Dabrafenib in patients with BRAF(V600E)-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a single-arm, multicentre, open-label, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Activating BRAF(V600E) (Val600Glu) mutations are found in about 1-2% of lung adenocarcinomas, which might provide an opportunity for targeted treatment in these patients. Dabrafenib is an oral selective inhibitor of BRAF kinase. We did a trial to assess the clinical activity of dabrafenib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) positive for the BRAF(V600E) mutation. METHODS: In this phase 2, multicentre, non-randomised, open-label study, we enrolled previously treated and untreated patients with stage IV metastatic BRAF(V600E)-positive NSCLC. Patients received oral dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response, which was assessed in patients who had received at least one dose of dabrafenib; safety was also assessed in this population. The study is ongoing but not enrolling patients in this cohort. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01336634. FINDINGS: Between Aug 3, 2011, and Feb 25, 2014, 84 patients were enrolled, six of whom had not previously received systemic treatment for NSCLC. 26 of the 78 previously treated patients achieved an investigator-assessed overall response (33% [95% CI 23-45]). Four of the six previously untreated patients had an objective response. One patient died from an intracranial haemorrhage that was judged by the investigator to be due to the study drug. Serious adverse events were reported in 35 (42%) of 84 patients. The most frequent grade 3 or worse adverse events were cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma in ten (12%), asthenia in four (5%), and basal-cell carcinoma in four (5%). INTERPRETATION: Dabrafenib showed clinical activity in BRAF(V600E)-positive NSCLC. Our findings suggest that dabrafenib could represent a treatment option for a population of patients with limited therapeutic options. FUNDING: GlaxoSmithKline.

Pazopanib versus sunitinib in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pazopanib and sunitinib provided a progression-free survival benefit, as compared with placebo or interferon, in previous phase 3 studies involving patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. This phase 3, randomized trial compared the efficacy and safety of pazopanib and sunitinib as first-line therapy. METHODS: We randomly assigned 1110 patients with clear-cell, metastatic renal-cell carcinoma, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive a continuous dose of pazopanib (800 mg once daily; 557 patients) or sunitinib in 6-week cycles (50 mg once daily for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks without treatment; 553 patients). The primary end point was progression-free survival as assessed by independent review, and the study was powered to show the noninferiority of pazopanib versus sunitinib. Secondary end points included overall survival, safety, and quality of life. RESULTS: Pazopanib was noninferior to sunitinib with respect to progression-free survival (hazard ratio for progression of disease or death from any cause, 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 to 1.22), meeting the predefined noninferiority margin (upper bound of the 95% confidence interval, <1.25). Overall survival was similar (hazard ratio for death with pazopanib, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.08). Patients treated with sunitinib, as compared with those treated with pazopanib, had a higher incidence of fatigue (63% vs. 55%), the hand-foot syndrome (50% vs. 29%), and thrombocytopenia (78% vs. 41%); patients treated with pazopanib had a higher incidence of increased levels of alanine aminotransferase (60%, vs. 43% with sunitinib). The mean change from baseline in 11 of 14 health-related quality-of-life domains, particularly those related to fatigue or soreness in the mouth, throat, hands, or feet, during the first 6 months of treatment favored pazopanib (P<0.05 for all 11 comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Pazopanib and sunitinib have similar efficacy, but the safety and quality-of-life profiles favor pazopanib. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals; COMPARZ ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00720941.).

