Recruiting
Phase 2

Nivolumab vs. Pembrolizumab

Sponsor:

Diwakar Davar

Code:

NCT07223424

Conditions

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Melanoma

Colo-rectal Cancer (dMMR/MSI-H CRC)

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

nivolumab

pembrolizumab

Study Details

Brief summary:

The study will evaluate patient and Health Care Professional- reported preference for Subcutaneous (SC) compared with IV nivolumab administration or similarly for SC compared with IV pembrolizumab.

Conditions

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Melanoma

Colo-rectal Cancer (dMMR/MSI-H CRC)

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Study ID

NCT07223424

Start date

Nov 4, 2025

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Nov 30, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Nov 30, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document.
  • Able to read and write in English.
  • Must be eligible to receive nivolumab (Cohorts A-1, B-1) or pembrolizumab (Cohorts A-2, B-2) singly or in combination with other FDA-approved agents (TKIs or chemotherapy) according to standard of care practices, as determined by the clinical judgment of the investigator.
  • Prior and concurrent therapy criteria

o Patients should either be ICI-naïve (Cohorts A-1, A-2) or be currently receiving adjuvant or front-line PD-(L)1 based therapy singly or in combination with FDA-approved agents (TKIs or chemotherapy) (Cohorts B-1, B-2).
  • Locally advanced or advanced/metastatic solid tumor for which nivolumab OR pembrolizumab is on-label.

  • NOTE: IV nivolumab is FDA-approved in the following indications: RCC, melanoma, NSCLC, SCCHN, UC, dMMR/MSI-H CRC, HCC, esophageal cancer, and gastric, gastroesophageal and esophageal adenocarcinoma (gastric/GEJ).
  • NOTE: IV pembrolizumab is FDA-approved in the following indications: RCC, melanoma, NSCLC, SCCHN, UC, dMMR/MSI-H CRC, HCC, esophageal cancer, gastric/GEJ, cervical cancer, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), endometrial carcinoma, tumor mutational burden-high (TMB-H) cancers, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
  • Cohort-specific criteria.

  • Cohort A-1: Patients who are treatment-naive (i.e. for whom nivolumab is planned but has not yet been initiated) are eligible to enroll.
  • Cohort B-1: Patients who are already receiving treatment with nivolumab (singly or in combination with TKI or chemotherapy) OR a different ICI-therapy but are willing to switch to nivolumab monotherapy or nivolumab based combinations may eligible to enroll if nivolumab is on-label for their cancer.
  • Cohort A-2: Patients who are treatment-naive (i.e. for whom pembrolizumab is planned but has not yet been initiated) are eligible to enroll.
  • Cohort B-2: Patients who are already receiving treatment with pembrolizumab (singly or in combination with TKI or chemotherapy) OR a different ICI-therapy but are willing to switch to pembrolizumab monotherapy or pembrolizumab based combinations may eligible to enroll if pembrolizumab is on-label for their cancer.
  • NOTE: Patients who are currently receiving nivolumab + ipilimumab combination as induction may be eligible to enroll in Cohort B-1 following induction (i.e. during planned maintenance) in indications including but not limited to advanced/metastatic melanoma, ccRCC, MSI-H/dMMR mCRC.
  • NOTE: Patients for whom nivolumab + ipilimumab combination is planned as maintenance are not eligible (i.e. NSCLC patients being treated per CheckMate-227 or CheckMate-9LA).
  • NOTE: Patients for whom anti-PD-1 based immunotherapy is planned as neoadjuvant therapy are not appropriate. Such patients may be considered for enrollment at the time of commencing adjuvant therapy in cohorts A-2 or B-2 as appropriate.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participant unable to receive nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) due to prior allergic reactions to nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) or any of its ingredients.
  • Has severe hypersensitivity (≥Grade 3) to nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) and/or any of its excipients.
  • Has had an allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant.

Study Design

Enrollment

880 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Subcutaneous to IV

SC nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) x3 cycles followed by IV nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) x3 cycles.

active comparator: IV to Subcutaneous

IV nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) x3 cycles followed by SC nivolumab (or pembrolizumab) x3 cycles

Interventions

nivolumab

IV nivolumab (480mg Q4W), SC nivolumab (1200mg Q4W)

pembrolizumab

IV pembrolizumab (400mg Q6W) or SC pembrolizumab (790mg Q6W)

Primary outcome measure

  • Preference for Subcutaneous Nivolumab Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 48 months ]
  • Preference for Subcutaneous Pembrolizumab Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 48 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Recruiting

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15232

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Diwakar J Davar, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Diwakar Davar

Last update posted

Apr 16, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Diwakar Davar on 2026-04-16.