Roxana Stefania Dronca

Safety and Tumor Responses with Lambrolizumab (Anti–PD-1) in Melanoma

BACKGROUND The programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor is a negative regulator of T-cell effector mechanisms that limits immune responses against cancer. We tested the anti-PD-1 antibody lambrolizumab (previously known as MK-3475) in patients with advanced melanoma. METHODS We administered lambrolizumab intravenously at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 or 3 weeks or 2 mg per kilogram every 3 weeks in patients with advanced melanoma, both those who had received prior treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab and those who had not. Tumor responses were assessed every 12 weeks. RESULTS A total of 135 patients with advanced melanoma were treated. Common adverse events attributed to treatment were fatigue, rash, pruritus, and diarrhea; most of the adverse events were low grade. The confirmed response rate across all dose cohorts, evaluated by central radiologic review according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1, was 38% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25 to 44), with the highest confirmed response rate observed in the cohort that received 10 mg per kilogram every 2 weeks (52%; 95% CI, 38 to 66). The response rate did not differ significantly between patients who had received prior ipilimumab treatment and those who had not (confirmed response rate, 38% [95% CI, 23 to 55] and 37% [95% CI, 26 to 49], respectively). Responses were durable in the majority of patients (median follow-up, 11 months among patients who had a response); 81% of the patients who had a response (42 of 52) were still receiving treatment at the time of analysis in March 2013. The overall median progression-free survival among the 135 patients was longer than 7 months. CONCLUSIONS In patients with advanced melanoma, including those who had had disease progression while they had been receiving ipilimumab, treatment with lambrolizumab resulted in a high rate of sustained tumor regression, with mainly grade 1 or 2 toxic effects. (Funded by Merck Sharp and Dohme; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01295827.).

Anti-programmed-death-receptor-1 treatment with pembrolizumab in ipilimumab-refractory advanced melanoma: a randomised dose-comparison cohort of a phase 1 trial

BACKGROUND The anti-programmed-death-receptor-1 (PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab has shown potent antitumour activity at different doses and schedules in patients with melanoma. We compared the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab at doses of 2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks in patients with ipilimumab-refractory advanced melanoma. METHODS In an open-label, international, multicentre expansion cohort of a phase 1 trial, patients (aged ≥18 years) with advanced melanoma whose disease had progressed after at least two ipilimumab doses were randomly assigned with a computer-generated allocation schedule (1:1 final ratio) to intravenous pembrolizumab at 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or consent withdrawal. Primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) assessed with the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1) by independent central review. Analysis was done on the full-analysis set (all treated patients with measurable disease at baseline). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01295827. FINDINGS 173 patients received pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg (n=89) or 10 mg/kg (n=84). Median follow-up duration was 8 months. ORR was 26% at both doses--21 of 81 patients in the 2 mg/kg group and 20 of 76 in the 10 mg/kg group (difference 0%, 95% CI -14 to 13; p=0·96). Treatment was well tolerated, with similar safety profiles in the 2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg groups and no drug-related deaths. The most common drug-related adverse events of any grade in the 2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg groups were fatigue (29 [33%] vs 31 [37%]), pruritus (23 [26%] vs 16 [19%]), and rash (16 [18%] vs 15 [18%]). Grade 3 fatigue, reported in five (3%) patients in the 2 mg/kg pembrolizumab group, was the only drug-related grade 3 to 4 adverse event reported in more than one patient. INTERPRETATION The results suggest that pembrolizumab at a dose of 2 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks might be an effective treatment in patients for whom there are few effective treatment options. FUNDING Merck Sharp and Dohme.

Association of Pembrolizumab With Tumor Response and Survival Among Patients With Advanced Melanoma.

