Real-world multicentre cohort of first-line pembrolizumab alone or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer PD-L1 ≥ 50

INTRODUCTION

Pembrolizumab alone (IO-mono) or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy (CT-IO) is first-line standard of care for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with PD-L1 ≥ 50%. This retrospective multicentre study assessed real-world use and efficacy of both strategies.

METHODS

Patients with advanced NSCLC PD-L1 ≥ 50% from eight hospitals who had received at least one cycle of IO-mono or CT-IO were included. Overall survival (OS) and real-word progression-free-survival were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methodology. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, and a Cox model with inverse propensity treatment weighting was carried out.

RESULTS

Among the 243 patients included, 141 (58%) received IO-mono and 102 (42%) CT-IO. Younger patients, those with symptomatic disease and brain metastases were more likely to be proposed CT-IO. With a median follow-up of 11.5 months (95% CI 10.4-13.3), median OS was not reached, but no difference was observed between groups (p = 0.51). Early deaths at 12 weeks were 11% (95% CI 4.6-16.9) and 15.2% (95% CI 9.0-20.9) in CT-IO and IO groups (p = 0.32). After adjustment for age, gender, performance status, histology, brain metastases, liver metastases and tobacco status, no statistically significant difference was found for OS between groups, neither in the multivariate adjusted model [HR 1.07 (95% CI 0.61-1.86), p = 0.8] nor in propensity adjusted analysis [HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.60-1.65), p = 0.99]. Male gender (HR 2.01, p = 0.01) and PS ≥ 2 (HR 3.28, p < 0.001) were found to be negative independent predictive factors for OS.

CONCLUSION

Younger patients, those with symptomatic disease and brain metastases were more likely to be proposed CT-IO. However, sparing the chemotherapy in first-line does not appear to impact survival outcomes, even regarding early deaths.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors versus second line chemotherapy for patients with lung cancer refractory to first line chemotherapy

PURPOSE

Anti Programmed Death-ligand (PD1/PD-L1) directed immune-checkpoint-inhibitors (ICI) are widely used to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progress after first line chemotherapy. The best strategy after early progression under first line has not been specifically studied.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study including all consecutive NSCLC patients progressing within the first 3 months following introduction of first-line chemotherapy and being treated with second line ICI monotherapy or chemotherapy between March 2010 and November 2017. We analysed the clinicopathological data and outcome under second line chemotherapy vs. second line ICI: objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS.

RESULTS

We identified 176 patients with refractory disease, 99 who received subsequent immunotherapy and 77 undergoing chemotherapy. The 2 populations were comparable regarding the main prognostic criteria, median age was 60, main histology was adenocarcimoma (68.2%). PFS was not significantly different between both treatments 1.9 [1.8-2.1] versus 1.6 month [1.4-2.0] (P=0.125). Compared to chemotherapy, ICI treated patients had a superior OS (P=0.03) (Median [95% CI] OS 4.6 [2.8-6.7] versus 4.2 months [3.4-5.9] and a non-significant improvement in ORR (17.2% versus 7.9%, respectively, P=0.072). Poor performance status (ECOG PS≥2) and a higher number of metastatic sites (≥3) were associated with poorer prognosis. KRAS-mutated patients did not seem to benefit more from ICI than chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

ICI appears to be the preferred second-line treatment for patients who are refractory to first line chemotherapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced lung cancer and oncogenic driver alterations: results from the IMMUNOTARGET registry

Background

Anti-PD1/PD-L1 directed immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are widely used to treat patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The activity of ICI across NSCLC harboring oncogenic alterations is poorly characterized. The aim of our study was to address the efficacy of ICI in the context of oncogenic addiction.

Patients and methods

We conducted a retrospective study for patients receiving ICI monotherapy for advanced NSCLC with at least one oncogenic driver alteration. Anonymized data were evaluated for clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes for ICI therapy: best response (RECIST 1.1), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) from ICI initiation. The primary end point was PFS under ICI. Secondary end points were best response (RECIST 1.1) and OS from ICI initiation.

Results

We studied 551 patients treated in 24 centers from 10 countries. The molecular alterations involved KRAS (n = 271), EGFR (n = 125), BRAF (n = 43), MET (n = 36), HER2 (n = 29), ALK (n = 23), RET (n = 16), ROS1 (n = 7), and multiple drivers (n = 1). Median age was 60 years, gender ratio was 1 : 1, never/former/current smokers were 28%/51%/21%, respectively, and the majority of tumors were adenocarcinoma. The objective response rate by driver alteration was: KRAS = 26%, BRAF = 24%, ROS1 = 17%, MET = 16%, EGFR = 12%, HER2 = 7%, RET = 6%, and ALK = 0%. In the entire cohort, median PFS was 2.8 months, OS 13.3 months, and the best response rate 19%. In a subgroup analysis, median PFS (in months) was 2.1 for EGFR, 3.2 for KRAS, 2.5 for ALK, 3.1 for BRAF, 2.5 for HER2, 2.1 for RET, and 3.4 for MET. In certain subgroups, PFS was positively associated with PD-L1 expression (KRAS, EGFR) and with smoking status (BRAF, HER2).

Conclusions

: ICI induced regression in some tumors with actionable driver alterations, but clinical activity was lower compared with the KRAS group and the lack of response in the ALK group was notable. Patients with actionable tumor alterations should receive targeted therapies and chemotherapy before considering immunotherapy as a single agent.

SAT0540 ONE-YEAR OUTCOMES AFTER RHEUMATIC IMMUNE-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS FROM CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS

Background:

Description and initial management of rheumatic immune-related adverse-events (irAEs) from cancer immunotherapies have been reported by several groups but to date, few studies have evaluated the long-term outcomes and management of rheumatic irAEs (1).

Objectives:

To describe the long-term management and assess the one-year outcomes of patients who experienced rheumatic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) due to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

Methods:

This was a single-centre prospective observational study including patients referred for musculoskeletal symptoms while treated with ICI. After baseline rheumatological evaluation defining the clinical entity presented, follow-up visits were organised according to the type and severity of irAE. At one year, persistence of irAE, ongoing treatment, as well as cancer outcomes were assessed.

Results:

63 patients were included between September 2015 and June 2018. 24 patients (38%) presented with non-inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions managed with short-term symptomatic treatment and did not require specific follow-up. 39 patients (62%) experienced inflammatory manifestations, mimicking either rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n=19), polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR, n=16), psoriatic arthritis (PsA, n=3) and one flare of a preexisting axial spondyloarthritis. Overall, 32 patients (82%) received systemic glucocorticoids, with a median rheumatic dosage of 15mg/day (range: 5-60mg/day). None of the patients had to permanently discontinue ICI therapy for rheumatic irAE. 20 patients (67%) were still receiving glucocorticoids at one year, with a median dosage of 5mg/day (range: 2-20mg/day). Glucocorticoids were more frequently discontinued for patients with RA-like condition (44%) than PMR-like condition (23%), but no other predictive factor of glucocorticoids withdrawal could be identified. At one year, overall survival and progression-free survival were comparable between patients who were still receiving glucocorticoids for rheumatic irAE and patients who have discontinued. Eight patients required csDMARDs.

Conclusion:

At one year, a majority of patients required long-term low-dose glucocorticoids for chronic rheumatic irAE, which seems not altering oncological control.

References:

[1]Braaten TJ, Brahmer JR, Forde PM, et al. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced inflammatory arthritis persists after immunotherapy cessation. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019 Sep 20.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

[Management of non-small cell lung cancer patients harboring activating mutations and CNS progression]

The central nervous system (CNS), through carcinomatous meningitis or solid brain metastases, is the most common site of recurrence in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with activating mutations. Our retrospective study describes the population of patients with CNS metastases of NSCLC harboring activating mutation with targeted therapy (EGFR, ALK, BRAF, HER2) in 4 French regional reference hospitals. 60 patients were analyzed. The proposed treatments were heterogeneous and included combinations of chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiotherapy±associated with topical treatments. Median overall survival following CNS metastasis in these patients was 15.8 months for meningitis carcinoma and 26 months for brain metastases. In patients with brain metastases, the addition of targeted therapy treatment allows a significant improvement in median progression free survival from 5.9 months to 10.6 months (HR 0.48 CI95 [0.24 to 0.97] P=0.035). These patients seem therefore benefit from systemic therapy and particularly targeted therapy with better survival than usual.

Freeze-drying process monitoring using a cold plasma ionization device

A cold plasma ionization device has been designed to monitor freeze-drying processes in situ by monitoring lyophilization chamber moisture content. This plasma device, which consists of a probe that can be mounted directly on the lyophilization chamber, depends upon the ionization of nitrogen and water molecules using a radiofrequency generator and spectrometric signal collection. The study performed on this probe shows that it is steam sterilizable, simple to integrate, reproducible, and sensitive. The limitations include suitable positioning in the lyophilization chamber, calibration, and signal integration. Sensitivity was evaluated in relation to the quantity of vials and the probe positioning, and correlation with existing methods, such as microbalance, was established. These tests verified signal reproducibility through three freeze-drying cycles. Scaling-up studies demonstrated a similar product signature for the same product using pilot-scale and larger-scale equipment. On an industrial scale, the method efficiently monitored the freeze-drying cycle, but in a larger industrial freeze-dryer the signal was slightly modified. This was mainly due to the positioning of the plasma device, in relation to the vapor flow pathway, which is not necessarily homogeneous within the freeze-drying chamber. The plasma tool is a relevant method for monitoring freeze-drying processes and may in the future allow the verification of current thermodynamic freeze-drying models. This plasma technique may ultimately represent a process analytical technology (PAT) approach for the freeze-drying process.

Antimicrobial efficacy of biocides tested on skin using an ex-vivo test

An ex-vivo test was used to evaluate the activity of antimicrobials against three microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The ex-vivo test is a carrier test using freshly excised animal skin samples maintained in viable conditions for a short period of time. Skin samples came from a veterinary practice and were excised from either dogs or cats. The antimicrobial activity of povidone iodine, chlorhexidine diacetate, cetrimide and benzalkonium chloride was also evaluated with suspension and glass-carrier tests. Generally, the activity of the antimicrobials tested was reduced when applied to the skin surface. Apart from povidone iodine (2%) against S. aureus, the biocides investigated failed to achieve a 5 log10 reduction in bacterial titre when tested with the ex-vivo method. There was no significant difference in reduction of bacterial titres after treatment with antimicrobials between the glass-carrier and the suspension tests. Furthermore, the drying process of bacterial inoculum was less detrimental on skin than on glass surfaces. This study confirmed that the activity of a biocide tested in suspension or on an inanimate surface did not reflect its activity when tested on skin. Further development of the ex-vivo test may be useful, especially for testing the antimicrobial activity of formulations with antiseptic properties.