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Bono, Johann S. de

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2034-595X

Mayo Clinic

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Citations 25

Molecular landscape of prostate cancers with clival metastases
Likasitwatanakul, Pornlada , Blinka, Steven , Zarka, Jabra , Gebrael, Georges , Weg, Emily S. , Longoria, Ossian , Moore, Joseph A , Sharp, Adam , Bono, Johann de, Sternberg, Cora N, Agarwal, Neeraj, Swami, Umang , Orme, Jacob J. , Schweizer, Michael T. , Hwang, Justin H, Antonarakis, Emmanuel S, Bono, Johann S. de , Antonarakis, Emmanuel S. , Hwang, Justin H. , Gebrael, Georges , Antonarakis, Emmanuel S. , Blinka, Steven M , Zarka, Jabra G , Weg, Emily , de Bono, Johann , Agarwal, Archana M , Sloan, Lindsey , Hwang, Justin H , Antonarakis, Emmanuel S , Antonarakis, Emmanuel S , Sternberg, Cora N , Agarwal, Neeraj

The Oncologist | March 1, 2026 | Volume: 31 | Issue: 4 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/oncolo/oyag074 Get It

Abstract Background Clival metastases are a rare and clinically aggressive manifestation of advanced prostate cancer, associated with cranial nerve palsy and poor survival. The molecular features of prostate cancers giving rise to clivus metastases remain unknown. Patients and methods We performed a multi-center retrospective study across six institutions, identifying prostate cancer patients with radiographically confirmed clival metastases and available next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were collected. Genomic alterations from tissue- and/or blood-based assays were aggregated at the patient level and compared with a publicly available metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) cohort (SU2C/PCF). Results Fifty-nine patients with clival metastases contributed 87 molecular assays. More than half of patients had Gleason grade group 5 cancer and presented with de novo metastatic (M1) disease. The median interval from initial prostate cancer diagnosis to clival metastasis was 71.4 months (95% CI, 42.0-101.7), while median overall survival following clival involvement was only 15.3 months (95% CI, 6.9-22.8). Compared with the SU2C/PCF mCRPC cohort, clival metastases showed significant enrichment of BRAF and CHEK2 alterations as well as homologous recombination repair (HRR) with relative depletion of AR-related, PI3K pathway, and G2–M pathway alterations. Conclusion Prostate cancers giving rise to clival metastases exhibit a distinct molecular profile enriched for DNA damage–repair and RAF kinase alterations, suggesting unique metastatic biology and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Chromosomal instability in circulating tumor cells and cabazitaxel resistance in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Longoria, Ossian , Rekowski, Jan , Beije, Nick , Efstathiou, Eleni, Castellano, Daniel , Fizazi, Karim , Sharp, Adam , Macé, Sandrine , Geffriaud-Ricouard, Christine, Wenstrup, Richard , Wit, Ronald de , Bono, Johann S. de , de Bono, Johann , Gupta, Santosh , Pantel, Klaus , Sternberg, Cora N , Tombal, Bertrand , Sartor, Oliver

JCI Insight | November 4, 2025 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 24 | Pages: No page available

