Lenz, Heinz‐Josef

3588 Background: The brain-gut axis, a bidirectional network between the central and enteric nervous systems, plays a critical role in modulating the gastrointestinal tract function. Increasing evidence suggests that neuronal signaling molecules can promote gastrointestinal cancers; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter and dysregulated GABA signaling has been found in CRC, affecting both tumor and tumor microenvironment. Here, we investigated the association between tumor GABA pathway gene expression and first-line treatment outcomes in mCRC. Methods: We evaluated the impact of the expression of 25 genes in the GABA pathway ( GABBR1, GABBR2, GABRA1, GABRA2, GABRA4, GABRA5, GABRA6, GABRB1, GABRB3, GABRD, GABRE, GABRG1, GABRG2, GABRG3, GABRQ, GABRR1, GABRR2, ABAT, ALDH5A1, GAD1, GAD2, SLC6A1, SLC6A13, SLC6A11, SLC6A12) on treatment outcomes (overall survival: OS; progression free survival: PFS) of 433 pts enrolled in the randomized, phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial. RNA extracted from FFPE tumor samples was sequenced using the HiSeq 2500 (Illumina). The associations between gene expression (continuous, per standard deviation increase) and outcomes were assessed via the multivariable Cox proportional framework, with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) computed. The likelihood ratio test was used for interaction tests. False discovery rate (FDR) was controlled at 5% with the Benjamini-Hochberg method. Results: Overall, low GAD1 (encoding for glutamate decarboxylase 1, the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the production of GABA from L-glutamic acid) was associated with longer PFS (HR: 1.26, 95% CI [1.13, 1.41], P = 3.2E-05) and OS (HR 1.27 [1.13, 1.43], P = 5.9E-05) across all treatment arms. High ABAT (encoding for the aminotransferase responsible for GABA catabolism) was also associated with longer OS (HR 0.81 [0.72, 0.91], P = 6E-04). To evaluate the predictive value, interactions with targeted therapies bevacizumab (n = 226) vs cetuximab (n = 207) were tested. We found significant interactions for PFS with ABAT ( P= 0.0017) and OS with SLC6A13 ( P= 0.0014 ).In pts treated with cetuximab, high ABAT expression was significantly associated with longer PFS (HR 0.73 [0.61, 0.87], P = 2.8E-04), and high SLC6A13 was marginally associated with worse OS (HR 1.18 [1.00, 1.39], P = 0.052). We did not observe similar associations in pts treated with bevacizumab. Conclusions: Our results highlight a potential role for GABA signaling in affecting mCRC treatment outcomes, suggesting that GABA pathway genes may be promising novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers and supporting the rationale to investigate GABA as a target for drug development. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00265850

4107 Background: Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin activation has been implicated in tumor formation and progression in BTC. CTNNB1 is a key transcriptional co-activator in Wnt signaling. The impact of CTNNB1 alterations on outcomes in intrahepatic (IHCC) vs extrahepatic (EHCC) vs gallbladder (GB) tumors and patterns of gene co-expression is unclear. We examined the molecular correlates and predictive and prognostic significance of CTNNB1 expression in a real-world cohort of pts with BTC. Methods: 7450 BTC tumors were analyzed using Next Generation Sequencing (NextSeq), Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing (NovaSeq) at Caris Life Sciences (Phoenix, AZ). Top quartile transcripts per million (TPM) expression was considered high expressors (Q4), bottom quartile was considered low expressors (Q1) within each subtype. Real-world overall survival (OS) data was obtained from insurance claims. Hazard ratio (HR) was calculated using Cox proportional hazards model, P values were calculated using log-rank test. Significance was determined to be p <0.05. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests determined molecular differences between subgroups and adjusted for multiple comparisons (q<0.05). Results: The cohort was comprised of 61% IHCC, 14% EHCC, 23% GB, 2% NOS. CTNNB1 mutations are rare in BTC (1.3%). Pts with CTNNB1-wt tumors had significantly better OS vs CTNNB1-mt (13.6 vs 10.2 mo, HR 0.74, p=0.008). This association remained significant in IHCC (13.2 vs 4.5 mo, HR 0.64, p=0.031) but not EHCC (18.0 vs 11.8 mo, HR 0.87, p=0.64) or GB (12.9 vs 11.0 mo, HR 0.75, p=0.071). CTNNB1-mt tumors were more frequently TP53-mt (63% vs 41%), ERBB2-mt (9% vs 2%) and ATM-mt (9% vs 3%). CTNNB1-wt tumors were more likely BAP-mt (9% vs 0%) and IDH1-mt (10% vs 0%) (all q<0.05). CTNNB1-mt tumors had higher median CTNNB1 expression vs wt (154.9 vs 113.4, q<0.009). Pts with CTNNB1 Q1 expression had significantly better OS vs Q4 (14.5 vs 12.4 mo, HR 0.88, p=0.007). This association held in IHCC (15.0 vs 10.6 mo, HR 0.77, p<0.00001) but not EHCC (17.5 vs 19.9 mo, HR 1.05, p=0.70) or GB (12.4 vs 12.8 mo, HR 1.05, p=0.63). CTNNB1 Q4 expressing tumors were more likely to be TP53-mt (55% vs 34%), PIK3CA-mt (9% vs 5%), KRAS-mt (23% vs 12%) and less likely IDH1-mt (4% vs 14%) compared to Q1 (all q<0.05). CTNNB1 Q4 pts had higher ARID1A, CTLA4, LAG3, HIF1A, TGFB1/2/3, EPHB4, EPHA2, VEGFA expression (FC: 2.1-4.2, all q<0.05) and higher T-cell inflamed score vs Q1. There was a trend towards improved OS in pts with IHCC CTNNB1 Q1 tumors receiving gemcitabine or fluorouracil (17.5 vs 15.0 mo, HR 0.86, p=0.064); no difference in outcomes by CTNNB1 expression in pts receiving immunotherapy. Conclusions: CTNNB1 mutations and mRNA expression levels impact survival in BTC, especially IHCC, and may be associated with benefit from chemotherapy. CTNBB1 alterations are associated with immunogenic, DNA repair and angiogenic pathways and may help identify novel therapeutic strategies for BTC.

4106 Background: The WNT/beta catenin (CTNNB1) pathway plays an integral role in the development of HCC. CTNNB1 has been implicated in HCC progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. We examined associations between CTNNB1 mutations and mRNA expression and clinical outcomes in a real-world cohort of patients with HCC. Methods: 1652 HCC tumors were tested at Caris Life Sciences (Phoenix, AZ) and analyzed with Whole Transcriptome Sequencing (WTS; Illumina Novaseq), Whole Exome Sequencing (NovaSeq,WES) and NextGen DNA sequencing (NextSeq, 592 genes). mRNA expression (transcripts per million) was further stratified into top (Q4) and bottom quartiles (Q1). Kaplan Meier estimates were calculated for overall survival (OS) in the molecularly defined cohorts and estimated from time of tissue collection to last contact. Significance was determined to be p <0.05. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests determined molecular differences between subgroups and adjusted for multiple comparisons (q<0.05). Results: Pathogenic CTNNB1 mutations were present in 32% of HCC and mutation status was not associated with CTNNB1 expression level. Pts whose tumors had lower CTNNB1 expression had significantly improved OS, 17.9 vs 12.4 months, Q1 vs Q4, HR 0.72, CI: 0.58-0.89 p=0.002. This association remained significant in patients who received first-line IO (Q1 vs Q4: OS 16.7 vs 10.6 mo, HR 0.54, CI: 0.32-0.94, p=0.025) or TKI (Q1 vs Q4: OS 27.1 vs 17.6 mo, HR 0.60, CI: 0.38-0.94, p=0.025). Low CTNNB1-expressing tumors (Q1) had more frequent ARID1A mutations (15% vs 8%); less frequent TP53 mutations (31% vs 42%); lower VEGFA, EPHB4, EPHA2, HIF1A, TGFB1/2/3 expression, lower MAPK activation and lower T-cell inflamed scores vs Q4 tumors (all q < 0.05). All tumors were MSS. CTNNB1 mutation status (MT vs WT) did not impact survival (OS 17.6 vs 15.3 mo, CTNNB1-MT vs CTNNB1-WT, HR 1.05, CI: 0.91-1.20, p=0.55). Similarly, CTNNB1 mutation status (MT vs WT) did not impact OS in pts treated with IO (19.8 vs 19.6 mo, HR 0.99, p=0.94) or TKI (23.0 vs 22.0 mo, HR 0.86, p=0.33). Conclusions: CTNNB1 mRNA expression, but not CTNNB1 mutation status, is associated with survival in HCC. Patients whose tumors had lower CTNNB1 expression appeared to derive more benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors and TKI therapy in first line. CTNNB1 expression is associated with DNA repair, immune, neuronal and angiogenic pathways which may pave the way for potential therapeutic opportunities. Further studies are needed to prospectively evaluate CTNNB1 as a biomarker for treatment selection in HCC.

