Randomized open-label study of M7824 versus pembrolizumab as first-line (1L) treatment in patients with PD-L1 expressing advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

TPS9114

Background: Transforming growth factor β (TGF- β) promotes tumor progression via immune- and non–immune-related processes. M7824 is an innovative first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of 2 extracellular domains of TGF-βRII (a TGF-β “trap”) fused to a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1. Targeting these independent and complementary pathways may restore and enhance antitumor responses. An expansion cohort of the NCT02517398 study of patients with advanced NSCLC (n = 80) treated with M7824 in the second-line setting presented at ESMO 2018 showed an objective response rate of 86% in the subgroup with high PD-L1 tumor expression at the recommended phase 2 dose (1200 mg intravenously [IV] every 2 weeks [Q2W]). Observed data support the hypothesis that M7824 may be superior to other PD-(L)1 inhibitors, including pembrolizumab, for the treatment of NSCLC. Based on the promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profile, this study will evaluate M7824 treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC in the 1L setting. Methods: Here we present a global, randomized trial comparing M7824 vs pembrolizumab in the 1L treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression levels. Patients in this study must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (defined as either ≥80% by the Dako 73-10 pharmDx kit or ≥50% by the Dako 22C3 pharmDx kit since both assays are expected to select a similar patient population at their respective cut-offs). ECOG performance status must be 0 or 1. Patients must not have received prior systemic treatment for advanced NSCLC. Patients with tumors with actionable mutations (for which targeted therapy is locally approved) are not eligible. Patients will receive 1200 mg Q2W or pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W as an IV infusion until confirmed disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or trial withdrawal. Dual primary endpoints are progression-free survival and best overall response; key secondary endpoints include overall survival, duration of response, and safety. Estimated enrollment is 300 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT03631706.

Efficacy and safety profile of lurbinectedin in second-line SCLC patients: Results from a phase II single-agent trial

8506

Background: Lurbinectedin (L) is a novel anticancer drug that inhibits activated transcription and induces DNA double-strand breaks, leading to apoptosis. Methods: A multicenter phase 2 basket trial assessed the efficacy and safety of L in several cancer types, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Primary endpoint was confirmed overall response rate (ORR) by RECIST v.1.1. In the SCLC cohort, a target ORR ≥30% was set. One-hundred and five patients (pts) with ECOG PS 0-2 who had received one prior chemotherapy line were treated with L 3.2 mg/m2 as a 1-hour i.v. infusion on Day 1 q3wk. Results: Median age was 60 years (range, 40-83), 60% were male, ECOG PS 0/1/2 (32%/62%/6%), liver metastasis 41%, history of CNS involvement 3.8%, prior platinum 100%, median chemotherapy-free interval (CTFI): 3.5 (0-16.1) months; prior immunotherapy (IO): 7.6%. Pts received a median of 4 cycles (range, 1-24). Conclusions: L monotherapy is active in second-line SCLC in both resistant and sensitive disease. The acceptable and manageable safety profile is also associated to a convenient treatment administration (Day 1 q3wk). L as second-line treatment in SCLC emerges as a new promising drug for this unmet clinical need. Clinical trial information: NCT02454972. [Table: see text]

Tislelizumab (BGB-A317) + concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) followed by tislelizumab monotherapy for newly diagnosed locally advanced, unresectable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a phase III study (RATIONALE 001)

TPS8574

Background: cCRT improves survival vs RT alone and is a global standard of care in patients (pts) with stage III NSCLC, but survival remains poor for these pts. Combining PD-1/PD-L1-targeting immunotherapies and cCRT may lead to synergistic activity and improved outcomes. Tislelizumab (anti–PD-1) demonstrated clinical activity and tolerability in solid tumors, including NSCLC. This phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (RATIONALE 001) will evaluate efficacy and safety of tislelizumab + cCRT. Methods: Pts (N ≈ 840) will be randomized 1:1:1 in a 3-arm study design to evaluate whether the timing of giving tislelizumab earlier upfront with cCRT in addition to as consolidation (Arm 1) or giving tislelizumab as consolidation only (Arm 2) will improve outcomes vs cCRT alone (Arm 3; Table). RT will be given in 2 Gy fractions to a target dose of 60 Gy (30 fractions). Chemotherapy will be investigator’s choice of cisplatin + etoposide or carboplatin + paclitaxel. A safety analysis specific to the cisplatin + etoposide component of the cCRT + tislelizumab combination is planned. All sites must pass a radiation quality assurance review process. The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary endpoints include ORR, OS, OS at 24 months, and safety. As an exploratory endpoint, blood and tumor biomarkers will be assessed for correlations with clinical benefit. With a one-sided α of 1.25%, a total of 580 PFS events are required to allow ≈ 90% power to detect a HR for progression or death of 0.7 for either pairwise comparison (Arm 1 vs Arm 3 or Arm 2 vs Arm 3). Key eligibility criteria are locally advanced, unresectable, stage III NSCLC; FDG-PET and brain imaging confirmation of stage III status; no prior treatment; and ECOG PS ≤ 1. PD-L1 expression assessment is not required prior to randomization. EudraCT number 2018-001132-22. Clinical trial information: NCT03745222. [Table: see text]

