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. 2021 Apr 8;4(3):517–542. doi: 10.20517/cdr.2021.04

Table 2.

Summary of Phase 3 clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibition for triple negative breast cancer in the neoadjuvant and metastatic settings

Early-stage TNBC
Neoadjuvant clinical trials
Metastatic TNBC
Metastatic clinical trials
Assay used for PD-L1 expression detection KEYNOTE 522 [113] : 22C3
IMpassion 031[115]: SP142
KEYNOTE 355 [127] : 22C3
IMpassion 130[123], IMpassion 131[125]: SP142
Scored area KEYNOTE 522: TC, lymphocytes, and macrophages
IMpassion 031: tumor-infiltrating IC
KEYNOTE 355: TC, lymphocytes, and macrophages
IMpassion 130, IMpassion 131: tumor-infiltrating IC
Definition of PD-L1 positivity KEYNOTE 522: CPS = PD-L1 + cells (TC+IC)/TC*100 ≥ 1
IMpassion 031: PD-L1 + IC/tumor area (IC%) ≥ 1%
KEYNOTE 355: CPS ≥ 1, CPS ≥ 10
IMpassion 130, IMpassion 131: IC% ≥ 1%
Experimental immune checkpoint antibody KEYNOTE 522: Pembrolizumab
IMpassion 031: Atezolizumab
KEYNOTE 355: Pembrolizumab
IMpassion 130, IMpassion 131: Atezolizumab
Chemotherapy backbone KEYNOTE 522: PCb-EC/AC
IMpassion 031: nab-paclitaxel-AC
KEYNOTE 355: nab-paclitaxel; paclitaxel; or GCb
IMpassion 130: nab-paclitaxel
IMpassion 131: paclitaxel
Premedication with corticosteroids KEYNOTE 522: Yes
IMpassion 031: No
KEYNOTE 355: Yes in the paclitaxel arm
IMpassion 130: No
IMpassion 131: Yes
Primary endpoint
(Experimental group vs. Control group)
KEYNOTE 522: pCR (ypT0/Tis ypN0)
ITT population: 64.8% vs. 51.2%, rate difference 13.6 (95%CI: 5.4-21.8), P < 0.001
PD-L1 + subgroup: 68.9% vs. 54.9%, rate difference 14.2 (95%CI: 5.3-23.1)
IMpassion 031: pCR (ypT0/Tis ypN0)
ITT population: 58% vs. 41% rate difference 17 (95%CI: 6-27), one-sided P = 0.0044 (significance boundary 0·0184)
PD-L1 + subgroup: 69% vs. 49%, rate difference 20 (95%CI: 4-35), interactive P = 0.52
KEYNOTE 355: PFS
ITT population: 7.5 months vs. 5.6 months, HR = 0.82 (95%CI: 0.69-0.97), P value not available
CPS ≥ 10 subgroup: 9.7 months vs. 5.6 months, HR = 0.65 (95%CI: 0.49-0.86), P = 0.0012 (significance boundary 0.00411)
CPS ≥ 1 subgroup: 7.6 months vs. 5.6 months, HR = 0.74, (95%CI: 0.61-0.90), P = 0.0014 (significance boundary 0.00111)
IMpassion 130: PFS
ITT population: 7.2 months vs. 5.5 months, HR = 0.80 (95%CI: 0.69-0.92), P = 0.002
PD-L1 + subgroup: 7.5 months vs. 5.0 months, HR = 0.64 (95%CI: 0.51-0.80), P < 0.001
IMpassion 131: PFS
ITT population: 5.7 months vs. 5.6 months, HR = 0.86 (95%CI: 0.70-1.05), P value not available
PD-L1 + subgroup: 6.0 months vs. 5.7 months, HR = 0.82 (95%CI: 0.60-1.12), P = 0.20
Primary clinical outcome dependent upon PD-L1 expression KEYNOTE 522: No
IMpassion 031: No
KEYNOTE 355: CPS ≥ 1, No; CPS ≥ 10, Yes
IMpassion 130: Yes
IMpassion 131: No

TNBC: Triple negative breast cancer; TC: tumor cells; IC: immune cells; CPS: combined positive score; PCb: paclitaxel plus carboplatin; AC: doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide; EC: epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide; GCb: gemcitabine plus carboplatin; pCR: pathological complete response; CI: confidence intervals; PFS: progression-free survival; ITT: intention-to-treat; HR: hazard ratio; PD-L1: programmed death-ligand 1.