Alectinib in Resected ALK-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the recommended adjuvant treatment for patients with resectable, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data on the efficacy and safety of adjuvant alectinib as compared with chemotherapy in patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a global, phase 3, open-label, randomized trial in which patients with completely resected, ALK-positive NSCLC of stage IB (tumors ≥4 cm), II, or IIIA (as classified according to the seventh edition of the Cancer Staging Manual of the American Joint Committee on Cancer and Union for International Cancer Control) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive oral alectinib (600 mg twice daily) for 24 months or intravenous platinum-based chemotherapy in four 21-day cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival, tested hierarchically among patients with stage II or IIIA disease and then in the intention-to-treat population. Other end points included central nervous system (CNS) disease-free survival, overall survival, and safety. RESULTS: In total, 257 patients were randomly assigned to receive alectinib (130 patients) or chemotherapy (127 patients). The percentage of patients alive and disease-free at 2 years was 93.8% in the alectinib group and 63.0% in the chemotherapy group among patients with stage II or IIIA disease (hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13 to 0.45; P<0.001) and 93.6% and 63.7%, respectively, in the intention-to-treat population (hazard ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.43; P<0.001). Alectinib was associated with a clinically meaningful benefit with respect to CNS disease-free survival as compared with chemotherapy (hazard ratio for CNS disease recurrence or death, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.58). Data for overall survival were immature. No unexpected safety findings were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC of stage IB, II, or IIIA, adjuvant alectinib significantly improved disease-free survival as compared with platinum-based chemotherapy. (Funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche; ALINA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03456076.).

Capmatinib in MET exon 14-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer: final results from the open-label, phase 2 GEOMETRY mono-1 trial.

BACKGROUND: Capmatinib has previously shown activity in treatment-naive and previously treated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a MET exon 14-skipping mutation (METex14). Here, we report the final outcomes from the phase 2 GEOMETRY mono-1 study with an aim to provide further evidence for the activity of capmatinib. METHODS: In this non-randomised, multi-cohort, open-label, phase 2 trial conducted in 152 centres and hospitals in 25 countries, with patients treated in 95 centres in 20 countries, eligible patients (aged ≥18 years) with MET-dysregulated, EGFR wild-type, and ALK rearrangement-negative advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB/IV) and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were assigned to cohorts (1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6 and 7) based on their MET status (METex14 or MET amplification) and previous therapy lines. Patients received capmatinib (400 mg orally twice daily) in 21-day treatment cycles. The primary endpoint was overall response rate by blinded independent central review per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours version 1.1 and was performed on the full analysis set (all patients who received at least one dose of capmatinib). Previous reports of this study had published interim or primary data for cohorts 1-7. Here, we report the final clinical outcomes from all METex14 cohorts (4, 5b, 6, and 7) and safety from all study cohorts (1-7). The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02414139, and has been completed. FINDINGS: Of 373 treated patients enrolled from June 11, 2015, to March 12, 2020, 160 (97 [61%] female) patients had METex14 NSCLC and were enrolled in four cohorts: 60 treatment-naive (cohorts 5b and 7) and 100 previously treated (cohorts 4 and 6). The overall median study follow-up was 46·4 months (IQR 41·8-65·4) for the treatment-naïve patients and 66·9 months (56·7-73·9) for previously treated patients, respectively. Overall responses were recorded in 41 (68%; 95% CI 55·0-79·7) of 60 treatment-naive patients and 44 (44%; 95% CI 34·1-54·3) of 100 previously treated patients. In all 373 treated patients, the most common treatment-related adverse events were peripheral oedema (n=174; 47%), nausea (n=130; 35%), increased blood creatinine (n=78; 21%), and vomiting (n=74; 20%). Grade 3-4 serious adverse events occurred in 164 (44%) patients, dyspnoea being the most common (18 patients [5%]). Treatment-related deaths occurred in four (1%) patients (one each of cardiac arrest, hepatitis, organising pneumonia, and pneumonitis). No new safety signals were reported. INTERPRETATION: These long-term results support METex14 as a targetable oncogenic driver in NSCLC and add to the evidence supporting capmatinib as a targeted treatment option for treatment-naive and previously treated patients with METex14 NSCLC. FUNDING: Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

