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Merkel Cell CarcinomaPhase 3NCT03783078

Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as First-line Therapy for Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-913)

A Phase 3 study testing Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in people with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at 22 sites in 8 countries.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, efficacy, and safety study of pembrolizumab in adult and pediatric participants with previously untreated advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Merkel Cell Carcinoma
What is being tested?
Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
55 participants
Where
22 sitesin 8 countries
Study dates
25 Feb 2019to 15 Feb 2024
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 12 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Be male or female and at least 12 years of age, at the time of signing the informed consent/assent.
  • Have histologically confirmed diagnosis of locoregional MCC that has recurred following standard locoregional therapy with surgery and/or radiation therapy and is not amenable to local therapy or metastatic MCC (Stage IV) as per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition guidelines.
  • Have been untreated for advanced or metastatic disease except as follows:
  • Prior intratumoral therapy will be permitted.
  • Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy containing systemic chemotherapy will be permitted if treatment concluded at least 3 months prior to Cycle 1 Day 1 (C1D1).
  • Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy containing anti-PD-1/L1 or anti-CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) therapy will not be permitted.
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  • Have at least 1 measurable lesion by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) per RECIST 1.1 criteria as determined by the local site investigator/radiology assessment.
  • Toxic effect(s) of the most recent prior therapy have resolved to Grade 1 or less (except alopecia).
  • Contraceptive use by men should be consistent with local regulations regarding the methods of contraception for those participating in clinical studies.
  • Contraceptive use by women should be consistent with local regulations regarding the methods of contraception for those participating in clinical studies.
  • A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant or breastfeeding, and at least one of the following conditions applies:
  • Is not a woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP)
  • OR
  • Is a WOCBP and using a contraceptive method that is highly effective (with a failure rate of <1% per year), with low user dependency, or be abstinent from heterosexual intercourse as their preferred and usual lifestyle (abstinent on a long term and persistent basis).
  • A WOCBP must have a negative highly sensitive pregnancy test (urine or serum as required by local regulations) within 72 hours before the first dose of study intervention.
  • Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 or Lansky Play-Performance Scale (LPS) ≥50 for pediatric participants up to and including 16 years of age.
  • Have adequate organ function

Who cannot join

  • Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 2 years with certain exceptions.
  • Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis with certain exceptions.
  • Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to C1D1.
  • Has severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) to pembrolizumab and/or any of its excipients.
  • Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease-modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs).
  • Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease that required steroids or has current pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease.
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  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  • Has a known history of Hepatitis B (defined as Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or known active Hepatitis C virus (defined as HCV RNA [qualitative] is detected) infection.
  • Has a known history of active tuberculosis (TB; Bacillus tuberculosis).
  • Has clinically significant cardiac disease within 6 months of C1D1, including New York Heart Association Class III or IV congestive heart failure, unstable angina, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident, or cardiac arrhythmia associated with hemodynamic instability.
  • Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the participant's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator.
  • Has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with the participant's ability to cooperate with the requirements of the study.
  • Has not received standard locoregional therapy with surgery and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of local or locoregional disease. Note: This exclusion criterion does not apply to participants who are diagnosed with unresectable or metastatic MCC.
  • Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor.
  • Has received prior systemic anticancer therapy including investigational agents within 12 weeks prior to C1D1.
  • Has received radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to start of study intervention.
  • Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to C1D1.
  • 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 C1D1.
  • Has had an allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant.

Trial locations and contacts

22 sites in 8 countries.

22 sites in 8 countries

France5 sites
  • CHU de Bordeaux- Hopital Saint Andre ( Site 0203)

    Bordeaux, Gironde, 33000

  • Hopital Ambroise Pare Boulogne ( Site 0201)

    Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, 92100

  • Hopital de la Cote de Nacre - Caen ( Site 0204)

    Caen, Calvados, 14033

  • C.H.R.U. de Tours. Hopital Trousseau ( Site 0202)

    Chambray-lès-Tours, Indre-et-Loire, 37170

  • CHRU Lille - Hopital Claude Huriez ( Site 0200)

    Lille, Nord, 59037

Other trials in France

Italy4 sites
  • IEO Istituto Europeo di Oncologia ( Site 0223)

    Milan, 20141

  • Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione Pascale ( Site 0222)

    Naples, 80131

  • Istituto Oncologico Veneto ( Site 0221)

    Padova, 35128

  • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese ( Site 0224)

    Siena, Tuscany, 53100

Other trials in Italy

Spain4 sites
  • Hospital Universitari Vall d Hebron ( Site 0264)

    Barcelona, 08035

  • Hospital Clinic de Barcelona ( Site 0261)

    Barcelona, 08036

  • Hospital Universitario La Paz ( Site 0263)

    Madrid, 28046

  • Hospital General Universitario de Valencia ( Site 0262)

    Valencia, Valenciana, Comunitat, 46014

Other trials in Spain

United States2 sites
  • Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health ( Site 0006)