10.1172/jci.insight.196505 Get It

BACKGROUND Predictive biomarkers to guide chemotherapy decisions for metastatic castration–resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) are lacking. Preclinical studies indicate that circulating tumor cell (CTC) studies of chromosomal instability (CTC-CIN) can predict taxane resistance. METHODS The CARD trial randomized individuals with mCRPC progressing within a year of treatment with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI; enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone/prednisone) to cabazitaxel or the alternative ARPI. As a preplanned biomarker analysis, CTCs were isolated from blood samples obtained at baseline, cycle 2, and the end of treatment. Associations between baseline CTC and CTC-CIN counts with imaging-based progression-free survival (ibPFS), overall survival (OS), time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, RECIST 1.1 objective response rate (ORR), and PSA 50 response rate were assessed. RESULTS High baseline CTC-CIN counts significantly associated with worse OS after adjustment for confounding variables (median OS, 15.3 vs. 8.9 months; univariate HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.52–3.06; P < 0.001; multivariate HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.01–2.43; P = 0.047). Detectable CTC-CIN counts at baseline may predict a lack of ibPFS and OS benefit when comparing cabazitaxel with ARPI. CONCLUSION This preplanned analysis of biomarker data from the CARD trial confirms that CTC-CIN counts are a clinically useful prognostic and predictive biomarker of taxane resistance in mCRPC. Detectable CTC-CIN at baseline defines a patient subpopulation with unmet clinical needs in which alternative therapeutics should be tested. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02485691. FUNDING Funded by Sanofi and Epic Sciences.
Trial in progress (XALute): Phase 3 study of xaluritamig vs investigator’s choice of cabazitaxel or second androgen receptor directed therapy (ARDT) in post-taxane metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).
Kelly, William Kevin, Horvath, Lisa Kristina, Grünwald, Viktor , Sartor, Alton Oliver, Fizazi, Karim , Yang, Zhao , Matsubara, Nobuaki , Morris, Michael J. , Horvath, Lisa, Bono, Johann S. de , N., Kim , Mateo, Joaquı́n , Kapp, Joshua R.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.tps5118 Get It

TPS5118 Background: The median overall survival of patients with mCRPC remains under 2 years even with newer therapies. Xaluritamig, an XmAb 2+1 T-cell engager that targets the six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 1 (STEAP1), facilitates lysis of STEAP1-expressing cancer cells, such as those in advanced prostate cancer. In a first-in-human study, xaluritamig demonstrated encouraging efficacy and a manageable safety profile for patients with mCRPC refractory to standard of care therapies (Kelly WK, et al. Cancer Discov. 2024;14(1):76-89). Methods: XALute is a randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of xaluritamig vs cabazitaxel or second ARDT in men with mCRPC previously treated with taxane chemotherapy. Enrollment in the control arm treatments will be split evenly between cabazitaxel and second ARDT. Stratification factors include LDH ≤ or > 260 IU/L, liver metastases (Y/N), prior prostate-specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) (Y/N) and the intention to treat with cabazitaxel or ARDT switch. Approximately 675 patients will be enrolled. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to xaluritamig monotherapy or standard care. Participants will receive treatment until radiographic disease progression per Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 3 (PCWG3), unacceptable toxicity, initiation of other anticancer therapy, withdrawal of consent, death, or end of study as determined by the sponsor. The primary efficacy endpoint is overall survival. The key secondary efficacy endpoint is radiographic progression-free survival per PCWG3 by blinded independent central review. Key inclusion criteria are pathological/cytological confirmation of prostate adenocarcinoma; mCRPC with at least one metastatic lesion; evidence of progressive disease; prior treatment with at least one ARDT; one taxane therapy in the mCRPC setting, and ongoing androgen deprivation with serum testosterone levels (<50 ng/dL or <1.7 nmol/L). Prior treatment with PSMA-RLT, poly ADP-ribosylation inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are permitted. Exclusion criteria include prior STEAP1-targeted therapy, any anticancer therapy within 4 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment (not including androgen deprivation therapy), prior PSMA-RLT within 2 months of first dose of study treatment unless less than 2 cycles received, and prior radionuclide therapy (radium-223) within 2 months of first dose of study treatment To mitigate risk of cytokine release syndrome, xaluritamig will be administered with step dosing. Cabazitaxel or second ARDT will be administered according to regional prescribing information. Funded by Amgen Inc. Clinical trial information: NCT06691984 .
Abstract 1145: Morphological evaluation of chromosomal instability in circulating tumor cells and prediction of taxane resistance in metastatic prostate cancer: a prespecified sub-analysis of the CARD trial
Longoria, Ossian , Beije, Nick , Efstathiou, Eleni, Castellano, Daniel , Fizazi, Karim , Sharp, Adam , Macé, Sandrine , Geffriaud-Ricouard, Christine, Wenstrup, Richard , Wit, Ronald de , Bono, Johann S. de , de Bono, Johann , Rekowski, Jan , Gupta, Santosh , Pantel, Klaus , Sternberg, Cora N , Tombal, Bertrand , Sartor, Oliver

Cancer Research | April 22, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 1145-1145

