2
|
Jamieson SM, Tsai P, Kondratyev MK, Budhani P, Liu A, Senzer NN, Chiorean EG, Jalal SI, Nemunaitis JJ, Kee D, Shome A, Wong WW, Li D, Poonawala-Lohani N, Kakadia PM, Knowlton NS, Lynch CR, Hong CR, Lee TW, Grénman RA, Caporiccio L, McKee TD, Zaidi M, Butt S, Macann AM, McIvor NP, Chaplin JM, Hicks KO, Bohlander SK, Wouters BG, Hart CP, Print CG, Wilson WR, Curran MA, Hunter FW. Evofosfamide for the treatment of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2018; 3:122204. [PMID: 30135316 PMCID: PMC6141174 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.122204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Evofosfamide (TH-302) is a clinical-stage hypoxia-activated prodrug of a DNA-crosslinking nitrogen mustard that has potential utility for human papillomavirus (HPV) negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), in which tumor hypoxia limits treatment outcome. We report the preclinical efficacy, target engagement, preliminary predictive biomarkers and initial clinical activity of evofosfamide for HPV-negative HNSCC. Evofosfamide was assessed in 22 genomically characterized cell lines and 7 cell line-derived xenograft (CDX), patient-derived xenograft (PDX), orthotopic, and syngeneic tumor models. Biomarker analysis used RNA sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, and whole-genome CRISPR knockout screens. Five advanced/metastatic HNSCC patients received evofosfamide monotherapy (480 mg/m2 qw × 3 each month) in a phase 2 study. Evofosfamide was potent and highly selective for hypoxic HNSCC cells. Proliferative rate was a predominant evofosfamide sensitivity determinant and a proliferation metagene correlated with activity in CDX models. Evofosfamide showed efficacy as monotherapy and with radiotherapy in PDX models, augmented CTLA-4 blockade in syngeneic tumors, and reduced hypoxia in nodes disseminated from an orthotopic model. Of 5 advanced HNSCC patients treated with evofosfamide, 2 showed partial responses while 3 had stable disease. In conclusion, evofosfamide shows promising efficacy in aggressive HPV-negative HNSCC, with predictive biomarkers in development to support further clinical evaluation in this indication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Mf Jamieson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter Tsai
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maria K Kondratyev
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pratha Budhani
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Arthur Liu
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Neil N Senzer
- Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - E Gabriela Chiorean
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shadia I Jalal
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - John J Nemunaitis
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
| | - Dennis Kee
- LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Avik Shome
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Way W Wong
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Dan Li
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Purvi M Kakadia
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicholas S Knowlton
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Courtney Rh Lynch
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Cho R Hong
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tet Woo Lee
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Reidar A Grénman
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Laura Caporiccio
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trevor D McKee
- STTARR Innovation Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Zaidi
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,STTARR Innovation Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sehrish Butt
- STTARR Innovation Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Mj Macann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicholas P McIvor
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John M Chaplin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kevin O Hicks
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stefan K Bohlander
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bradly G Wouters
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles P Hart
- Threshold Pharmaceuticals, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Cristin G Print
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael A Curran
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Francis W Hunter
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|