Avelumab plus Axitinib versus Sunitinib for Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In a single-group, phase 1b trial, avelumab plus axitinib resulted in objective responses in patients with advanced renal-cell carcinoma. This phase 3 trial involving previously untreated patients with advanced renal-cell carcinoma compared avelumab plus axitinib with the standard-of-care sunitinib. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive avelumab (10 mg per kilogram of body weight) intravenously every 2 weeks plus axitinib (5 mg) orally twice daily or sunitinib (50 mg) orally once daily for 4 weeks (6-week cycle). The two independent primary end points were progression-free survival and overall survival among patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive tumors. A key secondary end point was progression-free survival in the overall population; other end points included objective response and safety. RESULTS: A total of 886 patients were assigned to receive avelumab plus axitinib (442 patients) or sunitinib (444 patients). Among the 560 patients with PD-L1-positive tumors (63.2%), the median progression-free survival was 13.8 months with avelumab plus axitinib, as compared with 7.2 months with sunitinib (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47 to 0.79; P<0.001); in the overall population, the median progression-free survival was 13.8 months, as compared with 8.4 months (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.84; P<0.001). Among the patients with PD-L1-positive tumors, the objective response rate was 55.2% with avelumab plus axitinib and 25.5% with sunitinib; at a median follow-up for overall survival of 11.6 months and 10.7 months in the two groups, 37 patients and 44 patients had died, respectively. Adverse events during treatment occurred in 99.5% of patients in the avelumab-plus-axitinib group and in 99.3% of patients in the sunitinib group; these events were grade 3 or higher in 71.2% and 71.5% of the patients in the respective groups. CONCLUSIONS: Progression-free survival was significantly longer with avelumab plus axitinib than with sunitinib among patients who received these agents as first-line treatment for advanced renal-cell carcinoma. (Funded by Pfizer and Merck [Darmstadt, Germany]; JAVELIN Renal 101 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02684006.).

A phase I study of danusertib (PHA-739358) in adult patients with accelerated or blastic phase chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia resistant or intolerant to imatinib and/or other second generation c-ABL therapy.

Danusertib is a pan-aurora kinase inhibitor with potent activity against Abl kinase including the gatekeeper T315I mutant. A phase 1 dose escalation study of danusertib was conducted in patients with accelerated or blastic phase chronic myeloid leukemia or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Two dosing schedules were studied: schedule A, in which danusertib was given by 3-hour intravenous infusion daily for 7 consecutive days (days 1-7) in a 14-day cycle, and schedule B, in which the danusertib was given by 3-hour intravenous infusion daily for 14 consecutive days (days 1-14) in a 21-day cycle. A total of 37 patients were treated, 29 with schedule A and eight with schedule B. The recommended phase 2 dose for schedule A was 180 mg/m(2). Enrollment to schedule B was stopped early because of logistical problems with the frequency of infusions. Febrile neutropenia and mucositis were dose-limiting toxicities in schedule A. Four patients with T315I ABL kinase mutation, all treated with schedule A, responded. Danusertib has an acceptable toxicity profile and is active in patients with Bcr-Abl-associated advanced hematologic malignancies. This study was registered with the European Clinical Trails Data Base (EudraCT number 2007-004070-18).

Impact of Prior Cytoreductive Nephrectomy on Efficacy in Patients with Synchronous Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Avelumab plus Axitinib or Sunitinib: Post Hoc Analysis from the JAVELIN Renal 101 Phase 3 Trial.

Data on the effects of prior cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with synchronous metastases (M1 disease) before immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment are limited. In this post hoc analysis of treatment-naive patients with advanced RCC from the phase 3 JAVELIN Renal 101 trial, we assessed efficacy outcomes in the avelumab + axitinib and sunitinib arms in patients who were initially diagnosed with M1 disease (n = 412) grouped by prior CN (yes vs no). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using multivariable Cox regression, and objective response rates (ORRs) were analyzed using logistic regression. After adjusting for imbalances in baseline variables, the hazard ratio (HR) for PFS in the prior CN versus no prior CN subgroup was 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-1.16) in the avelumab + axitinib arm, and 1.15 (95% CI 0.77-1.70) in the sunitinib arm. The corresponding HRs for OS were 0.59 (95% CI 0.38-0.93) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.55-1.34), and the odds ratios for ORR were 2.67 (95% CI 1.32-5.41) and 2.02 (95% CI 0.82-4.94), respectively. Prospective studies of the potential benefits of CN and its appropriate timing in patients receiving first-line treatment with ICI-containing combinations are warranted. PATIENT SUMMARY: This study looked at patients with kidney cancer whose disease had already spread outside the kidneys when it was first detected. We found that patients whose kidney had been removed before starting treatment with avelumab + axitinib had better outcomes than those whose kidney had not been removed. For patients treated with sunitinib, the results were more similar between the groups with and without prior kidney removal. However, statistical tests did not find any significant differences. The JAVELIN Renal 101 trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02684006.

