Peter Lee

An open-label, single-arm, phase 2 (PX-171-004) study of single-agent carfilzomib in bortezomib-naive patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma

Carfilzomib is a selective proteasome inhibitor that binds irreversibly to its target. In phase 1 studies, carfilzomib elicited promising responses and an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). In the present phase 2, multicenter, open-label study, 129 bortezomib-naive patients with R/R MM (median of 2 prior therapies) were separated into Cohort 1, scheduled to receive intravenous carfilzomib 20 mg/m(2) for all treatment cycles, and Cohort 2, scheduled to receive 20 mg/m(2) for cycle 1 and then 27 mg/m(2) for all subsequent cycles. The primary end point was an overall response rate (≥ partial response) of 42.4% in Cohort 1 and 52.2% in Cohort 2. The clinical benefit response (overall response rate + minimal response) was 59.3% and 64.2% in Cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. Median duration of response was 13.1 months and not reached, and median time to progression was 8.3 months and not reached, respectively. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were fatigue (62.0%) and nausea (48.8%). Single-agent carfilzomib elicited a low incidence of peripheral neuropathy-17.1% overall (1 grade 3; no grade 4)-in these pretreated bortezomib-naive patients. The results of the present study support the use of carfilzomib in R/R MM patients. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00530816.

Bortezomib, Bendamustine, and Rituximab in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma: The Phase II VERTICAL Study

PURPOSEnThe aims of this multicenter study were to evaluate the response rate, progression-free survival, and toxicity of the combination of bortezomib, bendamustine, and rituximab in patients with follicular lymphoma whose disease was relapsed or refractory to prior treatment.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnPatients received five 35-day cycles of bortezomib, bendamustine, and rituximab: bortezomib administered intravenously (IV) at a dose of 1.6 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, cycles one to five; bendamustine 50, 70, or 90 mg/m(2) IV over a 60-minute infusion on days 1 and 2, cycles one to five; and rituximab 375 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of cycle one and day 1 of subsequent cycles. Patients were assessed using the International Workshop Response Criteria, with the primary end point of 60% complete response rate.nnnRESULTSnSeventy-three patients were enrolled. During the dose-escalation phase, the maximum-tolerated dose for bendamustine was not reached; the 90 mg/m(2) dose level was expanded for the efficacy assessment, and a total of 63 patients received bendamustine 90 mg/m(2). In these 63 patients, the overall response rate was 88% (including 53% complete response). Median duration of response was 11.7 months (95% CI, 9.2 to 13.3). Median progression-free survival was 14.9 months (95% CI, 11.1 to 23.7). Toxicities were manageable; myelosuppression was the main toxicity (25% and 14% of patients experienced grade 3 to 4 neutropenia and grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia, respectively). Transient grade 3 to 4 neuropathy occurred in 11% of patients.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe combination of bortezomib, bendamustine, and rituximab is highly active in patients with follicular lymphoma who have received previous treatment.

An Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Trial of the Polo-Like Kinase Inhibitor Volasertib (BI 6727) in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer

Polo‐like kinases (Plks) control multiple steps during the cell cycle, and Plk1 is overexpressed in urothelial cancer (UC). Volasertib (BI 6727), a Plk inhibitor, has demonstrated antitumor activity in several malignancies, including UC. In this phase 2 trial, the authors investigated volasertib as a second‐line treatment in advanced/metastatic UC.

A phase I/II study of carfilzomib 2–10-min infusion in patients with advanced solid tumors

AbstractPurposenTolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of carfilzomib, a selective proteasome inhibitor, administered twice weekly by 2–10-min intravenous (IV) infusion on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 in 28-day cycles, were assessed in patients with advanced solid tumors in this phase I/II study.nMethodsAdult patients with solid tumors progressing after ≥1 prior therapies were enrolled. The dose was 20xa0mg/m2 in week 1 of cycle 1 and 20, 27, or 36xa0mg/m2 thereafter. The maximum tolerated dose or protocol-defined maximum planned dose (MPD) identified during dose escalation was administered to an expansion cohort and to patients with small cell lung, non-small cell lung, ovarian, and renal cancer in phase II tumor-specific cohorts.ResultsFourteen patients received carfilzomib during dose escalation. The single dose-limiting toxicity at 20/36xa0mg/m2 was grade 3 fatigue, establishing the MPD as the expansion and phase II dose. Sixty-five additional patients received carfilzomib at the MPD. Adverse events included fatigue, nausea, anorexia, and dyspnea. Carfilzomib PK was dose proportional with a half-life <1xa0h. All doses resulted in at least 80xa0% proteasome inhibition in blood. Partial responses occurred in two patients in phase I, with 21.5xa0% stable disease after four cycles in evaluable patients in the expansion and phase II cohorts.ConclusionCarfilzomib 20/36xa0mg/m2 was well tolerated when administered twice weekly by 2–10-min IV infusion. At this dose and infusion rate, carfilzomib inhibited the proteasome in blood but demonstrated limited antitumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors.n

Bendamustine combined with rituximab for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are treated with salvage regimens and may be considered for high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation if disease is chemosensitive. Bendamustine is active in indolent B cell lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia but has not been extensively studied in aggressive lymphomas. This trial examines the combination of bendamustine and rituximab in patients with relapsed and refractory DLBCL. Patients received bendamustine at 90xa0mg/m2 (nu2009=u20092) or 120xa0mg/m2 (nu2009=u200957) on days 1 and 2 and rituximab at 375xa0mg/m2 on day 1 every 28xa0days for up to 6xa0cycles. The study evaluated objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment safety. Fifty-nine patients were treated, and 48 were evaluable for response. Median age was 74; 89xa0% had stage III or IV disease, and 63xa0% had high revised International Prognostic Index scores; the median number of prior therapies was 1. Based on analysis using the intent-to-treat population, the ORR was 45.8xa0% (complete response, 15.3xa0%; partial response, 30.5xa0%). The median DOR was 17.3xa0months, and the median PFS was 3.6xa0months. Grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicities included neutropenia (36xa0%), leukopenia (29xa0%), thrombocytopenia (22xa0%), and anemia (12xa0%). The combination of bendamustine and rituximab showed modest activity in patients with relapsed and refractory DLBCL and has an acceptable toxicity profile.

Effect of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone on the pharmacokinetics of dextromethorphan and theophylline in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

PurposeTo assess the effect of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone on the pharmacokinetics of dextromethorphan HBr (CYP2D6 substrate) and theophylline (CYP1A2 substrate) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).MethodsMen with progressive metastatic mCRPC who failed gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy and ≥1 lines of chemotherapy were enrolled. Patients received two doses of dextromethorphan HBr-30xa0mg (nxa0=xa018; group A) or theophylline-100xa0mg (nxa0=xa016; group B) under fasting conditions; one dose on cycle 1, day −8, and the other dose on cycle 1, day 8. Only patients with extensive CYP2D6 metabolizing status were assigned to group A. All patients received continuous daily oral abiraterone acetate (1,000xa0mg) plus prednisone (10xa0mg) starting on cycle 1, day 1.ResultsCoadministration of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone increased the systemic exposure of dextromethorphan by approximately 100xa0%. Ratios of geometric means for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) (275.36xa0%) and area under plasma concentration–time curves from time 0 to 24xa0h (AUC24h) (268.14xa0%) of dextromethorphan were outside the bioequivalence limit. The pharmacokinetics of theophylline was unaltered following coadministration of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. Ratios of geometric means [Cmax; 102.36xa0% and AUC24h; 108.03xa0%] of theophylline exposure parameters were within the bioequivalence limit. The safety profile of abiraterone acetate was consistent with reported toxicities.ConclusionAbiraterone acetate plus prednisone increased the exposure of dextromethorphan, suggesting a need for caution when coadministrating with known CYP2D6 substrates. The pharmacokinetics of theophylline was unaffected when coadministered with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone.

ENGAGE- 501: phase II study of entinostat (SNDX-275) in relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma treatment is evolving rapidly with high response rates from antibody-drug conjugates targeting CD30 and immune checkpoint antibodies. However, most patients do not achieve a complete response, therefore development of novel therapies is warranted to improve patient outcomes. In this phase II study, patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma were treated with entinostat, an isoform selective histone deacetylase inhibitor. Forty-nine patients were enrolled: 33 patients on Schedule A (10 or 15 mg oral entinostat once every other week); 16 patients on Schedule B (15 mg oral entinostat once weekly in 3 of 4 weeks). Patients received a median of 3 prior treatments (range 1–10), with 80% of the patients receiving a prior stem cell transplant and 8% of patients receiving prior brentuximab vedotin. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the overall response rate was 12% while the disease control rate (complete response, partial response, and stable disease beyond 6 months) was 24%. Seven patients did not complete the first cycle due to progression of disease. Tumor reduction was observed in 24 of 38 (58%) evaluable patients. Median progression-free survival and overall survival was 5.5 and 25.1 months, respectively. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (63%), anemia (47%), neutropenia (41%), leukopenia (10%), hypokalemia (8%), and hypophosphatemia (6%). Twenty-five (51%) patients required dose reductions or delays. Pericarditis/pericardial effusion occurred in one patient after 12 cycles of therapy. Future studies are warranted to identify predictive biomarkers for treatment response and to develop mechanism-based combination strategies. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 00866333)