Current partner codePEPTIDESDE
NCT02319837·Phase 3·INTERVENTIONAL

Safety and Efficacy Study of Enzalutamide Plus Leuprolide in Patients With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer (EMBARK)

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phase

Phase 3

Enrollment

1,068

Locations

255

Results

Posted

Publications

11

Study summary

What the protocol is testing.

The purpose of this study is to assess enzalutamide plus leuprolide in patients with high-risk nonmetastatic prostate cancer progressing after radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy or both. The randomized / blinded portion of the study is now completed following primary endpoint analyses. The study remains ongoing in open label format.

Interventions

Treatment arms and agents.

DRUG

Enzalutamide

DRUG

Placebo (No longer applicable in Open Label study period)

Sugar pill to mimic enzalutamide

DRUG

Leuprolide Open Label

Timeline

From registration to results.

  1. First posted

    Dec 18, 2014

  2. Study start

    Dec 17, 2014

  3. Primary completion

    Jan 31, 2023

  4. Study completion

    Sep 19, 2026

  5. Results posted

    Mar 25, 2024

  6. Registry updated

    Jul 9, 2026

Outcomes

What the study measures.

Primary outcomes

Metastasis-free Survival (MFS) Compared Between Enzalutamide Plus Leuprolide and Placebo Plus Leuprolide

Time frame · From randomization until radiographic progression or death without radiographic progression, whichever occurred first (up to Month 98 when at least 197 MFS events occurred among the 3 treatment groups)

MFS was defined as the duration of time in months between randomization and the earliest objective evidence of radiographic progression by central imaging or death without radiographic progression, whichever occurred first. Radiographic progression for soft tissue disease was defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1). Radiographic progression for bone disease was defined as the appearance of 1 or more metastatic lesions on bone scan (a bone scan assesses 5 regions of the skeleton, including skull, thorax, spine, pelvis, and extremities). Confirmation with a second imaging modality (plain film, computed tomography \[CT\], or magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\]) was to be required when bone lesions were found in a single region on the bone scan. Appearance of metastatic lesions in 2 or more of the 5 regions on a bone scan was not to require confirmation with a second imaging modality.

Secondary outcomes

Metastasis-free Survival (MFS) Compared Between Enzalutamide Monotherapy and Placebo Plus Leuprolide

Time frame · From randomization until radiographic progression or death without radiographic progression, whichever occurred first (up to Month 98 when at least 197 MFS events occurred among the 3 treatment groups)

MFS was defined as the duration of time in months between randomization and the earliest objective evidence of radiographic progression by central imaging or death without radiographic progression, whichever occurred first. Radiographic progression for soft tissue disease was defined by RECIST 1.1. Radiographic progression for bone disease was defined as the appearance of 1 or more metastatic lesions on bone scan (a bone scan assesses 5 regions of the skeleton, including skull, thorax, spine, pelvis, and extremities). Confirmation with a second imaging modality (plain film, CT, or MRI) was to be required when bone lesions were found in a single region on the bone scan. Appearance of metastatic lesions in 2 or more of the 5 regions on a bone scan was not to require confirmation with a second imaging modality.

Time to Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) Progression

Time frame · From randomization until first PSA progression (up to Month 98)

Time to PSA progression was defined as the time in months from randomization to the date of the first PSA value demonstrating progression, while participants were on study treatment, which was subsequently confirmed at least 3 weeks later. PSA progression date was defined as the date that a ≥25% increase and an absolute increase of ≥2 micrograms per liter (μg/L) (2 nanograms per milliliter \[ng/mL\]) above the nadir (or baseline for participants with no PSA decline by Week 25) that was confirmed by a second consecutive value at least 3 weeks later. For participants who had suspended treatment at Week 37 and later reinitiated treatment, baseline was reset as the last PSA assessment prior to or on the date of reinitiation of treatment.

Time to First Use of New Antineoplastic Therapy

Time frame · From randomization until first use of new antineoplastic therapy (up to Month 98)

Time to first use of new antineoplastic therapy was defined as the time in months from randomization to first use of new antineoplastic therapy for prostate cancer.

