Oral paclitaxel and encequidar in patients with breast cancer: a pharmacokinetic, safety, and antitumor activity study

Background

Paclitaxel is widely used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, it has a low oral bioavailability due to gut extrusion caused by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Oral paclitaxel (oPAC) may be more convenient, less resource-intensive, and more tolerable than its intravenous form. Encequidar (E) is a first-in-class, minimally absorbed, gut-specific oral P-gp inhibitor that facilitates the oral absorption of paclitaxel.

Objectives

To investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK), overall response rate (ORR), and safety of weekly oral paclitaxel with encequidar (oPAC + E) in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Design

This is a multicenter, single-arm, open-label study in six medical centers in Taiwan.

Methods

Patients with advanced breast cancer were administered 205 mg/m2 oPAC and 12.9 mg E for 3 consecutive days weekly for up to 16 weeks. Plasma samples were collected at weeks 1 and 4. PK, ORR, and safety were evaluated.

Results

In all, 28 patients were enrolled; 27 had MBC; 23 had prior chemotherapy; and 14 had ⩾2 lines of prior chemotherapy. PK were evaluable in 25 patients. Plasma paclitaxel area under the curve (AUC)(0-52 h) at week 1 (3419 ± 1475 ng h/ml) and week 4 (3224 ± 1150 ng h/ml) were equivalent. Best overall response in 28 evaluable patients was partial response (PR) in 11 (39.3%), 13 (46.4%) stable disease (SD), and 1 (3.6%) with progressive disease (PD). No patient achieved complete response (CR). The clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + SD) was 85.7%. Major adverse events among the 28 treated patients were grade 3 neutropenia (25%), grade 4 neutropenia (18%), with febrile neutropenia in 4%, and grade 3 diarrhea (4%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Grade 2 peripheral neuropathy occurred in 1 (4%) patient and grade 3 peripheral neuropathy in 1 (4%) patient.

Conclusions

oPAC + E produced a consistent therapeutic plasma paclitaxel exposure during treatment. There was a high rate of radiologically assessed clinical benefit, and a low rate of neurotoxicity which may provide advantages over IV paclitaxel.

Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03165955.

A combined active shape and mean appearance model for the reconstruction of segmental bone loss

This study investigates the novel combination of an active shape and mean appearance model to estimate missing bone geometry and density distribution from sparse inputs simulating segmental bone loss of the femoral diaphysis. An active shape Gaussian Process Morphable model was trained on healthy right femurs of South African males to model shape. The density distribution was approximated based on the mean appearance of computed tomography images from the training set. Estimations of diaphyseal resections were obtained by probabilistic fitting of the active shape model to sparse inputs consisting of proximal and distal femoral data on computed tomography images. The resulting shape estimates of the diaphyseal resections were then used to map the mean appearance model to the patients' missing bone geometry, constructing density estimations. In this way, resected bone surfaces were estimated with an average error of 2.24 (0.5) mm. Density distributions were approximated within 87 (0.7) % of the intensity of the original target images before the simulated segmental bone loss. These results fall within the acceptable tolerances required for surgical planning and reconstruction of long bone defects.

Population pharmacokinetics for oral paclitaxel in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors

Oraxol consists of an oral dosage form of the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel administered with a novel P‐glycoprotein inhibitor encequidar methanesulfonate monohydrate (formerly named HM30181A), which allows oral treatment of cancers that would otherwise be treated with intravenous paclitaxel. Here we describe the population pharmacokinetics (popPK) analyses for oral paclitaxel in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors to characterize pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and quantify sources of PK variability. The best fit popPK model for oral paclitaxel, based on data from seven clinical studies (197 patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors), involves a linear two‐compartment structural model containing first‐order absorption with a short lag time and first‐order elimination as well as a log additive error. In this popPK model, lower population estimates of central volume for Asian patients versus Caucasian patients did not translate into clinical meaningful differences in oral paclitaxel exposure. Age, sex, body weight or surface area, mild hepatic impairment, and mild to moderate renal impairment had no clinically meaningful effects on the systemic exposure of oral paclitaxel. Simulations were performed on clinical therapeutic dose (oral paclitaxel 205 mg/m² once daily ×3 days per week) to predict exposure of oral paclitaxel and to support treatment benefits observed in a pivotal phase III trial.

