Afatinib alone or afatinib plus vinorelbine versus investigator's choice of treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer with progressive brain metastases after trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both (LUX-Breast 3): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer frequently develop CNS metastases. The metastases that progress after brain radiotherapy and HER2-targeted systemic therapy are a difficult therapeutic challenge. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of afatinib, an irreversible blocker of the ErbB protein family, alone or combined with vinorelbine, compared with treatment of the investigator's choice in women with HER2-positive breast cancer with progressive brain metastases during or after treatment with trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both. METHODS: We did this randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 2 trial in 40 hospitals in Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea, and the USA. Women older than 18 years with histologically confirmed HER2-overexpressing breast cancer and CNS recurrence or progression as determined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST version 1.1) during or after treatment with trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both, were eligible. We randomly assigned patients (1:1:1) centrally to afatinib 40 mg orally once per day, afatinib 40 mg per day plus intravenous vinorelbine 25 mg/m(2) once per week, or investigator's choice of treatment in cycles of 3 weeks until disease progression, patient withdrawal, or unacceptable toxicity. Treatment assignment was not masked for clinicians or patients, but the trial team was masked until database lock to reduce bias. The primary endpoint, assessed in the intention-to-treat population, was patient benefit at 12 weeks, defined by an absence of CNS or extra-CNS disease progression, no tumour-related worsening of neurological signs or symptoms, and no increase in corticosteroid dose. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of a study drug. This completed trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01441596. FINDINGS: Between Dec 22, 2011, and Feb 12, 2013, we screened 132 patients, of whom 121 were eligible and randomly assigned to treatment: 40 to afatinib alone, 38 to afatinib plus vinorelbine, and 43 to investigator's choice. All patients discontinued study treatment before the data collection cutoff on Oct 16, 2014. Patient benefit was achieved in 12 (30·0%; 95% CI 16·6-46·5) patients given afatinib alone (difference vs investigator's choice: -11·9% [95% CI -32·9 to 9·7], p=0·37), 13 (34·2%; 19·6-51·4) given afatinib plus vinorelbine (difference vs investigator's choice: -7·6% [-28·9 to 14·2], p=0·63), and 18 (41·9%; 27·0-57·9) given investigator's choice. The most common treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were diarrhoea (seven [18%] of 40 patients in the afatinib only group vs nine [24%] of 37 patients in the afatinib plus vinorelbine group vs two [5%] of 42 patients in the investigator's choice group) and neutropenia (none vs 14 [38%] vs four [10%]). INTERPRETATION: Patient benefit with afatinib-containing treatments was not different from that in patients given investigator's choice of treatments; however, adverse events were frequent and afatinib-containing treatments seemed to be less well tolerated. No further development of afatinib for HER2-positive breast cancer is currently planned. FUNDING: Boehringer Ingelheim.

Phase I study of afatinib combined with nintedanib in patients with advanced solid tumours.

BACKGROUND: This Phase I study evaluated continuous- and intermittent-dosing (every other week) of afatinib plus nintedanib in patients with advanced solid tumours. METHODS: In the dose-escalation phase (n=45), maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) were determined for continuous/intermittent afatinib 10, 20, 30 or 40 mg once daily plus continuous nintedanib 150 or 200 mg twice daily. Secondary objectives included safety and efficacy. Clinical activity of continuous afatinib plus nintedanib at the MTD was further evaluated in an expansion phase (n=25). RESULTS: The most frequent dose-limiting toxicities were diarrhoea (11%) and transaminase elevations (7%). Maximum tolerated doses were afatinib 30 mg continuously plus nintedanib 150 mg, and afatinib 40 mg intermittently plus nintedanib 150 mg. Treatment-related adverse events (mostly Grade⩽3) included diarrhoea (98%), asthenia (64%), nausea (62%) and vomiting (60%). In the dose-escalation phase, two patients had partial responses (PRs) and 27 (60%) had stable disease (SD). In the expansion phase, one complete response and three PRs were observed (all non-small cell lung cancer), with SD in 13 (52%) patients. No pharmacokinetic interactions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MTDs of continuous or intermittent afatinib plus nintedanib demonstrated a manageable safety profile with proactive management of diarrhoea. Antitumour activity was observed in patients with solid tumours.

A Phase I dose-escalation study of afatinib combined with nintedanib in patients with advanced solid tumors.

