CancerNetwork® spoke with Tony S. Mok, MD, Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Appointed Professor of Clinical Oncology and Chair of Clinical Oncology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, American Society for Clinical Oncology 2022 Annual Meeting on future analyzes of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus capmatinib (Tabrecta) after the results of a phase 2 trial (NCT04139317) in patients with MEET-unselected, PD-L1 positive, previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer did not show a benefit of the association.

The results of this trial indicated that capmatinib did not improve antitumor activity, but Mok notes that negative trials are important in the lung cancer field because they allow clinicians to learn from the results.

Transcription:

We made a very good hypothesis, but I think there is 1 point that we neglected to investigate further. When we looked at the dose of capmatinib, we used the dose believed to inhibit MET expression in cancer cells. It is especially [found] in the patient with either MEET amplification or MEET 14 jump [mutation]. This is what the drug was designed for. The issue is that we haven’t actually studied the dose needed to moderate the T cell. We had a dose issue where it may or may not be possible in the future to use the same drug combination. The concept isn’t quite there yet. We may have to go back to the drawing board to determine how best to moderate the T cell with the MET inhibitor in the future.

This is a negative study, but we can always learn from negative studies. First of all, the concept itself is good. That’s why we engage with her. However, [regarding] the dosage part, we have not approached it. Before committing to it, we automatically [choose] the standard dose which is easier that way. Again, we have to learn from the fact that the dosage can potentially affect the outcome.

Reference

Mok T, Cortinovis D, Majem M, et al. Efficacy and safety of capmatinib plus pembrolizumab in treatment-naïve (tx) patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with elevated tumor PD-L1 expression: results from a randomized, open-label, phase 2 multicenter. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(supplement 16):9118. doi:10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.9118