Overall Survival Endpoint in Oncology Clinical Trials: Addressing the Effect of Crossover--The Case of Pazopanib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the issues of using overall survival (OS) as a primary endpoint in the presence of crossover and the statistical analyses available to adjust for confounded OS due to crossover in oncology clinical trials. METHODS: An indirect comparison was conducted between pazopanib and sunitinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma. Statistical adjustment methods were used to estimate the true comparative effectiveness of these treatments. Recently, a head-to-head trial comparing pazopanib and sunitinib was completed. This provided the opportunity to compare the OS treatment effect estimated for pazopanib versus sunitinib using indirect comparison and statistical adjustment techniques with that observed in the head-to-head trial. RESULTS: Using a rank-preserving structural failure time model to adjust for crossover in the pazopanib registration trial, the indirect comparison of pazopanib versus sunitinib resulted in an OS hazard ratio (HR) of 0.97, while an unadjusted analysis resulted in an OS HR of 1.96. The head-to-head trial reported a final OS HR of 0.92 for pazopanib versus sunitinib. CONCLUSION: This case study supports the need to adjust for confounded OS due to crossover, which enables trials to meet ethical standards and provides decision makers with a more accurate estimate of treatment benefit.

A randomized and open-label trial evaluating the addition of pazopanib to lapatinib as first-line therapy in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

This phase II study (VEG20007; NCT00347919) with randomized and open-label components evaluated first-line lapatinib plus pazopanib therapy and/or lapatinib monotherapy in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive advanced/metastatic breast cancer. Patients were enrolled sequentially into two cohorts: Cohort 1, patients were randomly assigned to lapatinib 1,000 mg plus pazopanib 400 mg or lapatinib 1,500 mg monotherapy; Cohort 2, patients received lapatinib 1,500 mg plus pazopanib 800 mg. The primary endpoint was week-12 progressive disease rate (PDR) for Cohort 1. The principal secondary endpoint was week-12 response rate (RR) for Cohort 2. Efficacy was assessed in patients with centrally confirmed HER2 positivity (modified intent-to-treat population [MITT]). The study enrolled 190 patients (Cohort 1, combination n = 77, lapatinib n = 73; Cohort 2, n = 40). The MITT population comprised n = 141 (Cohort 1) and n = 36 (Cohort 2). In Cohort 1, week-12 PDRs were 36.2 % (combination) versus 38.9 % (lapatinib; P = 0.37 for the difference). Week-12 RRs were 36.2 % (combination) versus 22.2 % (lapatinib). In Cohort 2, week-12 RR was 33.3 %. In Cohort 1, grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) included diarrhea (combination, 9 %; lapatinib, 5 %) and hypertension (combination, 5 %; lapatinib, 0 %). Grades 3/4 AEs in Cohort 2 included diarrhea (40 %), hypertension (5 %), and fatigue (5 %). Alanine aminotransferase elevations >5 times the upper limit of normal occurred in Cohort 1 (combination, 18 %; lapatinib, 5 %) and Cohort 2 (20 %). Upon conclusion, the combination of lapatinib plus pazopanib did not improve PDR compared with lapatinib monotherapy, although RR was increased. Toxicity was higher with the combination, including increased diarrhea and liver enzyme elevations.

Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of pazopanib and lapatinib combination therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors.

This phase I, open-label, dose-escalation study assessed the maximum-tolerated dose, safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of pazopanib plus lapatinib combination therapy in patients with solid tumors. Patients were to take pazopanib and lapatinib orally once daily in a fasting condition. During the escalation phase, pazopanib and lapatinib doses were escalated in serial patient cohorts, and a limited blood sampling scheme was applied for pharmacokinetic evaluation. In the expansion phase, potential pharmacokinetic interaction between pazopanib and lapatinib was evaluated more extensively. Seventy-five patients were treated. Multiple dosing levels were studied, combining pazopanib up to 800 mg/day with lapatinib up to 1,500 mg/day. Dose-limiting toxicities observed included grade 3 neutropenia, fatigue, asymptomatic decline in left ventricular ejection fraction, diarrhea, and liver enzyme elevations. The most common drug-related adverse events were diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, fatigue, vomiting, rash, hair depigmentation, and hypertension. The dose recommended for further evaluation was pazopanib 800 mg plus lapatinib 1,500 mg (paz-800/lap-1500). No clinically significant drug-drug interaction was observed at the paz-400/lap-1000 level. However, at paz-800/lap-1500, an increase in both the AUC0-t and Cmax of pazopanib was observed. Four partial responses were observed in patients with renal cancer (n=2), giant-cell tumor of the bone (n=1), and thyroid cancer (n=1). Stable disease for ≥ 18 weeks was seen in 12 patients. Pazopanib and lapatinib can be administered in combination at their respective single-agent doses with an acceptable safety profile. Further evaluation of the combination will be pursued, exploring both paz-800/lap-1500 and paz-400/lap-1000.

