Citations

Background. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) have been shown to improve glucose control and diabetes-related comorbidities in patients without solid organ transplants. The effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of GLP1RA after kidney transplantation have not been adequately studied. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed data on kidney transplant recipients performed in our institution, who were initiated on GLP1RA either for the treatment of type 2 diabetes diagnosed before transplantation or posttransplant diabetes. We analyzed efficacy, safety, and the effect on kidney allograft function. Results. Seventeen kidney transplant recipients were initiated on GLP1RA therapy, 14 of which remained on the medication for at least 12 months. The use of GLP1RA had no significant impact on weight loss, but was associated with a significant reduction in the total daily insulin dose, from the median of 63 [interquartile range 43-113] IU to 44 [interquartile range 25-88] and reduction in the risk of hypoglycemia in patients who were on therapy for at least approximately 12 months. Kidney function remained stable and none of the recipients experienced acute rejection. Tacrolimus dose was not significantly changed. Five patients (29%) discontinued GLP1RA therapy—4 due to side effects and 1 due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Conclusions. GLP1RA may be a relatively safe and effective treatment for kidney transplant recipients with type 2 diabetes that allows for a reduction in insulin requirements. More studies are needed to determine whether the use of these agents will translate into an improvement in allograft and patient survival.

Background: Current treatment options for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion-dependent (TD) patients with lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) relapsed after or refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have limited efficacy and durability; new approaches are needed. Imetelstat is a 13-mer lipid-conjugated oligonucleotide that targets the RNA template of human telomerase and is a competitive inhibitor of telomerase enzymatic activity (Asai et al, Cancer Res 2003; Herbert et al, Oncogene 2005). Preclinical, in vivo xenograft models (Dikmen et al, Cancer Res 2005; Hochreiter et al, Clin Cancer Res 2006) and preliminary clinical data from a pilot study conducted at Mayo Clinic (Tefferi et al, Blood Cancer Journal 2016) supported initiation of a study in TD LR MDS patients. A Phase 2 study of imetelstat, IMerge, demonstrated an 8-week RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) rate of 42%, 24-week RBC-TI rate of 29%, and 68% erythroid hematologic improvement (HI-E) rate in 38 heavily TD patients (median prior RBC transfusion burden 8 units / 8 weeks over the 16 weeks pre-study period) with LR MDS. Responses were durable with median duration of 8-week RBC-TI of 85.9 weeks by Kaplan Meier estimates (range 8.0-140.9) (Steensma ASH 2018, Fenaux EHA 2019). These Phase 2 results provided further evidence of potential clinical benefit of imetelstat treatment in TD LR MDS, and supported initiation of a Phase 3 trial. Methods: IMerge is two-part, Phase 2/3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02598661). The Phase 2 portion of the study described above is closed for enrollment. The Phase 3 portion of the study is open for enrollment of adult patients with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low or intermediate-1 risk, non-del(5q) MDS, who are TD, are relapsed after or refractory to ESAs, and have not received treatment with lenalidomide or hypomethylating agents. The study is a randomized (2:1) double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare efficacy of imetelstat vs. placebo that will enroll approximately 170 patients and will be conducted at approximately 90 centers in North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Imetelstat will be administered as 2-hour IV infusion every 4 weeks at 7.5 mg/kg. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the rate of RBC-TI lasting ≥8 weeks. Secondary endpoints include safety, rate of RBC-TI ≥24 weeks, time to RBC-TI start, RBC-TI duration, rate of HI-E, the amount and relative change in RBC transfusions, rate of CR or PR, overall survival, progression of MDS, pharmacokinetics and effect of treatment on quality of life. Biomarkers relevant to the mechanism of action of imetelstat will be assessed to demonstrate target inhibition and their association with clinical responses. Cytogenetics and mutation analyses will be performed to evaluate the impact of imetelstat on reduction/depletion of malignant clones leading to disease modification. Disclosures Platzbecker: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Steensma:Astex: Consultancy; Arrowhead: Equity Ownership; Summer Road: Consultancy; Onconova: Consultancy; Aprea: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy; Stemline: Consultancy; H3 Biosciences: Other: Research funding to institution, not investigator.. Santini:Celgene Corporation: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Johnson & Johnson: Honoraria; Acceleron: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Menarini: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Germing:Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria. Font:Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Díez-Campelo:Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Patnaik:Stem Line Pharmaceuticals.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sherman:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Dougherty:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Feller:Geron Corporation: Employment. Sun:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Wan:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Huang:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Rizo:Geron Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Fenaux:Celgene Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding; Aprea: Research Funding; Astex: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz: Honoraria, Research Funding.

