Histopathology Based AI Model Predicts Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Response in Renal Cancer Clinical Trial.

Background: Predictive biomarkers of treatment response are lacking for metastatic clearcell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a tumor type that is treated with angiogenesis inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors and a HIF2 inhibitor. The Angioscore, an RNA-based quantification of angiogenesis, is arguably the best candidate to predict anti-angiogenic (AA) response. However, the clinical adoption of transcriptomic assays faces several challenges including standardization, time delay, and high cost. Further, ccRCC tumors are highly heterogenous, and sampling multiple areas for sequencing is impractical. Approach: Here we present a novel deep learning (DL) approach to predict the Angioscore from ubiquitous histopathology slides. In order to overcome the lack of interpretability, one of the biggest limitations of typical DL models, our model produces a visual vascular network which is the basis of the model's prediction. To test its reliability, we applied this model to multiple cohorts including a clinical trial dataset. Results: Our model accurately predicts the RNA-based Angioscore on multiple independent cohorts (spearman correlations of 0.77 and 0.73). Further, the predictions help unravel meaningful biology such as association of angiogenesis with grade, stage, and driver mutation status. Finally, we find our model is able to predict response to AA therapy, in both a real-world cohort and the IMmotion150 clinical trial. The predictive power of our model vastly exceeds that of CD31, a marker of vasculature, and nearly rivals the performance (c-index 0.66 vs 0.67) of the ground truth RNA-based Angioscore at a fraction of the cost. Conclusion: By providing a robust yet interpretable prediction of the Angioscore from histopathology slides alone, our approach offers insights into angiogenesis biology and AA treatment response.

Real-World Overall Survival and Treatment Patterns by PTEN Status in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: It is estimated that the PTEN tumor suppressor gene is functionally lost in 40%-50% of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). There is limited information on the prognostic significance of PTEN status identified with genomic testing. This real-world cohort study assessed PTEN as a genetic biomarker using data from US-based oncology practices. METHODS: This retrospective real-world cohort study used a deidentified US-based metastatic prostate cancer clinicogenomic database linked to longitudinal clinical data derived from electronic health records. Patients were aged 18 years and older and diagnosed with mCRPC between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of tumor specimens was performed using next-generation sequencing. First-line (1L) and second-line (2L) treatment patterns were assessed and stratified by PTEN status. Kaplan-Meier methods and a multivariable Cox model were used to compare the real-world overall survival by PTEN status among patients who received 1L novel hormone therapy or taxanes. RESULTS: In patients with mCRPC who underwent CGP, PTEN loss of function (LOF) was associated with decreased survival compared with intact PTEN (hazard ratio, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.07 to 2.42]; P = .024). The results were not influenced by 1L treatment type. 1L treatment patterns were similar between intact PTEN and PTEN LOF subgroups, with abiraterone and enzalutamide being the two most common treatments in both groups. Patients with PTEN LOF were less likely to receive 2L treatments than patients with intact PTEN. CONCLUSION: PTEN LOF, identified with genomic testing, was associated with decreased survival and negative prognoses in patients with mCRPC.

Clinico-Genomic Characterization of Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma in Real-World Practice Identifies a Novel Bladder Immune Performance Index (BIPI).

PURPOSE: This retrospective analysis of the largest available clinico-genomic database used de-identified patient-level electronic health record-derived real-world data (RWD) combined with FoundationOne comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to characterize patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) treated in the real-world setting, detect potential biomarkers, and develop a bladder immune performance index (BIPI). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with mUC who started front-line single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and an unmatched group treated with front-line platinum-based chemotherapy between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2019, were selected. Clinical and genomic data were correlated with overall survival (OS). A novel BIPI predicting outcome with ICIs was developed using machine learning methods and validated using data from a phase II trial (NCT02951767). RESULTS: In ICI-treated patients (n = 118), high tumor mutational burden (≥10 mutations/megabase) was associated with improved OS (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.35-0.95; P = 0.03). In chemotherapy-treated patients (n = 268), those with high APOBEC mutational signature had worse OS (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.94; P = 0.02). Neither FGFR3 mutations nor DNA damage-repair pathway alterations were associated with OS. A novel BIPI combining clinical and genomic variables (nonmetastatic at initial diagnosis, normal or above normal albumin level at baseline, prior surgery for organ-confined disease, high tumor mutational burden) identified ICI-treated patients with longest OS and was validated in an independent dataset. CONCLUSIONS: Contemporary RWD including FoundationOne CGP can be used to characterize outcomes in real-world patients according to biomarkers beyond PD-L1. A validated, novel clinico-genomic BIPI demonstrated satisfactory prognostic performance for OS in patients with mUC receiving front-line ICI therapy.

