Final analysis of KEYNOTE-189: Pemetrexed-platinum chemotherapy (chemo) with or without pembrolizumab (pembro) in patients (pts) with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Delvys Rodríguez‐Abreu, Steven Powell, Maximilian J. Hochmair, Shirish M. Gadgeel, Emilio Esteban, Enriqueta Felip, Giovanna Speranza, M. Dómine Gómez, Susanna Y. Cheng, Helge Bischoff, Nir Peled, Martin Reck, Rina Hui, Edward B. Garon, Michael Boyer, Takayasu Kurata, Jing Yang, Tuba Öcek Baş, Fabricio Souza, Marina Chiara Garassino
Abstract
9582 Background: The phase III KEYNOTE-189 study (NCT02578680), showed significant improvements in OS and PFS with pembro + chemo vs placebo + chemo in pts with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC without sensitizing EGFR/ALK mutations. We report the protocol-specified final analysis of KEYNOTE-189. Methods: Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive 35 cycles of pembro 200 mg Q3W (n = 410) or placebo Q3W (n = 206) plus 4 cycles of pemetrexed (pem) and carboplatin/cisplatin followed by maintenance pem. Pts in the placebo + chemo arm could crossover to pembro upon PD. PFS and OS were primary endpoints; ORR was a secondary endpoint. PFS2 (time from randomization to objective tumor progression on next-line treatment/death), was an exploratory endpoint. Results: At data cutoff (May 20, 2019), median (range) time from randomization to data cutoff was 31.0 (26.5–38.8) mo. 17 pts in the pembro + chemo arm and 1 pt in the placebo + chemo arm were receiving initially assigned treatment; 84 pts crossed over to pembro. Median (95% CI) OS (22.0 [19.5–24.5] vs 10.6 [8.7–13.6] mo; HR 0.56 [95% CI, 0.46–0.69]) and PFS (9.0 [8.1–10.4] vs 4.9 [4.7–5.5] mo; HR 0.49 [95% CI, 0.41–0.59]) were longer with pembro + chemo vs placebo + chemo (Table). The 2-y OS rate was 45.7% vs 27.3% and the 2-y PFS rate was 22.0% vs 3.4%. ORR was 48.3% with pembro + chemo vs 19.9% with placebo + chemo. 56 pts in the pembro + chemo arm completed 35 cycles of pembro among whom ORR was 85.7% (4 CR, 44 PR, 8 SD) and median OS was not reached. 292 (72.1%) pts in the pembro + chemo arm and 135 (66.8%) pts in the placebo + chemo arm had grade 3–5 AEs. Conclusions: Pembro + chemo continued to show improved outcomes in OS, PFS, ORR and PFS2 compared with placebo + chemo, with manageable toxicity. These findings support first-line pembro + chemo in pts with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT02578680 . [Table: see text]