Randomized phase II study of danusertib in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel failure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and toxicity of danusertib (formerly PHA-739358) administered i.v. over two different dosing schedules with equivalent dose intensity in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with progressive disease after docetaxel-based treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this open-label, multicentre phase II trial 88 patients were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive either danusertib 330 mg/m(2) over 6 h i.v. on days 1, 8 and 15 (arm A, n = 43) or 500 mg/m(2) over 24 h i.v. on days 1 and 15 (arm B, n = 38), every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint chosen for this exploratory study was PSA response rate at 3 months. RESULTS: Sixty patients (31/43 in arm A and 29/38 in arm B) were evaluable for the primary endpoint. Median progression-free survival was 12 weeks in both arms. PSA response occurred in one patient in each arm; best overall response was stable disease in eight (18.6%) and 13 (34.2%) patients in arms A and B, respectively. Eleven out of 81 (13.6%) treated patients had stable disease for ≥6 months. Danusertib was generally well tolerated; the most common grade 3 and 4 drug-related adverse event was neutropenia which occurred in 37.2% (arm A) and 15.8% (arm B) of the patients. CONCLUSION: Danusertib monotherapy shows minimal efficacy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Further studies are required to establish specific biomarkers predictive for either response or prolonged disease stabilization.

Prospective Cardiovascular Surveillance of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Combination Therapy in Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Cancer: Data From the Phase III JAVELIN Renal 101 Trial.

PURPOSE: Both immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors are approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma treatment and can cause cardiovascular events (CVs); thus, combination therapy could lead to major adverse CV events (MACE). Cardiac serum biomarker assessment and imaging, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) monitoring, can be used to evaluate MACE. METHODS: To our knowledge, the JAVELIN Renal 101 trial, assessing avelumab plus axitinib versus sunitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, is the first randomized study of ICI plus VEGFR inhibitor treatment to include prospective serial cardiac monitoring of LVEF and serum cardiac biomarkers. RESULTS: MACE (defined as grade ≥ 3 CV AEs) occurred in 31 patients (7.1%) in the combination arm and 17 patients (3.9%) in the sunitinib arm. Patients in the combination arm who had high baseline troponin T values were at higher risk of MACE versus patients with low values (MACE in 6/35 v 7/135, respectively; relative risk, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.19 to 9.22). This association was not observed in patients treated with sunitinib. Other CV baseline risk factors and serum cardiac biomarkers were not significantly predictive for MACE, although a trend toward an association with dyslipidemia was seen in the combination arm. No clinical value of on-treatment routine monitoring of LVEF in relation to MACE was observed. Although LVEF decline was significantly more frequent in the combination arm, most patients recovered, and decline was not associated with other significant cardiac events or symptoms. CONCLUSION: Patients with high baseline troponin T levels receiving ICI and VEGFR combinations may need to be monitored more closely for MACE. Routine monitoring of LVEF in asymptomatic patients is not recommended.

Influence of pharmacogenetic variability on the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of the aurora kinase inhibitor danusertib.

OBJECTIVES: Danusertib is a serine/threonine kinase inhibitor of multiple kinases, including aurora-A, B, and C. This explorative study aims to identify possible relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding for drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins and clearance of danusertib, to clarify the interpatient variability in exposure. In addition, this study explores the relationship between target receptor polymorphisms and toxicity of danusertib. METHODS: For associations with clearance, 48 cancer patients treated in a phase I study were analyzed for ABCB1, ABCG2 and FMO3 polymorphisms. Association analyses between neutropenia and drug target receptors, including KDR, RET, FLT3, FLT4, AURKB and AURKA, were performed in 30 patients treated at recommended phase II dose-levels in three danusertib phase I or phase II trials. RESULTS: No relationships between danusertib clearance and drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter protein polymorphisms were found. Only, for the one patient with FMO3 18281AA polymorphism, a significantly higher clearance was noticed, compared to patients carrying at least 1 wild type allele. No effect of target receptor genotypes or haplotypes on neutropenia was observed. CONCLUSIONS: As we did not find any major correlations between pharmacogenetic variability in the studied enzymes and transporters and pharmacokinetics nor toxicity, it is unlikely that danusertib is highly susceptible for pharmacogenetic variation. Therefore, no dosing alterations of danusertib are expected in the future, based on the polymorphisms studied. However, the relationship between FMO3 polymorphisms and clearance of danusertib warrants further research, as we could study only a small group of patients.

Quantification of the proliferation index of human dermal fibroblast cultures with the ArrayScan high-content screening reader.

High-throughput cell-based assays are becoming a powerful approach in the drug discovery process. The ArrayScan high-content screening (HCS) reader is a cytometer based on a fully automated fluorescence microscope that is able to obtain quantitative information on the intensity and localization of fluorescence signals within single cells over a wide cell population. The aim of this work was to set up an automated HCS multiparameter analysis for the quantification of the in vitro proliferation index of normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cultures. The authors stimulated starved NHDF with insulin-like growth factor-1, platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, or serum, and they quantified the proliferation index by measuring the expression of Ki-67 antigen, the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). This approach also allowed quantification of the mitotic index by phospho-histone H3 staining and the percentage of cells in the S-phase by BrdU incorporation. The proliferation data from the ArrayScan assays were validated by comparison with a reference enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by flow cytometry. The measured proliferation indices were highly reproducible in repeated measures and independent experiments. The authors therefore propose that the ArrayScan HCS system could be used for high-throughput multiparameter analysis and quantification of the proliferation of cellular cultures.

