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Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in participants with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 and ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 post-(neo)adjuvant therapy outcomes

  • Christian Marth(corresponding author)
    ,
  • Domenica Lorusso
    ,
  • Mariusz Bidziński
    ,
  • Paolo Scollo
    ,
  • Mehmet Ali Vardar
    ,
  • Ana Oaknin
*Corresponding author for this work
  • Innsbruck Medical University
    ,
  • University Hospital for Gynaecology and Obstetrics
    ,
  • IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas - Rozzano (Milano)
    ,
  • Humanitas University
    ,
  • Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
    ,
  • MITO
Scholary Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
Research
Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Objective: We report outcomes for the sub-group of participants who only received neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or neoadjuvant+adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy before enrollment in the phase 3 Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 (NCT03517449) and ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 (NCT03884101). Methods: Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 enrolled participants with advanced/recurrent/metastatic endometrial cancer with disease progression after 1 previous line of platinum-based chemotherapy (2 allowed if initially given as [neo]adjuvant therapy). ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 enrolled participants with stage III-IV or recurrent, radiographically apparent endometrial cancer and no previous chemotherapy or disease progression ≥6 months after (neo)adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. In both trials, participants were randomized 1:1 to lenvatinib 20 mg once daily+pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks or chemotherapy (doxorubicin or paclitaxel in Study 309/KEYNOTE-775, carboplatin+paclitaxel in ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001). Overall survival and progression-free survival (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 by blinded independent central review) were primary endpoints. Results: In Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 (n = 300), median (95% confidence interval) overall survival was 17.4 (14.0 to 22.8) months with lenvatinib+pembrolizumab and 13.3 (10.9 to 15.5) months with chemotherapy (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.67 [0.52 to 0.87]). Median (95% confidence interval) progression-free survival was 7.2 (5.6 to 8.0) and 3.9 (3.6 to 5.4) months (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.52 [0.40 to 0.68]). Objective response rates were 34.3% versus 16.6%. In ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 (n = 121), median (95% confidence interval) overall survival was 35.4 (26.6 to not reached) months with lenvatinib+pembrolizumab and 22.1 (16.4 to 34.8) months with chemotherapy (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.66 [0.42 to 1.03]). Median (95% confidence interval) progression-free survival was 15.0 (8.3 to 21.0) and 8.3 (6.2 to 10.2) months (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.52 [0.33 to 0.81]). Objective response rates were 63.5% versus 43.1%. In both trials, the most common treatment-related adverse events with lenvatinib+pembrolizumab were hypertension (62.4%/60.3%) and hypothyroidism (58.2%/60.3%). Conclusions: In this sub-group analysis of participants who only received neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or neoadjuvant+adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy before enrollment, lenvatinib+pembrolizumab demonstrated better anti-tumor activity and favorable outcomes versus chemotherapy with manageable safety. Lenvatinib+pembrolizumab is approved for patients with advanced endometrial cancer and could be considered an effective treatment option in this sub-group.

Publication Information

Output type

Scholary Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
Research
Peer-review

Original language

English (US)

Article number

104693

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (Volume 36, Issue 7)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 07/2026

Publication status

Published - 07/2026

ISSN

1048-891X

Publication IDs

  • Scopus: 105039264987
  • PubMed: 42167105

Publication metrics

Metrics

Fractional count
1
Fractional count
0.03
Fractional count
29
Fractional count
0.97
Fractional count
1
Fractional count
1

Funding Details

Funding for this research was provided by Eisai Inc. , Nutley, NJ, USA , and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC , a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. , Rahway, NJ, USA . The sponsors had a role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing of the report and decision to submit the article for publication. We thank the participants and their families and caregivers for participating in these studies, along with all investigators and site personnel. We thank Lili Yao, lead statistician for the ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 trial and Zhou Yu, lead statistician for the Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 trial, both of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (MSD). We also thank Jiabu Ye, PhD, formerly of MSD , for statistical support. Medical writing assistance was provided by Susan Tyree, PhD, of ICON plc (Blue Bell, PA, USA). This assistance was funded by MSD . Funding for this research was provided by Eisai Inc., Nutley, NJ, USA, and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. The sponsors had a role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing of the report and decision to submit the article for publication. We thank the participants and their families and caregivers for participating in these studies, along with all investigators and site personnel. We thank Lili Yao, lead statistician for the ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 trial and Zhou Yu, lead statistician for the Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 trial, both of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (MSD). We also thank Jiabu Ye, PhD, formerly of MSD, for statistical support. Medical writing assistance was provided by Susan Tyree, PhD, of ICON plc (Blue Bell, PA, USA). This assistance was funded by MSD.
FundersFunding numbers
Eisai Canada
-
MSD
-
MSD
-