Molecular classification of hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer, using nonnegative matrix factorization molecular subtyping of primary and metastatic specimens.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape, immunotherapy has demonstrated limited activity in prostate cancer. A greater understanding of the molecular landscape, particularly the expression of immune-related pathways, will inform future immunotherapeutic strategies. Consensus nonnegative matrix factorization (cNMF) is a novel model of molecular classification analyzing gene expression data, focusing on biological interpretation of metagenes and selecting meaningful clusters. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify molecular subtypes of prostate cancer using cNMF and correlate these with existing biomarkers to inform future immunotherapeutic strategies. METHODS: A cohort of archival tumor specimens from hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant disease was studied. Whole transcriptomic profiles were generated using TruSeq RNA Access technology and subjected to cNMF. Comprehensive genomic profiling was performed with the FoundationOne assay. NMF subtypes were characterized by gene expression pathways, genomic alterations and correlated with clinical data, then applied to The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. RESULTS: We studied 164 specimens, including 52 castration-resistant and 13 paired primary/metastatic specimens. cNMF identified four distinct subtypes. NMF1 (19%) is enriched for immune-related and stromal-related pathways with transforming growth factor ß (TGFß) signature. NMF2 (36%) is associated with FOXO-mediated transcription signature and AKT signaling, NMF3 (26%) is enriched for ribosomal RNA processing, while NMF4 (19%) is enriched for cell cycle and DNA-repair pathways. The most common gene alterations included TMPRSS22 (42%), TP53 (23%), and DNA-repair genes (19%), occurring across all subtypes. NMF4 is significantly enriched for MYC and Wnt-signaling gene alterations. TMB, CD8 density, and PD-L1 expression were low overall. NMF1 and NMF4 were NMF2 was associated with superior overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Using cNMF, we identified four molecularly distinct subtypes which may inform treatment selection. NMF1 demonstrates the most inflammatory signature with asuppressive TGFß signature, suggesting potential benefit with immunotherapy combination strategies targeting TGFß and PD-(L)1. Prospective studies are required to evaluate the use of this novel model to molecularly stratify patients for optimal treatment selection.

Atezolizumab with enzalutamide versus enzalutamide alone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

Early clinical data indicate that some patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer may benefit from program death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibition, especially with enzalutamide. The IMbassador250 trial (no. NCT03016312) enrolled 759 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer whose disease progressed on abiraterone. The addition of atezolizumab to enzalutamide in an open-label randomized trial did not meet the primary endpoint of improved overall survival in unselected patients (stratified hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval (0.91, 1.37), P = 0.28), despite an acceptable safety profile. In archival tumor samples, prostate tumors showed comparatively low expression of key immune biomarkers. DNA damage-response alterations, phosphatase and tensin homolog status and PD-L1 expression levels were similar between hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancers. In planned biomarker analysis, longer progression-free survival was seen with atezolizumab in patients with high PD-L1 IC2/3, CD8 expression and established immune gene signatures. Exploratory analysis linked progression-free survival in the atezolizumab arm with immune genes such as CXCL9 and TAP1, together with other potentially relevant biomarkers including phosphatase and tensin homolog alterations. Together these data indicate that the expected biology associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors is present in prostate cancer, albeit in fewer patients. Careful patient selection may be required for immune checkpoint inhibitors to identify subgroups of patients who may benefit from this treatment approach.

Molecular determinants of response to PD-L1 blockade across tumor types.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis lead to durable clinical responses in subsets of cancer patients across multiple indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Herein, we complement PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tumor mutation burden (TMB) with RNA-seq in 366 patients to identify unifying and indication-specific molecular profiles that can predict response to checkpoint blockade across these tumor types. Multiple machine learning approaches failed to identify a baseline transcriptional signature highly predictive of response across these indications. Signatures described previously for immune checkpoint inhibitors also failed to validate. At the pathway level, significant heterogeneity is observed between indications, in particular within the PD-L1+ tumors. mUC and NSCLC are molecularly aligned, with cell cycle and DNA damage repair genes associated with response in PD-L1- tumors. At the gene level, the CDK4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A is identified as a significant transcriptional correlate of response, highlighting the association of non-immune pathways to the outcome of checkpoint blockade. This cross-indication analysis reveals molecular heterogeneity between mUC, NSCLC and RCC tumors, suggesting that indication-specific molecular approaches should be prioritized to formulate treatment strategies.

A Phase Ib Study of Atezolizumab with Radium-223 Dichloride in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have limited treatment options after progressing on hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. Here, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) + radium-223 dichloride (radium-223) in men with mCRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This phase Ib study evaluated atezolizumab + radium-223 in men with mCRPC and bone and lymph node and/or visceral metastases that progressed after androgen pathway inhibitor treatment. Following safety assessment of concurrent dosing, 45 men were randomized 1:1:1 to concurrent or one of two staggered dosing schedules with either agent introduced one cycle before the other. This was followed by a safety-efficacy expansion cohort (randomized 1:1:1). The primary endpoints were safety and objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST 1.1. Secondary endpoints included radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS), PSA responses, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: As of October 4, 2019, 44 of 45 men were evaluable. All 44 had ≥1 all-cause adverse event (AE); 23 (52.3%) had a grade 3/4 AE. Fifteen (34.1%) grade 3/4 and 3 (6.8%) grade 5 AEs were related to atezolizumab; none were related to radium-223. Confirmed ORR was 6.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-18.7], median rPFS was 3.0 months (95% CI, 2.8-4.6), median PSA progression was 3.0 months (95% CI, 2.8-3.3), and median OS was 16.3 months (95% CI, 10.9-22.3). CONCLUSIONS: This phase Ib study demonstrated that atezolizumab + radium-223, regardless of administration schedule, had greater toxicity than either drug alone, with no clear evidence of additional clinical benefit for patients with mCRPC and bone and lymph node and/or visceral metastases.

Safety and Clinical Activity of Atezolizumab in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Phase I Study.

PURPOSE: Atezolizumab [anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1)] is well tolerated and efficacious in multiple cancers, but has not been previously evaluated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study examined the safety, efficacy, and biomarkers of atezolizumab monotherapy for mCRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This phase Ia, open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study (PCD4989g) enrolled patients with mCRPC who had progressed on sipuleucel-T or enzalutamide. Atezolizumab was given intravenously every 3 weeks until confirmed disease progression or loss of clinical benefit. Prespecified endpoints included safety, efficacy, biomarker analyses, and radiographic assessments. RESULTS: All 35 evaluable patients [median age, 68 years (range, 45-83 years)] received atezolizumab after ≥1 prior line of therapy; 62.9% of patients had received ≥3 prior lines. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 21 patients (60.0%), with no deaths. One patient had a confirmed partial response (PR) per RECIST 1.1, and 1 patient had a PR per immune-related response criteria. The confirmed 50% PSA response rate was 8.6% (3 patients). Median overall survival (OS) was 14.7 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.9-not evaluable], with a 1-year OS rate of 52.3% (95% CI: 34-70); 2-year OS was 35.9% (95% CI: 13-59). Median follow-up was 13.0 months (range, 1.2-28.1 months). Biomarker analyses showed that atezolizumab activated immune responses; however, a composite biomarker failed to reveal consistent correlations with efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Atezolizumab was generally well tolerated in patients with mCRPC, with a safety profile consistent with other tumor types. In heavily pretreated patients, atezolizumab monotherapy demonstrated evidence of disease control; however, its limited efficacy suggests a combination approach may be needed.

