Marina Penney

Telaprevir-based treatment effects on hepatitis C virus in liver and blood

Understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication has been limited by access to serial samples of liver, the primary site of viral replication. Our understanding of how HCV replicates and develops drug‐resistant variants in the liver is limited. We studied 15 patients chronically infected with genotype 1 HCV treated with telaprevir (TVR)/pegylated‐interferon alpha/ribavirin. Hepatic fine needle aspiration was performed before treatment and at hour 10, days 4 and 15, and week 8 after initiation of antiviral therapy. We measured viral kinetics, resistance patterns, TVR concentrations, and host transcription profiles. All patients completed all protocol‐defined procedures that were generally well tolerated. First‐phase HCV decline (baseline/treatment day 4) was significantly slower in liver than in plasma (slope plasma: −0.29; liver, −0.009; P < 0.001), whereas second‐phase decline (posttreatment days 4‐15) did not differ between the two body compartments (−0.11 and −0.15, respectively; P = 0.1). TVR‐resistant variants were detected in plasma, but not in liver (where only wild‐type virus was detected). Based upon nonstructural protein 3 sequence analysis, no compartmentalization of viral populations was observed between plasma and liver compartments. Gene expression profiling revealed strong tissue‐specific expression signatures. Human intrahepatic TVR concentration, measured for the first time, was lower, compared to plasma, on a gram per milliliter basis. We found moderate heterogeneity between HCV RNA levels from different intrahepatic sites, indicating differences in hepatic microenvironments. Conclusion: These data support an integrated model for HCV replication wherein the host hepatic milieu and innate immunity control the level of viral replication, and the early antiviral response observed in the plasma is predominantly driven by inhibition of hepatic high‐level HCV replication sites. (Hepatology 2014;60:1825–1836)

Abstract CT012: Phase 1 trial of first-in-class ATR inhibitor VX-970 in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors (NCT02157792):

Background: ATR is a regulator of the cellular response to replication stress, where it signals DNA damage repair through the homologous recombination pathway. Many cancer cells depend on ATR to survive DNA damage. VX-970 is a potent, selective inhibitor of ATR with marked preclinical anticancer activity in combination with DNA-damaging chemotherapy in preclinical models. Methods: Pts received intravenous VX-970 in combination with Cis using a 3+3 dose escalation design. Cis was administered on day 1 and VX-970 on days 2 and 9 in 21-day cycles. Results: 28 pts were treated (12 M/16 F); median age 62.5 yrs (range 28-79 yrs) and ECOG PS 0-1. Primary tumors were colorectal (n = 5), breast (n = 4), ovarian (n = 3), pancreatic (n = 2), and other cancers (n = 14). Non-DLT grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 11 pts, including nausea, cytopenias, hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, hypokalemia, elevated LFTs, and drug hypersensitivity. Maximum tolerated combination dose was not reached; dose escalation was stopped because pharmacokinetic (PK) exposures of VX-970 at 140 mg/m2 exceeded levels previously shown in preclinical models to result in robust target engagement and tumor regression in combination with Cis. There was no effect of Cis on VX-970 PK. Terminal elimination half-life was ?16h and PK was proportional across the dose range. Among pts who received VX-970 at 140 mg/m2 with Cis, preliminary results showed RECIST partial responses in 4 pts: 3 platinum-resistant/refractory (mesothelioma, ovarian and TNBC) and 1 ongoing unconfirmed response in a pt in which platinum sensitivity is currently unknown (neuroendocrine prostate cancer). Conclusions: The recommended phase 2 dose is VX-970 140 mg/m2 and Cis 75 mg/m2 with RECIST antitumor responses observed including platinum-refractory/resistant pts. Combination studies involving pts with biomarker-defined NSCLC (gemcitabine) and TNBC (platinum) are ongoing. Citation Format: Geoffrey Shapiro, Robert Wesolowski, Mark Middleton, Craig Devoe, Anastasia Constantinidou, Dionysis Papadatos-Pastos, Marjorie Fricano, Yanqiong Zhang, Sharon Karan, John Pollard, Marina Penney, Mohammed Asmal, F. Gary Renshaw, Scott Z. Fields, Timothy A. Yap. Phase 1 trial of first-in-class ATR inhibitor VX-970 in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors (NCT02157792). [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 CT012.

Abstract PR14: Phase I trial of first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibitor VX-970 as monotherapy (mono) or in combination with carboplatin (CP) in advanced cancer patients (pts) with preliminary evidence of target modulation and antitumor activity

Background: ATR mediates the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway and cellular response to replication stress. VX-970 is a potent and selective inhibitor of ATR (Ki Methods: Pts with advanced solid tumors enrolled in 2 sequential parts. Part A: pts received IV VX-970 mono weekly in single-pt cohorts, with 3+3 cohorts initiated if grade (G) ≥2 VX-970-related adverse events (AEs) were observed. Part B: pts received CP on day 1 and VX-970 on days 2 and 9 of a 21-day cycle in a 3+3 dose-escalation design. Paired VX-970 tumor biopsies were obtained in selected CP treated pts pre- and post-VX-970, and pS345 Chk1 levels assessed by IHC. Results: 25 pts were treated; M/F 10/15; median age 67 yr (range 49-76 yr); ECOG PS 0/1: 11/14. In Part A, 11 pts (colorectal [CRC; n = 2]; mesothelioma [n = 2]; other [n = 7]; median prior lines of therapy = 3) received VX-970 at 60 mg/m2 (n = 1), 120 mg/m2 (n = 2), 240 mg/m2 (n = 1) and 480 mg/m2 (n = 7). In Part B, 14 pts (CRC [n = 6]; ovarian [n = 2]; other [n = 6]; median prior lines of therapy = 3) received VX-970 240 mg/m2 + CP AUC5 (n = 3; dose level 1 [DL1]), VX-970 120 mg/m2 + CP AUC5 (n = 3; DL2), VX-970 120 mg/m2 + CP AUC4 (n = 3; DL3) and VX-970 90 mg/m2 + CP AUC5 (n = 5; DL4). In Part A, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) or drug-related G3-4 AEs were seen. In Part B, 2 pts had DLT: G4 neutropenia and fever (n = 1; DL1) and G3 hypersensitivity (n = 1; DL2). Non-DLT G3-4 AEs were neutropenia (n = 4; DL1-2) and thrombocytopenia (n = 1; DL2) requiring dose delays. No G3-4 AEs were seen at DL3-4. RP2D cohort expansion is ongoing at DL4. VX-970 displayed linear AUC and Cmax at all DLs; median half-life was 16h with no accumulation. Based on preclinical models, efficacious exposures were achieved. When combined with CP, DL1 and DL2 showed similar VX-970 exposure, suggesting no apparent drug interactions. Decreased Chk1 phosphorylation was seen in 2/2 paired tumor biopsies (74% at DL4; 94% at DL2). An advanced CRC pt (serosal disease and abdominal lymphadenopathy; 3 prior lines of chemotherapy) with complete ATM loss by IHC achieved RECIST complete response to VX-970 mono at 60 mg/m2 and remains on trial at 59+ wks. RECIST stable disease (SD) was seen with VX-970 mono in 4 pts (median duration of SD = 11 wks [11-17.4 wks]) and VX-970 + CP in 7 pts, who were still ongoing (duration of SD = 5+ to 20+ wks), including several pts who had progressed on prior platinum therapy. Conclusion: VX-970 is well tolerated as monotherapy and in combination with CP, with preliminary evidence of target modulation and antitumor activity. VX-970 will be further explored in early phase II studies; in multiple tumor types, including triple-negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer; and in patients with DDR aberrations. Citation Format: Timothy A. Yap, Maria J. de Miguel Luken, Brent O9Carrigan, Desam Roda, Dionysis Papadatos-Pastos, David Lorente, Nina Tunariu, Raquel Perez Lopez, Sasha Gayle, Ruth Riisnaes, Ines Figueiredo, Susana Miranda, Suzanne Carreira, Fang Yang, Sharon Karan, Marina Penney, John Pollard, L. Rhoda Molife, Udai Banerji, Mohammed Asmal, Scott Z. Fields, Johann S. de Bono. Phase I trial of first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibitor VX-970 as monotherapy (mono) or in combination with carboplatin (CP) in advanced cancer patients (pts) with preliminary evidence of target modulation and antitumor activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr PR14.

Intrahepatic and Peripheral CXCL10 Expression in Hepatitis C Virus–Infected Patients Treated With Telaprevir, Pegylated Interferon, and Ribavirin

UNLABELLED We assessed peripheral and liver CXCL10 levels in 15 patients treated with telaprevir/pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Induction of peripheral CXCL10 messenger RNA (mRNA) peaked (mean fold-induction [±SD], 3.1 ± 1.9) between treatment hour 6 and day 2, while induction of intrahepatic CXCL10 mRNA peaked (mean fold-induction [±SD], 1.3 ± 0.54) at hour 10 or day 4. Peripheral CXCL10 levels were higher at treatment hour 10 (P = .032) and day 2 (P = .009) in patients with undetectable virus 2 weeks after treatment initiation. Treatment hour 10 (P = .023) and peak (P = .034) intrahepatic CXCL10 levels were also higher in these patients. CXCL10 did not distinguish treatment responders from nonresponders. In conclusion, CXCL10 identified very rapid virological response in patients treated with a direct-acting antiviral. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT00892697.

Abstract 3711: Pre-clinical combinations of ATR and PARP inhibitors: Defining target patient populations and dose schedule

Defective DNA damage repair, leading to genomic instability, is a common event during tumorigenesis. Despite enabling the persistence of mutations, any of which can confer a growth advantage to the nascent tumor, these defects place an Achilles Heel reliance on remaining repair pathways for survival from DNA damage. The protein kinases ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM and Rad3 related (ATR) are key mediators of a DNA damage response activated by DNA damage during the S and G2 phases of cell cycle. Together they signal a series of cellular responses including activation of checkpoints and repair by homologous recombination. Loss of ATM pathway function frequently occurs in cancer, commonly from loss of function mutations in the tumor suppressor, p53, a substrate of ATM. This leads to a reliance on ATR that can be exploited for therapeutic benefit. Activation of ATR, by generation of S-phase DNA damage (replication stress, [RS]), can arise from treatment with DNA damaging drugs and certain targeted therapies such as inhibitors of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). PARP is an enzyme involved in several DNA repair pathways, including base excision repair. Some PARP inhibitors have been shown to form an irreversible complex with DNA, potentially generating a direct RS lesion. While initial data indicates that inhibition of ATR and PARP is synergistic in some cancer cells, a comprehensive assessment has not been reported. Inhibition of ATR was cytotoxic in combination with PARP inhibitors against many cancer, but not non-cancer, cells. This effect was observed with multiple PARP inhibitors irrespective of their potential to form a DNA complex. In large cell panels of over 100 cancer cell lines, greater synergy was observed for the combination of an ATR and PARP inhibitor in cell lines with mutation of the TP53 gene. This was confirmed in isogenic cell lines depleted for ATM or p53, and is consistent with the profile of ATR and DNA damaging drug combinations. Furthermore, a triple combination of a PARP inhibitor, ATR inhibitor and the DNA damaging drug, cisplatin, retained cancer cell specific cytotoxic activity. In vitro dose-scheduling studies with the doublet of a PARP and ATR inhibitor showed optimal activity was achieved with transient concurrent exposure to both agents. This schedule contrasts with that for ATR inhibitors in combination with DNA damaging drugs where sequential dosing was optimal. In a mouse xenograft model concurrent dosing on a twice-weekly schedule was effective and well-tolerated. These data demonstrate the potential of combining ATR and PARP inhibitors in patients with p53 defective tumors. An optimal dose schedule was defined from cell and mouse studies. Together the data support clinical evaluation of ATR and PARP inhibitor combinations. Citation Format: John Pollard, Phil Reaper, Adele Peek, Stuart Hughes, Hakim Djeha, Steven Cummings, Karen Larbi, Marina Penney, Jim Sullivan, Darin Takemoto, Chris DeFranco. Pre-clinical combinations of ATR and PARP inhibitors: Defining target patient populations and dose schedule. [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 3711.

Abstract 3716: Potent radiation enhancement with VX-984, a selective DNA-PKcs inhibitor for the treatment of NSCLC

Ionizing radiation (IR), which is widely used for the treatment of cancer, causes double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA. If left unrepaired, these DSBs are lethal to the cell. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a key enzyme in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway that repairs DSBs caused by IR, or chemotherapeutic agents that cause DSBs such as doxorubicin. The goal of these studies was to characterize the radiation enhancing effects of VX-984, a selective and potent ATP-competitive inhibitor of the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs), with a focus on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and tumor xenografts. VX-984 enhances the cytotoxicity of IR in a panel of cancer cell lines including NSCLC cell lines in vitro with dose enhancement factors (DEF) greater than 3. Notably, VX-984 combined with IR in normal human lung fibroblasts minimally enhanced the cytotoxicity compared to IR alone. Additionally, VX-984 decreased DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation on S2056 both in vitro and in vivo in NSCLC cells and attenuated the decay of the DNA damage markers γH2AX and pKAP1 in response to IR. In NSCLC PDX models VX-984, in combination with IR (2 Gy x 3), caused durable complete responses while IR alone only led to a delay in tumor growth, consistent with delayed DNA damage repair. In these models, the combination of VX-984 and IR was well tolerated. These data demonstrate that VX-984 is a potent radiation-enhancing agent and provide a strong rationale for the use of VX-984 in combination with IR for the treatment of NSCLC. Citation Format: Diane Boucher, Russell Hoover, Yuxin Wang, Yong Gu, David Newsome, Pamella Ford, Cameron Moody, Veronique Damagnez, Reiko Arimoto, Shawn Hillier, Mark Wood, William Markland, Brenda Eustace, Kevin Cottrell, Marina Penney, Brinley Furey, Kirk Tanner, John Maxwell, Paul Charifson. Potent radiation enhancement with VX-984, a selective DNA-PKcs inhibitor for the treatment of NSCLC. [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 3716.

ATR inhibitor M6620 (formerly VX-970) with cisplatin in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: preliminary results from a phase 1 dose expansion cohort (NCT02157792).

Background: ATR is a critical regulator of the cellular response to replication stress; it signals DNA damage repair, mediated through homologous recombination. Many cancers depend on ATR to survive DNA damage. M6620 is a potent, selective inhibitor of ATR that augments the anticancer activity of cisplatin in preclinical triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models. Given the high prevalence of TP53 mutations in TNBC and limited platinum responsiveness in patients lacking a BRCA1/2 mutation, this study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of M6620 in combination with cisplatin in an expansion cohort of patients with BRCA1/2 wild-type advanced/metastatic TNBC. Methods: Eligible patients had advanced/metastatic ER-, PR-, and HER2- breast cancer with 0-2 prior non–platinum-based therapies and measurable disease per RECIST 1.1. First line patients were eligible if relapse occurred ≥3 months after prior (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. Of a maximum 50 patients planned for enrollment, ≥30 were required to have BRCA1/2 germline wild-type status and basaloid molecular subtype tumors on central testing. Patients received intravenous cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1 with intravenous M6620 140 mg/m2 on days 2 and 9 of each 21-day cycle. In patients intolerant of cisplatin or at investigator9s discretion, cisplatin could be switched to carboplatin AUC 5 with M6620 90 mg/m2. Results: At the time of abstract submission, 35 female patients were enrolled in this study; 18 patients with confirmed BRCA1/2 wild-type and basaloid metastatic TNBC who received ≥1 cycle of study drug and had ≥1 baseline scan and ≥1 on-treatment scan at the time of the data cut were included in the primary efficacy analysis. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.1 months (90% CI, 1.6-6.9 months). PFS was ≥ 6 months in 2 patients and ≥ 3 months in 8 patients. Preliminary unconfirmed objective response [complete response or partial response (PR)] was observed in 38.9% (90% CI, 19.9%-60.8%) of patients. All 7 patients with preliminary objective response had PR as best overall response; the longest duration of response was 183 days. Response was ongoing in 4 patients with PR at the time of data cutoff. Grade ≥3 related treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 16 of 35 patients: neutropenia (n=8), anemia (n=5), vomiting (n=4), nausea (n=3), and, in 1 patient each, thrombocytopenia, neutrophil count decreased, platelet count decreased, hypokalemia, generalized weakness, rigors, and acute kidney injury. Conclusions: Combination of M6620 and cisplatin shows encouraging antitumor activity and tolerability in patients with advanced/metastatic TNBC. The study is ongoing; updated safety and efficacy results will be presented. Citation Format: Telli ML, Lord S, Dean E, Abramson V, Arkenau H-T, Murias C, Becerra C, Tang R, Penney MS, Pollard J, Conboy G, Fields SZ, Shapiro G, Tolaney SM. ATR inhibitor M6620 (formerly VX-970) with cisplatin in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: Preliminary results from a phase 1 dose expansion cohort (NCT02157792) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-07-07.

Abstract 3717: Defining optimal dose schedules for ATR inhibitors in combination with DNA damaging drugs: Informing clinical studies of VX-970, the first-in-class ATR inhibitor

Proficient repair of DNA damage is a cause of the poor response many patients experience when treated with commonly used DNA-damaging drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and gemcitabine. The protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3 related (ATR) is recruited to DNA damage lesions caused by such drugs during the S and G2 phase of cell cycle, where it coordinates a series of responses including checkpoint activation and DNA repair by homologous recombination. Inhibition of ATR potentiates the cytotoxic activity of DNA damaging drugs in many cancer cells. In stark contrast, non-cancer cells survive inhibition of ATR with just transient growth arrest. Cancer cells carrying common defects in a compensatory repair pathway mediated by the kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and its principle substrate, p53, are especially sensitive to ATR inhibition. Two ATR inhibitors are in clinical development in combination with DNA damaging drugs, however a comprehensive assessment of dose schedule considerations has not been reported. In pre-clinical models, the efficacy of an ATR inhibitor in combination with multiple DNA damaging drugs was shown to be dependent on dose schedule. In vitro, transient exposure of cancer cells to an ATR inhibitor (2 hours) was highly effective when added after the DNA damaging drug. Maximum activity was observed when addition of the ATR inhibitor was timed to coincide with peak accumulation of cells in S-phase and concomitant activation of ATR (P-Chk1), following treatment with the DNA damaging drug. In mouse xenograft models, strong synergistic activity was achieved from just a single dose of the ATR inhibitor given once per cycle of the DNA damaging drug. Optimal efficacy was achieved by administering the ATR inhibitor 12-24 hours after the DNA damaging drug. Dosing the ATR inhibitor prior to, or greater than 48 hours after, the DNA damaging drug provided limited benefit. On this schedule, addition of the ATR inhibitor had minimal impact on the tolerability profile of the DNA damaging drug. VX-970, the first-in-class ATR inhibitor, is being assessed as monotherapy and in combination with gemcitabine, cisplatin and carboplatin in Ph1/2 clinical studies. Based on pre-clinical data, VX-970 is being dosed approximately 24 hours after the DNA damaging drug. Preliminary tumor biomarker data from three patients showed high P-Chk1 24 hours after treatment with carboplatin, which is inhibited by VX-970. These data suggest the importance of dose scheduling on the efficacy of ATR inhibitors and DNA damaging drug combinations and inform the design of ongoing clinical studies. Citation Format: John Pollard, Phil Reaper, Adele Peek, Stuart Hughes, Scott Gladwell, Julie Jones, Peter Chiu, Mark Wood, Crystal Tolman, Mac Johnson, Peter Littlewood, Marina Penney, Katherine McDermott, Brian Hare, Scott Z. Fields, Mohammed Asmal, Brent O’Carrigan, Timothy A. Yap. Defining optimal dose schedules for ATR inhibitors in combination with DNA damaging drugs: Informing clinical studies of VX-970, the first-in-class ATR inhibitor. [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 3717.

Abstract 1644: VX-970, the first-in-class inhibitor of the DNA damage repair enzyme ATR

Proficient repair of DNA damage is important for cancer cell survival and is a leading cause for the poor response many patients experience when treated with DNA-damaging drugs or ionizing radiation. The protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3 related (ATR) regulates an important DNA damage response pathway that is most commonly activated by replication stress (RS). RS arises during S-phase when the cell9s DNA replication machinery attempts to copy through an unresolved damage lesion. Such events are common after cells are treated with DNA-damaging agents. Unresolved RS often leads to double strand breaks, which in turn may cause DNA mutations, chromosomal rearrangements or cell death. Pre-clinical data suggests a reliance on ATR for survival is a common feature in cancer cells. This may occur when there are defects in other DNA damage repair pathways or high levels of background RS. VX-970 is the first potent (Ki VX-970 is currently in Phase 1 clinical studies as monotherapy and in combination with gemcitabine, cisplatin and carboplatin. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: John Pollard, Philip Reaper, Julie Jones, Christopher Barnes, Scott Gladwell, Stuart Hughes, Adele Peak, Hakim Djeha, Amy Hall, David Newsome, Yuxin Wang, Diane Boucher, Brenda Eustace, Yong Gu, Brian Hare, Mac Johnson, Sean Milton, Cheryl Murphy, Darin Takemoto, Crystal Tolman, Mark Wood, Brinley Furey, Marina Penney, Howard Li, Christopher Defranco, Mohammed Asmal, Scott Fields. VX-970, the first-in-class inhibitor of the DNA damage repair enzyme ATR. [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 1644. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1644