Weiwei Tan

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibition in non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Oncogenic fusion genes consisting of EML4 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are present in a subgroup of non-small-cell lung cancers, representing 2 to 7% of such tumors. We explored the therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting ALK in such tumors in an early-phase clinical trial of crizotinib (PF-02341066), an orally available small-molecule inhibitor of the ALK tyrosine kinase. METHODS After screening tumor samples from approximately 1500 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer for the presence of ALK rearrangements, we identified 82 patients with advanced ALK-positive disease who were eligible for the clinical trial. Most of the patients had received previous treatment. These patients were enrolled in an expanded cohort study instituted after phase 1 dose escalation had established a recommended crizotinib dose of 250 mg twice daily in 28-day cycles. Patients were assessed for adverse events and response to therapy. RESULTS Patients with ALK rearrangements tended to be younger than those without the rearrangements, and most of the patients had little or no exposure to tobacco and had adenocarcinomas. At a mean treatment duration of 6.4 months, the overall response rate was 57% (47 of 82 patients, with 46 confirmed partial responses and 1 confirmed complete response); 27 patients (33%) had stable disease. A total of 63 of 82 patients (77%) were continuing to receive crizotinib at the time of data cutoff, and the estimated probability of 6-month progression-free survival was 72%, with no median for the study reached. The drug resulted in grade 1 or 2 (mild) gastrointestinal side effects. CONCLUSIONS The inhibition of ALK in lung tumors with the ALK rearrangement resulted in tumor shrinkage or stable disease in most patients. (Funded by Pfizer and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00585195.).

Crizotinib in ROS1-Rearranged Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND Chromosomal rearrangements of the gene encoding ROS1 proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) define a distinct molecular subgroup of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that may be susceptible to therapeutic ROS1 kinase inhibition. Crizotinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), ROS1, and another proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase, MET. METHODS We enrolled 50 patients with advanced NSCLC who tested positive for ROS1 rearrangement in an expansion cohort of the phase 1 study of crizotinib. Patients were treated with crizotinib at the standard oral dose of 250 mg twice daily and assessed for safety, pharmacokinetics, and response to therapy. ROS1 fusion partners were identified with the use of next-generation sequencing or reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assays. RESULTS The objective response rate was 72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58 to 84), with 3 complete responses and 33 partial responses. The median duration of response was 17.6 months (95% CI, 14.5 to not reached). Median progression-free survival was 19.2 months (95% CI, 14.4 to not reached), with 25 patients (50%) still in follow-up for progression. Among 30 tumors that were tested, we identified 7 ROS1 fusion partners: 5 known and 2 novel partner genes. No correlation was observed between the type of ROS1 rearrangement and the clinical response to crizotinib. The safety profile of crizotinib was similar to that seen in patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS In this study, crizotinib showed marked antitumor activity in patients with advanced ROS1-rearranged NSCLC. ROS1 rearrangement defines a second molecular subgroup of NSCLC for which crizotinib is highly active. (Funded by Pfizer and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00585195.).

Activity of Crizotinib (PF02341066), a Dual Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET) and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) Inhibitor, in a Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patient with De Novo MET Amplification

Crizotinib is a dual MET and ALK inhibitor. Currently, clinical development of crizotinib is focused primarily on ALK rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here we report an NSCLC patient with de novo MET amplification but no ALK rearrangement who achieved a rapid and durable response to crizotinib indicating is also a bona fide MET inhibitor.

Phase I Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of the Oral MAPK/ERK Kinase Inhibitor PD-0325901 in Patients with Advanced Cancers

Purpose: To determine tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of PD-0325901, a highly potent, selective, oral mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase 1/2 inhibitor in advanced cancer patients. Experimental Design: Sixty-six patients received PD-0325901 at doses from 1 mg once daily to 30 mg twice daily (BID). Cycles were 28 days; three administration schedules were evaluated. Pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed and tumor biopsies were done to evaluate pharmacodynamics. Results: Common adverse events were rash, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and visual disturbances including retinal vein occlusion (RVO; n = 3). Neurotoxicity was frequent in patients receiving ≥15 mg BID. The maximum tolerated dose, 15 mg BID continuously, was associated with late-onset RVO outside the dose-limiting toxicity window. An alternative dose and schedule, 10 mg BID 5 days on/2 days off, was therefore expanded; one RVO event occurred. Three of 48 evaluable patients with melanoma achieved confirmed partial responses; 10 had stable disease ≥4 months. PD-0325901 exposure was generally dose proportional. Doses ≥2 mg BID consistently caused ≥60% suppression of phosphorylated ERK in melanoma. Fifteen patients showed significant decreases (≥50%) in Ki-67. Conclusions: PD-0325901 showed preliminary clinical activity. The maximum tolerated dose, based on first cycle dose-limiting toxicities, was 15 mg BID continuously. However, 10 and 15 mg BID continuous dosing and 10 mg BID 5 days on/2 days off schedules were associated with delayed development of RVO; thus, further enrollment to this trial was stopped. Intermittent dose scheduling between 2 and 10 mg BID should be explored to identify a recommended dose with long-term PD-0325901 use. Clin Cancer Res; 16(6); 1924–37

