A phase 1 trial of fuzuloparib in combination with apatinib for advanced ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer: efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics and germline BRCA mutation analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effect of the combination of an anti-angiogenic agent with a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor in cancer treatment is unclear. We assessed the oral combination of fuzuloparib, a PARP inhibitor, and apatinib, a VEGFR2 inhibitor for treating advanced ovarian cancer (OC) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: This dose-escalation and pharmacokinetics-expansion phase 1 trial was conducted in China. We used a standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation design, with 7 dose levels tested. Patients received fuzuloparib orally twice daily, and apatinib orally once daily. The study objectives were to determine the safety profile, recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics, preliminary efficacy, and efficacy in relation to germline BRCA mutation (gBRCAmut). RESULTS: Fifty-two pre-treated patients were enrolled (30 OC/22 TNBC). 5 (9.6%) patients had complete response, 14 (26.9%) had partial response, and 15 (28.8%) had stable disease. Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate were 36.5% (95% CI 23.6-51.0) and 65.4% (95% CI 50.9-78.0), respectively. At the highest dose level of fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 500 mg, the ORR was 50.0% (4/8; 95% CI 15.7-84.3); this dose was determined to be the RP2D. Patients with gBRCAmut had higher ORR and longer median progression-free survival (PFS) than those with gBRCAwt, both in OC (ORR, 62.5% [5/8] vs 40.9% [9/22]; PFS, 9.4 vs 6.7 months) and TNBC (ORR, 66.7% [2/3] vs 15.8% [3/19]; PFS, 5.6 vs 2.8 months). Two dose-limiting toxicities occurred: grade 4 febrile neutropenia (fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 250 mg) and thrombocytopenia (fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 375 mg). Maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The most common treatment-related grade ≥ 3 toxicities in all patients were hypertension (19.2%), anaemia (13.5%), and decreased platelet count (5.8%). Exposure of apatinib increased proportionally with increasing dose ranging from 250 to 500 mg, when combined with fuzuloparib 100 mg. CONCLUSIONS: Fuzuloparib plus apatinib had acceptable safety in patients with advanced OC or TNBC. Fuzuloparib 100 mg bid plus apatinib 500 mg qd was established as the RP2D. With the promising clinical activity observed, this combination is warranted to be further explored as a potential alternative to chemotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03075462 (Mar. 9, 2017).

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib in previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR or ALK genetic aberration.

Background: Camrelizumab plus apatinib shows encouraging antitumor activity and acceptable toxicity in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, clinical benefits from this combination regimen in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements (EGFR+/ALK+) have not been reported. We assessed the efficacy and safety of this combined regimen in pretreated patients with advanced NSCLC and defined EGFR/ALK status (EGFR+/ALK+) in a phase 1b/2 trial. Methods: Previously treated patients with advanced EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC were enrolled and given camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks plus apatinib at the recommended dose of 250 mg orally once daily. Patients harboring sensitive EGFR mutations or ALK fusion genes had received at least one EGFR/ALK TKI and a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen before the enrollment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Results: All 43 enrolled patients comprised the efficacy and safety analysis population. The confirmed ORR was 18.6% (95% CI: 8.4-33.4%) and the clinical benefit response rate was 27.9% (95% CI: 15.3-43.7%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% CI: 1.9-5.5 months) and median overall survival was not reached (95% CI: 7.3 months-not reached), with a median follow-up period of 15.7 months (range, 0.5-24.4 months). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were hypertension (16.3%), proteinuria (11.6%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (9.3%). No unexpected adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: Camrelizumab plus apatinib showed moderate antitumor activity and acceptable safety profile in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC and EGFR or ALK genetic aberrations, which warranted further validation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03083041. Registered March 17, 2017.

Camrelizumab plus famitinib for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based therapy: data from a multicohort phase 2 study.