In silico tools for accurate HLA and KIR inference from clinical sequencing data empower immunogenetics on individual-patient and population scales.

Immunogenetic variation in humans is important in research, clinical diagnosis and increasingly a target for therapeutic intervention. Two highly polymorphic loci play critical roles, namely the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, which is the human version of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and the Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that are relevant for responses of natural killer (NK) and some subsets of T cells. Their accurate classification has typically required the use of dedicated biological specimens and a combination of in vitro and in silico efforts. Increased availability of next generation sequencing data has led to the development of ancillary computational solutions. Here, we report an evaluation of recently published algorithms to computationally infer complex immunogenetic variation in the form of HLA alleles and KIR haplotypes from whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing data. For both HLA allele and KIR gene typing, we identified tools that yielded >97% overall accuracy for four-digit HLA types, and >99% overall accuracy for KIR gene presence, suggesting the readiness of in silico solutions for use in clinical and high-throughput research settings.

High systemic and tumor-associated IL-8 correlates with reduced clinical benefit of PD-L1 blockade.

Although elevated plasma interleukin-8 (pIL-8) has been associated with poor outcome to immune checkpoint blockade 1, this has not been comprehensively evaluated in large randomized studies. Here we analyzed circulating pIL-8 and IL8 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tumors of patients treated with atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody) from multiple randomized trials representing 1,445 patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. High levels of IL-8 in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tumors were associated with decreased efficacy of atezolizumab in patients with mUC and metastatic renal cell carcinoma, even in tumors that were classically CD8+ T cell inflamed. Low baseline pIL-8 in patients with mUC was associated with increased response to atezolizumab and chemotherapy. Patients with mUC who experienced on-treatment decreases in pIL-8 exhibited improved overall survival when treated with atezolizumab but not with chemotherapy. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the immune compartment showed that IL8 is primarily expressed in circulating and intratumoral myeloid cells and that high IL8 expression is associated with downregulation of the antigen-presentation machinery. Therapies that can reverse the impacts of IL-8-mediated myeloid inflammation will be essential for improving outcomes of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Tumor Fusion Burden as a Hallmark of Immune Infiltration in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Despite having a relatively lower tumor mutational burden than most tumor types, multiple gene fusions such as TMPRSS2:ERG have been characterized and linked to more aggressive disease. Individual tumor samples have been found to contain multiple fusions, and it remains unknown whether these fusions increase tumor immunogenicity. Here, we investigated the role of fusion burden on the prevalence and expression of key molecular and immune effectors in prostate cancer tissue specimens that represented the different stages of disease progression and androgen sensitivity, including hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer. We found that tumor fusion burden was inversely correlated with tumor mutational burden and not associated with disease stage. High fusion burden correlated with high immune infiltration, PD-L1 expression on immune cells, and immune signatures, representing activation of T cells and M1 macrophages. High fusion burden inversely correlated with immune-suppressive signatures. Our findings suggest that high tumor fusion burden may be a more appropriate biomarker than tumor mutational burden in prostate cancer, as it more closely associates with immunogenicity, and suggests that tumors with high fusion burden could be potential candidates for immunotherapeutic agents.

