Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in adult Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma: results from the phase 2 ELARA trial.

BACKGROUND: Tisagenlecleucel yielded a high durable response rate in patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) in the global phase 2 ELARA trial. Here, we report the efficacy, safety, and cellular kinetics of tisagenlecleucel in a subgroup of Japanese patients with r/r FL from ELARA. METHODS: ELARA (NCT03568461) is a global single-arm trial of tisagenlecleucel in patients with r/r FL who received ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy. The primary endpoint was the complete response rate (CRR), and the secondary endpoints were the overall response rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, safety, and cellular kinetics. RESULTS: As of March 29, 2021, nine Japanese patients were enrolled and received tisagenlecleucel with a median follow-up of 13.6 months (range, 10.5‒19.3). Per independent review committee, CRR was 100% (95% CI 63.1‒100). Within 8 weeks of infusion, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of any grade was reported in 6 patients (66.7%); however, no grade ≥ 3 CRS or any grade serious neurological events or treatment-related deaths were observed. CONCLUSION: Tisagenlecleucel showed high efficacy and manageable safety in adult Japanese patients with r/r FL. Moreover, the clinical outcomes were similar to the global population, which supports the potential of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese patients with r/r FL.

Phase I study of the antiprogrammed cell death-1 Ab spartalizumab (PDR001) in Japanese patients with advanced malignancies.

Spartalizumab is a humanized IgG4/κ mAb directed against human programmed cell death-1 (PD-1). In this phase I study, we investigated safety, pharmacokinetics, preliminary antitumor activity, and toxicity of spartalizumab in patients with advanced malignancies. Patients (n = 18) with a range of tumor types received spartalizumab i.v. at doses of 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or discontinuation at the discretion of the investigator or patient. Most patients (61%) had received five or more prior lines of therapy. No dose-limiting toxicities were reported and, hence, the maximum tolerated dose was 10 mg/kg or more. Pharmacokinetics in Japanese patients aligned with those reported in a global dose-escalation study. The safety profile was consistent with other approved anti-PD-1 mAbs; the most common drug-related adverse events were maculopapular rash (22%), followed by malaise and increased blood alkaline phosphatase (11% each). Partial responses were reported in two patients (11%), one with transitional cell carcinoma and the other with hepatocellular carcinoma. In conclusion, this study confirmed the safety of spartalizumab given at a dose of up to 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks in Japanese patients with cancers.

Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese adult patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Tisagenlecleucel demonstrated a high rate of durable response in adult patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the pivotal global phase 2 JULIET study. Here, we report the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in the Japanese subgroup. METHODS: JULIET (NCT02445248) is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study involving adult patients with r/r DLBCL who either relapsed after or were ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant. Primary endpoint was best overall response rate (ORR; complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]) as judged by an independent review committee. RESULTS: In Japan, of 17 patients enrolled, 9 were infused with tisagenlecleucel and completed ≥ 3 months of follow-up. Best ORR was 77.8% (7/9; 95% confidence interval, 40.0-97.2), with 5 patients (55.6%) in CR and 2 (22.2%) in PR. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 6 patients (66.7%), with grade 3 CRS in 2 patients (Penn grading scale). Two patients received tocilizumab. Two deaths (22.2%) occurred more than 30 days after tisagenlecleucel infusion due to disease progression, neither of which were related to tisagenlecleucel. CONCLUSION: Tisagenlecleucel showed a high best ORR with a manageable safety profile, thus offering a new treatment option in selected Japanese patients with r/r DLBCL.

Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Tisagenlecleucel is an autologous T cell genetically modified ex vivo using a lentiviral vector encoding an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor. Here, we present the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in a subgroup of Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ELIANA was a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study. Patients were aged ≥ 3 years at screening to ≤ 21 years at the time of diagnosis, and had ≥ 5% lymphoblasts in bone marrow at screening. Primary endpoint was overall remission rate [ORR; complete remission (CR) + CR with incomplete blood recovery (CRi)] within 3 months after infusion. As of April 13, 2018, eight patients were enrolled and six had been infused. ORR was 66.7% (95% confidence interval 22.3-95.7); three patients achieved CR and one patient had CRi. All patients with CR/CRi were negative for minimal residual disease. One patient had CR/CRi lasting 19.5 + months. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological events occurred in 83% and 17% of patients, respectively. CRS resolved with anti-cytokine therapy and supportive care. Two deaths occurred due to disease progression. No cases of cerebral edema were observed. Tisagenlecleucel produced high remission rates and durable responses offering a new treatment option for Japanese pediatric and young adults with r/r B-ALL.

Phase II study of ceritinib in alectinib-pretreated patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer in Japan: ASCEND-9.

