Circulating tumor extracellular vesicles to monitor metastatic prostate cancer genomics and transcriptomic evolution.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by tumors are abundant in plasma, but their potential for interrogating the molecular features of tumors through multi-omic profiling remains widely unexplored. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of circulating EV-DNA and EV-RNA isolated from in vitro and in vivo models of metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) reveal a high contribution of tumor material to EV-loaded DNA/RNA, validating the findings in two cohorts of longitudinal plasma samples collected from patients during androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI) or taxane-based therapy. EV-DNA genomic features recapitulate matched-patient biopsies and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and associate with clinical progression. We develop a novel approach to enable transcriptomic profiling of EV-RNA (RExCuE). We report how the transcriptome of circulating EVs is enriched for tumor-associated transcripts, captures certain patient and tumor features, and reflects on-therapy tumor adaptation changes. Altogether, we show that EV profiling enables longitudinal transcriptomic and genomic profiling of mPC in liquid biopsy.

Plain language summary of the results from the TALAPRO-2 study: Talazoparib plus enzalutamide versus placebo plus enzalutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This summary describes the results from the TALAPRO-2 research study (also known as a clinical trial). The TALAPRO-2 study tested the combination of two medicines called talazoparib plus enzalutamide. This combination of medicines was used as the first treatment for adult patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The combination of talazoparib plus enzalutamide was compared with a placebo plus enzalutamide. WHAT IS METASTATIC CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER?: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the prostate and has spread to other parts of the body. Castration-resistant means that the cancer continues to grow even when testosterone levels in the blood are reduced to very low levels. Taking medicines to lower testosterone levels in the blood is a standard treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer. WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE TALAPRO-2 TRIAL?: TALAPRO-2 looked at if combining talazoparib plus enzalutamide would increase the length of time patients lived before their cancer got worse or they died compared with a placebo plus enzalutamide. Researchers looked at how treatment affected the size and number of tumors and the length of time before patients needed to change to a new cancer medicine. Researchers also looked at any side effects patients had during the study. WHAT ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS?: A total of 805 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer took part in the study. Compared with patients who took a placebo plus enzalutamide, the group of patients who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide had a 37% reduced risk of their cancer getting worse or dying. Some patients had tumors that at the start of the study could be measured with scans. Sixty-two percent of patients who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide had their tumors decrease or shrink to the point that they could no longer be seen on scans versus 44% of patients who took a placebo plus enzalutamide. Patients who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide were more likely to have a longer time before they needed to change to a new cancer medicine. The most common side effects of talazoparib plus enzalutamide were low levels of red blood cells (66% of patients) and neutrophils (36% of patients), and excessive tiredness or exhaustion (34% of patients).Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03395197 (TALAPRO-2) (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Development and Independent Validation of a Prognostic Gene Expression Signature Based on RB1, PTEN, and TP53 in Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with docetaxel (D) and/or antiandrogen receptor therapies (ARTs) are the standard therapies in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Alterations in the tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) RB1, PTEN, and TP53 are associated with an aggressive evolution and treatment resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical implications of TSG mRNA expression in mHSPC patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This is a multicenter retrospective biomarker study in mHSPC patients. TSGlow status was defined when two or more out of the three TSGs presented low RNA expression by nCounter in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples and TSGwt for the remaining cases. The microarray data from the CHAARTED trial were analyzed as an independent validation cohort. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Molecular data were correlated with CRPC-free survival (CRPC-FS) and overall survival (OS) by the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox analysis. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 226 patients were included, of whom 218 were eligible: 93 were treated with ADT and 125 with ADT + D; 75.7% presented de novo stage IV and 67.9% high-volume disease. TSGlow (19.2%) was independently correlated with shorter CRPC-FS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8, p = 0.002) and OS (HR 2, p = 0.002). In the CHAARTED trial, TSGlow was independently correlated with lower CRPC-FS (HR 2.2, p = 0.02); no differences in clinical outcomes according to treatment were observed in TSGlow patients, while a significant benefit was observed for ADT + D in the TSGwt group for CRPC-FS (HR 0.4, p < 0.001) and OS (HR 0.4, p = 0.001). However, no interaction was observed between TSG signature and treatment in either series. Study limitations are the retrospective design, small sample size, and lack of inclusion of patients treated with ADT + ART. CONCLUSIONS: TSGlow expression correlates with adverse outcomes in patients with mHSPC. The investigation of new therapeutic strategies in these patients is warranted. PATIENT SUMMARY: The low RNA expression of tumor suppressor genes in the tumors is correlated with adverse outcomes in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Case report: Exceptional and durable response to Radium-223 and suspension of androgen deprivation therapy in a metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patient.

Despite the development of new therapies in the last few years, metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) is still a lethal disease. Radium-223 (Ra-223) is approved for patients with advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with bone metastases and no visceral disease. However, patients' outcomes are heterogenous, and there is lack of validated predictive biomarkers of response, while biomarkers for early identification of patients who benefit from treatment are limited. This case report describes a remarkable and durable response to Ra-223 in a CRPC patient with bone metastases who had rapidly progressed to many previous therapies; this response is now lasting for 5 years even after having stopped backbone androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Here, we present the clinical course of this exceptional response, as well as comprehensive genomic and histopathology analyses on sequential biopsies acquired before and after therapy. Additionally, we review current knowledge on predictive and response biomarkers to Ra-223 in metastatic prostate cancer.

Extended Safety and Tolerability of Darolutamide for Nonmetastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Adverse Event Time Course in ARAMIS.

BACKGROUND: Patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) are usually asymptomatic and seek treatments that improve survival but have a low risk of adverse events. Darolutamide, a structurally distinct androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi), significantly reduced the risk of metastasis and death versus placebo in ARAMIS. We assessed the extended safety and tolerability of darolutamide and the time-course profile of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) related to ARis and androgen-suppressive treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with nmCRPC were randomized 2:1 to darolutamide (n = 955) or placebo (n = 554). After trial unblinding, patients could receive open-label darolutamide. Tolerability and TEAEs were assessed every 16 weeks. Time interval-specific new and cumulative event rates were determined during the first 24 months of the double-blind period. RESULTS: Darolutamide remained well tolerated during the double-blind and open-label periods, with 98.8% of patients receiving the full planned dose. The incidence of TEAEs of interest in the darolutamide group was low and ≤2% different from that in the placebo group, except for fatigue. When incidences were adjusted for exposure time, there were minimal differences between the darolutamide double-blind and double-blind plus open-label periods. The rate of initial onset and cumulative incidence of grade 3/4 TEAEs and serious TEAEs were similar for darolutamide and placebo groups over 24 months. CONCLUSION: Extended treatment with darolutamide was well tolerated and no new safety signals were observed. Most ARi-associated and androgen-suppressive treatment-related TEAEs occurred at low incidences with darolutamide, were similar to placebo, and showed minimal increase over time with continued treatment. TRIAL NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02200614.

First-line talazoparib with enzalutamide in HRR-deficient metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the phase 3 TALAPRO-2 trial.

Preclinical evidence has suggested an interplay between the androgen receptor, which largely drives the growth of prostate cancer cells, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. This association provides a rationale for their co-inhibition for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), an area of unmet medical need. The phase 3 TALAPRO-2 study investigated combining the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor talazoparib with enzalutamide versus enzalutamide alone as first-line treatment of mCRPC. Patients were prospectively assessed for tumor alterations in DNA damage response genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR). Two cohorts were enrolled sequentially: an all-comers cohort that was enrolled first (cohort 1; N = 805 (169 were HRR-deficient)), followed by an HRR-deficient-only cohort (cohort 2; N = 230). We present results from the alpha-controlled primary analysis for the combined HRR-deficient population (N = 399). Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to talazoparib or placebo, plus enzalutamide. The primary endpoint, radiographic progression-free survival, was met (median not reached at the time of the analysis for the talazoparib group versus 13.8 months for the placebo group; hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.33 to 0.61; P < 0.0001). Data for overall survival, a key secondary endpoint, are immature but favor talazoparib (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.46 to 1.03; P = 0.07). Common adverse events in the talazoparib group were anemia, fatigue and neutropenia. Combining talazoparib with enzalutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival in patients with mCRPC harboring HRR gene alterations, supporting talazoparib plus enzalutamide as a potential first-line treatment for these patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03395197 .

Use of Drugs in Clinical Practice and the Associated Cost of Cancer Treatment in Adult Patients with Solid Tumors: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Its growing incidence and prevalence, as well as the advances in diagnostic and treatment tools, motivate an open debate about the economic burden it may place on health systems and have raised concerns about access to this technological innovation. There is a lack of information on the detailed costs of pharmacological treatment of cancer in our health setting. In this context, it is necessary to know the use of drugs in cancer treatment in conditions of real clinical practice. A real-word, evidence-based retrospective cohort study was conducted at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (VHUH), the largest hospital complex in Catalonia, Spain, in order to determine the use of drugs and the associated cost in real clinical practice for the treatment of solid tumors in adult patients attended at this institution over 10 years (2010-2019). METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of adult cancer patients attended in clinical practice at the Medical Oncology Department of VHUH between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. Data of prescription, preparation, and cost of antineoplastic treatments were analyzed by pharmacological class (cytotoxic drugs, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and others), by antineoplastic agent, and by type of tumor. The number of patients and the pharmaceutical expenditure corresponding to all these subgroups were recorded. The cost per patient in each tumor location was also calculated. RESULTS: The study population included 13,209 patients with an overall pharmaceutical antineoplastic expenditure of EUR 120,396,097, increasing from 7.67% in relation to the total HUVH pharmaceutical expenditure in 2010 to 12.82% in 2019. By pharmacological class, the specific weight of the cost of targeted therapy is relevant (75.22% of pharmaceutical antineoplastic expenditure, 21.3% of patients) compared to the group of conventional cytotoxics (17.25% of pharmaceutical antineoplastic expenditure, 76.37% of patients), while immunotherapy has represented the largest relative increase, from 5% in 2014 to 12% in 2019. Eight targeted therapy drugs represented 50% of the costs of the targeted therapy drug class (palbociclib, trastuzumab, pertuzumab, bevacizumab, nivolumab, cetuximab, pembrolizumab, and trastuzumab emtansine). Eleven tumor sites accounted for 90% of the expenditure in 71% of all patients. Breast cancer had the highest expenditure during the study period (EUR 34,332,210) and at each individual year. Melanoma showed the highest increase, with 9.7% of total pharmaceutical antineoplastic expenditure in 2019 (2% of patients), representing a paradigm of the rising costs of cancer treatment due to the incorporation of new high-cost therapies. The average annual cost per patient was highly variable depending on the pathology. There was a growing increase in costs per patient in most tumor locations, particularly in patients with melanoma (from EUR 1922 in 2010 to EUR 37,020 in 2019), prostate cancer (from EUR 2992 in 2010 to EUR 14,118 in 2019), and non-small cell lung cancer (from EUR 3545 in 2010 to EUR 8371 in 2019). The relevance of the difference in monthly cost per patient that has been identified for the different intrinsic subtypes in breast cancer patients during 2019 (HER2+ EUR 2661/month, Luminal EUR 881/month, Triple negative EUR 386/month) makes us consider suggesting differentiated reimbursement rates for certain clinical conditions. Finally, support treatment with antiemetic drugs, erythropoietin stimulating agents, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and bone resorption inhibitors has involved a cost of EUR 5,751,910, which represents 4.6% of the overall pharmacological cost of cancer treatment. CONCLUSION: This study provides detailed insights on the oncological pharmaceutical expenditure for the treatment for solid tumors in the VHUH, based on real cost information from our hospital practice and for all antineoplastic therapies and types of solid tumors. This type of information on all the different types of cancer can be useful to better understand the economic burden of the disease and can be decisive for allocating public resources and funds for research, especially in those areas where information is scarce and therefore where further studies are needed. The contribution to knowledge of the cost of oncology therapy is of great value due to its realism and scope.