3D layered co-culture model enhances Trastuzumab Deruxtecan sensitivity and reveals the combined effect with G007-LK in HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) aberrations are observed in various cancers. In non-small cell lung cancer, genetic alterations activating HER2, mostly exon 20 insertion mutations, occur in approximately 2-4% of cases. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate has been approved as the first HER2-targeted drug for HER2-mutant lung cancer. However, some cases are not responsive to T-DXd and the primary resistant mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we assessed sensitivity to T-DXd in JFCR-007, a patient-derived HER2-mutant lung cancer cell line. Although JFCR-007 was sensitive to HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, it showed resistance to T-DXd in attachment or spheroid conditions. Accordingly, we established a three-dimensional (3D) layered co-culture model of JFCR-007, where it exhibited a lumen-like structure and became sensitive to T-DXd. In addition, an in-house inhibitor library screening revealed that G007-LK, a tankyrase inhibitor, was effective when combined with T-DXd. G007-LK increased the cytotoxicity of topoisomerase-I inhibitor, DXd, a payload of T-DXd and SN-38. This combined effect was also observed in H2170, an HER2-amplified lung cancer cell line. These results suggest that the proposed 3D co-culture system may help in evaluating the efficacy of T-DXd and may recapitulate the tumor microenvironment.

Phase 1 study of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Part E of the KEYNOTE-011 (NCT01840579) study assessed the safety and antitumor activity of pembrolizumab plus platinum-etoposide chemotherapy in Japanese patients with previously untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). METHODS: Patients received 4 cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg) every 3 weeks in combination with cisplatin (75 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2; days 1, 2, 3) in cohort 1; with carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/mL/min) and etoposide (100 mg/m2; days 1, 2, 3) in cohort 2; or with cisplatin/etoposide and pegfilgrastim (3.6 mg; cycle 1, day 4) in cohort 3. Combination therapy was followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy (31 cycles). The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability (including dose-limiting toxicities; DLTs). RESULTS: Fifteen patients were included in the study (cohort 1, n = 6; cohort 2, n = 6; cohort 3, n = 3). Median time from treatment allocation to data cutoff was 22.1 months (range, 4.1‒32.4 months). DLTs occurred in 3 patients in cohort 1 (one patient with grade 4 laryngeal stenosis and grade 3 febrile neutropenia; two patients with grade 3 febrile neutropenia); no patients in cohorts 2 or 3 experienced DLTs. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events included leukopenia (67%) and neutropenia (87%). Among all patients, ORR was 67% (95% CI, 38%‒88%) and median DOR was 4.5 months (range, 2.8‒28.8 months). Median PFS was 4.2 months (95% CI, 3.0‒7.8 months) and median OS was 22.1 months (95% CI, 7.4‒25.9 months). CONCLUSION: Pembrolizumab in combination with platinum-etoposide therapy had manageable toxicity with no new safety signals and was associated with antitumor activity in Japanese patients with ES-SCLC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01840579.

