E.1 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.1 | Medical condition(s) being investigated |
|
E.1.1.1 | Medical condition in easily understood language |
|
E.1.1.2 | Therapeutic area | Diseases [C] - Cancer [C04] |
MedDRA Classification |
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 18.1 |
E.1.2 | Level | PT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10030155 |
E.1.2 | Term | Oesophageal carcinoma |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 10029104 - Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) |
|
E.1.3 | Condition being studied is a rare disease | No |
E.2 Objective of the trial |
E.2.1 | Main objective of the trial |
To compare Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) per RECIST 1.1 assessed by blinded central imaging vendor in all subjects and in Gene Expression Profile (GEP) high subjects. |
|
E.2.2 | Secondary objectives of the trial |
To evaluate safety and tolerability of study drugs in all subjects, as well as PFS, by investigator assessment, and Overall Response Rate (ORR), by blinded central vendor review, per RECIST 1.1 among GEP high subjects and all subjects, when treated with pembrolizumab compared to investigator’s choice of paclitaxel, docetaxel, or irinotecan. |
|
E.2.3 | Trial contains a sub-study | Yes |
E.2.3.1 | Full title, date and version of each sub-study and their related objectives |
Merck will conduct Future Biomedical Research on DNA (blood) specimens collected during this clinical trial. Such research is for biomarker testing to address emergent questions not described elsewhere in the protocol (as part of the main trial) and will only be conducted on specimens from appropriately consented subjects. The objective of collecting specimens for Future Biomedical Research is to explore and identify biomarkers that inform the scientific understanding of diseases and/or their therapeutic treatments. The overarching goal is to use such information to develop safer, more effective drugs, and/or to ensure that subjects receive the correct dose of the correct drug at the correct time. |
|
E.3 | Principal inclusion criteria |
Subjects must:
- Be ≥ 18 years of age on the day of signing the informed consent.
- Have histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or Siewert type I adenocarcinoma of the EGJ.
- Have metastatic disease or locally advanced, unresectable disease.
- Have a life expectancy greater than 3 months.
- Have measurable disease based on RECIST 1.1 as determined by the local site investigator/radiology assessment.
- Have an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1.
- Have experienced documented objective radiographic or clinical disease progression during or after first-line locally or globally recommended therapy.
- Provide a tissue sample for intratumoral immune-related GEP analysis.
- Demonstrate adequate organ function.
- Negative pregnancy test for females of child bearing potential prior to starting study and male and female subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception. |
|
E.4 | Principal exclusion criteria |
The subject will be excluded from participating in the trial if the subject:
- Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigation device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment.
- Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years.
- Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment.
- Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
- Has had prior anti-cancer monoclonal antibody (mAb), chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy within 2 weeks prior to study Day 1 or who has not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to a previously administered agent.
- Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent, or if the subject has previously participated in Merck pembrolizumab (MK-3475) clinical trials.
- Has a diagnosed additional malignancy within 5 years prior to treatment allocation with the exception of curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and/or curatively resected in situ cervical and/or breast cancers.
- Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy.
- Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject’s participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
- Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies).
- Has known active Hepatitis B (e.g., HBsAg reactive) or Hepatitis C (e.g., HCV RNA [qualitative] is detected).
- Has known history of, or any evidence of interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis.
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
- Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment.
- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to paclitaxel, docetaxel, or irinotecan, or any components used in the paclitaxel/docetaxel/irinotecan preparation or other contraindication for taxane therapy.
