Camrelizumab plus famitinib in previously chemo-immunotherapy treated patients with advanced NSCLC: results from an open-label multicenter phase 2 basket study.

BACKGROUND: The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents has been effective in treating multiple cancers. This was further explored in an open-label, multicenter phase 2 basket study (NCT04346381), which evaluated the antitumor activity and safety of camrelizumab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) plus famitinib (a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in patients with advanced solid tumors. We herein report the findings from the cohort of advanced NSCLC patients who progressed after treatment with platinum-doublet chemotherapy and immunotherapy. METHODS: Eligible patients were enrolled and treated with camrelizumab (200 mg once every 3 weeks via intravenous infusion) and oral famitinib (20 mg once daily). The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included the disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled in this cohort, with a median follow-up duration of 11.5 months. Three patients (7.5%) achieved a partial response, and 29 patients (72.5%) achieved stable disease. The ORR and DCR with this combination regimen were 7.5% (95% CI, 1.6-20.4) and 80.0% (95% CI, 64.4-90.9), respectively. The median DoR was 12.1 months (95% CI, 10.3-not reached). The median PFS was 5.4 months (95% CI, 4.1-7.5), and the median OS was 12.1 months (95% CI, 9.1-16.7). The estimated 12-month OS rate was 51.5% (95% CI, 34.9-65.9). The most frequent grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurring in more than 5% of patients included hypertension (27.5%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (10%), decreased neutrophil count (10%), and proteinuria (7.5%). CONCLUSION: Camrelizumab plus famitinib demonstrated favorable benefits in PFS and OS, along with manageable safety profiles, in patients with advanced NSCLC who progressed after platinum-doublet chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This finding warrants further exploration.

NTRK gene fusion testing and management in lung cancer.

Neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) gene fusions are recurrent oncogenic drivers found in a variety of solid tumours, including lung cancer. Several tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitors have been developed to treat tumours with NTRK gene fusions. Larotrectinib and entrectinib are first-generation TRK inhibitors that have demonstrated efficacy in patients with TRK fusion lung cancers. Genomic testing is recommended for all patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer for optimal drug therapy selection. Multiple testing methods can be employed to identify NTRK gene fusions in the clinic and each has its own advantages and limitations. Among these assays, RNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be considered a gold standard for detecting NTRK gene fusions; however, several alternatives with minimally acceptable sensitivity and specificity are also available in areas where widespread access to NGS is unfeasible. This review highlights the importance of testing for NTRK gene fusions in lung cancer, ideally using the gold-standard method of RNA-based NGS, the various assays that are available, and treatment algorithms for patients.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal metastatic CLDN4+ cancer cells underlying the recurrence of malignant pleural effusion in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent malignant pleural effusion (MPE) resulting from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is easily refractory to conventional therapeutics and lacks predictive markers. The cellular or genetic signatures of recurrent MPE still remain largely uncertain. METHODS: 16 NSCLC patients with pleural effusions were recruited, followed by corresponding treatments based on primary tumours. Non-recurrent or recurrent MPE was determined after 3-6 weeks of treatments. The status of MPE was verified by computer tomography (CT) and cytopathology, and the baseline pleural fluids were collected for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Samples were then integrated and profiled. Cellular communications and trajectories were inferred by bioinformatic algorithms. Comparative analysis was conducted and the results were further validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in a larger MPE cohort from the authors' centre (n = 64). RESULTS: The scRNA-seq revealed that 33 590 cells were annotated as 7 major cell types and further characterized into 14 cell clusters precisely. The cell cluster C1, classified as Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM)+ metastatic cancer cell and correlated with activation of tight junction and adherence junction, was significantly enriched in the recurrent MPE group, in which Claudin-4 (CLDN4) was identified. The subset cell cluster C3 of C1, which was enriched in recurrent MPE and demonstrated a phenotype of ameboidal-type cell migration, also showed a markedly higher expression of CLDN4. Meanwhile, the expression of CLDN4 was positively correlated with E74 Like ETS Transcription Factor 3 (ELF3), EpCAM and Tumour Associated Calcium Signal Transducer 2 (TACSTD2), independent of driver-gene status. CLDN4 was also found to be associated with the expression of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 Subunit Alpha (HIF1A) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), and the cell cluster C1 was the major mediator in cellular communication of VEGFA signalling. In the extensive MPE cohort, a notably increased expression of CLDN4 in cells from pleural effusion among patients diagnosed with recurrent MPE was observed, compared with the non-recurrent group, which was also associated with a trend towards worse overall survival (OS). CONCLUSIONS: CLDN4 could be considered as a predictive marker of recurrent MPE among patients with advanced NSCLC. Further validation for its clinical value in cohorts with larger sample size and in-depth mechanism studies on its biological function are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Osimertinib in combination with anti-angiogenesis therapy presents a promising option for osimertinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Osimertinib has become standard care for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whereas drug resistance remains inevitable. Now we recognize that the interactions between the tumor and the tumor microenvironment (TME) also account for drug resistance. Therefore, we provide a new sight into post-osimertinib management, focusing on the alteration of TME. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on the prognosis of different treatments after osimertinib resistance. Next, we carried out in vivo experiment to validate our findings using a humanized mouse model. Furthermore, we performed single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq) of tumor tissue from the above treatment groups to explore the mechanisms of TME changes. RESULTS: Totally 111 advanced NSCLC patients have been enrolled in the retrospective study. The median PFS was 9.84 months (95% CI 7.0-12.6 months) in the osimertinib plus anti-angiogenesis group, significantly longer than chemotherapy (P = 0.012) and osimertinib (P = 0.003). The median OS was 16.79 months (95% CI 14.97-18.61 months) in the osimertinib plus anti-angiogenesis group, significantly better than chemotherapy (P = 0.026), the chemotherapy plus osimertinib (P = 0.021), and the chemotherapy plus immunotherapy (P = 0.006). The efficacy of osimertinib plus anlotinib in the osimertinib-resistant engraft tumors (R-O+A) group was significantly more potent than the osimertinib (R-O) group (P<0.05) in vitro. The combinational therapy could significantly increase the infiltration of CD4+ T cells (P<0.05), CD25+CD4+ T cells (P<0.001), and PD-1+CD8+ T cells (P<0.05) compared to osimertinib. ScRNA-seq demonstrated that the number of CD8+ T and proliferation T cells increased, and TAM.mo was downregulated in the R-O+A group compared to the R-O group. Subtype study of T cells explained that the changes caused by combination treatment were mainly related to cytotoxic T cells. Subtype study of macrophages showed that proportion and functional changes in IL-1ß.mo and CCL18.mo might be responsible for rescue osimertinib resistance by combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, osimertinib plus anlotinib could improve the prognosis of patients with a progressed disease on second-line osimertinib treatment, which may ascribe to increased T cell infiltration and TAM remodeling via VEGF-VEGFR blockage.

Paclitaxel therapeutic drug monitoring - International association of therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical toxicology recommendations.

Paclitaxel, one of the most frequently used anticancer drugs, is dosed by body surface area, which leads to substantial inter-individual variability in systemic drug exposure. We evaluated clinical evidence regarding the scientific rationale and clinical benefit of individualized paclitaxel dosing based on measured systemic concentrations, known as therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). In retrospective studies, higher systemic exposure is associated with greater toxicity and efficacy of paclitaxel treatment across several disease types and dosing regimens. In prospective trials, TDM reduces variability in systemic exposure, and has been demonstrated to reduce toxicity while retaining treatment efficacy for 3-weekly dosing in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Despite the demonstrated benefits of paclitaxel TDM, clinical adoption has been limited due to the challenges with sample collection and analysis. Based on our review, we strongly recommend TDM for patients receiving every 3-week paclitaxel in combination with a platinum agent for advanced NSCLC, due to the prospectively demonstrated clinical benefits, and find moderate evidence to recommend TDM for paclitaxel 3-hour infusions for other tumor types and preliminary evidence suggesting potential usefulness for paclitaxel administered by 1-hour infusions.