First subsequent treatment after discontinuation of durvalumab in unresectable, stage III NSCLC patients from PACIFIC

9054

Background: In the phase 3 PACIFIC trial of unresectable, stage III NSCLC patients (pts) without progression after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT), durvalumab (durva) significantly improved PFS and OS with similar safety compared to placebo (pbo). We performed exploratory analyses to characterize first subsequent treatment (Tx) after discontinuation of durva. Methods: Pts with WHO PS 0/1 and any tumor PD-L1 status were randomized (2:1) 1–42 days after ≥2 cycles of platinum-based cCRT to durva 10 mg/kg IV or pbo Q2W up to 12 months, stratified by age, sex and smoking history. Pts were classified by the use or not of first subsequent Tx and category of first systemic Tx (platinum doublet CT [PDCT], single-agent CT [SCT], immunotherapy [IT] or targeted therapy [TT]). Results: As of Mar 22, 2018, 216/476 (45.4%) and 153/237 (64.6%) in the durva and pbo arms, respectively, had a RECIST-based PFS event per BICR (5.7% and 8.4% due to death). 195 (41.0%) and 128 (54.0%) received first subsequent Tx, most of which were systemic Tx (158 [33.2%] and 109 [46.0%]): PDCT (16.4% and 19.0%), SCT (8.6% and 8.4%), IT (4.2% and 13.5%) or TT (3.8% and 5.1%); 7.8% and 8.0% received RT only. Time to first subsequent therapy or death (TFST) was longer with durva vs pbo (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.47–0.72; median 21.0 vs 10.4 months). Baseline characteristics of pts with or without first subsequent Tx were similar, and similar across durva or pbo arms. Among pts with systemic Tx, baseline characteristics (including pre-cCRT PD-L1 status) were generally similar, except pts on TT, more of whom were EGFR+ (70.0% vs 0–6.6% of other systemic Tx groups) with commonly associated phenotypes (more females, Asians, non-smokers and non-squamous pts). Best overall response to first systemic Tx will be presented. Conclusions: Due to longer PFS and fewer progression events with durva vs pbo, fewer pts on durva required subsequent Tx and, per TFST, much later. With the exception of IT, use of each subsequent Tx was similar between the durva and pbo arms with PDCT the most common. Baseline characteristics were similar for pts with or without first subsequent Tx and pts who received first systemic Tx, except for pts who received TT, as expected due to their molecular profile.

Identification and use of treatment (tx) options in patients (pts) with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) after comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP): A real-world study