Overall Survival (OS)

Time frame · From randomization until death due to any cause (up to Month 98 when at least 197 MFS events occurred among the 3 treatment groups)

Overall survival was defined as the time in months between randomization and death due to any cause.

Time to Distant Metastasis

Time frame · From randomization until the earliest objective evidence of distant soft tissue metastases or metastatic bone disease (up to Month 98)

The time to distant metastasis was defined as the time in months from randomization to the earliest objective evidence of distant soft tissue metastases or metastatic bone disease by blinded independent central review (BICR).

Percentage of Participants With Undetectable Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) at 36 Weeks on Study Drug

Time frame · At Week 36

Undetectable PSA at 36 weeks was serum PSA levels \<0.2 ng/mL at Week 36. Percentage of participants with undetectable PSA at 36 weeks on study drug was calculated as the number of participants with undetectable PSA at Week 36 divided by the number of participants with PSA values at Week 36, and multiplied by 100.

Percentage of Participants Who Remained Treatment-free 2 Years After Suspension of Study Treatment at Week 37 Due to Undetectable Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA)

Time frame · From randomization until 2 years after Week 37 (up to Month 34)

Undetectable PSA at 36 weeks was serum PSA levels \<0.2 ng/mL at Week 36. At Week 37, study treatment was suspended for participants whose PSA values were undetectable (\<0.2 ng/mL) at Week 36 as determined by the central laboratory. Study treatment may have been suspended only once (at Week 37) due to undetectable PSA and was reinitiated if subsequent central laboratory PSA values increased to ≥2.0 ng/mL for participants with prior prostatectomy or ≥5.0 ng/mL for participants without prostatectomy. Percentage of participants who remained treatment-free 2 years after suspension of study treatment at Week 37 was calculated as the number of participants who remained treatment-free 2 years after suspension of study treatment at Week 37 divided by the number of participants with treatment suspension and multiplied by 100.

Percentage of Participants With Undetectable Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) 2 Years After Suspension of Treatment at Week 37 Due to Undetectable PSA

Time frame · From randomization until 2 years after Week 37 (up to Month 34)

Undetectable PSA at 36 weeks was serum PSA levels \<0.2 ng/mL at Week 36. At Week 37, study treatment was suspended for participants whose PSA values were undetectable (\<0.2 ng/mL) at Week 36 as determined by the central laboratory. Study treatment may have been suspended only once (at Week 37) due to undetectable PSA and was reinitiated if subsequent central laboratory PSA values increased to ≥2.0 ng/mL for participants with prior prostatectomy or ≥5.0 ng/mL for participants without prostatectomy. Percentage of participants with undetectable PSA 2 years after suspension of treatment at Week 37 due to undetectable PSA was calculated as the number of participants with undetectable PSA 2 years after suspension of treatment at Week 37 due to undetectable PSA divided by the number of participants with treatment suspension and multiplied by 100.

Time to Resumption of Any Hormonal Therapy Following Suspension at Week 37 Due to Undetectable Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA)

Time frame · From treatment suspension at Week 37 until resumption of any hormonal therapy (up to Month 98)

Undetectable PSA at 36 weeks was serum PSA levels \<0.2 ng/mL at Week 36. At Week 37, study treatment was suspended for participants whose PSA values were undetectable (\<0.2 ng/mL) at Week 36 as determined by the central laboratory. Study treatment may have been suspended only once (at Week 37) due to undetectable PSA and was reinitiated if subsequent central laboratory PSA values increased to ≥2.0 ng/mL for participants with prior prostatectomy or ≥5.0 ng/mL for participants without prostatectomy. The time to resumption of any hormonal therapy following suspension at Week 37 due to undetectable PSA was defined as the time in months between the date of treatment suspension at Week 37 due to undetectable PSA and the date that hormonal therapy was restarted.

Time to Castration Resistance

Time frame · From randomization to the first occurrence of radiographic disease progression, PSA progression or SSE, whichever occurred first with castrate levels of testosterone (up to Month 98)

Time to castration resistance applied only to participants receiving leuprolide treatment and was defined as the time in months from randomization to the first occurrence of radiographic disease progression by BICR, PSA progression or symptomatic skeletal event (SSE) whichever occurred first with castrate levels of testosterone (\<50 ng/dL).