BACKGROUND: Dual blockade of immune checkpoint and angiogenesis is an effective strategy for multiple cancers. Camrelizumab is a monoclonal antibody against PD-1, and famitinib is a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antiangiogenesis and antiproliferation activities against tumor cells. We conducted an open-label, multicenter phase 2 basket study of camrelizumab and famitinib in eight cohorts of genitourinary or gynecological cancers. Here, findings in cohort of advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with platinum-progressive disease (cohort 2) are presented. METHODS: Patients who had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic disease or had progressed within 12 months after completion of platinum-based (neo)adjuvant therapy were given camrelizumab (200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks) plus famitinib (20 mg orally once daily). Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. RESULTS: Totally, 36 patients were recruited. With a median duration from enrollment to data cut-off of 11.9 months (range 6.1-28.5), ORR was 30.6% (95% CI 16.3% to 48.1%). Median duration of response (DoR) was 6.3 months (95% CI 2.1 to not reached). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.1 months (95% CI 2.2 to 8.2), and median overall survival (OS) was 12.9 months (95% CI 8.8 to not reached). Patients with bladder cancer (n=18) had numerically better outcomes, with an ORR of 38.9% (95% CI 17.3% to 64.3%) and a median PFS of 8.3 months (95% CI 4.1 to not reached). Median DoR and OS in this subpopulation had not been reached with lower limit of 95% CI of 4.2 months for DoR and 11.3 months for OS, respectively. Of 36 patients, 22 (61.1%) had grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events, mainly decreased platelet count and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Camrelizumab plus famitinib showed potent antitumor activity in advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with bladder cancer seemed to have better response to this combination. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03827837.

Camrelizumab Plus Apatinib in Treatment-Naive Patients With Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Trial.

Introduction: Our preclinical work suggests that low-dose angiogenesis inhibition could potentiate programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade. In a cohort of our multicenter phase 1b and 2 study (NCT03083041), promising antitumor activity was observed with camrelizumab plus low-dose apatinib in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. We hereby reported the results in treatment-naive patients (cohort 4) from the same study. Methods: Eligible patients had untreated advanced nonsquamous NSCLC with a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) (tissue TMB >10 mutations per megabase or blood TMB ≥1.54 mutations per megabase) and without sensitizing EGFR or ALK alterations. Patients received camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks plus apatinib 250 mg orally once daily. The primary end point was the objective response rate (ORR) per investigator. Results: A total of 25 patients were enrolled and treated. A total of 10 (40.0%) confirmed partial responses and 13 (52.0%) stable diseases were observed. The ORR was 40.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.1-61.3) and disease control rate was 92.0% (95% CI: 74.0-99.0). With a median follow-up of 19.5 months, the median progression-free survival was 9.6 months (95% CI: 5.5-not reached), whereas the overall survival was not reached; the median duration of response was 15.6 months (95% CI: 3.8-not reached). Similar ORR and progression-free survival were observed regardless of PD-L1 tumor proportion score (≥1% versus <1%). The most common treatment-related grade 3 or higher adverse events were increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (24.0%), increased alanine aminotransferase (16.0%), and abnormal hepatic function (16.0%). Conclusions: Frontline camrelizumab plus low-dose apatinib exhibited promising clinical activity with acceptable safety in patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC regardless of PD-L1 expression.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Limited data are available for the combination regimen of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor and anti-angiogenic agents as second-line therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in patients with squamous NSCLC. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib (a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor) as second-line treatment in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC. Methods: In the Cohort 3 from a phase II dose-expansion trial, patients with advanced non-central squamous NSCLC who were immunotherapy naïve and had failed prior first-line platinum-based chemotherapy received 200 mg of camrelizumab intravenously every 2 weeks plus oral apatinib at the recommended dose of 250 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by the investigators as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v 1.1. Results: Cohort 3 was prematurely terminated because of slow accrual after 25 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC had been enrolled between 10 October 2018, and 3 March 2019. At the data cutoff date of 12 June 2020, the median follow-up was 13.3 (range, 1.6 to 19.2) months. Among all 25 participants, the ORR was 32.0% (95% CI: 14.9% to 53.5%), the clinical benefit rate was 44.0% (95% CI: 24.4% to 65.1%), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 84.0% (95% CI: 63.9% to 95.5%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.0 (95% CI: 3.5 to 8.1) months, and median overall survival (OS) was 13.3 (95% CI: 6.4 to 18.8) months. Furthermore, clinical benefits from this combination regimen were evident across all tumor PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression subgroups. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) of grade 3 or higher were hypertension (44.0%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (16.0%). As reported by the investigators, 3 participants (12.0%) died due to TRAEs (interstitial pneumonia, hemorrhage, and unknown reason; n=1 each, 4%). Conclusions: Camrelizumab plus apatinib as second-line therapy showed satisfactory antitumor activity in patients with non-central squamous NSCLC, regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression. Camrelizumab plus apatinib had a manageable safety profile in this patient population, and the toxic reactions observed were generally consistent with those in previously reported studies. Interstitial pneumonia and hemorrhage are important risks requiring careful monitoring and prompt intervention.

Antitumor activity and safety of camrelizumab plus famitinib in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer: results from an open-label, multicenter phase 2 basket study.

BACKGROUND: Combination treatments with immune-checkpoint inhibitor and antiangiogenic therapy have the potential for synergistic activity through modulation of the microenvironment and represent a notable therapeutic strategy in recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). We report the results of camrelizumab (an anti-programmed cell death protein-1 antibody) in combination with famitinib (a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) for the treatment of platinum-resistant ROC from an open-label, multicenter, phase 2 basket trial. METHODS: Eligible patients with platinum-resistant ROC were enrolled to receive camrelizumab (200 mg every 3 weeks by intravenous infusion) and oral famitinib (20 mg once daily). All patients had disease progression during or <6 months after their most recent platinum-based chemotherapy. Primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) V.1.1 based on investigator's assessment. Secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), time to response (TTR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 12-month OS rate and safety profile. RESULTS: Of the 37 women enrolled, 11 (29.7%) patients had primary platinum resistant, 15 (40.5%) patients had secondary platinum resistant and 11 (29.7%) patients had primary platinum refractory disease. As the cut-off date of April 9, 2021, nine (24.3%) patients had achieved a confirmed objective response, the ORR was 24.3% (95% CI, 11.8 to 41.2) and the DCR was 54.1% (95% CI, 36.9 to 70.5). Patients with this combination regimen showed a median TTR of 2.1 months (range, 1.8-4.1) and a median DoR of 4.1 months (95% CI, 1.9 to 6.3). Median PFS was 4.1 months (95% CI, 2.1 to 5.7), and median OS was 18.9 months (95% CI, 10.8 to not reached), with the median follow-up duration of 22.0 months (range, 12.0-23.7). The estimated 12-month OS rate was 67.2% (95% CI, 49.4 to 79.9). The most common ≥grade 3 treatment-related adverse events were hypertension (32.4%), decreased neutrophil count (29.7%) and decreased platelet count (13.5%). One (2.7%) patient died of grade 5 hemorrhage that was judged possibly related to study treatment by investigator. CONCLUSION: The camrelizumab with famitinib combination appeared to show antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with platinum-resistant ROC with an acceptable safety profile. This combination might provide a novel alternative treatment strategy in platinum-resistant ROC setting and warranted further exploration. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03827837.

Addition of camrelizumab to docetaxel, cisplatin, and radiation therapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a phase 1b study.

Patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) show poor survival after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. This study investigated the safety and feasibility of combining concurrent chemoradiotherapy with the anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab as first-line treatment for these patients. In this phase 1b study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03671265), patients received concurrent chemotherapy (cisplatin [25 mg/m2] plus docetaxel [25 mg/m2] for 4 weeks) and radiotherapy (2.0 Gy/fraction, total 60 Gy) with camrelizumab (200 mg every 2 weeks for 32 weeks). Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, and health-related quality of life. Secondary endpoints were radiological and pathological response rates, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Candidate biomarkers in tumor and peripheral blood were monitored at baseline and after 40 Gy radiation. Twenty patients were enrolled. The most common treatment-related grade 3 adverse events included radiation esophagitis (20%) and esophageal fistula (10%). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in eight (40%) patients. No treatment-related deaths were reported. Health-related quality of life did not deteriorate. Thirteen (65%) patients had an objective response after 40 Gy radiation. At a median follow-up of 23.7 months (95% CI 21.9-24.5), OS and PFS time ranged from 8.2-28.5 and 4.0-28.5 months, respectively. The 12-month and 24-month OS rate was 85.0% and 69.6%; PFS rate was 80.0% and 65.0%. Tumor PD-L1 expression and CD11c+ dendritic cells and peripheral-blood IL-27, IL-15, Eotaxin-3, and IL-22 were associated with OS. First-line concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus camrelizumab had a manageable safety profile and promising antitumour efficacy for ESCC, and deserves further study.

