Dr. Rudin on the Design of the KEYNOTE-604 Trial in ES-SCLC

Charles M. Rudin, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, chief, Thoracic Oncology Service, co-director, Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Sylvia Hassenfeld Chair in Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the design of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-604 trial in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).

In June 2019, the FDA approved pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with metastatic SCLC who experience disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least 1 prior line of therapy.

KEYNOTE-604 evaluated whether pembrolizumab plus etoposide and platinum induced an improved response compared with placebo as first-line treatment for patients with ES-SCLC, says Rudin.

Findings from the study showed that the PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival compared with placebo.