KEYNOTE-434 part B: A phase 1 study evaluating the combination of epacadostat, pembrolizumab, and chemotherapy in Japanese patients with previously untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab plus epacadostat (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 inhibitor) was well tolerated in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors in part A of the nonrandomized, open-label, phase 1 KEYNOTE-434 study (NCT02862457). We report results from part B, which evaluated epacadostat plus pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Eligible patients aged ≥ 20 years had histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IIIB or IV NSCLC with no prior systemic therapy, and ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Patients received epacadostat 100 mg orally twice-daily, pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every-3-weeks for ≤ 35 cycles, and 4 cycles of chemotherapy (cohort 1: cisplatin plus pemetrexed, non-squamous; cohort 2: carboplatin plus pemetrexed, non-squamous; cohort 3: carboplatin plus paclitaxel, squamous or non-squamous). Primary endpoint was incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Following unfavorable results from other studies, a protocol amendment removed epacadostat from the treatment combination. RESULTS: Of 19 patients, 7 were enrolled in cohort 1, and 6 each in cohorts 2 and 3. Median follow-up was 13.7 (range, 4.2-27.8) months. Five of 17 (29%) DLT-evaluable patients experienced ≥ 1 DLT (cohort 1, n = 1; cohorts 2 and 3, n = 2 each); most commonly maculopapular rash (grade 3, n = 3) and increased alanine aminotransferase (grade 2, n = 1; grade 3, n = 2). All patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (AEs); 58% experienced grade 3 or 4 treatment-related AEs. Objective response rate was 47%. CONCLUSION: The combination of epacadostat plus pembrolizumab and chemotherapy was found to be tolerable in Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02862457.

HERTHENA-Lung02: phase III study of patritumab deruxtecan in advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC after a third-generation EGFR TKI.

After disease progression on EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who are then treated with platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC) obtain only limited clinical benefit with transient responses. Therapies with greater efficacy and tolerable safety profiles are needed in this setting. The receptor tyrosine kinase HER3 is widely expressed in NSCLC, and increased expression is associated with poor treatment outcomes. In the U31402-A-U102 phase I trial, HER3-DXd showed promising antitumor activity with manageable safety in heavily pre-treated patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC across a range of tumor HER3 expression levels and EGFR TKI resistance mechanisms. HERTHENA-Lung02 is the first phase III trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of HER3-DXd versus PBC in patients with progression on a third-generation EGFR TKI. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05338970 (clinicaltrials.gov); 2021-005879-40 (EudraCT Number).

In some patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, changes (or mutations) in the DNA sequence can alter a protein called EGFR and allow tumors to grow and survive. Drugs called EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs for short) are used to treat these tumors by interfering with the abnormal EGFR protein. Treatment with these drugs can work well at first, but some tumors never respond, and for tumors that do respond, the cancer eventually becomes resistant to the EGFR TKI and the drug stops working. Platinum-based chemotherapy is often prescribed after an EGFR TKI stops working; however, platinum-based chemotherapy can provide only temporary control of the tumor growth. Most patients with non-small-cell lung cancer have a protein called HER3 on the surface of their tumor cells. A new drug candidate called patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) finds tumor cells and attaches to the HER3 protein on their surface. HER3-DXd then moves inside the cancer cells, where a novel antitumor payload is released and kills the tumor cells. This article describes the phase III clinical trial HERTHENA-Lung02 (NCT05338970) that compares the benefit of HER3-DXd to platinum-based chemotherapy for patients who have non-small-cell lung cancer with the abnormal EGFR protein and whose disease stopped responding or never responded to EGFR TKI therapy.

A phase 2 study of mobocertinib as first-line treatment in Japanese patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.

BACKGROUND: Mobocertinib is a novel, synthetic, orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits many activated forms of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), including those containing exon 20 insertion (ex20ins) mutations. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of mobocertinib in Japanese patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR ex20ins mutations. METHODS: This was a phase 2, open-label study. Patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR ex20ins mutations who had not had previous systemic treatment received mobocertinib 160 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was the confirmed objective response rate. A planned interim analysis was completed for the first 14 patients with a centrally confirmed EGFR ex20ins mutation, with enrollment stopped if the number of patients with an objective response was five or fewer. RESULTS: In total, 33 patients were enrolled into the study (63.6% women; median age: 66 years). At the interim analysis, the objective response rate evaluated by a central independent review committee was 28.6% (4/14, 90% confidence interval: 10.4-54.0); therefore, enrollment was stopped for futility. In the full analysis set, the objective response rate was 18.2% (6/33, 95% confidence interval: 7.0-35.5); of the six responders, one patient (3.0%) had a complete response and five patients (15.2%) had partial responses. The most common treatment-related adverse events were diarrhea, paronychia, stomatitis, and nausea. CONCLUSION: Although study enrollment was terminated early owing to futility, our results showed modest activity of mobocertinib in Japanese patients with NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins mutations with no additional safety concerns.