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-1145 Get It

Abstract Background: Chromosomal instability (CIN) is frequent in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and determines taxane resistance. A circulating tumor cell (CTC) assay which morphologically identifies CTCs with CIN (CTC-CIN) from a single tube of whole blood could predict clinical outcomes in this population. We tested this hypothesis as a pre-planned, secondary outcome of the CARD trial, where patients with mCRPC progressing within a year of treatment with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI; enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate + prednisolone/prednisone) were randomized to treatment with cabazitaxel or the alternative ARPI. Methods: CTCs were isolated from blood samples obtained at baseline; cycle two, and end of treatment. The associations of baseline CTC and counts with imaging-based progression free survival (ibPFS), overall survival (OS), time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, RECIST 1.1 objective response rate (ORR), and PSA50 response rate (PRR) were assessed. Results: Of 255 patients randomized, CTC counts were acquired from 237 patients at screening, 213 patients at C2D1, and 166 patients at EOT. High baseline CTC counts were significantly associated with worse OS (median OS, 14.9 vs 9.8 months; univariate HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.30 - 2.51; p &lt; 0.001). High baseline CTC-CIN counts were significantly associated with worse OS after adjustment for confounding variables (median OS, 15.3 vs 8.9 months; univariate HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.52 - 3.06; p &lt; 0.001; multivariate HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.01 - 2.43; p = 0.047). Low CTC-CIN at baseline predicted ibPFS, ORR, and PRR benefit with cabazitaxel; conversely, high at baseline predicted no different ibPFS or OS outcomes with cabazitaxel or a second ARPI. Conclusions: This preplanned biomarker analysis of CARD confirmed that CTC-CIN counts are prognostic for OS and may be predictive of cabazitaxel benefit. (Funded by Sanofi and Epic Sciences; CARD ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02485691.) Citation Format: Ossian Longoria, Jan Rekowski, Santosh Gupta, Nick Beije, Klaus Pantel, Eleni Efstathiou, Cora Sternberg, Daniel Castellano, Karim Fizazi, Bertrand Tombal, Adam Sharp, Oliver Sartor, Sandrine Mace, Christine Geffriaud-Ricouard, Richard Wenstrup, Ronald de Wit, Johann de Bono. Morphological evaluation of chromosomal instability in circulating tumor cells and prediction of taxane resistance in metastatic prostate cancer: a prespecified sub-analysis of the CARD trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1145
Tumour dosimetry across 6 cycles of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: results from the VISION sub-study
Herrmann, Ken, Krause, Bernd‐Joachim, Chi, K.N., Fizazi, Karim , Eiber, M., Jentzen, Walter, Nguyen, Quang Ngoc , Blumenstein, Lars, Wilke, C., Sartor, Oliver , Morris, Michael J. , Bono, Johann S. de , Tagawa, Scott T. , Kurth, Jens , Laßmann, Michael , Sparks, R, Nguyen, Q, Rahbar, Kambiz

Nuklearmedizin - NuclearMedicine | March 12, 2025 | Volume: 64 | Issue: 01 | Pages: 49-49

10.1055/s-0045-1804292 Get It

Symptomatic skeletal events, health-related quality of life and pain in a phase III study of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in taxane-naive patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Third interim analysis of PSMAfore
Fizazi, Karim , Shore, N., Chi, K.N., Crosby, M. J., Roubaud, Guilhem, Fleming, Mark T. , Nordquist, L., Gauna, D.E. Castellano, Carnahan, Natalie, Ghebremariam, Samson, Hertelendi, Marianna , Eiber, Matthias , Morris, Michael J. , Bono, Johann S. de , Hermann, Ken , Nagarajah, James , Lewis, Brian E. , Sartor, Oliver

Nuklearmedizin - NuclearMedicine | March 12, 2025 | Volume: 64 | Issue: 01 | Pages: 45-46