Clinical experience of ceritinib in patients who progressed on alectinib is limited. In this prospective phase II study, we evaluated the activity of ceritinib in alectinib-pretreated patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged metastatic (stage IIIB/IV) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Japan. All patients were required to have ≥1 measurable lesion per RECIST, 1.1, and a World Health Organization Performance Status (WHO PS) of 0-1. Prior crizotinib and/or up to 1 chemotherapy regimen was allowed. Primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1. Ceritinib was given at a dose of 750 mg/day fasted. A total of 20 patients were enrolled from August 2015 to March 2017. All patients received prior alectinib (100%), 13 (65.0%) patients received prior platinum-based chemotherapy, and 4 (20%) patients received prior crizotinib. Median duration of exposure and the follow-up time with ceritinib were 3.7 months (range: 0.4-15.1) and 11.6 months (range: 4.8-23.0), respectively. Investigator-assessed ORR was 25% (95% CI: 8.7-49.1). Key secondary endpoints, all investigator assessed, included disease control rate (70.0%; 95% CI: 45.7-88.1), time to response (median, 1.8 months; range: 1.8-2.0), and duration of response (median, 6.3 months; 95% CI: 3.5-9.2). Median progression-free survival was 3.7 months (95% CI: 1.9-5.3). The most common adverse events reported were diarrhea (85.0%), nausea (80.0%), and vomiting (65.0%). Based on our findings, ceritinib could be considered as one of the treatment options for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC who progressed on alectinib. (Trial registration no. NCT02450903).

Phase 3 study of ceritinib vs chemotherapy in ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients previously treated with chemotherapy and crizotinib (ASCEND-5): Japanese subset.

BACKGROUND: In the global, Phase 3, ASCEND-5 study, ceritinib improved progression-free survival (PFS) vs chemotherapy in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously progressed on crizotinib and platinum-based chemotherapy. Here, we report efficacy and safety in a subset of Japanese patients from the ASCEND-5 study. METHODS: Patients with advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC received oral ceritinib 750 mg/day or chemotherapy (intravenous pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 [investigator's choice], every 21 days). RESULTS: Among the 231 patients, 29 were Japanese, of which, 11 were treated with ceritinib and 18 were treated with chemotherapy (5 with pemetrexed and 13 with docetaxel). All the patients received prior crizotinib and one or two lines of prior chemotherapy for advanced disease. Median follow-up time was 16.6 months for ceritinib arm and 16.4 months for chemotherapy arm in the overall population. The median PFS by blinded independent review committee was 9.8 months (95% CI, 4.3-14.0) in ceritinib arm vs 1.6 months (95% CI, 1.4-3.0) in chemotherapy arm. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events, suspected to be study drug related, were reported in 36.4% of ceritinib arm and 72.2% of chemotherapy arm, respectively. No Grade 3 or 4 events of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting were reported in both the treatment arms. Adverse events leading to study drug discontinuation were reported in one patient in each arm: Grade 3 central-nervous system metastases in ceritinib-treated patient and Grade 3 febrile neutropenia in chemotherapy-treated patient. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with overall population, ceritinib demonstrated better efficacy compared with the standard second-line chemotherapy in Japanese patients with crizotinib-resistant ALK+ NSCLC. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01828112.

Ceritinib in patients with advanced, crizotinib-treated, anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged NSCLC: Japanese subset.

INTRODUCTION: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer is sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors; however, resistance can develop. Data are presented from the phase II trial (ASCEND-2) evaluating efficacy and safety in a subset of Japanese patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, who experienced disease progression on crizotinib. METHODS: Patients with advanced ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer, including those with asymptomatic or neurologically stable baseline brain metastases, received oral ceritinib 750 mg/day. Whole-body and intracranial responses were assessed by investigator and Blinded Independent Review Committee (RECIST v1.1). Safety and tolerability were also investigated. RESULTS: All 24 Japanese patients had received ≥2 previous treatment regimens, with crizotinib the last therapy received prior to ceritinib. Median duration of ceritinib exposure was 8.1 (range: 0.2-12.5) months. Overall response rate was 45.8% (95% confidence interval: 25.6-67.2). Other efficacy endpoints included disease control rate (79.2% [95% confidence interval: 57.8-92.9]), time to response (median 1.9 months [range: 1.7-3.5]), duration of response (median 9.2 months [95% confidence interval: 4.0-not estimable]) and progression-free survival (median 6.6 months [95% confidence interval: 3.7-9.3]). Of the four patients with active baseline target brain lesions, two achieved an intracranial partial response (50%). The most commonly reported adverse events (majority grade 1/2) were nausea (91.7%), diarrhea (83.3%) and vomiting (83.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the clinical activity and manageable tolerability of ceritinib in a Japanese subset of chemotherapy- and crizotinib-pretreated patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer who progressed on crizotinib, as was shown in the whole ASCEND-2 study population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01685060.