Real-world study of next-generation sequencing diagnostic biomarker testing for patients with lung cancer in Japan.

Our previous real-world studies raised concerns that sequential biomarker testing may lead to increased time to treatment when compared with simultaneous single biomarker testing. The Oncomine Dx target test (ODxTT), a next-generation sequencing-based multiplex biomarker panel test approved in Japan in 2019, is expected to improve time to treatment due to changes in testing methods. This retrospective observational study examined data claims for reimbursement submitted for patients with lung cancer in Japan between June 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020. To evaluate the change in testing prevalence over time and associated improvements in time to treatment, descriptive statistics were used to characterize biomarker testing patterns and rates and evaluate the time to treatment in the time following the approval of ODxTT considering transitions over time during the evaluation period. EGFR and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) were the most tested biomarkers in overall single and simultaneous single testing in the 6177 patients in this study. Individual single biomarker testing gradually decreased over time, except testing for PD-L1, which remained constant. The use of ODxTT gradually increased in this period. Time to treatment decreased from 29 to 22 days with ODxTT, in contrast to single biomarker tests (median 21-23 days overall). These results indicate that biomarker testing frequency changed in Japanese clinical practice during the study and that the use of ODxTT has increased over time, which potentially contributed to the shortening of time to treatment.

Brigatinib in Japanese patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: Final results of the phase 2 J-ALTA trial.

The phase 2, single-arm, multicenter, open-label J-ALTA study evaluated the efficacy and safety of brigatinib in Japanese patients with advanced ALK+ non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One expansion cohort of J-ALTA enrolled patients previously treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs); the main cohort included patients with prior alectinib ± crizotinib. The second expansion cohort enrolled patients with TKI-naive ALK+ NSCLC. All patients received brigatinib 180 mg once daily (7-day lead-in at 90 mg daily). Among 47 patients in the main cohort, 5 (11%) remained on brigatinib at the study end (median follow-up: 23 months). In this cohort, the independent review committee (IRC)-assessed objective response rate (ORR) was 34% (95% CI, 21%-49%); median duration of response was 14.8 months (95% CI, 5.5-19.4); median IRC-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.3 months (95% CI, 3.7-12.9). Among 32 patients in the TKI-naive cohort, 25 (78%) remained on brigatinib (median follow-up: 22 months); 2-year IRC-assessed PFS was 73% (90% CI, 55%-85%); IRC-assessed ORR was 97% (95% CI, 84%-100%); the median duration of response was not reached (95% CI, 19.4-not reached); 2-year duration of response was 70%. Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 68% and 91% of TKI-pretreated and TKI-naive patients, respectively. Exploratory analyses of baseline circulating tumor DNA in ALK TKI-pretreated NSCLC showed associations between poor PFS and EML4-ALK fusion variant 3 and TP53. Brigatinib is an important treatment option for Japanese patients with ALK+ NSCLC, including patients previously treated with alectinib.

Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer in KEYNOTE-407.

