Hepatocellular CarcinomaPhase 2NCT02702414
Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as Monotherapy in Participants With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (MK-3475-224/KEYNOTE-224)
A Phase 2 study testing Pembrolizumab in people with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
Trial summary
This is a efficacy and safety study of pembrolizumab (MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®) as monotherapy in participants with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in two cohorts: participants with advanced HCC and with no curative option after disease progression on sorafenib or intolerance of sorafenib (Cohort 1) or who had not received… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- What is being tested?
- Pembrolizumab
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 156 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 31 May 2016to 29 Sep 2023
- Phase
- Phase 2
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- For Cohort 1: has histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of HCC (fibrolamellar and mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma subtypes are not eligible) based on pathology report
- For Cohort 2: has an HCC diagnosis confirmed by radiology, histology, or cytology (fibrolamellar and mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma subtypes are not eligible)
- Has Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage C disease or BCLC Stage B disease not amenable to locoregional therapy or refractory to locoregional therapy, and not amenable to a curative treatment approach
- Has a Child-Pugh Class A liver score within 7 days of first dose of study drug
- Has a predicted life expectancy >3 months
- Has measurable disease based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 as confirmed by the blinded central imaging vendor
Show all 10Show fewer
- Has a performance status of 0 or 1 using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Scale within 7 days of first dose of study drug
- For Cohort 1: has documented objective radiographic progression after stopping treatment with sorafenib or else intolerance to sorafenib
- Is willing to use an adequate method of contraception for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study drug (male and female participants of childbearing potential)
- Demonstrates adequate organ function
Who cannot join
- Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy, herbal/complementary oral or intravenous (IV) medicine, or used an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of study drug. Participant must also have recovered from associated therapy (i.e., to Grade ≤1 or baseline) and from adverse events due to any prior therapy
- For Cohort 1: has received sorafenib within 14 days of first dose of study drug
- Has had esophageal or gastric variceal bleeding within the last 6 months
- Has clinically apparent ascites on physical examination
- Has portal vein invasion at the main portal (Vp4), inferior vena cava, or cardiac involvement of HCC based on imaging
- Has had encephalopathy in the last 6 months. Participants on rifaximin or lactulose to control their encephalopathy are not allowed
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- Had a solid organ or hematologic transplant
- For Cohort 1: had prior systemic therapy for HCC other than sorafenib, or intercurrent local therapy to the liver tumor between sorafenib and study drug
- For Cohort 2: had prior systemic therapy in the advanced disease setting
- Has 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 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 study drug
- Has a diagnosed additional malignancy within 5 years for Cohort 1 and 3 years for Cohort 2 prior to first dose of study treatment 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 radiographically detectable central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis
- Has evidence or history of interstitial lung disease or active noninfectious pneumonitis
- Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy
- Has a known severe hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab, its active substance and/or any of its excipients
- Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the study
- 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
- Has received prior immunotherapy including anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1), anti-PD-ligand-1 (anti-PD-L1), or anti-PD-L2 agents, or if the participant has previously participated in clinical studies with pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
- Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Has untreated active Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- For Cohort 1: has dual infection with HBV/Hepatitis C virus (HCV) or other hepatitis combinations at study entry
- For Cohort 2: has dual active HBV infection (Hepatitis B surface antigen positive and/or detectable HBV deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA]) and HCV infection (detectable HCV ribonucleic acid [RNA]) at study entry
- Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study drug (Cycle 1, Day 1)
About this study
Official title: A Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as Monotherapy in Subjects With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (KEYNOTE-224)
This is a efficacy and safety study of pembrolizumab (MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®) as monotherapy in participants with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in two cohorts: participants with advanced HCC and with no curative option after disease progression on sorafenib or intolerance of sorafenib (Cohort 1) or who had not received treatment for systemic disease (Cohort 2). Study participants may receive pembrolizumab once every 3 weeks for up to 35 initial cycles (up to approximately 2 years) and a potential additional 17 cycles in a re-treatment phase (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) .
The primary objective of this study is to determine the Objective Response Rate (ORR) of pembrolizumab given as monotherapy in participants with HCC.
Effective with Amendment 7: Upon study completion, participants are discontinued and may be enrolled in a pembrolizumab extension study, if available.
- Conditions
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Being tested
- Pembrolizumab
- Keywords
- Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD1, PD-1), Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PDL1, PD-L1), Programmed Cell Death Ligand 2 (PDL2, PD-L2)
- Medical subject headings
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, 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.
