Model-Based Benefit/Risk Analysis for the Copanlisib Intermittent Dosing Regimen

Copanlisib is an intravenously administered phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, which is approved as monotherapy for relapsed follicular lymphoma in adult patients who have received at least two systemic therapies. In an April 2022 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC), the benefit-risk profile of the class PI3K inhibitors were scrutinized for use in hematological malignancies. Specifically, their unique toxicities may contribute to the high incidences in reported serious and high-grade treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), thereby reducing their overall tolerability and potentially limiting their successful use. These tolerability concerns may be contributed by or compounded by inadequate dose optimization. The recommended dosing regimen of copanlisib 60 mg administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle was selected as the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) during phase I. Thus, this analysis sought to justify the copanlisib dose regimen selection. Copanlisib exposure-efficacy relationships were considered from its large phase III trial, CHRONOS-3, whereas copanlisib safety was investigated by pooling data across its two large clinical trials to comprehensively assess its exposure-safety relationships. Results demonstrated a statistically significant positive linear exposure-efficacy relationship at the MTD. Exposure-safety analyses revealed a borderline significant linear relationship for grade ≥3 TEAEs and no significant exposure-safety relationships for other investigated safety end points. The model-based benefit/risk framework considered the established exposure-response models and defined clinical utility function which confirmed the appropriateness of the copanlisib dosing regimen across the range of its achieved exposures.

Copanlisib population pharmacokinetics from phase I-III studies and exposure-response relationships in combination with rituximab

Copanlisib dose selection was established under the maximum tolerated dose paradigm, and no dedicated dose-finding studies have investigated copanlisib dose selection when used in combination with rituximab. In CHRONOS-3, copanlisib plus rituximab demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival versus placebo plus rituximab in patients with relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL). We conducted a comprehensive investigation of copanlisib population pharmacokinetics (PopPK) from a pooled analysis of 712 patients across nine copanlisib phase I-III studies and exposure-response (ER) relationships for efficacy and safety from the 1-year follow-up of CHRONOS-3. PopPK analyses examined the impact of demographic, laboratory, and comedication covariates on copanlisib between-patient PK variability. Individual static and time-varying exposure estimates were derived to investigate exposure-efficacy and exposure-safety relationships. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression analyses examined ER relationships with consideration of predefined potentially prognostic demographic-, laboratory-, and/or disease-related baseline covariates. Copanlisib PK were best described by a three-compartment model with first-order elimination. Individual identified covariates had modest effects on copanlisib PK and were generally in line with known copanlisib disposition properties. In CHRONOS-3, ER analyses showed a significant relationship between time-varying exposure estimates and progression-free survival, and no significant exposure-safety relationships. Thus, lower copanlisib doses may result in reduced efficacy but not necessarily improved safety or tolerability. These outcomes substantiate the current intermittent dosing regimen of copanlisib 60 mg on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle and support the observed clinical results of copanlisib in combination with rituximab in the iNHL population.

Abstract A25: Copanlisib population pharmacokinetics (popPK) and exposure-response (ER) in relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL): Analysis from the 1-year follow-up of the phase III, randomized CHRONOS-3 trial

Introduction: CHRONOS-3 randomized patients (pts) with relapsed iNHL to the PI3K inhibitor copanlisib 60 mg administered on Day 1, 8, 15 of 28-day cycle in combination with standard rituximab (C+R) or placebo plus rituximab (P+R) and demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS) of C+R vs. P+R (hazard ratio[HR]: 0.52; Matasar et al. Lancet Oncol 2021). In an updated 1-year follow-up analysis, the benefit of C+R was confirmed in the overall relapsed iNHL population (Zinzani et al., EHA 2022) and in the subset of pts with FL (see Capra et al. AACR Lymphoma 2022 abstract). We investigated popPK and ER relationships for copanlisib efficacy and safety from a pooled analysis, with a particular focus on the 1-year follow-up of CHRONOS-3 to confirm copanlisib dose selection. Methods: A comprehensive popPK model for copanlisib was developed using plasma concentrations from 712 pts across 9 copanlisib clinical Phase 1-3 studies. Demographic, laboratory, and comedication covariates were investigated for their influence on copanlisib between-patient PK variability. Individual static and time-varying exposure estimates for pts enrolled in CHRONOS-3 were derived to investigate relationships to efficacy (PFS, overall response rate [ORR], complete response [CR]) and key treatment-emergent safety events using multivariate cox proportional hazards (CPH) and logistic regression analyses, after accounting for predefined potentially prognostic demographic, laboratory, and/or disease related baseline covariates. Results: Copanlisib PK was best described by a 3-compartment PK model with first-order elimination from the central compartment following intravenous infusion. Copanlisib PK was dose proportional and time independent with no accumulation. Covariates statistically selected as influencing copanlisib PK included rifampin (strong CYP3A inducer) and itraconazole (strong CYP3A inhibitor) co-administration, female sex, Japanese pts, mild or worse hepatic impairment, and a CHRONOS-3 study effect, however all identified covariates, aside from rifampin/itraconazole, had no clinically relevant effect (≤ 35%) on copanlisib AUC. In CHRONOS-3, CPH analyses demonstrated a statistically significant positive ER relationship for PFS where greater copanlisib exposure was associated with prolonged PFS. Relative to P+R, the HR for C+R at the 5th and 95th percentile of copanlisib time-varying exposure was 0.875 and 0.217, respectively. Thus, lower copanlisib doses may result in reduced efficacy in relapsed iNHL. CPH and/or logistic regression analyses demonstrated no significant ER relationship for ORR and investigated adverse events. Based on the modelling, lower starting doses of copanlisib are not anticipated to improve safety and tolerability. The ER analyses support the overall positive benefit/risk assessment of copanlisib reported from the clinical efficacy and results of CHRONOS-3 in iNHL. Conclusions: PopPK and ER analyses support copanlisib 60 mg administered on Day 1, 8, 15 of 28-day cycle dose selection in the relapsed iNHL population.