The global phase III KEYNOTE-407 (NCT02775435) trial showed that pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy prolonged overall and progression-free survival (OS/PFS) versus placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We present outcomes of patients from Japan enrolled in KEYNOTE-407. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo with paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (Q3W) or nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 (weekly) plus carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve of 6 mg/mL/min Q3W for four cycles, followed by pembrolizumab or placebo Q3W for a total of 35 cycles. Primary end-points were OS and PFS per RECIST version 1.1 by blinded independent central review. Fifty patients were randomized at Japanese sites (pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, n = 22; placebo plus chemotherapy, n = 28). Median follow-up time at data cut-off (May 9, 2019) was 15.1 (range, 0.5-24.0) months. Median OS (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 17.3 (12.5-not reached) versus 11.0 (8.6-19.5) months in the pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.56; 95% CI, 0.27-1.15). Median PFS (95% CI) was 8.3 (6.1-13.0) versus 7.2 (3.9-8.8) months (HR 0.65; 95% CI, 0.35-1.23). Grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 86% and 75% of patients, respectively. There were three fatal AEs, two of which were treatment-related (one from each treatment group, pneumonitis and pulmonary hemorrhage). Efficacy and safety outcomes were consistent with the global study and support the use of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Capmatinib in MET Exon 14-Mutated or MET-Amplified Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), MET exon 14 skipping mutations occur in 3 to 4% and MET amplifications occur in 1 to 6%. Capmatinib, a selective inhibitor of the MET receptor, has shown activity in cancer models with various types of MET activation. METHODS: We conducted a multiple-cohort, phase 2 study evaluating capmatinib in patients with MET-dysregulated advanced NSCLC. Patients were assigned to cohorts on the basis of previous lines of therapy and MET status (MET exon 14 skipping mutation or MET amplification according to gene copy number in tumor tissue). Patients received capmatinib (400-mg tablet) twice daily. The primary end point was overall response (complete or partial response), and the key secondary end point was response duration; both end points were assessed by an independent review committee whose members were unaware of the cohort assignments. RESULTS: A total of 364 patients were assigned to the cohorts. Among patients with NSCLC with a MET exon 14 skipping mutation, overall response was observed in 41% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29 to 53) of 69 patients who had received one or two lines of therapy previously and in 68% (95% CI, 48 to 84) of 28 patients who had not received treatment previously; the median duration of response was 9.7 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 13.0) and 12.6 months (95% CI, 5.6 to could not be estimated), respectively. Limited efficacy was observed in previously treated patients with MET amplification who had a gene copy number of less than 10 (overall response in 7 to 12% of patients). Among patients with MET amplification and a gene copy number of 10 or higher, overall response was observed in 29% (95% CI, 19 to 41) of previously treated patients and in 40% (95% CI, 16 to 68) of those who had not received treatment previously. The most frequently reported adverse events were peripheral edema (in 51%) and nausea (in 45%); these events were mostly of grade 1 or 2. CONCLUSIONS: Capmatinib showed substantial antitumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC with a MET exon 14 skipping mutation, particularly in those not treated previously. The efficacy in MET-amplified advanced NSCLC was higher in tumors with a high gene copy number than in those with a low gene copy number. Low-grade peripheral edema and nausea were the main toxic effects. (Funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals; GEOMETRY mono-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02414139.).

Efficacy of Selpercatinib in RET Fusion-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: RET fusions are oncogenic drivers in 1 to 2% of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). In patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC, the efficacy and safety of selective RET inhibition are unknown. METHODS: We enrolled patients with advanced RET fusion-positive NSCLC who had previously received platinum-based chemotherapy and those who were previously untreated separately in a phase 1-2 trial of selpercatinib. The primary end point was an objective response (a complete or partial response) as determined by an independent review committee. Secondary end points included the duration of response, progression-free survival, and safety. RESULTS: In the first 105 consecutively enrolled patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC who had previously received at least platinum-based chemotherapy, the percentage with an objective response was 64% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54 to 73). The median duration of response was 17.5 months (95% CI, 12.0 to could not be evaluated), and 63% of the responses were ongoing at a median follow-up of 12.1 months. Among 39 previously untreated patients, the percentage with an objective response was 85% (95% CI, 70 to 94), and 90% of the responses were ongoing at 6 months. Among 11 patients with measurable central nervous system metastasis at enrollment, the percentage with an objective intracranial response was 91% (95% CI, 59 to 100). The most common adverse events of grade 3 or higher were hypertension (in 14% of the patients), an increased alanine aminotransferase level (in 12%), an increased aspartate aminotransferase level (in 10%), hyponatremia (in 6%), and lymphopenia (in 6%). A total of 12 of 531 patients (2%) discontinued selpercatinib because of a drug-related adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Selpercatinib had durable efficacy, including intracranial activity, with mainly low-grade toxic effects in patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC who had previously received platinum-based chemotherapy and those who were previously untreated. (Funded by Loxo Oncology and others; LIBRETTO-001 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03157128.).