9076

Background: The number of targeted txs for NSCLC is increasing. By analyzing numerous molecular alterations, CGP may open more targeted tx options than single biomarker testing. Methods: We analyzed a database linking Flatiron Health electronic health record-based clinical and Foundation Medicine, Inc. (FMI) CGP genomic alteration (GA) data in US pts diagnosed from 1/2011 with aNSCLC, primarily from community practices, and with follow-up through 6/2018. We examined the prevalence and distribution of genomic findings, and agreement between tx received and CGP-directed tx options (approved for aNSCLC/other tumors) on the FMI report as a measure of clinical utility. The latter was evaluated in a subset of pts with sufficient tx and follow-up data after FMI testing. Results: Among 5112 FMI-tested pts (first test observed 8/2012), 49% had their FMI test before starting any line of tx, 97% had ≥ 1 GA with known/likely function (median = 5), and 85% had ≥ 1 potential tx option (52% had ≥ 1 option for aNSCLC and 33% had ≥ 1 for another tumor type only). In 1366 pts evaluable for tx agreement after FMI testing, 572 (42%) received a tx listed on the FMI report and 111 (8%) were enrolled in clinical trials. Pts with a tx option approved for aNSCLC were more likely to have a tx agreeing with an option on the FMI report (67% of 754) v pts with a tx option approved in another tumor type only (8% of 612). Among the 1366 pts, 14% had EGFR/ALK/ROS1/BRAF (EARB) tx options only. The remaining 1170 had a non-EARB tx option, either as their only option (1014; 87%), or in addition to an EARB tx option (156; 13%). The non-EARB tx options included 377 pts (32%) with a tumor mutational burden-associated tx option. In these 1170 pts, 341 (29%) had an agreeing tx besides EARB, and 100 (9%) were enrolled on trials. Conclusions: FMI CGP identified potential NSCLC-specific tx options/a clinical trial opportunity for 52% of pts with aNSCLC. Of the pts evaluated for tx agreement, almost ½ received a tx agreeing with an option on the FMI report and/or were enrolled in a clinical trial. FMI CGP adds value beyond single biomarker testing by identifying txs and trial options in a meaningful proportion of pts.

MS201944-0170: A phase IIa study to investigate the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC

TPS9123

Background: Preclinical studies have demonstrated that cetuximab plus chemotherapy results in immunogenic cell death and an increase in CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Avelumab (an anti–PD-L1 antibody) has previously shown antitumor activity in NSCLC. We hypothesize that the combination of cetuximab with platinum-based chemotherapy and avelumab may have synergistic antitumor activity. Methods: This phase IIa, single-arm, multicenter study is investigating the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC who are treatment naive in the advanced setting (NCT03717155). Eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed stage IV, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC with squamous histology, with no prior systemic therapy for metastatic NSCLC, no prior therapy with any antibody/drug targeting T-cell coregulatory proteins, and ECOG PS of 0 to 1. Patients with a tumor harboring an activating EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement are excluded. Patients will receive doublet chemotherapy (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1, gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), cetuximab on days 1 (250 mg/m2) and 8 (500 mg/m2), and avelumab 800 mg on days 1 and 8 for a total of four 3-week cycles. Thereafter, avelumab (800 mg) and cetuximab (500 mg/m2) will be administered as maintenance treatment Q2W until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Enrollment in a safety run-in, which will evaluate the safety and tolerability of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin, is planned for the first 6 patients. Enrollment began on October 30, 2018. Study enrollment will continue until approximately 40 evaluable patients have been recruited. The primary endpoint is confirmed best overall response per RECIST 1.1 by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints include safety (NCI CTCAE v5.0) and tolerability of the combination, duration of response, survival, and tumor biomarkers. The study is ongoing at sites in Hungary and Spain. Clinical trial information: NCT03717155.

RESILIENT: Study of irinotecan liposome injection (nal-IRI) in patients with small cell lung cancer—Preliminary findings from part 1 dose-defining phase

8562

Background: Nal-IRI is investigated as monotherapy in patients with SCLC who progressed on or after platinum regimen. The RESILIENT study is a Part 1 study of a Phase 2/3 trial to assess safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Irinotecan Liposome Injection in patients with SCLC. Methods: Nal-IRI is evaluated in patients ≥18 yrs with advanced SCLC with an ECOG performance status ≤1 and adequate organ function; prior exposure to immunotherapy is allowed. Safety and tolerability at dose levels of 85 mg/m2 and 70 mg/m2 are the primary endpoints, with assessment of exploratory efficacy signal. Results: At 24 Dec 2018 safety cutoff 12 patients in Part 1 received ≥1 dose of nal-IRI (Cohort 1 [C-1] at 85 mg/m2 dose n=4; Cohort 2 [C-2] at 70 mg/m2 dose n=8; median age 60.0 yrs; range 49–73 yrs). Three patients experienced ≥1 DLT (Cohort 1 n=3/4; Cohort 2 n=0/8). Most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (any grade): diarrhea (91.7%), nausea (58.3%), vomiting (41.7%), decreased appetite (58%), abdominal pain (33%) manageable by antidiarrheal regimen and antiemetics; as well as fatigue (50%) and asthenia (37.5%). Overall, hematologic toxicity was neutropenia (any grade) at 16.7% and anemia (any grade) at 16.7%. At 11 Dec 2018 efficacy cutoff the best objective response was partial response (PR) at 33.3% in 4/12 patients (C-1 n=1/4; C-2 n=3/8), median time to response was 6 wks. Overall disease control rate (DCR) was 58.3%; progressive disease (PD) was observed in 2 patients (16.7%), and 3 patients were non-evaluable (25%). Conclusions: Initial assessment suggests that nal-IRI at 70 mg/m2 dose given bi-weekly is well-tolerated and has promising antitumor activity in patients with SCLC who progressed on or after platinum regimen. Part 1 dose expansion is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCTN03088813. [Table: see text]

