Matthew H. Taylor

Nivolumab and Ipilimumab versus Ipilimumab in Untreated Melanoma

BACKGROUND In a phase 1 dose-escalation study, combined inhibition of T-cell checkpoint pathways by nivolumab and ipilimumab was associated with a high rate of objective response, including complete responses, among patients with advanced melanoma. METHODS In this double-blind study involving 142 patients with metastatic melanoma who had not previously received treatment, we randomly assigned patients in a 2:1 ratio to receive ipilimumab (3 mg per kilogram of body weight) combined with either nivolumab (1 mg per kilogram) or placebo once every 3 weeks for four doses, followed by nivolumab (3 mg per kilogram) or placebo every 2 weeks until the occurrence of disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects. The primary end point was the rate of investigator-assessed, confirmed objective response among patients with BRAF V600 wild-type tumors. RESULTS Among patients with BRAF wild-type tumors, the rate of confirmed objective response was 61% (44 of 72 patients) in the group that received both ipilimumab and nivolumab (combination group) versus 11% (4 of 37 patients) in the group that received ipilimumab and placebo (ipilimumab-monotherapy group) (P<0.001), with complete responses reported in 16 patients (22%) in the combination group and no patients in the ipilimumab-monotherapy group. The median duration of response was not reached in either group. The median progression-free survival was not reached with the combination therapy and was 4.4 months with ipilimumab monotherapy (hazard ratio associated with combination therapy as compared with ipilimumab monotherapy for disease progression or death, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.23 to 0.68; P<0.001). Similar results for response rate and progression-free survival were observed in 33 patients with BRAF mutation-positive tumors. Drug-related adverse events of grade 3 or 4 were reported in 54% of the patients who received the combination therapy as compared with 24% of the patients who received ipilimumab monotherapy. Select adverse events with potential immunologic causes were consistent with those in a phase 1 study, and most of these events resolved with immune-modulating medication. CONCLUSIONS The objective-response rate and the progression-free survival among patients with advanced melanoma who had not previously received treatment were significantly greater with nivolumab combined with ipilimumab than with ipilimumab monotherapy. Combination therapy had an acceptable safety profile. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01927419.).

Lenvatinib versus Placebo in Radioiodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND Lenvatinib, an oral inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3, fibroblast growth factor receptors 1 through 4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α, RET, and KIT, showed clinical activity in a phase 2 study involving patients with differentiated thyroid cancer that was refractory to radioiodine (iodine-131). METHODS In our phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study involving patients with progressive thyroid cancer that was refractory to iodine-131, we randomly assigned 261 patients to receive lenvatinib (at a daily dose of 24 mg per day in 28-day cycles) and 131 patients to receive placebo. At the time of disease progression, patients in the placebo group could receive open-label lenvatinib. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Secondary end points included the response rate, overall survival, and safety. RESULTS The median progression-free survival was 18.3 months in the lenvatinib group and 3.6 months in the placebo group (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.21; 99% confidence interval, 0.14 to 0.31; P<0.001). A progression-free survival benefit associated with lenvatinib was observed in all prespecified subgroups. The response rate was 64.8% in the lenvatinib group (4 complete responses and 165 partial responses) and 1.5% in the placebo group (P<0.001). The median overall survival was not reached in either group. Treatment-related adverse effects of any grade, which occurred in more than 40% of patients in the lenvatinib group, were hypertension (in 67.8% of the patients), diarrhea (in 59.4%), fatigue or asthenia (in 59.0%), decreased appetite (in 50.2%), decreased weight (in 46.4%), and nausea (in 41.0%). Discontinuations of the study drug because of adverse effects occurred in 37 patients who received lenvatinib (14.2%) and 3 patients who received placebo (2.3%). In the lenvatinib group, 6 of 20 deaths that occurred during the treatment period were considered to be drug-related. CONCLUSIONS Lenvatinib, as compared with placebo, was associated with significant improvements in progression-free survival and the response rate among patients with iodine-131-refractory thyroid cancer. Patients who received lenvatinib had more adverse effects. (Funded by Eisai; SELECT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01321554.).

The ploidy-conveyor of mature hepatocytes as a source of genetic variation

Mononucleated and binucleated polyploid hepatocytes (4n, 8n, 16n and higher) are found in all mammalian species, but the functional significance of this conserved phenomenon remains unknown. Polyploidization occurs through failed cytokinesis, begins at weaning in rodents and increases with age. Previously, we demonstrated that the opposite event, ploidy reversal, also occurs in polyploid hepatocytes generated by artificial cell fusion. This raised the possibility that somatic ‘reductive mitoses’ can also happen in normal hepatocytes. Here we show that multipolar mitotic spindles form frequently in mouse polyploid hepatocytes and can result in one-step ploidy reversal to generate offspring with halved chromosome content. Proliferating hepatocytes produce a highly diverse population of daughter cells with multiple numerical chromosome imbalances as well as uniparental origins. Our findings support a dynamic model of hepatocyte polyploidization, ploidy reversal and aneuploidy, a phenomenon that we term the ‘ploidy conveyor’. We propose that this mechanism evolved to generate genetic diversity and permits adaptation of hepatocytes to xenobiotic or nutritional injury.

