Liu, Stephen V.

RET fusions appear in 1%-2% of non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The results from the ARROW study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03037385 ) supported US Food and Drug Administration approval of pralsetinib, an oral selective RET inhibitor, for metastatic RET -altered NSCLC and RET fusion–positive thyroid cancers. ARROW was a phase I/II open-label study of pralsetinib 400 mg once daily in RET fusion–positive NSCLCs. Coprimary end points were overall response rate (ORR) and safety. Key secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS). At data lock (May 20, 2024), 281 patients initiated pralsetinib (median treatment duration, 15.0 months). ORR (measurable disease patients; n = 259) was 78% (95% CI, 69 to 86) for treatment-naïve patients and 63% (95% CI, 54 to 71) for prior platinum-based chemotherapy patients. Median OS was 44.3 months (95% CI, 30.9 to 53.1), 50.1 months (95% CI, 28.3 to not reached) in treatment-naïve patients, and 39.7 months (95% CI, 27.8 to 53.2) in prior platinum patients. Common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were anemia (21%), hypertension (15%), and decreased neutrophils (13%). Three treatment-related deaths occurred (pneumonia, n = 2; interstitial lung disease and rhabdomyolysis, n = 1 each). Safety was consistent with previous ARROW reports; no hypersensitivity was reported in patients receiving prior immunotherapies. Pralsetinib produced robust, durable responses with manageable safety in treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with RET fusion–positive NSCLCs, confirming previous findings with longer follow-up.

Abstract Purpose: Rearranged during transfection (RET) alterations are oncogenic drivers across solid tumors. Selective RET inhibitors (SRI) selpercatinib and pralsetinib have transformed outcomes for patients with RET-altered malignancies. Limited knowledge exists on genomic mechanisms of resistance to SRI. Experimental Design: We established “RETgistry,” a global consortium of patients with advanced RET-altered solid tumors who received SRI and underwent postprogression tissue or plasma biopsies assessed by next-generation sequencing. Frequencies of secondary RET resistance mutations and acquired non-RET gene alterations were determined. Progression-free survival (PFS) and time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) on first SRI were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: RETgistry included 109 patients with RET-altered advanced solid tumors (lung, n = 94; thyroid, n = 15) who underwent 143 post-SRI progression biopsies (tissue, 91; plasma, 52). The median PFS and TTD were 13.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 10.1–16.6] and 17.3 months (95% CI, 14–20.2), respectively. Secondary RET mutations were detected in 20 (14%) biopsies [lung cancer, 15 (12.4%) and thyroid carcinoma, 5 (22.7%)]. Common acquired off-target alterations involved MET (18.2%; amplification, 15%), TP53 (8.2%), APC (7.6%), KRAS (7.1%), KEAP1 (5.9%), and CDKN2A/B (5.3%). MET alterations were enriched in post-SRI versus pre-SRI specimens (full cohort, 17.6% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.022; lung cancer, 19.1% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.022). Conclusions: The prevalence of secondary RET mutations after SRI was low, underscoring a greater role for off-target resistance. Recurrent acquired alterations involving tumor suppressor genes or upstream regulators of MAPK and PI3K pathways were identified, most commonly MET amplification. Continued efforts to characterize SRI resistance biology are critical to guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