A phase Ib dose escalation study of oral monotherapy with KX2-391 in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Poor tolerance to standard therapies and multi-drug resistance complicate treatment of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It is therefore imperative to explore novel tolerable agents and target alternative pathways. KX2-391 is an oral non-ATP-competitive inhibitor of Src kinase and tubulin polymerization. This multi-center phase Ib open-label safety and activity study involved elderly patients with relapsed or refractory AML, or who declined standard chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients averaging 74 years of age were enrolled. The majority previously received hypomethylating agents. Five doses were tested: 40 mg (n = 1), 80 mg (n = 2), 120 mg (n = 8), 140 mg (n = 12), and 160 mg (n = 1). Seven patients were treated for 12 days or less, nine for 15-29 days, five for 33-58 days, and three for 77-165 days. One patient receiving 120 mg for 165 days had reduced splenomegaly and survived 373 days. Another had no evidence of disease progression for 154 days. One patient receiving 160 mg for 12 days remained treatment-free for about 18 months. Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in eight patients at: 120 mg (transaminitis, hyperbilirubinemia), 140 mg (mucositis, allergic reaction, transaminitis, acute kidney injury), and 160 mg (mucositis). The maximum tolerated dose for KX2-391 was 120 mg once daily. KX2-391 bone marrow concentrations were approximately similar to plasma concentrations. This is the first study to evaluate the safety of KX2-391 in elderly patients with AML. Further studies are warranted, including alternative dosing phase I trials evaluating shorter courses at higher doses and phase II trials. (Clinical Trial Registration:The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01397799 (July 20, 2011)).

An open-label, pharmacokinetic study to determine the bioavailability, safety and tolerability of single dose oral docetaxel in metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) patients treated with IV docetaxel

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Background: Docetaxel has poor oral bioavailability in part due to extrusion by intestinal p-glycoprotein. To improve IV solubility, it is fomulated with the nonionic surfactant polysorbate 80, requiring steroid premedication to manage hypersensitivity type reactions. Oral administration has the potential to improve tolerability, reduce day-stay utilization and improve patient convenience and allows investigation of alternative dosing schedules. Oradoxel is a new combination of oral docetaxel capsules plus the novel gut-selective P-glycoprotein inhibitor encequidar (HM30181A). Methods: Patients with mPC receiving IV docetaxel were enrolled in 3 cohorts with a dose escalation schedule of Oradoxel 75 mg/m2 in Cohort 1, 150 mg/m2 in Cohort 2, 300mg/m2 in Cohort 3. Oradoxel was given 3 weeks before or after IV docetaxel treatment. Intensive PK samples were taken on days 1-5 for Oradoxel and days 1-4 for IV docetaxel. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) or serious adverse events (SAE) were assessed per CTCAE v4.03. Results: 3 evaluable patients in each Cohort were studied. No DLT, MTD, or drug-related SAE were observed. PK parameters of Oradoxel vs IV docetaxel are summarized in the table below. Mean absolute bioavailability of Oradoxel was 15.9% (range 8-25%). PK became non linear at 300mg/m2. Conclusions: Oradoxel was well tolerated. Based on the results of this and related studies, Oradoxel 300mg/m2 in divided doses is being further evaluated in phase 2 studies. Clinical trial information: 12616000983404. [Table: see text]

An open-label, fixed-sequence study to evaluate the effect of encequidar (HM30181) an oral P-gp inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics of dabigatran etexilate (a P-gp substrate) in healthy male volunteers

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Background: Oral co-administration of encequidar (a selective, minimally absorbed oral P-gp inhibitor) 12.9 mg with paclitaxel (a P-gp substrate) 205 mg/m2 for 3 consecutive days per week can achieve comparable AUC exposure to that of IV paclitaxel 80mg/m2 with a significantly lowered Cmax and has been demonstrated its improved tumor response with reduced neuropathy compared to IV paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 Q3W for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Because of its pharmacology as an inhibitor of P-gp, encequidar may increase the bioavailability of orally administered drugs that are substrates of P-gp, such as dabigatran etexilate. Methods: To determine the effect of a therapeutic dose and regimen (3 once-daily 12.9 mg doses) of encequidar on the single dose PK of dabigatran etexilate, an open-label, fixed-sequence study was performed in 20 healthy male subjects. Participants received a single oral dose of dabigatran etexilate 75 mg on Day 1 of Treatment Period 1 (reference) and, after a washout period of at least 7 days, on Days 3, 17 and 31 of Treatment Period 2, after receiving once-daily oral doses 12.9 mg encequidar on Days 1 to 3 of Period 2. The PK sampling for determination of plasma concentrations of total and unconjugated dabigatran lasted up to 48 hours postdose of each dabigatran etexilate dosr. Results: Mean AUC and Cmax values for dabigatran were both increased ̃ 95% without changing t½ when dabigatran etexilate was administered 1 hour post the 3rd dose of 12.9 mg encequidar compared to when dabigatran etexilate was administered alone. When dabigatran etexilate was administered 2 weeks after encequidar administration, no apparent differences in dabigatran AUC or Cmax were detected compared to those of dabigatran etexilate alone. When administered 4 weeks after discontinuation of encequidar, dabigatran AUC and Cmax were both slightly lower than Reference dabigatran etexilate (̃ 25% lower for AUC and 34% lower for Cmax). Both unconjugated and total dabigatran PK data were analyzed and shown to be similar. Encequidar and dabigatran etexilate were well tolerated and had acceptable safety findings in this healthy subject population. Conclusions: Concomitant dosing of encequidar with dabigatran etexilate resulted in < 2-fold increase in exposure to dabigatran, which had abated by the time of the first re-test, 14 days after the last dose of encequidar. The observed changes do not warrant dose adjustment of dabigatran etexilate when administered with encequidar. Clinical trial information: ACTRN12618000791235.

