The purpose of this study is to compare the safety and effectiveness of two new treatments: belzutifan alone or belzutifan in combination with pembrolizumab before kidney surgery and followed by a combination of belzutifan and pembrolizumab treatment post-surgery. Belzutifan is a small molecule drug that specifically blocks a protein called Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2 alpha (HIF-2α) and slows down or stops the growth of cancer. Belzutifan has been shown to provide better treatment results in kidney cancer compared to other drugs that target similar proteins to stop cancer growth. Pembrolizumab is a type of medicine called an immunotherapy drug. It helps the immune system spot and attack kidney cancer cells by blocking a "stop sign" that the cancer uses to hide and help slow down or shrink the cancer. The combined use of molecules similar to belzutifan and pembrolizumab has shown promising results in treating kidney cancer, although effectiveness depends on the specific combination. This treatment combination is experimental and is not approved to treat kidney cancer in Australia. This means that it must be tested to see if it is an effective treatment combination for kidney cancer prior to kidney surgery.
This is a prospective, open label, single site, phase II, randomised, clinical trial, evaluating neoadjuvant belzutifan with or without pembrolizumab prior to nephrectomy, follow by adjuvant belzutifan plus pembrolizumab. Patients identified as potential candidates for the NEBULA study will be asked to sign a Pre-Screening Patient Information and Consent Form (PICF) before undergoing a biopsy. The biopsy will be used to establish a diagnosis of ccRCC as per standard of care and for the collection of pre-treatment tissue samples for translational research for this trial. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ccRCC and found to fulfill the remaining eligibility criteria will be invited to participate in the NEBULA study. Patients without a confirmed diagnosis of ccRCC will be deemed ineligible. Approximately 30 eligible patients will be randomised for neoadjuvant treatment to receive one of the following: Arm A: Belzutifan alone for 2 cycles. Arm B: Belzutifan and pembrolizumab for 2 cycles. All patients will undergo nephrectomy after completion of Cycle 2 neoadjuvant treatment. Both a nephron sparing (partial) or total nephrectomy is an acceptable standard of care and choice of approach is at the surgeon's discretion. After nephrectomy, patients will receive adjuvant treatment with belzutifan and pembrolizumab for up to 9 cycles in Arm A and 7 cycles in Arm B. At the time of treatment discontinuation for any reason, visits will be conducted. Patients with non-progressive disease will then enter the follow-up phase of the trial. Patients with progressive disease or start a new anti-ccRCC therapy at any time will complete a progression visit and will subsequently be followed only for survival and start of new anti-ccRCC therapy. All patients will be followed for 2 years after the last patient has been randomised.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Belzutifan orally at 120mg per day
IV pembrolizumab 400 mg on Day 1 of each cycle
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Therapeutic effects of belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab on the proportion of viable tumour cells in the neoadjuvant setting
The proportion of viable tumour cells per patient post-neoadjuvant therapy as assessed by pathology
Time frame: Up to 18 weeks. From randomisation to the completion of nephrectomy
EFS rates between belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab neoadjuvant treatment plus adjuvant treatment arms.
Event-free survival after belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab in the neoadjuvant setting and adjuvant pembrolizumab plus belzutifan.
Time frame: Up to 20 months. From randomisation to the first date of documented radiographic progression using conventional imaging, discontinuation of trial treatment, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Pathological response rates between belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab neoadjuvant treatment
Pathological response rates between belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab neoadjuvant treatment
Time frame: Up to 18 weeks. From randomisation to the completion of nephrectomy
Safety of belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.
Occurrence of AEs graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 5 (CTCAE v5.0) after belzutifan with and without pembrolizumab in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.
Time frame: Up to 21 months. From randomisation until 30 days after the last dose of treatment
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