A Clinical Study of V940 and Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in People With Melanoma (V940-012/INTerpath-012)

Last updated: July 10, 2025
Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2

Condition

Melanoma

Malignant Melanoma

Treatment

Placebo

V940

Pembrolizumab

Clinical Study ID

NCT06961006
V940-012
V940-012
U1111-1290-3969
INTerpath-012
2023-504923-20-00
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Researchers want to learn if V940 with pembrolizumab can stop advanced melanoma from growing or spreading. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. Advanced means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and cannot be removed with surgery. A standard (or usual) treatment for advanced melanoma is immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer. V940 is a study treatment designed to help a person's immune system attack their specific cancer. Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy.

The goal of this study is to learn if people who receive V940 with pembrolizumab live longer without the cancer growing or spreading than people who receive placebo with pembrolizumab. A placebo looks like the study treatment but has no study treatment in it. Using a placebo helps researchers better understand the effects of a study treatment.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

  • Has unresectable and histologically confirmed Stage III or IV cutaneous melanoma perAmerican Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Eighth Edition guidelines.

  • Has been untreated for melanoma except if participant received prior adjuvant orneoadjuvant therapy with targeted therapy or immunotherapy (such as anti-cytotoxicT-lymphocyte-associated protein [CTLA-4], anti-programmed cell death 1 protein [PD-1] therapy or interferon), and only if relapse did not occur within 12 monthsafter treatment discontinuation.

  • Have documentation of serine/threonine-protein kinase B-raf (BRAF) V600-activatingmutation status or had BRAF V600 mutation testing per local institutional standardsduring the screening period (participants with BRAF mutation positive melanoma aswell as BRAF wild-type or unknown are eligible).

  • Have the presence of at least 1 measurable lesion by computed tomography (CT) ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) per Response Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as determined by the local site investigator/radiology assessment.

  • Provides tumor tissue (preferably from a metastatic site and, if not available, fromthe primary tumor) that is suitable for next generation sequencing and biomarkeranalysis as required for this study.

  • Participants with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) must have well controlled HIVon antiretroviral therapy (ART).

  • Participants who are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive are eligible ifthey have received hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral therapy for at least 4 weeks,and have undetectable HBV viral load prior to randomization.

  • Participants with history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are eligible if HCVviral load is undetectable at screening.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

  • Has clinically significant heart failure, defined as New York Heart Associationclass III or IV, within the past 6 months, unless the disease is well controlled inthe opinion of the investigator.

  • HIV-infected participants with a history of Kaposi's sarcoma and/or MulticentricCastleman's Disease.

  • Has ocular or mucosal melanoma.

  • Received transfusion of blood products (including platelets or red blood cells) oradministration of colony-stimulating factors (including granulocytecolony-stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, orrecombinant erythropoietin) within 2 weeks of the Screening blood sample (includingthe blood sample for V940 generation).

  • Received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent, or withan agent directed to another stimulatory or coinhibitory T-cell receptor (eg,CTLA-4, lymphocyte activation gene 3 [LAG-3], tumor necrosis factor receptors [OX-40or CD137]), with some exceptions.

  • Received prior systemic anticancer therapy for melanoma before randomization, withsome exceptions.

  • Received prior radiotherapy within 2 weeks of start of study intervention or hasongoing radiation related toxicities.

  • Received a live or live-attenuated vaccine within 30 days before the first dose ofstudy intervention.

  • Received prior treatment with another universal or personalized cancer vaccine.

Study Design

Total Participants: 160
Treatment Group(s): 3
Primary Treatment: Placebo
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
May 29, 2025
Estimated Completion Date:
September 05, 2031

Connect with a study center

  • One Clinical Research

    Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • One Clinical Research ( Site 2002)

    Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Emek Medical Center ( Site 3003)

    Afula, 1834111
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hadassah Medical Center

    Jerusalem, 9112001
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hadassah Medical Center ( Site 3001)

    Jerusalem, 9112001
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Rabin Medical Center

    Petah Tikva, 4941492
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Rabin Medical Center ( Site 3002)

    Petah Tikva, 4941492
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sheba Medical Center ( Site 3000)

    Ramat Gan, 5265601
    Israel

    Active - Recruiting

  • Harbour Cancer & Wellness ( Site 3040)

    Auckland, 1023
    New Zealand

    Active - Recruiting

  • Highlands Oncology Group ( Site 4042)

    Springdale, Arkansas 72762
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

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