Oral paclitaxel with encequidar compared to intravenous paclitaxel in patients with advanced cancer: A randomised crossover pharmacokinetic study

AIMS

Paclitaxel is a widely used anti-neoplastic agent but has low oral bioavailability due to gut extrusion by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Oral paclitaxel could be more convenient, less resource intensive, and more tolerable than intravenous administration. Encequidar (HM30181A) is a novel, minimally absorbed gut-specific P-gp inhibitor. We tested whether administration of oral paclitaxel with encequidar (oPac+E) achieved comparable AUC to intravenous paclitaxel (IVP) 80 mg/m² .

METHODS

We conducted a multi-centre randomised crossover study with two treatment periods. Patients (pts) with advanced cancer received either oral paclitaxel 615 mg/m² divided over 3 days and encequidar 15 mg orally 1 hour prior, followed by IVP 80 mg/m² , or the reverse sequence. PK blood samples were taken up to Day 9 for oPac+E and Day 5 for IVP.

RESULTS

Forty-two patients were enrolled; 35 completed both treatment periods. AUC_0-∞ was 5033.5 ± 1401.1 ng.h/mL for oPac+E and 5595.9 ± 1264.1 ng.h/mL with IVP. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) for AUC was 89.50% (90% CI 83.89-95.50). Mean absolute bioavailability of oPac+E was 12% (CV% = 23%). PK parameters did not change meaningfully after 4 weeks administration of oPac+E in an extension study. G3 treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in seven (18%) pts with oPac+E and two (5%) with IVP. Seventy-five per cent of patients preferred oPac+E over IVP.

CONCLUSIONS

GMR for AUC was within the predefined acceptable range of 80-125% for demonstrating equivalence. oPac+E is tolerable and there is no evidence of P-gp induction with repeat administration. With further study, oPac+E could be an alternative to IVP.

Abstract PS13-11: Oral paclitaxel and encequidar (oPac+E) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Management of gastrointestinal adverse events (GI AE). Study KX-ORAX-001

Background: There is a need for more effective and less toxic treatments for patients with mBC. Patients may prefer oral vs IV cytotoxic therapies to avoid frequent hospital visits. In addition, oral therapies allow frequent or metronomic dosing regimens which may alter the toxicity or activity profile of agents vs infrequent IV administration. oPac+E is oral paclitaxel combination with Encequidar, a specific, minimally absorbed, oral p-glycoprotein inhibitor that facilitates the absorption of oral paclitaxel. mBC patients who received oPac+E had significantly greater confirmed tumor response and longer survival with lower rates and severity of neuropathy but increased GI AE compared to IV paclitaxel (IVPac) (Study KX-ORAX-001 presented at SABCS, 2019, Abstract # GS6-01).

Methods: Study KX-ORAX-001 was a phase III, randomized, study in women with mBC for whom treatment with IVPac was recommended. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive oPac+E or IVPac. Patients continued treatment until discontinuation due to progressive disease or toxicity. oPac 205 mg/m2 was given once daily for 3 days weekly. E 12.9 mg was given 1 hour before each dose of oPac. IVPac 175 mg/m2 was infused over 3 hours every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was efficacy defined as tumor response confirmed by BICR at two consecutive evaluations. Key secondary endpoints included PFS, OS. Safety was monitored throughout the study.

Results: All IVPac patients received high-dose dexamethasone and antihistamine premedication, which have significant anti-emetic activity and may have received additional anti-emetic agents as needed. The protocol did not allow any prophylaxis for GI AE for oPac+E patients nor were they to receive predose corticosteroids, nor antihistamines.

The protocol was amended after approximately 30% of patients were enrolled to allow prophylactic anti-emetic medications for patients randomized to oPac+E. Patients were also given loperamide to take at home and were instructed to initiate loperamide with the onset of diarrhea. The rates of Grade ≥2, vomiting and diarrhea for patients treated with IVPac, the patients treated with oPac+E prior to after the amendment are summarized in the table below.

Prophylactic anti-emetic therapy and early use of loperamide markedly decreased the incidence of ≥Grade 2 vomiting and diarrhea although there was a greater incidence than IVPac.

The most frequently prescribed anti-emetic agents for oPac+E treated patients were ondansetron (54%), metoclopramide (21%), domperidone (4%) and aprepitant (3%). For patients randomized to IVPac, the most frequently prescribed agents were ondanesteron (59%), granisetron (24%), palenosetron (7%) and aprepitant (2%). Oral administration of the oral NK1 inhibitor aprepitant appeared to be associated with increased incidence of oral paclitaxel systemic toxicity, potentially due to inhibition of metabolism of oPac by cytochrome P450 3A4.

