Smyth, Lillian M.

PURPOSE Imlunestrant is a next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor (ER) degrader designed to deliver continuous ER target inhibition, including in ESR1- mutant breast cancer. This phase Ia/b trial determined the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of imlunestrant, as monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapy, in ER-positive (ER+) advanced breast cancer (ABC) and endometrial endometrioid cancer. The ER+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HER2–) ABC experience is reported here. METHODS An i3+3 dose-escalation design was used, followed by dose expansions of imlunestrant as monotherapy or in combination with abemaciclib with or without aromatase inhibitor (AI), everolimus, or alpelisib. Imlunestrant was administered orally once daily and with the combination partner per label. RESULTS Overall, 262 patients with ER+/HER2– ABC were treated (phase Ia, n = 74; phase Ib, n = 188). Among patients who received imlunestrant monotherapy (n = 114), no dose-limiting toxicities or discontinuations occurred. At the RP2D (400 mg once daily), patients (n = 51) reported grade 1-2 nausea (39.2%), fatigue (39.2%), and diarrhea (29.4%). Patients at RP2D had received previous cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i; 92.2%), fulvestrant (41.2%), and chemotherapy (29.4%) for ABC and achieved a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 7.2 months (95% CI, 3.7 to 8.3). Among patients who received imlunestrant + abemaciclib (n = 42) and imlunestrant + abemaciclib + AI (n = 43), most (69.4%) were treatment-naïve for ABC; all were CDK4/6i-naïve. Patients treated with imlunestrant + everolimus (n = 42)/alpelisib (n = 21) had received previous CDK4/6i (100%), fulvestrant (34.9%), and chemotherapy (17.5%) for ABC. No new safety signals or interactions with partnered drugs were observed. The mPFS was 19.2 months (95% CI, 13.8 to not available) for imlunestrant + abemaciclib and was not reached for imlunestrant + abemaciclib + AI. The mPFS with imlunestrant + everolimus/alpelisib was 15.9 months (95% CI, 11.3 to 19.1)/9.2 months (95% CI, 3.7 to 11.1). Antitumor activity was evident regardless of ESR1 mutation status. CONCLUSION Imlunestrant, as monotherapy or in combination with targeted therapy, had a manageable safety profile with evidence of preliminary antitumor activity in ER+/HER2– ABC.

Abstract Background: Adjuvant ET has been the standard of care for patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) EBC. A significant proportion of patients with increased risk still experience disease relapse despite available ET and more optimum ET is needed to prevent patients developing incurable metastatic cancer. Distant recurrence risk ranges from 20% to 40% after 5 years of adjuvant ET, depending on clinicopathological (clin-path) features at diagnosis. Consequently, there is a need to further optimize adjuvant treatment, particularly in those patients who are at increased risk of recurrence. Imlunestrant is an orally bioavailable selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) with pure antagonistic properties and the potential to overcome ET resistance. In early phase trials, imlunestrant monotherapy showed favorable safety with pharmacokinetic (PK) exposures exceeding fulvestrant and preliminary efficacy in ER+, HER2- advanced breast cancer patients (EMBER, Jhaveri 2022) along with robust biological/pharmacodynamic activity and tolerability in EBC (EMBER-2, Neven). Trial Design: EMBER-4 is a randomized, open-label, global phase 3 study comparing imlunestrant versus physicians’ choice of ET, in patients who are at an increased risk of recurrence based on clin-path features and who have received 2 to 5 years of standard adjuvant ET. Approximately 6,000 patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive imlunestrant (400 mg daily) for 5 years or physicians’ choice of adjuvant ET (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, AI, dosed per label). Study treatment duration is 5 years. Males and pre-/peri-menopausal women will receive concomitant treatment with a GnRH agonist if receiving imlunestrant or an AI. Stratification factors include time from initial adjuvant ET, use of prior adjuvant cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors, nodal status, menopausal status, and geographic region. Eligibility criteria: Eligible patients are adult males and females (pre-, peri- or postmenopausal) with ER+, HER2- EBC who have completed definitive locoregional therapy and have received 2 to 5 years of prior adjuvant ET without disease recurrence, but who are at increased risk of recurrence based on clin-path features at diagnosis. Prior (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy with a CDK4/6- or PARP- inhibitor is permitted. Study endpoints: The primary endpoint is invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), excluding second non-breast primary invasive cancers. Key secondary endpoints include distant relapse-free survival, overall survival, IDFS including second non-breast primary invasive cancers, safety, PK and patient reported outcomes. Recruitment for EMBER-4 begins globally in Q4 2022. Citation Format: Komal Jhaveri, Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Fabrice Andre, Matthew P. Goetz, Nadia Harbeck, Miguel Martín, Francois-Clement Bidard, Zachary M. Thomas, Suzanne Young, Roohi Ismail-Khan, Lillian M. Smyth, Michael Gnant. EMBER-4: A phase 3 adjuvant trial of imlunestrant vs standard endocrine therapy (ET) in patients with ER+, HER2- early breast cancer (EBC) with an increased risk of recurrence who have previously received 2 to 5 years of adjuvant ET [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-01-02.