Eligibility

Who can take part.

Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
Not reported
Sex
MALE
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate at initial biopsy, without neuroendocrine differentiation, signet cell, or small cell features; * Prostate cancer initially treated by radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy (including brachytherapy) or both, with curative intent; * PSA doubling time ≤ 9 months; * Screening PSA by the central laboratory ≥ 1 ng/mL for patients who had radical prostatectomy (with or without radiotherapy) as primary treatment for prostate cancer and at least 2 ng/mL above the nadir for patients who had radiotherapy only as primary treatment for prostate cancer; * Serum testosterone ≥ 150 ng/dL (5.2 nmol/L). Exclusion Criteria: * Prior or present evidence of distant metastatic disease as assessed by radiographic imaging; * Prior hormonal therapy. Neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy to treat prostate cancer ≤ 36 months in duration and ≥ 9 months before randomization, or a single dose or a short course (≤ 6 months) of hormonal therapy given for rising PSA ≥ 9 months before randomization is allowed.; * Prior cytotoxic chemotherapy, aminoglutethimide, ketoconazole, abiraterone acetate, or enzalutamide for prostate cancer; * Prior systemic biologic therapy, including immunotherapy, for prostate cancer; * Major surgery within 4 weeks before randomization; * Treatment with 5-α reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) within 4 weeks of randomization; * Known or suspected brain metastasis or active leptomeningeal disease; * History of another invasive cancer within 3 years before screening, with the exception of fully treated cancers with a remote probability of recurrence

Study locations

255 registered sites.

Australia · Austria · Brazil · Canada · Denmark · Finland · France · Italy · Netherlands · Poland · Slovakia · South Korea · Spain · Sweden · Taiwan · United Kingdom · United States. Showing up to 24 locations stored in the fast local snapshot.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

University of Alabama at Birmingham, IDS Pharmacy

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Alaska Urological Institute dba Alaska Clinical Research Center

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Arizona Urology Specialists

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group

Beverly Hills, California, United States

Cedars-Senai OCC Pharmacy

Los Angeles, California, United States

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute

Los Angeles, California, United States

University of California, Irvine Medical Center

Orange, California, United States

Sutter Medical Group, Vascular & Varicose Vein Center

Roseville, California, United States

Sutter Medical Group

Roseville, California, United States

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Sacramento, California, United States

University of California Davis Medical Center

Sacramento, California, United States

University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

Sacramento, California, United States

The Urology Center of Colorado

Denver, Colorado, United States

Foothills Urology, P.C.

Golden, Colorado, United States

Eastern Connecticut Hematology Oncology Associates

Norwich, Connecticut, United States

Lakeland Regional Health Hollis Cancer Center

Lakeland, Florida, United States

Emory University Hospital

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Emory University Hospital

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Northwestern Medical Group

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Chicago, Illinois, United States

First Urology, PSC

Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States

Publications

Results and literature.