Conclusions: oPac+E was associated with greater efficacy in the treatment of mBC and lower rates and severity of peripheral neuropathy, but increased GI AE compared to IVPac 175mg/m2. GI AE in oPac+E treated patients can be managed by prophylactic use of anti-emetics, primarily 5-HT3 inhibitors and early intervention with the anti-diarrhea agent loperamide. The use of the oral NK1 inhibitor aprepitant in combination with oPac+E is not recommended.(NTC02594371)

IVPacoPac+E Pre-AmendmentoPac+E Post AmendmentGrade 2Grade 3Grade 4Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4Vomiting4%1%0%24%7%0%7%4%0%Diarrhea7%1%0%27%9%0%16%3%0.5%

Citation Format: H S Rugo, G Umanzor, F J Barrios, R H Vasallo, M A Chivalan, S Bejarano, J R Ramirez, L Fein, R D Kowalyszyn, D L Cutler, D Kramer, J Goldfinch, H Wang, T Moore, R MF Kwan. Oral paclitaxel and encequidar (oPac+E) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Management of gastrointestinal adverse events (GI AE). Study KX-ORAX-001 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS13-11.

Abstract PS13-06: Lower rates of neuropathy with oral paclitaxel and encequidar (oPac+E) compared to IV paclitaxel (IVPac) in treatment of metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Study KX-ORAX-001

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common dose-limiting toxicity associated with IVPac. Primarily sensory, CIPN is an often irreversible condition primarily affecting the hands and feet associated with pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to cold and has a significant impact on quality of life and treatment tolerance. Risk of CIPN increases with age, dose intensity, cumulative dose, and preexisting conditions including diabetes.

Methods: Study KX-ORAX-001 was a phase III, randomized, international study in women with mBC for whom treatment with IVPac was recommended. Eligible patients were randomized 2:1 to receive oPac+E or IVPac. Patients continued treatment until discontinuation due to progressive disease or toxicity. oPac 205 mg/m2 was given once daily for 3 days weekly. E 12.9 mg was given 1 hour before each dose of oPac. IVPac 175 mg/m2 was infused over 3 hours every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was efficacy defined as tumor response confirmed by BICR at two consecutive evaluations. Key secondary endpoints included PFS, OS. Safety was monitored throughout the study.

Results: A total of 402 mBC patients were enrolled, 265 randomized to oPac+E and 137 to IVPac (ITT population). 399 patients were treated and comprise the safety population. The confirmed response rate was significantly greater in the oPac+E group vs IVPac (35% vs 23%) for the ITT population. Median overall survival was (27.7 vs 16.7 months, ITT) at the time of the analysis. Long-term follow up for final determination of PFS and OS is ongoing.Incidence of neuropathy-related TEAEs were lower in patients receiving oPac+E vs IVPac: Overall (21% vs 64%; all grades), grade ≥3 (2% vs 15%). Cumulative risk for neuropathy with IVPac was &gt;50% by week 8 and was 83% at week 88. In contrast, the cumulative risk of neuropathy with oPac+E rose slowly and plateaued at 34% at week 88. Treatment discontinuations due to neuropathy occurred only in the IVPac arm (8%). Dose reductions due to neuropathy were reported in 8% of IVPac treated patients and in 2% of oPac+E treated patients. In agreement with the lower rates of peripheral neuropathy in patients treated with oPac+E, there was lower use of medications used for the treatment of neuropathic symptoms. Use of gabapentin or pregabalin was 12% for patients receiving oPac+E vs 40% for IVPac treated patients.

Conclusions: oPac+E was associated with greater efficacy in the treatment of patients with mBC and a lower incidence of neuropathy, slower onset and lesser severity of neuropathic events compared to IVPac 175mg/m2 administered every three weeks. Fewer patients receiving oPac+E required dose reduction due to neuropathy and no patients receiving oPac+E discontinued treatment due to neuropathy. Reduction in neuropathy may improve quality of life and allow longer administration of effective therapy while maintaining dose intensity.

Citation Format: H S Rugo, G Umanzor, F J Barrios, R H Vasallo, M A Chivalan, S Bejarano, J R Ramirez, L Fein, R D Kowalyszyn, D L Cutler, D Kramer, J Goldfinch, H Wang, T Moore, R MF Kwan. Lower rates of neuropathy with oral paclitaxel and encequidar (oPac+E) compared to IV paclitaxel (IVPac) in treatment of metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Study KX-ORAX-001 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS13-06.

10th European immunogenicity platform open symposium on immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals

Therapeutic proteins and emerging gene and cell-based therapies are attractive therapeutic tools for addressing unmet medical needs or when earlier conventional treatment approaches failed. However, the development of an immune response directed against therapeutic agents is a significant concern as it occurs in a substantial number of cases across products and indications. The specific anti-drug antibodies that develop can lead to safety adverse events as well as inhibition of drug activity or accelerated clearance, both phenomena resulting in loss of treatment efficacy. The European Immunogenicity Platform (EIP) is a meeting place for experts and newcomers to the immunogenicity field, designed to stimulate discussion amongst scientists across industry and academia, encourage interactions with regulatory agencies and share knowledge and the state-of-the-art of immunogenicity sciences with the broader scientific community. Here we report on the main topics covered during the EIP 10th Open Symposium on Immunogenicity of Biopharmaceuticals held in Lisbon, 26–27 February 2019, and the 1-d training course on practical and regulatory aspects of immunogenicity held ahead of the conference. These main topics included immunogenicity testing, clinical relevance of immunogenicity, immunogenicity prediction, regulatory aspects, tolerance induction as a mean to mitigate immunogenicity and immunogenicity in the context of gene therapy.