Prediction of Oral Pharmacokinetics of cMet Kinase Inhibitors in Humans: Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model versus Traditional One Compartment Model

The objective of this study was to assess the physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for predicting plasma concentration-time profiles of orally available cMet kinase inhibitors, (R)-3-[1-(2,6-dichloro-3-fluoro-phenyl)-ethoxy]-5-(1-piperidin-4-yl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-pyridin-2-ylamine (PF02341066) and 2-[4-(3-quinolin-6-ylmethyl-3H-[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-b]pyrazin-5-yl)-pyrazol-1-yl]-ethanol (PF04217903), in humans. The prediction accuracy of pharmacokinetics (PK) by PBPK modeling was compared with that of a traditional one-compartment PK model based on allometric scaling. The predicted clearance values from allometric scaling with the correction for the interspecies differences in protein binding were used as a representative comparison, which showed more accurate PK prediction in humans than the other methods. Overall PBPK modeling provided better prediction of the area under the plasma concentration-time curves for both PF02341066 (1.2-fold error) and PF04217903 (1.3-fold error) compared with the one-compartment PK model (1.8- and 1.9-fold errors, respectively). Of more importance, the simulated plasma concentration-time profiles of PF02341066 and PF04217903 by PBPK modeling seemed to be consistent with the observed profiles showing multiexponential declines, resulting in more accurate prediction of the apparent half-lives (t1/2): the observed and predicted t1/2 values were, respectively, 10 and 12 h for PF02341066 and 6.6 and 6.3 h for PF04217903. The predicted t1/2 values by the one-compartment PK model were 17 h for PF02341066 and 1.9 h for PF04217903. Therefore, PBPK modeling has the potential to be more useful and reliable for the PK prediction of PF02341066 and PF04217903 in humans than the traditional one-compartment PK model. In summary, the present study has shown examples to indicate that the PBPK model can be used to predict PK profiles in humans.

Complex renal cysts associated with crizotinib treatment

An apparent causal association between crizotinib treatment and renal cyst development emerged during clinical trials in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serious adverse event (SAE) reports of renal cysts from a safety database of 1375 patients from four clinical trials were reviewed. A blinded, retrospective, independent radiologic review (IRR) was performed using scans from patients on study for ≥6 months in three clinical trials; risk factors for renal cyst development were assessed. Among 17 patients with renal cysts reported as SAEs, evidence of invasion into adjacent structures was noted in seven patients, with no evidence of malignancy found. These patients generally did not require dose reductions, none required permanent crizotinib discontinuation due to this AE, and most continued treatment with clinical benefit. In the blinded IRR, among 255 crizotinib‐treated patients, 22%, 3%, and 2% had preexisting simple cysts, complex cysts, or both, respectively. At the 6‐month tumor assessment, 9% of all patients had acquired new cysts, and 2% of patients with preexisting cysts had developed new cysts and enlargements (>50%) of preexisting simple cysts. Asians appeared to have an increased risk of developing new cysts on treatment; Koreans in particular had 5.18 times higher odds of developing cysts than non‐Asians (95% confidence interval, 1.51–17.78; P = 0.05). Crizotinib treatment appears to be associated with an increased risk of development and progression of renal cysts in patients with ALK‐positive NSCLC. While close monitoring is recommended, dosing modification was not generally necessary, allowing patients to remain on crizotinib treatment.

Recurrence and Survival After Resection of Small Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm-associated Carcinomas (≤20-mm Invasive Component): A Multi-institutional Analysis.

Background:Early invasive carcinoma may be encountered in association with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas. The natural history of these early invasive lesions is unknown. Methods:Pancreatic surgical databases from 4 high-volume centers were queried for IPMNs, with invasive components measuring 20 mm or less. All cases were reviewed by GI gastrointestinal pathologists, and pathologic features were analyzed to identify predictors of recurrence and survival. Results:A total of 70 small IPMN-associated invasive carcinomas (⩽20-mm invasion) were identified, comprising 25% of resected IPMN-associated carcinomas (n = 280). Most of these small invasive cancers were multifocal (66%), less than 10 mm in size (73%), and arose in the setting of a main duct IPMN (96%). The most common adenocarcinoma subtypes were tubular (57%) and colloid (29%). Lymph node metastases were present in 19% of cases and 23% were T3 lesions. The overall recurrence rate was 24% (n = 17), and the median time to recurrence was 16 months (range: 4–132 months). Median and 5-year survival rates were 99 months and 59%. Recurrence patterns of invasive disease were local in 35%, distant in 47%, and both in 18%. Lymphatic spread and T3 stage were predictive of recurrence (univariate, P = 0.006), whereas tubular carcinoma type was the most predictive of poor overall survival (multivariate hazard ratio = 3.7, P = 0.04). Conclusions:This study represents the largest multi-institutional experience of resected small IPMN-associated carcinoma. Although these malignancies may frequently be cured with resection, recurrence risk is significant. Lymphatic spread, increased T stage, and tubular type carcinoma were associated with the poorest outcome.