PD-L1 and tumor-associated macrophages in de novo DLBCL.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor, programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), are important negative regulators of immune cell activation. Therapeutically targeting PD-1/PD-L1 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with a single agent has limited activity, meriting a deeper understanding of this complex biology and of available PD-L1 clinical assays. In this study, we leveraged 2 large de novo DLBCL phase 3 trials (GOYA and MAIN) to better understand the biologic and clinical relevance of PD-L1 in de novo DLBCL. PD-L1 was expressed on myeloid cells in 85% to 95% of DLBCL patients (depending on staining procedure), compared with 10% on tumor cells, and correlated with macrophage gene expression. PD-L1 did not identify high-risk patients in de novo DLBCL; it correlated with STAT3, macrophage gene expression, and improved outcomes among a subset of patients. These results may help identify immunologically distinct DLBCL subsets relevant for checkpoint blockade. GOYA and MAIN trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01287741 and #NCT00486759, respectively.

Differential regulation of PD-L1 expression by immune and tumor cells in NSCLC and the response to treatment with atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1).

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells (TCs) by immunohistochemistry is rapidly gaining importance as a diagnostic for the selection or stratification of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) most likely to respond to single-agent checkpoint inhibitors. However, at least two distinct patterns of PD-L1 expression have been observed with potential biological and clinical relevance in NSCLC: expression on TC or on tumor-infiltrating immune cells (ICs). We investigated the molecular and cellular characteristics associated with PD-L1 expression in these distinct cell compartments in 4,549 cases of NSCLC. PD-L1 expression on IC was more prevalent and likely reflected IFN-γ-induced adaptive regulation accompanied by increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and effector T cells. High PD-L1 expression on TC, however, reflected an epigenetic dysregulation of the PD-L1 gene and was associated with a distinct histology described by poor immune infiltration, sclerotic/desmoplastic stroma, and mesenchymal molecular features. Importantly, durable clinical responses to atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) were observed in patients with tumors expressing high PD-L1 levels on either TC alone [40% objective response rate (ORR)] or IC alone (22% ORR). Thus, PD-L1 expression on TC or IC can independently attenuate anticancer immunity and emphasizes the functional importance of IC in regulating the antitumor T cell response.

TGFß attenuates tumour response to PD-L1 blockade by contributing to exclusion of T cells.

Therapeutic antibodies that block the programmed death-1 (PD-1)-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway can induce robust and durable responses in patients with various cancers, including metastatic urothelial cancer. However, these responses only occur in a subset of patients. Elucidating the determinants of response and resistance is key to improving outcomes and developing new treatment strategies. Here we examined tumours from a large cohort of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer who were treated with an anti-PD-L1 agent (atezolizumab) and identified major determinants of clinical outcome. Response to treatment was associated with CD8+ T-effector cell phenotype and, to an even greater extent, high neoantigen or tumour mutation burden. Lack of response was associated with a signature of transforming growth factor ß (TGFß) signalling in fibroblasts. This occurred particularly in patients with tumours, which showed exclusion of CD8+ T cells from the tumour parenchyma that were instead found in the fibroblast- and collagen-rich peritumoural stroma; a common phenotype among patients with metastatic urothelial cancer. Using a mouse model that recapitulates this immune-excluded phenotype, we found that therapeutic co-administration of TGFß-blocking and anti-PD-L1 antibodies reduced TGFß signalling in stromal cells, facilitated T-cell penetration into the centre of tumours, and provoked vigorous anti-tumour immunity and tumour regression. Integration of these three independent biological features provides the best basis for understanding patient outcome in this setting and suggests that TGFß shapes the tumour microenvironment to restrain anti-tumour immunity by restricting T-cell infiltration.

