.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Sacituzumab tirumotecan Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will receive 4 mg/kg of sacituzumab tirumotecan via intravenous (IV) infusion on Days 1, 15 and 29 of each 6-week cycle. Additionally, participants receive diphenhydramine (or equivalent), an H2 antagonist of investigator's choice, acetaminophen (or equivalent), and dexamethasone (or equivalent) per each drug's product label prior to the first 4 infusions of sacituzumab tirumotecan. At subsequent infusions, the H2 antagonist and dexamethasone are optional, at the discretion of the investigator.

Group II: Chemotherapy Active Control 2 Interventions

Participants will receive 75 mg/m\^2 of docetaxel or 500 mg/m\^2 of pemetrexed by IV infusion on Days 1 and 22 of every 6-week cycle.

Docetaxel is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada, Japan for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Taxotere for:

• Breast Cancer
• Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Prostate Cancer

Approved in European Union as Taxotere for:

• Breast Cancer
• Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Prostate Cancer

Approved in Canada as Taxotere for:

• Breast Cancer
• Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Prostate Cancer

Approved in Japan as Taxotere for:

• Breast Cancer
• Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Prostate Cancer

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Lead 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

Docetaxel shows significant efficacy in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer, with a 30% partial response rate in chemotherapy-naive patients and 20% in those who had previously failed platinum-based treatments, based on six phase II studies involving 268 patients.

The primary side effect of docetaxel is neutropenia, while fluid retention is common but usually manageable with corticosteroids, indicating that the treatment has a manageable safety profile.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Summary of phase II data of docetaxel (Taxotere), an active agent in the first- and second-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Fossella, FV., Lee, JS., Berille, J., et al.[2018]

In a study of 170 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, those treated with EGFR-TKIs as second-line therapy showed the highest response rate (36.1%) and the longest progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.31 months, compared to 15.0% response rate and 5.49 months PFS for docetaxel and 24.5% response rate and 5.42 months PFS for pemetrexed.

All three treatments (docetaxel, pemetrexed, and EGFR-TKIs) had comparable safety profiles, but there was no significant difference in median survival time (MST) among the groups, indicating that while EGFR-TKIs may offer better short-term benefits, long-term survival outcomes were similar across treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Efficacy and safety of docetaxol, pemetrexed and EGFR-TKIs as second-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer]. Zhang, RX., Cai, DY., Wu, XH., et al.[2018]

In a study using three human lung cancer cell lines, simultaneous treatment with pemetrexed and docetaxel showed antagonistic effects, suggesting that this combination may not be effective when given at the same time.

However, administering pemetrexed followed by docetaxel resulted in synergistic effects in two of the cell lines, indicating that this sequential approach could enhance anti-tumor efficacy in lung cancer treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Schedule-dependent synergism and antagonism between pemetrexed and docetaxel in human lung cancer cell lines in vitro. Kano, Y., Tanaka, M., Akutsu, M., et al.[2018]

In a randomized Phase 2 trial comparing pemetrexed and docetaxel in patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failing EGFR-TKI therapy, both treatments showed similar effectiveness in terms of disease control and survival rates.

Pemetrexed was associated with significantly fewer adverse effects, such as nausea and myelosuppression, making it a better-tolerated option for salvage chemotherapy in these patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparison of pemetrexed and docetaxel as salvage chemotherapy for the treatment for nonsmall-cell lung cancer after the failure of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Dong, L., Han, ZF., Feng, ZH., et al.[2022]

Docetaxel has shown impressive efficacy in treating various cancers, including breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and ovarian cancer, outperforming or matching established chemotherapy regimens in phase III trials involving multiple tumor types.

In addition to its effectiveness, docetaxel is often associated with an improved safety profile, and it has demonstrated a survival benefit in previously challenging cases, such as anthracycline-resistant breast cancer and second-line NSCLC.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The current status of docetaxel in solid tumors. An M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Review. Hong, WK.[2018]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Europe and North America, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) making up 70-80% of cases, and current chemotherapy treatments show limited effectiveness with overall response rates below 20%.

The Southern Italy Cooperative Oncology Group is exploring new triplet chemotherapy combinations involving cisplatin and two additional agents, aiming to improve patient outcomes in advanced NSCLC, with ongoing phase I, II, and III trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of these new treatment strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is there any impact of new drugs on the outcome of advanced NSCLC? An overview of the Southern Italy Cooperative Oncology Group trials. Frasci, G., Panza, N., Comella, G., et al.[2022]

Docetaxel (Taxotere) has been shown to significantly improve survival and symptom control in patients with non-small cell lung cancer compared to best supportive care, as demonstrated in the TAX 317 trial.