AIMS: To evaluate the safety and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of afatinib combined with nintedanib. MATERIALS & METHODS: Patients received afatinib 10-20 mg daily plus nintedanib 150-200 mg twice daily (28-day cycle). Dose escalation followed a 3+3 design. RESULTS: Patients received afatinib/nintedanib: 10/150 mg (n = 11); 10/200 mg (n = 13; MTD); 20/200 mg (n = 4). Four patients had dose-limiting toxicities (all grade 3): increased alanine aminotransferase (afatinib/nintedanib: 10/150 mg), diarrhea (10/200 mg), dehydration (20/200 mg), diarrhea with elevated liver enzymes (20/200 mg). Frequent treatment-related adverse events were diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, fatigue and vomiting. In total, 14 patients (46.2%) had objective responses at the MTD. CONCLUSION: The MTD, afatinib 10 mg daily plus nintedanib 200 mg twice daily, had a manageable safety profile, but was considered subtherapeutic for Phase II evaluation.

A Phase I, open-label, dose-escalation study of continuous once-daily oral treatment with afatinib in patients with advanced solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: This trial evaluated the safety, tolerability and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of afatinib, a novel ErbB Family Blocker. METHODS: In this open-label, dose-escalation Phase I study, afatinib was administered continuously, orally, once-daily for 28 days to patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Dose escalation was performed in a 3 + 3 design, with a starting dose of 10 mg/day (d); doses were doubled for each successive cohort until the MTD was defined. The MTD cohort was expanded to a total of 19 patients. Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs), antitumor activity and pharmacokinetics were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty patients received at least one dose of afatinib. Twenty-nine patients were evaluable for response. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) consisting of Grade 3 diarrhea were observed in two out of three patients treated at 60 mg/d. The MTD was determined at 40 mg/d. The most frequent treatment-related AEs were diarrhea and mucosal inflammation reported in 76.7% and 43.3% of patients respectively. Five patients had stable disease with a median progression-free survival of 111 days. No objective responses occurred. Pharmacokinetic data showed no deviation from dose-proportionality and steady-state was reached on Day 8 at the latest. CONCLUSIONS: Afatinib was well tolerated with manageable side effects when administered once-daily, continuously at a dose of 40 mg.

A Phase I, open-label, dose escalation study of afatinib, in a 3-week-on/1-week-off schedule in patients with advanced solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: A Phase I study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics of afatinib (BIBW 2992), a novel irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, administered orally once daily in a 3-week-on/1-week-off dosing schedule. METHODS: Patients with advanced solid tumors received single-agent afatinib at 10, 20, 40, 55 or 65 mg/day. Safety, antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic modulation of biomarkers were assessed. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were enrolled. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) occurred in five patients in the dose escalation phase (1/8 at 40 mg/day; 1/6 at 55 mg/day; 3/6 at 65 mg/day). The MTD was established at 55 mg/day. In the expansion cohort at the MTD, 6 patients experienced a DLT in the first 28-day treatment period. The most frequent DLT was diarrhea. The most common adverse events were diarrhea, rash, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Overall, the afatinib safety profile in a 3-week-on/1-week-off dose schedule was similar to that of our daily-continuous schedule. Afatinib displayed dose-dependent pharmacokinetics at doses up to and including 55 mg/day, with a terminal half-life suitable for once-daily dosing. Signs of clinical antitumor activity were observed. In biopsies taken from clinically normal forearm skin, afatinib caused a reduced proliferation rate, with a concomitant increase in differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes. CONCLUSION: Afatinib in a 3-week-on/1-week-off schedule showed a good safety profile. The MTD was 55 mg/day, although excess DLTs in the expansion cohort indicated that the 40 mg/day dose would have an acceptable safety profile for future studies. Dose cohorts between 40 and 55 mg/day were not examined in this study.

Phase I dose-escalation study of afatinib, an ErbB family blocker, plus docetaxel in patients with advanced cancer.

AIMS: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety and anti-tumor activity of afatinib combined with docetaxel in advanced cancer. PATIENTS & METHODS: The MTD was determined from dose-limiting toxicities in the first cycle. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients received 10, 20 and 30 mg oral afatinib, plus 60 and 75 mg/m(2) intravenous docetaxel (six cohorts; 3-week cycles). The MTD of afatinib was 20 mg/day (days 2-21) with 75 mg/m(2) docetaxel (day 1). Dose-limiting toxicities were grade 3/4 diarrhea (n = 3) and febrile neutropenia (n = 6). Most frequently occurring adverse events were diarrhea, neutropenia and rash. Disease stabilization occurred in 14 patients. CONCLUSION: Afatinib 20 mg/day plus docetaxel was suboptimal and the study could not yield Phase II dose recommendations. The combination resulted in a manageable safety profile.