PembrolizumabBiological
Also called MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®
Intravenous (IV) infusion
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)-Prior Systemic Therapy with Sorafenib | Experimental | Participants with previously systemically treated HCC received a pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenous (IV) infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 35 administrations. Participants who stopped pembrolizumab as a result of obtaining a confirmed complete response (CR) or those who stopped after receiving 35 trial treatments were eligible for an additional 17 trial treatments (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) after progressive disease if they met the criteria for re-treatment. Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab |
| Cohort 2: HCC-Systemic Therapy Naïve | Experimental | Participants with HCC who had not received treatment for systemic disease received a pembrolizumab 200 mg IV infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 35 administrations. Participants who stopped pembrolizumab as a result of obtaining a confirmed complete response (CR) or those who stopped after receiving 35 trial treatments were eligible for an additional 17 trial treatments (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) after progressive disease if they met the criteria for re-treatment. Receives: Biological: Pembrolizumab |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
ORR was defined as the percentage of participants who had a confirmed Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target and non-target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target and non-target lesions) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. Participants with missing data were considered non-responders. The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR per RECIST 1.1 is presented.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Secondary outcomes (7)
Duration of Response (DOR)
DOR was determined in participants who demonstrated a confirmed Complete Response (CR: disappearance of all target and non-target lesions) or Partial Response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target and non-target lesions) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. DOR was defined as the time from first documented evidence of a CR or PR until progressive disease (PD) or death. Participants who had not progressed, started a new anti-cancer therapy, been lost to follow-up, or died at the time of analysis were censored at the date of their last tumor assessment. Per RECIST 1.1, PD was at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm, OR unequivocal progression for non-target lesions, OR appearance of one or more new lesions. The DOR per RECIST 1.1 for all participants who had a confirmed CR or PR is presented.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
DCR was defined as the percentage of participants who had a CR (disappearance of all target and non-target lesions), PR (at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target and non-target lesions), or Stable Disease (SD: neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for progressive disease [PD was at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm, OR unequivocal progression for non-target lesions, OR appearance of one or more new lesions.]). CR, PR, and SD were evaluated per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. Participants with missing data were considered as participants whose disease was not under control. The percentage of participants who experienced a confirmed CR, PR, or SD is reported.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Time to Progression (TTP)
TTP was defined as the time from the first dose to the first documented disease progression per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. PD was at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm, OR unequivocal progression for non-target lesions, OR appearance of one or more new lesions. If there was no documented disease progression, TTP was censored at last tumor assessment date. The TTP was analyzed using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. TTP per RECIST 1.1 is presented.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
PFS was defined as the time from the first dose to the first documented progressive disease (PD) or death due to any cause, whichever occurred first, per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. PD was at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm, OR unequivocal progression for non-target lesions, OR appearance of one or more new lesions. If there was no disease progression or death, participants were censored at the date of their last disease assessment. The PFS was analyzed using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. PFS is presented.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Overall Survival (OS)
OS was determined for all participants and was defined as the time from the first dose to death due to any cause. Participants were censored at the last known alive date. The OS was analyzed using the product-limit (Kaplan-Meier) method for censored data. The OS is presented.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Number of Participants Who Experienced At Least One Adverse Event (AE)
An adverse event is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation participant administered a pharmaceutical product and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment. An adverse event can therefore be any unfavourable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding, for example), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure, whether or not considered related to the medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition that is temporally associated with the use of the Sponsor's product, is also an adverse event. The number of participants who experienced at least one AE is presented. Per protocol, final analysis for this outcome measure was planned to be performed during the first course of therapy only.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event (AE)
An adverse event is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation participant administered a pharmaceutical product and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment. An adverse event can therefore be any unfavourable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding, for example), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure, whether or not considered related to the medicinal product or protocol-specified procedure. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition that is temporally associated with the use of the Sponsor's product, is also an adverse event. The number of participants who discontinued study treatment due to an AE is presented. Per protocol, final analysis for this outcome measure was planned to be performed during the first course of therapy only.
Measured: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Mar 2016 (estimated)
- Study start31 May 2016
- Primary completion19 Jan 2021
- Study completion29 Sep 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Hepatocellular CarcinomaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 156 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Medical Director, Study director, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02702414
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 3475-224
- Other IDs
- MK-3475-224, KEYNOTE-224, 163434, 2015-004566-28, 2015
- Status last verified
- Aug 2024
- First submitted
- 3 Mar 2016
- Last updated
- 4 Sep 2024
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Publications
Chan SL, Finn RS, Edeline J, Ogasawara S, Knox JJ, Daniele B, Ryoo BY, Merle P, Bouattour M, Lim HY, Chao Y, Yau T, Haber BA, Malhotra U, Siegel AB, Liu CC, Kudo M, Cheng AL. Effect of pembrolizumab on viral hepatitis load and transaminases in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Hepatol. 2026 Jan-Jun;31(1):102169. doi: 10.1016/j.aohep.2025.102169. Epub 2025 Dec 24.