Pemetrexed (Alimta) has similar response and survival rates to docetaxel but has a better safety profile, causing less severe neutropenia and requiring fewer hospitalizations, making it a preferable option for second-line treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Second-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Shepherd, FA.[2022]

In a phase II study involving 44 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer resistant to platinum chemotherapy, docetaxel showed a 21% partial response rate, indicating its efficacy in this challenging patient population.

The treatment was associated with significant side effects, particularly grade 3/4 neutropenia in 85% of patients, along with hypersensitivity reactions and fluid retention, highlighting the need for careful monitoring during therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phase II study of docetaxel for advanced or metastatic platinum-refractory non-small-cell lung cancer. Fossella, FV., Lee, JS., Shin, DM., et al.[2018]

Ramucirumab, when combined with docetaxel, improves overall survival by 1.4 months for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy.

The treatment has an acceptable safety profile, but its role may be influenced by the introduction of PD-1-blocking antibodies like nivolumab or pembrolizumab in clinical practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ramucirumab for the treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Takeda, K., Daga, H.[2023]

In a phase II study involving 41 chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, docetaxel showed significant efficacy, achieving a 33% partial response rate with a median response duration of 14 weeks.

The treatment was associated with notable toxicities, including severe neutropenia in 97% of patients, hypersensitivity reactions in 36%, and fluid retention in 54%, highlighting the need for careful monitoring during therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phase II study of docetaxel for recurrent or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. Fossella, FV., Lee, JS., Murphy, WK., et al.[2018]

Pemetrexed was approved for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer based on a trial with 571 patients, showing median survival times of 8.3 months compared to 7.9 months for docetaxel, although neither drug was proven superior.

Pemetrexed demonstrated a better safety profile than docetaxel, causing significantly less neutropenia and related complications, making it a potentially safer option for patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

FDA drug approval summary: pemetrexed for injection (Alimta) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Cohen, MH., Johnson, JR., Wang, YC., et al.[2022]

In a study of 148 patients with nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer, the progression-free survival (PFS) and response rates were similar for both pemetrexed plus cisplatin (Pem-Cis) and docetaxel plus cisplatin (Doc-Cis) regimens, indicating that both treatments are comparably effective.

However, docetaxel plus cisplatin was associated with a longer median overall survival (13.3 months) compared to pemetrexed plus cisplatin (11.7 months), but this difference was not statistically significant, and the Doc-Cis regimen had a higher incidence of severe neutropenia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized Phase III Study of Docetaxel Plus Cisplatin Versus Pemetrexed Plus Cisplatin as First-line Treatment of Nonsquamous Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer: A TRAIL Trial. Park, CK., Oh, IJ., Kim, KS., et al.[2018]

Citations

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Docetaxel in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma As a reference point, the cisplatin/docetaxel arm had a median survival time of 7.4 months, compared to 7.9 months median for all enrolled patients. Overall the ...

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Value of chemotherapy post immunotherapy in stage IV ... Our study reported a 24% response rate to Docetaxel including stable disease and partial response and a median progression free survival (PFS) of 3 months.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169500224000710

Anlotinib plus docetaxel vs. docetaxel alone for advanced ... Given the modest efficacy of docetaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this study assesses the therapeutic potential and safety profile of ...

5. annalsofoncology.org annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(19)33289-2/fulltext

Efficacy of Docetaxel for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer as ... The overall response rate was 17.6%. The median progression-free survival was 68 days. The median survival time was 328 days.Grade3/4 toxicities were ...

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Report from the phase 1/2 MK-2870-001 study. Efficacy and safety of sacituzumab tirumotecan monotherapy in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma who progressed on or after prior anti- ...

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First-line sacituzumab tirumotecan with tagitanlimab in ... sac-TMT plus tagitanlimab showed promising efficacy as a first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, with a ...

8. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06170788

NCT06170788 | Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (MK-2870) in ... The primary objective of the study is to compare sacituzumab tirumotecan combined with pembrolizumab to pembrolizumab alone with respect to overall survival ...

9. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03638-2

Sacituzumab tirumotecan in advanced non-small-cell lung ... Collectively, sac-TMT showed encouraging single-agent activity and manageable safety in advanced NSCLC. Compared with historical data of ...

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Sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) in patients (pts) with ... Sac-TMT monotherapy demonstrated promising clinical activity with a manageable safety profile in previously treated advanced NSCLC pts with uncommon EGFR ...