An Open Label Phase II Randomized Trial of BNT113 in Combination With Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Monotherapy as a First Line Therapy in Patients With Unresectable Recurrent, or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) Which is Positive for Human Papilloma Virus 16 (HPV16+) and Expresses PD-L1 (AHEAD-MERIT)

An open-label, controlled, multi-site, interventional, 2-arm, Phase II trial of BNT113 in combination with pembrolizumab vs pembrolizumab monotherapy as first line treatment in patients with unresectable recurrent or metastatic HPV16+ HNSCC expressing programmed cell death ligand -1 (PD-L1) with combined positive score (CPS) ≥1.

This trial has two parts.

Part A, an initial non-randomized Safety Run-In Phase to confirm the safety and tolerability at the selected dose range level of BNT113 in combination with pembrolizumab.

Part B, the Randomized part of the trial to generate pivotal efficacy and safety data of BNT113 in combination with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy in the first line setting in patients with unresectable recurrent or metastatic HPV16+ HNSCC expressing PD-L1 with CPS ≥1.

For Part B, an optional pre-screening phase is available for all patients where patients' tumor samples may be submitted for central HPV16 DNA and central PD-L1 expression testing prior to screening into the main trial.