Evolution of femtosecond laser damage in a hafnia-silica multi-layer dielectric coating

To optimize optical coating materials, designs, and technologies for high damage resistance, understanding the growth of laser damage is of paramount importance. In this Letter, we show the evolution of femtosecond laser damage in a hafnia-silica (HfO₂/SiO₂) multilayer dielectric mirror coating. Depending on various spatial features of damaged sites, we identified several regimes of the laser-material interaction with varying laser fluence and incident number of pulses. A change in surface roughness has been observed only for a small number of pulses, and interestingly, a threshold number of pulses is found for nanocrack formation. We report the polarization-dependent orientation of nanocracks and their growth with an increasing number of pulses. The presented results demonstrate that the laser damage originates from the nanobumps and surface roughening, which then leads to the formation of nanocracks. The presented experimental results acknowledge the existing theoretical models in bulk dielectrics to explain the formation of nanostructures by interference of the incident laser with the scattering radiation from laser-induced inhomogeneities and growth of the field enhancement due to nanoplasma.

A phase Ib study of oraxol in combination with ramucirumab in patients with gastric or esophageal cancers who failed previous chemotherapy

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Background: Oraxol consists of oral paclitaxel (PTX) administered with the novel P-glycoprotein inhibitor HM30181A which enables the oral absorption of PTX. Ramucirumab (RAM) + intravenous weekly PTX is FDA approved 2nd line treatment of gastric cancer. Oraxol (oral PTX) 200mg/m2 days 1-3, weekly results in similar exposure to weekly 80/m2 intravenous PTX. This phase 1 clinical trial is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of Oraxol + RAM. Methods: Eligible patients (pts) have gastric or esophageal cancers and failed prior fluoropyrimidine or platinum containing chemotherapies. Dose escalation followed the standard 3+3 design: Cohort 1: Oraxol 200mg/m2 days 1-3, weekly. Cohort 2: Oraxol 250mg/m2 days 1-3, weekly. Cohort 3: Oraxol 300mg/m2 days 1-3, weekly. Dose of RAM is standard 8 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks. Pts were monitored for dose limiting toxicity (DLT) by week 4. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed per CTCAE v4.03 and response by RECIST v1.1. Results: Cohort 1: One febrile neutropenia (DLT) observed in 6 pts. Partial response (PR) = 2/6, stable disease (SD) = 1/6 and progressive disease (PD) = 3/6 pts. Cohort 2: One grade-3 neutropenia with treatment delay (DLT) in 7 pts. PR = 3/6 and PD = 3/6 in 6 evaluable pts. Cohort 3: One febrile neutropenia (DLT) in 3 pts and study is ongoing. All pts had complete recovery of their DLT. PK showed increase of plasma PTX exposure with dose. Conclusions: The MTD for Oraxol has not been reached yet in combination with RAM. Preliminary results showed that Oraxol + RAM is tolerable and have encouraging anti-tumor activity in gastric or esophageal cancers pts who failed prior chemotherapies. Final results of this study will be presented. Clinical trial information: NCT02970539.

Oral paclitaxel in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients

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Background: Intravenous (IV) paclitaxel is an effective treatment for breast cancer. Oral administration paclitaxel is preferable to IV regarding minimizing IV injections, anaphylactic reactions to cremaphor, steroid pre-medications, hospital visits, and relevant costs. However, paclitaxel has poor oral absorption due to active excretion by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the intestinal cells. Oraxol (Athenex, USA) is an oral paclitaxel and HM30181, a novel oral inhibitor of intestinal P-gp which enables the oral administration of paclitaxel. We report the final results of a pharmacokinetics (PK) study, including clinical response and tolerability of Oraxol in treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients. Methods: Multicenter, single-arm, open-label, PK study of Oraxol (HM30181A at 15mg, plus oral paclitaxel 205mg/m2) administered orally for 3 consecutive days weekly for up to 16 weeks. Paclitaxel PK was assessed at week-1 and week-4. Tumor Response was measured at weeks 8 and 16 using RECIST criteria 1.1. Toxicity was assessed using CTCAE v4.03. Results: Twenty-eight MBC patient were studied with a mean age of 56.6 years (range: 38 - 79 yrs). 26 patients had failed mutiple previous chemotherapies. There were 11 (42.3%) partial response, 12 (46.2%) stable disease and 3 (11.5%) progressive disease in 26 evaluable patients. Three patients had treatment-related SAEs (grade ≥3 neutropenia) and all patients recovered completely. PK results showed that the AUC of oral paclitaxel at week-1 was reproducible at week-4 (3050 to 3594 ng-hr/mL). Conclusions: Oral paclitaxel showed very encouraging anti-cancer activity in MBC patients who failed previous chemotherapies with acceptable toxicity. Weekly oral paclitaxel can achieve paclitaxel exposure similar to that of weekly IV paclitaxel (80mg/m2) reported previously. PK of oral paclitaxel is reproducible. Clinical trial information: NCT03165955.