10.1055/s-0045-1804283 Get It

Association of baseline and on-treatment ctDNA fraction with clinical outcomes in patients with mCRPC in the PSMAfore study of 177 Lu-PSMA-617.
Bono, Johann S. de , Sartor, Alton Oliver, Wei, Xiao X. , Fizazi, Karim , George, Daniel J. , Wong, Connie, Barys, Louise, Rajagopal, Nisha, Alanee, Shaheen , de Bono, Johann , Morris, Michael J. , Hermann, Ken , Piulats, Josep M. , Mahammedi, Hakim , Logothetis, Christopher J. , Wong, Connie, N., Kim

Journal of Clinical Oncology | February 18, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 5_suppl | Pages: 16-16

10.1200/jco.2025.43.5_suppl.16 Get It

16 Background: In PSMAfore (NCT04689828), [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 ( 177 Lu-PSMA-617) prolonged rPFS versus androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) change in taxane-naive adults with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) progressing once on an ARPI. Baseline circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fraction was associated with rPFS at the second interim analysis (IA) of OS (ASCO 24). Here, we assessed the association of baseline and cycle 2 day 1 (C2D1) ctDNA fraction, and early ctDNA and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) dynamics, with rPFS and OS at the third IA of OS. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to 177 Lu-PSMA-617 (7.4 GBq Q6W; x6) or ARPI change. Endpoints included rPFS (primary) and OS (key secondary). Plasma ctDNA fraction was analyzed at baseline and at C2D1 using an in-house custom panel. Cox regression (adjusted for 3 risk classes based on clustering of 17 baseline clinical features) and random forest (adjusted for 15 baseline clinical features) modeling were used to assess the association of ctDNA fraction and PSA with clinical outcomes at the Feb-27-2024 data cutoff. Results: Patients with plasma samples at baseline and C2D1 were included ( 177 Lu-PSMA-617, n/N = 82/234; ARPI change, n/N = 91/234). Cox regression models adjusted for clinical features in the 177 Lu-PSMA-617 arm showed that higher ctDNA fraction was associated with shorter rPFS and OS (Table). These associations were stronger for C2D1 than baseline, both when comparing individual models and within a model including both timepoints (Table). In random forest models including clinical features and C2D1 ctDNA fraction, the total area under curves were not improved by addition of baseline ctDNA fraction (rPFS, 0.87; OS, 0.86). In the overall population, fractional decreases from baseline to C2D1 in ctDNA ( p = 0.0015) and PSA ( p < 0.0001) were strongly associated with longer rPFS, and were weakly correlated with one another (correlation coefficient, 0.26). In the 177 Lu-PSMA-617 arm, fractional decrease in ctDNA ( p = 0.002) was more strongly correlated with OS than was decrease in PSA ( p = 0.12). Conclusions: This exploratory analysis suggested that C2D1 ctDNA fraction was more strongly associated than baseline ctDNA fraction with rPFS and OS. Early ctDNA fraction dynamics contributed additional information in the prediction of rPFS and OS beyond PSA dynamics alone. Clinical trial information: NCT04689828 . Cox regression models. a rPFS OS Baseline model, HR (95% CI); p 6.0 (1.6–23.0); 0.0095 12.0 (3.0–48.7); 0.00052 C-index ± SE 0.69 ± 0.04 0.75 ± 0.04 C2D1 model, HR (95% CI); p 47.7 (10.1–226.0); < 0.0001 82.7 (16.4–417.0); < 0.0001 C-index ± SE 0.72 ± 0.03 0.77 ± 0.03 Baseline + C2D1 model Baseline, HR (95% CI); p 3.1 (0.7–14.0); 0.14 2.1 (0.4–12.7); 0.41 C2D1, HR (95% CI); p 35.9 (7.2–180.0); < 0.0001 52.5 (7.6–362.0); < 0.0001 C-index ± SE 0.72 ± 0.03 0.79 ± 0.03 a HRs correspond to 1 unit change in ctDNA fraction.
Efficacy of 177 Lu-PSMA-617 with or without ARPIs for the treatment of mCRPC: VISION secondary analysis.
Yazdanpanah, Omid , Calais, Jérémie , Bono, Johann S. de , Deymann, Sheila, El‐Haddad, Ghassan , Herrmann, Ken, Fizazi, Karim , González, Daniel Gallego , Kendi, Ayşe Tuba Karagülle, Krause, Bernd J. , Nordquist, Luke T., Sartor, Alton Oliver, Vaishampayan, Nitin, Rezazadeh, Arash, Calais, Jeremie , de Bono, Johann , N., Kim , Gonzalez, Diego Ospina, Morris, Michael J. , Nagarajah, James , Rahbar, Kambiz , Tagawa, Scott T. , Yue, Ye

