Milhem, Mohammed

514 Background: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) senses single strand DNA damage and catalyzes repair mechanisms. PARP inhibitor (PARPi) suppresses PARP1 activity and promotes cell death in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutated cancers that are homologous recombination repair deficient (HRD) via a phenomenon known as “synthetic lethality”. Utility of PARPi in HRD-negative (HRDn) cancers remain uncertain, although in a preclinical study overexpression—but not endogenous levels—of BRCA2 in mouse hybridoma cells led to HRD and increased sensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents, suggesting potential sensitization to PARPi. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC), HRD mutations are rare and the role of PARPi remains investigational. In this study, PARP1 and BRCA1/2 expression and overall survival (OS) in high risk of recurrence localized clear cell-type renal carcinoma (hrr-ccRCC) were explored. Methods: Batch-corrected bulk mRNA profile (RNA Seq V2 RSEM) and clinical data of HRDn stages II grade 4-only (n = 4) and III (n = 100) ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas Pan-Cancer project were reviewed. Gene expression was classified “high” if mRNA level is higher than median, otherwise it was classified “low”. Survival analyses were Log-rank Kaplan-Meier. Group comparisons were two-tailed Mann-Whitney test. Results: In HRDn hrr-ccRCC (n = 104), BRCA1 and BRCA2 were upregulated by median fold change (mFC) of 1.6 and 3.7, respectively, whereas PARP1 was downregulated by mFC 0.8 compared to normal control (n = 72, all p < 0.0001). BRCA1 and BRCA2 levels were positively correlated (R 2 = 0.71). Median duration of follow-up for OS was 36.5 months (IQR 20.9-60.0). High BRCA2 (n = 54) was associated with superior OS compared to low BRCA2 (n = 50) with hazard ratio (HR) for death at 0.34 (95% CI 0.19-0.63, p = 0.0008). When high BRCA2 group was further stratified by PARP1 level, those with concomitant low PARP1 (n = 16) trended towards a superior OS compared to those with high PARP1 (n = 38) with HR 0.19 (95% CI 0.06-0.60, p = 0.067). Similarly, high BRCA1 (n = 53) was associated with superior OS compared to low BRCA1 (n = 51) with HR 0.53 (95% CI 0.29-0.96, p = 0.04). However, no differential OS was seen when high BRCA1 group was stratified by PARP1 level. No differential OS was seen when low BRCA1 or low BRCA2 groups were stratified by PARP1 level. Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis of HRDn hrr-ccRCC, high BRCA2 was associated with superior OS which was more pronounced with concomitant low PARP1 . High BRCA1 was also associated with superior OS, but PARP1 levels had no influence. The findings of this study may imply a potential therapeutic value of PARP1 suppression with PARPi by mimicking low PARP1 expression in treating HRDn hrr-ccRCC with BRCA2 overexpression. Further investigation is warranted.

Abstract Background Pembrolizumab is approved for advanced cutaneous melanoma (aCM). Cabozantinib, an oral multi‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated antitumor activity as monotherapy or in combination with anti‐PD‐1 therapy in malignancies. The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of cabozantinib and pembrolizumab for patients with aCM. Methods This phase 1b/2 study enrolled 28 patients with unresectable aCM. In phase 1b, escalating dose levels of cabozantinib (20 mg, 40 mg, and 60 mg) were administered concurrently with pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks using a 3 + 3 design to determine recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). In phase 2, patients received cabozantinib at RP2D in combination with pembrolizumab using a Simon 2 stage design. Primary end point of phase 2 was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included disease control rate, progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results Phase 1b enrolled eight patients, cabozantinib 40 mg daily dose level was selected as RP2D. Response rate in stage 1 exceeded predefined criteria for proceeding to expansion phase; however, phase 2 was terminated after 20 patients due to low accrual in the setting of evolving standard of care. Among all treated patients, the most common grade ≥3 toxicities were hypertension ( n = 10, 36%), hypokalemia ( n = 5, 18%), hypophosphatemia ( n = 4, 14%), and ALT elevation ( n = 4, 14%). Among 20 patients treated in phase 2, ORR was 45%, median PFS was 6.6 months, and median OS was 29.5 months. Conclusions Cabozantinib and pembrolizumab combination was explored in treatment‐naive aCM. Toxicity was consistent with known profiles, but discontinuation rates were notable.