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor as a predictive biomarker for poor efficacy of combination treatment with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies and chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) suppresses effector T-cells. Few studies have assessed serum sIL-2R in patients receiving immunotherapy. We evaluated the association between serum sIL-2R levels and the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death 1/ programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) antibody combined with chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We prospectively enrolled NSCLC patients who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody combined with platinum-based chemotherapy between 8/2019 and 8/2020 and measured their serum sIL-2R. The patients were divided into high and low sIL-2R groups based on the median of sIL-2R levels at pretreatment. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients in the high and low sIL-2R groups were compared. The Kaplan-Meier curves of PFS and OS were evaluated using the log-rank test. The multivariate analysis of PFS and OS was performed using the Cox proportional hazard models. Among 54 patients (median age 65, range 34-84), 39 were male and 43 had non-squamous cell carcinoma. The sIL-2R cut-off value was 533 U/mL. Median PFS was 5.1 months (95% CI, 1.8-7.5 months) and 10.1 months (95% CI, 8.3-not reached [NR] months) in the high and low sIL-2R groups (P = 0.007), respectively. Median OS was 10.3 months (95% CI, 4.0-NR months) and NR (95% CI, 10.3-NR months) in the high and low sIL-2R groups (P = 0.005), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high sIL-2R was significantly associated with shorter PFS and OS. SIL-2R may be a biomarker for the poor efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody combined with chemotherapy.

First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: 5-year outcomes in Japanese patients from CheckMate 227 Part 1.

BACKGROUND: In CheckMate 227 Part 1 (NCT02477826), first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab demonstrated long-term durable overall survival (OS) benefit versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of tumor programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. We report results in Japanese patients with ≥ 5-year follow-up. METHODS: Adults with stage IV/recurrent NSCLC without EGFR/ALK aberrations were randomized 1:1:1 to nivolumab plus ipilimumab, nivolumab alone, or chemotherapy (patients with tumor PD-L1 ≥ 1%), or nivolumab plus ipilimumab, nivolumab plus chemotherapy, or chemotherapy (patients with tumor PD-L1 < 1%). Five-year efficacy and safety were assessed in Japanese patients. RESULTS: At 62.1 months' minimum follow-up, 143 Japanese patients with PD-L1 ≥ 1% or < 1% were randomized to nivolumab plus ipilimumab (n = 66) or chemotherapy (n = 77). Five-year OS rates were 46% with nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus 34% with chemotherapy (PD-L1 ≥ 1%) and 36% versus 19% (PD-L1 < 1%). Median duration of response was 59.1 versus 7.1 months (PD-L1 ≥ 1%) and 17.3 versus 3.0 months (PD-L1 < 1%). Among 5-year survivors treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (PD-L1 ≥ 1% and < 1%; n = 27), 59% (95% CI, 39%-75%) were off treatment for ≥ 3 years without receiving subsequent therapy. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: At 5-year follow-up, nivolumab plus ipilimumab continued to show long-term durable clinical benefit versus chemotherapy, regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression. Consistent with findings for the global population, these data support the use of nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line treatment in Japanese patients with metastatic NSCLC.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 overexpression mediates ALK inhibitor resistance in ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer.

The rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) occurs in 3%-5% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and confers sensitivity to ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). For the treatment of patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC, various additional ALK-TKIs have been developed. Ceritinib is a second-generation ALK-TKI and has shown great efficacy in the treatment of patients with both newly diagnosed and crizotinib (a first-generation ALK-TKI)-refractory ALK-rearranged NSCLC. However, tumors can also develop ceritinib resistance. This may result from secondary ALK mutations, but other mechanisms responsible for this have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the mechanisms of ceritinib resistance by establishing ceritinib-resistant, echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK-positive H3122 cells and ceritinib-resistant patient-derived cells. We identified a mechanism of ceritinib resistance induced by bypass signals that is mediated by the overexpression and activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). FGFR3 knockdown by small hairpin RNA or treatment with FGFR inhibitors was found to resensitize the resistant cells to ceritinib in vitro and in vivo. FGFR ligands from either human serum or fetal bovine serum were able to activate FGFR3 and induce ceritinib resistance. A detailed analysis of ceritinib-resistant patient-derived specimens confirmed that tyrosine-protein kinase Met (cMET) amplification induces ceritinib resistance. Amplified cMET counteractivated EGFR and/or Her3 and induced ceritinib resistance. These results reveal multiple ceritinib resistance mechanisms and suggest that ceritinib resistance might be overcome by identifying precise resistance mechanisms.