Induction immunochemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of induction immunochemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). We identified unresectable stage III NSCLC patients who received induction immunochemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were the primary endpoints. From February 2019 to August 2022, 158 patients were enrolled. Following the completion of induction immunochemotherapy, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 52.5% and 83.5%, respectively. The ORR of CRT was 73.5%, representing 68.4% of the total cohort. The median PFS was 17.8 months, and the median OS was 41.9 months, significantly higher than in patients who received CRT alone (p < 0.001). Patients with concurrent CRT demonstrated markedly improved PFS (p = 0.012) and OS (p = 0.017) than those undergoing sequential CRT. Additionally, those with a programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression of 50% or higher showed significantly elevated ORRs (72.2% vs. 47.2%, p = 0.011) and superior OS (median 44.8 vs. 28.6 months, p = 0.004) compared to patients with PD-L1 expression below 50%. Hematologic toxicities were the primary severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) encountered, with no unforeseen treatment-related toxicities. Thus, induction immunochemotherapy followed by definitive CRT demonstrated encouraging efficacy and tolerable toxicities for unresectable LA-NSCLC.

Identifying optimal ALK inhibitors in first- and second-line treatment of patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy, safety and effects on quality of life of different ALK-inhibitors for global and Asian patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The included RCTs were identified through a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials.gov, and major cancer conferences. The assessment of progression-free survival (PFS), intracranial PFS, overall survival (OS), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) was carried out using restricted mean survival time (RMST) model, fractional polynomial model and Royston-Parmar model. Time-invariant hazard ratio (HR) models were also used to validate and supplement the primary analysis. Objective response rate (ORR) and adverse events with any grade, grade 3-5 were assessed through a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary measures for OS, PFS, and PROs were HR and RMST. The odds ratio was the metric for evaluating safety, ORR, 12-month PFS rate, 24-month OS rate, and the 12-month non-deterioration rate of PROs. Subgroup analyses based on patient characteristics were performed. RESULTS: A total of fourteen studies (ten for first-line, four for second-line) consisting of nine treatments (chemotherapy, crizotinib, alectinib [600mg BID], low-dose alectinib [300mg BID], brigatinib, ceritinib, ensartinib, envonalkib, and lorlatinib) were included. In the first-line setting, alectinib showed a significant advantage over crizotinib and had the longest OS among all ALK-inhibitors. Compared to crizotinib, lorlatinib had the best efficacy regarding PFS for global patients, followed closely by alectinib and brigatinib. For Asian patients, alectinib significantly improved PFS compared to other treatments. In second-line, alectinib had the highest PFS for patients pretreated with crizotinib, followed by brigatinib, ceritinib and chemotherapy. Alectinib, irrespective of the dose, was the safest first-line option, whereas lorlatinib, brigatinib, and ceritinib showed poorer safety profiles. Alectinib was also the safest ALK-inhibitor for crizotinib-resistant patients. Brigatinib had the best performance in terms of PROs. CONCLUSIONS: Considering both efficacy and safety, alectinib appears to be the preferable treatment in first-line and second-line, particularly for Asian patients.

Canakinumab in combination with docetaxel compared with docetaxel alone for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer following platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and immunotherapy (CANOPY-2): A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

OBJECTIVES: Canakinumab, an interleukin-1 beta inhibitor, previously showed reduced lung cancer incidence and mortality (CANTOS). Here, we compare the efficacy/safety of canakinumab versus placebo in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had progressed after platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (PDC) and immunotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CANOPY-2, a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial, enrolled adult patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC, without EGFR or ALK alterations, who had received one prior PDC regimen and one prior programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitor and experienced subsequent disease progression. Patients were randomized to canakinumab plus docetaxel or placebo plus docetaxel. RESULTS: A total of 237 patients were randomly allocated: 120 (51 %) to canakinumab and 117 (49 %) to placebo, stratified by histology and prior lines of therapy. Three patients in the placebo arm did not receive study treatment. The trial did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival: median 10.6 months (95 % confidence interval [CI], 8.2-12.4) for the canakinumab arm and 11.3 months (95 % CI, 8.5-13.8) for the placebo arm (hazard ratio, 1.06 [95 % CI, 0.76-1.48]; one-sided P-value = 0.633). AEs (any grade) were reported in 95 % of patients in the canakinumab group and in 98 % of patients in the placebo group. Grade 3-4 AEs were experienced by 62 % and 64 % of patients in the canakinumab and placebo groups, respectively, and grade 5 AEs were experienced by 8 % and 5 %. Prespecified, post-hoc subgroup analyses showed that patients with undetected circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and/or lower levels (< 10 mg/L) of C-reactive protein (CRP) achieved longer progression-free and overall survival than those with detected ctDNA or higher (≥ 10 mg/L) CRP levels. There was no association with treatment arm. CONCLUSION: Adding canakinumab to docetaxel did not provide additional benefit for patients with advanced NSCLC who had progressed after PDC and immunotherapy. CLINICAL REGISTRATION: NCT03626545.