Abstract Purpose: AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase related to oncogenic processes, is aberrantly expressed in various cancers and associated with treatment resistance. Enapotamab vedotin (EnaV), a novel anti-AXL human IgG1 and monomethyl auristatin E antibody–drug conjugate, demonstrated antitumor activity in preclinical models, including non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase 1/2 study assessed the safety and preliminary efficacy of EnaV in solid tumors. Patients and Methods: This study comprised dose-escalation and dose-expansion phases; both phases investigated EnaV once every 3 weeks (Q3W) and EnaV on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle (3Q4W). Primary objectives determined the maximum tolerated dose (dose escalation) and safety (dose expansion). Pharmacokinetic profile, antitumor activity, and AXL expression were also assessed. Results: During dose escalation, 32 patients received EnaV Q3W; 15 received EnaV 3Q4W. The maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase 2 dose were 2.2 mg/kg in Q3W and 1.0 mg/kg in 3Q4W schedules. In dose expansion, 189 patients received EnaV Q3W; 70 received EnaV 3Q4W. Common adverse events in dose expansion included fatigue, constipation, nausea, decreased appetite, and diarrhea. Overall response rates ranged from 4.5% to 12.5% with Q3W dose schedule and from 9.1% to 11.5% with 3Q4W dose schedule. Disease control rates for NSCLC cohorts were 40.9% to 50.0%. NSCLC subset analysis demonstrated correlation between radiomics signature and disease control. The relationship between clinical activity and AXL expression was not apparent. Conclusions: EnaV had an acceptable safety profile; however, because the evaluation of antitumor activity did not show clinically meaningful responses, clinical development of EnaV was discontinued. Significance: EnaV, an anti-AXL human IgG1 and monomethyl auristatin E antibody–drug conjugate, showed single-agent antitumor activity in preclinical models. This phase 1/2 study of EnaV demonstrated a manageable safety profile and antitumor activity in selected tumor types. Further studies exploring alternative targeting modalities, patient selection, and/or combinations are needed.

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients with meningiomas that have progressed after surgery and/or radiation have limited treatments. Loss of NF2 and CDKN2A/B are common in higher-grade meningiomas and promote meningioma progression. We evaluated the efficacy of abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor, as part of Alliance A071401, a genomically-driven phase II trial in recurrent or progressive meningiomas. METHODS Eligible patients (pts) with grade 2/3 tumors and NF2 mutations or CDK pathway alterations were treated with abemaciclib 200 mg orally twice daily. Two co-primary endpoints were used: progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6) and response rate (RR); the trial would be declared positive if either endpoint was met. Twenty-four evaluable pts provided ≥85% power to detect a PFS6 ≥41.5% (vs. null 15%; alpha=0.02), and ≥89% power to detect RR ≥20% (vs. null 2.5%; alpha=0.021). RESULTS Of 83 pts screened while the abemaciclib arm was open between September 15, 2021 and October 3, 2022, 36 eligible pts received abemaciclib. The observed PFS6 rate in the first 24 evaluable pts was 54% (95% CI 33-75%), thus the study met PFS6 endpoint. Of all 35 evaluable pts, median PFS was 7.6 months (95% CI 3.6-17.1 months), estimated 6-month PFS was 55% (95% CI 40-75%) and estimated 6-month OS was 88% (95% CI 77-100%). No objective responses were observed. Of the 36 pts who started treatment, two had a grade 4 adverse event at least possibly related to treatment which included ALT elevation(1), AST elevation(1) and vomiting(1). Patients with NF2 alterations (n=24) had favorable PFS6 outcomes (58%, 95% CI 37-78%) compared to those with CDK (n=4, 25%, 95% CI 1-81%) and CDK+NF2 alterations (n=7, 29% 95% CI 4-71%), (Fisher’s Exact p=0.036). CONCLUSIONS Abemaciclib was well-tolerated and resulted in improved PFS6, meeting the trial’s co-primary endpoint. Abemaciclib warrants further investigation for the treatment of patients with progressive meningiomas.

Background In this open-label, randomized, non-comparative, multicenter phase II study (Alliance A091401) we report on three expansion cohorts treated with nivolumab (N) with and without ipilimumab (N+I) and provide a multi-omic correlative analysis of actionable biomarkers. Methods Patients were randomized (non-comparative) to receive either N or N+I. The primary endpoint was a 6-month confirmed response rate (CRR) defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Secondary endpoints included treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), progression-free survival, and overall survival. Multi-omic correlative analyses were conducted using samples from both the primary and expansion cohorts. Results A total of 66 patients were evaluated for the primary endpoint with disease including gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST, n=18), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS, n=24), and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS, n=24). Neither N nor N+I achieved a complete or partial response in the GIST expansion cohort. In DDLPS and UPS, the primary response endpoint of CRR was met with N+I (both 16.6%, 2/12) but not with N alone (both 8.3%, 1/12). In the GIST cohort, TRAE was higher with N+I treatment, halting enrollment as required per protocol. In a correlative analysis of patients for the expansion cohort and the original cohort (n=86), traditional biomarkers of immunotherapy response were not correlated with response in any histological subtype. Markers of genomic instability including the presence of gene fusions and increased subclonal mutations correlated with improved clinical outcomes. Conclusions This expansion cohort reaffirms the outcomes of A091401. There remains a pressing need to determine the role of and predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy in sarcoma. Trial registration number NCT02500797.