PubMed 41453647Zhou X, Cao J, Topatana W, Xie T, Chen T, Hu J, Li S, Juengpanic S, Lu Z, Zhang B, Wang K, Feng X, Shen J, Chen M. Evaluation of PD-L1 as a biomarker for immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and meta-analysis. Immunotherapy. 2023 Apr;15(5):353-365. doi: 10.2217/imt-2022-0168. Epub 2023 Feb 27.
PubMed 36852452Verset G, Borbath I, Karwal M, Verslype C, Van Vlierberghe H, Kardosh A, Zagonel V, Stal P, Sarker D, Palmer DH, Vogel A, Edeline J, Cattan S, Kudo M, Cheng AL, Ogasawara S, Daniele B, Chan SL, Knox JJ, Qin S, Siegel AB, Chisamore M, Hatogai K, Wang A, Finn RS, Zhu AX. Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for Previously Untreated Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Data from the Open-Label, Phase II KEYNOTE-224 Trial. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Jun 13;28(12):2547-2554. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-3807.
PubMed 35421228Kudo M, Finn RS, Edeline J, Cattan S, Ogasawara S, Palmer DH, Verslype C, Zagonel V, Fartoux L, Vogel A, Sarker D, Verset G, Chan SL, Knox J, Daniele B, Yau T, Gurary EB, Siegel AB, Wang A, Cheng AL, Zhu AX; KEYNOTE-224 Investigators. Updated efficacy and safety of KEYNOTE-224: a phase II study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib. Eur J Cancer. 2022 May;167:1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.02.009. Epub 2022 Mar 29.
PubMed 35364421Zhu AX, Finn RS, Edeline J, Cattan S, Ogasawara S, Palmer D, Verslype C, Zagonel V, Fartoux L, Vogel A, Sarker D, Verset G, Chan SL, Knox J, Daniele B, Webber AL, Ebbinghaus SW, Ma J, Siegel AB, Cheng AL, Kudo M; KEYNOTE-224 investigators. Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib (KEYNOTE-224): a non-randomised, open-label phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018 Jul;19(7):940-952. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30351-6. Epub 2018 Jun 3.
PubMed 29875066
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Sep 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as Monotherapy in Subjects With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (KEYNOTE-224)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02702414
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 3475-224
- Conditions
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Keywords
- Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD1, PD-1), Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PDL1, PD-L1), Programmed Cell Death Ligand 2 (PDL2, PD-L2)
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 156 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 31 May 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 19 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 29 Sep 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Mar 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 4 Apr 2022
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a efficacy and safety study of pembrolizumab (MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®) as monotherapy in participants with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in two cohorts: participants with advanced HCC and with no curative option after disease progression on sorafenib or intolerance of sorafenib (Cohort 1) or who had not received treatment for systemic disease (Cohort 2). Study participants may receive pembrolizumab once every 3 weeks for up to 35 initial cycles (up to approximately 2 years) and a potential additional 17 cycles in a re-treatment phase (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) .
The primary objective of this study is to determine the Objective Response Rate (ORR) of pembrolizumab given as monotherapy in participants with HCC.