3144 Background: Longitudinal brain structure changes across the lifespan are associated with neurodegenerative disorders. We previously showed that genetic variants in dopamine and Parkinson’s disease genes are predictive and prognostic in mCRC. Indeed, the brain-gut axis is emerging as a critical player in CRC biology. Hence, we investigated whether the tumor gene expression of 3 metabolic genes involved in brain development and aging could affect treatment response in patients enrolled in the CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial. Methods: 433 mCRC pts treated with either bevacizumab (bev, n = 226) or cetuximab (cet, n = 207) in combination with first-line chemotherapy were included in the analysis. RNA was isolated from FFPE tumor samples and sequenced on the HiSeq 2500 (Illumina). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between groups of pts categorized by tertiles of expression of 3 genes: APOE, DACH1, and GPR139. Likelihood ratio tests, hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed from multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, ECOG PS, tumor location, number of metastatic sites, KRAS, MSI status, and treatment. Logrank P-values describe differences without adjustment for patient characteristics. Results: Both APOE and DACH1 (but not GPR139) met the 0.05 false discovery rate threshold for association with both PFS ( P = .00085, P = .015) and OS ( P = .021, P = .021, respectively) in the full Cox models. In cet-treated pts, APOE-high (H) showed significantly shorter PFS (median 9.2 vs 11.8 vs 13.0 months (mo), high vs low (as reference) logrank P = .0021) and OS (median 21.9 vs 35.8 vs 34.6 mo; logrank P = .0017) compared to APOE-median and -low, respectively. Opposite results were observed for DACH1, where DACH1-H tumors had longer PFS (median 14.5 vs 10.6 vs 8.07 mo; logrank P = .0011) and OS (median 39.4 vs 30.9 vs 21.5 mo; logrank P = .0021) when treated with cet. In bev-treated pts, similar results were observed with APOE-H showing shorter OS (median 25.8 vs 26.3 vs 37.5 mo; logrank P = .0016) and DACH1-H longer OS (median 36.5 vs 28.3 vs 22.4 mo; logrank P = .0017). No significant gene-treatment interaction was observed for either gene for PFS and OS. Conclusions: The tumor expression of metabolic genes associated with changes in the brain structure was prognostic in mCRC pts treated with first-line therapy. Notably, APOE and DACH1 have been recently reported to play a role in CRC where APOE overexpression has been associated with aggressive biological behavior whereas DACH1 has been shown to suppress CRC cell growth and invasion. Our results support this evidence and suggest that further investigation into the role of APOE and DACH1 in CRC biology and into their potential as targets for drug development is warranted. Trial Identifier: NCT00265850.

3523 Background: Evidence suggests neurotransmitter signaling may play a crucial role in tumorigenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including migration, proliferation, and apoptosis, as well as angiogenesis and the microenvironment. We developed and applied a strategy to identify upstream regulators of neurotransmitters and their associations with patient outcomes. Methods: Prior literature yielded 85 neurotransmitter signaling genes mapped to RNA-seq gene expression in tumor tissue from 545 patients with mCRC enrolled in the phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial. These samples were also sequenced by FoundationOne CDx for DNA damage. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we identified a subset of CDx genes associated with overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). We extended the Causal Inference Test (CIT) for time-to-event data and identified a subset of the 85 signaling genes consistent with mediation of DNA mutation effects on OS and PFS. Another CIT analysis identified potential upstream neurotransmitter regulators, gene expression mediators of mutation effects on the signaling genes. Top genes were then assessed in whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS) expression data with Caris MI profile collected from 398 patients with advanced CRC enrolled in the MONSTAR-SCREEN-2 trial. Results: At the 0.05 alpha level, we identified 20 signaling genes with gene expression associated with PFS and/or OS, and 68 genes with evidence of DNA mutations associated with PFS and/or OS. False discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 was applied to filter the 56,674 expression features on PFS and OS associations, yielding 173 unique genes as possible mediators. The CIT yielded 53 putative mediators at FDR < 0.05, suggesting upstream regulation of neurotransmitter signaling. Five genes were identified as targeting at least 8 signaling genes each, PIGU, ANO9, LY6G6D, and GPR160, and FSCN1, where the first 4 are favorable and only FSCN1 is a poorer prognostic. Following up on these 5 genes in MONSTAR-SCREEN-2 by dichotomizing at the median value of WTS expression, 3 were nominally associated with OS, PIGU ( P = 0.050; HR, 0.59; 95%CI, 0.34-1.00), ANO9( P = 0.029; HR, 0.55; 95%CI, 0.32-0.95), LY6G6D( P = 0.0024; HR, 0.44; 95%CI, 0.25-0.76), and FSCN1 was suggestive ( P = 0.079; HR, 1.62; 95%CI, 0.94-2.77), with direction of effects in agreement with 80405 results for all four. Conclusions: Our novel approach identified previously unknown upstream regulators of neurotransmitter signaling associated with treatment outcomes in mCRC. PIGU, FSCN1, and LY6G6D have been suggested in prior literature as targets for CRC and ANO9 has been suggested as a target for GI cancer. These results bolster the strategy of using mediation analysis with large-scale molecular data to identify new therapeutic targets in CRC. NCT00265850.

