Clinical trial Recruiting at 37 sites Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Combining Pembrolizumab with Chemotherapy and Other Treatments for Advanced Lung Cancer

Official title: KEYMAKER-U01 Substudy 01G: A Phase 2, Umbrella Study With Rolling Arms of Investigational Agents in Combination With Pembrolizumab With or Without Platinum-based Chemotherapy in Treatment-Naïve Participants With Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · NCT06731907 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing if combining the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab with chemotherapy and other treatments can help people with untreated advanced lung cancer feel better and live longer.

More Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer trials

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment90 (estimated)
SponsorMerck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Industry-sponsored
Drugs / interventionsradiation, pembrolizumab, patritumab, chemotherapy, immunotherapy
Locations41 sites (Lexington, Kentucky and 40 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedMarch 30, 2025
Main results expectedMarch 12, 2032
Study endsMarch 12, 2032
Registry record updatedOctober 16, 2026
Trial IDNCT06731907 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates include individuals with Stage IV squamous or non-squamous NSCLC who have not received prior treatment.

Probably not a fit

Patients with early-stage lung cancer or those who have already undergone extensive treatment may not benefit from this study.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study investigates new treatment options for patients with untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, in combination with chemotherapy and additional treatments like the HER3-directed antibody-drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan. The primary focus is on assessing the safety and efficacy of these combinations in patients with Stage IV NSCLC. Participants will be monitored for their response to the treatments and any potential side effects.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide a more effective treatment option for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown promise with similar immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations, suggesting potential for success in this approach.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of Stage IV squamous or non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging Manual Version 8.
* Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of either 0 or 1 as assessed within 7 days before randomization.
* Has archival tumor tissue sample or newly obtained core, incisional, or excisional biopsy of a tumor lesion not previously irradiated has been provided.
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants must have well controlled HIV on ART.
* Participants who are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive are eligible if they have received hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral therapy for at least 4 weeks and have undetectable HBV viral load prior to treatment randomization.

Exclusion Criteria:

The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

* Has a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer or, for mixed tumors, presence of small cell elements.
* Participants with squamous histology are excluded if there is a known tumor-activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) or c ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene rearrangement.
* Is HIV-infected with a history of Kaposi's sarcoma and/or Multicentric Castleman's Disease
* Clinically severe pulmonary compromise resulting from intercurrent pulmonary illnesses including, but not limited to, any underlying pulmonary disorder, or any autoimmune, connective tissue, or inflammatory disorders with pulmonary involvement.
* Has evidence of any leptomeningeal disease.
* Has known history of, or active, neurologic paraneoplastic syndrome.
* Has clinically significant corneal disease.
* Has myocardial infarction within 6 months.
* Has New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes 3 or 4 congestive heart failure.
* Has uncontrolled angina pectoris within 6 months.
* Has cardiac arrhythmia requiring ongoing antiarrhythmic treatment.
* Has history of clinically relevant ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or Torsade de Pointes.
* Has bradycardia of less than 50 beats per minute (bpm) unless the participant has a pacemaker.
* Has history of second- or third-degree heart block. Candidates with a history of heart block may be eligible if they currently have pacemakers and have no history of fainting or clinically relevant arrhythmia with pacemakers.
* Has coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft within 6 months.
* Has complete left bundle branch block.
* Has inadequate washout period from prior concomitant therapy as specified in protocol before randomization.
* Has received prior treatment with a topoisomerase I inhibitor or an anti-HER3 antibody and/or ADC that consists of an exatecan derivative that is a topoisomerase I inhibitor.
* Has received prior systemic anticancer therapy for their metastatic NSCLC.
* Has received prior therapy with an anti- programmed cell death 1 protein (anti-PD-1), anti- programmed cell death ligand 1 protein (anti-PD-L1), or anti- programmed cell death ligand 2 protein (anti-PD-L2) agent, or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or coinhibitory T-cell receptor.
* Has received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of randomization, has radiation related toxicity requiring corticosteroids, or has had radiation pneumonitis.
* Has received radiation therapy to the lung that is \>30 gray within 6 months of start of study intervention.
* Has received a live or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days before the first dose of study intervention.
* Has diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy or any other 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 active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
* Has severe hypersensitivity to any of the study interventions and/or any of their excipients.
* Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years.
* Has active infection requiring systemic therapy.
* Has concurrent active Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus infection.
* Have not adequately recovered from major surgery or have ongoing surgical complications.