Selective HIF2A Inhibitors in the Management of Clear Cell Renal Cancer and Von Hippel-Lindau-Disease-Associated Tumors.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) loss is the hallmark event characterizing the clear cell renal cancer subtype (ccRCC). Carriers of germinal VHL mutations have an increased prevalence of kidney cysts and ccRCC as well as hemangioblastoma, pheochromocytoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. In both sporadic and inherited ccRCC, the primary mechanism of VHL-mediated carcinogenesis is the abnormal stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF1A and HIF2A). While HIF1A acts as a tumor suppressor and is frequently lost through inactivating mutations/14q chromosome deletions, HIF2A acts as an oncogene promoting the expression of its target genes (VEGF, PDGF, CAIX Oct4, among others). Selective HIF2a inhibitors block the heterodimerization between HIF2A and ARNT, stopping HIF2A-induced transcription. Several HIF2A inhibitors have entered clinical trials, where they have shown a favorable toxicity profile, characterized by anemia, fatigue and edema and promising activity in heavily pretreated ccRCC patients. Belzutifan, a second-generation HIF2a inhibitor, was the first to receive FDA approval for the treatment of unresectable ccRCC in VHL syndrome. In this review, we recapitulate the rationale for HIF2a blockade in ccRCC, summarize the development of HIF2a inhibitors from preclinical models up to its introduction to the clinic with emphasis on Belzutifan, and discuss their role in VHL disease management.

A Phase Ib, Open-label Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Ipatasertib plus Rucaparib in Patients with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: To report the safety and efficacy of ipatasertib (AKT inhibitor) combined with rucaparib (PARP inhibitor) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) previously treated with second-generation androgen receptor inhibitors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this two-part phase Ib trial (NCT03840200), patients with advanced prostate, breast, or ovarian cancer received ipatasertib (300 or 400 mg daily) plus rucaparib (400 or 600 mg twice daily) to assess safety and identify a recommended phase II dose (RP2D). A part 1 dose-escalation phase was followed by a part 2 dose-expansion phase in which only patients with mCRPC received the RP2D. The primary efficacy endpoint was prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (≥50% reduction) in patients with mCRPC. Patients were not selected on the basis of tumor mutational status. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were enrolled (part 1 = 21; part 2 = 30). Ipatasertib 400 mg daily plus rucaparib 400 mg twice daily was the selected RP2D, received by 37 patients with mCRPC. Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 46% (17/37) of patients, with one grade 4 adverse event (anemia, deemed related to rucaparib) and no deaths. Adverse events leading to treatment modification occurred in 70% (26/37). The PSA response rate was 26% (9/35), and the objective response rate per Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 was 10% (2/21). Median radiographic progression-free survival per Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 criteria was 5.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0-8.1], and median overall survival was 13.3 months (95% CI, 10.9-not evaluable). CONCLUSIONS: Ipatasertib plus rucaparib was manageable with dose modification but did not demonstrate synergistic or additive antitumor activity in previously treated patients with mCRPC.

Talazoparib plus enzalutamide in men with first-line metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (TALAPRO-2): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Co-inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and androgen receptor activity might result in antitumour efficacy irrespective of alterations in DNA damage repair genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of talazoparib (a PARP inhibitor) plus enzalutamide (an androgen receptor blocker) versus enzalutamide alone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS: TALAPRO-2 is a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial of talazoparib plus enzalutamide versus placebo plus enzalutamide as first-line therapy in men (age ≥18 years [≥20 years in Japan]) with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic mCRPC receiving ongoing androgen deprivation therapy. Patients were enrolled from 223 hospitals, cancer centres, and medical centres in 26 countries in North America, Europe, Israel, South America, South Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Patients were prospectively assessed for HRR gene alterations in tumour tissue and randomly assigned (1:1) to talazoparib 0·5 mg or placebo, plus enzalutamide 160 mg, administered orally once daily. Randomisation was stratified by HRR gene alteration status (deficient vs non-deficient or unknown) and previous treatment with life-prolonging therapy (docetaxel or abiraterone, or both: yes vs no) in the castration-sensitive setting. The sponsor, patients, and investigators were masked to talazoparib or placebo, while enzalutamide was open-label. The primary endpoint was radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) by blinded independent central review, evaluated in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was evaluated in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03395197) and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Jan 7, 2019, and Sept 17, 2020, 805 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned (402 to the talazoparib group and 403 to the placebo group). Median follow-up for rPFS was 24·9 months (IQR 21·9-30·2) for the talazoparib group and 24·6 months (14·4-30·2) for the placebo group. At the planned primary analysis, median rPFS was not reached (95% CI 27·5 months-not reached) for talazoparib plus enzalutamide and 21·9 months (16·6-25·1) for placebo plus enzalutamide (hazard ratio 0·63; 95% CI 0·51-0·78; p<0·0001). In the talazoparib group, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were anaemia, neutropenia, and fatigue; the most common grade 3-4 event was anaemia (185 [46%] of 398 patients), which improved after dose reduction, and only 33 (8%) of 398 patients discontinued talazoparib due to anaemia. Treatment-related deaths occurred in no patients in the talazoparib group and two patients (<1%) in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION: Talazoparib plus enzalutamide resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in rPFS versus standard of care enzalutamide as first-line treatment for patients with mCRPC. Final overall survival data and additional long-term safety follow-up will further clarify the clinical benefit of the treatment combination in patients with and without tumour HRR gene alterations. FUNDING: Pfizer.

Prevalence of immune-related adverse events and anti-tumor efficacy in advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma following immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the prevalence of immune-related adverse events and anti-tumor efficacy in advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma following immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of patients with advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with ICIs in four Spanish institutions. irAEs were classified using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) v.5.0 guidelines. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Other endpoints were overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). irAEs were evaluated as a time-dependent covariate to avoid immortal time bias. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients were treated with ICIs between May 2013 and May 2019, 105 (92%) of whom received ICIs as monotherapy. irAEs of any grade were experienced in 56 (49%) patients and 21 (18%) patients had grade ≥ 3 toxicity. The most frequent irAEs were gastrointestinal and dermatological toxicities, reported in 25 (22%) and 20 (17%) patients, respectively. Patients with grade 1-2 irAEs had significantly longer OS compared to those without grade 1-2 irAEs (median 18.2 vs. 8.7 months, HR = 0.61 [95% CI 0.39-0.95], p = 0.03). No association with efficacy was observed for patients with grade ≥ 3 irAEs. No difference in PFS was observed after adjusting for the immortal time bias. ORR was higher in patients who developed irAEs (48% vs 17%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that development of irAEs was associated with higher ORR, and patients who developed grade 1-2 irAEs had longer OS. Prospective studies are necessary to confirm our findings.

Darolutamide in Spanish patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: ARAMIS subgroup analysis.