Prognostic or predictive plasma cytokines and angiogenic factors for patients treated with pazopanib for metastatic renal-cell cancer: a retrospective analysis of phase 2 and phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: Several targeted drugs are approved for treatment of patients with metastatic renal-cell cancer, but no validated biomarkers are available for prediction of clinical outcome. We aimed to assess the prognostic and predictive associations of pretreatment plasma concentrations of cytokine and angiogenic factors (CAFs) with data from a phase 2 and a phase 3 trial of pazopanib treatment. METHODS: We used a three-step approach for screening, confirmation, and validation of prospective CAF biomarkers. We screened 17 CAFs in 129 patients who had the greatest or least tumour shrinkage in a phase 2 trial of 215 patients treated with pazopanib. We confirmed associations of candidate CAFs (those identified in the screening and from previous studies) with tumour response and progression-free survival (PFS) in 215 patients from this phase 2 trial with an independent analytical platform. We validated confirmed markers in 344 patients from a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical study of pazopanib. FINDINGS: Five candidate markers emerged from initial screening-interleukin 6, interleukin 8, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1, and E-selectin. Confirmatory analyses identified associations of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, VEGF, osteopontin, E-selectin, and HGF with continuous tumour shrinkage or PFS in patients treated with pazopanib. In the validation set of samples from the phase 3 trial, patients treated with pazopanib who had high concentrations (relative to median) of interleukin 8 (p=0·006), osteopontin (p=0·0004), HGF (p=0·010), and TIMP-1 (p=0·006) had shorter PFS than did those with low concentrations. In the placebo group, high concentrations of interleukin 6 (p<0·0001), interleukin 8 (p=0·002), and osteopontin (p<0·0001) were all prognostically associated with shorter PFS. These factors were stronger prognostic markers than were standard clinical classifications (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Heng criteria). High concentrations of interleukin 6 were predictive of improved relative PFS benefit from pazopanib compared with placebo (p(interaction)=0·009); standard clinical classifications were not predictive of PFS benefit. INTERPRETATION: CAF profiles could provide prognostic information beyond that of standard clinical classification and identify markers predictive of pazopanib benefit in patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. Further studies of the predictive effects of these markers in different populations and with different drugs (eg, mTOR inhibitors) are warranted. FUNDING: GlaxoSmithKline.

Pazopanib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Results of a Randomized Phase III Trial.

PURPOSE: Pazopanib is an oral angiogenesis inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and c-Kit. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study evaluated efficacy and safety of pazopanib monotherapy in treatment-naive and cytokine-pretreated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients with measurable, locally advanced, and/or metastatic RCC were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive oral pazopanib or placebo. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points included overall survival, tumor response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors), and safety. Radiographic assessments of tumors were independently reviewed. RESULTS: Of 435 patients enrolled, 233 were treatment naive (54%) and 202 were cytokine pretreated (46%). PFS was significantly prolonged with pazopanib compared with placebo in the overall study population (median, PFS 9.2 v 4.2 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.62; P < .0001), the treatment-naive subpopulation (median PFS 11.1 v 2.8 months; HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.60; P < .0001), and the cytokine-pretreated subpopulation (median PFS, 7.4 v 4.2 months; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.84; P < .001). The objective response rate was 30% with pazopanib compared with 3% with placebo (P < .001). The median duration of response was longer than 1 year. The most common adverse events were diarrhea, hypertension, hair color changes, nausea, anorexia, and vomiting. There was no evidence of clinically important differences in quality of life for pazopanib versus placebo. CONCLUSION: Pazopanib demonstrated significant improvement in PFS and tumor response compared with placebo in treatment-naive and cytokine-pretreated patients with advanced and/or metastatic RCC.

Association of the hemochromatosis gene with pazopanib-induced transaminase elevation in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Pazopanib has demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is generally well tolerated. However, transaminase elevations have commonly been observed. This 2-stage study sought to identify genetic determinants of alanine transaminase (ALT) elevations in pazopanib-treated white patients with RCC. METHODS: Data from two separate clinical studies were used to examine the association of genetic polymorphisms with maximum on-treatment ALT levels. RESULTS: Of 6852 polymorphisms in 282 candidate genes examined in an exploratory dataset of 115 patients, 92 polymorphisms in 40 genes were significantly associated with ALT elevation (p<0.01). Two markers (rs2858996 and rs707889) in the HFE gene, which are not yet known to be associated with hemochromatosis, showed evidence for replication. Because of multiple comparisons, there was a 12% likelihood the replication occurred by chance. These two markers demonstrated strong linkage disequilibrium (r(2)=0.99). In the combined dataset, median (25-75th percentile) maximum ALT values were 1.2 (0.7-1.9), 1.1 (0.8-2.5), and 5.4 (1.9-7.6)×ULN for rs2858996 GG (n=148), GT (n=82), and TT (n=1 2) genotypes, respectively. All 12 TT patients had a maximum ALT>ULN, and 8 (67%) had ALT≥3×ULN. The odds ratio (95% CI) for ALT≥3×ULN for TT genotype was 39.7 (2.2-703.7) compared with other genotypes. As a predictor of ALT≥3×ULN, the TT genotype had a negative predictive value of 0.83 and positive predictive value of 0.67. No TT patients developed liver failure. CONCLUSIONS: The rs2858996/rs707889 polymorphisms in the HFE gene may be associated with reversible ALT elevation in pazo-panib-treated patients with RCC.

A phase I study of ispinesib, a kinesin spindle protein inhibitor, administered weekly for three consecutive weeks of a 28-day cycle in patients with solid tumors.

PURPOSE: To establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), safety, and pharmacokinetic profile of ispinesib when administered as a 1-h intravenous infusion weekly for three consecutive weeks of a 28 day treatment period to patients with advanced solid tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Thirty patients were enrolled using an initial accelerated dose-escalation phase followed by a standard dose-escalation phase at doses ranging from 1-8 mg/m(2)/week. Pharmacokinetic samples, skin punch biopsies, and tumor biopsies (in patients with accessible tumor) were obtained during cycle 1 of treatment. Disease assessment was performed every two treatment cycles. RESULTS: The MTD was defined as 7 mg/m(2) administered as a 1-h infusion weekly for three consecutive weeks of a 28 day schedule. The MTD was exceeded at 8 mg/m(2) due to DLTs of grade 2 (one patient) and grade 3 neutropenia (one patient) that resulted in the inability to administer the Day 15 dose in Cycle 1. The neutrophil nadir occurred at approximately Day 8 with a 3-7 day recovery period. The most common toxicities were nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and neutropenia. Alopecia, mucositis, and neuropathy were not observed. Stable disease was reported as the best response to treatment in nine patients. CONCLUSION: The recommended dose of ispinesib is 7 mg/m(2) over 1 h weekly for three consecutive weeks of a 28 day treatment cycle.