Combined nivolumab and ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma: 2-year overall survival outcomes in a multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND Results from phase 2 and 3 trials in patients with advanced melanoma have shown significant improvements in the proportion of patients achieving an objective response and prolonged progression-free survival with the combination of nivolumab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) plus ipilimumab (an anti-CTLA-4 antibody) compared with ipilimumab alone. We report 2-year overall survival data from a randomised controlled trial assessing this treatment in previously untreated advanced melanoma. METHODS In this multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial (CheckMate 069) we recruited patients from 19 specialist cancer centres in two countries (France and the USA). Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with previously untreated, unresectable stage III or IV melanoma and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive an intravenous infusion of nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg or ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus placebo, every 3 weeks for four doses. Subsequently, patients assigned to nivolumab plus ipilimumab received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, whereas patients allocated to ipilimumab alone received placebo every 2 weeks during this phase. Randomisation was done via an interactive voice response system with a permuted block schedule (block size of six) and stratification by BRAF mutation status. The study funder, patients, investigators, and study site staff were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint, which has been reported previously, was the proportion of patients with BRAFV600 wild-type melanoma achieving an investigator-assessed objective response. Overall survival was an exploratory endpoint and is reported in this Article. Efficacy analyses were done on the intention-to-treat population, whereas safety was assessed in all treated patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01927419, and is ongoing but no longer enrolling patients. FINDINGS Between Sept 16, 2013, and Feb 6, 2014, we screened 179 patients and enrolled 142, randomly assigning 95 patients to nivolumab plus ipilimumab and 47 to ipilimumab alone. In each treatment group, one patient no longer met the study criteria following randomisation and thus did not receive study drug. At a median follow-up of 24·5 months (IQR 9·1-25·7), 2-year overall survival was 63·8% (95% CI 53·3-72·6) for those assigned to nivolumab plus ipilimumab and 53·6% (95% CI 38·1-66·8) for those assigned to ipilimumab alone; median overall survival had not been reached in either group (hazard ratio 0·74, 95% CI 0·43-1·26; p=0·26). Treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were reported in 51 (54%) of 94 patients who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab compared with nine (20%) of 46 patients who received ipilimumab alone. The most common treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were colitis (12 [13%] of 94 patients) and increased alanine aminotransferase (ten [11%]) in the combination group and diarrhoea (five [11%] of 46 patients) and hypophysitis (two [4%]) in the ipilimumab alone group. Serious grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 34 (36%) of 94 patients who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab (including colitis in ten [11%] of 94 patients, and diarrhoea in five [5%]) compared with four (9%) of 46 patients who received ipilimumab alone (including diarrhoea in two [4%] of 46 patients, colitis in one [2%], and hypophysitis in one [2%]). No new types of treatment-related adverse events or treatment-related deaths occurred in this updated analysis. INTERPRETATION Although follow-up of the patients in this study is ongoing, the results of this analysis suggest that the combination of first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab might lead to improved outcomes compared with first-line ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma. The results suggest encouraging survival outcomes with immunotherapy in this population of patients. FUNDING Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Nivolumab alone and nivolumab plus ipilimumab in recurrent small-cell lung cancer (CheckMate 032): a multicentre, open-label, phase 1/2 trial

BACKGROUND Treatments for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy are limited. We assessed safety and activity of nivolumab and nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with SCLC who progressed after one or more previous regimens. METHODS The SCLC cohort of this phase 1/2 multicentre, multi-arm, open-label trial was conducted at 23 sites (academic centres and hospitals) in six countries. Eligible patients were 18 years of age or older, had limited-stage or extensive-stage SCLC, and had disease progression after at least one previous platinum-containing regimen. Patients received nivolumab (3 mg/kg bodyweight intravenously) every 2 weeks (given until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity), or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg plus 1 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg plus 3 mg/kg, or 3 mg/kg plus 1 mg/kg, intravenously) every 3 weeks for four cycles, followed by nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Patients were either assigned to nivolumab monotherapy or assessed in a dose-escalating safety phase for the nivolumab/ipilimumab combination beginning at nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg. Depending on tolerability, patients were then assigned to nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg or nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg. The primary endpoint was objective response by investigator assessment. All analyses included patients who were enrolled at least 90 days before database lock. This trial is ongoing; here, we report an interim analysis of the SCLC cohort. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01928394. FINDINGS Between Nov 18, 2013, and July 28, 2015, 216 patients were enrolled and treated (98 with nivolumab 3 mg/kg, three with nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg, 61 with nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, and 54 with nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg). At database lock on Nov 6, 2015, median follow-up for patients continuing in the study (including those who had died or discontinued treatment) was 198·5 days (IQR 163·0-464·0) for nivolumab 3 mg/kg, 302 days (IQR not calculable) for nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg, 361·0 days (273·0-470·0) for nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, and 260·5 days (248·0-288·0) for nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg. An objective response was achieved in ten (10%) of 98 patients receiving nivolumab 3 mg/kg, one (33%) of three patients receiving nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg, 14 (23%) of 61 receiving nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, and ten (19%) of 54 receiving nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 13 (13%) patients in the nivolumab 3 mg/kg cohort, 18 (30%) in the nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg cohort, and ten (19%) in the nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg cohort; the most commonly reported grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were increased lipase (none vs 5 [8%] vs none) and diarrhoea (none vs 3 [5%] vs 1 [2%]). No patients in the nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg cohort had a grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event. Six (6%) patients in the nivolumab 3 mg/kg group, seven (11%) in the nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg group, and four (7%) in the nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg group discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events. Two patients who received nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg died from treatment-related adverse events (myasthenia gravis and worsening of renal failure), and one patient who received nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg died from treatment-related pneumonitis. INTERPRETATION Nivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab showed antitumour activity with durable responses and manageable safety profiles in previously treated patients with SCLC. These data suggest a potential new treatment approach for a population of patients with limited treatment options and support the evaluation of nivolumab and nivolumab plus ipilimumab in phase 3 randomised controlled trials in SCLC. FUNDING Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Efficacy of Larotrectinib in TRK Fusion–Positive Cancers in Adults and Children

Background Fusions involving one of three tropomyosin receptor kinases (TRK) occur in diverse cancers in children and adults. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of larotrectinib, a highly selective TRK inhibitor, in adults and children who had tumors with these fusions. Methods We enrolled patients with consecutively and prospectively identified TRK fusion–positive cancers, detected by molecular profiling as routinely performed at each site, into one of three protocols: a phase 1 study involving adults, a phase 1–2 study involving children, or a phase 2 study involving adolescents and adults. The primary end point for the combined analysis was the overall response rate according to independent review. Secondary end points included duration of response, progression‐free survival, and safety. Results A total of 55 patients, ranging in age from 4 months to 76 years, were enrolled and treated. Patients had 17 unique TRK fusion–positive tumor types. The overall response rate was 75% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61 to 85) according to independent review and 80% (95% CI, 67 to 90) according to investigator assessment. At 1 year, 71% of the responses were ongoing and 55% of the patients remained progression‐free. The median duration of response and progression‐free survival had not been reached. At a median follow‐up of 9.4 months, 86% of the patients with a response (38 of 44 patients) were continuing treatment or had undergone surgery that was intended to be curative. Adverse events were predominantly of grade 1, and no adverse event of grade 3 or 4 that was considered by the investigators to be related to larotrectinib occurred in more than 5% of patients. No patient discontinued larotrectinib owing to drug‐related adverse events. Conclusions Larotrectinib had marked and durable antitumor activity in patients with TRK fusion–positive cancer, regardless of the age of the patient or of the tumor type. (Funded by Loxo Oncology and others; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT02122913, NCT02637687, and NCT02576431.)

The Acetyltransferase Activity of CBP Is Required for wingless Activation and H4 Acetylation in Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT CBP is a critical coactivator of transcription, but little is understood about the importance of its intrinsic acetyltransferase (AT) activity in gene activation in vivo. We show that the intrinsic AT function of CBP in Drosophila melanogaster (dCBP) is necessary to maintain a dCBP overexpression phenotype in the eye, for the in vivo activation of a specific target gene, wingless, and for the global acetylation of histone H4. These findings indicate that a point mutation which alters the intrinsic AT activity of CBP (only one of many CBP functions) has profound effects on CBP-induced gene activation in a physiologically intact transcription system. Furthermore, the effects of CBP AT activity are not limited to a few specific promoters, but rather CBT AT activity may play a role in regulating global histone acetylation throughout the developing organism.

A phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of lenvatinib (E7080) in patients with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (SELECT).

LBA6008 Background: Lenvatinib (LEN) is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the VEGFR1-3, FGFR1-4, PDGFRβ, RET, and KIT signaling networks. Based on efficacy results of the phase 2 study of patients (pts) with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC), this phase 3 Study of (E7080) Lenvatinib in Differentiated Cancer of the Thyroid (SELECT) was developed. METHODS This randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled study enrolled pts with RR-DTC with documented disease progression within 13 months (mo). Pts were stratified by age (≤65, >65 years), region and ≤1 prior VEGFR-targeted therapies and randomized 2:1 to LEN or PBO (24mg/d, 28-d cycle). Upon progression, pts receiving PBO could crossover to open-label LEN. The primary endpoint was PFS assessed by Independent Radiologic Review; secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR; complete response [CR] + PR), overall survival (OS) and safety. RESULTS 392 pts (63.0 years median age; 51.0% male) were randomized. Pts on LEN had a significantly prolonged PFS vs PBO (hazard ratio 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.31; P <.0001); median PFS was LEN: 18.3 mo (95% CI 15.1-not evaluable), PBO: 3.6 mo (95% CI 2.2-3.7). A LEN PFS benefit was observed in all predefined subgroups; median LEN PFS for pts with prior vs no prior VEGF-therapy was 15.1 mo (n=66) and 18.7 mo (n=195), respectively. Rates (n) of CRs were LEN: 1.5% (4), PBO: 0; PRs were LEN: 63.2% (165), PBO: 1.5% (2).Median exposure duration was LEN: 13.8 mo, PBO: 3.9 mo; median time to LEN response was 2.0 mo. Median OS has not been reached; deaths per arm were LEN: 71 (27.2%), PBO: 47 (35.9%). The 5 most common LEN treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs; any grade) were hypertension (68%), diarrhea (59%), appetite decreased (50%), weight loss (46%), nausea (41%). LEN grade ≥3 TRAEs (≥5%) were hypertension (42%), proteinuria (10%), weight loss (10%), diarrhea (8%), appetite decreased (5%). The dose was reduced in 78.5% of pts and discontinued due to adverse events (AEs) in 14.2% of pts. CONCLUSIONS LEN significantly improved PFS compared with PBO in pts with progressive RR-DTC. There were no unexpected toxicities and AEs were manageable. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION NCT01321554.

Safety and activity of varlilumab, a novel and first-in-class agonist anti-CD27 antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose CD27, a costimulatory molecule on T cells, induces intracellular signals that mediate cellular activation, proliferation, effector function, and cell survival upon binding to its ligand, CD70. Varlilumab is a novel, first-in-class, agonist CD27 antibody that stimulates the CD27 pathway, which results in T-cell activation and antitumor activity in tumor models. This first-in-human, dose-escalation and expansion study evaluated the safety, pharmacology, and activity of varlilumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods In a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design (n = 25), patients received a single dose of varlilumab (0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 10 mg/kg intravenously) with a 28-day observation, followed by up to five multidose cycles (one dose per week for 4 weeks), depending on tumor response. Expansion cohorts were initiated at 3.0 mg/kg in patients with melanoma (n = 16) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC; n = 15). Primary objectives were to assess the safety and the maximum tolerated and optimal biologic doses of varlilumab. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical antitumor activity of varlilumab. Results Exposure to varlilumab was linear and dose proportional across dose groups. Only one patient experienced a dose-limiting toxicity-grade 3 transient asymptomatic hyponatremia at the 1.0-mg/kg dose level. Treatment-related adverse events were generally grade 1 or 2 in severity. Evidence of biologic activity consistent with CD27 stimulation-chemokine induction, T-cell stimulation, regulatory T cell depletion-was observed at all dose levels. A patient with metastatic RCC experienced a partial response (78% shrinkage, progression-free survival > 2.3 years). Eight patients experienced stable disease > 3 months, including a patient with metastatic RCC with progression-free survival of > 3.9 years. Conclusion Dose escalation of varlilumab to 10 mg/kg was well tolerated without identification of a maximum tolerated dose. Varlilumab was biologically and clinically active.

Skin cancer screening: recommendations for data-driven screening guidelines and a review of the US Preventive Services Task Force controversy

Melanoma is usually apparent on the skin and readily detected by trained medical providers using a routine total body skin examination, yet this malignancy is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Currently, there is no national consensus on skin cancer screening in the USA, but dermatologists and primary care providers are routinely confronted with making the decision about when to recommend total body skin examinations and at what interval. The objectives of this paper are: to propose rational, risk-based, data-driven guidelines commensurate with the US Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines for other disorders; to compare our proposed guidelines to recommendations made by other national and international organizations; and to review the US Preventive Services Task Forces 2016 Draft Recommendation Statement on skin cancer screening.