The CANOPY program: Canakinumab in patients (pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

TPS9124

Background: Inflammatory pathways can be pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic. The cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) can promote the infiltration of immunosuppressive cells into the tumor microenvironment leading to a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment that promotes carcinogenesis, tumor invasiveness, and immunosuppression. Canakinumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds and neutralizes IL-1β. Previous clinical data (CANTOS study) has shown that canakinumab could significantly reduce lung cancer incidence and mortality. This data along with the preclinical results that IL-1β does support tumorigenic inflammation provide the rationale to investigate the therapeutic role of canakinumab in lung cancer. Methods: Three Phase 3 trials have been designed in parallel to evaluate canakinumab in NSCLC (Table). Clinical trial information: NCT03447769, NCT03631199, NCT03626545. [Table: see text]

Three-year overall survival update from the PACIFIC trial

8526

Background: In the phase 3 PACIFIC study of patients with unresectable, Stage III NSCLC without progression after chemoradiotherapy (CRT), durvalumab demonstrated significant improvements versus placebo in the primary endpoints of progression-free survival (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.42–65; P < 0.0001) and overall survival (OS; HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53–0.87; P = 0.00251). Safety was similar and durvalumab had no detrimental effect on patient-reported outcomes. Here, we report 3-year OS rates for all patients randomized in the PACIFIC study. Methods: Patients with WHO PS 0/1 (any tumor PD-L1 status) who received ≥2 cycles of platinum-based CRT were randomized (2:1), 1–42 days following CRT, to receive durvalumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks or placebo, up to 12 months, and stratified by age, sex, and smoking history. OS was analyzed using a stratified log-rank test in the ITT population. Medians and OS rates at 12, 24 and 36 months were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In total, 713 patients were randomized of whom 709 received treatment (durvalumab, n = 473; placebo, n = 236). The last patient had completed the protocol-defined 12 months of study treatment in May 2017. As of January 31, 2019 (data cutoff), 48.2% of patients had died (44.1% and 56.5% in the durvalumab and placebo groups, respectively). The median duration of follow-up was 33.3 months (range, 0.2–51.3). Updated OS remained consistent with that previously reported (stratified HR 0.69, 95% CI, 0.55–0.86), with the median not reached (NR; 95% CI, 38.4 months–NR) with durvalumab versus 29.1 months (95% CI, 22.1–35.1) with placebo. The 12-, 24- and 36-month OS rates with durvalumab and placebo were 83.1% versus 74.6%, 66.3% versus 55.3%, and 57.0% versus 43.5%, respectively. After discontinuation, 43.3% and 57.8% in the durvalumab and placebo groups, respectively, received subsequent anticancer therapy (9.7% and 26.6% subsequently received immunotherapy). OS subgroup results will be presented. Conclusions: Updated OS data from PACIFIC, including 3-year survival rates, underscore the long-term clinical benefit with durvalumab following CRT and further establish the PACIFIC regimen as the standard of care in this population. Clinical trial information: NCT02125461.

Randomized open-label study of M7824 versus pembrolizumab as first-line (1L) treatment in patients with PD-L1 expressing advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