Aim: Darolutamide significantly prolonged metastasis-free survival (MFS) versus placebo in the Phase III ARAMIS study. We analyzed outcomes in Spanish participants in ARAMIS. Patients & methods: Patients with high-risk nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer were randomized 2:1 to darolutamide 600 mg twice daily or placebo, plus androgen-deprivation therapy. The primary end point was MFS. Descriptive statistics are reported for this post hoc analysis. Results: In Spanish participants, darolutamide (n = 75) prolonged MFS versus placebo (n = 42): hazard ratio 0.345, 95% confidence interval 0.175-0.681. The incidence and type of treatment-emergent adverse events were comparable between treatment arms. Conclusion: For Spanish participants in ARAMIS, efficacy outcomes favored darolutamide versus placebo, with a similar safety profile, consistent with the overall ARAMIS population. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02200614 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Darolutamide is an oral treatment for a type of prostate cancer that has stopped responding to other treatments and is at risk of spreading to other parts of the body (termed "nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer" or "nmCRPC"). In the international ARAMIS study, patients treated with darolutamide lived longer without their cancer spreading than patients who were given placebo (sugar) pills. We wanted to know whether Spanish patients in ARAMIS had similar characteristics and treatment outcomes to other patients in the study. We found that the 75 Spanish patients who were treated with darolutamide had a significantly lower risk of their cancer spreading than the 42 Spanish patients who received placebo. The two groups of Spanish patients had similar side effects.

Pembrolizumab plus Olaparib in Patients with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: Long-term Results from the Phase 1b/2 KEYNOTE-365 Cohort A Study.

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab and olaparib have shown single-agent activity in patients with previously treated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus olaparib in mCRPC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort A of the phase 1b/2 KEYNOTE-365 study enrolled patients with molecularly unselected, docetaxel-pretreated mCRPC whose disease progressed within 6 mo of screening. INTERVENTION: Pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 wk plus olaparib 400-mg capsule or 300-mg tablet orally twice daily. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary endpoints were safety, confirmed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate, and objective response rate (ORR) as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1, by blinded independent central review. The secondary endpoints included radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Of 104 enrolled patients, 102 were treated. The median age was 70 yr (interquartile range [IQR], 65-76), and 59 patients (58%) had measurable disease as per RECIST v1.1. The median time from the first dose to database cutoff was 24 mo (IQR, 22-47). The confirmed PSA response rate was 15%. The confirmed ORR was 8.5% (five partial responses) for patients with measurable disease. The median rPFS was 4.5 mo (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0-6.5) and median OS was 14 mo (95% CI, 10.4-18.2). Clinical activity was consistent across the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive and homologous recombination repair mutation subgroups. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 93 patients (91%). Grade 3-5 TRAEs occurred in 49 patients (48%). Six deaths (5.9%) were due to adverse events; two (myocardial infarction and unknown cause) were attributed to treatment. Limitations of the study include the single-arm design. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab plus olaparib had a safety profile consistent with the profiles of the individual agents and demonstrated antitumor activity in previously treated patients with molecularly unselected, docetaxel-pretreated mCRPC. PATIENT SUMMARY: Pembrolizumab plus olaparib showed antitumor activity and expected safety in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Update in collecting duct carcinoma: Current aspects of the clinical and molecular characterization of an orphan disease.

Collecting duct renal cell carcinoma (cdRCC), which until recently was thought to arise from the collecting ducts of Bellini in the renal medulla, is a rare and aggressive type of non-clear renal cell carcinoma (ncRCC), accounting for 1% of all renal tumors and with nearly 50% of patients being diagnosed with Stage IV disease. The median overall survival in this setting is less than 12 months. Several regimens of chemotherapies had been used based on morphologic and cytogenetic similarities with urothelial cell carcinoma described previously, although the prognosis still remains poor. The use of targeted therapies also did not result in favorable outcomes. Recent works using NGS have highlighted genomic alterations in SETD2, CDKN2A, SMARCB1, and NF2. Moreover, transcriptomic studies have confirmed the differences between urothelial carcinoma and cdRCC, the possible true origin of this disease in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), differentiating from other RCC (e.g., clear cell and papillary) that derive from the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), and enrichment in immune cells that may harbor insights in novel treatment strategies with immunotherapy and target agents. In this review, we update the current aspects of the clinical, molecular characterization, and new targeted therapeutic options for Collecting duct carcinoma and highlight the future perspectives of treatment in this setting.

