Tepotinib versus standard treatments for advanced MET exon 14–mutated non-small cell lung cancer after prior therapy

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tepotinib vs Standard Treatment in Patients With Advanced MET Exon 14 Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Phase 3 Interventional Intergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique · NCT06908993

This study will test whether tepotinib works better than standard chemotherapy choices for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer that has a MET exon 14 mutation and whose disease progressed after at least one prior treatment.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 3
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment133 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorIntergroupe Francophone de Cancerologie Thoracique Academic / other
Drugs / interventionscrizotinib, tepotinib, chemotherapy, radiation, capmatinib, immunotherapy
Locations29 sites (Besançon and 28 other locations)
Trial IDNCT06908993 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a randomized Phase 3 interventional trial comparing oral tepotinib to the investigator's choice of standard chemotherapy agents in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring a MET exon 14 mutation who have progressed after at least one prior systemic therapy. Eligible patients must have documented METex14 by tissue or, if unavailable, by liquid biopsy and be able to follow the study schedule and procedures. The control arm options include pemetrexed, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, or docetaxel chosen by the treating physician. The study was designed in consultation with French health authorities to produce comparative data needed for reimbursement decisions and to measure outcomes such as response rate and progression-free survival.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults with histologically confirmed advanced NSCLC carrying a MET exon 14 mutation who have progressed after at least one prior line of therapy and can provide informed consent and attend study visits.

Not a fit: Patients without a MET exon 14 mutation, those who are treatment-naive, or those unable to tolerate study procedures or the listed comparator drugs are unlikely to benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If positive, the trial could expand patient access to tepotinib and support reimbursement, potentially improving response rates and progression-free survival for METex14 NSCLC patients.

How similar studies have performed: Single-arm studies of tepotinib in METex14 NSCLC have shown about a 50% response rate and median progression-free survival around 11 months, but no completed Phase 3 randomized trials exist.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Informed, written and signed consent:

   * Patients must have signed and dated the written informed consent form approved by the ethics committee in accordance with the legal and institutional framework.
   * It must have been signed before protocol-related procedures that are not part of normal patient management are performed. Patients should be willing and able to adhere to the schedule of visits, treatment and laboratory tests.
2. Histologically proven advanced NSCLC.
3. Presence of a METex14 mutation (based on local testing). Detection of METex14 mutation should be performed on a tissue sample if available. In case no tissue sample is available, detection of METex14 on a liquid biopsy is authorized. The sponsor should be consulted if there is any doubt about the nature of the mutation.
4. Evidence of disease progression after at least one prior line of treatment including either a platinum-based chemotherapy or an anti-PD(L)1 agent or both.
5. Has received no more than 2 prior lines of treatment.
6. ECOG Performance Status 0-3.
7. Brain metastases are allowed. If immediate local treatment is required, inclusion is possible once the latter is complete.
8. Stage IIIB or IIIC non irradiable or stage IV (8th classification TNM, UICC 2015)
9. Age ≥ 18 years.
10. Adequate biological function:

    * Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 ml/min;
    * Neutrophils ≥ 1500/mm3;
    * Platelets ≥100,000/mm3;
    * Haemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL;
    * Liver enzymes \< 3x ULN except for patients with liver metastases (\< 5x ULN);
    * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN except for patients with proven Gilbert's syndrome (≤ 5 x ULN) or patients with liver metastases (≤ 3.0 ULN).
11. Protected adults may participate in the study if they are capable of making decisions regarding their medical treatment in accordance with the guardianship judgment.
12. For women of childbearing potential (including women who have had a tubal ligation), serum pregnancy test must be performed and documented as negative within 14 days prior to C1D1.
13. Women of childbearing potential must remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use contraceptive methods with a failure rate of \< 1% per year during the treatment period and for at least 6 months after the last dose of study drugs. Women must refrain from donating eggs during this same period. A woman is considered to be of childbearing potential if she is post-menarcheal, has not reached a postmenopausal state (≥ 12 continuous months of amenorrhea with no identified cause other than menopause), and has not undergone surgical sterilization (removal of ovaries or uterus). Examples of contraceptive methods with a failure rate of \<1% per year include bilateral tubal ligation, male sterilization, established proper use of hormonal contraceptives that inhibit ovulation, hormone-releasing intrauterine devices, and copper intrauterine devices. Hormonal contraceptive methods must be supplemented by a barrier method plus spermicide. The reliability of sexual abstinence should be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical study and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient. Periodic abstinence (e.g. calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, or postovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.
14. Men with female partners of childbearing potential or pregnant female partners, must remain abstinent or use a condom during the treatment period and for at least 6 months after the last dose of study treatment to avoid exposing the embryo. Men must refrain from donating sperm during this same period. The reliability of sexual abstinence should be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical study and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient. Periodic abstinence (e.g. calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, or postovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.
15. Patient covered by a national health insurance.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Prior treatment with a MET inhibitor (including crizotinib).
2. Presence of another known driver oncogene alteration (including EGFR, HER2, KRAS, BRAF mutations or ALK, ROS1, RET fusions). In case of detection of any other driver alteration, inclusion should be discussed with the sponsor.
3. ECOG Performance Status 4.
4. Known hypersensitivity to tepotinib or its excipients.
5. History of cancer within 3 years or active cancer except those with a negligible risk of metastasis or death, or those treated curatively. If a patient does not fulfil this criterion but the investigator considers that the benefit/risk balance is in favour of inclusion in the study, please contact IFCT.
6. Inability to comply with study or follow-up procedures.
7. Pregnant, lactating, or breastfeeding women.
8. Any disease, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicates the use of an investigational drug, that may affect the interpretation of the results, or that may render the patient at high risk from treatment complications.
9. History of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or active pneumonitis on chest computed tomography (CT) scan at screening. History of radiation pneumonitis in the radiation field (fibrosis) is permitted.

Where this trial is running

Besançon and 28 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Advanced Non Small Cell Lung CancerMET Exon 14 MutationTepotinibNon Small Cell Lung Cancer
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.