Journal of Clinical Oncology | February 18, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 5_suppl | Pages: 121-121

10.1200/jco.2025.43.5_suppl.121 Get It

121 Background: In the Phase 3 VISION trial, treatment with the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 ( 177 Lu-PSMA-617) + protocol-permitted standard of care (SoC) significantly improved median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS; 8.7 vs 3.4 months [mo]) and overall survival (OS; 15.3 vs 11.3 mo) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) vs SoC alone. However, it is unclear how the addition of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) affected 177 Lu-PSMA-617 treatment outcomes. Here we compared the efficacy and safety of 177 Lu-PSMA-617 in patients treated with vs without concomitant ARPIs. Methods: In VISION, adult patients with PSMA-positive mCRPC previously treated with ≥1 prior ARPI and 1–2 taxane chemotherapy regimens were randomized 2:1 to receive 177 Lu-PSMA-617 (7.4 GBq Q6W, 4–6 cycles) + SoC (which included ARPIs) vs SoC alone. In this secondary analysis, we assessed baseline characteristics, OS, rPFS, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate, duration of PSA response, PSA-PFS, and safety among patients in the intervention arm who were treated with vs without concomitant ARPIs. Results: In total, 289 patients were treated with concomitant ARPIs and 262 patients were not (N=551). Imbalances between the groups were observed in some baseline characteristics: patients treated with concomitant ARPIs were younger, had lower ECOG performance scores, lower mean PSA and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and fewer prior taxane chemotherapy regimens. Baseline mean standardized [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake values and mean hemoglobin levels were well-balanced. A statistically significant difference in median OS was observed in patients treated with concomitant ARPIs vs those without (17.8 vs 12.4 mo; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58–0.89; nominal P=0.001). No statistically significant between-group differences were observed for rPFS, PSA response rate, duration of PSA response or PSA-PFS. The proportion of adverse events reported was similar in patients with or without concurrent ARPI, except for the number of adverse events leading to interruption of best supportive care/SoC, which was higher in patients treated with concurrent ARPIs. Conclusions: OS was significantly different in patients treated with concomitant ARPIs vs those without, while other efficacy endpoints were not. No new safety signals were observed for 177 Lu-PSMA-617 with concomitant ARPI. These findings may be confounded by varied exposure to ARPIs, or differing patient characteristics; patients who received concomitant ARPIs may represent a more favorable treatment population than those who did not. These findings should be considered as hypothesis-generating, and a multivariate analysis has been planned to ascertain the influence of these potential biases. Clinical trial information: NCT03511664 .
Correlation analyses of radiographic progression‐free survival with clinical and health‐related quality of life outcomes in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer: Analysis of the phase 3 VISION trial
Morris, Michael J. , Bono, Johann S. de , Wei, Xiao X. , Nordquist, Luke T., Koshkin, Vadim S. , Krause, Bernd J. , Herrmann, Ken, Vickers, Adrian D. , Mirante, Osvaldo, Ghouse, Ray, Fizazi, Karim , Koshkin, Vadim S , Tagawa, Scott T , Morris, Michael J , de Bono, Johann , Nagarajah, James , Sartor, Oliver , N., Kim , Rahbar, Kambiz , Tagawa, Scott T.