Citation Format: Jonathan Moss, Dirk Garmann, Rupert Austin, Florian Hiemeyer, Patricia DeLora, Matthew J Matasar, Pier Luigi Zinzani, Vita Beckert, Lidia Mongay Soler, Barrett H Childs, Peter N Morcos. Copanlisib population pharmacokinetics (popPK) and exposure-response (ER) in relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL): Analysis from the 1-year follow-up of the phase III, randomized CHRONOS-3 trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Meeting: Advances in Malignant Lymphoma: Maximizing the Basic-Translational Interface for Clinical Application; 2022 Jun 23-26; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2022;3(5_Suppl):Abstract nr A25.

Impact of Disease Evolution on Efficacy Outcomes From Larotrectinib in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase Fusion-Positive Solid Tumors

Neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) gene fusions encode oncogenic, chimeric tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) proteins. Larotrectinib, an approved TRK inhibitor, is efficacious in locally advanced or metastatic (adv/met) TRK fusion cancer. We evaluated the time from initial diagnosis to locally advanced or metastatic disease and to initiation of larotrectinib treatment as well as larotrectinib impact on disease course.

Patients with NTRK gene fusion do not seem to carry a more favorable prognosis and they benefit durably from Larotrectinib

Single-agent activity of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibition with copanlisib in patients with molecularly defined relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have adverse outcomes. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor copanlisib in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and assessed the relationship between efficacy and DLBCL cell of origin (COO; activated B-cell like [ABC] and germinal center B-cell like [GCB]) and other biomarkers. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) in DLBCL COO subgroups (ABC, GCB, and unclassifiable) and by CD79B mutational status (NCT02391116). Sixty-seven patients received copanlisib (ABC DLBCL, n = 19; GCB DLBCL, n = 30; unclassifiable, n = 3; missing, n = 15). The ORR was 19.4%; 31.6% and 13.3% in ABC and GCB DLBCL patients, respectively. ORR was 22.2%/20.0% for patients with/without CD79B mutations (wild type, n = 45; mutant, n = 9; missing, n = 13). Overall median progression-free survival and duration of response were 1.8 and 4.3 months, respectively. Adverse events included hypertension (40.3%), diarrhea (37.3%), and hyperglycemia (32.8%). Aberrations were detected in 338 genes, including BCL2 (53.7%) and MLL2 (53.7%). A 16-gene signature separating responders from nonresponders was identified. Copanlisib treatment demonstrated a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and a numerically higher response rate in ABC vs. GCB DLBCL patients.

Long-term safety and efficacy of the PI3K inhibitor copanlisib in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma: 2-year follow-up of the CHRONOS-1 study

Safety profiles of oral PI3K inhibitors have resulted in US FDA black box warnings regarding fatal/serious toxicities. The approved intravenous PI3K inhibitor copanlisib has low incidence of severe toxicities and no black box warnings, but chronic treatment effects were unknown. We provide an update on safety and efficacy of copanlisib with a minimum 2-year follow-up of the CHRONOS-1 study. A total of 142 patients with histologically confirmed indolent B-cell lymphoma who had relapsed after or were refractory to ≥2 prior treatments received intravenous copanlisib 60 mg on days 1, 8, and 15 (28-day cycle). The primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) after ≥4 cycles (independent assessment). The predominant histology was follicular lymphoma (n = 104). The ORR was 60.6% (seven additional complete responses since primary analysis). Secondary endpoints of median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 14.1 months (median follow-up, 16.1 months), 12.5 months (median follow-up, 14.0 months), and 42.6 months (median follow-up, 31.5 months), respectively. Median safety follow-up was 6.7 months; 26% of patients received treatment for >1 year. Common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (all grade/grade 3/grade 4) were transient hyperglycemia (50.0%/33.1%/7.0%), diarrhea (35.2%/8.5%/0%), transient hypertension (29.6%/23.9%/0%), and neutropenia (28.9%/9.2%/14.8%). Serious AEs were largely unchanged, with no new cases of pneumonitis (4.2%), diarrhea (2.8%), or grade 5 events. Note, TEAEs showed no evidence for increased incidence or worsening following longer exposure in patients treated >1 year. Long-term follow-up of patients with relapsed/refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma treated with intravenous copanlisib demonstrated durable, enhanced responses without evidence of worsening TEAEs, as reported for orally administered PI3K inhibitors.