X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (XLPDR, Mendelian Inheritance in Man #301220) is a rare syndrome characterized by recurrent infections and sterile multiorgan inflammation. The syndrome is caused by an intronic mutation in POLA1, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase-α (Pol-α), which is responsible for Okazaki fragment synthesis during DNA replication. Reduced POLA1 expression in this condition triggers spontaneous type I interferon expression, which can be linked to the autoinflammatory manifestations of the disease. However, the history of recurrent infections in this syndrome is as yet unexplained. Here we report that patients with XLPDR have reduced NK cell cytotoxic activity and decreased numbers of NK cells, particularly differentiated, stage V, cells (CD3 – CD56 dim ). This phenotype is reminiscent of hypomorphic mutations in MCM4 , which encodes a component of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase complex that is functionally linked to Pol-α during the DNA replication process. We find that POLA1 deficiency leads to MCM4 depletion and that both can impair NK cell natural cytotoxicity and show that this is due to a defect in lytic granule polarization. Altogether, our study provides mechanistic connections between Pol-α and the MCM complex and demonstrates their relevance in NK cell function.

Abstract Background: p38a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mediates production of proinflammatory cytokines and other factors including PGE-2 induced RANKL and IL-1 induced IL-6. SCIO-469 inhibits p38a MAPK blocking synthesis of Il-1ß, PGE2, VEGF, MIP-1α and TNFα thus reducing in vitro MM tumor growth and survival, and drug resistance. Objectives: Assess efficacy, safety, tolerability of SCIO-469 as M or MB in patients (pts) with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Methods: Pts were treated with SCIO-469 alone (60 mg po tid)and assessed on Days 15, 30, 52 and 73. Bortezomib (1.0–1.3mg/m2 d 1,4,8,11 q21d) was added to M for PD or SD. Pts who had clinical benefit on either M or MB at Day 73 were allowed to continue on extension study for up to a total of 168 d, to further evaluate efficacy and saftey of M or MB. Results: 62 pts were enrolled: 39 M, 23 F, median age was 63 years (range 48–84), D-S stage at Dx: I (6%), II (32), III (60%%); median time from diagnosis to treatment 3.1 years; median # prior Rx = 5; including 29% with > 6; 71% prior transplant. 27 had received prior bortezomib and 17 were considered refractory. All 62 pts received study drug; 34 pts received MB at some time during the treatment period. 5 of the 28 (18%) pts treated with M and 25 of 34 (74%) pts treated with MB continued on the extension study. Median time on study was 77.5 d (range 7–304) for M and 180.5 d (range 34–275) for MB. Best response (EBMT; Blade 1998) to M was stable disease in 24% of pts; the best response to MB was 9/34 PR (26%), 2/34 MR (6%),3/34 SD (9%). Median time to progression (TTP) was 50 days for M compared to 140 days for MB. Safety/Tolerability: Adverse events on M were tabulated separately from those on MB. Neutropenia was minimal, < 3% with either regimen; anemia (47 vs 29%) and thrombocytopenia (26 vs 16%) were more prevalent with MB vs M, respectively. Epistaxis, fatigue and diarrhea were seen in > 15% of pts receiving M. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue, pyrexia, anorexia, URI, arthralgia, muscle cramp, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy and headache occurred in > 15% pts receiving MB. 10 pts died on study, 9 during primary phase and 1 during extension phase. 3 deaths were the result of sepsis, the remaining 7 were due to progressive disease. Conclusions: SCIO-469, 60 mg tid, as monotherapy or in combination with Bortezomib was well tolerated. Although there were no objective responses in M (compared to 32% (11/34) in MB-including 4 patients who had failed prior bortezomib), 24% had stable disease at the end of monotherapy. Further studies to refine the dose of SCIO-469 as monotherapy and of SCIO-469 in combination with other agents are warranted.