3509 Background: HER2 overexpression/amplification (HER2+) occurs in ~3%-5% of pts with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and up to ~10% of pts with RAS/BRAF wild-type (WT) mCRC. The primary results of the MOUNTAINEER study (NCT03043313) demonstrated that the combination of tucatinib (TUC), a highly selective HER2-directed TKI, and trastuzumab (Tras) was well tolerated with clinically meaningful activity in pts with chemo-refractory HER2+ mCRC. Confirmed ORR was 38.1%, median DOR was 12.4 months, and median OS was 24.1 months. Here, we present results from the final analysis of MOUNTAINEER. Methods: MOUNTAINEER is a multi-center, open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial. Eligible pts had HER2+ and RAS WT mCRC with progression on or intolerance to last systemic therapy. Previous HER2-directed therapies were not permitted. The trial consisted of Cohort A, comprising pts treated with TUC (300 mg PO BID) + Tras (8 mg/kg IV then 6 mg/kg IV Q3W), as well as pts randomized 4:3 to receive TUC+Tras (Cohort B) or TUC monotherapy (Cohort C). Pts randomized to Cohort C were allowed to crossover and receive TUC+Tras on radiographic progression or if they did not achieve a complete or partial response by Week 12. Study endpoints evaluated at final analysis include DOR per BICR, PFS per BICR, OS, and safety. Results: The median duration of follow-up was 32.4 months (IQR, 25.1-46.7), with an additional 16.1 months of follow-up since the primary analysis (data cutoff, 02-Nov-2023). A total of 116 pts received at least 1 dose of study treatment (Cohorts A+B, N = 86; Cohort C, N = 30). In Cohorts A+B, median DOR per BICR was 15.2 months (95% CI, 8.9-20.5), median PFS per BICR was 8.1 months (95% CI, 4.2-10.2), and median OS was 23.9 months (95% CI, 18.7-28.3). In Cohort C post-crossover (N = 28), median DOR was not reached (95% CI, 2.8 months-NE). Median OS in Cohort C was 21.1 months (95% CI, 17.0-NE). The most common TEAEs in Cohorts A+B were diarrhea (66.3%), fatigue (44.2%), and nausea (34.9%). The majority of TEAEs were low grade, and rates were stable with longer follow-up. The most common grade ≥3 TEAE was hypertension (7.0%). TEAEs leading to TUC discontinuation in Cohorts A+B occurred in 5.8% of pts, which was unchanged from the primary analysis. In Cohort C, the most common TEAEs post-crossover were diarrhea (39.3%), back pain (21.4%), and pyrexia (21.4%); the most common grade ≥3 TEAE was AST increase (10.7%). No deaths resulted from TEAEs in any cohort and no new safety signals were identified. Conclusions: TUC+Tras continued to be well tolerated with sustained efficacy in pts with chemo-refractory RAS WT HER2+ mCRC, demonstrating clinically meaningful activity of the combination on longer follow-up. TUC+Tras is an important chemotherapy-free treatment option in HER2+ mCRC. TUC+Tras is being further evaluated in the first-line setting in combination with chemotherapy in the ongoing phase 3 MOUNTAINEER-03 trial (NCT05253651) for pts with HER2+ mCRC. Clinical trial information: NCT03043313 .