A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of lapatinib in combination with letrozole in patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE: The main objectives of this phase I and pharmacokinetic, open-label study were to determine the optimally tolerated regimen (OTR), safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical activity of lapatinib in combination with letrozole in patients with advanced solid malignancies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with advanced breast cancer with immunohistochemically detectable estrogen or progesterone receptors or other cancers were eligible. Doses of lapatinib were escalated in cohorts of three subjects from 1,250 to a maximum of 1,500 mg/d based on dose-limiting toxicities in the first treatment cycle. The letrozole dose was fixed at 2.5 mg/d. Additional patients were enrolled at the OTR dose level to further evaluate safety and for pharmacokinetic analyses. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study: 12 in the dose-escalation group, 7 in the OTR safety group, and 20 in the pharmacokinetic group. The OTR dose level was identified as 1,500 mg/d lapatinib and 2.5 mg/d letrozole. The most common (>25% of patients) drug-related adverse events were diarrhea (77%), rash (62%), nausea (46%), and fatigue (26%). No significant differences were observed in the pharmacokinetic variables (C(max) and AUC) of lapatinib and letrozole when coadministered compared with single-agent administration. One patient with endometrial cancer had a confirmed partial response. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically relevant doses of lapatinib in combination with letrozole were well tolerated and did not result in a pharmacokinetic interaction, and clinical antitumor activity was observed.

Cantuzumab mertansine in a three-times a week schedule: a phase I and pharmacokinetic study.

PURPOSE: Cantuzumab mertansine (SB-408075; huC242-DM1) is a conjugate of the maytansinoid drug DM1 to the antibody huC242, which targets CanAg antigen. In previous studies, cantuzumab mertansine was considered safe and tolerable, but transaminitis precluded tolerance of higher doses. Based on those studies, it was suggested that treatment at intervals of the half-life of the intact immunoconjugate may allow a higher dose density. This provided the rationale for the three-times weekly treatment explored in this protocol. METHODS: Patients with advanced solid tumors and documented CanAg expression were treated with escalating doses of cantuzumab mertansine IV administered three-times a week in a 3 out of 4 weeks schedule. Plasma samples were assayed to determine pharmacokinetic parameters. RESULTS: Twenty patients (pts) with colon (11/20), rectal carcinomas (2/20), or other malignancies (7/20) were treated with doses ranging from 30 to 60 mg/m2 per day of cantuzumab mertansine IV three-times a week. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 45 mg/m2, and the dose-limiting toxicity was grade 3 transaminitis. Hepatic, hematologic, and neurosensory effects occurred, but were rarely severe with repetitive treatment at doses of 45 mg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with cantuzumab mertansine at 45 mg/m2 per day three-times weekly x 3-every-4-week schedule proved that a dose-intense treatment with an immunoconjugate can be safely administered. The pharmacokinetic profile of the intact immunoconjugate indicates that the linker is cleaved with a half-life of about 2 days, resulting in faster clearance of the maytansinoid relative to the antibody. Therefore, with the development of second-generation immunoconjugates, there is a need for improvement of the immunoconjugate linker to take full advantage of the slow clearance of full-length antibody molecules.

Phase I pharmacokinetic study of the safety and tolerability of lapatinib (GW572016) in combination with oxaliplatin/fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX4) in patients with solid tumors.

PURPOSE: This phase I study was designed to determine the optimally tolerated regimen (OTR), safety, and clinical activity of lapatinib in combination with FOLFOX4 [oxaliplatin/leucovorin/5-fluorouracil (5-FU)] in patients with solid tumors. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics of lapatinib, oxaliplatin, and 5-FU when given alone and in combination were evaluated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: This study was conducted in two parts. Part 1 was designed to determine the OTR and part 2 was the pharmacokinetic part of the study. Lapatinib was administered once daily for the entire duration of the study. Leucovorin and oxaliplatin were given concurrently over 2 h as an i.v. infusion, after which 5-FU was given as a bolus followed by continuous infusion over 22 h on day 1. 5-FU and leucovorin administration were repeated in an identical manner on day 2. Cycles were repeated every 2 weeks. Once the OTR was determined, it was to become the dose level for patients included in the pharmacokinetic part of the study. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients was treated in this study. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed and the OTR was established at 1,500 mg/d lapatinib in combination with the standard FOLFOX4 regimen. Nonhematologic toxicities consisted mainly of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, neuropathy, and mucositis. The most important hematologic toxicity was neutropenia. No drug-drug interactions between lapatinib and the FOLFOX4 regimen were observed. CONCLUSION: Lapatinib can be safely administered in combination with the standard FOLFOX4 regimen. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential additive antitumor effect of lapatinib in combination with the FOLFOX4 regimen.