IMPORTANCE The programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway limits immune responses to melanoma and can be blocked with the humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab. OBJECTIVE To characterize the association of pembrolizumab with tumor response and overall survival among patients with advanced melanoma. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS Open-label, multicohort, phase 1b clinical trials (enrollment, December 2011-September 2013). Median duration of follow-up was 21 months. The study was performed in academic medical centers in Australia, Canada, France, and the United States. Eligible patients were aged 18 years and older and had advanced or metastatic melanoma. Data were pooled from 655 enrolled patients (135 from a nonrandomized cohort [n = 87 ipilimumab naive; n = 48 ipilimumab treated] and 520 from randomized cohorts [n = 226 ipilimumab naive; n = 294 ipilimumab treated]). Cutoff dates were April 18, 2014, for safety analyses and October 18, 2014, for efficacy analyses. EXPOSURES Pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks, 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks, or 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks continued until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or investigator decision. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was confirmed objective response rate (best overall response of complete response or partial response) in patients with measurable disease at baseline per independent central review. Secondary end points included toxicity, duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS Among the 655 patients (median [range] age, 61 [18-94] years; 405 [62%] men), 581 had measurable disease at baseline. An objective response was reported in 194 of 581 patients (33% [95% CI, 30%-37%]) and in 60 of 133 treatment-naive patients (45% [95% CI, 36% to 54%]). Overall, 74% (152/205) of responses were ongoing at the time of data cutoff; 44% (90/205) of patients had response duration for at least 1 year and 79% (162/205) had response duration for at least 6 months. Twelve-month progression-free survival rates were 35% (95% CI, 31%-39%) in the total population and 52% (95% CI, 43%-60%) among treatment-naive patients. Median overall survival in the total population was 23 months (95% CI, 20-29) with a 12-month survival rate of 66% (95% CI, 62%-69%) and a 24-month survival rate of 49% (95% CI, 44%-53%). In treatment-naive patients, median overall survival was 31 months (95% CI, 24 to not reached) with a 12-month survival rate of 73% (95% CI, 65%-79%) and a 24-month survival rate of 60% (95% CI, 51%-68%). Ninety-two of 655 patients (14%) experienced at least 1 treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse event (AE) and 27 of 655 (4%) patients discontinued treatment because of a treatment-related AE. Treatment-related serious AEs were reported in 59 patients (9%). There were no drug-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among patients with advanced melanoma, pembrolizumab administration was associated with an overall objective response rate of 33%, 12-month progression-free survival rate of 35%, and median overall survival of 23 months; grade 3 or 4 treatment-related AEs occurred in 14%. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01295827.

Evaluation of Immune-Related Response Criteria and RECIST v1.1 in Patients With Advanced Melanoma Treated With Pembrolizumab

PURPOSE We evaluated atypical response patterns and the relationship between overall survival and best overall response measured per immune-related response criteria (irRC) and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) in patients with advanced melanoma treated with pembrolizumab in the phase Ib KEYNOTE-001 study (clinical trial information: NCT01295827). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients received pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or every 3 weeks. Atypical responses were identified by using centrally assessed irRC data in patients with ≥ 28 weeks of imaging. Pseudoprogression was defined as ≥ 25% increase in tumor burden at week 12 (early) or any assessment after week 12 (delayed) that was not confirmed as progressive disease at next assessment. Response was assessed centrally per irRC and RECIST v1.1. RESULTS Of the 655 patients with melanoma enrolled, 327 had ≥ 28 weeks of imaging follow-up. Twenty-four (7%) of these 327 patients had atypical responses (15 [5%] with early pseudoprogression and nine [3%] with delayed pseudoprogression). Of the 592 patients who survived ≥ 12 weeks, 84 (14%) experienced progressive disease per RECIST v1.1 but nonprogressive disease per irRC. Two-year overall survival rates were 77.6% in patients with nonprogressive disease per both criteria (n = 331), 37.5% in patients with progressive disease per RECIST v1.1 but nonprogressive disease per irRC (n = 84), and 17.3% in patients with progressive disease per both criteria (n = 177). CONCLUSION Atypical responses were observed in patients with melanoma treated with pembrolizumab. Based on survival analysis, conventional RECIST might underestimate the benefit of pembrolizumab in approximately 15% of patients; modified criteria that permit treatment beyond initial progression per RECIST v1.1 might prevent premature cessation of treatment.

Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression and Response to the Anti–Programmed Death 1 Antibody Pembrolizumab in Melanoma

Purpose Expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a potential predictive marker for response and outcome after treatment with anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1). This study explored the relationship between anti-PD-1 activity and PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with pembrolizumab in the phase Ib KEYNOTE-001 study (clinical trial information: NCT01295827). Patients and Methods Six hundred fifty-five patients received pembrolizumab10 mg/kg once every 2 weeks or once every 3 weeks, or 2 mg/kg once every 3 weeks. Tumor response was assessed every 12 weeks per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 by independent central review. Primary outcome was objective response rate. Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Membranous PD-L1 expression in tumor and tumor-associated immune cells was assessed by a clinical trial immunohistochemistry assay (22C3 antibody) and scored on a unique melanoma (MEL) scale of 0 to 5 by one of three pathologists who were blinded to clinical outcome; a score ≥ 2 (membranous staining in ≥ 1% of cells) was considered positive. Results Of 451 patients with evaluable PD-L1 expression, 344 (76%) had PD-L1-positive tumors. Demographic and staging variables were equally distributed among PD-L1-positive and -negative patients. An association between higher MEL score and higher response rate and longer PFS (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.82) and OS (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.83) was observed ( P < .001 for each). Objective response rate was 8%, 12%, 22%, 43%, 57%, and 53% for MEL 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Conclusion PD-L1 expression in pretreatment tumor biopsy samples was correlated with response rate, PFS, and OS; however, patients with PD-L1-negative tumors may also achieve durable responses.

Efficacy and safety of the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody MK-3475 in 411 patients (pts) with melanoma (MEL).

LBA9000^ Background: The humanized monoclonal IgG4 anti-PD-1 antibody MK-3475 has demonstrated durable antitumor activity in MEL and NSCLC. We evaluated MK-3475 efficacy and safety in a pooled analysis of 411 MEL pts. METHODS A nonrandomized cohort of ipilimumab-naive (IPI-N) and IPI-treated (IPI-T) pts treated with MK-3475 10 mg/kg Q2W, 10 mg/kg Q3W, or 2 mg/kg Q3W and randomized cohorts of IPI-N and IPI-T pts treated with 2 Q3W or 10 Q3W were included. Response was assessed every 12 wk by RECIST 1.1 by independent central review and by immune-related response criteria (irRC) by investigator. RESULTS 162 pts were treated at 2 Q3W, 192 at 10 Q3W, and 57 at 10 Q2W. 190 pts were IPI-N and 221 were IPI-T. As of the 10/18/2013 cutoff, all pts had ≥6 mo follow-up and >75% had ≥9 mo follow-up. Among the 365 pts with measurable disease at baseline, ORR by RECIST was 40% (95% CI 32%-48%) in IPI-N and 28% (95% CI 22%-35%) in IPI-T pts. Responses were durable (88% ongoing at analysis). Median PFS by RECIST was 24 wk in IPI-N and 23 wk in IPI-T pts. Median OS was not reached, with 1-y OS of 71% in all pts. Benefit was observed by both RECIST and irRC at all doses and schedules in IPI-N and IPI-T pts (Table). MK-3475 demonstrated activity in all major subgroups irrespective of ECOG PS, LDH levels, BRAFmutation, M stage, and number and type of prior therapy. Overall, 12% of pts experienced drug-related grade 3/4 AEs and 4% discontinued due to a drug-related AE. There were no drug-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS MK-3475 showed durable responses and a manageable safety profile across dose and schedules in IPI-N and IPI-T MEL pts. The observed efficacy and safety suggest MK-3475 may be an appropriate treatment for all pts with MEL. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION NCT01295827. [Table: see text].

Latest Advances in Chemotherapeutic, Targeted, and Immune Approaches in the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer owing to its metastatic potential and is an important public health concern. The melanoma incidence has been increasing worldwide. Although potentially curable when diagnosed early, metastatic melanoma carries a poor prognosis. Until recently, systemic therapy for metastatic melanoma was ineffective, but the recent successes in the development of new therapies for metastatic melanoma, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitors, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway blocking antibodies, as well as combination strategies of cytotoxic chemotherapy and inhibitors of angiogenesis, have all yielded promising results, changing the continually evolving landscape of therapeutic options for patients with this disease. The aim of this review was to summarize the evolution of and recent advances in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive PubMed search between January 1, 1960, and February 1, 2014, using the search term melanoma or metastatic melanoma combined with terms such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, adoptive T cell, targeted therapy, MAPK, molecular biology, and survival.

Melanoma Brain Metastases and Vemurafenib: Need for Further Investigation

Brain metastases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced melanoma. With the development of targeted agents for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, a great deal of interest has focused on whether selective BRAF inhibitors may play a role in the treatment of brain metastases in lieu of or in addition to surgery and/or radiation therapy. However, relatively little is known about the intracranial effectiveness of vemurafenib, the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved selective BRAF V600E inhibitor, because patients with brain metastases have historically been excluded from vemurafenib clinical trials. We describe 3 patients with BRAF V600E mutation metastatic melanoma in whom treatment with vemurafenib resulted in prompt extracranial disease response but progression of metastatic disease in the brain. Further, we discuss possible mechanisms responsible for the suboptimal central nervous system response observed in these patients and alternative therapies for patients with melanoma metastatic to the brain.

The use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma is a rare type of melanoma, with only five to seven cases per one million persons diagnosed each year. Patients with metastatic melanoma of uveal origin tend to have lower response rates on traditional therapies. Herein we report our experience with 10 patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM) who received pembrolizumab. Eligible patients were more than or equal to 18 years old, had unresectable MUM, progressed on prior ipilimumab therapy, had good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group of 0 or 1), and adequate organ and marrow function. Patients could have central nervous system disease, but needed to be clinically stable. Patients were treated with 2 mg/kg pembrolizumab intravenously over 30 min every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or for up to 2 years. Between April 2014 and October 2014, we treated a total of 10 patients with MUM with pembrolizumab. Median age was 65 years, with 70% being female. As of the data cutoff date of 14 May 2015, median progression-free survival was 18 weeks (range 3.14–49.3 weeks), with four patients still currently receiving therapy. Of eight evaluable patients, there was one complete response, two partial responses, and one patient with stable disease. Four patients had rapidly progressive disease. Toxicities were as expected and were usually grade 1/2 in nature. Although this cohort of patients was small, to our knowledge this is the first such report of outcomes in uveal melanoma patients being treated with anti-PD1 therapy. In the absence of a clinical trial, treatment with pembrolizumab appears to be a viable option for patients with MUM.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is not an independent predictor of outcome in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) after long-term follow-up

To evaluate carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) expression as an independent prognostic marker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). With recent smaller studies showing conflicting results, we aimed to update our initial analysis in 2007 with an additional 5‐year follow‐up.