PIVOT-12: a Phase III study of adjuvant bempegaldesleukin plus nivolumab in resected stage III/IV melanoma at high risk for recurrence

Eggermont AM, Ascierto PA, Khushalani NI, Schadendorf D, Boland G, Weber J, Lewis KD, Johnson D, Rivalland G, Khattak A, Majem M, Gogas H, Long GV, Currie SL, Chien D, Tagliaferri MA, Carlino MS, Diab A. Future Oncol, (Jan 25 2022), doi:10.2217/fon-2021-1286.

Abstract

Bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG: NKTR-214) is an immunostimulatory IL-2 cytokine prodrug engineered to deliver a controlled, sustained and preferential IL-2 pathway signal. Nivolumab (NIVO), a PD-1 inhibitor, has been shown to prolong survival in patients with advanced melanoma and recurrence-free survival in the adjuvant setting. PIVOT-02 showed that BEMPEG plus NIVO was well-tolerated and demonstrated clinical activity as first-line therapy in metastatic melanoma. PIVOT-12 is a randomized, phase III, global, multicenter, open-label study comparing adjuvant therapy with BEMPEG plus NIVO versus NIVO alone in adult and adolescent patients with completely resected cutaneous stage III/IV melanoma at high risk of recurrence. The primary objective is to compare the efficacy, as measured by recurrence-free survival, of BEMPEG plus NIVO versus NIVO.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04410445.

Keywords: IL-2 pathway; NKTR-214; PD-1; PD-L1; adjuvant; bempegaldesleukin; cutaneous melanoma; immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations; immunotherapy; nivolumab.