Antitumor Activity Associated with Prolonged Persistence of Adoptively Transferred NY-ESO-1 c259T Cells in Synovial Sarcoma.

We evaluated the safety and activity of autologous T cells expressing NY-ESO-1c259, an affinity-enhanced T-cell receptor (TCR) recognizing an HLA-A2-restricted NY-ESO-1/LAGE1a-derived peptide, in patients with metastatic synovial sarcoma (NY-ESO-1c259T cells). Confirmed antitumor responses occurred in 50% of patients (6/12) and were characterized by tumor shrinkage over several months. Circulating NY-ESO-1c259T cells were present postinfusion in all patients and persisted for at least 6 months in all responders. Most of the infused NY-ESO-1c259T cells exhibited an effector memory phenotype following ex vivo expansion, but the persisting pools comprised largely central memory and stem-cell memory subsets, which remained polyfunctional and showed no evidence of T-cell exhaustion despite persistent tumor burdens. Next-generation sequencing of endogenous TCRs in CD8+ NY-ESO-1c259T cells revealed clonal diversity without contraction over time. These data suggest that regenerative pools of NY-ESO-1c259T cells produced a continuing supply of effector cells to mediate sustained, clinically meaningful antitumor effects.Significance: Metastatic synovial sarcoma is incurable with standard therapy. We employed engineered T cells targeting NY-ESO-1, and the data suggest that robust, self-regenerating pools of CD8+ NY-ESO-1c259T cells produce a continuing supply of effector cells over several months that mediate clinically meaningful antitumor effects despite prolonged exposure to antigen. Cancer Discov; 8(8); 944-57. ©2018 AACR.See related commentary by Keung and Tawbi, p. 914This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 899.

Clinical and biological effects of recombinant human interleukin-18 administered by intravenous infusion to patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is an immunostimulatory cytokine with antitumor activity in preclinical animal models. A phase I study of recombinant human IL-18 (rhIL-18) was done to determine the toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and biological activities of rhIL-18 in patients with advanced cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cohorts of patients were given escalating doses of rhIL-18, each administered as a 2-hour i.v. infusion on 5 consecutive days. Toxicities were graded using standard criteria. Serial blood samples were obtained for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic measurements. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (21 with renal cell cancer, 6 with melanoma, and 1 with Hodgkin's lymphoma) were given rhIL-18 in doses ranging from 3 to 1,000 microg/kg. Common side effects included chills, fever, nausea, headache, and hypotension. Common laboratory abnormalities included transient, asymptomatic grade 1 to 2 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, hyponatremia, and elevations in liver transaminases. One patient in the 100 microg/kg cohort experienced transient grade 3 hypotension and grade 2 bradycardia during the first infusion of rhIL-18. No other dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Plasma concentrations of rhIL-18 increased with increasing dose, and 2.5-fold accumulation was observed with repeated dosing. Biological effects of rhIL-18 included transient lymphopenia and increased expression of activation antigens on lymphocytes and monocytes. Increases in serum concentrations of IFN-gamma, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-18 binding protein, and soluble Fas ligand were observed. Two patients experienced unconfirmed partial responses after rhIL-18 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: rhIL-18 can be safely given in biologically active doses to patients with advanced cancer. A maximum tolerated dose of rhIL-18 was not determined. Further clinical studies of rhIL-18 are warranted.

Is change in blood pressure a biomarker of pazopanib and sunitinib efficacy in advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma?