Where it's running

  • University of Kentucky ( Site 0019)
    Lexington, Kentucky, United States
    Recruiting
  • MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center ( Site 0033)
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States
    Recruiting
  • Sanford Fargo Medical Center ( Site 0039)
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States
    Recruiting
  • Abramson Cancer Center ( Site 0010)
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
    Recruiting
  • Sanford Cancer Center ( Site 0038)
    Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
    Recruiting
  • Centro de Estudios Clínicos SAGA ( Site 0162)
    Santiago, Region M. de Santiago, Chile
    Recruiting
Show 35 more locations
  • Fundación Arturo López Pérez ( Site 0161)
    Santiago, Region M. de Santiago, Chile
    Recruiting
  • Bradfordhill ( Site 0160)
    Santiago, Region M. de Santiago, Chile
    Recruiting
  • THORACIC GENERAL HOSPITAL OF ATHENS "I SOTIRIA"-3rd Dept of Internal Medicine and Laboratory, Oncol ( Site 0204)
    Athens, Attica, Greece
    Recruiting
  • European Interbalkan Medical Center-Oncology Department ( Site 0205)
    Thessaloniki, Greece
    Recruiting
  • Petz Aladar Egyetemi Oktato Korhaz ( Site 0062)
    Győr, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hungary
    Recruiting
  • Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok Varmegyei Hetenyi Geza Korhaz-Rendelointezet ( Site 0061)
    Szolnok, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Hungary
    Recruiting
  • Országos Korányi Pulmonológiai Intézet ( Site 0060)
    Budapest, Hungary
    Recruiting
  • Rambam Health Care Campus ( Site 0076)
    Haifa, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Shaare Zedek Medical Center ( Site 0075)
    Jerusalem, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Meir Medical Center ( Site 0071)
    Kfar Saba, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Rabin Medical Center ( Site 0074)
    Petah Tikva, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Sheba Medical Center ( Site 0070)
    Ramat Gan, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Sourasky Medical Center ( Site 0077)
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    Recruiting
  • Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori ( Site 0175)
    Milan, Lombardy, Italy
    Recruiting
  • IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele ( Site 0171)
    Milan, Italy
    Recruiting
  • Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore ( Site 0174)
    Roma, Italy
    Recruiting
  • Narodowy Instytut Onkologii im. Marii Sklodowskiej-Curie - Panstwowy Instytut Badawczy w Warszawie ( Site 0151)
    Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland
    Recruiting
  • Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne-Early Clinical Trials Unit ( Site 0150)
    Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
    Recruiting
  • Szpital Wojewódzki im. Mikoaja Kopernika w Koszalinie-Oddzial Dzienny Chemioterapii ( Site 0152)
    Koszalin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
    Recruiting
  • Institut Català d'Oncologia - L'Hospitalet ( Site 0090)
    L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
    Recruiting
  • Hospital Clinic de Barcelona ( Site 0092)
    Barcelona, Spain
    Recruiting
  • Hospital Universitario Quiron Madrid ( Site 0091)
    Madrid, Spain
    Recruiting
  • Changhua Christian Hospital ( Site 0181)
    Changhua, Taiwan
    Recruiting
  • Taipei Medical University Hospital ( Site 0180)
    Taipei, Taiwan
    Recruiting
  • Chang Gung Medical Foundation-Linkou Branch ( Site 0182)
    Taoyuan, Taiwan
    Recruiting
  • Hacettepe Universite Hastaneleri ( Site 0140)
    Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
    Recruiting
  • Ankara Bilkent Şehir Hastanesi ( Site 0142)
    Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
    Recruiting
  • Municipal Enterprise "Bukovinian сlinical oncology сenter" ( Site 0136)
    Chernivtsi, Chernivetska Oblast, Ukraine
    Recruiting
  • CNCE Precarpathian Clinical Oncologic Center ( Site 0131)
    Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine
    Recruiting
  • Communal Noncommercial Enterprise "Podillia Regional Oncology Center Of Vinnytsia Regional Council" ( Site 0133)
    Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine
    Recruiting
  • Shalimov Institute of Surgery and Transplantation ( Site 0135)
    Kyiv, Ukraine
    Recruiting
  • Wielkopolskie Centrum Pulmonologii i Torakochirurgii-Oddzial Onkologii Klinicznej z Pododdzialem Dz ( Site 0153)
    Poznan, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland
    Active not recruiting
  • Baskent University Dr. Turgut Noyan Research and Training Center ( Site 0141)
    Adana, Turkey (Türkiye)
    Active not recruiting
  • CNE CC of Oncology Hematol ( Site 0130)
    Cherkasy, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine
    Active not recruiting
  • VISION PARTNER Medical Centre ( Site 0134)
    Kyiv, Kyivska Oblast, Ukraine
    Completed

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.