A Phase 1 Study of mTORC1/2 Inhibitor BI 860585 as a Single Agent or with Exemestane or Paclitaxel in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors.

This phase 1 trial (NCT01938846) determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the mTOR serine/threonine kinase inhibitor, BI 860585, as monotherapy and with exemestane or paclitaxel in patients with advanced solid tumors. This 3+3 dose-escalation study assessed BI 860585 monotherapy (5-300 mg/day; Arm A), BI 860585 (40-220 mg/day; Arm B) with 25 mg/day exemestane, and BI 860585 (80-220 mg/day; Arm C) with 60-80 mg/m2/week paclitaxel, in 28-day cycles. Primary endpoints were the number of patients with dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) in cycle 1 and the MTD. Forty-one, 25, and 24 patients were treated (Arms A, B, and C). DLTs were observed in four (rash (n = 2), elevated alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase, diarrhea), four (rash (n = 3), stomatitis, and increased gamma-glutamyl transferase), and two (diarrhea, increased blood creatine phosphokinase) patients in cycle 1. The BI 860585 MTD was 220 mg/day (Arm A) and 160 mg/day (Arms B and C). Nine patients achieved an objective response (Arm B: Four partial responses (PRs); Arm C: Four PRs; one complete response). The disease control rate was 20%, 28%, and 58% (Arms A, B, and C). The most frequent treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were hyperglycemia (54%) and diarrhea (39%) (Arm A); diarrhea (40%) and stomatitis (40%) (Arm B); fatigue (58%) and diarrhea (58%) (Arm C). The MTD was determined in all arms. Antitumor activity was observed with BI 860585 monotherapy and in combination with exemestane or paclitaxel.

A phase 1b study of afatinib in combination with standard-dose cetuximab in patients with advanced solid tumours.

This phase 1b, open-label trial assessed the combination of afatinib, an ErbB family blocker, with cetuximab, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody, in heavily pretreated patients with unselected/EGFR wild-type, advanced solid tumours. In Part A, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of afatinib + cetuximab was evaluated using a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design; the starting dose was afatinib 30 mg/day plus cetuximab 250 mg/m2/week (after cetuximab 400 mg/m2 loading dose), escalating to afatinib 40 mg/day. Part B further evaluated safety and tolerability at the MTD and preliminary anti-tumour activity in three patient cohorts with squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and other solid tumours. Nine patients were treated in Part A; the MTD and recommended dose was determined as afatinib 40 mg/day plus cetuximab 250 mg/m2/week. In Part B, 49 patients were treated at the recommended dose (12 with squamous NSCLC, 15 with HNSCC and 22 with other tumours). The most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) across all 58 patients were diarrhoea (63.8%) and acneiform dermatitis (43.1%). Overall, the best confirmed response was stable disease (SD; 53.4%); mean duration of disease control was 4.5 months; median progression-free survival was 2.6 months. In Part B, 55.1% of patients had SD (squamous NSCLC, 75.0%; HNSCC, 66.7%; other tumours; 36.4%). In conclusion, the recommended phase 2 dose was determined as afatinib 40 mg/day plus cetuximab 250 mg/m2/week. AEs were predictable and manageable, and anti-tumour activity was observed in some patients, particularly in those with squamous NSCLC and HNSCC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02020577.

Oxaliplatin combined with 5-FU in second line treatment of advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Results of a phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and benefit of second-line chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma has never been demonstrated although it is regularly used. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized phase II study evaluating oxaliplatin alone (OXA), infusional 5-fluorouracil alone (5-FU) and an oxaliplatin/infusional 5-FU combination (OXFU) in untreated advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma has been conducted. In this trial, a second-line treatment with the OXFU regimen (OXA 130 mg/m2 2-h intravenous (i.v.) infusion combined with 5-FU (1000 mg/m2/day, continuous i.v., days 1-4), every 3 weeks) was offered to patients progressing after single agent treatment. RESULTS: Eighteen out of 32 patients (12 males, median age 57 years) treated in the single agent arms received the OXFU combination in second-line treatment. WHO performance status was at least 2 in 61% of the patients. There was no objective response and 3 patients (17%) had a disease stabilisation. Median time to progression from the start of second-line treatment was 0.9 months. Median overall survival was 4.9 months from the start of front-line therapy and 1.3 months from the start of second-line therapy. CONCLUSION: The results of this trial bring arguments to support a modest value of second-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.