Camrelizumab plus Famitinib in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Data from an Open-label, Multicenter Phase II Basket Study.

PURPOSE: Blockade of immune checkpoint and angiogenesis is an effective treatment strategy for advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We report the results of camrelizumab plus famitinib in the RCC cohort of an open-label, multicenter, phase II basket study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were enrolled to receive camrelizumab (200 mg i.v. every 3 weeks) and famitinib (20 mg orally once daily). Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST version 1.1. RESULTS: Totally, 38 patients were recruited, including 13 (34.2%) treatment-naïve and 25 (65.8%) previously treated patients. With a median duration from enrollment to data cutoff of 16.5 months (range, 6.1-20.4), 23 patients achieved a confirmed objective response, and ORR was 60.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 43.4-76.0]. Responses in 18 (78.3%) responders were still ongoing, and Kaplan-Meier estimated median duration of response had not been reached yet (range, 1.0+-14.8+ months). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.6 months (95% CI, 6.2-not reached). ORR was 84.6% (95% CI, 54.6-98.1) in treatment-naïve patients and 48.0% (95% CI, 27.8-68.7) in pretreated patients; median PFS had not been reached and was 13.4 months (95% CI, 4.1-not reached), respectively. Most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events included proteinuria (18.4%), hypertension (18.4%), decreased neutrophil count (13.2%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (10.5%), and hypertriglyceridemia (10.5%). No treatment-related deaths occurred, and no new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Camrelizumab plus famitinib showed potent and enduring antitumor activity in patients with advanced or metastatic RCC, both in treatment-naïve and previously treated population.

Apatinib Plus Gefitinib as First-Line Treatment in Advanced EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: The Phase III ACTIVE Study (CTONG1706).

INTRODUCTION: Blocking vascular endothelial growth factor pathway can enhance the efficacy of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutant NSCLC. ACTIVE is the first phase 3 study conducted in the People's Republic of China evaluating apatinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, plus gefitinib as first-line therapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC. METHODS: Treatment-naive patients with stage IIIB or IV nonsquamous NSCLC, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and EGFR exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutation were randomized 1:1 to receive oral gefitinib (250 mg/d), plus apatinib (500 mg/d; apatinib [A] + gefitinib [G] group), or placebo (placebo [P] + gefitinib [G] group). Stratification factors were mutation type, sex, and performance status. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent radiology review committee (IRRC). Secondary end points were investigator-assessed PFS, overall survival, quality of life (QoL), safety, etc. Next-generation sequencing was used to explore efficacy predictors and acquired resistance. RESULTS: A total of 313 patients were assigned to the A + G (n = 157) or P + G group (n = 156). Median IRRC PFS in the A + G group was 13.7 months versus 10.2 months in the P + G group (hazard ratio 0.71, p = 0.0189). Investigator- and IRRC-assessed PFS were similar. Overall survival was immature. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events greater than or equal to grade 3 were hypertension (46.5%) and proteinuria (17.8%) in the A + G group and increased alanine aminotransferase (10.4%) and aspartate aminotransferase (3.2%) in the P + G group. QoL in the two groups had no statistical differences. Post hoc analysis revealed PFS benefits tended to favor the A + G group in patients with TP53 exon 8 mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib + gefitinib as first-line therapy had superior PFS in advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC versus placebo + gefitinib. Combination therapy brought more adverse events but did not interfere QoL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02824458.

Safety and Feasibility of Radiotherapy Plus Camrelizumab for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