- Is or has an immediate family member (e.g., spouse, parent/legal guardian, sibling or child) who is investigational site or sponsor staff directly involved with this trial, unless prospective IRB approval (by chair or designee) is given allowing exception to this criterion for a specific subject. |
|
E.5 End points |
E.5.1 | Primary end point(s) |
Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall survival (OS) per RECIST 1.1 by blinded central imaging vendor. |
|
E.5.1.1 | Timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point |
Interim analysis is planned after enrollment completed (24 months) and approximately 240 PFS events in GEP high subjects or when the target number of OS events is reached. Results will be reviewed by an external data monitoring committee. Final analysis will be when ≥ 251 OS events have been observed among GEP high subjects. |
|
E.5.2 | Secondary end point(s) |
1. PFS – RECIST 1.1 by investigator assessment
2. Overall Response Rate (ORR) – RECIST 1.1 by blinded central imaging vendor review, and RECIST 1.1 by investigator assessment
3. Safety and tolerability Endpoints
|
|
E.5.2.1 | Timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point |
These end points will be evaluated at end of study. |
|
E.6 and E.7 Scope of the trial |
E.6 | Scope of the trial |
E.6.1 | Diagnosis | No |
E.6.2 | Prophylaxis | No |
E.6.3 | Therapy | Yes |
E.6.4 | Safety | Yes |
E.6.5 | Efficacy | Yes |
E.6.6 | Pharmacokinetic | Yes |
E.6.7 | Pharmacodynamic | Yes |
E.6.8 | Bioequivalence | No |
E.6.9 | Dose response | No |
E.6.10 | Pharmacogenetic | Yes |
E.6.11 | Pharmacogenomic | Yes |
E.6.12 | Pharmacoeconomic | Yes |
E.6.13 | Others | No |
E.7 | Trial type and phase |
E.7.1 | Human pharmacology (Phase I) | No |
E.7.1.1 | First administration to humans | No |
E.7.1.2 | Bioequivalence study | No |
E.7.1.3 | Other | No |
E.7.1.3.1 | Other trial type description | |
E.7.2 | Therapeutic exploratory (Phase II) | No |
E.7.3 | Therapeutic confirmatory (Phase III) | Yes |
E.7.4 | Therapeutic use (Phase IV) | No |
E.8 Design of the trial |
E.8.1 | Controlled | Yes |
E.8.1.1 | Randomised | Yes |
E.8.1.2 | Open | Yes |
E.8.1.3 | Single blind | No |
E.8.1.4 | Double blind | No |
E.8.1.5 | Parallel group | Yes |
E.8.1.6 | Cross over | No |
E.8.1.7 | Other | No |
E.8.2 | Comparator of controlled trial |
E.8.2.1 | Other medicinal product(s) | No |
E.8.2.2 | Placebo | No |
E.8.2.3 | Other | Yes |
E.8.2.3.1 | Comparator description |
Investigator choice of Docetaxel, Paclitaxel, or Irinotecan |
|
E.8.2.4 | Number of treatment arms in the trial | 2 |
E.8.3 |
The trial involves single site in the Member State concerned
| No |
E.8.4 | The trial involves multiple sites in the Member State concerned | Yes |
E.8.4.1 | Number of sites anticipated in Member State concerned | 13 |
E.8.5 | The trial involves multiple Member States | Yes |
E.8.5.1 | Number of sites anticipated in the EEA | 50 |
E.8.6 Trial involving sites outside the EEA |
E.8.6.1 | Trial being conducted both within and outside the EEA | Yes |
E.8.6.2 | Trial being conducted completely outside of the EEA | No |
E.8.6.3 | If E.8.6.1 or E.8.6.2 are Yes, specify the regions in which trial sites are planned |
Argentina |
Australia |
Colombia |
Czech Republic |
Denmark |
Estonia |
Finland |
France |
Germany |
Hong Kong |
Ireland |
Israel |
Italy |
Japan |
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of |
Malaysia |
Mexico |
New Zealand |
Peru |
Russian Federation |
Singapore |
Spain |
Sweden |
Taiwan |
Thailand |
Turkey |
United Kingdom |
United States |
|
E.8.7 | Trial has a data monitoring committee | Yes |
E.8.8 |
Definition of the end of the trial and justification where it is not the last
visit of the last subject undergoing the trial
|
|
E.8.9 Initial estimate of the duration of the trial |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned years | 3 |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned months | 0 |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned days | 0 |
E.8.9.2 | In all countries concerned by the trial years | 3 |
E.8.9.2 | In all countries concerned by the trial months | 0 |
E.8.9.2 | In all countries concerned by the trial days | 0 |