Introduction/Objective. Due to a very high mortality risk, acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients require early identification and intensive treatment. Precise prediction is crucial for determining the urgency degree and therapy appropriateness, considering high mortality and multitude of clinical resources. The aim of our study was to determine the exact cut-off values of various prognostic scores in the prediction of morality of ACLF. Methods. This prospective study includes chronic liver disease (CLD) patients, admitted due to decompensation, that were subsequently diagnosed with ACLF at the Emergency unit. All patients were evaluated based on various prognostic scores, including Child?Pugh, MELD Na, MELD, SOFA, APACHE II, and CLIF C, which were calculated on admission. Results. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was the most common underlying CLD cause (77.9%), followed by viral (8.6%), autoimmune (7.7%), and other causes (5.8%). A total of 37.5% of the patients died at the end of the first month of treatment. Average values of Child?Pugh, MELD Na, MELD, SOFA, APACHE II, and CLIF C scores were significantly higher in patients who died compared to survivors (p < 0.05). CLIF C score showed the best performance with a cut-off value of 50.5, with a sensitivity of 94.9% and specificity of 40%. Conclusion. ACLF remains a condition with a high short-term mortality. Of all of the scores examined in our study, CLIF C proved to be the best scoring system for predicting short term and end of treatment mortality in patients with ACLF.

Abstract Background Platinum chemotherapy (carboplatin or cisplatin) + etoposide is the current 1L standard of care treatment (tx) for ES-SCLC. Despite high response rates on this regimen, patient (pt) outcomes remain poor. IMpower133 is a Ph1/3, double-blind, randomized, placebo (PBO)-controlled trial that is evaluating the efficacy and safety of adding PD-L1-inhibitor atezo or PBO to 1L tx for ES-SCLC (NCT02763579). Methods IMpower133 enrolled pts without prior tx for ES-SCLC; PD-L1 testing was not required. Pts were randomized 1:1 to four 21-day cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/mL/min IV, Day 1) + etoposide (100 mg/m2 IV, Days 1-3) with either atezo (1200 mg IV, Day 1) or PBO, then maintenance atezo or PBO until PD, unacceptable toxicity or loss of clinical benefit. Maintenance prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was allowed per protocol, while definitive thoracic radiation (TR) was not. Coprimary endpoints were OS and investigator-assessed PFS. A key exploratory endpoint was outcomes by blood tumor mutation burden (bTMB) analyzed at prespecified cutoffs (≥ 16 vs &lt; 16 and ≥ 10 vs &lt; 10 mutations/Mb). Results Adding atezo to carboplatin + etoposide demonstrated significant improvement in efficacy (OS and PFS) in 1L ES-SCLC (Table). Survival benefits were consistent across key subgroups and prespecified bTMB cutoffs. 44 pts (22 in each arm [per ITT]) received PCI, and 7 (3 in atezo arm, 4 in PBO arm) received TR. Gr 3-4 tx-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 57% of atezo pts vs 56% of PBO pts; serious tx-related AEs occurred in 23% vs 19%. Occurrence of CNS-related AEs in pts who had PCI are shown in the Table. Conclusion Adding atezo to carboplatin + etoposide resulted in a significant improvement in survival in this 1L ES-SCLC all-comers population. There were no new safety signals, including in pts who received PCI or TR. Atezo + carboplatin + etoposide may represent a new standard regimen for untreated ES-SCLC. Atezo + carboplatin + etoposiden = 201PBO + carboplatin + etoposiden = 202Co-primary endpointsMedian OS, mo12.310.3HR 0.70 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.91); P = 0.0069Median PFS, mo5.24.3HR 0.77 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.96) P = 0.017Secondary efficacy endpointsInvestigator-assessed confirmed ORR, %60.264.4Median DoR, mo4.23.9CNS-related AEs in pts who had PCI, n (%)a,bn = 23n = 21Headache8 (34.8)4 (19.0)Asthenia5 (21.7)2 (9.5)Dizziness2 (8.7)0Insomnia2 (8.7)1 (4.8)Fall2 (8.7)1 (4.8)aSafety population; safety analyses conducted according to tx received (1 pt randomized to the control arm received a dose of atezo).bIncludes AEs occurring in ≥ 2 patients. Citation Format: Aaron S. Mansfield, Stephen V. Liu, Aleksandra Szczęsna, Libor Havel, Maciej Kzrakowski, Maximilian J. Hochmair, Florian Huemer, György Losonczy, Melissa L. Johnson, Makoto Nishio, Martin Reck, Tony S. Mok, Sivuonthanh Lam, David S. Shames, Juan Liu, Fairooz Kabbinavar, Alan Sandler, Leora Horn. IMpower133: Primary efficacy and safety + CNS-related adverse events in a Ph1/3 study of first-line (1L) atezolizumab (atezo) + carboplatin + etoposide in extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT199.