Predictive value of EGFR mutation in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum doublet postoperative chemotherapy.

The mutation status of tumor tissue DNA (n = 389) of resected stage II-III non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (Ns-NSCLC) was analyzed using targeted deep sequencing as an exploratory biomarker study (JIPANG-TR) for the JIPANG study, a randomized phase III study of pemetrexed/cisplatin (Pem/Cis) vs vinorelbine/cisplatin (Vnr/Cis). The TP53 mutation, common EGFR mutations (exon 19 deletion and L858R), and KRAS mutations were frequently detected. The frequency of the EGFR mutation was significant among female patients. Patients with an EGFR mutation-positive status had a significantly shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) time (24 mo vs not reached) (HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.22-2.21; P = .0011 for EGFR mutation status). Multivariable analysis identified both the pathological stage and EGFR mutation status as independent prognostic factors for RFS (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.30-2.44; P = .0003 for disease stage; and HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.15-2.16; P = .0050 for EGFR mutation status). This study demonstrated that the EGFR mutation has either a poor prognostic or predictive impact on a poor response to postoperative chemotherapy with platinum doublet chemotherapy for stage II-III Ns-NSCLC patients. This result supports a role for mandatory molecular diagnosis of early-stage Ns-NSCLC for precision oncology and signifies the importance of adjuvant for the 3rd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor rather than platinum-based chemotherapy. This study is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN 000012237).

EGFR-TKI re-administration after osimertinib failure in T790M mutation loss cases with re-biopsy.

Data on the re-administration of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) after osimertinib failure in patients with T790M-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited. EGFR-TKI re-administration efficacy may vary between patients with T790M loss and those with T790M persistent with re-biopsy after osimertinib treatment. Patients who received EGFR-TKI re-administration (gefitinib, erlotinib, afatinib, dacomitinib, and osimertinib) after osimertinib failure were identified from our database. T790M mutation status before EGFR-TKI re-administration was analyzed via repeat biopsy. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of EGFR-TKI re-administration, especially differences according to the T790M mutation status, via repeat biopsy. Until June 2020, 28 patients received EGFR-TKI re-administration and 17 underwent repeat biopsy after osimertinib failure. Patients were divided into three groups, including the T790M loss group, where active mutation persisted and T790M was lost (13/17); T790M remaining group, where both the active mutation and T790M persisted (3/17); and active mutation loss group where both the active mutation and T790M were lost (1/17). The overall response rate (ORR) of EGFR-TKI re-administration in the T790M loss group was 31% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 54%, which were higher than the ORR of 21% and DCR of 43% in the entire patient population. ORR and DCR of the not re-biopsy group were low (9% and 27%, respectively). The therapeutic effect of EGFR-TKI re-administration in patients with T790M-positive NSCLC after osimertinib failure is limited. EGFR-TKI re-administration may be considered in cases of T790M loss after repeat biopsy.