Metabolism, excretion and pharmacokinetics of [14C]crizotinib following oral administration to healthy subjects

Abstract 1. Crizotinib (XALKORI®), an oral inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor kinase (c-Met), is currently approved for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer that is ALK-positive. 2. The metabolism, excretion and pharmacokinetics of crizotinib were investigated following administration of a single oral dose of 250 mg/100 µCi [14C]crizotinib to six healthy male subjects. 3. Mean recovery of [14C]crizotinib-related radioactivity in excreta samples was 85% of the dose (63% in feces and 22% in urine). 4. Crizotinib and its metabolite, crizotinib lactam, were the major components circulating in plasma, accounting for 33% and 10%, respectively, of the 0–96 h plasma radioactivity. Unchanged crizotinib was the major excreted component in feces (∼53% of the dose). In urine, crizotinib and O-desalkyl crizotinib lactam accounted for ∼2% and 5% of the dose, respectively. Collectively, these data indicate that the primary clearance pathway for crizotinib in humans is oxidative metabolism/hepatic elimination. 5. Based on plasma exposure in healthy subjects following a single dose of crizotinib and in vitro potency against ALK and c-Met, the crizotinib lactam diastereomers are not anticipated to contribute significantly to in vivo activity; however, additional assessment in cancer patients is warranted.

Phase I Results from a Study of Crizotinib in Combination with Erlotinib in Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction: This phase I trial was conducted to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended phase II dose, and efficacy of crizotinib plus erlotinib in patients with advanced NSCLC. Methods: Patients with NSCLC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 after failure of one or two prior chemotherapy regimens were eligible. Erlotinib, 100 mg, was given continuously once daily starting between day −14 and −7; crizotinib, 200 mg twice daily (dose level 1) or 150 mg twice daily (dose level −1), was added continuously beginning on day 1 of treatment cycle 1. Potential pharmacokinetic interactions between crizotinib and erlotinib were evaluated. Results: Twenty‐seven patients received treatment; 26 received crizotinib plus erlotinib. Frequent adverse events were diarrhea, rash, decreased appetite, and fatigue. Dose‐limiting toxicities were dehydration, diarrhea, dry eye, dysphagia, dyspepsia, esophagitis and vomiting. The MTD was crizotinib, 150 mg twice daily, with erlotinib, 100 mg once daily. Crizotinib increased the erlotinib area under the concentration‐time curve 1.5‐fold (dose level −1) and 1.8‐fold (dose level 1). The plasma level of crizotinib appeared to be unaffected by coadministration of erlotinib. Two patients whose tumors harbored activating EGFR mutations achieved confirmed partial responses, one at each crizotinib dose level. Conclusions: The MTD of the combination of crizotinib and erlotinib in patients with advanced NSCLC was crizotinib, 150 mg twice daily, with erlotinib, 100 mg once daily, which is less than the approved dose of either agent. The phase II portion of the study was not initiated.

Clinical Implications of the Pharmacokinetics of Crizotinib in Populations of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: We assessed the effect of baseline patient demographic and disease characteristics on the crizotinib pharmacokinetic parameters oral clearance (CL/F), volume of distribution (V2/F), and area under the curve at steady state (AUCss) following multiple crizotinib 250-mg twice-daily dosing in patients with ALK-positive cancer. Experimental Design: A pharmacokinetic model was fit to data from 1,214 patients. We identified statistically significant covariates (P ≤ 0.001) by evaluating their effects on CL/F and V2/F and estimated their magnitudes. Results: Age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, albumin levels, and smoking status had no effect on CL/F or V2/F. Statistically significant covariates were Asian race and female sex for CL/F and V2/F and body weight, creatinine clearance (CLcr), and total bilirubin for CL/F only. The model predicted that CL/F would be 9% lower or higher in a 40-kg or a 100-kg patient, respectively; 16% lower in patients with CLcr 30 mL/minute; 23% lower in Asians; and 11% lower in females than the reference patient (65-kg non-Asian male; baseline CLcr, 91.6 mL/minute; total bilirubin, 0.41 mg/dL). The effect of total bilirubin on CL/F was small. V2/F was 23% lower in Asians than non-Asians and females than males. Effects of all significant covariates on AUCss were not predicted to be clinically relevant. Conclusions: Crizotinib at a 250-mg twice-daily starting dose appears to be appropriate for all patients irrespective of age, sex, race, body weight, mild or moderate renal impairment, or hepatic function (in the range evaluated: bilirubin ≤ 2.1 mg/dL or AST ≤124 U/L). Clin Cancer Res; 22(23); 5722–8. ©2016 AACR.