Kelley, Robin Kate

TPS2675 Background: Checkpoint inhibitor therapy is the standard first-line treatment for advanced/recurrent HCC, but there is a significant unmet therapeutic need for patients (pts) who progress after first-line treatment. Adoptive cellular immunotherapy may provide a novel treatment option. Glypican-3 (GPC3), a heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is overexpressed by tumor cells in HCC and virtually absent in healthy tissues, making it an ideal target for CAR-T therapy. AZD5851 is an autologous CAR-T product that expresses a CAR specific for GPC3 and a dominant negative (dn)TGFβRII as an armoring strategy. Expression of dnTGFβRII can block TGFβ signaling, protecting CAR T-cells from the immunosuppressive effects of this cytokine. Early clinical data with C-CAR031, a CAR-T product with the same GPC3-specific CAR and dnTGFβRII-armoring transgene as AZD5851, showed promising tolerability and antitumor activity in pts with HCC [1]. ATHENA (NCT06084884) is a first-in-human, single-arm, open-label, multicenter phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity of AZD5851 in pts with GPC3+ advanced/recurrent HCC, for whom ≥1 prior line of standard therapy failed or was not tolerable. Methods: Eligible pts are aged ≥18 years with histologically confirmed advanced/recurrent or metastatic and/or unresectable HCC, GPC3+ tumor sample as determined by immunohistochemistry, ≥1 prior line of standard systemic therapy, ≥1 measurable lesion per RECIST 1.1, Child-Pugh A, ECOG PS 0/1, and adequate organ and bone marrow function. Approximately 24 pts will be enrolled in Part A (Phase I, dose escalation) and 50 in Part B (Phase II dose expansion). Pts will undergo apheresis to collect peripheral blood mononuclear cells for AZD5851 production, after which they may receive approved bridging therapy for disease control. Upon successful generation of AZD5851 product, pts will undergo lymphodepletion before receiving a single dose of IV AZD5851. Subsequent follow-up is divided into 3 stages: Stage 1, active follow-up of all pts through 6 months post AZD5851 infusion; Stage 2, further evaluation of pts who have not progressed or started a new anticancer regimen during Stage 1; Stage 3, long-term follow-up for all pts who have received AZD5851. The primary endpoints are to assess the safety/tolerability of AZD5851 (both study parts), and to determine the recommended dose(s) of AZD5851 for expansion and phase 2 trials (Part A). Secondary endpoints include efficacy (objective response rate, best overall response, duration of response, disease control rate, durable response rate, time to response, progression-free survival, and overall survival) and pharmacokinetics. Exploratory endpoints include pharmacodynamic biomarkers and immunogenicity. Enrollment began Nov 2023. 1. Zhang et al. AACR 2023. Abstract CT097. Clinical trial information: NCT06084884 .

Background and Aims: Despite the substantial impact of environmental factors, individuals with a family history of liver cancer have an increased risk for HCC. However, genetic factors have not been studied systematically by genome-wide approaches in large numbers of individuals from European descent populations (EDP). Approach and Results: We conducted a 2-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) on HCC not affected by HBV infections. A total of 1872 HCC cases and 2907 controls were included in the discovery stage, and 1200 HCC cases and 1832 controls in the validation. We analyzed the discovery and validation samples separately and then conducted a meta-analysis. All analyses were conducted in the presence and absence of HCV. The liability-scale heritability was 24.4% for overall HCC. Five regions with significant ORs (95% CI) were identified for nonviral HCC: 3p22.1, MOBP, rs9842969, (0.51, [0.40–0.65]); 5p15.33, TERT, rs2242652, (0.70, (0.62–0.79]); 19q13.11, TM6SF2, rs58542926, (1.49, [1.29–1.72]); 19p13.11 MAU2, rs58489806, (1.53, (1.33–1.75]); and 22q13.31, PNPLA3, rs738409, (1.66, [1.51–1.83]). One region was identified for HCV-induced HCC: 6p21.31, human leukocyte antigen DQ beta 1, rs9275224, (0.79, [0.74–0.84]). A combination of homozygous variants of PNPLA3 and TERT showing a 6.5-fold higher risk for nonviral-related HCC compared to individuals lacking these genotypes. This observation suggests that gene-gene interactions may identify individuals at elevated risk for developing HCC. Conclusions: Our GWAS highlights novel genetic susceptibility of nonviral HCC among European descent populations from North America with substantial heritability. Selected genetic influences were observed for HCV-positive HCC. Our findings indicate the importance of genetic susceptibility to HCC development.

TPS587 Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is characterized by generally poor prognoses with limited treatment options. Systemic chemotherapy usually begins with gemcitabine, platinum agents, and a checkpoint inhibitor followed by 5-FU and oxaliplatin, irinotecan or a taxane. Presently, there is no consensus second-line therapy for patients with BTC. The DLL/Notch signaling pathway has been described to be a major driver of cholangiocarcinogenesis and VEGF-A overexpression has been reported in BTC tumors, correlating with stage, metastasis, and prognosis of the disease. CTX-009 is a recombinant bispecific antibody that binds both delta-like ligand-4 (DLL4) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). The antibody simultaneously inhibits the DLL4-Notch 1 and VEGF A-VEGF receptor signaling pathways. Methods: COMPANION-002 (CTX-009 -002) is an open-label, randomized, controlled study in patients in second line advanced or metastatic BTC. To be eligible, patients must have radiologically documented progression after a prior gemcitabine and platinum containing chemotherapy regimen as first line therapy for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic disease. 150 patients will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either CTX-009 plus paclitaxel or paclitaxel alone. The stratification factors to be used at randomization include stage (locally advanced vs. metastatic), anatomic subsite of primary tumor (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma vs. other, i.e. extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder, or ampullary), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance status (0 vs. 1). Patients will be treated in 28-day cycles, with CTX-009 administered at 10 mg/kg IV on Day 1 and 15, and paclitaxel administered at 80 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15. The patients randomized to paclitaxel arm can crossover after disease progression if selection criteria continue to be met. The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy of CTX-009 in combination with paclitaxel vs. paclitaxel alone, as measured by Overall Response Rate (ORR) assessed by an Independent Central Radiology (ICR) review. Key secondary objectives include overall survival, progression-free survival, and duration of response. Clinical trial information: 251040.

LBA490 Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a heterogeneous group of malignancies with a dismal prognosis. Gemcitabine-based regimens are the standard of care in advanced disease, but median overall survival (OS) is roughly 12 months. The addition of albumin-bound paclitaxel to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GAP) demonstrated promising efficacy in a 60 patient, single-arm phase II study (Shroff et al, JAMA Oncol 2019), with observed median OS of 19.2 months. Methods: SWOG 1815 is a randomized, open-label, phase III trial comparing GAP to gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC). The study included newly diagnosed advanced BTC patients (pts), randomized 2:1 to GAP vs. GC. GAP included gemcitabine at 800 mg/m2, cisplatin at 25 mg/m2 and albumin-bound paclitaxel at 100 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. GC included standard dosing of gemcitabine at 1000 mg/m2 and cisplatin at 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Pts were treated until progression. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) with a target hazard ratio of 0.7 with 90% power and a 1-sided alpha of 0.025; randomization was stratified by disease site (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [CCA] vs gallbladder adenocarcinoma [GBC] vs extrahepatic CCA), disease stage (locally advanced vs metastatic), and Zubrod PS 0 vs 1. Results: Of 441 eligible pts randomized, 55% were female. 67% of patients had intrahepatic CCA, 16% had GBC and 17% had extrahepatic CCA. Most pts had metastases (73%). Median OS with GAP vs. GC was 14 vs. 12.7 mo respectively (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.74-1.19, p=0.58), ORR (confirmed and unconfirmed) 34% vs 25% (p=0.11) and median PFS 8.2 vs 6.4 mo (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.72-1.16, p=0.47), respectively. Grade 3 and 4 treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) in ≥10% of pts for GAP and GC were anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. GAP had more ≥ grade 3 hematologic AEs compared to the GC arm (60% vs. 45%, p=0.003). Discontinuation due to toxicity was at 24% vs 19% (p=0.26) with GAP vs GC. In exploratory subset analyses, GAP vs GC improved OS in pts with locally advanced disease (medians 19.2 vs 13.7 mo; HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.42-1.06, p=0.09) and in GBC pts (medians 17.0 vs 9.3 mo; HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.41-1.35, p=0.33). ORR for GAP vs GC in GBC was 50% vs 24% (p=0.09) and for locally advanced disease 28 vs 21% p=0.74. Conclusions: SWOG 1815 did not result in a statistically significant improvement in median OS with GAP vs. GC. The GAP regimen had higher rates of TRAEs without a statistically significant difference in discontinuation rates. Pts with locally advanced disease and GBC may benefit from the use of GAP. Further analyses are ongoing to understand potential benefit of GAP in subsets of BTC pts. Funding: NIH/National Cancer Institute grants CA180888, CA180819, CA180820, CA180821, and CA180868; and in part by Celgene Corporation, Summit, NJ (subsidiary of Bristol Myer Squibb). Clinical trial information: NCT#03768414 .