Effective with Amendment 7: Upon study completion, participants are discontinued and may be enrolled in a pembrolizumab extension study, if available.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)-Prior Systemic Therapy with Sorafenib | Experimental | Biological: PembrolizumabParticipants with previously systemically treated HCC received a pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenous (IV) infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 35 administrations. Participants who stopped pembrolizumab as a result of obtaining a confirmed complete response (CR) or those who stopped after receiving 35 trial treatments were eligible for an additional 17 trial treatments (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) after progressive disease if they met the criteria for re-treatment. |
| Cohort 2: HCC-Systemic Therapy Naïve | Experimental | Biological: PembrolizumabParticipants with HCC who had not received treatment for systemic disease received a pembrolizumab 200 mg IV infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 35 administrations. Participants who stopped pembrolizumab as a result of obtaining a confirmed complete response (CR) or those who stopped after receiving 35 trial treatments were eligible for an additional 17 trial treatments (approximately an additional 1 year of treatment) after progressive disease if they met the criteria for re-treatment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- For Cohort 1: has histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of HCC (fibrolamellar and mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma subtypes are not eligible) based on pathology report
- For Cohort 2: has an HCC diagnosis confirmed by radiology, histology, or cytology (fibrolamellar and mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma subtypes are not eligible)
- Has Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage C disease or BCLC Stage B disease not amenable to locoregional therapy or refractory to locoregional therapy, and not amenable to a curative treatment approach
- Has a Child-Pugh Class A liver score within 7 days of first dose of study drug
- Has a predicted life expectancy >3 months
Key exclusion criteria (24 listed)
- Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy, herbal/complementary oral or intravenous (IV) medicine, or used an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of study drug. Participant must also have recovered from associated therapy (i.e., to Grade ≤1 or baseline) and from adverse events due to any prior therapy
- For Cohort 1: has received sorafenib within 14 days of first dose of study drug
- Has had esophageal or gastric variceal bleeding within the last 6 months
- Has clinically apparent ascites on physical examination
- Has portal vein invasion at the main portal (Vp4), inferior vena cava, or cardiac involvement of HCC based on imaging
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| PembrolizumabAlso: MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®Intravenous (IV) infusion | Biological | Cohort 1: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)-Prior Systemic Therapy with Sorafenib, Cohort 2: HCC-Systemic Therapy Naïve |
Primary outcome
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
ORR was defined as the percentage of participants who had a confirmed Complete Response (CR: Disappearance of all target and non-target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target and non-target lesions) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by blinded central imaging vendor. Participants with missing data were considered non-responders. The percentage of participants who experienced a CR or PR per RECIST 1.1 is presented.
7 secondary outcomes
Duration of Response (DOR)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Time to Progression (TTP)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Overall Survival (OS)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Number of Participants Who Experienced At Least One Adverse Event (AE)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due to an Adverse Event (AE)
Time frame: Up to approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Sep 2024.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41453647Chan SL, Finn RS, Edeline J, Ogasawara S, Knox JJ, Daniele B, Ryoo BY, Merle P, Bouattour M, Lim HY, Chao Y, Yau T, Haber BA, Malhotra U, Siegel AB, Liu CC, Kudo M, Cheng AL. Effect of pembrolizumab on viral hepatitis load and transaminases in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Hepatol. 2026 Jan-Jun;31(1):102169. doi: 10.1016/j.aohep.2025.102169. Epub 2025 Dec 24.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 36852452Zhou X, Cao J, Topatana W, Xie T, Chen T, Hu J, Li S, Juengpanic S, Lu Z, Zhang B, Wang K, Feng X, Shen J, Chen M. Evaluation of PD-L1 as a biomarker for immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and meta-analysis. Immunotherapy. 2023 Apr;15(5):353-365. doi: 10.2217/imt-2022-0168. Epub 2023 Feb 27.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 35421228Verset G, Borbath I, Karwal M, Verslype C, Van Vlierberghe H, Kardosh A, Zagonel V, Stal P, Sarker D, Palmer DH, Vogel A, Edeline J, Cattan S, Kudo M, Cheng AL, Ogasawara S, Daniele B, Chan SL, Knox JJ, Qin S, Siegel AB, Chisamore M, Hatogai K, Wang A, Finn RS, Zhu AX. Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for Previously Untreated Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Data from the Open-Label, Phase II KEYNOTE-224 Trial. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Jun 13;28(12):2547-2554. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-3807.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 35364421Kudo M, Finn RS, Edeline J, Cattan S, Ogasawara S, Palmer DH, Verslype C, Zagonel V, Fartoux L, Vogel A, Sarker D, Verset G, Chan SL, Knox J, Daniele B, Yau T, Gurary EB, Siegel AB, Wang A, Cheng AL, Zhu AX; KEYNOTE-224 Investigators. Updated efficacy and safety of KEYNOTE-224: a phase II study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib. Eur J Cancer. 2022 May;167:1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.02.009. Epub 2022 Mar 29.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29875066Zhu AX, Finn RS, Edeline J, Cattan S, Ogasawara S, Palmer D, Verslype C, Zagonel V, Fartoux L, Vogel A, Sarker D, Verset G, Chan SL, Knox J, Daniele B, Webber AL, Ebbinghaus SW, Ma J, Siegel AB, Cheng AL, Kudo M; KEYNOTE-224 investigators. Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib (KEYNOTE-224): a non-randomised, open-label phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018 Jul;19(7):940-952. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30351-6. Epub 2018 Jun 3.
- Merck Clinical Trials InformationLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Medical Director study director
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Pembrolizumab in people with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, run by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
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 10 inclusion and 24 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 4 Sep 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
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 4 Apr 2022). 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 approximately 34 months for Cohort 1 and up to approximately 28 months for Cohort 2). 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 NCT02702414, which also lists 5 linked publications.
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 4 Sep 2024.