Radium-223 for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with asymptomatic bone metastases progressing on first-line abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide: A single-arm phase II trial.

PURPOSE: The paper aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 223Ra in patients who progressed after first-line androgen deprivation therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: EXCAAPE (NCT03002220) was a multicentre, single-arm, open-label, non-controlled phase IIa trial in 52 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and asymptomatic bone metastases who have progressed on abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide, up to six doses of 223Ra (55 kBq/kg of body weight per month). The primary end-point was radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS). Secondary end-points included rPFS based on androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) expression in circulating tumour cells (CTCs), overall survival, and safety. RESULTS: Median rPFS was 5.5 months (95% CI 5.3-5.5). Median rPFS of patients with AR-V7(-) CTCs was longer than that of patients with AR-V7(+) CTCs (5.5 versus 2.2 months, respectively; P = 0.056). Median overall survival was 14.8 months (95% CI 11.2-not reached) and was significantly greater for AR-V7(-) patients than for AR-V7(+) patients (14.8 months versus 3.5 months, respectively; P < 0.01). 223Ra was well tolerated; anaemia and thrombocytopenia were the most common grade 3/4 adverse events (5.8% and 11.5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: 223Ra seems to be a reasonable treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and asymptomatic bone metastases progressing on novel hormonal therapy and had an acceptable safety profile.

Plain language summary of the design of the TALAPRO-2 study comparing talazoparib and enzalutamide versus enzalutamide and placebo in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This summary describes the design of an ongoing research study (also known as a clinical trial) called TALAPRO-2. The TALAPRO-2 trial is testing the combination of two medicines called talazoparib and enzalutamide as a first treatment in adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The study began in December 2017 and has enrolled 1037 adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer from 26 countries. WHAT IS METASTATIC CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER?: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is a type of cancer that has advanced beyond the prostate and continues to grow even when testosterone levels in the blood are suppressed. WHICH MEDICINES ARE BEING TESTED?: The combination of talazoparib plus enzalutamide will be compared with enzalutamide plus placebo. Enzalutamide is approved to treat men with prostate cancer. Talazoparib is not approved to treat men with prostate cancer. A placebo does not contain any active ingredients and is also known as a sugar pill. WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE TALAPRO-2 TRIAL?: The TALAPRO-2 trial will find out if combining talazoparib with enzalutamide increases the length of time the men in the study live without their cancer getting worse compared with enzalutamide plus placebo. The study will also measure how long men in the study live and any side effects the men have while they are taking the study medicines. Researchers are also testing the DNA from the tumor cells of all men in the study to find out if they have faulty DNA repair genes. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT0339519 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

A Novel EGFRvIII T-Cell Bispecific Antibody for the Treatment of Glioblastoma.

T-cell bispecific antibodies (TCB) are engineered molecules that bind both the T-cell receptor and tumor-specific antigens. Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) mutation is a common event in glioblastoma (GBM) and is characterized by the deletion of exons 2-7, resulting in a constitutively active receptor that promotes cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion. EGFRvIII is expressed on the surface of tumor cells and is not expressed in normal tissues, making EGFRvIII an ideal neoantigen target for TCBs. We designed and developed a novel 2+1 EGFRvIII-TCB with optimal pharmacologic characteristics and potent antitumor activity. EGFRvIII-TCB showed specificity for EGFRvIII and promoted tumor cell killing as well as T-cell activation and cytokine secretion only in patient-derived models expressing EGFRvIII. Moreover, EGFRvIII-TCB promoted T-cell recruitment into intracranial tumors. EGFRvIII-TCB induced tumor regression in GBM animal models, including humanized orthotopic GBM patient-derived xenograft models. Our results warrant the clinical testing of EGFRvIII-TCB for the treatment of EGFRvIII-expressing GBMs.