AIM: Pazopanib, an oral antiangiogenic agent, is associated with improved outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. In this retrospective analysis, we explore hypertension, an on-target adverse event, as a predictive marker. METHODS: Data from the pazopanib arm of the phase III COMPARZ trial (NCT00720941) comprised the test set. Pooled data from phase II (NCT00244764) and III (NCT00334282) pazopanib trials comprised the validation set. Data from the sunitinib arm of COMPARZ were analysed separately. Measures of efficacy were response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was the primary metric, and systolic hypertension (S-HTN) and diastolic hypertension (D-HTN) were secondary metrics; 4- and 12-week landmark analyses were performed. RESULTS: Analyses revealed no significant associations at the landmarks between response and MAP. We observed a trend towards improved PFS with S-HTN at week 4 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.79, P = 0.060) and week 12 (HR = 0.75, P = 0.073) among pazopanib-treated patients in COMPARZ. This trend was not confirmed at week 12 in the validation set or in sunitinib-treated patients. In the test set, there was a trend towards increased OS in patients with S-HTN by week 4 (HR = 0.76, P = 0.062) and with D-HTN by week 4 (HR = 0.71, P = 0.016) but not by week 12. No significant differences in OS were observed in sunitinib-treated patients for S-HTN or D-HTN. CONCLUSION: Neither hypertension nor any blood pressure elevation above baseline was associated with efficacy outcomes of pazopanib or sunitinib. Accordingly, management of tyrosine kinase inhibitor-induced hypertension is unlikely to compromise outcome.

HLA-B*57:01 Confers Susceptibility to Pazopanib-Associated Liver Injury in Patients with Cancer.

PURPOSE: Pazopanib is an effective treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma and soft-tissue sarcoma. Transaminase elevations have been commonly observed in pazopanib-treated patients. We conducted pharmacogenetic analyses to explore mechanistic insight into pazopanib-induced liver injury. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The discovery analysis tested association between four-digit HLA alleles and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in pazopanib-treated patients with cancer from eight clinical trials (N = 1,188). We conducted confirmatory analysis using an independent dataset of pazopanib-treated patients from 23 additional trials (N = 1,002). Genome-wide association study (GWAS) for transaminase elevations was also conducted. RESULTS: The discovery study identified an association between HLA-B*57:01 carriage and ALT elevation [P = 5.0 × 10(-5) for maximum on-treatment ALT (MaxALT); P = 4.8 × 10(-4) for time to ALT > 3× upper limit of normal (ULN) event; P = 4.1 × 10(-5) for time to ALT > 5× ULN event] that is significant after adjustment for number of HLA alleles tested. We confirmed these associations with time to ALT elevation event (P = 8.1 × 10(-4) for ALT > 3× ULN, P = 9.8 × 10(-3) for ALT > 5× ULN) in an independent dataset. In the combined data, HLA-B*57:01 carriage was associated with ALT elevation (P = 4.3 × 10(-5) for MaxALT, P = 5.1 × 10(-6) for time to ALT > 3×ULN event, P = 5.8 × 10(-6) for time to ALT > 5× ULN event). In HLA-B*57:01 carriers and noncarriers, frequency of ALT > 3× ULN was 31% and 19%, respectively, and frequency of ALT > 5× ULN was 18% and 10%, respectively. GWAS revealed a possible borderline association, which requires further evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that HLA-B*57:01 carriage confers higher risk of ALT elevation in patients receiving pazopanib and provide novel insight implicating an immune-mediated mechanism for pazopanib-associated hepatotoxicity in some patients.

A phase I study of cantuzumab mertansine administered as a single intravenous infusion once weekly in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: The purpose is to determine the maximum-tolerated dose, assess the toxicities, characterize the pharmacokinetic behavior, and seek preliminary evidence of biological activity of cantuzumab mertansine when administered as a weekly i.v. infusion without interruption. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with incurable solid tumors that expressed the target antigen for cantuzumab mertansine, CanAg, were treated with doses of cantuzumab mertansine ranging from 40 to 138 mg/m(2). The maximum-tolerated dose was defined as the highest dose at which no more than 1 of 6 patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity. Plasma concentrations of cantuzumab mertansine and total humanized antibody were determined, and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (to the last measured concentration) was calculated. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients received a total of 280 weekly doses of cantuzumab mertansine. Acute, transient elevation of the hepatic transaminases and reversible fatigue were identified as the dose-limiting toxicities at the highest dose level. The maximum-tolerated dose was determined to be 115 mg/m(2)/week. Evidence of clinical activity was noted in 3 patients. Pharmacokinetic analyses revealed that the pharmacokinetic variability was moderate, without evidence of dose dependency. Furthermore, the drug had a long terminal half-life ( approximately 40 h). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a safe and tolerable dose of the novel immunoconjugate prodrug cantuzumab mertansine. The evidence of antitumor activity suggests that additional clinical development is warranted, with a focus on tumors that express high levels of CanAg and which are known to be sensitive to antimicrotubule agents.