LESSONS LEARNED: Radiotherapy plus anti-PD-1 antibody as first-line therapy is safe and feasible in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Tumor-infiltrating and peripheral lymphocytes were associated with patient survival. Further studies combining chemoradiotherapy with immunotherapy in locally advanced ESCC and exploration of predictive biomarkers are warranted. BACKGROUND: We conducted a phase Ib study of radiotherapy plus programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody camrelizumab as first-line treatment for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: We planned to enroll 20 patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced ESCC. Patients received 60 Gy radiation (2.0 Gy/fraction, 5 fractions/week), with camrelizumab (200 mg every 2 weeks) starting with radiotherapy and continuing for 32 weeks (i.e., for 16 cycles). The primary endpoints were safety and feasibility. Secondary endpoints were rates of radiologic and pathologic response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Study data were collected by the week during radiotherapy (RT), every month during the maintenance camrelizumab treatment, and every 3 months after treatment. Tumor microenvironment and peripheral blood were monitored at baseline and after 40 Gy radiation for association with efficacy. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled and received treatment. One patient (patient 10) was excluded upon discovery of a second tumor in the bladder during treatment, leaving 19 patients for analysis. Toxicity was deemed tolerable. Fourteen (74%) patients had assessed objective response. At a median follow-up time of 31.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.0-35.1), median OS and PFS times were 16.7 months (95% CI, 5.9-27.9) and 11.7 months (95% CI, 0-30.3), respectively. OS and PFS rates at 24 months were 31.6% and 35.5%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed associations between the following factors and OS/PFS: tumor programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, PD-1+ CD8+ , PD-1+ CD4+ T cells, and PD-L1+ CD4+ T cells; peripheral blood CD4+ , CD8+ , CD4+ regulatory T cells, and their subsets. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy plus camrelizumab had manageable toxicity and antitumor efficacy for locally advanced ESCC. Several biomarkers were associated with clinical benefit and deserve further study.

Biomarkers of response to camrelizumab combined with apatinib: an analysis from a phase II trial in advanced triple-negative breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We recently reported results of a phase II trial that camrelizumab plus apatinib induced an objective response rate (ORR) at 43.3% in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study presents analysis of potential biomarkers. METHODS: TILs, CD8+ T cells and PD-1/PD-L1 expression were evaluated in tumor samples by immunohistochemistry. 59 Cytokines/chemokines, growth factors, or checkpoint-related proteins, blood immune cell subpopulations were analyzed in blood samples by multiplexed bead immunoassays or flow cytometry. Correlation between biomarkers and clinical outcomes including ORR, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. RESULTS: 28 Patients had biopsies and blood collected. Baseline TILs were significantly associated with longer PFS (P = 0.035). An increase of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells > 15% during therapy was associated with higher ORR (P = 0.040). Patients with lower baseline plasma levels of HGF or IL-8 were more likely to respond to treatment (P = 0.005 or 0.001, respectively), and showed a longer PFS and OS. Patients with a decrease of IL-8, or an increase of TIM-3 or CD152 during treatment responded more to treatment (P = 0.008, 0.040, or 0.014, respectively). Responders had a higher baseline CD4+ T cells and B cell proportions in blood than non-responders (P = 0.002 and 0.030, respectively). CONCLUSION: Higher baseline TILs or a greater increase of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells during therapy, lower baseline plasma HGF/IL-8, a decrease of plasma IL-8, an increase of plasma TIM-3/CD152 during therapy, higher baseline CD4+ T cells or B cells proportion in blood are potential biomarkers for combinational anti-angiogenesis and immunotherapy in advanced TNBC patients.

An Open-label, Multicenter, Single-arm, Phase II Study of Fluzoparib in Patients with Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation and Platinum-sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer.

PURPOSE: Fluzoparib (PARP inhibitor) showed promising antitumor activity for advanced ovarian cancer in a phase I study. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of fluzoparib in patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutated recurrent ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This open-label, multicenter, single-arm, phase II study enrolled patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer and germline BRCA1/2 mutation who had previously received two to four lines of platinum-based chemotherapy. Fluzoparib 150 mg was administered orally twice daily. The primary endpoint was independent review committee (IRC)-assessed objective response rate per RECIST v1.1. RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of fluzoparib. As of data cutoff on March 21, 2020, the median follow-up period was 15.9 months (interquartile range, 13.5-18.5). The IRC- and investigator-assessed objective response rates were 69.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 60.6-78.2] and 70.8% (95% CI, 61.5-79.0), respectively. The objective response rates were similar across all prespecified subgroups. The median IRC- and investigator-assessed progression-free survival was 12.0 months (95% CI, 9.3-13.9) and 10.3 months (95% CI, 9.2-12.0), respectively. The 12-month survival rate was 93.7% (95% CI, 87.2-96.9). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 63.7% (72/113) of the patients, with the most common one being anemia/decreased hemoglobin. Adverse events that led to treatment interruption, dose reduction, and discontinuation occurred in 39.8%, 34.5%, and 0.9% of patients, respectively. One treatment-related death occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Fluzoparib demonstrated promising antitumor activity and acceptable safety profile in germline BRCA1/2-mutated, platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer. Thus, fluzoparib might be a novel treatment option for this population.

