Cancer Vaccine Study for Unresectable Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (START)

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the cancer vaccine tecemotide (L-BLP25) in addition to best supportive care is effective in prolonging the lives of subjects with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer, compared to best supportive care alone. A local ancillary (sub) study in European centers will evaluate the immune response in peripheral blood after tecemotide (L-BLP25) or placebo vaccination.

Timeline

Start

2007-01

Primary completion

2012-04

Completion

2015-04

Publications

• Background Butts C, Socinski MA, Mitchell P, Thatcher N, Havel L, Krzakowski M, Nawrocki S, Ciuleanu TE, Bosquée L, Trigo JM, Spira A, Tremblay L, Nyman J, Ramlau R, Helwig C, Falk MH, Shepherd FA. START: A phase III study of L-BLP25 cancer immunotherapy for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer. American Society of Clinical Oncology - 49th Annual Meeting. 2013; Abstr No. 7500.
• Background Shepherd FA, Socinski MA, Mitchell P, Thatcher N, Havel L, Krzakowski M, Nawrocki S, Helwig C, Schroeder A, Butts C. Updated analysis and secondary endpoints with L-BLP25 in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer in the phase III START study. European Society for Medical Oncology 38th Congress - ECCO 17, ESMO 38, ESTRO 32. 2013. Abstr No. 3419.
• Background Mitchell P, Butts C, Socinski M, Thatcher N, Wichardt-Johansson G, Ellis P, Gladkov O, Pereira J, Eberhardt W, Horwood K, Szczesna A, Helwig C, Schröder A, Shepherd F. Tecemotide (L-BLP25) in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer in the phase III START study: Further endpoint and exploratory biomarker results. World Conference on Lung Cancer - 15th. 2013; Abstr. No. 2779.
• Background Thatcher N, Shepherd FA, Mitchell P, Socinski MA, Paredes A, Lambrechts M, Thomas M, Kollmeier J, Zemanová M, Sadjadian P, Peylan-Ramu N, Helwig C, Schröder A, Butts C. Geographic differences in the combined-modality treatment of stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: Results from a global phase III trial of tecemotide (L-BLP25). World Conference on Lung Cancer - 15th. 2013; Abstr. No. 2712.
• Background Socinski M, Butts C, Mitchell P, Thatcher N, Scagliotti G, Robinet G, Martin C, Zukin M, Ragulin Y, Bonomi P, Yang CH, Regnault A, Helwig C, de Nigris E, Shepherd F. Exploration of patient health status as measured by the generic preference-based questionnaire EQ-5D alongside the START trial of tecemotide in non-small cell lung cancer. World Conference on Lung Cancer - 15th. 2013; Abstr. No. 2744.
• Results Butts C, Socinski MA, Mitchell PL, Thatcher N, Havel L, Krzakowski M, Nawrocki S, Ciuleanu TE, Bosquee L, Trigo JM, Spira A, Tremblay L, Nyman J, Ramlau R, Wickart-Johansson G, Ellis P, Gladkov O, Pereira JR, Eberhardt WE, Helwig C, Schroder A, Shepherd FA; START trial team. Tecemotide (L-BLP25) versus placebo after chemoradiotherapy for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (START): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014 Jan;15(1):59-68. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70510-2. Epub 2013 Dec 9.
• Results DeGregorio M, Soe L, Wolf M. Tecemotide (L-BLP25) versus placebo after chemoradiotherapy for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (START): a randomized, double-blind, phase III trial. J Thorac Dis. 2014 Jun;6(6):571-3. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.05.15. No abstract available.
• Zhu J, Yuan Y, Wan X, Yin D, Li R, Chen W, Suo C, Song H. Immunotherapy (excluding checkpoint inhibitors) for stage I to III non-small cell lung cancer treated with surgery or radiotherapy with curative intent. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Dec 6;12(12):CD011300. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011300.pub3.
• Mitchell P, Thatcher N, Socinski MA, Wasilewska-Tesluk E, Horwood K, Szczesna A, Martin C, Ragulin Y, Zukin M, Helwig C, Falk M, Butts C, Shepherd FA. Tecemotide in unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer in the phase III START study: updated overall survival and biomarker analyses. Ann Oncol. 2015 Jun;26(6):1134-1142. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdv104. Epub 2015 Feb 26.

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