First-line treatment with camrelizumab plus famitinib in advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥1%: results from a multicenter, open-label, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: The combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents can synergistically modulate the tumor microenvironment and represents a promising treatment option. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus famitinib (a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) as a first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients with a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) of ≥1%, in an open-label, multicenter, phase 2 basket trial. METHODS: Eligible patients received camrelizumab (200 mg once every 3 weeks via intravenous infusion) plus oral famitinib at an initial dose of 20 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), as assessed by the investigator per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1. Key secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), duration of respons, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 12-month OS rate, and safety profile. RESULTS: Of the enrolled 41 patients, 21 (51.2%) had a PD-L1 TPS of 1-49%. As of the cut-off date on June 22, 2022, the combination regimen of camrelizumab and famitinib achieved an ORR of 53.7% (95% CI 37.4% to 69.3%) and a DCR of 92.7% (95% CI 80.1% to 98.5%). The median PFS was 16.6 months (95% CI 8.3 to not reached), and OS data were not yet mature, with an estimated 12-month OS rate of 76.8% (95% CI 60.0% to 87.3%). The most common treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher included hypertension (22.0%), increased alanine aminotransferase (12.2%), decreased neutrophil count (9.8%), proteinuria (7.3%), decrease platelet count (7.3%), and hypokalemia (7.3%). One (2.4%) patient died from grade 5 hemoptysis, which was considered possibly related to the study treatment by the investigator. CONCLUSION: Camrelizumab plus famitinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity in advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients and had an acceptable safety profile. These findings suggest that this combination regimen could be an alternative therapeutic option and warrant further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04346381.

In-depth proteomic analysis identifies key gene signatures predicting therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Immunotherapy has opened up a new era of individualized treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with negative driver gene mutations. Anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies have been the main options for immunotherapy over the past decade. Screening for predictive markers of anti-PD-1/PD-L1-responsive patients remains a focus in the field of immunotherapy, especially on the protein level in which relevant proteomic biomarkers are still lacking. Methods: We collected samples from 23 patients with NSCLC who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy and were followed up for three years. The proteomic profile of the tumor was obtained by mass spectrometry (MS). Meanwhile, we combined the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of 27 patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in a previous study to establish an integrated gene network. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and elastic network were implemented to screen the top gene modules for predicting treatment-responsive patients. Gene expression related mutational patterns were also retrieved for validation in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) cohort. Results: Our results showed the gene expression profile of MOXD1, PHAF1, KRT7, ANKRD30A, TMEM184A, KIR3DL1, and KCNK4 could better predict the durable response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, with the specificity and sensitivity of 0.76 and 0.6, respectively. Besides, the mutational gene profile associated with these genes also suggested an association with favorable response in the MSKCC cohort. Patient-specific protein-protein interaction (PPI) network also indicated strong correlation among KRT7, TMEM184A and ANKRD30A. Conclusions: Our study indicated that key gene signatures identified by machine learning model could be utilized for clinical screening of patients who might benefit from anti-PD-1 therapy. Further mechanistic investigations around these genes are warranted.

A global phase 3 study of serplulimab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (ASTRUM-004).

Combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy can provide improved survival in advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without targetable gene alterations. 537 previously untreated patients with stage IIIB/IIIC or IV squamous NSCLC without targetable gene alterations were enrolled and randomized (2:1) to receive serplulimab 4.5 mg/kg or placebo, both in combination with nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin, intravenously in 3-week cycles. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) was met at the first interim analysis. At the second interim analysis, PFS benefit was maintained in serplulimab-chemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.67). At the final analysis, serplulimab-chemotherapy significantly improved median OS compared to placebo-chemotherapy (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.93; p = 0.010). Grade ≥3 serplulimab or placebo-related adverse events occurred in 126 (35.2%) and 58 (32.4%) patients, respectively. Our results demonstrate that adding serplulimab to chemotherapy significantly improves survival in advanced squamous NSCLC patients, with manageable safety.