Abstract Background: Plant-based diet is recommended by multiple cancer survivorship guidelines and was reported to be associated with better survival among patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the association between plant-based diet and survival in metastatic colorectal cancer is unknown. Methods: Using an NCI-sponsored systemic therapy trial conducted from 2005 to 2015 (CALGB/SWOG 80405), we included 1,279 patients who completed validated food frequency questionnaires at the initiation of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. To emphasize different impact of healthful plant foods, less healthful plant foods, and animal foods, we used 18 food groups to calculate three plant-based indexes (ranges: 18-90 points): overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). The primary outcome was overall survival, and the secondary outcome was progression-free survival. We estimated the associations of three indexes (quintiles) with survival using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Of 1,279 patients (median follow-up: 6.1 years), mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 58.8 (11.7) years, 57.4% were men, 85.6% were White, and 1,096 deaths and 1,201 events of progression occurred. The mean (SD) points of three indexes were 51.2 (6.3) for PDI, 51.1 (6.7) for hPDI, and 51.2 (8.1) for uPDI. Compared to the lowest quintile (Q1), the highest quintile (Q5) of PDI was significantly associated with better overall survival (HR: 0.80 [0.65-0.99]) and progression-free survival (HR: 0.80 [0.65-0.98]). Similar findings were observed for hPDI, but uPDI was not significantly associated with worse survival. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that plant-based diet is associated with better survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and plant-based dietary interventions should be considered for future trials in metastatic colorectal cancer. Table. Adjusted Associations of Plant-Based Diet with Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 P for trend Overall Survival PDI 1.00 0.96 (0.80-1.16) 0.93 (0.77-1.14) 0.82 (0.67-0.99) 0.80 (0.65-0.99) 0.01 hPDI 1.00 0.95 (0.78-1.14) 0.94 (0.77-1.15) 0.86 (0.70-1.04) 0.84 (0.68-1.03) 0.07 uPDI 1.00 1.14 (0.95-1.39) 1.07 (0.87-1.31) 1.18 (0.97-1.45) 1.17 (0.95-1.45) 0.15 Progression-free Survival PDI 1.00 0.84 (0.70-1.01) 0.94 (0.78-1.14) 0.93 (0.77-1.12) 0.80 (0.65-0.98) 0.10 hPDI 1.00 0.86 (0.72-1.03) 0.83 (0.69-1.01) 0.80 (0.67-0.97) 0.80 (0.66-0.97) 0.03 uPDI 1.00 1.12 (0.94-1.34) 1.11 (0.91-1.34) 1.10 (0.91-1.34) 1.15 (0.94-1.41) 0.23 Citation Format: En Cheng, Fang-Shu Ou, Chao Ma, Alan P. Venook, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Eileen M. O’Reilly, Peter T. Campbell, Chaoyuan Kuang, Bette J. Caan, Kimmie Ng, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt. Plant-based diet and survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: Findings from CALGB/SWOG 80405 (Alliance) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2200.

Background Standard first-line therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) include fluoropyrimidine-containing regimens with oxaliplatin and/or irinotecan and a biologic agent. Immunotherapy may enhance antitumor activity in combination with standard therapies in patients with mCRC. Here, we present phase 2 results of nivolumab plus standard-of-care therapy (SOC; 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin/bevacizumab) versus SOC in the first-line treatment of patients with mCRC (CheckMate 9X8). Methods CheckMate 9X8 was a multicenter, open-label, randomized, phase 2/3 trial. Eligible patients were at least 18 years of age with unresectable mCRC and no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive nivolumab 240 mg plus SOC or SOC alone every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent central review (BICR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1. Secondary endpoints included PFS by investigator assessment; objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate, duration of response, and time to response, all by BICR and investigator assessments; overall survival; and safety. Preplanned exploratory biomarker analyses were also performed. Results From February 2018 through April 2019, 310 patients were enrolled, of which 195 patients were randomized to nivolumab plus SOC (n=127) or SOC (n=68). At 21.5-month minimum follow-up, PFS with nivolumab plus SOC versus SOC did not meet the prespecified threshold for statistical significance; median PFS by BICR was 11.9 months in both arms (HR, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.53 to 1.23); p=0.30). Higher PFS rates after 12 months (18 months: 28% vs 9%), higher ORR (60% vs 46%), and durable responses (median 12.9 vs 9.3 months) were observed with nivolumab plus SOC versus SOC. Grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 75% versus 48% of patients; no new safety signals were identified. Conclusions The CheckMate 9X8 trial investigating first-line nivolumab plus SOC versus SOC in patients with mCRC did not meet its primary endpoint of PFS by BICR. Nivolumab plus SOC showed numerically higher PFS rates after 12 months, a higher response rate, and more durable responses compared with SOC alone, with acceptable safety. Further investigation to identify subgroups of patients with mCRC that may benefit from nivolumab plus SOC versus SOC in the first-line setting is warranted. Trial registration number NCT03414983 .

