Abstract
In the open-label, phase III CheckMate 816 study (NCT02998528), neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated statistically significant improvements in event-free survival (EFS) and pathological complete response (pCR) versus chemotherapy alone in patients with resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here we report efficacy and safety outcomes in the Japanese subpopulation. Patients with stage IB-IIIA, resectable NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to nivolumab plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone for three cycles before undergoing definitive surgery within 6 weeks of completing neoadjuvant treatment. The primary end-points (EFS and pCR) and safety were assessed in patients enrolled at 16 centers in Japan. Of the Japanese patients randomized, 93.9% (31/33) in the nivolumab plus chemotherapy arm and 82.9% (29/35) in the chemotherapy arm underwent surgery. At 21.5 months' minimum follow-up, median EFS was 30.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.8-not reached [NR]) with nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus 19.6 months (95% CI, 8.5-NR) with chemotherapy; hazard ratio, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.30-1.24). The pCR rate was 30.3% (95% CI, 15.6-48.7) versus 5.7% (95% CI, 0.7-19.2), respectively; odds ratio, 7.17 (95% CI, 1.44-35.85). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 59.4% versus 42.9% of patients, respectively, with no new safety signals identified. Neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy resulted in longer EFS and a higher pCR rate versus chemotherapy alone in Japanese patients, consistent with findings in the global population. These data support nivolumab plus chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment option in Japanese patients with resectable NSCLC.