Camrelizumab in Combination with Apatinib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (RESCUE): A Nonrandomized, Open-label, Phase II Trial.

PURPOSE: We assessed the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab [an anti-programmed death (PD-1) mAb] plus apatinib (a VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nonrandomized, open-label, multicenter, phase II study enrolled patients with advanced HCC who were treatment-naïve or refractory/intolerant to first-line targeted therapy. Patients received intravenous camrelizumab 200 mg (for bodyweight ≥50 kg) or 3 mg/kg (for bodyweight <50 kg) every 2 weeks plus oral apatinib 250 mg daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by an independent review committee (IRC) per RECIST v1.1. RESULTS: Seventy patients in the first-line setting and 120 patients in the second-line setting were enrolled. As of January 10, 2020, the ORR was 34.3% [24/70; 95% confidence interval (CI), 23.3-46.6] in the first-line and 22.5% (27/120; 95% CI, 15.4-31.0) in the second-line cohort per IRC. Median progression-free survival in both cohorts was 5.7 months (95% CI, 5.4-7.4) and 5.5 months (95% CI, 3.7-5.6), respectively. The 12-month survival rate was 74.7% (95% CI, 62.5-83.5) and 68.2% (95% CI, 59.0-75.7), respectively. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were reported in 147 (77.4%) of 190 patients, with the most common being hypertension (34.2%). Serious TRAEs occurred in 55 (28.9%) patients. Two (1.1%) treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Camrelizumab combined with apatinib showed promising efficacy and manageable safety in patients with advanced HCC in both the first-line and second-line setting. It might represent a novel treatment option for these patients.See related commentary by Pinato et al., p. 908.

Efficacy and Biomarker Analysis of Camrelizumab in Combination with Apatinib in Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC Previously Treated with Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Our preclinical work suggests that appropriate angiogenesis inhibition could potentiate PD-1/PD-L1 blockade via alleviating hypoxia, increasing infiltration of CD8+ T cells and reducing recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages. We hereby conducted a clinical trial to evaluate this combination in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included phase Ib apatinib dose-escalation and phase II expansion cohorts. Patients received apatinib at doses of 250-500 mg orally once daily, in combination with camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks. RESULTS: From March 2017 to October 2018, 105 chemotherapy-pretreated patients with nonsquamous NSCLC were enrolled and received apatinib 250 mg (recommended phase II dose) and camrelizumab. Among them, one (1.0%) complete response, 28 (26.7%) partial responses, and 48 (45.7%) stable diseases were observed. In the efficacy-evaluable population (n = 94), objective response rate (ORR) was 30.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 21.7-41.2]. The median progression-free survival was 5.7 months (95% CI, 4.5-8.8) and overall survival was 15.5 months (95% CI, 10.9-24.5). Efficacy of combination therapy was evident across all PD-L1 and tumor mutation burden subgroups, and appeared to be improved in patients with STK11/KEAP1 mutation (mutant vs. wild-type, ORR: 42.9% vs. 28.1%; 1-year survival rate: 85.1% vs. 53.1%). No unexpected adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Combined apatinib and camrelizumab showed encouraging antitumor activity and acceptable toxicity in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. Patients with STK11/KEAP1 mutation might derive more benefits from this combination. We will validate these results in an ongoing phase III trial (NCT04203485).

