Phase II Single Arm Study of Neoadjuvant Dual Checkpoint Blockade With Programmed Death-ligand 1 (PD1) and Lymphocyte Activation Gene 3 (LAG-3) Inhibition in Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (N-PLANC)
This phase II trial tests how well a fixed dose combination (FDC) of cemiplimab and fianlimab before surgery (neoadjuvant) works in treating patients with stage IB-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The current standard of care (SOC) for NSCLC is to give chemotherapy and immunotherapy before going to surgery to have the cancer removed (neoadjuvant therapy). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cemiplimab and fianlimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving a FDC of cemiplimab and fianlimab before surgery may kill more tumor cells in treating patients with stage IB-IIIB NSCLC.
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Disease characteristics:
‣ Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IB-IIIB (N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual Eighth Edition
⁃ T4 tumors will only be eligible if they are defined as T4 based only on their size (more than 7 cm). All other T4 tumors will be ineligible.
⁃ Pathologic status of lymph nodes must be known
⁃ PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% by tumor proportion score (TPS) using immunohistochemistry (IHC)
• Group A: PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% \< 50%
∙ Group B: PD-L1 expression ≥ 50%
⁃ Complete surgical resection of the primary NSCLC must be deemed achievable by thoracic surgeon at screening
• Measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 NOTE: Tumor lesions in a previously irradiated area are not considered measurable disease; Disease that is measurable by physical examination only is not eligible
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0 or 1
• Adequate pulmonary function ascertained by treating surgeon obtained ≤ 30 days prior to registration. A pre- or post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 1.0 L and \> 40% postoperative predicted value and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) \> 40% predicted value are required prior to enrollment
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/mm\^3 (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) ≤ 3 x ULN (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Prothrombin time (PT)/international normalized ratio (INR)/activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) ≤ 1.5 x ULN OR if patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy and INR or aPTT is within target range of therapy (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 45 ml/min using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology (CKD-EPI) Creatinine Equation (obtained ≤ 15 days prior to registration)
• Negative pregnancy test done ≤ 8 days prior to registration, for persons of childbearing potential only
• Provide written informed consent
• Willingness to provide mandatory blood specimens for correlative research
• Willingness to provide mandatory tissue specimens for correlative research
• Willing to return to enrolling institution for follow-up (during the Active Monitoring Phase of the study)