Targeting focal adhesion kinase boosts immune response in KRAS/LKB1 co-mutated lung adenocarcinoma via remodeling the tumor microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: KRAS mutation is one of the most common oncogenic drivers in NSCLC, however, the response to immunotherapy is heterogeneous owing to the distinct co-occurring genomic alterations. KRAS/LKB1 co-mutated lung adenocarcinoma displays poor response to PD-1 blockade whereas the mechanism remains undetermined. METHODS: We explored the specific characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME) in KL tumors using syngeneic KRASG12DLKB1-/- (KL) and KRASG12DTP53-/- (KP) lung cancer mouse models. The impact of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor on KL lung tumors was investigated in vitro and in vivo through evaluation of both KL cell lines and KL lung cancer mouse models. RESULTS: We identified KL tumors as "immune-cold" tumors with excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen deposition that formed a physical barrier to block the infiltration of CD8+T cells. Mechanistically, abundant activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) resulted from FAK activation contributed to the formation of the unique TME of KL tumors. FAK inhibition with a small molecular inhibitor could remodel the TME by inhibiting CAFs activation, decreasing collagen deposition and further facilitating the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells, including CD8+ T cells, DC cells and M1-like macrophages into tumors, hence, converting "immune-cold" KL tumors into "immune-hot" tumors. The combined FAK inhibitor and PD-1 blockade therapy synergistically retarded primary and metastatic tumor growth of KL tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified FAK as a promising intervention target for KL tumors and provided basis for the combination of FAK inhibitor with PD-1 blockade in the management of KL lung cancers.

Impact of lymphadenectomy extent on immunotherapy efficacy in postresectional recurred non-small cell lung cancer: a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node (LN) dissection is a common procedure for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to ascertain disease severity and treatment options. However, murine studies have indicated that excising tumor-draining LNs diminished immunotherapy effectiveness, though its applicability to clinical patients remains uncertain. Hence, the authors aim to illustrate the immunological implications of LN dissection by analyzing the impact of dissected LN (DLN) count on immunotherapy efficacy, and to propose a novel 'immunotherapy-driven' LN dissection strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of NSCLC patients underwent anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for recurrence between 2018 and 2020, assessing outcomes based on DLN count stratification. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included, of whom 59 had a DLN count less than or equal to 16 (median, IQR: 11, 7-13); 66 had a DLN count greater than 16 (median, IQR: 23, 19-29). With a median follow-up time of 14.3 months (95% CI: 11.0-17.6), the overall median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.9 (95% CI: 4.1-11.7) months, 11.7 (95% CI: 7.9-15.6) months in the combination therapy subgroup, and 4.8 (95% CI: 3.1-6.4) months in the immunotherapy alone subgroup, respectively. In multivariable Cox analysis, DLN count less than or equal to 16 is associated with an improved PFS in all cohorts [primary cohort: HR=0.26 (95% CI: 0.07-0.89), P =0.03]; [validation cohort: HR=0.46 (95% CI: 0.22-0.96), P =0.04]; [entire cohort: HR=0.53 (95% CI: 0.32-0.89), P =0.02]. The prognostic benefit of DLN count less than or equal to 16 was more significant in immunotherapy alone, no adjuvant treatment, pN1, female, and squamous carcinoma subgroups. A higher level of CD8+ central memory T cell (Tcm) within LNs was associated with improved PFS (HR: 0.235, 95% CI: 0.065-0.845, P =0.027). CONCLUSIONS: An elevated DLN count (cutoff: 16) was associated with poorer immunotherapy efficacy in recurrent NSCLC, especially pronounced in the immunotherapy alone subgroup. CD8+Tcm proportions in LNs may also impact immunotherapy efficacy. Therefore, for patients planned for adjuvant immunotherapy, a precise rather than expanded lymphadenectomy strategy to preserve immune-depending LNs is recommended.