PMID 42333826Freedland SJ, De Giorgi U. Enzalutamide in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer: key findings from subsequent analyses of EMBARK and their implications in clinical practice. Future Oncol. 2026 Jun;22(14):1593-1600. doi: 10.1080/14796694.2026.2676559. Epub 2026 Jun 23.PMID 41364813Shore ND, Gleave M, De Giorgi U, Rannikko A, Pieczonka CM, Sridharan S, Brasso K, Woo HH, Gomez Caamano A, Saranchuk JW, Nordquist LT, Ferreira U, Tang Y, Rosbrook B, Haas GP, Rosales M, Zohren F, Tarazi J, Freedland SJ. Treatment of High-Risk Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer With Enzalutamide in Combination With Leuprolide: Secondary End Points From the EMBARK Trial. J Urol. 2026 May;215(5):512-525. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000004890. Epub 2025 Dec 9.PMID 41349040Shore ND, De Giorgi U, Tutrone RF, Bailen JL, Roos EPM, Kliment J, Marx G, Karsh LI, Ramirez-Backhaus M, Uchio EM, Supiot S, Tang Y, Rosbrook B, Haas GP, Rosales M, Zohren F, Tarazi J, Freedland SJ. Enzalutamide Monotherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer With High-Risk Biochemical Recurrence: EMBARK Secondary End Points. J Urol. 2026 Apr;215(4):396-407. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000004879. Epub 2025 Dec 5.PMID 41124201Shore ND, Luz MA, De Giorgi U, Gleave M, Gotto GT, Pieczonka CM, Haas GP, Kim CS, Ramirez-Backhaus M, Rannikko A, Kalac M, Sridharan S, Rosales M, Tang Y, Tutrone RF Jr, Venugopal B, Villers A, Woo HH, Wang F, Freedland SJ. Improved Survival with Enzalutamide in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2026 Feb 5;394(6):563-575. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2510310. Epub 2025 Oct 19.PMID 40140551De Giorgi U, Freedland SJ, Rannikko A, Ramirez-Backhaus M, Villers A, Tarazi J, Tang Y, Haas GP, Rosales M, Shore ND. Enzalutamide in patients with high-risk biochemically recurrent prostate cancer according to the European Association of Urology definition: a post hoc analysis of EMBARK. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2026 Mar;29(1):198-201. doi: 10.1038/s41391-025-00959-8. Epub 2025 Mar 26.PMID 38421252Morgan TM, Boorjian SA, Buyyounouski MK, Chapin BF, Chen DYT, Cheng HH, Chou R, Jacene HA, Kamran SC, Kim SK, Kirkby E, Luckenbaugh AN, Nathanson BJ, Nyame YA, Posadas EM, Tran PT, Chen RC. Salvage Therapy for Prostate Cancer: AUA/ASTRO/SUO Guideline Part III: Salvage Therapy After Radiotherapy or Focal Therapy, Pelvic Nodal Recurrence and Oligometastasis, and Future Directions. J Urol. 2024 Apr;211(4):526-532. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003890. Epub 2024 Feb 29.PMID 38421243Morgan TM, Boorjian SA, Buyyounouski MK, Chapin BF, Chen DYT, Cheng HH, Chou R, Jacene HA, Kamran SC, Kim SK, Kirkby E, Luckenbaugh AN, Nathanson BJ, Nyame YA, Posadas EM, Tran PT, Chen RC. Salvage Therapy for Prostate Cancer: AUA/ASTRO/SUO Guideline Part II: Treatment Delivery for Non-metastatic Biochemical Recurrence After Primary Radical Prostatectomy. J Urol. 2024 Apr;211(4):518-525. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003891. Epub 2024 Feb 29.PMID 38320501Freedland SJ, Gleave M, De Giorgi U, Rannikko A, Pieczonka CM, Tutrone RF, Venugopal B, Woo HH, Ramirez-Backhaus M, Supiot S, Lantz A, Ganguli A, Ivanova J, Kral P, Huang SP, Saad F, Shore ND. Enzalutamide and Quality of Life in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer. NEJM Evid. 2023 Dec;2(12):EVIDoa2300251. doi: 10.1056/EVIDoa2300251. Epub 2023 Oct 22.PMID 37851874Freedland SJ, de Almeida Luz M, De Giorgi U, Gleave M, Gotto GT, Pieczonka CM, Haas GP, Kim CS, Ramirez-Backhaus M, Rannikko A, Tarazi J, Sridharan S, Sugg J, Tang Y, Tutrone RF Jr, Venugopal B, Villers A, Woo HH, Zohren F, Shore ND; EMBARK Study. Improved Outcomes with Enzalutamide in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2023 Oct 19;389(16):1453-1465. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2303974.PMID 37119051LBA02-09 EMBARK: A Phase 3 Randomized Study of Enzalutamide or Placebo Plus Leuprolide Acetate and Enzalutamide Monotherapy in High-risk Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer. J Urol. 2023 Jul;210(1):224-226. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003518. Epub 2023 May 2.PMID 34385241Freedland SJ, De Giorgi U, Gleave M, Rosbrook B, Shen Q, Sugg J, Haas GP, Shore ND. A phase 3 randomised study of enzalutamide plus leuprolide and enzalutamide monotherapy in high-risk non-metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer with rising PSA after local therapy: EMBARK study design. BMJ Open. 2021 Aug 12;11(8):e046588. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046588.

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