8644 Background: RET fusions are targetable oncogenic drivers in 1-2% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). ARROW (NCT03037385) study results (final data lock May 20, 2024) supported the US FDA approval of pralsetinib, a highly potent, oral, selective RET inhibitor for metastatic RET -altered NSCLC. Here, we present final study results. Methods: ARROW was a phase 1/2 open-label study conducted at 84 sites in 13 countries. Phase 2 included patients with RET -fusion-positive NSCLC who received 400 mg pralsetinib once daily (QD). Initially, treatment-naïve patients were not candidates for platinum-based therapy and presented with several unfavorable prognostic factors; this requirement was removed by protocol amendment in July 2019. Primary objectives were overall response rate (ORR, per RECIST v1.1) and safety. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are reported in the full efficacy population; the measurable disease population (MDP) was the primary analysis population for ORR and duration of response (DOR). Results: 281 patients with RET -fusion-positive NSCLC received pralsetinib 400 mg QD, with a median duration of treatment of 14.95 months (mos). Median age was 60 years; 46% were male. In the MDP (n=259), ORR was 70.3% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 64.3, 75.8) and median DOR was 19.1 mos (95% CI: 14.5, 27.9; Table). In the efficacy population (N=281), median OS was 44.3 mos (95% CI: 30.9, 53.1) with median follow up of 47.6 mos (95% CI: 44.8, 49.2), and median PFS was 13.1 mos (95% CI: 11.4, 16.8). ORR (Table) and median PFS were markedly higher in the US (25.9 mos, n=64) vs. Asia (12.6 mos, n=122) or Europe (12.9 mos, n=95). In the safety population, 95% of patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs); 66% experienced ≥grade 3. Common TRAEs included increased AST (n=128 [46%]), anemia (n=121 [43%]), increased ALT (n=98 [35%]), and hypertension (n=77 [27%]). 3 patients died due to TRAEs (pneumonia, n=2; interstitial lung disease and rhabdomyolysis, n=1 each). No new safety signals were identified with this update. Conclusions: Pralsetinib produced clinically meaningful and durable responses in patients with RET -fusion-positive NSCLC (regardless of prior therapies) with a manageable safety profile, confirming with this longer follow up previously published results. Clinical trial information: NCT03037385 . All MDP(n=259) Prior Platinum (n=130) Treatment-naive(n=106) ORR, % (95% CI) Overall 70.3(64.3, 75.8) 63.1(54.2, 71.4) 78.3(69.2, 85.7) US (n=58)77.6(64.7, 87.5) (n=31)64.5(45.4, 80.8) (n=19)100(82.4, 100) Europe (n=89)65.2(54.3, 75) (n=36)63.9(46.2, 79.2) (n=43)65.1(49.1, 79) Asia (n=112)70.5(61.2, 78.8) (n=63)61.9(48.8, 73.9) (n=44)81.8(67.3, 91.8) Median DOR, mos (95% CI) a (n=182)19.1(14.5, 27.9) (n=82)31.8(15.1, 40.4) (n=83)13.4(9.4, 21.7) Median DOR follow up, mos (95% CI) 46.8(42.3, 50.2) 50.3(46.9, 56.8) 42.3(37.4, 44.2) a Per FDA censoring rule.

9069 Background: With the emergence of effective targeted-therapies for KRAS G12C, and the development of promising agents for KRAS G12V and G12D among others, the identity of unique KRAS mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become increasingly relevant. Acquired KRAS mutations are a known mechanism of resistance observed across driver mutation-positive (DM+) NSCLC. The incidence and diversity of these acquired alterations, and whether they differ from those observed in de novo KRAS-mutated NSCLC, is unknown. Methods: NSCLC molecular profiles were obtained using next-generation sequencing (Caris Life Sciences) with paired whole-transcriptomic sequencing (Illumina NovaSeq) and immunohistochemistry (Caris Life Sciences). Demographic data were abstracted from medical records. KRAS mutation diversity was defined for de novo KRAS-mutated ( KRASmt) NSCLC ( KRAS as only identified driver – KRASmt_dn) and DM+ NSCLC with acquired KRAS mutations (concurrent KRASmt with other known driver – KRASmt_acq). Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the distribution of unique KRAS mutations between the groups. Due to the unique biology of NSCLC with class II/III BRAF mutations, this subset was removed from the KRASmt_acq subgroup for the final analysis. Results: A total of 5932 KRASmt NSCLC samples were identified, among which 5879 were KRASmt_dn and 53 were KRASmt_acq (see table). The distribution of unique KRAS mutations was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.14). Within the KRASmt_dn group, KRAS G12C was most common (40%), followed by G12V (19%), G12D (14%), G12A (7%) and Q61H/G13C (4% each). In the KRASmt_acq group, KRAS G12C was most common (30%), followed by G12D (19%), G12V (17%), Q61H (11%), G12A (7%), and G13C (6%). The most common observed driver mutations in the KRASmt_acq group were EGFR (38%) and MET (30%). In the EGFR group, KRAS G12D (25%), Q61H/G12C (20% each), G12V/G13C (10% each), and G12F/A/R (5% each) were observed. In the MET group, KRAS G12C (25%), G12D/V/A (19% each), Q61H (12%) and G12S (6%) were seen. Among 7 patients with a documented history of smoking in the KRASmt_acq group, KRAS G12D and Q61H were most common (29% each), followed by G12V/F and G13C (14% each). Conclusions: While the distribution of unique KRAS mutations did not differ significantly between KRASmt_dn and KRASmt_acq groups, acquired KRAS mutations were seen across DM+ NSCLC subsets, among which the frequency of observed mutations appeared to vary. The functional and immunological significance of these mutations, and their impact on clinical outcomes, warrants further investigation. [Table: see text]

