Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Adults With Recurrent/Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) or Locally Advanced Unresectable cSCC (MK-3475-629/KEYNOTE-629)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03284424 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : September 15, 2017
Last Update Posted : January 14, 2021
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Biological: Pembrolizumab | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 150 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase 2, Open-Label, Single Arm Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab in Participants With Recurrent or Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (R/M cSCC) |
Actual Study Start Date : | October 26, 2017 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | January 17, 2021 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | June 15, 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: R/M cSCC cohort
Participants with R/M cSCC receive pembrolizumab 200 mg via intravenous (IV) infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to approximately 2 years.
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Biological: Pembrolizumab
IV infusion
Other Name: MK-3475 |
Experimental: LA cSCC cohort
Participants with LA cSCC receive pembrolizumab 200 mg via IV infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to approximately 2 years.
|
Biological: Pembrolizumab
IV infusion
Other Name: MK-3475 |
- Objective Response Rate (ORR) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]ORR is defined as the percentage of participants who have best response of 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 diameters) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR).
- Duration of Response (DOR) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]For participants who demonstrate a 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 diameters), DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by BICR until progressive disease (PD: At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD.) per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
- Disease Control Rate (DCR) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]DCR is defined as the percentage of participants who have 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 diameters) or stable disease (SD: Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD [At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD.]) for at least 12 weeks per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by BICR.
- Progression-free Survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]PFS is defined as the time from first day of study treatment to the first documented PD (At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered PD.] per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
- Overall Survival (OS) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]OS is defined as the time from first day of study treatment to death due to any cause.
- Adverse Events (AEs) [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 27 months ]An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a participant, temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants who experience one or more AEs will be presented.
- Study Treatment Discontinuations Due to AEs [ Time Frame: Up to approximately 24 months ]An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a participant, temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE will be presented.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- R/M cSCC cohort only:
- Has cSCC that is either metastatic defined as disseminated disease, and/or unresectable disease that is not curable by surgery, radiation, or systemic therapy.
- Has histologically-confirmed cSCC as the primary site of malignancy (metastatic skin involvement from another primary cancer or from an unknown primary cancer is not permitted).
- LA cSCC cohort only:
- Must be ineligible for surgical resection.
- Participants who received prior radiation therapy (RT) to index site or must be deemed to be not eligible for RT unless the lesion has grown since receiving the RT.
- Participants who received prior systemic therapy for curative intent are eligible regardless of regimen.
- R/M cSCC cohort only:
- Has metastatic disease defined as disseminated disease distant to the initial/primary site of diagnosis, and/or must have locally recurrent disease that has been previously treated (with either surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic therapy), and is not amenable to either curative surgery, radiotherapy, or concurrent chemoradiotherapy treatment.
- Has measurable disease based on RECIST 1.1 as assessed by the central imaging vendor.
- Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1 within 10 days prior to the start of study treatment.
- Has adequate organ function.
- Has a tissue sample adequate for programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) testing as determined by central laboratory testing prior to study allocation.
- Has a life expectancy >3 months.
- Female participants of childbearing potential must agree to use an adequate method of contraception during the study treatment period and for at least 120 days after the last dose of study treatment.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Has cSCC that is amenable to surgical resection, local control with radiotherapy, or local control with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy.
- Has any other histologic type of skin cancer other than invasive squamous cell carcinoma as the primary disease under study, e.g. basal cell carcinoma that has not been definitively treated with surgery or radiation, Bowen's disease, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), melanoma.
- Has had any prior allogeneic solid organ or bone marrow transplantation.
- Has received prior therapy with an anti-programmed death protein-1 (anti-PD-1), anti-programmed 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], Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 4 [OX-40], tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 9 [CD137]).
- Has received prior systemic anti-cancer therapy including investigational agents within 4 weeks prior to study allocation.
(Notes: Participants must have recovered from all AEs due to previously administered therapies to ≤ Grade 1 or baseline. If a participant received major surgery, they must have recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from the intervention prior to starting study treatment.)
- Has received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of start of study treatment.
- Is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study treatment.
- Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
- Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (e.g. with use of disease-modifying agents, anticoagulants, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs).
- Has a history of (noninfectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or has current pneumonitis.
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
- Has a known history of Hepatitis B or known active Hepatitis C virus infection.
- Is pregnant or breastfeeding or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of study treatment.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03284424

Study Director: | Medical Director | Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. |
Publications of Results:
Responsible Party: | Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03284424 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
3475-629 2017-000594-37 ( EudraCT Number ) MK-3475-629 ( Other Identifier: Merck Protocol Number ) |
First Posted: | September 15, 2017 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 14, 2021 |
Last Verified: | January 2021 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf |
URL: | http://engagezone.msd.com/ds_documentation.php |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
PD1 PD-1 PDL1 PD-L1 |
Carcinoma Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms |
Neoplasms, Squamous Cell Pembrolizumab Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological Antineoplastic Agents |