Phase I dose-escalation and expansion study of PARP inhibitor, fluzoparib (SHR3162), in patients with advanced solid tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Fluzoparib (SHR3162) is a novel, potent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP)1, 2 inhibitor that showed anti-tumor activity in xenograft models. We conducted a phase I, first-in-human, dose-escalation and expansion (D-Esc and D-Ex) trial in patients with advanced solid cancer. METHODS: This was a 3+3 phase I D-Esc trial with a 3-level D-Ex at 5 hospitals in China. Eligible patients for D-Esc had advanced solid tumors refractory to standard therapies, and D-Ex enrolled patients with ovarian cancer (OC). Fluzoparib was administered orally once or twice daily (bid) at 11 dose levels from 10 to 400 mg/d. Endpoints included dose-finding, safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were enrolled from March, 2015 to January, 2018 [OC (47, 59.5%); breast cancer (BC) (16, 20.3%); colorectal cancer (8, 10.1%), other tumors (8, 10.1%)]; 48 patients were treated in the D-Esc arm and 31 in the D-Ex arm. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 150 mg bid, with a half-life of 9.14 h. Grade 3/4 adverse events included anemia (7.6%) and neutropenia (5.1%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 30% (3/10) in patients with platinum-sensitive OC and 7.7% (1/13) in patients with BC. Among patients treated with fluzoparib ≥120 mg/d, median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 7.2 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.8-9.3] months in OC, 9.3 (95% CI, 7.2-9.3) months in platinum-sensitive OC, and 3.5 (range, 2.0-28.0) months in BC. In patients with germline BC susceptibility gene mutation (gBRCA Mut) (11/43 OC; 2/16 BC), mPFS was 8.9 months for OC (range, 1.0-23.2; 95% CI, 1.0-16.8) and 14 and 28 months for BC (those two patients both also had somaticBRCA Mut). CONCLUSIONS: The MTD of fluzoparib was 150 mg bid in advanced solid malignancies. Fluzoparib demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity in BC and OC, particularly in BRCA Mut and platinum-sensitive OC.

Effects of Apatinib on the Pharmacokinetics of Nifedipine and Warfarin in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Apatinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of recurrent or progressive advanced-stage gastric adenocarcinoma or gastroesophageal junction cancer. The in vitro inhibition studies suggested that apatinib exerted potent inhibition on CYP3A4 and CYP2C9. To evaluate the potential of apatinib as a perpetrator in CYP450-based drug-drug interactions in vivo, nifedipine and warfarin were, respectively, selected in the present study as the probe substrates of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 for clinical drug-drug interaction studies. Since hypertension and thrombus are common adverse effects of vascular targeting anticancer agents, nifedipine and warfarin are usually coadministered with apatinib in clinical practice. METHODS: A single-center, open-label, single-arm, and self-controlled trial was conducted in patients with advanced solid tumors. The patients received a single dose of 30 mg nifedipine on Day 1/14 and a single dose of 3 mg warfarin on Day 3/16. On Day 9-21, the subjects received a daily dose of 750 mg apatinib, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of nifedipine and warfarin in the absence or presence of apatinib was, respectively, investigated. RESULTS: Compared with the single oral administration, coadministration with apatinib contributed to the significant increases of AUC0-48h and Cmax of nifedipine by 83% (90% confidence interval [CI] 1.46-2.31) and 64% (90% CI 1.34-2.01), respectively. Similarly, coadministration with apatinib contributed to the significant increases of AUC0-t and Cmax of S-warfarin by 92% (90% CI 1.68-2.18) and 24% (90% CI 1.10-1.39), respectively. CONCLUSION: Concomitant apatinib administration resulted in significant increases in systemic exposure to nifedipine and S-warfarin. Owing to the risk of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions based on CYP3A4/CYP2C9 inhibition by apatinib, caution is advised in the concurrent use of apatinib with either CYP2C9 or CYP3A4 substrates.

