A Trial to Learn How the Cancer Vaccine BNT116 in Combination With Cemiplimab Works and How Safe the Combination is in Adults With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (EMPOWERVAX Lung 1)

Last updated: March 6, 2025
Sponsor: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2

Condition

N/A

Treatment

BNT116

Cemiplimab

Clinical Study ID

NCT05557591
R2810-ONC-2045
2023-503221-19-00
2021-006901-31
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

This study is researching an investigational drug, called BNT116, in combination with cemiplimab. BNT116 and cemiplimab will each be called a "study drug", and together be called "study drugs". The study is focused on patients who have advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The aims of this study are to see how safe and tolerable BNT116 is in combination with cemiplimab and to see how effective BNT116 in combination with cemiplimab is compared to cemiplimab by itself at treating cancer.

The study is looking at several other research questions, including:

  • What side effects may happen from receiving the study drugs

  • How much study drug is in the blood at different times

  • Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug(s) (which could make the drug less effective or could lead to side effects)

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Key Inclusion Criteria

  1. Participants with non-squamous or squamous histology NSCLC with stage IIIB or stage IIIC disease who are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation per investigator assessment or stage IV (metastatic) disease who received no prior systemic treatment for recurrent or metastatic NSCLC

  2. Availability of an archival or on-study obtained formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sample as defined in the protocol.

  3. Expression of Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) ≥50%, as described in the protocol.

  4. Participants must have at least 1 radiographically measurable lesion by computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) criteria

  5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤1

Key Exclusion Criteria

  1. Participants who have never smoked, defined as smoking ≤100 cigarettes in a lifetime

  2. Active or untreated brain metastases or spinal cord compression. Participants are eligible if central nervous system (CNS) metastases are adequately treated and patients have neurologically returned to baseline (except for residual signs or symptoms related to the CNS treatment) for at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment

  3. Participants with tumors tested positive for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene translocations, or C-ros oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase 1 (ROS1) fusions

  4. Encephalitis, meningitis, or uncontrolled seizures in the year prior to enrollment

  5. Participants with history of interstitial lung disease (eg, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or organizing pneumonia), of active, noninfectious pneumonitis that required immune-suppressive doses of glucocorticoids to assist with management, or of pneumonitis within the last 5 years

  6. Prior splenectomy

  7. Uncontrolled infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HBV or hepatitis C infection (HCV); or diagnosis of immunodeficiency as defined in the protocol

  8. Ongoing or recent (within 2 years) evidence of significant autoimmune disease that required treatment with systemic immunosuppressive treatments, which may suggest risk of immune-related treatment-emergent adverse events (imTEAEs)

  9. Participants requiring corticosteroid therapy (>5 mg prednisone/day or equivalent) within 14 days of randomization

  10. Another malignancy that is progressing or requires treatment, except for non melanomatous skin cancer that has undergone potentially curative therapy, in situ cervical carcinoma, or any other localized tumor that has been treated, and the participant is deemed to be in complete remission for at least 2 years prior to enrollment, and no additional therapy is required during the study period

  11. Documented or suspected ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection as defined in the protocol

  12. Patients who have received prior systemic therapies for NSCLC are excluded except for of the following:

  13. Adjuvant or neoadjuvant platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (after surgery and/or radiation therapy) if recurrent or metastatic disease develops more than 6 months after completing therapy if toxicities have resolved to CTCAE grade ≤1 or baseline except for alopecia and peripheral neuropathy.

  14. Anti-PD-(L)1 with or without LAG-3 as an adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy as long as the last dose is >12 months prior to enrollment.

  15. Prior exposure to other immunomodulatory or vaccine therapies as an adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy such as anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (anti-CTLA-4) antibodies if the last dose is >6 months prior to enrollment

  16. History or current evidence of significant cardiovascular disease including, myocarditis, congestive heart failure (as defined by New York Heart Association Functional Classification III and IV), unstable angina, serious uncontrolled arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction 6 months prior to study enrollment.

  17. Hypersensitivity to cemiplimab or BNT116 or any of their excipients, or contraindicated to cemiplimab per approved local labeling.

  18. Patients treated with immunostimulatory agents that may influence the efficacy of the investigational medicinal products (IMPs) are not allowed if they received such agents within 6 weeks or five halve lives of the drug.

Note: Other protocol-defined Inclusion/Exclusion criteria apply

Study Design

Total Participants: 100
Treatment Group(s): 2
Primary Treatment: BNT116
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
April 21, 2023
Estimated Completion Date:
June 07, 2027

Connect with a study center

  • LTD High Technology Hospital Medcenter

    Batumi, 6000
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Caucasus Medical Centre

    Tbilisi, 0186
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • LLC Todua Clinic

    Tbilisi, 0112
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • LTD Cancer Research Centre

    Tbilisi, 0179
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • LTD New Hospitals

    Tbilisi, 0162
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • LTD Tbilisi State Medical University and Ingorokva High Medical Technology University Clinic

    Tbilisi, 0144
    Georgia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Staedtisches Klinikum Muenchen Bogenhausen

