Cubillo, Antonio

PURPOSE Tumor treating fields (TTFields) use alternating electric fields to disrupt cancer cell proliferation. Feasibility of TTFields therapy with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel was previously demonstrated in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. PANOVA-3 was designed to confirm safety and efficacy of TTFields in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LA-PAC). METHODS In this global phase III trial, 571 patients with newly diagnosed LA-PAC were randomly assigned to receive gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m 2 and nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m 2 by intravenous infusion once a day on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle with or without TTFields. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS, pain-free survival, and overall response rate (ORR). Distant PFS was analyzed post hoc. RESULTS OS was significantly prolonged using TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (median, 16.2 months [95% CI, 15.0 to 18.0] v 14.2 months [95% CI, 12.8 to 15.4]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.82 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.99]; P = .039). PFS, local PFS, and ORR were not improved. Pain-free survival was significantly prolonged with TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (median, 15.2 months [95% CI, 10.3 to 22.8] v 9.1 months [95% CI, 7.4 to 12.7]; HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.56 to 0.97]; P = .027), as was distant PFS (median, 13.9 months [95% CI, 12.2 to 16.8] v 11.5 months [95% CI, 10.4 to 12.9]; HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.57 to 0.96]; P = .022). Device-related skin adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 76.3% of patients. Most device-related skin AEs were mild to moderate, with 7.7% of patients reporting a grade 3 AE. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated significant OS, pain-free survival, and distant PFS benefits for TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with unresectable LA-PAC, with no additive systemic toxicity.

Background and Aims: Biliary tract cancers are rare, heterogeneous cancers with poor prognoses. Bintrafusp alfa, a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of the extracellular domain of TGF-βRII (a TGF-β “trap”) fused to a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody blocking programmed death ligand 1, was evaluated in patients with locally advanced/metastatic chemorefractory biliary tract cancers. Approach and Results: This multicenter, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 study (NCT03833661) enrolled adults with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer that was intolerant to or had failed first-line systemic platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients received 1200 mg bintrafusp alfa intravenously Q2W. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 assessed by IRC. Secondary endpoints included duration of response, durable response rate, safety, progression-free survival, and overall survival. Between March 2019 and January 2020, 159 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up was 16.1 (range, 0.0–19.3) months; 17 patients (10.7%; 95% CI: 6.4%–16.6%) achieved an objective response. Median duration of response was 10.0 (range, 1.9–15.7) months; 10 patients (6.3%; 95% CI: 3.1%–11.3%) had a durable response (≥6 mo). Median progression-free survival was 1.8 months (95% CI: 1.7–1.8 mo); median overall survival was 7.6 months (95% CI: 5.8–9.7 mo). Overall survival rates were 57.9% (6 mo) and 38.8% (12 mo). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 26.4% of patients, including one treatment-related death (hepatic failure). Frequent grade ≥3 adverse events included anemia (3.8%), pruritus (1.9%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (1.9%). Conclusions: Although this study did not meet its prespecified primary endpoint, bintrafusp alfa demonstrated clinical activity as second-line treatment in this hard-to-treat cancer, with durable responses and a manageable safety profile.

TPS3616 Background: METamp is a secondary, or co-driving, genetic change in pts with mCRC and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapy, which can contribute to disease progression. In EGFR-resistant pts with mCRC and METamp, MET inhibition + an anti-EGFR agent may achieve disease control by targeting emerging MET pathway activation and maintaining EGFR pathway inhibition. Tepotinib is an oral, once-daily, highly selective, potent MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), recently approved in the US for NSCLC harboring MET exon 14 skipping. Tepotinib + gefitinib demonstrated improved outcomes in pts with EGFR-mutant METamp NSCLC and acquired EGFR TKI resistance vs chemotherapy (INSIGHT: NCT01982955). In these pts, progression-free survival (PFS) was 16.6 vs 4.2 months (HR = 0.13; 90% CI: 0.04, 0.43) and overall survival (OS) was 37.3 vs 13.1 months (HR = 0.08; 90% CI: 0.01, 0.51). In pts with mCRC and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR antibody therapy due to METamp, tepotinib + anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab may be active and provide an effective therapeutic option. Methods: This Phase II, multicenter, single-arm, open-label study will assess preliminary safety and tolerability, antitumor activity, and explore pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of tepotinib + cetuximab in pts with RAS/BRAF wild-type left-sided mCRC and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR antibody-targeted therapy due to METamp (NCT04515394). A safety run-in (6–12 pts) will evaluate the recommended Phase II dose of tepotinib to be used in combination with cetuximab (endpoint: dose-limiting toxicities). Enrollment is based on a confirmed advanced left-sided CRC diagnosis ( RAS/BRAF wild-type), documented previous anti-EGFR therapy and acquired resistance on most recent anti-EGFR antibody and METamp confirmed by liquid and/or tissue biopsy. Pts must be ≥18 years old, have ECOG PS of 0/1 and normal organ function. The study will screen sufficient pts to account for setting-specific heterogenecity in reported METamp incidence. Approximately 42 pts are planned to receive study treatment: ̃22 in Cohort A (second-line, outside US) and 20 in Cohort B (≥third-line, US only). Primary endpoint: investigator-assessed objective response (RECIST 1.1). Secondary endpoints are investigator-assessed duration of response (DoR), PFS (RECIST 1.1) and OS, tolerability and safety (NCI-CTCAE v5.0), and cetuximab immunogenicity (measured by antidrug antibody assays at the start and end of treatment). Additional endpoints include assessment of tepotinib and cetuximab PK profiles, and expression of biomarkers of resistance (from blood and/or tissue samples). Retrospective assessment of best overall response, DoR and PFS by an independent review committee may be conducted. No formal statistical hypothesis will be tested in this exploratory study. Clinical trial information: NCT04515394.

Nanoliposomal irinotecan (nal‐IRI) is a liposomal formulation of irinotecan with a longer half‐life (t1/2), higher plasma total irinotecan (tIRI), and lower SN‐38 maximum concentration (Cmax) compared with nonliposomal irinotecan. Population pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of nal‐IRI was performed for tIRI and total SN‐38 (tSN38) using patient samples from six studies. PK‐safety association was evaluated for neutropenia and diarrhea in 353 patients. PK‐efficacy association was evaluated from a phase III study in pancreatic cancer NAPOLI1. Efficacy was associated with longer duration of unencapsulated SN‐38 (uSN38) above a threshold and higher Cavgof tIRI, tSN38, and uSN38. Neutropenia was associated with uSN38Cmaxand diarrhea with tIRICmax. Baseline predictive factors were race, body surface area, and bilirubin. Analysis identified PK factors associated with efficacy, safety, and predictive baseline factors. The results support the benefit of nal‐IRI dose of 70 mg/m2(free‐base; equivalent to 80 mg/m2salt base) Q2W over 100 mg/m2Q3W.