Atezolizumab versus chemotherapy in patients with platinum-treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (IMvigor211): a multicentre, open-label, phase 3 randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Few options exist for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after progression with platinum-based chemotherapy. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab (anti-programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1]) versus chemotherapy in this patient population. METHODS: We conducted this multicentre, open-label, phase 3 randomised controlled trial (IMvigor211) at 217 academic medical centres and community oncology practices mainly in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Patients (aged ≥18 years) with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned (1:1), via an interactive voice and web response system with a permuted block design (block size of four), to receive atezolizumab 1200 mg or chemotherapy (physician's choice: vinflunine 320 mg/m2, paclitaxel 175 mg/m2, or 75 mg/m2 docetaxel) intravenously every 3 weeks. Randomisation was stratified by PD-L1 expression (expression on <1% [IC0] or 1% to <5% [IC1] of tumour-infiltrating immune cells vs ≥5% of tumour-infiltrating immune cells [IC2/3]), chemotherapy type (vinflunine vs taxanes), liver metastases (yes vs no), and number of prognostic factors (none vs one, two, or three). Patients and investigators were aware of group allocation. Patients, investigators, and the sponsor were masked to PD-L1 expression status. The primary endpoint of overall survival was tested hierarchically in prespecified populations: IC2/3, followed by IC1/2/3, followed by the intention-to-treat population. This study, which is ongoing but not recruiting participants, is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02302807. FINDINGS: Between Jan 13, 2015, and Feb 15, 2016, we randomly assigned 931 patients from 198 sites to receive atezolizumab (n=467) or chemotherapy (n=464). In the IC2/3 population (n=234), overall survival did not differ significantly between patients in the atezolizumab group and those in the chemotherapy group (median 11·1 months [95% CI 8·6-15·5; n=116] vs 10·6 months [8·4-12·2; n=118]; stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·87, 95% CI 0·63-1·21; p=0·41), thus precluding further formal statistical analysis. Confirmed objective response rates were similar between treatment groups in the IC2/3 population: 26 (23%) of 113 evaluable patients had an objective response in the atezolizumab group compared with 25 (22%) of 116 patients in the chemotherapy group. Duration of response was numerically longer in the atezolizumab group than in the chemotherapy group (median 15·9 months [95% CI 10·4 to not estimable] vs 8·3 months [5·6-13·2]; HR 0·57, 95% CI 0·26-1·26). In the intention-to-treat population, patients receiving atezolizumab had fewer grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events than did those receiving chemotherapy (91 [20%] of 459 vs 189 [43%] of 443 patients), and fewer adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation (34 [7%] vs 78 [18%] patients). INTERPRETATION: Atezolizumab was not associated with significantly longer overall survival than chemotherapy in patients with platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma overexpressing PD-L1 (IC2/3). However, the safety profile for atezolizumab was favourable compared with chemotherapy, Exploratory analysis of the intention-to-treat population showed well-tolerated, durable responses in line with previous phase 2 data for atezolizumab in this setting. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche, Genentech.

Atezolizumab as first-line treatment in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: First-line chemotherapy for patients with cisplatin-ineligible locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma is associated with short response duration, poor survival, and high toxicity. This study assessed atezolizumab (anti-programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1]) as treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer in cisplatin-ineligible patients. METHODS: For this single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 study, in 47 academic medical centres and community oncology practices in seven countries in North America and Europe, we recruited previously untreated patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who were cisplatin ineligible. Patients were given 1200 mg intravenous atezolizumab every 21 days until progression. The primary endpoint was independently confirmed objective response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (central review), assessed in prespecified subgroups based on PD-L1 expression and in all patients. All participants who received one or more doses of atezolizumab were included in the primary and safety analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02108652. FINDINGS: Between June 9, 2014, and March 30, 2015, we enrolled 123 patients, of whom 119 received one or more doses of atezolizumab. At 17·2 months' median follow-up, the objective response rate was 23% (95% CI 16 to 31), the complete response rate was 9% (n=11), and 19 of 27 responses were ongoing. Median response duration was not reached. Responses occurred across all PD-L1 and poor prognostic factor subgroups. Median progression-free survival was 2·7 months (2·1 to 4·2). Median overall survival was 15·9 months (10·4 to not estimable). Tumour mutation load was associated with response. Treatment-related adverse events that occurred in 10% or more of patients were fatigue (36 [30%] patients), diarrhoea (14 [12%] patients), and pruritus (13 [11%] patients). One treatment-related death (sepsis) occurred. Nine (8%) patients had an adverse event leading to treatment discontinuation. Immune-mediated events occurred in 14 (12%) patients. INTERPRETATION: Atezolizumab showed encouraging durable response rates, survival, and tolerability, supporting its therapeutic use in untreated metastatic urothelial cancer. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche, Genentech.