KX-ORAX-001: An open label, randomized, multicenter, phase III registrational study to determine the safety, tolerability, and tumor response of oraxol (HM30181A + oral paclitaxel) and its comparability to IV paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC)

TPS1116

Background: Paclitaxel is used in multiple cancer types including the treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within six months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Due to poor oral absorption, paclitaxel is administered IV and is associated with extra administration costs, inconvenience, burden for the patient, and hypersensitivity reactions to the solubilizing agent Cremophor EL. HM30181A is an intestinal P-gp pump blocker that, when administered orally with paclitaxel capsules (Oraxol), enhances paclitaxel absorption. Interim data from a phase I crossover study showed Oraxol (15-mg HM30181A + 205 mg/m2) 3 days/week had similar AUC0-∞ to IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 over 1 hour (Oraxol 5078 ng*hr/mL vs. IV paclitaxel 5652 ng*hr/mL), however the Cmax was substantially lower with Oraxol which may result in lower incidence of neuropathy. In a phase II single arm study of Oraxol in MBC 45.8% and 41.7% of subjects had PR or SD according to RECIST 1.1. Methods: KX-ORAX-001 is a, multi-national open-label, randomized (2:1 Oraxol to IV paclitaxel) phase III registration study comparing Oraxol (15-mg HM30181A + paclitaxel 205 mg/m2 daily x 3 days QW) to IV paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 over 3 hours every third week, in female patients with histologically- or cytologically-confirmed MBC for whom treatment with IV paclitaxel monotherapy has been recommended. The study is powered to demonstrate the superiority of Oraxol on confirmed tumor response rate vs IV Paclitaxel 175mg/m2 q3weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint is confirmed tumor response according to a blinded central radiologist using RECIST 1.1 criteria. The study is designed to enroll approximately 360 evaluable subjects. Two interim DSMB reviews were conducted at approximately 90 and 180 evaluable subjects for safety, futility, and efficacy. Enrollment was initiated Dec 2015 at 45 sites in Central and South America and enrollment has been completed. At final analysis, if there is an approximate difference of ≥10% favoring Oraxol, a p-value of 0.045 [2-tailed] will be achieved. Secondary endpoints are PFS and OS. Clinical trial information: NCT02594371.

Reduced fetal growth velocities and the association with neonatal outcomes in appropriate-for-gestational-age neonates: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Fetal growth restriction is, despite advances in neonatal care and uptake of antenatal ultrasound scanning, still a major cause of perinatal morbidity. Neonates with birth weight > 10th percentile are assumed to be appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA), although many are at increased risk of perinatal morbidity, because of undetected mild restriction of growth potential. We hypothesized that within AGA neonates, reduced fetal growth velocities are associated with adverse neonatal outcome.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies, in the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) between 2010 and 2016. Women had two fetal biometry scans (18–22 weeks and 30–34 weeks of gestational age) and delivered a newborn with a birth weight between the 10th–80th percentile.

Differences in growth velocities of the abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC) and femur length (FL) were compared between the suboptimal AGA (sAGA) (birth weight centiles 10–50) and optimal AGA (oAGA) (birth weight centiles 50–80) group. We assessed the association between velocities and neonatal outcomes.

Results

We included 934 singleton pregnancies. In the suboptimal AGA group, fetal growth velocities were lower (in mm/week): AC 10.72 ± 1.00 vs 11.23 ± 1.00 (p < .001), HC 10.50 ± 0.80 vs 10.68 ± 0.77 (p = 0.001), BPD 3.01 ± 0.28 vs 3.08 ± 0.27 (p < .0001) and FL 2.47 ± 0.21 vs 2.50 ± 0.22 (p = 0.014), compared to the optimal AGA group. Neonates with an adverse neonatal outcome had significantly lower growth velocities (in mm/week) of: AC 10.57 vs 10.94 (p = 0.034), HC 10.28 vs 10.59 (p = 0.003) and BPD 2.97 vs 3.04 (p = 0.043) compared to those with normal outcome. An inverse association was observed between the AC velocity and a composite adverse neonatal outcome (OR) = 0.667 (95%CI 0.507–0.879, p = 0.004), and between the AC velocity and neonates with NICU stay (OR) = 0.733 (95%CI 0.570–0.942, p = 0.015). Neonates with a birthweight lower than expected (based on the abdominal circumference at 20 weeks) had significantly more composite adverse neonatal outcomes 8.5% vs 5.0% (p = 0.047), NICU stays 9.6% vs 3.8% (p < .0001) and hospital stays 44.4% vs 35.6% (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Appropriate-for-gestational-age neonates are a heterogeneous group with some showing suboptimal fetal growth. Abnormal fetal growth velocities, especially abdominal circumference velocity, are associated with adverse neonatal outcome and can potentially improve the detection of mild growth restriction when used in multivariate models.