Abstract Recent years have seen an explosion in the availability of paired molecular profiling and drug screen data, providing an unprecedented opportunity for the development of targeted therapies based on an individual’s genetic background. Despite a number of recent successes in diseases ranging from cystic fibrosis to cancer, significant hurdles remain in our ability to accurately predict treatments based on molecular profiling data. In particular, few such tools exist that allow the integration of heterogeneous data types (e.g. genomic, transcriptomic, and somatic mutations), along with high-throughput drug screen data to make predictions about treatment efficacy. Here, we describe a generalized open-source pipeline developed for the analysis of precision medicine data, Pharmacogenomics Prediction Pipeline, or “P3”. The modular design of P3 enables the inclusion of arbitrary input data types and the selection from multiple alternative machine learning algorithms, while automated statistical and visualization reporting steps incorporated throughout the pipeline assist in parameter tuning and early detection of problematic data components. Molecular profiling data is further enriched by the incorporation of external biological information in the form of pathway and gene set annotations such and Gene Ontology (GO) and The Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). To demonstrate the use of P3 for preclinical biomarker prediction, we applied P3 to an unpublished multiple myeloma dataset consisting of exome, RNA-Seq, CNV, and drug screen data for 1,912 compounds across 47 tumor cell lines. Specifically, P3 was used to predict molecular features associated with response to treatment for all drugs where a differential response to treatment was observed across patients. Furthermore, molecular profiling and drug screen data for 267 drugs and over a thousand cell lines spanning multiple cancer types from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) project were analyzed using P3, providing insights into shared mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance across different cancer and treatment types. Citation Format: V Keith Hughitt, Sayeh Gorjifard, Aleksandra M. Michalowski, John K. Simmons, Ryan Dale, Eric C. Polley, Jonathan J. Keats, Beverly A. Mock. A flexible pipeline for precision medicine biomarker detection and prediction of treatment response [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5113.

Background:There are limited treatment options for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion dependent (TD) LR (IPSS Low/Int‐1) MDS patients who are relapsed/refractory to ESAs. Imetelstat is a first‐in‐class telomerase inhibitor that targets cells with short telomeres and active telomerase, characteristics observed in some MDS patients across all disease stages. Preliminary results show that imetelstat is effective treatment in LR‐MDS patients inducing durable TI (Steensma et al ASH 2018 Abstr463).Aims:We report updated efficacy data with a median follow‐up of 12.1 months in 38 LR non‐del(5q) MDS patients, R/R to ESA and LEN/HMA naive from the open‐label, single‐arm Part 1 of IMerge, an ongoing phase 2/3 study (NCT02598661).Methods:Part 1 of the IMerge study included patients with LR MDS, who were heavily transfused (≥4U/8wks), were R/R to ESA or had sEPO >500 mU/mL. Imetelstat 7.5 mg/kg was administered IV every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was 8‐week TI rate; key secondary endpoints included 24‐week TI rate, safety, duration of TI, and hematologic improvement (HI) rate. Among the initially enrolled patients, higher 8‐week TI rate was observed in the non‐del5q, LEN/HMA naive patients. Therefore, the study was amended to subsequently enroll only these patients. From a total of 57 patients enrolled in Part 1, 38 were non‐del(5q), LEN/HMA naïve patients (13 in the initial and 25 in the expansion cohort). Here we report long‐term efficacy, safety and biomarker data from these 38 patients.Results:Median baseline RBC transfusion burden was 8U/8weeks (range 4–14), 37% of the patients had IPSS Int‐1; 71% had WHO 2001 RARS or RCMD‐RS subtype and 32% with evaluable sEPO levels had baseline level >500 mU/mL.As of 23 January 2019, median follow‐up was 12.1 months for the 38 patients, representing 30.4 and 11.6 months for the initial 13 and additional 25 patients, respectively. The 8‐week TI rate was 45% (17/38) and median TI duration was 8.5 months (range 1.8–32.4). Of the 17 responding patients, 10 (59%) remained transfusion free for over 24 weeks. The 8‐week TI rate did not differ based on the presence of ring sideroblasts or baseline sEPO levels. The 24‐week TI rate was 26% (10/38). Erythroid HI, defined as transfusion reduction by at least 4 units /8 weeks (IWG2006), was achieved in 68% (26/38) of the patients. The most frequently reported adverse events were manageable and reversible grade ≥3 cytopenias. 6/38 patients had IPSS‐R intermediate/poor cytogenetic risk. All 6 patents achieved 8‐week TI; 2/6 patients achieved partial cytogenetic response. Post treatment decrease in telomerase hTERT RNA level was observed in 25/34 (73.5%) patients with available sample. Among 7 patients with pre‐ and post‐treatment mutation analyses, six had SF3B1 mutations at baseline, and a decrease in the mutation VAF was observed in 2 patients that had longest TI duration on study.Summary/Conclusion:In high RBC transfusion burden patients with non‐del(5q) LR‐MDS R/R to ESA and naive to LEN/HMA, single‐agent imetelstat yielded 8‐week TI rate of 45%, with a median duration of 8.5 months (range 1.8–32.4). The 24‐week TI rate was 26%. HI‐E rate was 68%. All patients with IPSS‐R intermediate and poor cytogenetic risk responded. Biomarker analyses of telomerase activity and mutation allele burden indicate an effect on the malignant mutant clone. These data support Part 2 of IMerge, Phase 3 placebo‐controlled, randomized portion of the study, expected to open mid‐2019.