Quantification of the proliferation index of human dermal fibroblast cultures with the ArrayScan high-content screening reader.

High-throughput cell-based assays are becoming a powerful approach in the drug discovery process. The ArrayScan high-content screening (HCS) reader is a cytometer based on a fully automated fluorescence microscope that is able to obtain quantitative information on the intensity and localization of fluorescence signals within single cells over a wide cell population. The aim of this work was to set up an automated HCS multiparameter analysis for the quantification of the in vitro proliferation index of normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cultures. The authors stimulated starved NHDF with insulin-like growth factor-1, platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, or serum, and they quantified the proliferation index by measuring the expression of Ki-67 antigen, the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). This approach also allowed quantification of the mitotic index by phospho-histone H3 staining and the percentage of cells in the S-phase by BrdU incorporation. The proliferation data from the ArrayScan assays were validated by comparison with a reference enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by flow cytometry. The measured proliferation indices were highly reproducible in repeated measures and independent experiments. The authors therefore propose that the ArrayScan HCS system could be used for high-throughput multiparameter analysis and quantification of the proliferation of cellular cultures.

A phase I dose-escalation study of danusertib (PHA-739358) administered as a 24-hour infusion with and without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in a 14-day cycle in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of the i.v. pan-aurora kinase inhibitor PHA-739358, danusertib, in patients with advanced solid tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In part 1, patients received escalating doses of danusertib (24-hour infusion every 14 days) without filgrastim (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, G-CSF). Febrile neutropenia was the dose-limiting toxicity without G-CSF. Further dose escalation was done in part 2 with G-CSF. Blood samples were collected for danusertib pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Skin biopsies were collected to assess histone H3 phosphorylation (pH3). RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were treated, 40 in part 1 and 16 in part 2. Febrile neutropenia was the dose-limiting toxicity in part 1 without G-CSF. Most other adverse events were grade 1 to 2, occurring at doses >or=360 mg/m(2) with similar incidence in parts 1 and 2. The maximum tolerated dose without G-CSF is 500 mg/m(2). The recommended phase 2 dose in part 2 with G-CSF is 750 mg/m(2). Danusertib showed dose-proportional pharmacokinetics in parts 1 and 2 with a median half-life of 18 to 26 hours. pH3 modulation in skin biopsies was observed at >or=500 mg/m(2). One patient with refractory small cell lung cancer (1,000 mg/m(2) with G-CSF) had an objective response lasting 23 weeks. One patient with refractory ovarian cancer had 27% tumor regression and 30% CA125 decline. CONCLUSIONS: Danusertib was well tolerated with target inhibition in skin at >or=500 mg/m(2). Preliminary evidence of antitumor activity, including a partial response and several occurrences of prolonged stable disease, was seen across a variety of advanced refractory cancers. Phase II studies are ongoing.

Phase I pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of the aurora kinase inhibitor danusertib in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Danusertib (PHA-739358) is a small-molecule pan-aurora kinase inhibitor. This phase I dose escalation study was conducted to evaluate safety and tolerability of danusertib with additional pharmacokinetic, biomarker, and efficacy assessments. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with solid tumors refractory to standard therapies or with no standard therapy available were enrolled. Danusertib was administered intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days in 6-hour or 3-hour infusion schedules (ie, 6-hour IVS or 3-hour IVS). Dose levels from 45 mg/m(2) in the 6-hour IVS, and from 250 mg/m(2) in the 3-hour IVS, were studied. RESULTS: Fifty patients were treated. For the 6-hour IVS, the most frequently reported adverse effects were neutropenia (55%), nausea (25%), anorexia (23%), fatigue (20%), and diarrhea (18%). In the 3-hour IVS, fatigue (70%), neutropenia (60%), diarrhea (50%), and nausea (30%) were seen. Nonhematologic toxicity was mild to moderate. Neutropenia was dose limiting. The maximum-tolerated dose was 330 mg/m(2) for the 6-hour IVS and was not identified for the 3-hour IVS. The systemic exposure to danusertib increased linearly with dose. The infusion rate did not appear to remarkably influence the pharmacokinetics of danusertib. Biomarker analysis showed inhibition of histone H3 phosphorylation, indicative of aurora B inhibition, at doses of 190 mg/m(2) or greater. Stable disease was observed in 23.7% of evaluable patients, and disease stabilization occurred in 6 or more months in five patients. CONCLUSION: Dose-limiting toxicity of danusertib is neutropenia, which was short lasting and generally uncomplicated; danusertib administration had limited nonhematologic toxicity. The recommended dose of danusertib for phase II studies is 330 mg/m(2) infused over 6 hours on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days.