A phase 1b dose escalation study to evaluate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of oral monotherapy with KX2-391 in elderly subjects with acute myeloid leukemia who are refractory to or have declined standard induction therapy

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Background: Treatment of elderly AML patients is complicated by poor tolerance to standard therapies and multi-drug resistance. It is imperative to explore novel agents which are tolerable and target alternative pathways. KX2-391 is an oral non-ATP-competitive inhibitor of Src kinase and tubulin polymerase. We conducted a phase I open-label safety and activity study in elderly subjects with AML who were refractory to or declined standard induction chemotherapy. Five dose levels were tested from 40 to 160 mg daily. Methods: 24 subjects were recruited from 3 institutions with an average age of 74 years (range 63-86). The majority had previously received HMAs. 1 subject was treated at 40 mg, 2 at 80 mg, 8 at 120 mg, 12 at 140 mg, and 1 at 160 mg. Of the 24 subjects enrolled, 7 (29%) were on treatment for 12 days or less; 9 (38%) from 15 to 29 days, 5 (21%) from 33 to 58 days and 3 (13%) from 77 to 165 days. One subject treated at 120 mg for 165 days had a reduction in splenomegaly from 16 cm to 4 cm BLCM, and survived 373 days. A second subject was treated at 120 mg for 154 days until disease progression. One subject was dosed at 160 mg for 12 days and remained treatment-free for about 18 months. Results: DLTs occurred in 8 subjects at: 120mg (AST/ALT, elevated bilirubin); 140 mg (Mucositis, Allergic Reaction, 2 elevated LFTs, acute kidney injury) and 160 mg (Mucositis). The most common (≥ 25%) treatment-related adverse events were nausea/vomiting; diarrhea; anorexia; fatigue/weakness; increase ALT/AST; hypokalemia; hypotension; febrile neutropenia; dyspnoea; abdominal pain; constipation; dizziness. The RPTD for KX2-391 is 120 mg given once daily. KX2-391 bone marrow concentrations are similar to the target IC50 of 142 ng/mL. Conclusions: This is the first study conducted to determine whether KX01 can be safely given to this high risk, frail AML patient population. The data from this study support proceeding with further studies including alternative dosing phase 1 studies (higher dose, shorter course followed by drug-free intervals) and phase 2 studies to assess efficacy. Clinical trial information: NCT01397799.

En Bloc Liver Kidney Transplantation Using Donor Splenic Artery as Inflow to the Kidney: Report of Two Cases

The number of simultaneous liver-kidney transplants has been increasing. This surgery is associated with an increased risk of complications, longer duration of surgery and longer ischemia time for the renal allograft. Two patients listed for liver-kidney transplant at our center underwent en bloc combined liver-kidney transplantation using donor splenic artery as inflow. Patient 1 previously underwent cardiac catheterization that was complicated by a bleeding pseudoaneurysm of the right external iliac artery that required endovascular stenting of the external iliac artery and embolization of the inferior epigastric artery. Patient 2 was on vasopressor support and continuous renal replacement therapy at the time of transplant. In this paper, we described a novel technique of en bloc liver-kidney transplant with simultaneous reperfusion of both allografts using the donor splenic artery for renal inflow. This technique is useful for decreasing cold ischemia time and total operative time by simultaneous reperfusion of both allografts. It is a useful technical variant that can be used in patients with severe disease of the iliac arteries.

Standardizing terms, definitions and concepts for describing and interpreting unwanted immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals: recommendations of the Innovative Medicines Initiative ABIRISK consortium

Biopharmaceuticals (BPs) represent a rapidly growing class of approved and investigational drug therapies that is contributing significantly to advancing treatment in multiple disease areas, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, genetic deficiencies and cancer. Unfortunately, unwanted immunogenic responses to BPs, in particular those affecting clinical safety or efficacy, remain among the most common negative effects associated with this important class of drugs. To manage and reduce risk of unwanted immunogenicity, diverse communities of clinicians, pharmaceutical industry and academic scientists are involved in: interpretation and management of clinical and biological outcomes of BP immunogenicity, improvement of methods for describing, predicting and mitigating immunogenicity risk and elucidation of underlying causes. Collaboration and alignment of efforts across these communities is made difficult due to lack of agreement on concepts, practices and standardized terms and definitions related to immunogenicity. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI; http://www.imi-europe.org), ABIRISK consortium [Anti-Biopharmaceutical (BP) Immunization Prediction and Clinical Relevance to Reduce the Risk; http://www.abirisk.eu] was formed by leading clinicians, academic scientists and EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) members to elucidate underlying causes, improve methods for immunogenicity prediction and mitigation and establish common definitions around terms and concepts related to immunogenicity. These efforts are expected to facilitate broader collaborations and lead to new guidelines for managing immunogenicity. To support alignment, an overview of concepts behind the set of key terms and definitions adopted to date by ABIRISK is provided herein along with a link to access and download the ABIRISK terms and definitions and provide comments (http://www.abirisk.eu/index_t_and_d.asp).