AbstractAn association between genetic variants in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) was previously reported in women of African ancestry (AA). We sought to examine associations between genetic variants in VDR and additional genes from vitamin D biosynthesis and pathway targets (EGFR, UGT1A, UGT2A1/2, UGT2B, CYP3A4/5, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, CYP24A1, CYP11A1, and GC). Genotyping was performed using the custom‐designed 533,631 SNP Illumina OncoArray with imputation to the 1,000 Genomes Phase 3 v5 reference set in 755 EOC cases, including 537 high‐grade serous (HGSOC), and 1,235 controls. All subjects are of African ancestry (AA). Logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We further evaluated statistical significance of selected SNPs using the Bayesian False Discovery Probability (BFDP). A significant association with EOC was identified in the UGT2A1/2 region for the SNP rs10017134 (per allele OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.2‐1.7, P = 1.2 × 10−6, BFDP = 0.02); and an association with HGSOC was identified in the EGFR region for the SNP rs114972508 (per allele OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.6‐3.4, P = 1.6 × 10−5, BFDP = 0.29) and in the UGT2A1/2 region again for rs1017134 (per allele OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.2‐1.7, P = 2.3 × 10−5, BFDP = 0.23). Genetic variants in the EGFR and UGT2A1/2 may increase susceptibility of EOC in AA women. Future studies to validate these findings are warranted. Alterations in EGFR and UGT2A1/2 could perturb enzyme efficacy, proliferation in ovaries, impact and mark susceptibility to EOC.

Background. Systemic inflammation in colorectal cancer (CRC) may be reflected by neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV). This study was designed to investigate the efficiency of preoperative NLR, PLR, and MVP as a tool for the assessment of tumor characteristics in newly diagnosed patients with CRC. Patients and Methods. For 300 patients and 300 healthy volunteers, complete blood counts with automated differential counts were performed. The NLR was calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil count by the absolute lymphocyte count; PLR was calculated by dividing the absolute platelet count by the absolute lymphocyte count. The diagnostic performance of NLR, PLR, and MVP was estimated by ROC curve. Results. ROC curve analysis showed high diagnostic efficacy of NLR and PLR in CRC patients with cut-off values of 2.15 (AUC=0.790, 95% CI 0.736-0.884, Se=74.1%, and Sp=73%) and 123 (AUC=0.846, 95% CI 0.801-0.891, Se=73.5%, and Sp=80%) compared to healthy controls, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of three combined markers was superior compared with individual markers (AUC=0.904, 95% CI 0.812-0.989, Se=96%, and Sp=70%). Conclusion. NRL, PLR, and MPV may be useful markers in diagnostic and early recognition of different stages of CRC; additionally combined all together have stronger diagnostic efficacy.