PURPOSE The phase III Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)/SWOG 80405 trial found no difference in overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy in combination with either bevacizumab or cetuximab. We investigated the potential prognostic and predictive value of HER2 amplification and gene expression using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and NanoString data. PATIENTS AND METHODS Primary tumor DNA from 559 patients was profiled for HER2 amplification by NGS (FoundationOne CDx). Tumor tissue from 925 patients was tested for NanoString gene expression using an 800-gene panel. OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were the time-to-event end points. RESULTS High HER2 expression (dichotomized at median) was associated with longer PFS (11.6 v 10 months, P = .012) and OS (32 v 25.3 months, P = .033), independent of treatment. An OS benefit for cetuximab versus bevacizumab was observed in the high HER2 expression group ( P = .02), whereas a worse PFS for cetuximab was seen in the low-expression group ( P = .019). When modeled as a continuous variable, increased HER2 expression was associated with longer OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75 to 0.93]; adjusted P = .0007) and PFS (HR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.74 to 0.91]; adjusted P = .0002), reaching a plateau effect after the median. In patients with HER2 expression lower than median, treatment with cetuximab was associated with worse PFS (HR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.12 to 1.71]; adjusted P = .0027) and OS (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.59]; adjusted P = .03) compared with that with bevacizumab. A significant interaction between HER2 expression and the treatment arm was observed for OS ( P intx = .017), PFS ( P intx = .048), and objective response rate ( P intx = .001). CONCLUSION HER2 gene expression was prognostic and predictive in CALGB/SWOG 80405. HER2 tumor expression may inform treatment selection for patients with low HER2 favoring bevacizumab- versus cetuximab-based therapies.

TPS228 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition, in combination with other modalities, has demonstrated significant benefit in patients (pts) with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair–deficient CRC. However, these agents have limited, if any, clinical benefit in pts with microsatellite stable (MSS) or mismatch repair–proficient (pMMR) CRC. RP2 is an enhanced potency oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 which expresses the fusogenic gibbon ape leukemia virus glycoprotein with the R sequence deleted (GALV-GP-R–), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and an anti–CTLA-4 antibody-like molecule; RP3 additionally expresses 4-1BB and CD40 activating ligands but does not express GM-CSF. Both agents have demonstrated preliminary safety and antitumor activity in pts with solid tumors. This study will evaluate the safety and activity of RP2 and RP3 in combination with atezolizumab (Atezo) plus bevacizumab (Bev) in pts with advanced MSS/pMMR CRC (NCT05733611). Methods: Pts with a histologic diagnosis of unresectable and/or metastatic CRC, with documented MSS or pMMR status, and previously treated with up to 3 standard-of-care systemic regimens will be enrolled in the RP2 + Atezo + Bev or RP3 + Atezo + Bev treatment groups (30 pts per group). Further key inclusion criteria include Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 1 and adequate hepatic, renal, and hematologic function. RP2/RP3 will be injected into tumors by direct or image-guided injection. Pts will receive 8 total doses of up to 10 mL of RP2 or RP3, with a first dose concentration of 1 × 106 plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL, followed by 3 doses of 1 × 107 PFU/mL every 2 weeks, and then 4 doses of 1 × 107 PFU/mL every 3 weeks. Pts may receive a second course of up to 8 injections of RP2/RP3 if study criteria are met. Bev will be administered starting on week 1; Atezo will be administered starting week 7. The primary endpoint is objective response rate; secondary endpoints are safety, overall survival, progression-free survival, duration of response, and complete response rate. Antitumor activity will be evaluated using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 as modified for this study. Safety will be assessed by physical examination, clinical laboratory evaluations, vital signs, and monitoring for adverse events (AEs; including serious AEs). Clinical trial information: NCT05733611 .