9065 Background: Rearranged during transfection ( RET) gene alterations are the oncogenic driver in diverse tumor types, including RET fusions identified in 1-2% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). While RET-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) selpercatinib and pralsetinib are effective, acquired drug resistance remains a challenge. Here, we report the initial results from the RETgistry, an international consortium aimed at elucidating mechanisms of resistance to RET TKIs across RET-altered solid tumors. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis performed across 16 institutions. Patients (pts) were eligible if they had advanced solid tumor harboring an oncogenic RET alteration, received ≥1 RET TKI with disease progression, and underwent resistant tumor or liquid biopsy for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results: A total of 103 time-distinct biopsies (62 tissue, 30 plasma, 11 paired tissue/plasma) were included in analysis, obtained from 88 pts with progression on a RET-selective TKI [selpercatinib (n = 70), pralsetinib (n = 14), selpercatinib and pralsetinib sequentially (n = 4)]. Pts had the following tumor types: 72 NSCLC (69% KIF5B-RET, 21% CCDC6-RET, 10% other RET fusion), 13 medullary thyroid cancer (TC) (54% RET M918T, 46% other RET mutation), and 2 papillary and 1 anaplastic TC (all, RET fusion). Median age was 58 (range, 21-86); 48% were male with 89% never/light smokers. Median duration of RET TKI preceding biopsies [first-line, n = 32 (31%); second-line, n = 42 (41%); third-/greater-line, n = 29 (28%)] was 16.5 months (mos) (95% CI, 14.0-19.6); median PFS was 14.1 mos (95% CI, 9.3-17.0). Resistant biopsies were obtained at median 15.0 mos from TKI initiation (range, 1.8-58.8). Acquired RET mutations were detected in 14 (14%), most common being G810 substitutions in 12 (12%). Potential off-target resistance gene alterations identified in 43 cases (42%) included MET amplification (14%), BRAF V600E or fusion (2%), KRAS gain or mutation (5%), ERBB2 amplification (2%), EGFR amplification (3%), ROS1 fusion (1%), and activating PIK3CA mutation or PTEN loss (4%). No resistant lung cancer biopsy demonstrated small cell transformation. The duration of TKI therapy (HR 0.64, p = 0.11) or PFS (HR 0.75, p = 0.33) did not differ according to the presence of on-target vs off-target resistance. NGS analyses of pre-RET-selective TKI tumors (n = 92) revealed frequent co-occurring alterations in TP53 (29%) and CDKN2A/B (12%). Conclusions: On-target resistance to RET inhibition due to acquired RET mutations was less common than off-target resistance, identified in 14%. The majority of RET TKI resistance is mediated by off-target mechanisms such as bypass receptor tyrosine kinase activation. Further studies are warranted to enable the development of therapeutic strategies to address resistance in pts with RET-altered tumors. The RETgistry accrual and data analyses continue.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive subtype of lung cancer characterized by a rapid initial response and early development of resistance to systemic therapy and radiation. The management of SCLC significantly changed for the first time in decades with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pembrolizumab, a humanized IgG4 isotype antibody, targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway to restore anti-tumor immunity. Prospective trials of pembrolizumab in patients with previously treated SCLC showed significant durability of responses. These results led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting pembrolizumab accelerated approval as second- or third-line monotherapy for patients with extensive-stage (ES) SCLC. In a recent clinical trial that included patients with previously untreated ES-SCLC, pembrolizumab in combination with platinum/etoposide met its progression-free survival endpoint, but overall survival (OS) did not cross the threshold for superiority. With the therapeutic landscape for SCLC rapidly evolving, we review prior experience and future directions of pembrolizumab in ES-SCLC.

9089 Background: RET fusions are targetable oncogenic drivers in 1–2% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ARROW (NCT03037385) supported the US FDA approval of pralsetinib, a highly potent oral selective RET inhibitor for RET-altered NSCLC and thyroid cancer. Here, we present updated results for a larger population of patients with RET fusion–positive NSCLC enrolled in ARROW. Methods: ARROW is a phase 1/2 open-label study conducted at 84 sites in 13 countries. Phase 2 expansion cohorts included patients with RET fusion–positive NSCLC. Initially, all treatment-naïve patients were not candidates for platinum-based therapy, a requirement removed by protocol amendment in July 2019. Primary objectives are overall response rate (ORR; blinded independent central review [BICR] per RECIST v1.1), assessed for patients with baseline measurable disease, and safety. Results: Updated analyses were completed as of Nov 6, 2020 (data cut-off), for patients who initiated pralsetinib 400 mg QD by May 22, 2020 (enrollment cut-off). Efficacy results, including analyses for treatment-naïve patients enrolled after eligibility criteria were revised to allow candidates for platinum-based therapy, are shown in the Table. Conclusions: Pralsetinib showed rapid, potent, and durable clinical activity in patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC (regardless of prior therapies), including poor prognosis patients not eligible for platinum-based therapy. Overall, pralsetinib was well-tolerated. These data highlight the need for RET testing early in the course of disease to identify candidates who may benefit from treatment with pralsetinib. Clinical trial information: NCT03037385. [Table: see text]