YES1 amplification confers trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) resistance in HER2-positive cancer.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1), one of the most potent HER2-targeted drugs, shows impressive efficacy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancers. However, resistance inevitably occurs and becomes a critical clinical problem. METHODS: We modelled the development of acquired resistance by exposing HER2-positive cells to escalating concentrations of T-DM1. Signalling pathways activation was detected by western blotting, gene expression was analysed by qRT-PCR and gene copy numbers were determined by qPCR. The role of Yes on resistance was confirmed by siRNA-mediated knockdown and stable transfection-mediated overexpression. The in vivo effects were tested in xenograft model. RESULTS: We found that Yes is overexpressed in T-DM1-resistant cells owing to amplification of chromosome region 18p11.32, where the YES1 gene resides. Yes activated multiple proliferation-related signalling pathways, including EGFR, PI3K and MAPK, and led to cross-resistance to all types of HER2-targeted drugs, including antibody-drug conjugate, antibody and small molecule inhibitor. The outcome of this cross-resistance may be a clinically incurable condition. Importantly, we found that inhibiting Yes with dasatinib sensitised resistant cells in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that YES1 amplification conferred resistance to HER2-targeted drugs and suggested the potential application of the strategy of combining HER2 and Yes inhibition in the clinic.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab combined with apatinib in advanced triple-negative breast cancer: an open-label phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous trials showed that antiangiogenesis or anti-programmed death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) monotherapy only showed marginal effect in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Preclinical studies demonstrated that antiangiogenic therapy could sensitize breast cancer to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade via reprogramming tumor microenvironment. Combinational treatment of checkpoint blockade and antiangiogenesis for TNBC has not been reported. METHODS: Patients with advanced TNBC with less than three lines of systemic therapy were enrolled in an open-label, non-comparative, two-arm, phase II trial at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. Camrelizumab (intravenously every 2 weeks) with apatinib orally at either continuous dosing (d1-d14) or intermittent dosing (d1-d7) was given until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: From January 2018 to April 2019, 40 patients were enrolled, including 10 in the apatinib intermittent dosing cohort and 30 in the apatinib continuous dosing cohort. The ORR was 43.3% (13 of 30) in the continuous dosing cohort, while no objective response was observed in the intermittent dosing cohort. The disease control rate was 63.3% (19 of 30) in the apatinib continuous dosing cohort, and 40.0% (4 of 10) in the apatinib intermittent dosing cohort, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.7 (95% CI 2.0 to 6.4) months and 1.9 (95% CI 1.8 to 3.7) months in the continuous dosing and intermittent dosing cohort, respectively. In the continuous dosing cohort, the median PFS of patients with partial response (8.3 months, 95% CI 5.9 to not reached) was significantly longer than that of patients with stable disease/progressive disease/not evaluable (2.0 months, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.0). The most common adverse events (AEs) included elevated aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase and hand-foot syndrome. Overall, 26.7% and 20.0% of patients experienced grade ≥3 AEs in the continuous dosing and intermittent dosing cohort, respectively. In the continuous dosing cohort, a high percentage of baseline tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (>10%) was associated with higher ORR and favorable PFS (p=0.029, 0.054, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ORR by this chemo-free regimen was dramatically higher than previously reported ORR by anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody or apatinib monotherapy. Camrelizumab combined with apatinib demonstrated favorable therapeutic effects and a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced TNBC. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03394287.

Efficacy of platinum in advanced triple-negative breast cancer with germline BRCA mutation determined by next generation sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of platinum- and non-platinum-based regimens as first-line treatment for advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and analyze the relationship between their efficacy and BRCA gene status. METHODS: Retrospectively analyze clinical data of 220 patients diagnosed pathologically with advanced TNBC and treated at the Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital from 2013 to 2018 and evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy. A total of 114 patients had BRCA1/2 gene tested by next generation sequencing (NGS) using peripheral blood, and we analyzed the correlation between their efficacy and BRCA1/2 gene status. RESULTS: Non-platinum-based chemotherapy (NPCT) was administered to 129 and platinum-based chemotherapy (PBCT) to 91 study patients. The clinical benefit rate (CBR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were not statistically different between NPCT and PBCT groups. The median overall survival (OS) was 30.0 and 22.5 months for PBCT and NPCT group, respectively [P=0.090, hazard ratios (HR)=0.703]. BRCA status was assessed in 114 patients, 14 of whom had deleterious germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA) mutations (seven in each group). In PBCT group, the CBR was 85.7% and 35.1% for patients with and without deleterious gBRCA mutations, respectively (P=0.039). The median PFS were 14.9 and 5.3 months and median OS were 26.5 and 15.5 months for patients with and without deleterious gBRCA mutations, respectively (P=0.001, P=0.161, respectively). Patients in PBCT group had significantly greater rates of grade 3-4 anemia (5.5%vs. 0%) and thrombocytopenia (8.8% vs. 0%), whereas palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (12.4% vs. 0%) and peripheral neuropathy (8.6% vs. 1.1%) occurred more frequently in NPCT group. CONCLUSIONS: Platinum-based regimens are more effective in patients with deleterious gBRCA mutations, but no difference in patients without BRCA gene mutations, so non-platinum is an option in patients without BRCA gene mutations considering the toxicity and side effect. And we recommend that patients with advanced TNBC should have BRCA gene test.