Shorter combo therapy shows promise for advanced melanoma

NCT ID NCT03149029

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This phase II trial tested a combination of three drugs—pembrolizumab (Keytruda), dabrafenib (Tafinlar), and trametinib (Mekinist)—in 16 people with advanced melanoma that could not be removed by surgery. The goal was to see if a shorter course of targeted therapy, followed by immunotherapy alone, could still control the cancer. The main measure was how many patients had their disease shrink or stay stable six months after starting treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), Dabrafenib (Tafinlar), Trametinib (Mekinist)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could lead to a shorter, more tolerable treatment regimen for advanced melanoma that still controls the disease effectively.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 16 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The combination also carries risks of side effects from both immunotherapy and targeted drugs.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

melanoma metastatic melanoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

METASTATIC MELANOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Massachusetts general Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

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