{"entity":{"id":"empower-lung-1","kind":"trial","name":"EMPOWER-Lung 1","aka":[],"tldr":"EMPOWER-Lung 1 showed that cemiplimab, a third PD-1 antibody, lengthens life compared with chemotherapy in lung cancers with high PD-L1, reproducing the pembrolizumab result with a different drug.","summary":"EMPOWER-Lung 1 randomised 710 patients with untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer to cemiplimab or platinum doublet chemotherapy; the primary population was the 563 patients whose tumours had confirmed PD-L1 expression of 50 percent or more. Patients on chemotherapy could cross over to cemiplimab at progression, and patients on cemiplimab could add chemotherapy.\n\nIn the PD-L1-high population median overall survival was not reached with cemiplimab against 14.2 months with chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.57), and median progression-free survival was 8.2 against 5.7 months (hazard ratio 0.54). In the three-year update median overall survival was 26.1 months against 13.3 months, with the hazard ratio unchanged despite crossover.\n\nThe FDA approved cemiplimab for this indication in February 2021, and a companion trial, EMPOWER-Lung 3, later added cemiplimab to chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1.","status":"positive","asOf":"2026-09-17","links":[{"label":"ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03088540","url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03088540"},{"label":"The Lancet 2021","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00228-2"},{"label":"Lancet Oncology 2023 (three-year update)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00329-7"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["nsclc","pdl1-high-nsclc"],"sections":[],"technologies":["checkpoint-inhibitor"],"targets":["pd1","pdl1"],"drugs":["cemiplimab","carboplatin","cisplatin","paclitaxel","pemetrexed"],"companies":["regeneron","sanofi"],"institutions":[],"pathways":["pd1-checkpoint"],"terms":["tps","pd-l1-testing"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"nct":"NCT03088540","phase":"3","setting":"Untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 of 50 percent or more and no EGFR, ALK or ROS1 alteration: cemiplimab versus platinum doublet chemotherapy, with crossover at progression","sponsor":"Regeneron / Sanofi","result":"Median overall survival not reached vs 14.2 months (hazard ratio 0.57) in PD-L1 50% or more; 26.1 vs 13.3 months in the three-year update; median progression-free survival 8.2 vs 5.7 months.","yearReported":2021,"enrolled":710,"outcomes":[{"endpoint":"Overall survival, PD-L1 50% or more (three-year update)","primary":true,"unit":"months","arms":[{"name":"Cemiplimab","n":283,"value":26.1},{"name":"Platinum chemotherapy","n":280,"value":13.3}],"hr":0.57,"source":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00329-7"},{"endpoint":"Progression-free survival, PD-L1 50% or more","primary":true,"unit":"months","arms":[{"name":"Cemiplimab","n":283,"value":8.2},{"name":"Platinum chemotherapy","n":280,"value":5.7}],"hr":0.54,"source":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00228-2"}],"replication":"Reproduces KEYNOTE-024 (pembrolizumab) and IMpower110 (atezolizumab) in the same PD-L1-high population."},"route":"/trials/empower-lung-1/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/nsclc/"},{"id":"pdl1-high-nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"PD-L1-high non-small-cell lung cancer without a driver mutation","route":"/cancers/pdl1-high-nsclc/"}],"technology":[{"id":"checkpoint-inhibitor","kind":"technology","name":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors","route":"/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/"}],"target":[{"id":"pd1","kind":"target","name":"PD-1","route":"/targets/pd1/"},{"id":"pdl1","kind":"target","name":"PD-L1","route":"/targets/pdl1/"}],"drug":[{"id":"carboplatin","kind":"drug","name":"Carboplatin","route":"/drugs/carboplatin/"},{"id":"cemiplimab","kind":"drug","name":"Cemiplimab","route":"/drugs/cemiplimab/"},{"id":"cisplatin","kind":"drug","name":"Cisplatin","route":"/drugs/cisplatin/"},{"id":"paclitaxel","kind":"drug","name":"Paclitaxel / nab-paclitaxel","route":"/drugs/paclitaxel/"},{"id":"pemetrexed","kind":"drug","name":"Pemetrexed","route":"/drugs/pemetrexed/"}],"company":[{"id":"regeneron","kind":"company","name":"Regeneron","route":"/companies/regeneron/"},{"id":"sanofi","kind":"company","name":"Sanofi","route":"/companies/sanofi/"}],"pathway":[{"id":"pd1-checkpoint","kind":"pathway","name":"PD-1 / PD-L1 immune checkpoint & T-cell activation","route":"/pathways/pd1-checkpoint/"}],"term":[{"id":"pd-l1-testing","kind":"term","name":"PD-L1 expression testing (22C3, SP142, SP263)","route":"/terms/pd-l1-testing/"},{"id":"tps","kind":"term","name":"Tumour proportion score (TPS)","route":"/terms/tps/"}]}}