    Munchen, Bavaria 81925
    Germany

    Active - Recruiting

  • Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt

    Frankfurt am Main, 60590
    Germany

    Site Not Available

  • Universitaetsklinikum Giessen Und Marburg Gmbh Standort Giessen

    Giessen, 80336
    Germany

    Site Not Available

  • Krankenhaus Martha-Maria Halle-Doelau gGmbH

    Halle, 06120
    Germany

    Active - Recruiting

  • Klinikverbund Kempten-Oberallgäu

    Kempten, 87349
    Germany

    Active - Recruiting

  • Staedtisches Klinikum Muenchen Bogenhausen

    Muenchen, 81925
    Germany

    Site Not Available

  • Korea University Anam Hospital

    Seoul, Gyeonggi 02841
    Korea, Republic of

    Active - Recruiting

  • Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital

    Hwasun, Jeonnam 58128
    Korea, Republic of

    Active - Recruiting

  • National Cancer Center Korea

    Goyang, 10408
    Korea, Republic of

    Active - Recruiting

  • Asan Medical Center

    Seoul, 05505
    Korea, Republic of

    Site Not Available

  • Samsung Medical Center

    Seoul, 6351
    Korea, Republic of

    Active - Recruiting

  • Seoul National University Hospital

    Seoul, 03080
    Korea, Republic of

    Site Not Available

  • Yonsei Severance

    Seoul, 3722
    Korea, Republic of

    Site Not Available

  • Althaia Xarxa Assistencial Universitaria Manresa

    Manresa, Barcelona 08243
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Consorcio Hospitalario Provincial de Castellon

    Castelló de la Plana, Castellon 12002
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Catalan Institute of Oncology Badalona

    Badalona, 08916
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitària Manresa

    Barcelona, 08243
    Spain

    Site Not Available

  • Consorcio hospitalario provincial de castellon

    Castello, 12002
    Spain

    Site Not Available

  • Clinica Universidad de Navarra - Madrid

    Madrid, 28027
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon (HGUGM)

    Madrid, 28007
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital Universitario Fundacion Jimenez Diaz

    Madrid, 28040
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga

    Malaga, 29010
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio

    Malaga, 29010
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Clinica Universidad de Navarra

    Pamplona, 31008
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe de Valencia

    Valencia, 46026
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia

    Valencia, 46009
    Spain

    Site Not Available

  • Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

    Kaohsiung, 807
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Kaohsiung Medical University - Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

    Kaohsiung, 807
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital

    New Taipei City, 23561
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital

    New Taipei City, 231
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • National Taiwan University Hosptial

    Taipei, 100225
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Tri-Service General Hospital

    Taipei City, 114202
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Baskent University

    Yuregir, Adana 01230
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Baskent University Faculty of Medicine Ankara Hospital

    Ankara, Bahcelievler 06490
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Yeditepe University Kosuyolu Hospital

    Kadikoy, Istanbul 34718
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Ege University Medical Faculty

    Bornova, Izmir 35040
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Adana Medical Park Seyhan Hospital

    Adana, Seyhan 01140
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Ankara Bilkent Sehir Hastanesi

    Ankara, 06800
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Liv Hospital

    Ankara, 06680
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Ozel Liv Hospital

    Ankara, 06100
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sbu Doctor Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Onkoloji Suam

    Ankara, 06100
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sbu Dr. A.Y. Ankara Onkoloji Suam

    Ankara, 06100
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Bezmialem Foundation University Medical Faculty

    Istanbul, 34093
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • IAU VM Medical Park Hospital

    Istanbul, 34295
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Istanbul Medeniyet University Prof. Dr. Suleyman Yalcin Sehir Hospital

    Istanbul, 81450
    Turkey

    Active - Recruiting

  • Izmir Medicalpark Hospital

    Izmir, 35000
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Medical Park Seyhan Hospital

    Seyhan, 01140
    Turkey

    Site Not Available

  • Innovative Clinical Research Institute

    Los Angeles, California 90033
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation

    Los Angeles, California 90033
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • University of California Irvine

    Orange, California 92697
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • UCLA Medical Center

    Santa Monica, California 90095
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Norton Cancer Institute, Downtown

    Louisville, Kentucky 40202
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center

    Boston, Massachusetts 02215
    United States

    Terminated

  • San Juan Oncology Associates

    Farmington, New Mexico 87401
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Weill Cornell Medical College

    New York, New York 10065
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Weill Cornell Medicine

    New York, New York 10065
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Oncology Specialists of Charlotte

    Charlotte, North Carolina 28204
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Oncology Specialists of Charlotte PA

    Charlotte, North Carolina 28207
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Oncology Specialists of Charlotte Pa

    Charlotte, North Carolina 28204
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center

    Pinehurst, North Carolina 28374
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • FirstHealth of the Carolinas Outpatient Cancer Center

    Pinehurst, North Carolina 28374
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.

    Pinehurst, North Carolina 28374
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Millenium Research & Clinical Development

    Houston, Texas 77090
    United States

    Terminated

  • Virginia Cancer Specialists

    Fairfax, Virginia 22031
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Northwest Medical Specialties, PLLC

    Tacoma, Washington 98405
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

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