Automated image analysis of NSCLC biopsies to predict response to anti-PD-L1 therapy.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint therapies (ICTs) targeting the programmed cell death-1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway have improved outcomes for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly those with high PD-L1 expression. However, the predictive value of manual PD-L1 scoring is imperfect and alternative measures are needed. We report an automated image analysis solution to determine the predictive and prognostic values of the product of PD-L1+ cell and CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) densities (CD8xPD-L1 signature) in baseline tumor biopsies. METHODS: Archival or fresh tumor biopsies were analyzed for PD-L1 and CD8 expression by immunohistochemistry. Samples were collected from 163 patients in Study 1108/NCT01693562, a Phase 1/2 trial to evaluate durvalumab across multiple tumor types, including NSCLC, and a separate cohort of 199 non-ICT- patients. Digital images were automatically scored for PD-L1+ and CD8+ cell densities using customized algorithms applied with Developer XD™ 2.7 software. RESULTS: For patients who received durvalumab, median overall survival (OS) was 21.0 months for CD8xPD-L1 signature-positive patients and 7.8 months for signature-negative patients (p = 0.00002). The CD8xPD-L1 signature provided greater stratification of OS than high densities of CD8+ cells, high densities of PD-L1+ cells, or manually assessed tumor cell PD-L1 expression ≥25%. The CD8xPD-L1 signature did not stratify OS in non-ICT patients, although a high density of CD8+ cells was associated with higher median OS (high: 67 months; low: 39.5 months, p = 0.0009) in this group. CONCLUSIONS: An automated CD8xPD-L1 signature may help to identify NSCLC patients with improved response to durvalumab therapy. Our data also support the prognostic value of CD8+ TILS in NSCLC patients who do not receive ICT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01693562 . Study code: CD-ON-MEDI4736-1108. Interventional study (ongoing but not currently recruiting). Actual study start date: August 29, 2012. Primary completion date: June 23, 2017 (final data collection date for primary outcome measure).

Resminostat in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: results of the phase II SAPHIRE study.

This open-label, single-arm phase II study examined efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor resminostat in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Thirty-seven heavily pretreated patients received 600 (19 patients) or 800 mg (18 patients) oral resminostat daily for the initial 5 days of 14-day treatment cycles. Objective response rate (ORR) (primary) was 34% reaching disease control in 54% patients. Most patients (69%) showed reduced tumor size and reduced [18F]-FDG uptake in target lesions (71%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.3 months (95%CI [1.3; 3.3]) and median overall survival (OS) was 12.5 months (95%CI [9.6; 18.6]). Patients who responded or stabilized under resminostat had a 10-month longer OS than patients who progressed. Efficacy assessment, pharmacodynamics, and exploratory biomarker results followed plasma levels, showed target engagement and epigenetic modulations. Common drug-related adverse events (AEs) were nausea, vomiting, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and fatigue, mainly grade 1 or 2.

Resminostat plus sorafenib as second-line therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma - The SHELTER study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: No established therapies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and progression on first-line sorafenib treatment currently exist. This phase I/II trial investigated safety, pharmacokinetics and potential biomarkers of the histone deacetylase inhibitor resminostat and a combination therapy with resminostat and sorafenib. METHODS: Patients with HCC and radiologically confirmed progression on sorafenib were treated in an exploratory, multi-center, open-label, uncontrolled, non-randomized, parallel group phase I/II study. In the combination group (n=38) four dose levels ranged from daily 200 to 600mg resminostat plus 400 to 800mg sorafenib. The monotherapy group (n=19) received 600mg resminostat. RESULTS: 57 patients received treatment. Most common adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders, thrombocytopenia and fatigue. Median maximal histone deacetylase inhibition and highest increase in H4-acetylation matched Tmax of resminostat. Sorafenib or the Child-Pugh score did not affect typical pharmacokinetics characteristics of resminostat. Efficacy assessment as progression-free survival-rate after 6 treatment cycles (12weeks, primary endpoint) was 12.5% for resminostat and 62.5% for resminostat plus sorafenib. Median time to progression and overall survival were 1.8 and 4.1months for resminostat and 6.5 and 8.0months for the combination, respectively. Zinc finger protein 64 (ZFP64) baseline expression in blood cells was found to correlate with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of sorafenib and resminostat in HCC patients was safe and showed early signs of efficacy. Sorafenib did not alter the pharmacokinetic profile of resminostat or its histone deacetylase inhibitory activity in vivo. A prognostic and potentially predictive role of ZFP64 for treatment with resminostat should be further investigated in HCC and possibly other cancer indications. LAY SUMMARY: No established therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and progression under first-line systemic treatment with sorafenib currently exists. Epigenetic modulation by inhibition of histone deacetylases might be able to overcome therapy resistance. This exploratory phase I/II clinical study in patients with radiologically confirmed progression under first-line treatment with sorafenib investigated the histone deacetylases inhibitor resminostat as single agent or in combination with continued application of sorafenib. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The clinical trial has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00943449.

Assessment of drug candidates for broad-spectrum antiviral therapy targeting cellular pyrimidine biosynthesis.

Currently available antiviral drugs frequently induce side-effects or selection of drug-resistant viruses. We describe a novel antiviral principle based on targeting the cellular enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). In silico drug design and biochemical evaluation identified Compound 1 (Cmp1) as a selective inhibitor of human DHODH in vitro (IC50 1.5±0.2nM). Crystallization data specified the mode of drug-target interaction. Importantly, Cmp1 displayed a very potent antiviral activity that could be reversed by co-application of uridine or other pyrimidine precursors, underlining the postulated DHODH-directed mode of activity. Human and animal cytomegaloviruses as well as adenoviruses showed strong sensitivity towards Cmp1 in cell culture-based infection systems with IC50 values in the low micromolar to nanomolar range. Particularly, broad inhibitory activity was demonstrated for various types of laboratory and clinically relevant adenoviruses. For replication of human cytomegalovirus in primary fibroblasts, antiviral mode of activity was attributed to the early stage of gene expression. A mouse in vivo model proved reduced replication of murine cytomegalovirus in various organs upon Cmp1 treatment. These findings suggested Cmp1 as drug candidate and validated DHODH as a promising cellular target for antiviral therapy.

Substituted 2-arylbenzothiazoles as kinase inhibitors: hit-to-lead optimization.

Based on an (aminoaryl)benzothiazole quinazoline hit structure for kinase inhibition, a systematic optimization program resulted in a lead structure allowing for inhibitory activities in cellular phosphorylation assays in the low nanomolar range.