2001 Background: Systemic treatments are limited for patients with meningiomas that have progressed after surgery and/or radiation. Loss of NF2and CDKN2A/Bare common in higher grade meningiomas and promote meningioma progression in preclinical models. We evaluated the efficacy of abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor, as part of Alliance umbrella trial A071401, a genomically driven phase II study in recurrent or progressive meningiomas. Methods: Eligible patients (pts) with grade 2/3 tumors and NF2 mutations or CDK pathway alterations were treated with abemaciclib 200 mg orally twice daily until progressive disease. Two co-primary endpoints were used: progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6) and response rate (RR) by Macdonald criteria; the trial would be declared positive if either endpoint was met. Twenty-four evaluable pts provided >85% power to detect a PFS6 >41.5% (vs. null 15%; alpha =0.02). The threshold for promising results for PFS6 was 8+/24 pts. For RR, 24 evaluable pts provided >89% power to detect RR >20% (vs. null 2.5%; alpha = 0.021). The threshold for promising results for RR was 3+/24 pts. Results: Of 83 pts screened while the abemaciclib arm was open between September 15, 2021 and October 3, 2022, 36 eligible pts received treatment. The mean number of treatment cycles administered was 7 and median follow-up since start of treatment was 11 months. The first 24 pts that met eligibility criteria and began treatment were considered evaluable for the primary endpoint analysis. Of the 24 pts evaluated, 58% were female and the median age was 62 years. The observed PFS6 rate was 54% (13/24 pts, 95% confidence interval 33-75%), thus the study met PFS6 endpoint. No objective responses were observed. Of the 36 pts who started treatment, eight had a grade 3 and two had a grade 4 adverse event at least possibly related to treatment. Grade 3 toxicities included anemia (2), neutropenia (2), leukopenia (1), blurry vision (1), diarrhea (2), fatigue (2), ALT elevation (1), dehydration (1), hyperkalemia (1), hyponatremia (1), dizziness (1), acute kidney injury (1), and thromboembolic event (1). Grade 4 toxicities included ALT elevation (1), AST elevation (1) and vomiting (1). Conclusions: Abemaciclib was well tolerated and resulted in an improved PFS6. The overall trial endpoint was met. Abemaciclib warrants further investigation for the treatment of patients with progressive grade 2/3 meningiomas. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882; UG1CA189867 (NRG Oncology); Eli Lilly; https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org . Clinical trial information: NCT02523014 .

11505 Background: Potentiation of chemotherapy, without increased toxicity, to improve outcome is an area of interest. Preclinical and clinical evidence shows simultaneous utilization of antiangiogenic agents and chemotherapy have a synergistic effect. We hypothesized that the dual targeting of VEGF and c-MET pathways with cabozantinib (CAB) would result in clinical benefit for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) when combined with temozolomide (TMZ), an alkylating agent. Utilization of CAB/TMZ is anticipated to produce a synergistic antitumor effect worthwhile to explore in STS. Methods: A multicenter phase II study of CAB/TMZ in patients with unresectable/metastatic leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and other STS was conducted by the Midwest Sarcoma Trials Partnership. Age ≥ 18, adequate performance status, organ function, measurable disease (RECIST 1.1), and 0-5 prior chemotherapy regimens were required. CAB 40 mg PO daily plus TMZ 150-200 mg/m2 PO 1-5 days were given in 28-day cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients enrolled in 2 cohorts: 1. Uterine and non-uterine LMS 2. Other STS. The first 14 subjects to be enrolled in the study in either cohort served as a safety lead in. The primary endpoint was progression-free rate (PFR) at 12 weeks for cohort 1. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate, median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and safety and tolerability. The exploratory endpoint was to estimate the correlation of PFR and OS to expression levels of VEGF, amongst others. A Simon 2-stage design was used. Results: A total of 42 patients were enrolled in Cohort 1, and 30 in Cohort 2, across 5 sites. For Cohort 1, median age was 59 years (range 35-86), 85.7% were non-Hispanic, 73.8% were female, 61.9% had ECOG of 0. The PFR at 12 weeks was 45.9% (for 37 evaluable patient) with a median PFS of 6.4 months (95% CI 4.6-6.7). Five PR were observed for an ORR of 13.5%. For Cohort 2, median age was 63 (20-86), 83.3% were non-Hispanic, 36.7% were female, 53.3% had ECOG of 0. The PFR at 12 weeks was 50% (for 28 evaluable patients) with a median PFS of 3.2 months (95% CI 1.4-4.6). One PR was observed. Reported grade 3-4 adverse events attributed to one or both intervention drugs affecting ≥10% of patients (n = 70) included hypertension (10%), decreased neutrophils (18.7%), decreased platelets (31%). Conclusions: The combination therapy of CAB/TMZ in patients with unresectable or metastatic LMS exceeded its primary endpoint with a PFR at 12 weeks > 39%. The PFS of 6.4 months in Cohort 1 exceeds rates achieved with second line tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and alkylators in LMS patients. Treatment was feasible and did not reveal any previously unreported toxicities. The combination with CAB with TMZ demonstrated meaningful clinical benefit and is worth further exploration in LMS. Clinical trial information: NCT04200443 .

Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) plus ipilimumab has demonstrated greater antitumor activity versus ipilimumab alone, without additional toxicity, in patients with advanced melanoma. Here, we report the 5-year outcomes from a randomized phase II study. These data provide the longest efficacy and safety follow-up for patients with melanoma treated with a combination of an oncolytic virus and a checkpoint inhibitor. Eligible patients with unresectable stage IIIB‒IV melanoma were randomized 1:1 to receive T-VEC plus ipilimumab or ipilimumab alone. T-VEC was administered intralesionally at 10 6 plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL in week 1, followed by 10 8 PFU/mL in week 4 and every 2 weeks thereafter. Ipilimumab (3 mg/kg every 3 weeks; ≤4 doses) was administered intravenously starting at week 1 in the ipilimumab arm and week 6 in the combination arm. The primary end point was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) per immune-related response criteria; key secondary end points included durable response rate (DRR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Overall, 198 patients were randomized to receive the combination (n=98) or ipilimumab (n=100). The combination improved the ORR versus ipilimumab (35.7% vs 16.0%; OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 5.7; p=0.003). DRR was 33.7% and 13.0% (unadjusted OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.7 to 7.0; descriptive p=0.001), respectively. Among the objective responders, the median DOR was 69.2 months (95% CI 38.5 to not estimable) with the combination and was not reached with ipilimumab. Median PFS was 13.5 months with the combination and 6.4 months with ipilimumab (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.09; descriptive p=0.14). Estimated 5-year OS was 54.7% (95% CI 43.9 to 64.2) in the combination arm and 48.4% (95% CI 37.9 to 58.1) in the ipilimumab arm. Forty-seven (48.0%) and 65 (65.0%) patients in the combination and ipilimumab arms, respectively, received subsequent therapies. No new safety signals were reported. At the 5-year follow-up, the improved response rates observed with T-VEC plus ipilimumab were durable. This is the first randomized controlled study of the combination of an oncolytic virus and a checkpoint inhibitor that meets its primary end point.Trial registration number: NCT01740297 .

Abstract Purpose: Mucosal melanoma is a rare, aggressive form of melanoma with extremely high recurrence rates despite definitive surgical resection with curative intent. Currently there is no consensus on adjuvant therapy. Data on checkpoint inhibitors for adjuvant therapy are lacking. Patients and Methods: We performed a single-arm, multicenter clinical trial using “flip dose” ipilimumab (1 mg/kg q3w × 4 cycles), and nivolumab (3 mg/kg q3w × 4 cycles), then nivolumab 480 mg q4w × 11 cycles to complete a year of adjuvant therapy. Participants must have had R0/R1 resection ≤90 days before registration, no prior systemic therapy (adjuvant radiotherapy allowed), ECOG 0/1, and no uncontrolled autoimmune disease or other invasive cancer. Patients were recruited through the Midwest Melanoma Partnership/Hoosier Oncology Network. Results: From September 2017 to August 2021, 35 patients were enrolled. Of these, 29 (83%) had R0 resections, and 7 (20%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. Median age was 67 years, 21 (60.0%) female. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates at 1 and 2 years were 50% [95% confidence interval (CI), 31%–66%] and 37% (95% CI, 19%–55%), respectively. Overall survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 87% (95% CI, 68%–95%) and 68% (95% CI, 46%–83%), respectively. Median RFS was 10.3 months (95% CI, 5.7–25.8). Most common grade 3 toxicities were diarrhea (14%), hypertension (14%), and hyponatremia (11%), with no grade 4/5 toxicities. Conclusions: Flip-dose ipilimumab and nivolumab after resection of mucosal melanoma is associated with outcomes improved over that of surgical resection alone. Long-term follow-up, subgroup analyses and correlative studies are ongoing.

The treatment of sarcoma necessitates a collaborative approach, given its rarity and complex management. At a single institution, multidisciplinary teams of specialists determine and execute treatment plans involving surgical, radiation, and medical management. Treatment guidelines for systemic therapies in advanced or nonresectable soft tissue sarcoma have advanced in recent years as new immunotherapies and targeted therapies become available. Collaboration between institutions is necessary to facilitate accrual to clinical trials. Here, we describe the success of the Midwest Sarcoma Trials Partnership (MWSTP) in creating a network encompassing large academic centers and local community sites. We propose a new model utilizing online platforms to expand the reach of clinical expertise for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma.