Ursula Matulonis MD Shares KEYNOTE-B96 Trial Results on Pembrolizumab in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Pembrolizumab combined with weekly paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, has demonstrated significant improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival for patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, according to final results from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-B96 trial.

The findings, presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer and published in The Lancet, establish this regimen as a new treatment option for individuals who have received one to two prior systemic therapies and whose tumors express PD-L1.

In the trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) plus weekly paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech), or placebo plus chemotherapy. The primary endpoints of progression-free survival and overall survival were both met with statistical significance in the intention-to-treat population.

Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, chief of the division of gynecologic oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, shared insights on the trial results in a video interview, noting that the combination therapy offers a meaningful advancement for a patient population that has historically had limited options following platinum resistance.