Learning and confirming with preclinical studies: modeling and simulation in the discovery of GDC-0917, an inhibitor of apoptosis proteins antagonist.

The application of modeling and simulation techniques is increasingly common in the preclinical stages of the drug development process. GDC-0917 [(S)-1-((S)-2-cyclohexyl-2-((S)-2-(methylamino)propanamido)acetyl)-N-(2-(oxazol-2-yl)-4-phenylthiazol-5-yl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide] is a potent second-generation antagonist of inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins that is being developed for the treatment of various cancers. GDC-0917 has low to moderate clearance in the mouse (12.0 ml/min/kg), rat (27.0 ml/min/kg), and dog (15.3 ml/min/kg), and high clearance in the monkey (67.6 ml/min/kg). Accordingly, oral bioavailability was lowest in monkeys compared with other species. Based on our experience with a prototype molecule with similar structure, in vitro-in vivo extrapolation was used to predict a moderate clearance (11.5 ml/min/kg) in humans. The predicted human volume of distribution was estimated using simple allometry at 6.69 l/kg. Translational pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) analysis using results from MDA-MB-231-X1.1 breast cancer xenograft studies and predicted human pharmacokinetics suggests that ED50 and ED90 targets can be achieved in humans using acceptable doses (72 mg and 660 mg, respectively) and under an acceptable time frame. The relationship between GDC-0917 concentrations and pharmacodynamic response (cIAP1 degradation) was characterized using an in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cell immunoassay. Simulations of human GDC-0917 plasma concentration-time profile and cIAP1 degradation at the 5-mg starting dose in the phase 1 clinical trial agreed well with observations. This work shows the importance of leveraging information from prototype molecules and illustrates how modeling and simulation can be used to add value to preclinical studies in the early stages of the drug development process.

The antileukemia activity of a human anti-CD40 antagonist antibody, HCD122, on human chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the surface expression of CD20, CD5 antigens, as well as the receptor CD40. Activation of CD40 by its ligand (CD40L) induces proliferation and rescues the cells from spontaneous and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. CD40 activation also induces secretion of cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IL-8, and GM-CSF, which are involved in tumor cell survival, migration, and interaction with cells in the tumor microenvironment. Here we demonstrate that in primary B-CLL tumor cells, the novel antagonist anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, HCD122, inhibits CD40L-induced activation of signaling pathways, proliferation and survival, and secretion of cytokines. Furthermore, HCD122 is also a potent mediator of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), lysing B-CLL cells more efficiently than rituximab in vitro, despite a significantly higher number of cell surface CD20 binding sites compared with CD40. Unlike rituximab, however, HCD122 (formerly CHIR-12.12) does not internalize upon binding to the cells. Our data suggest that HCD122 may inhibit B-CLL growth by blocking CD40 signaling and by ADCC-mediated cell lysis.

Transcriptional-based screens for pathway-specific, high-throughput target discovery in endothelial cells.

With the sequence of the human genome at hand, target discovery strategies are needed that can rapidly identify novel gene products involved in human disease pathways. In this article, the authors describe a cell-based, high-throughput assay that can identify gene products capable of modulating the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) signaling pathways in human endothelial cells. The assay uses real-time PCR technology to measure downstream reporter mRNA transcripts induced upon cytokine stimulation in a 96-well plate format and has been adapted for use with recombinant adenoviruses. The authors specifically demonstrate modulation of cytokine-driven reporter transcripts using drug inhibitors and through adenoviral-mediated expression of known signaling intermediates of the respective pathways. In addition, they have used an arrayed library of 350 recombinant adenoviruses to screen for novel modulators of the VEGF and TNFalpha pathways. The high-throughput screening capacity and sensitivity of this system make it a useful tool for new drug target identification.