PURPOSE Increased awareness of the distinct tumor biology for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer has led to improvement in outcomes for this population. However, in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a paucity of data exist on the AYA population. To our knowledge, we present the largest study to date on AYA disease biology, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes in CCA. METHODS A multi-institutional cohort of patients with CCA diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) was used for analysis. Retrospective chart review was conducted on patients who were 50 years old and younger (young; n = 124) and older than 50 years (older; n = 723). RESULTS Among 1,039 patients screened, 847 patients met eligibility (72% ICC, 28% ECC). Young patients had a larger median tumor size at resection compared with older patients (4.2 v 3.6 cm; P = .048), more commonly had N1 disease (65% v 43%; P = .040), and were more likely to receive adjuvant therapy (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.64 to 9.74). Tumors of young patients were more likely to harbor an FGFR2 fusion, BRAF mutation, or ATM mutation ( P < .05 for each). Young patients were more likely to receive palliative systemic therapy (96% v 69%; P < .001), targeted therapy (23% v 8%; P < .001), and treatment on a clinical trial (31% v 19%; P = .004). Among patients who presented with advanced disease, young patients had a higher median overall survival compared with their older counterparts (17.7 v 13.5 months; 95% CI, 12.6 to 22.6 v 11.4 to 14.8; P = .049). CONCLUSION Young patients with CCA had more advanced disease at resection, more commonly received both adjuvant and palliative therapies, and demonstrated improved survival compared with older patients. Given the low clinical trial enrollment and poor outcomes among some AYA cancer populations, data to the contrary in CCA are highly encouraging.

In 2023, the NCCN Guidelines for Hepatobiliary Cancers were divided into 2 separate guidelines: Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Biliary Tract Cancers. The NCCN Guidelines for Biliary Tract Cancers provide recommendations for the evaluation and comprehensive care of patients with gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The multidisciplinary panel of experts meets at least on an annual basis to review requests from internal and external entities as well as to evaluate new data on current and emerging therapies. These Guidelines Insights focus on some of the recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Biliary Tract Cancers as well as the newly published section on principles of molecular testing.

4004 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) studies have shown an association between the occurrence of imAEs and outcomes. In the Phase 3 HIMALAYA study (NCT03298451) in uHCC, STRIDE (Single T Regular Interval D) significantly improved overall survival (OS) vs sorafenib (S), and D monotherapy was noninferior to S. STRIDE and D had manageable safety (Abou-Alfa et al. NEJM Evid 2022). STRIDE is approved for uHCC in the United States and Japan and recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency; D is approved in Japan. This exploratory analysis assessed the association between imAEs and outcomes in HIMALAYA. Methods: Safety was assessed in participants (pts) who received ≥1 dose of STRIDE (T 300 mg [one dose] plus D 1500 mg once every 4 weeks [Q4W]) or D (1500 mg Q4W). imAEs were AEs of special interest associated with drug exposure and consistent with an immune-mediated mechanism of action with no found alternate etiology. Median OS (mOS) and OS rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. OS hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated using Cox modeling, with imAEs as a time-varying covariate and stratified by etiology (HBV/HCV/others), ECOG (0/1), and macro-vascular invasion (yes/no) for pts with vs without imAEs of any grade. Pts with >1 imAE were counted once. Results: In total, 388 pts (STRIDE) and 388 pts (D) were included in the analysis. Any grade imAEs, Grade 3 or 4 imAEs, and imAEs leading to discontinuation occurred in 139 (35.8%), 49 (12.6%), and 22 (5.7%) pts, respectively for STRIDE and 64 (16.5%), 25 (6.4%), and 10 (2.6%) pts, respectively for D. imAEs requiring high-dose steroids (≥40 mg prednisone or equivalent daily) occurred in 78 (20.1%) pts for STRIDE and 37 (9.5%) pts for D. An improvement in OS was seen with STRIDE in pts with imAEs vs pts without (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56–0.95). OS rates at 6, 12, and 24 months (mo) were higher for STRIDE in pts with imAEs vs pts without. The association between imAEs and OS was less clear for D and may be limited by small pt number. In a landmark analysis of pts with vs without imAEs within 6 mo of STRIDE (n=307) or D (n=287), OS HRs (95% CIs) were 0.65 (0.47–0.90) and 1.39 (0.95–2.04), respectively. Conclusions: In HIMALAYA, imAEs with STRIDE or D were manageable and generally low grade. In this exploratory analysis, the occurrence of imAEs was associated with improved OS for STRIDE, generally consistent with findings for other ICIs. Clinical trial information: NCT03298451 . [Table: see text]