Can an immunotherapy combo shrink lung tumors before surgery? a phase 3 trial aims to find out.
NCT ID NCT04158440
First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 3 trial tests whether adding the immunotherapy drug toripalimab to standard chemotherapy before surgery can improve outcomes for people with stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer. Participants receive either toripalimab plus chemotherapy or a placebo plus chemotherapy, followed by surgery. The study measures how well the tumor responds and how long patients remain cancer-free.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- toripalimab (an immunotherapy drug) combined with platinum-based chemotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could become a new standard treatment to shrink lung tumors before surgery, potentially improving survival and reducing recurrence.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial, and the combination may cause significant side effects like immune-related inflammation. It is not yet proven to be better than current treatments.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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501 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2020
- Finished
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Jul 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: 1. Having sufficient understanding of this study and being willing to sign the informed consent form (ICF); 2. Aged 18-70 years, male or female; 3. Treatment-naive, histologically confirmed resectable, stage II, IIIA, IIIB (N2) (AJCC staging system, version 8) NSCLC; cTNM stage can be confirmed through PET-CT or pathological biopsy; resectable stage II non-small cell lung cancer is defined as eligible for radical resection evaluated by a qualified thoracic surgeon; resectable stage III is defined as the resectable and potential resectable according to the Chinese expert consensus on the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (2019)in which resectable includes IIIA(N0-1), partial N2 with single-station mediastinal lymph node metastasis and the short diameter of lymph node\<2 cm, partial T4 (satellite nodules in the adjacent lobe) N1 and potential resectable includes partial stage IIIA and IIIB with the short diameter of single-station N2 mediastinal lymph node\<3 cm, other potentially resectable T3 or T4 central tumor ; Any suspected lesions which could change the TNM stage, such as contralateral mediastinal lymph node, supraclavicular lymph mode, solid/sub-solid pulmonary node and non-isolated ground glass opacity (GGO), pathological confirmation is strongly recommended. 4. Measurable lesions based on the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1; 5. Tumor tissue specimens available for pathological diagnosis, detection of PD-L1 expression and biomarkers prior to randomization (the tumor tissue specimens must be freshly obtained or archived samples within 3 months prior to enrollment; tumor tissue specimens must be the samples of histological category, including but not limited to the tissue punctured by core needle and hollow needle, tissue acquired by bronchoscopic clamp, surgically resected samples; the samples acquired by fine needle puncture and bronchial brushing are not acceptable); 6. ECOG score 0-1; 7. Good organ function: 8. Being willing and able to comply with the visits, treatment plan, laboratory examinations and other study procedures scheduled in the study; 9. pulmonary function test being able to withstand the planned pneumonectomy evaluated by surgeons; Women of childbearing potential must undergo serum pregnancy test within 3 hours prior to the first dose and the result must be negative. Female subjects of childbearing potential and male subjects whose partners are women of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraceptive methods during the study period and within 180 days after the last dose of study drug. 10. Women of childbearing potential must undergo serum pregnancy test within 3 days prior to the first dose and the result must be negative. Female subjects of childbearing potential and male subjects whose partners are women of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraceptive methods during the study period and within 180 days after the last dose of study drug Exclusion criteria: 1. Presence of locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic disease; unresectable includes the unresectable defined in the Chinese expert consensus on the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (2019), including partial stage IIIA and IIIB and all the stage IIIC; N2: single station mediastinal lymph node metastasis with short diameter ≥3cm; N2: multiple station mediastinal lymph node metastasis with lymph node fusion and the short diameter of lymph node ≥2cm on CT; ALL the N3; T4: invading esophagus, heart, aorta; 2. NSCLC involving superior sulcus, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), sarcomatoid tumor; 3. Participants with known EGFR sensitive mutations or ALK translocation, EGFR and ALK mutation status needs to be identified for the subjects with non-squamous cell carcinoma; 4. Previous treatment with systemic antitumor therapy for early NSCLC, including investigational product; 5. History of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease requiring steroid treatment, or ongoing pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease requiring steroid treatment; 6. Active tuberculosis; 7. Active infection requiring systemic treatment; 8. Subjects with any known or suspected autoimmune disorder or immunodeficiency, with the following exceptions: hypothyroidism, hormone therapy is not needed, or well controlled at physiological dose; controlled type I diabetes; 9. Uncontrolled active hepatitis B (defined as positive hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] in screening period with HBV-DNA detected higher than the upper limit of normal at the clinical laboratory of the study center); (the subjects with HBV-DNA assay \<500 IU/mL within 28 days prior to randomization who have received local standard antiviral therapy for at least 14 days and are willing to receive antiviral therapy continuously during the study can be enrolled); active hepatitis C (defined as positive hepatitis C surface antibody \[HCsAb\] in screening period and positive HCV-RNA); 10. Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (known positive HIV antibody); 11. Vaccination of live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose. Including but not limited to the following: parotitis, rubella, measles, varicella/ herpes zoster (varicella), yellow fever, Rabies, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and typhoid vaccine (inactivated virus vaccine allowed); 12. ≥ Grade 2 peripheral neuropathy; 13. Previous use of PD-1/PD-L1 agent or the drug acting on another targeted T cell receptor (e.g., CTLA-4, OX-40); 14. Severe allergic reaction to other monoclonal antibodies; 15. History of serious allergy to Pemetrexed, paclitaxel or docetaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin or its preventive medications; 16. Known serious or uncontrolled pre-existing diseases; including but not limited to cardiovascular events with hemodynamic instability, symptomatic cerebrovascular events, and hepatic cirrhosis above Child-Pugh A within 6 months; 17. History or current evidence of any disease, therapy or abnormal laboratory examination that may confuse the study results, interfere with subject's participation in the full course of the study or not meet the best interest of subject's participation in the study, as judged by investigators; 18. Other malignant tumors within 5 years prior to the first dose, except non-small cell lung cancer. The malignant tumors with negligible risk of metastasis or death (e.g., expected disease-free survival \> 5 years) and expected to achieve radical outcomes after treatment (e.g., sufficiently treated carcinoma in situ of cervix, basal or squamous cell skin cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ treated for radical surgery) can be excluded.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shanghai Chest Hospital
Shanghai, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.