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RecruitingLast updated: 7 July 2026

TroFuse-007: Testing whether adding a new medicine (sacituzumab tirumotecan) to standard immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) helps people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer live longer, compared to immunotherapy aloneA Randomized, Open-label, Phase 3 Study of MK-2870 in Combination With Pembrolizumab Compared to Pembrolizumab Monotherapy in the First-line Treatment of Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With PD-L1 TPS Greater Than or Equal to 50%

Trial purpose

Medical clipboardCancer treatment

Tumor type

Lung Cancers Lung cancer

Age

People18+

Trial acronym

TroFuse-007

Clinical summary

Summary

This study is comparing two treatment options to see which helps people live longer: a combination of sacituzumab tirumotecan and pembrolizumab, versus pembrolizumab on its own.

Researchers believe that using both medicines together may work better than using pembrolizumab alone.

You may be eligible for this study if you have non-small cell lung cancer that is:

  • squamous or nonsquamous
  • metastatic
  • PD-L1 TPS greater than or equal to 50%
  • have not received prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease

Eligible participants will be randomly allocated (by chance) to receive either:

  • sacituzumab tirumotecan + pembrolizumab, or
  • pembrolizumab alone.

After finishing the first course of pembrolizumab, some participants may be able to continue with up to 9 more treatment cycles of pembrolizumab alone, even if their cancer appears to have grown. This is decided after a careful review by independent doctors using standard guidelines to assess tumour changes.

 

Conditions

This trial is treating people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer

Eligibility

Inclusion

  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous or nonsquamous NSCLC

    • Confirmation that epidermal growth factor receptor- (EGFR-), anaplastic lymphoma kinase- (ALK-), or proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS (ROS1-) directed therapy is not indicated as primary therapy
    • Provided tumor tissue that demonstrates programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in ≥50% of tumor cells as assessed by an immunohistochemistry (IHC) central laboratory
    • An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1 assessed within 7 days before randomization.
    • A life expectancy of at least 3 months.
    • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants must have well controlled HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART)

Exclusion

  • Diagnosis of small cell lung cancer or, for mixed tumors, presence of small cell elements.
  • Has Grade ≥2 peripheral neuropathy.
  • History of documented severe dry eye syndrome, severe Meibomian gland disease and/or blepharitis, or severe corneal disease that prevents/delays corneal healing.
  • Has active inflammatory bowel disease requiring immunosuppressive medication or previous clear history of inflammatory bowel disease (eg, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or chronic diarrhea).
  • Has uncontrolled, significant cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease within the 6 months preceding study intervention.
  • Received prior systemic anticancer therapy for their metastatic NSCLC.
  • Received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent, or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or coinhibitory T-cell receptor Note: Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD- L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting for nonmetastatic resectable NSCLC is allowed as long as therapy was completed at least 12 months before diagnosis of metastatic NSCLC.
  • Received prior systemic anticancer therapy including investigational agents within 4 weeks before randomization.
  • Received radiation therapy to the lung that is >30 Gy within 6 months of start of study intervention.
  • Received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of start of study intervention, or radiation-related toxicities, requiring corticosteroids.
  • Received a live or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days before the first dose of study intervention. Administration of killed vaccines are allowed.
  • Diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy
  • Known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 3 years.
  • Known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
  • Known intolerance to sacituzumab tirumotecan or pembrolizumab and/or any of their excipients; for pembrolizumab, severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) is exclusionary.
  • Known hypersensitivity to sacituzumab tirumotecan or other biologic therapy.
  • Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years.
  • History of (noninfectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease (ILD) that required steroids or has current pneumonitis/ILD.
  • Active infection requiring systemic therapy
  • Concurrent active Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus infection.
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants with a history of Kaposi's sarcoma and/or Multicentric Castleman's Disease.
  • History of allogeneic tissue/solid organ transplant.
  • Requires treatment with a strong inhibitor or inducer of Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) at least 14 days before the first dose of study intervention and throughout the study.

Inclusion

  • Your cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or has grown into nearby parts of the body (locally advanced).

Exclusion

  • You have been diagnosed with a prior or secondary type of cancer.
  • You have certain types of non-cancer medical conditions.
  • You have had certain treatments, surgical procedures or drugs.
Message

Clinical trials have complex eligibility criteria, and other criteria may apply for this trial. Ask your doctor about whether this trial could be right for you.

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Recruiting hospitals

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More information

Trial Identifiers

Information on this page is partially produced from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register *. View further details about this trial on the registry via the links below:

  • NCT06170788 *
  • 2023-503376-24-00 *
  • MK-2870-007; JRCT2051240089; U1111-1287-1395; MK2870-007

Trial sponsor

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Scientific Title

A Randomized, Open-label, Phase 3 Study of MK-2870 in Combination With Pembrolizumab Compared to Pembrolizumab Monotherapy in the First-line Treatment of Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With PD-L1 TPS Greater Than or Equal to 50%

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