Joseph Leach

Nivolumab in patients with metastatic DNA mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer (CheckMate 142): an open-label, multicentre, phase 2 study

BACKGROUND Metastatic DNA mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer has a poor prognosis after treatment with conventional chemotherapy and exhibits high levels of tumour neoantigens, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, and checkpoint regulators. All of these features are associated with the response to PD-1 blockade in other tumour types. Therefore, we aimed to study nivolumab, a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, in patients with dMMR/MSI-H metastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS In this ongoing, multicentre, open-label, phase 2 trial, we enrolled adults (aged ≥18 years) with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer locally assessed as dMMR/MSI-H from 31 sites (academic centres and hospitals) in eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the USA). Eligible patients had progressed on or after, or been intolerant of, at least one previous line of treatment, including a fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin or irinotecan. Patients were given 3 mg/kg nivolumab every 2 weeks until disease progression, death, unacceptable toxic effects, or withdrawal from study. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1). All patients who received at least one dose of study drug were included in all analyses. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02060188. FINDINGS Of the 74 patients who were enrolled between March 12, 2014, and March 16, 2016, 40 (54%) had received three or more previous treatments. At a median follow-up of 12·0 months (IQR 8·6-18·0), 23 (31·1%, 95% CI 20·8-42·9) of 74 patients achieved an investigator-assessed objective response and 51 (69%, 57-79) patients had disease control for 12 weeks or longer. Median duration of response was not yet reached; all responders were alive, and eight had responses lasting 12 months or longer (Kaplan-Meier 12-month estimate 86%, 95% CI 62-95). The most common grade 3 or 4 drug-related adverse events were increased concentrations of lipase (six [8%]) and amylase (two [3%]). 23 (31%) patients died during the study; none of these deaths were deemed to be treatment related by the investigator. INTERPRETATION Nivolumab provided durable responses and disease control in pre-treated patients with dMMR/MSI-H metastatic colorectal cancer, and could be a new treatment option for these patients. FUNDING Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Avelumab for patients with previously treated metastatic or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (JAVELIN Solid Tumor): dose-expansion cohort of a multicentre, open-label, phase 1b trial

BACKGROUND Avelumab, a human Ig-G1 monoclonal antibody targeting PD-L1 and approved in the USA for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, has shown antitumour activity and an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced solid tumours in a dose-escalation phase 1a trial. In this dose-expansion cohort of that trial, we assess avelumab treatment in a cohort of patients with advanced, platinum-treated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS In this dose-expansion cohort of a multicentre, open-label, phase 1 study, patients with progressive or platinum-resistant metastatic or recurrent NSCLC were enrolled at 58 cancer treatment centres and academic hospitals in the USA. Eligible patients had confirmed stage IIIB or IV NSCLC with squamous or non-squamous histology, measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1), tumour biopsy or archival sample for biomarker assessment, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1, among other criteria. Patient selection was not based on PD-L1 expression or expression of other biomarkers, including EGFR or KRAS mutation or ALK translocation status. Patients received infusional avelumab monotherapy 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks until disease progression or toxicity. The primary objective was to assess safety and tolerability. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01772004; enrolment in this cohort is closed and the trial is ongoing. FINDINGS Between Sept 10, 2013, and June 24, 2014, 184 patients were enrolled and initiated treatment with avelumab. Median follow-up duration was 8·8 months (IQR 7·2-11·9). The most common treatment-related adverse events of any grade were fatigue (46 [25%] of 184 patients), infusion-related reaction (38 [21%]), and nausea (23 [13%]). Grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events occurred in 23 (13%) of 184 patients; the most common (occurring in more than two patients) were infusion-related reaction (four [2%] patients) and increased lipase level (three [2%]). 16 (9%) of 184 patients had a serious adverse event related to treatment with avelumab, with infusion-related reaction (in four [2%] patients) and dyspnoea (in two [1%]) occurring in more than one patient. Serious adverse events irrespective of cause occurred in 80 (44%) of 184 patients. Those occurring in more than five patients (≥3%) were dyspnoea (ten patients [5%]), pneumonia (nine [5%]), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (six [3%]). Immune-related treatment-related events occurred in 22 patients (12%). Of 184 patients, 22 (12% [95% CI 8-18]) achieved a confirmed objective response, including one complete response and 21 partial responses. 70 (38%) had stable disease. Overall, 92 (50%) of 184 patients achieved disease control (they had a confirmed response or stable disease as their best overall response). One patient was initially thought to have died from grade 5 radiation pneumonitis during the study; however, this adverse event was subsequently regraded to grade 3 and the death was attributed to disease progression. INTERPRETATION Avelumab showed an acceptable safety profile and antitumour activity in patients with progressive or treatment-resistant NSCLC, providing a rationale for further studies of avelumab in this disease setting. FUNDING Merck KGaA and Pfizer.

Abstract CT132: Safety of avelumab (MSB0010718C), an anti-PD-L1 antibody: updated analysis from the phase Ib JAVELIN Solid Tumor trial

Background: The programmed death-1 receptor (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) are key therapeutic targets in the reactivation of the immune response against multiple cancers. Avelumab* (MSB0010718C) is a fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 antibody currently being investigated in clinical trials. The primary objective of this phase Ib, open-label expansion study (NCT01772004) was to assess the safety and tolerability of avelumab in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic (LA/M) solid tumors. Methods: Pts from 16 different expansion cohorts (including NSCLC, gastric, ovarian, urothelial, and breast; ECOG performance status [PS] of 0-1 at trial entry) and unselected for PD-L1 expression were treated with avelumab at 10 mg/kg IV, Q2W until confirmed progression, unacceptable toxicity, or any criteria for withdrawal occurred. Adverse events (AEs) were graded by NCI-CTCAE v4.0. Results: As of Aug 4, 2015, 900 pts were treated with avelumab and followed for ?4 wks. Median age was 62 years (range, 23-91), ECOG PS was 0 (39.1%), 1 (60.6%), or 2-3 (0.2%), and median number of prior lines of anticancer therapy was 2 (range, 1-13). Median duration of treatment with avelumab and number of administrations were 10.0 wks (range, 2-92) and 5 infusions (range, 1-43), respectively. Treatment-related (TR) AEs of any grade occurred in 585 pts (65.0%). Grade ?3 TRAEs occurred in 91 pts (10.1%). The most frequent (?0.5%) grade ?3 TRAEs were IRRs (n = 8, 0.9%), GGT elevation (n = 7, 0.8%), lipase elevation (n = 7, 0.8%), anemia (n = 7, 0.8%), and fatigue (n = 6, 0.7%). Seventy-five pts (8.3%) experienced potential immune-related (ir) TRAEs, with hypothyroidism (n = 34, 3.8%) and pneumonitis (n = 8, 0.9%) occurring most frequently (?0.5%). Grade ?3 potential irTRAEs were reported for 17 pts (1.9%); the most frequent (?0.3%) were autoimmune hepatitis (n = 4; 0.4%), colitis (n = 3; 0.3%), and pneumonitis (n = 3; 0.3%). TRAEs resulted in permanent treatment discontinuation for 64 pts (7.1%); 2.6% (n = 23) discontinued due to an IRR and 1.3% (n = 12) discontinued due to a potential irTRAE. TRAEs were considered the primary cause of death by the investigator for 4 pts (0.4%): radiation pneumonitis (1), autoimmune hepatitis (1), acute liver failure (1), and respiratory distress (1). Conclusion: Single-agent avelumab shows an acceptable safety profile in a heavily pretreated population of pts with LA/M malignancies. To date, >1,500 pts have been enrolled in the JAVELIN Solid Tumor clinical trial. Additional safety and efficacy analyses from this study are ongoing, and recruitment to several phase III trials is underway. *Proposed INN. Citation Format: Karen Kelly, Manish Patel, Jeffrey R. Infante, Nicholas Iannotti, Petros Nikolinakos, Joseph Leach, Ding Wang, Jason Chandler, Guy Jerusalem, Jayne Gurtler, Henrik-Tobias Arkenau, Marcis Bajars, Anja von Heydebreck, Isabell Speit, Christopher R. Heery, James L. Gulley. Safety of avelumab (MSB0010718C), an anti-PD-L1 antibody: updated analysis from the phase Ib JAVELIN Solid Tumor trial. [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 CT132.