A pro-apoptotic function of iASPP by stabilizing p300 and CBP through inhibition of BRMS1 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity

The p53 family and its cofactors are potent inducers of apoptosis and form a barrier to cancer. Here, we investigated the impact of the supposedly inhibitory member of the apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53, iASPP, on the activity of the p53 homolog TAp73, and its cofactors p300 and CBP. We found that iASPP interacted with and stabilized the histone acetyltransferase p300 and its homolog CBP upon cisplatin treatment. Vice versa, iASPP depletion by shRNA resulted in decreased amounts of p300 and CBP, impaired binding of p300 and TAp73 to target site promoters, reduced induction of pro-apoptotic TAp73 target genes, and impaired apoptosis. Mechanistically, we observed that the p300-regulatory E3 ubiquitin ligase BRMS1 could rescue the degradation of p300 and CBP in cisplatin-treated, iASPP-depleted cells. This argues that iASPP stabilizes p300 and CBP by interfering with their BRMS1-mediated ubiquitination, thereby contributing to apoptotic susceptibility. In line, iASPP overexpression partially abolished the interaction of BRMS1 and CBP upon DNA damage. Reduced levels of iASPP mRNA and protein as well as CBP protein were observed in human melanoma compared with normal skin tissue and benign melanocytic nevi. In line with our findings, iASPP overexpression or knockdown of BRMS1 each augmented p300/CBP levels in melanoma cell lines, thereby enhancing apoptosis upon DNA damage. Taken together, destabilization of p300/CBP by downregulation of iASPP expression levels appears to represent a molecular mechanism that contributes to chemoresistance in melanoma cells.

Laboratory diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus

BACKGROUND

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a multiorgan disease characterized by antibodies against plakins, desmogleins and the α2-macroglobulin-like-1 (A2ML1) protein, in association with an underlying neoplasm. Accurate diagnosis relies on the demonstration of these autoantibodies in serum.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the value of different laboratory techniques in the serological diagnosis of PNP.

METHODS

We performed immunoblotting, envoplakin (EP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on rat bladder, radioactive immunoprecipitation and a nonradioactive combined immunoprecipitation-immunoblot assay. Additional assays included BP180 ELISA and BP230 ELISA. We included the sera of 19 patients with PNP and 40 control subjects.

RESULTS

The sensitivities were 63% for anti-EP ELISA, 74% for rat bladder IIF, 89% for immunoblotting, 95% for radioactive immunoprecipitation and 100% for nonradioactive immunoprecipitation. Specificities ranged from 86% to 100%. The BP180 and BP230 ELISAs had low sensitivity and specificity for PNP. The combination of rat bladder IIF and immunoblot showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. The analysis of sequential PNP sera showed that antibody titres may decrease over time, possibly resulting in negative outcomes for EP ELISA and rat bladder IIF studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The detection of autoantibodies against EP and periplakin, or A2ML1 by immunoprecipitation is most sensitive for PNP. The combination of rat bladder IIF and immunoblotting is equally sensitive and highly specific, and represents an alternative valuable and relatively easy approach for the serological diagnosis of PNP.

Social neighborhood environment and sports participation among Dutch adults: does sports location matter?

Studies on the relation between the social neighborhood environment and sports participation have produced inconsistent results. Use of generic sports outcomes may have obscured associations only apparent for sports at certain locations. This study aims to assess the association between the social neighborhood environment and three location-specific sports outcomes. Repeated cross-sectional data on sports participation (any type of sports, sports at indoor sports clubs, sports at outdoor sports clubs, sports on streets) were obtained from 20 600 adults using the Dutch national health survey 2006-2009. Data on neighborhood social safety and social capital were obtained using the Dutch Housing Research 2006. Over 40% of Dutch adults participated in any type of sports. Indoor sports clubs were most popular. Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed that neighborhood social safety was positively associated with sports at indoor sports clubs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-1.48), but not with the other sports outcomes. Contrary, neighborhood social capital was positively associated with sports on streets only (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.17-2.44). The results suggest that a positive social neighborhood environment enhances sports participation, but that this impact depends on the location of the sports activity. This study highlights the importance of using location-specific sports outcomes when assessing environmental determinants.

The medical alliance: from placebo response to alliance effect

The natural human response to illness is to seek to understand what is happening and to look for help from others. In all cultures, one finds healers, who provide explanations and offer care. Their interventions often have a placebo effect through activation of natural healing processes in the patient. Although placebo effects are relatively large and robust, physicians generally consider placebo treatment prescientific and deceptive. We review the determinants of the placebo response and show how a particular professional alliance between a patient and a caregiver is apt to equally affect treatment outcome. We distinguish the alliance effect from the placebo effect. We develop a comprehensive model of the medical alliance, on the basis of the concept of concordance, and review its relevance for clinical practice and medical education. The alliance effect represents a professional and ethical way of activating a patient's natural healing mechanisms.