Phase I Study of Ceritinib (LDK378) in Japanese Patients with Advanced, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Rearranged Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer or Other Tumors.

INTRODUCTION: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is sensitive to ALK inhibitors, but resistance develops. This study assessed the maximum-tolerated dose, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and antitumor activity of ceritinib, a novel ALK inhibitor (ALKi), in Japanese patients with ALK-rearranged malignancies. METHODS: This phase I, multicenter, open-label study (NCT01634763) enrolled adult patients with ALK-rearranged (by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry) locally advanced/metastatic malignancy that had progressed despite standard therapy. The study comprised two parts: dose escalation and dose expansion. Ceritinib (single-dose) was administered orally in the 3-day PK run-in period, then once daily, in 21-day cycles. Adaptive dose escalations were guided by a Bayesian model. RESULTS: Twenty patients (80% with ALKi treatment history [ALKi-pretreated]; 19 NSCLC; one inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor) received ceritinib 300 to 750 mg (19 during dose escalation, one in dose expansion). Two dose-limiting toxicities occurred: grade 3 lipase increase (600 mg); grade 3 drug-induced liver injury (750 mg). The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal (nausea: 95%; diarrhea, vomiting: 75%). Ceritinib PK profile was dose proportional across 300 to 750 mg dosages; steady state was reached by day 15. Overall response rate was 55% (11 of 20 patients). Among patients with NSCLC, partial response was observed in two of four ALKi-naive patients, five of nine crizotinib-pretreated patients, two of four alectinib-pretreated patients, and one of two crizotinib and alectinib/ASP3026 pretreated patients. The ASP3026-pretreated inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor patient achieved partial response. CONCLUSIONS: Ceritinib maximum-tolerated dose was 750 mg once daily in Japanese patients. Antitumor activity was observed irrespective of prior ALKi treatment history. Dose expansion, examining the activity of ceritinib in alectinib-resistant patients, is ongoing.

Phase II study of the safety and efficacy of temsirolimus in East Asian patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Temsirolimus, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, is approved for treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in the USA and Europe. Temsirolimus was not yet evaluated in East Asian patients. METHODS: This non-randomized Phase II study enrolled 82 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma [20 (24%) Japanese, 30 (37%) Korean and 32 (39%) Chinese patients; median age (range): 55 (26-83) years]. Most (71%) received prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease; two-thirds were intermediate risk. Six Japanese patients received intravenous temsirolimus 20 mg/m(2) weekly for tolerability assessment (Group A); the remaining 76 received a 25 mg flat dose weekly (Group B). Temsirolimus was dosed once weekly. Primary efficacy end point was the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors-defined clinical benefit rate in the intent-to-treat population. RESULTS: In the entire population, regardless of treatment group, the clinical benefit rate was 48% (95% confidence interval: 36, 59). Objective response rate was 11% (95% confidence interval: 5, 20), median progression-free survival was 7.3 months (95% confidence interval: 4.0, 9.2) and median time to treatment failure was 5.4 months (95% confidence interval: 3.5, 7.4). No patient in Group A demonstrated dose-limiting toxicity. The most frequent Grade 3 or 4 drug-related adverse events were anemia, hyperglycemia, hypophosphatemia and stomatitis (5% each). Serious adverse events reported in ≥ 5% of patients were pneumonia (9%) and interstitial lung disease (7%). Temsirolimus and its major metabolite, sirolimus, were long-lived throughout the dosage interval, with no evidence of accumulation. CONCLUSION: Temsirolimus was well tolerated and showed promising activity in Japanese, Korean and Chinese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Phase I study of anti-CD22 immunoconjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin plus rituximab in relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (CMC-544), a humanized anti-CD22 antibody conjugated to the potent cytotoxic antibiotic calicheamicin, targets the CD22 antigen expressed on the majority of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. This phase I study assessed the tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of inotuzumab ozogamicin administered intravenously in combination with rituximab in Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Ten patients were administered rituximab 375 mg/m(2) followed by inotuzumab ozogamicin at the maximum tolerated dose (1.8 mg/m(2)). Treatment was repeated every 28 days up to eight cycles, or until occurrence of disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The safety profile was similar to that of inotuzumab ozogamicin monotherapy, with hematologic adverse events occurring most frequently. The most common grade three or higher adverse events were thrombocytopenia (70%), neutropenia (50%), leukopenia (30%), and lymphopenia (30%). The overall response rate was 80% (8/10; 95% CI, 44-98%). Drug exposure increased with successive doses, similar to the pharmacokinetic profiles observed in previous phase I monotherapy studies. Efficacy results suggested promising antitumor activity, and the overall findings support the continued clinical development of this therapeutic regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00724971.