Characterisation of liver chemistry abnormalities associated with pazopanib monotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials in advanced cancer patients.

Drug-induced liver chemistry abnormalities, primarily transaminase elevations, are commonly observed in pazopanib-treated patients. This meta-analysis characterises liver chemistry abnormalities associated with pazopanib. Data of pazopanib-treated patients from nine prospective trials were integrated (N=2080). Laboratory datasets were used to characterise the incidence, timing, recovery and patterns of liver events, and subsequent rechallenge with pazopanib. Severe cases of liver chemistry abnormalities were clinically reviewed. Multivariate analyses identified predisposing factors. Twenty percent of patients developed elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >3×ULN. Incidence of peak ALT >3-5×ULN, >5-8×ULN, >8-20×ULN and >20×ULN was 8%, 5%, 5% and 1%, respectively. Median time to onset for all events was 42days; 91% of events were observed within 18weeks. Recovery rates based on peak ALT >3-5×ULN, >5-8×ULN, >8-20×ULN and >20×ULN were 91%, 90%, 90% and 64%, respectively. Median time from onset to recovery was 30days, but longer in patients without dose interruption. Based on clinical review, no deaths were associated with drug-induced liver injury. Overall, 38% of rechallenged patients had ALT elevation recurrence, with 9-day median time to recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that older age was associated with development of ALT >8×ULN. There was no correlation between hypertension and transaminitis. Our data support the current guidelines on regular liver chemistry tests after initiation of pazopanib, especially during the first 9 or 10weeks, and also demonstrate the safety of rechallenge with pazopanib.

Correlation of PD-L1 tumor expression and treatment outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving sunitinib or pazopanib: results from COMPARZ, a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The interaction of programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1) with its receptor (PD-1) on T cells inactivates antitumor immune responses. PD-L1 expression has been associated with poor outcomes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) but has not been investigated in advanced RCC patients receiving VEGF-targeted therapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens were collected at baseline from patients in the COMPARZ trial. Tumor cell PD-L1 expression by IHC was evaluated using H-score (HS). Dual PD-L1/CD68 staining was used to differentiate PD-L1 tumor expression from tumor-associated macrophages. Intratumor CD8-positive T cells were quantified morphometrically. Associations between biomarkers and survival were investigated using the log-rank test. RESULTS: HS data were available from 453 of 1,110 patients. Sixty-four percent of patients had negative PD-L1 expression (HS = 0). Patients with HS > 55 (n = 59, 13%) had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than those with HS ≤ 55 in both pazopanib and sunitinib arms (median 15.1 vs. 35.6 and 15.3 vs. 27.8 months, respectively, P = 0.03). In both arms, median OS was shortest in patients with HS > 55 and intratumor CD8-positive T-cell counts > 300 (9.6 and 11.9 months with pazopanib and sunitinib, respectively). Median OS in patients with HS ≤ 55 and CD8-positive T-cell counts ≤ 300 was 36.8 and 28.0 months with pazopanib and sunitinib, respectively. Progression-free survival results were similar to OS results. CONCLUSIONS: Increased tumor cell PD-L1, or PD-L1 plus tumor CD8-positive T-cell counts, were associated with shorter survival in patients with metastatic RCC receiving VEGF-targeted agents. These findings may have implications for future design of randomized clinical trials in advanced RCC.