    New York, New York, 10016

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ( Site 0004)

    New York, New York, 10029

Other trials in United States

Australia2 sites
  • Melanoma Institute Australia ( Site 0400)

    North Sydney, New South Wales, 2065

  • Calvary Mater Newcastle ( Site 0402)

    Waratah, New South Wales, 2298

Other trials in Australia

Canada2 sites
  • Moncton Hospital - Horizon Health Network ( Site 0055)

    Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 6Z8

  • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre ( Site 0051)

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9

Other trials in Canada

Sweden2 sites
  • Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset ( Site 0282)

    Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, 413 45

  • Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Solna ( Site 0281)

    Solna, Stockholm County, 171 64

Other trials in Sweden

New Zealand1 site
  • Auckland City Hospital ( Site 0427)

    Auckland, 1023

Other trials in New Zealand

About this study

Official title: A Phase 3 Open-label, Single Arm Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as First Line Therapy in Participants With Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma (KEYNOTE-913)

This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, efficacy, and safety study of pembrolizumab in adult and pediatric participants with previously untreated advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC). The primary objective of the trial is to assess the objective response rate, as assessed by blinded independent central review per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) modified to follow a maximum of 10 target lesions and a maximum of 5 target lesions per organ, following administration of pembrolizumab.

Being tested
Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
Keywords
Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD1, PD-1), Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1 (PDL1, PD-L1), Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 (PDL2, PD-L2), Merkel cell carcinoma
Medical subject headings
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell, Parkinson Disease 4, Autosomal Dominant Lewy Body

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)Drug

    Also called MK-3475

    200 mg (adult participants) or 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg; pediatric participants) on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle (Q3W) IV up to 35 administrations (approximately 2 years).

Study groups in NCT03783078
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PembrolizumabExperimentalPembrolizumab (MK-3475) 200 mg (adult participants) or 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg; pediatric participants) on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle (Q3W) intravenous (IV), for up to 35 administrations (approximately 2 years)
Receives: Drug: Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    ORR was defined as the percentage of participants with 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) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1). The percentage of participants who experienced CR or PR as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) were presented.

    Measured: Up to ~34 months

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Duration of Response (DOR)

    For participants who demonstrated a confirmed 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) per RECIST 1.1, DOR was defined as the time from first documented evidence of a CR or PR until progressive disease (PD) or death. DOR for participants who had not progressed or died at the time of analysis was censored at the date of their last tumor assessment. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions as well as an absolute increase of at least a 5 mm in the sum of diameters. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. DOR assessments were based on BICR with confirmation. The DOR as assessed using RECIST 1.1 for all participants who experienced a confirmed CR or PR was presented.

    Measured: Up to ~58 months

  2. Progression-free Survival (PFS)

    Progression-Free Survival was defined as the time from the first dose of study treatment to the first documented evidence of disease progression per RECIST 1.1 by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was defined as ≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also have demonstrated an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance of one or more new lesions was also considered PD. PFS as assessed by BICR per RECIST 1.1 was presented.

    Measured: Up to ~58 months

  3. Overall Survival (OS)

    OS was defined as the time from the first dose of study treatment until death from any cause.

    Measured: Up to ~58 months

  4. Number of Participants With One or More Adverse Events (AEs)

    An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. An AE can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease (new or exacerbated) temporally associated with the use of a study intervention. The number of participants with at least one AE was assessed.

    Measured: Up to ~58 months

  5. Number of Participants Who Discontinued From Study Treatment Due to an AE

    An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. An AE can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease (new or exacerbated) temporally associated with the use of a study intervention. The number of participants who discontinued from study treatment due to an AE was assessed.

    Measured: Up to ~27 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Dec 2018
  2. Study start25 Feb 2019
  3. Primary completion15 Feb 2022
  4. Study completion15 Feb 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
55 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03783078
Sponsor's protocol ID
3475-913
Other IDs
MK-3475-913, KEYNOTE-913, 2018-002601-57, 2018
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
19 Dec 2018
Last updated
28 May 2025
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf

Publications

  • Mortier L, Villabona L, Lawrence B, Arance A, Butler MO, Beylot-Barry M, Saiag P, Samimi M, Ascierto PA, Spada F, De Pontville M, Maio M, Berrocal A, Espinosa E, Capdevila J, Levin M, Das D, Krepler C, Grebennik D, Chiarion-Sileni V. Pembrolizumab for the First-Line Treatment of Recurrent Locally Advanced or Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Results from the Single-Arm, Open-Label, Phase III KEYNOTE-913 Study. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2024 Nov;25(6):987-996. doi: 10.1007/s40257-024-00885-w. Epub 2024 Oct 8.

    PubMed 39377880

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in people with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at 22 sites in 8 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 17 inclusion and 20 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 22 sites in France, Italy, Spain, United States, Australia and 3 more countries. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 17 Feb 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Objective Response Rate (ORR) (time frame: Up to ~34 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03783078, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 May 2025.

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