Cancer | June 21, 2024 | Volume: 130 | Issue: 20 | Pages: 3426-3435

10.1002/cncr.35438 Get It

AbstractBackground[177Lu]Lu–PSMA‐617 (177Lu‐PSMA‐617) plus protocol‐permitted standard of care (SOC) prolonged overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression‐free survival (rPFS) versus SOC in patients with prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA)–positive metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in the phase 3 VISION study, in addition to beneficial effects on symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs) and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL).MethodsPost hoc analyses used the full analysis set from the VISION study (N = 831) overall and by randomized treatment arm (177Lu‐PSMA‐617 plus SOC, n = 551; SOC, n = 280). Correlations were determined between OS and rPFS and between rPFS or OS and time to SSE or to worsening HRQOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate [FACT‐P] and 5‐level EQ‐5D [EQ‐5D‐5L]). Correlation analyses used an iterative multiple imputation copula‐based approach (correlation coefficients [rho] of <0.3 were defined as weak, ≥0.3 and <0.5 as mild, ≥0.5 and <0.7 as moderate, and ≥0.7 as strong).ResultsIn the overall population, rPFS correlated strongly with OS (rho, ≥0.7). Correlations between rPFS or OS and time to SSE without death were weak or mild. Time to worsening in the FACT‐P total score and emotional and physical well‐being domains correlated mildly or moderately with rPFS and moderately with OS. Correlation coefficients for time‐to‐worsening EQ‐5D‐5L scores were mild to moderate for both rPFS and OS. Correlation coefficients were similar between treatment arms.ConclusionsIn this analysis of the VISION study, rPFS correlated strongly with OS but not with time to SSE or worsening HRQOL. These findings require further investigation.
Baseline ctDNA analyses and associations with outcomes in taxane-naive patients with mCRPC treated with 177Lu-PSMA-617 versus change of ARPI in PSMAfore.
Wei, Xiao X. , Fizazi, Karim , George, Daniel J. , Eldjerou, Lamis, Wong, Connie, Barys, Louise, Rajagopal, Nisha, Rodosthenous, Theodoulos, Bono, Johann S. de , Morris, Michael J. , Sartor, Oliver , Hermann, Ken , Piulats, Josep M. , Mahammedi, Hakim , Logothetis, Christopher J. , Wong, Connie, N., Kim

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 6, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 5008-5008

10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.5008 Get It

5008 Background: [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 (177Lu-PSMA-617) prolonged radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) versus androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) change in taxane-naive patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in PSMAfore (NCT04689828). In this exploratory analysis, associations between baseline circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and outcomes were assessed. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to 177Lu-PSMA-617 (7.4 GBq Q6W; 6 cycles) or ARPI change (abiraterone/enzalutamide). Patients known to have actionable mutations (e.g. BRCA) were excluded. The primary endpoint was rPFS. Baseline plasma ctDNA was analyzed using a customized 585-gene sequencing assay. ctDNA fraction was assessed in all samples passing quality control. Alterations in key prostate cancer drivers (prevalent in >10% participants) were assessed in samples with ctDNA fraction >1%. Univariate Cox regression (reference: ARPI change) was used to assess association of ctDNA fraction or alterations with rPFS, prostate-specific antigen response (≥50% decline; PSA50) and RECIST response (RR) at the June 21, 2023 data cutoff. Results: Of 360 samples from 468 patients, 255 passed quality control and 156 had ctDNA fraction >1% (median 5.85%; range 0–85). Detection of ctDNA alterations was comparable between arms and with published data. Median rPFS was shorter for patients with ctDNA fraction > versus ≤1% (HR 2.753; 95% CI 1.957–3.872; p<0.0001) (Table); ctDNA fraction >1% was also associated with worse RR and PSA50 response. Median rPFS was shorter for patients with detected versus undetected AR(HR 1.954; 95% CI 1.333–2.865; p<0.001), TP53(1.655; 1.13–2.426; p<0.01) and PTEN(1.62; 1.018–2.578; p<0.05) alterations. Median rPFS was longer with 177Lu-PSMA-617 versus ARPI change in patients with detected AR, TP53, PTEN(Table) , PI3K pathway and DNA repair pathway alterations. There was no significant association between ctDNA alterations and PSA50 or RR. Conclusions: ctDNA fraction >1% and AR, TP53and PTENalterations were associated with worse outcomes in PSMAfore regardless of treatment. Nonetheless, patients with these negative prognostic biomarkers did better with 177Lu-PSMA-617 than with ARPI change. Clinical trial information: NCT04689828 . [Table: see text]