Brigatinib in Japanese patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naive ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: first results from the phase 2 J-ALTA study.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) brigatinib in Japanese patients with TKI-naive ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the phase 2, open-label, single-arm, multicenter J-ALTA study. METHODS: In the TKI-naive cohort of J-ALTA, the primary end point was independent review committee (IRC)-assessed 12-month progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points included objective response rate (ORR), intracranial response, overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: The data were cut approximately 12 months after last patient enrollment. Thirty-two patients with ALK TKI-naive ALK-positive NSCLC were enrolled (median age [range], 60.5 [29-85] years; median duration of follow-up, 14.2 [3.2-19.3] months; median treatment duration, 13.8 [0.4-19.3] months). IRC-assessed 12-month PFS was 93.0% (90% confidence interval (CI) 79.2-97.8%); ORR, 96.9% (95% CI 83.8-99.9%), 12-month OS, 96.9% (95% CI 79.8-99.6%), and median OS was not reached. Of five patients with measurable baseline CNS metastases, two had partial intracranial response. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were increased blood creatine phosphokinase (81%), hypertension (59%), and diarrhea (47%). Grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 91% of patients; pneumonitis was reported in 3 (9%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the J-ALTA TKI-naive cohort, brigatinib demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy consistent with the international phase 3 study. The safety profile in Japanese patients was consistent with previous studies. Brigatinib is an important first-line option for Japanese patients with ALK-positive NSCLC. CLINICAL REGISTRATION: NCT03410108.

[Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Selpercatinib in Patients with RET Fusion-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-Results from the Japanese Subset of a Global Phase 1/2 Study].

PURPOSE: Selpercatinib is a highly selective, potent, rearranged during transfection(RET)inhibitor. A global, multicenter, open-label, phase 1/2 study of selpercatinib(LIBRETTO-001, NCT03157128)has been ongoing since 2017. We evaluated the data of Japanese patients with RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)using 30 March 2020 cut-off data. METHODS: Phase 2 of LIBRETTO-001 started after confirming the safety of the recommended phase 2 dose(160 mg bid, orally, 28-day cycles)in Japanese. The primary endpoint was the independently assessed objective response rate(RECIST v1.1). RESULTS: Japanese NSCLC patients, including 44 patients in cohort 1 who had previously received platinum-based(or other)chemotherapy, programmed cell death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy, or both, and four previously untreated patients in cohort 2, were analyzed. The objective response rate was 55.3%(95% confidence interval: 38.3, 71.4; one confirmed complete response, 20 confirmed partial responses)in 38 evaluable patients in cohort 1 who could be followed for ≥2 post-baseline scans. The only evaluable patient in cohort 2 had no response. The most frequent treatment- emergent adverse events were increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: Selpercatinib appeared to be effective in Japanese patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC, and the safety profile was not substantially different from published results.

Capmatinib in Japanese patients with MET exon 14 skipping-mutated or MET-amplified advanced NSCLC: GEOMETRY mono-1 study.

MET mutations leading to exon 14 skipping (METΔex14) are strong molecular drivers for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Capmatinib is a highly potent, selective oral MET inhibitor that showed clinically meaningful efficacy and a manageable safety profile in a global phase II study (GEOMETRY mono-1, NCT02414139) in patients with advanced METΔex14-mutated/MET-amplified NSCLC. We report results of preplanned analyses of 45 Japanese patients according to MET status (METΔex14-mutated or MET-amplified) and line of therapy (first- [1L] or second-/third-line [2/3L]). The starting dose was 400 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) assessed by a blinded independent review committee. A key secondary endpoint was duration of response (DOR). Among METΔex14-mutated patients, in the 1L group, one patient achieved partial response (DOR of 4.24 months) and the other had stable disease. In the 2/3L group, the ORR was 36.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.9%-69.2%), median DOR was not evaluable, and progression-free survival was 4.70 months. One patient (2/3L group) showed partial resolution of brain lesions per independent neuroradiologist review. In MET-amplified patients with a MET gene copy number of ≥10, the ORR was 100% (2/2 patients) in the 1L group and 45.5% (5/11 patients) in the 2/3L group, with DOR of 8.2 and 8.3 months, respectively. Common treatment-related adverse events among the 45 Japanese patients were blood creatinine increased (53.3%), nausea (35.6%), and oedema peripheral (31.1%); most were grade 1/2 severity. In conclusion, capmatinib was effective and well tolerated by Japanese patients with METΔex14/MET-amplified NSCLC, consistent with the overall population.