Patient-reported outcomes from two global multicenter clinical trials of children and adults with tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusion cancer receiving larotrectinib

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Background: TRK fusions involving NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 occur in diverse tumor types in children and adults. Larotrectinib, a selective TRK inhibitor, was recently approved by the FDA based on high objective response rates, durable disease control, and a favorable toxicity profile in in patients with tumors harboring TRK fusions (Drilon et al, NEJM 2018; Laetsch et al, Lancet Oncol 2018). To explore the impact of larotrectinib on quality of life (QoL), patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are reported here for pediatric patients (SCOUT; NCT02637687) and adolescents and adults (NAVIGATE; NCT02576431). Methods: Patients completed questionnaires assessing QoL (i.e., PedsQL, FACES, EORTC QLQ-C30, EQ-5D-5L) at baseline and planned cycle visits. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, longitudinal data models, and graphical displays. Results: As of July 2017, 37 patients (13 pediatric and 24 adolescent or adult) completed questionnaires at baseline and had at least one post-baseline measurement. Improvements compared to baseline in PROs were seen in both groups of patients in all functional domains of the PedsQL (physical, emotional, social, and school) and of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (physical, role, cognitive, emotional, and social). Number of patients with MID-improvement for PedsQL (Total Score), EORTC QLQ-C30 (Global Health Score), and EQ-5D-5L (VAS) are presented in the table below. Improvements were rapid (by cycle 3 or 5), seen across most tumor types and sustained a minimum of 2 cycles. Conclusions: Although necessarily viewed with caution due to relatively small sample sizes, these results nonetheless show a meaningful early improvement in QoL in pediatric and adult patients with TRK fusion cancer treated with larotrectinib. Clinical trial information: NCT02637687 and NCT02576431. [Table: see text]

Phase II study of copanlisib, a PI3K inhibitor, in relapsed or refractory, indolent or aggressive lymphoma

Background

Copanlisib is a pan-class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor with predominant activity against the α- and δ-isoforms.

Patients and methods

This phase II study evaluated the response rate of copanlisib administered intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle, in patients with indolent or aggressive malignant lymphoma. Archival tumor tissues were used for immunohistochemistry, gene-expression profiling, and mutation analysis.

Results

Thirty-three patients with indolent lymphoma and 51 with aggressive lymphoma received copanlisib. Follicular lymphoma (48.5%) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (33.3%) were the most common histologic subtypes. Most patients (78.6%) had received prior rituximab and 54.8% were rituximab-refractory. Median duration of treatment was 23 and 8 weeks in the indolent and aggressive cohorts, respectively (overall range 2-138). Eighty patients were evaluated for efficacy. The objective response rate was 43.7% (14/32) in the indolent cohort and 27.1% (13/48) in the aggressive cohort; median progression-free survival was 294 days (range 0-874) and 70 days (range 0-897), respectively; median duration of response was 390 days (range 0-825) and 166 days (range 0-786), respectively. Common adverse events included hyperglycemia (57.1%; grade ≥3, 23.8%), hypertension (54.8%; grade ≥3, 40.5%), and diarrhea (40.5%; grade ≥3, 4.8%), all generally manageable. Neutropenia occurred in 28.6% of patients (grade 4, 11.9%). Molecular analyses showed enhanced antitumor activity in tumors with upregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway gene expression.

Conclusion

Intravenous copanlisib demonstrated promising efficacy and manageable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with various subtypes of indolent and aggressive malignant lymphoma. Subtype-specific studies of copanlisib in patients with follicular, peripheral T-cell, and mantle cell lymphomas are ongoing. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01660451 (Part A).

Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Inhibition by Copanlisib in Relapsed or Refractory Indolent Lymphoma

Purpose

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is critical for the proliferation and survival of malignant B cells. Copanlisib, a pan-class I PI3K inhibitor with predominant activity against PI3K-α and -δ isoforms, has demonstrated efficacy and a manageable safety profile in patients with indolent lymphoma.

Patients and Methods

In this phase II study, 142 patients with relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma after two or more lines of therapy were enrolled to receive copanlisib 60 mg intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The primary end point was objective response rate; secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival. In addition, safety and gene expression were evaluated.

Results

Median age was 63 years (range, 25 to 82 years), and patients had received a median of three (range, two to nine) prior regimens. The objective response rate was 59% (84 of 142 patients); 12% of patients achieved a complete response. Median time to response was 53 days. Median duration of response was 22.6 months, median progression-free survival was 11.2 months, and median overall survival had not yet been reached. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events were transient hyperglycemia (all grades, 50%; grade 3 or 4, 41%) and transient hypertension (all grades, 30%; grade 3, 24%). Other grade ≥3 events included decreased neutrophil count (24%) and lung infection (15%). High response rates to copanlisib were associated with high expression of PI3K/B-cell receptor signaling pathway genes.

Conclusion

PI3K-α and -δ inhibition by copanlisib demonstrated significant efficacy and a manageable safety profile in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma.

Abstract CT149: Copanlisib in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma: Primary results of the pivotal Chronos-1 study

Introduction: There are limited treatment options for patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma who have relapsed or are refractory to standard therapies. Copanlisib is an intravenously administered pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with predominant activity against PI3K-α and PI3K-δ isoforms. We report here the primary results from a pivotal phase II study (NCT01660451, part B).

Methods: Patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4 subtypes: follicular [FL], marginal zone [MZL], small lymphocytic [SLL] and lymphoplasmacytoid/Waldenström macroglobulinemia [LPL-WM]) and relapsed after, or refractory to, ≥2 prior lines of treatment were eligible. Previous treatment had to include rituximab and an alkylating agent. Copanlisib (60 mg, I.V.) was intermittently administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The primary efficacy endpoint was objective tumor response rate (ORR) as assessed per independent radiologic review (Cheson et al., JCO 20:579, 2007).

Results: The full analysis set comprised 142 patients, of which 141 patients had indolent lymphoma (FL/MZL/SLL/LPL-WM: 104/23/8/6). At the time of primary analysis, median duration of treatment was 22 weeks (range 1-105); 46 patients remained on treatment. The most common treatment-related AEs (all grade/grade 3+) were transient hyperglycemia (49%/40%) and hypertension (29%/23%). Other AEs of interest included neutropenia (25%/19%), diarrhea (18%/4%), lung infection (14%/11%), pneumonitis (7%/1.4%), and colitis (0.7%/0.7%). No colonic perforations occurred. There were two non-fatal opportunistic infections. Laboratory toxicities of interest were principally grade-1, including alanine aminotransferase (23% all-grade/19% grade-1) and aspartate aminotransferase (28%/25%). There were 6 deaths, 3 of which were attributed to copanlisib: lung infection, respiratory failure, and a thromboembolic event. The ORR was 59.2%, including 12.0% complete response (CR) and 47.2% partial response (PR), with stable disease in 29.6% of patients and progressive disease in 2.1% of patients. In the FL subset, the ORR was 58.7%, including 14.4% CR and 44.2% PR. In the MZL subset, the ORR was 69.6%, including 8.7% CR and 60.9% PR. The estimated Kaplan-Meier (KM) median duration of response in the full analysis set was 687 days (range 0-687) and 370 days (range 0-687) in the FL subset. The KM-estimate of median PFS was 340 days (range 0-736). Median overall survival had not yet been reached.

Conclusions: Treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma with copanlisib resulted in durable tumor responses. Administration of copanlisib had a manageable safety profile, with low rates of severe hepatic enzymopathy, diarrhea or inflammatory events, as well as low rates of opportunistic infections, fatal infections or other fatal serious adverse events.

Citation Format: Martin Dreyling, Armando Santoro, Luigina Mollica, Sirpa Leppä, George A. Follows, Georg Lenz, Won Seog Kim, Arnon Nagler, Panayiotis Panayiotidis, Judit Demeter, Muhit Özcan, Marina Kosinova, Krimo Bouabdallah, Franck Morschhauser, Don A. Stevens, David Trevarthen, Marius Giurescu, Lisa Kupit, Shuxin Yin, Florian Hiemeyer, Jose Garcia-Vargas, Barrett H. Childs, Pier Luigi Zinzani. Copanlisib in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma: Primary results of the pivotal Chronos-1 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT149. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-CT149

Patient-reported outcomes from a phase 2 study of copanlisib in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL)

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Background: Information on the degree to which treatment of iNHL impacts health-related quality of life in terms of disease- and treatment-related symptoms is limited. Copanlisib is an investigational pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. In a phase II study in patients with relapsed/refractory iNHL, copanlisib treatment resulted in a high response rate and durable responses. We report here on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) from this trial (NCT01660451, part B). Methods: Patients with 4 subtypes of iNHL were eligible: follicular, marginal zone, small lymphocytic and lymphoplasmacytoid/Waldenstrӧm macroglobulinemia. Patients had to have received ≥2 prior lines of treatment, including rituximab and an alkylating agent. Copanlisib (60 mg, I.V.) was intermittently administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Health-related quality of life questionnaire FACT-Lym questionnaire (with focus on Total and Lymphoma subscale [FACT-LymS] and LOCF-method applied) was evaluated with Hodges-Lehmann estimate for change in median until week 16, including 95% confidence intervals. EQ-5D and visual analogue scale (EQ-5D VAS) were statistically described. All questionnaires were compiled at baseline and every other cycle in the first year of the study (aligned with radiological imaging). Results: A total of 141 iNHL patients were treated, with completed questionnaires received from 132 patients at baseline and 86 at week 16. The mean±SD (and median) for FACT-Lym LymS score at baseline was 45.27 ± 9.55 (46.5), and 47.20 ± 8.69 (49.0) at 16 weeks. The estimated change in median was +1.0 with 95% CI: [0.5; 2.5] and min: -13.0, max: 23.0, representing an improvement in lymphoma-related symptoms. Accordingly, the FACT-Lym total score was 126.59 ± 22.96 (127.5) at baseline and 127.99 ± 23.60 (130.8) at 16 weeks. Estimated change in median was 0.0 with 95% CI: [-0.5; 3.2] and min: -38.0, max 42.5. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the favorable impact of copanlisib treatment on disease-related symptoms and HRQoL in patients with relapsed/refractory iNHL.

Copanlisib in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma

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Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) subtype, yet treatment options in the relapsed/refractory (r/r) setting are limited. Copanlisib is a pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with predominant PI3K-α and PI3K-δ activity. We report results from the FL subset of a large phase II study (n=141) in iNHL patients (pts) (NCT01660451, part B). Methods: A total of 104 pts with indolent FL (grade 1-3a) relapsed/refractory to ≥2 prior lines of treatment were treated with copanlisib (60 mg IV infusion) administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was objective tumor response rate (ORR) per independent radiologic review (Cheson et al., JCO 20:579, 2007). Results: Of the 104 pts treated, 62% were refractory; median prior lines 3 (range 2-8), median time from progression 8 wks (range 1-73 wks). 52% were male, 83% white, median age 62 yrs, and 62% ECOG 0. At the time of primary analysis the ORR was 58.7%, comprising 15 pts (14.4%) with complete response (CR) and 46 (44.2%) with partial response. Stable disease was observed in 35 (33.7%) pts and progression of disease as best response in 2 pts. The median duration of response was 370 days (range 0-687), with 43 responders censored at data cut-off. Median duration of treatment was 22 wks (range 1-105); 33 (32%) pts remained on treatment. For all pts, the most common treatment-emergent AEs occurring in >25% of pts included (all grade/grade 3+): diarrhea (34%/5%), reduced neutrophil count (30%/24%), fatigue (30%/2%), and fever (25%/4%). Hyperglycemia (50%/41%) and hypertension (30%/24%) were transient. The incidence of pneumonitis (8%/1.4%), hepatic enzymopathy (AST 28%/1.4%; ALT 23%/1.4%), opportunistic infection (1.4%) and colitis (0.7%) were low. Six deaths were observed, 3 of which were attributed to copanlisib: one lung infection, one respiratory failure, and one thromboembolic event. Conclusions: Copanlisib was highly active as a single agent in heavily pretreated r/r FL pts and resulted in durable responses in the majority of pts. Toxicities were manageable, with a low incidence of severe AEs associated with other PI3K inhibitors, especially hepatic enzymopathy, opportunistic infections, and colitis. Clinical trial information: NCT01660451.

Phase II study of single-agent copanlisib in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)

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Background: Relapsed/refractory (r/r) DLBCL patients (pts) are characterized by poor prognosis. Copanlisib is a pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, with modest single-agent activity in unselected DLBCL pts. Here we report the treatment effect of copanlisib in r/r DLBCL pts with regards to cell of origin (COO) and molecular biomarker profiles (NCT02391116). Methods: Patients with r/r DLBCL and ≥1 prior lines of therapy were eligible. Copanlisib (60 mg IV infusion) was administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Tumor samples were evaluated for COO, CD79B mutations and > 400 genes by next generation sequencing (NGS). The primary endpoint was objective tumor response rate (ORR; per Lugano Classification, 2014) by COO and CD79B status. Results: The full-analysis (FAS) and per-protocol sets (PPS; ≥3 doses, post-baseline scans and NGS/COO data) included 67 and 40 pts, respectively. Pts were 58% male, median age 69 (range 25-93), ECOG status 0/1/2 22%/57%/21%, and heavily pretreated (median prior lines = 3, range 1-13). In the PPS, COO (and mutant CD79B status) analysis identified 22 GCB DLBCL (2 mutant), 16 ABC DLBCL (6 mutant), and 2 unclassifiable. The ORR in the PPS was 25% (10 of 40), with 5 complete responses (CR) and 5 partial responses (PR); stable disease in 12 pts. The ORR was 13.6% with 1 CR in GCB pts and 37.5% with 4 CRs (25%) in ABC pts. Response to copanlisib was 25% in pts with (2/8) and without (8/32) CD79B mutations. Five of 10 ABC DLBCL-wtCD79B pts and one GCB DLBCL-mCD79B responded (ongoing > 17 cycles). NGS analysis in 54 pts detected 348 mutations; BCL2 (54% of pts), TP53 (41%), BCL6 (30%), MYC (22%), CD79B (19%)/A (6%), MYD88 (19%), TNFAIP3 (17%), CARD11 (13%), and NFKBIA (9%). Response to copanlisib was not significantly different based on BCL2, BCL6, MYC, and MYD88 mutations. With a median of 6 cycles (range 1-29), the most common AEs (% all grade/gr3+4) were diarrhea (36/2), nausea (31/2), fatigue (31/3), fever (21/2) and transient hypertension (40/33) and hyperglycemia (34/31). There were 14 gr5 AEs (none drug-related). Conclusions: Copanlisib treatment of r/r DLBCL pts resulted in encouraging responses, especially in the ABC subtype, with a manageable toxicity. Clinical trial information: NCT02391116.

Abstract CT084: A randomized, double-blind phase III study of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib versus placebo in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL): CHRONOS-2

Background: Copanlisib is a novel pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with potent preclinical inhibitory activity against both PI3K-δ and PI3K-α isoforms. A phase II study of copanlisib in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent or aggressive lymphoma reported promising activity in the indolent NHL group (Dreyling et al., ENA 2014). The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of copanlisib in patients with indolent B-cell NHL relapsed after or refractory to standard therapy.

Methods: Patients meeting the following criteria are eligible for enrollment: histologically confirmed diagnosis of indolent B-cell NHL, with follicular lymphoma (FL) grade 1-2-3a, marginal zone lymphoma (MZL; splenic, nodal, or extra-nodal), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with absolute lymphocyte count < 5 × 109/L at the time of diagnosis and at study entry, or lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM), and who have previously received ? 2 prior lines of therapy with rituximab and an alkylating agent and must be refractory to the last treatment with rituximab (refractory defined as progressing or not responding within 6 months of the last course of treatment). Patients will be randomized in 2:1 manner to receive 60 mg of copanlisib administered intravenously on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle or placebo administered on the same schedule until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Patients in the placebo arm will be allowed to cross-over to receive follow-up treatment with copanlisib, after confirmed disease progression. Dose reductions due to toxicities will be allowed. Radiologic tumor assessment will be performed every 12, 16 or 24 weeks for years 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The primary endpoint will be progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary objectives include overall objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), time to progression (TTP), complete response rate (CRR), overall survival (OS), time to deterioration as well as time to improvement in disease-related symptoms. Exploratory objectives will include secondary PFS after first progression in placebo-treated patients who cross over to receive copanlisib and time to improvement and the time to deterioration in disease-related symptoms - physical (DRS-P) of at least 3 points as measured by the FLymSI-18 questionnaire. Approximately 189 patients who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomized 2:1, with approximately 126 patients in the copanlisib monotherapy arm and approximately 63 patients in placebo arm. The study is planned to detect a 132% increase in median PFS in copanlisib versus placebo (i.e. to detect a hazard ratio of 0.43), using a stratified log-rank test. This study is currently enrolling patients (NCT02369016).

Citation Format: Grzegorz S. Nowakowski, Igor Gorbatchevsky, Florian Hiemeyer, Lisa Cupit, Barrett H. Childs. A randomized, double-blind phase III study of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib versus placebo in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL): CHRONOS-2. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr CT084.

Abstract CT212: CHRONOS-2: A randomized, double-blind phase III study of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib versus placebo in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL)

Background: Copanlisib is a novel pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with potent preclinical inhibitory activity against both PI3K-δ and PI3K-α isoforms. A phase II study of copanlisib in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent or aggressive lymphoma reported a promising overall response rate of up to 53% for patients in the indolent NHL group (Dreyling et al., ENA 2014). The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of copanlisib in patients with indolent B-cell NHL relapsed after or refractory to standard therapy.

Methods: In this study, patients meeting the following criteria will be eligible for enrollment: histologically confirmed diagnosis of indolent B-cell NHL, with follicular lymphoma (FL) grade 1-2-3a, marginal zone lymphoma (MZL; splenic, nodal, or extra-nodal), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with absolute lymphocyte count < 5 × 109/L at the time of diagnosis and at study entry, or lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM), and who have previously received ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy with rituximab and an alkylating agent and must be refractory to the last treatment with rituximab (refractory defined as not responding or progressing within 6 months of the last course of treatment). Patients will be randomized in 2:1 manner to receive 60 mg of copanlisib administered intravenously on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle or placebo administered on the same schedule. Patients will be treated until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Patients in the placebo arm will be allowed to cross-over to receive follow-up treatment with copanlisib, after confirmed disease progression. Dose reductions due to toxicities to 45 mg and 30 mg will be allowed. Radiologic tumor assessment will be performed every 12, 16 or 24 weeks for years 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The primary endpoint will be progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary objectives include overall objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), time to progression (TTP), complete response rate (CRR), overall survival (OS), time to deterioration as well as time to improvement in disease-related symptoms. Exploratory objectives will include secondary PFS after first progression in placebo-treated patients who cross over to receive copanlisib and time to improvement and the time to deterioration in disease-related symptoms-physical (DRS-P) of at least 3 points as measured by the FLymSI-18 questionnaire. Approximately 189 patients who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomized 2:1, with approximately 126 patients in the copanlisib monotherapy arm and approximately 63 patients in placebo arm. The study is planned to detect a 132% increase in median PFS in copanlisib versus placebo (i.e. to detect a hazard ratio of 0.43), using a stratified log-rank test.

Citation Format: Grzegorz S. Nowakowski, Igor Gorbatchevsky, Florian Hiemeyer, Lisa Cupit, Barrett H. Childs. CHRONOS-2: A randomized, double-blind phase III study of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib versus placebo in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr CT212. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-CT212

Intravitreal aflibercept for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: 18-month results of the phase 3 GALILEO study

PURPOSE

To evaluate intravitreal aflibercept for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

DESIGN

Randomized, double-masked, phase 3 study.

METHODS

A total of 177 patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO were randomized to receive 2 mg intravitreal aflibercept (n = 106) or sham (n = 71) every 4 weeks for 20 weeks. From weeks 24 to 48, patients were monitored every 4 weeks; the former group received intravitreal aflibercept as needed (PRN), and the sham group received sham. From weeks 52 to 76, patients were monitored every 8 weeks, and both groups received intravitreal aflibercept PRN. The primary endpoint (proportion of patients who gained ≥15 letters) was at week 24. This study reports exploratory outcomes at week 76.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients who gained ≥15 letters in the intravitreal aflibercept and sham groups was 60.2% vs 22.1% at week 24 (patients discontinued before week 24 were considered nonresponders; P < .0001), 60.2% vs 32.4% at week 52 (last observation carried forward, P < .001), and 57.3% vs 29.4% at week 76 (last observation carried forward; P < .001). Mean μm change from baseline central retinal thickness was -448.6 vs -169.3 at week 24 (P < .0001), -423.5 vs -219.3 at week 52 (P < .0001), and -389.4 vs -306.4 at week 76 (P = .1122). Over 76 weeks, the most common ocular serious adverse event in the intravitreal aflibercept group was macular edema (3.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

The visual and anatomic improvements seen after fixed, monthly dosing at week 24 were largely maintained when treatment intervals were extended. Patients with macular edema following CRVO benefited from early treatment with intravitreal aflibercept.

Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Macular Edema Resulting from Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: One-Year Results of the Phase 3 GALILEO Study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injections for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

DESIGN

A randomized, multicenter, double-masked phase 3 study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 177 treatment-naive patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO were randomized in a 3:2 ratio.

METHODS

Patients received either 2-mg intravitreal aflibercept or sham injections every 4 weeks for 20 weeks. From week 24 to 48, the aflibercept group received aflibercept as needed (pro re nata [PRN]), and the sham group continued receiving sham injections.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary efficacy end point was the proportion of patients who gained 15 letters or more in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 24. This study reports week 52 results including the proportion of patients who gained 15 letters or more in BCVA and the mean change from baseline BCVA and central retinal thickness. Efficacy end points at week 52 were all exploratory.

RESULTS

At week 52, the mean percentage of patients gaining 15 letters or more was 60.2% in the aflibercept group and 32.4% in the sham group (P = 0.0004). Aflibercept patients, compared with sham patients, had a significantly higher mean improvement in BCVA (+16.9 letters vs. +3.8 letters, respectively) and reduction in central retinal thickness (-423.5 μm vs. -219.3 μm, respectively) at week 52 (P < 0.0001 for both). Aflibercept patients received a mean of 2.5 injections (standard deviation, 1.7 injections) during PRN dosing. The most common ocular adverse events in the aflibercept group were related to the injection procedure or the underlying disease, and included macular edema (33.7%), increased intraocular pressure (17.3%), and eye pain (14.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with intravitreal aflibercept provided significant functional and anatomic benefits after 52 weeks as compared with sham. The improvements achieved after 6 monthly doses at week 24 largely were maintained until week 52 with as-needed dosing. Intravitreal aflibercept generally was well tolerated.

VEGF Trap-Eye for macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: 6-month results of the phase III GALILEO study

AIM

To evaluate intravitreal VEGF Trap-Eye (VTE) in patients with macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

METHODS

In this double-masked study, 177 patients were randomised (3:2 ratio) to intravitreal injections of VTE 2 mg or sham procedure every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity was evaluated using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart. Central retinal thickness (CRT) was measured with optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS

From baseline until week 24, more patients receiving VTE (60.2%) gained ≥ 15 letters compared with those receiving sham injections (22.1%) (p<0.0001). VTE patients gained a mean of 18.0 letters compared with 3.3 letters with sham injections (p<0.0001). Mean CRT decreased by 448.6 and 169.3 µm in the VTE and sham groups (p<0.0001). The most frequent ocular adverse events in the VTE arm were typically associated with the injection procedure or the underlying disease, and included eye pain (11.5%), increased intraocular pressure (9.6%) and conjunctival haemorrhage (8.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

VTE 2 mg every 4 weeks was efficacious in CRVO with an acceptable safety profile. Vision gains with VTE were significantly higher than with observation/panretinal photocoagulation if needed. Based on these data, VTE may provide a new treatment option for CRVO.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of testosterone gel on body composition and health-related quality-of-life in men with hypogonadal to low-normal levels of serum testosterone and symptoms of androgen deficiency over 6 months with 12 months open-label follow-up

INTRODUCTION

The clinical significance of low to low-normal testosterone (T) levels in men remains debated.

AIM

To analyze the effects of raising serum T on lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM), total body mass, and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL).

METHODS

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Men, aged 50-80 years, with serum total T<15 nmol/L and bioavailable T < 6.68 nmol/L, and a Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) total score >36, received 6 months treatment with transdermal 1% T gel (5-7.5 mg/day; n =183) or placebo gel (n =179), followed by 12 months open-label with T in all.

RESULTS

After 6 months, LBM increased in T- treated patients by 1.28 ± 0.15 kg (mean ± SE) and FM decreased by 1.16 ± 0.16 kg, with minor changes with placebo (LBM +0.02 ± 0.10 kg and FM -0.14 ± 0.12 kg; all p < 0.001, T group vs. placebo). Changes were largely similar across subgroups of age, baseline total testosterone, and baseline BMI. Total HRQoL improved compared with placebo (p < 0.05, T group vs. placebo).

CONCLUSIONS

Six months 1% T gel improved body composition and HRQoL in symptomatic men with low to low-normal T, with further improvements over the following 12 months.

Cerebral amyloid-β PET with florbetaben (18F) in patients with Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls: a multicentre phase 2 diagnostic study

BACKGROUND

Imaging with amyloid-β PET can potentially aid the early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Florbetaben (¹⁸F) is a promising ¹⁸F-labelled amyloid-β-targeted PET tracer in clinical development. We aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of florbetaben (¹⁸F) PET in discriminating between patients with probable Alzheimer's disease and elderly healthy controls.

METHODS

We did a multicentre, open-label, non-randomised phase 2 study in 18 centres in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA. Imaging with florbetaben (¹⁸F) PET was done on patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (age 55 years or older, mini-mental state examination [MMSE] score=18-26, clinical dementia rating [CDR]=0·5-2·0) and age-matched healthy controls (MMSE ≥ 28, CDR=0). Our primary objective was to establish the diagnostic efficacy of the scans in differentiating between patients with probable disease and age-matched healthy controls on the basis of neocortical tracer uptake pattern 90-110 min post-injection. PET images were assessed visually by three readers masked to the clinical diagnosis and all other clinical findings, and quantitatively by use of pre-established brain volumes of interest to obtain standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs), taking the cerebellar cortex as the reference region. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00750282.

FINDINGS

81 participants with probable Alzheimer's disease and 69 healthy controls were assessed. Independent visual assessment of the PET scans showed a sensitivity of 80% (95% CI 71-89) and a specificity of 91% (84-98) for discriminating participants with Alzheimer's disease from healthy controls. The SUVRs in all neocortical grey-matter regions in participants with Alzheimer's disease were significantly higher (p < 0·0001) compared with the healthy controls, with the posterior cingulate being the best discriminator. Linear discriminant analysis of regional SUVRs yielded a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 91%. Regional SUVRs also correlated well with scores of cognitive impairment such as the MMSE and the word-list memory and word-list recall scores (r -0·27 to -0·33, p ≤ 0·021). APOE ɛ4 was more common in participants with positive PET images compared with those with negative scans (65%vs 22% [p=0·027] in patients with Alzheimer's disease; 50%vs 16% [p = 0·074] in healthy controls). No safety concerns were noted.

INTERPRETATION

We provide verification of the efficacy, safety, and biological relevance of florbetaben (¹⁸F) amyloid-β PET and suggest its potential as a visual adjunct in the diagnostic algorithm of dementia.

FUNDING

Bayer Schering Pharma AG.