Two immunotherapy approaches before melanoma surgery

Plain-English translation of NCT06794775 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated December 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

This study is testing two different immunotherapy approaches for people with stage III melanoma that can be surgically removed. One group will receive alone (a type of immunotherapy called a PD-1 inhibitor), while the other group will receive combined with Ipilimumab (which targets both PD-1 and CTLA-4). Both groups will receive two courses of their assigned medication before surgery, and researchers will compare how well each approach works.

Currently, doctors use immunotherapy to help fight melanoma, but it's not clear whether using two types of immunotherapy together before surgery is more effective than using one type alone. This trial aims to answer that question and help improve treatment outcomes for people with this stage of melanoma.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are at least 18 years old
you have been diagnosed with stage III melanoma that can be completely removed by surgery
you are in generally good health with good performance status (able to carry out daily activities)
you have not received immunotherapy or targeted therapy for melanoma before
you are willing to use effective contraception during the study and for 150 days after treatment ends (if you can become pregnant or father children)

You likely don't qualify if…

you have melanoma that cannot be safely removed by surgery
you have ocular (eye) or mucosal (inside the mouth or nose) melanoma
you have serious or uncontrolled medical conditions that would make the study unsafe for you
you have had prior immunotherapy targeting PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4
you have had prior targeted therapy for BRAF or MEK mutations

What participation looks like

You will be randomly assigned to receive either the single immunotherapy or the combination therapy as two courses before your planned surgery. After surgery, you may receive additional treatment depending on how well your tumor responded. You will have active follow-up visits for 3 years after surgery, with blood and tumor samples collected for research, and then be monitored for survival for up to 10 years total.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 4, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(3 sites)

Sweden

Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg

Skane University Hospital, Lund

Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm