(Gastric Cancer) Is Pembrolizumab Plus Lenvatinib Effective?
Medical Supporter — Information Notice
This article is a summary of international medical information and is not medical advice; it cannot replace the diagnosis or treatment plan of your attending physician. The medical technologies, drug information and clinical data presented here are compiled from public literature and official statements of major Japanese medical institutions; the applicability and outcome of any therapy vary with each patient and must be assessed individually by a qualified physician.
- July 20, 2020
- Reading time: 2 minutes
On June 23, 2020, Akihito Kawazoe published in the medical journal The Lancet the EPOC1706 Phase 2 trial results verifying the efficacy and safety of first-line pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus lenvatinib — a multikinase tyrosine kinase inhibitor — in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Trial Design
This Phase 2 trial enrolled 29 patients with advanced gastric cancer and administered pembrolizumab (200 mg, 3-week cycles) plus lenvatinib (20 mg once daily) as first-line treatment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included adverse event rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
Background: Anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab alone achieves approximately 15% antitumor activity in advanced gastric cancer. Preclinical results confirmed that combining a multikinase tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib with an anti-PD-1 antibody enhanced antitumor efficacy, providing the rationale for this trial.
Efficacy Results
At a median follow-up of 12.6 months, the primary endpoint ORR was 69%.
Safety Profile
Grade 3 adverse events confirmed in most patients:
- Hypertension: 38%
- Proteinuria: 17%
- Thrombocytopenia: 7%
No patient deaths due to adverse events were confirmed.
Conclusions
Based on the Phase 2 trial results, Akihito Kawazoe concluded that first-line pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in patients with advanced gastric cancer demonstrated sufficient antitumor activity with acceptable tolerability.
Source: Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in patients with advanced gastric cancer in the first-line or second-line setting (EPOC1706): an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2020 Jun 23.
- Clinical trial drug
- Immunotherapy
Medical Supporter was formerly certified as an international medical visa guarantor by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (B-066).
Considering medical care in Japan? Need information and support?
We help you organize the information needed for medical travel to Japan, liaise with Japanese medical institutions, and arrange a second-opinion consultation.The first consultation is free; an advisor will help you clarify the next steps.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4