TPS127

Background: Transforming growth factor β (TGF- β) promotes tumor progression via immune- and non–immune-related processes. M7824 is an innovative first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of 2 extracellular domains of TGF-βRII (a TGF-β “trap”) fused to a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1. Targeting these independent and complementary pathways may restore and enhance antitumor responses. An expansion cohort of the study of patients with advanced NSCLC (n=80) treated with M7824 in the second-line setting presented at ESMO 2018 showed an objective response rate of 86% in the subgroup with high PD-L1 tumor expression at the recommended phase 2 dose (1200 mg intravenously [IV] every 2 weeks [Q2W]). Observed data support the hypothesis that M7824 may be superior to other PD-(L)1 inhibitors, including pembrolizumab, for the treatment of NSCLC. Based on the promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profile, this study will evaluate M7824 treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC in the 1L setting. Methods: Here we present a global, randomized trial comparing M7824 vs pembrolizumab in the 1L treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression levels. Patients in this study must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (defined as either ≥80% by the Dako 73-10 pharmDx kit or ≥50% by the Dako 22C3 pharmDx kit since both assays are expected to select a similar patient population at their respective cut-offs). ECOG performance status must be 0 or 1. Patients must not have received prior systemic treatment for advanced NSCLC. Patients with tumors with actionable mutations (for which targeted therapy is locally approved) are not eligible. Patients will receive 1200 mg Q2W or pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W as an IV infusion until confirmed disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or trial withdrawal. Dual primary endpoints are progression-free survival and best overall response; key secondary endpoints include overall survival, duration of response, and safety. Estimated enrollment is 300 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT02517398, NCT03631706 .

Abemaciclib in Combination with Single-Agent Options in Patients with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase Ib Study

Purpose: Abemaciclib, a dual inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, has demonstrated preclinical activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label phase Ib study was conducted to test safety, MTD, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of abemaciclib in combination with other therapies for treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC.Patients and Methods: An initial dose escalation phase was used to determine the MTD of twice-daily oral abemaciclib (150, 200 mg) plus pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab, followed by an expansion phase for each drug combination. Pemetrexed and gemcitabine were administered according to label. The abemaciclib plus ramucirumab study examined two dosing schedules.Results: The three study parts enrolled 86 patients; all received ≥1 dose of combination therapy. Across arms, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were fatigue, diarrhea, neutropenia, decreased appetite, and nausea. The trial did not identify an abemaciclib MTD for the combination with pemetrexed or gemcitabine but did so for the combination of abemaciclib with days 1 and 8 ramucirumab (8 mg/kg). Plasma sample analysis showed that abemaciclib did not influence the pharmacokinetics of the combination agents and the combination agents did not affect abemaciclib exposure. The disease control rate was 57% for patients treated with abemaciclib-pemetrexed, 25% for abemaciclib-gemcitabine, and 54% for abemaciclib-ramucirumab. Median progression-free survival was 5.55, 1.58, and 4.83 months, respectively.Conclusions: Abemaciclib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile when dosed on a continuous twice-daily schedule in combination with pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab. Abemaciclib exposures remained consistent with those observed in single-agent studies. Clin Cancer Res; 24(22); 5543-51. ©2018 AACR.

Treatment outcomes by histology in REVEL: A randomized phase III trial of Ramucirumab plus docetaxel for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

Ramucirumab, a recombinant human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, increased overall survival (OS) combined with docetaxel versus docetaxel alone in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the REVEL trial. Pre-specified exploratory analysis examined efficacy and safety by histology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

1253 patients with NSCLC were randomized to receive ramucirumab (10mg/kg; n=628) plus docetaxel (75mg/m2) or placebo plus docetaxel (n=625) after disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy, with or without bevacizumab or maintenance therapy. OS was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained using an unstratified Cox proportional hazards model. Primary quality-of-life analysis was time to deterioration (TtD) of the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) scores using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression.

RESULTS

Median OS for adenocarcinoma was 11.2 months for ramucirumab-docetaxel (n = 377) and 9.8 months for placebo-docetaxel (n=348); HR=0.83 (95% CI: 0.69-0.99). In squamous disease, median OS was 9.5 months for ramucirumab-docetaxel (n=157) versus 8.2 months for placebo-docetaxel (n=171); HR 0.88 (95% CI: 0.69-1.13). Median OS for other nonsquamous was 10.8 months for ramucirumab-docetaxel (n=74) and 9.3 months for placebo-docetaxel (n=78); HR=0.86 (95% CI: 0.59-1.26). Treatment-emergent adverse events were comparable between treatment arms across histologic subgroups. TtD for LCSS scores was similar between treatment arms in the nonsquamous and squamous subgroups.

CONCLUSION

REVEL demonstrated similar favorable efficacy and manageable safety for ramucirumab-docetaxel across histologic subgroups of NSCLC.