A Phase 1b Study of Ivonescimab, a Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Bispecific Antibody, as First- or Second-Line Therapy for Advanced or Metastatic Immunotherapy-Naive NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: This study (HARMONi-5) aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ivonescimab (a bispecific antibody against programmed cell death protein 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) as first- or second-line monotherapy in patients with advanced immunotherapy-naive NSCLC. METHODS: Eligible patients received intravenous ivonescimab 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W), 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W), 20 mg/kg Q3W, or 30 mg/kg Q3W. The primary end points were safety and objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. RESULTS: At data cutoff (October 5, 2022), 108 patients were enrolled and received ivonescimab. Programmed death ligand-1 tumor proportion score (TPS) was greater than or equal to 1% in 74 patients (68.5%), including 35 (32.4%) with TPS greater than or equal to 50%. The median follow-up was 10.4 months (range: 8.4-10.9 mo). For all patients, ORR and disease control rate were 39.8% and 86.1%, respectively. ORR by TPS was 14.7%, 51.4%, and 57.1% in patients with TPS less than 1%, greater than or equal to 1%, and greater than or equal to 50%, respectively. In the 67 programmed death ligand-1-positive patients receiving first-line ivonescimab, the ORR was 33.3%, 52.6%, 60.0%, and 75.0% at the doses of 10 mg/kg Q3W, 20 mg/kg Q2W, 20 mg/kg Q3W, and 30 mg/kg Q3W, respectively. Grade greater than or equal to 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were observed in 24 patients (22.2%). TRAEs leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in one patient (0.9%). TRAEs leading to death occurred in three patients (2.8%) with squamous NSCLC. The occurrence of grade greater than or equal to 3 TRAEs and grade greater than or equal to 3 bleeding events in squamous versus nonsquamous NSCLC patients was 25.5% versus 18.9% and 0.0% versus 1.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ivonescimab monotherapy was well tolerated and found to have a promising efficacy in patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT04900363.

Comparison of the somatic genomic landscape between central- and peripheral-type non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer is classified into central and peripheral types based on the anatomic location. The present study aimed to explore the distinct patterns of genomic alterations between central- and peripheral-type non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with negative driver genes and identify potential driver genes and biomarkers to improve therapy strategies for NSCLC. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed with 182 tumor/control pairs of samples from 145 Chinese NSCLC patients without EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 alterations. Significantly mutated genes (SMGs) and somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) were identified. Subsequently, tumor mutation burden (TMB), weighted genome integrity index (wGII), copy number alteration (CNA) burden, Shannon diversity index (SDI), intratumor heterogeneity (ITH), neoantigen load (NAL), and clonal variations were evaluated in central- and peripheral-type NSCLCs. Furthermore, mutational signature analysis and survival analysis were performed. RESULTS: TP53 was the most frequently mutated gene in NSCLC and more frequently mutated in central-type NSCLC. Higher wGII, ITH, and SDI were found in central-type lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) than in peripheral-type LUAD. The NAL of central-type lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) with stage III/IV was significantly higher than that of peripheral-type LUSC. Mutational signature analysis revealed that SBS10b, SBS24, and ID7 were significantly different in central- and peripheral-type NSCLCs. Furthermore, central-type NSCLC was found to evolve at a higher level with fewer clones and more subclones, particularly in central-type LUSC. Survival analysis revealed that TMB, CNA burden, NAL, subclonal driver mutations, and subclonal mutations were negatively related to the overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival (PFS) of central-type LUAD. CONCLUSIONS: Central-type NSCLC tended to evolve at a higher level and might suggest a favorable response to immunotherapy. Our study also identified several potential driver genes and promising biomarkers for the prognosis and prediction of chemotherapy responses in NSCLC.

Recent advances in immunotherapy for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality in China, and nonsmall cell lung cancer is a common form of lung cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy, the treatment of lung cancer has now fully entered the era of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy-based treatment has become one of the standard treatments for lung cancer. Immunotherapy has also gradually moved from the back line to the front line, from advanced to early patients. This article focuses on the latest developments in perioperative and advanced lung cancer immunotherapy, discusses the problems and challenges at the current stage, and explores new directions for future development.