Randomized Phase II Study of Gemcitabine With or Without ATR Inhibitor Berzosertib in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Final Overall Survival and Biomarker Analyses
PURPOSE The multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 2 NCI-9944 study ( NCT02595892 ) demonstrated that addition of ATR inhibitor (ATRi) berzosertib to gemcitabine increased progression-free survival (PFS) compared to gemcitabine alone (hazard ratio [HR]=0.57, one-sided log-rank P = .044, which met the one-sided significance level of 0.1 used for sample size calculation). METHODS We report here the final overall survival (OS) analysis and biomarker correlations (ATM expression by immunohistochemistry, mutational signature 3 and a genomic biomarker of replication stress) along with post-hoc exploratory analyses to adjust for crossover from gemcitabine to gemcitabine/berzosertib. RESULTS At the data cutoff of January 27, 2023 (>30 months of additional follow-up from the primary analysis), median OS was 59.4 weeks with gemcitabine/berzosertib versus 43.0 weeks with gemcitabine alone (HR 0.79, 90% CI 0.52 to 1.2, one-sided log-rank P = .18). An OS benefit with addition of berzosertib to gemcitabine was suggested in patients stratified into the platinum-free interval ≤3 months (N = 26) subgroup (HR, 0.48, 90% CI 0.22 to 1.01, one-sided log-rank P =.04) and in patients with ATM-negative/low (N = 24) tumors (HR, 0.50, 90% CI 0.23 to 1.08, one-sided log-rank P = .06). CONCLUSION The results of this follow-up analysis continue to support the promise of combined gemcitabine/ATRi therapy in platinum resistant ovarian cancer, an active area of investigation with several ongoing clinical trials.
Randomized phase 2 study of gemcitabine with or without ATR inhibitor berzosertib in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: Final overall survival (OS) and biomarker analyses.
5512 Background: The multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 2 NCI-9944 study (NCT02595892) demonstrated that addition of ATR inhibitor (ATRi) berzosertib to gemcitabine increased progression-free survival (PFS) compared to gemcitabine alone (HR = 0.57, one-sided log-rank p = 0.044, which met the one-sided significance level of 0.1 used for sample size calculation). Final overall survival (OS) and corresponding biomarker analyses are reported here. Methods: Patients (pts) with platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer and unlimited previous lines of cytotoxic therapy in the platinum-sensitive setting but no more than one line of cytotoxic therapy in the platinum-resistant setting, were randomized 1:1 to gemcitabine/berzosertib versus gemcitabine alone. Randomization was stratified based on platinum free interval (PFI), PFI≤3 months versus > 3 months. Crossover from gemcitabine to gemcitabine/berzosertib was allowed upon disease progression by RECIST 1.1. OS was a secondary endpoint while preplanned exploratory correlative studies included assessment of DNA repair pathways and replication stress (RS) alterations by targeted gene sequencing and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Seventy pts were randomly assigned to treatment with gemcitabine/berzosertib (34 pts) or gemcitabine alone (36 pts); 15 pts crossed over from gemcitabine to gemcitabine/berzosertib. At the final OS analysis (92.9% maturity), median follow-up was 53.2 weeks in the gemcitabine/berzosertib and 43 weeks in the gemcitabine alone groups. Median OS in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population was 59.4 weeks in the gemcitabine/berzosertib group versus 43.0 weeks in the gemcitabine alone group (HR 0.79, 90% CI 0.52-1.2, one-sided p = 0.18). However, when patients who crossed over to gemcitabine/berzosertib were excluded from analysis, a significant OS benefit was observed with gemcitabine/berzosertib (HR 0.60, 90%CI 0.37−0.97); HR was 0.26 (90% CI 0.1−0.7) in pts with PFI≤3 months and 0.89 (90%CI 0.50−1.59) in pts with PFI > 3 months. Furthermore, significant OS benefit was observed in pts with RS-low tumors (HR 0.39, 90%CI 0.17−0.91, defined as tumors harboring no genomic RS alterations related to loss of RB pathway regulation and/or oncogene-induced RS) but not in pts with RS-high tumors (HR 0.74, 90%CI 0.35−1.56). Additional targeted gene sequencing and IHC analyses as well as analyses adjusting for patient crossover will be reported at the meeting. Conclusions: In the ITT population, gemcitabine/berzosertib did not significantly improve OS versus gemcitabine alone. Pts with PFI≤3 months and pts with RS-low tumors may derive a survival advantage from addition of berzosertib to gemcitabine in the platinum-resistant setting. Clinical trial information: NCT02595892 .