Pembrolizumab in combination with lenvatinib, platinum chemotherapy, and pemetrexed for non-small cell lung cancer

The combination of pembrolizumab, lenvatinib, platinum chemotherapy, and pemetrexed is in clinical development for the treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC makes up the majority of lung cancers in the UK and at the metastatic stage (stage IV), the disease has already spread from the lungs to other sites. Most patients with NSCLC are diagnosed at the advanced/metastatic stage where curative treatment with surgery is unsuitable.
Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy, administered intravenously, that stimulates the body’s immune system by triggering T-cells (a type of white blood cells) to find and kill cancer cells. Lenvatinib is a targeted therapy drug, administered orally, that inhibits cancer growth by preventing the formation of new blood vessels. These drugs modulate different aspects of tumour biology and combining them may result in improved efficacy and help overcome resistance to immunotherapy. If licenced, the combination of pembrolizumab, lenvatinib, platinum chemotherapy, and pemetrexed could provide an additional first line treatment for metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).