Xiaoping Jin

Safety and Efficacy of Durvalumab (MEDI4736), an Anti-Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Urothelial Bladder Cancer

PURPOSE To investigate the safety and efficacy of durvalumab, a human monoclonal antibody that binds programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and the role of PD-L1 expression on clinical response in patients with advanced urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). METHODS A phase 1/2 multicenter, open-label study is being conducted in patients with inoperable or metastatic solid tumors. We report here the results from the UBC expansion cohort. Durvalumab (MEDI4736, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) was administered intravenously for up to 12 months. The primary end point was safety, and objective response rate (ORR, confirmed) was a key secondary end point. An exploratory analysis of pretreatment tumor biopsies led to defining PD-L1-positive as ≥ 25% of tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating immune cells expressing membrane PD-L1. RESULTS A total of 61 patients (40 PD-L1-positive, 21 PD-L1-negative), 93.4% of whom received one or more prior therapies for advanced disease, were treated (median duration of follow-up, 4.3 months). The most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade were fatigue (13.1%), diarrhea (9.8%), and decreased appetite (8.2%). Grade 3 treatment-related AEs occurred in three patients (4.9%); there were no treatment-related grade 4 or 5 AEs. One treatment-related AE (acute kidney injury) resulted in treatment discontinuation. The ORR was 31.0% (95% CI, 17.6 to 47.1) in 42 response-evaluable patients, 46.4% (95% CI, 27.5 to 66.1) in the PD-L1-positive subgroup, and 0% (95% CI, 0.0 to 23.2) in the PD-L1-negative subgroup. Responses are ongoing in 12 of 13 responding patients, with median duration of response not yet reached (range, 4.1+ to 49.3+ weeks). CONCLUSION Durvalumab demonstrated a manageable safety profile and evidence of meaningful clinical activity in PD-L1-positive patients with UBC, many of whom were heavily pretreated.

Efficacy and Safety of Durvalumab in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: Updated Results From a Phase 1/2 Open-label Study

Importance The data reported herein were accepted for assessment by the US Food and Drug Administration for Biologics License Application under priority review to establish the clinical benefit of durvalumab as second-line therapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC), resulting in its recent US approval. Objective To report a planned update of the safety and efficacy of durvalumab in patients with locally advanced/metastatic UC. Design, Setting, and Participants This is an ongoing phase 1/2 open-label study of 191 adult patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced/metastatic UC whose disease had progressed on, were ineligible for, or refused prior chemotherapy from 60 sites in 9 countries as reported herein. Intervention Patients were administered durvalumab intravenous infusion, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks, for up to 12 months or until progression, starting another anticancer therapy, or unacceptable toxic effects. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end points were safety and confirmed objective response rate (ORR) per blinded independent central review (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors [RECIST], version 1.1). Results A total of 191 patients with UC had received treatment. As of October 24, 2016 (90-day update), the median follow-up was 5.78 months (range, 0.4-25.9 months). The median age of patients was 67.0 years and most were male (136 [71.2%]) and white (123 [71.1%]). All patients had stage 4 disease, and 190 (99.5%) had prior anticancer therapy (182 [95.3%] postplatinum). The ORR was 17.8% (34 of 191; 95% CI, 12.7%-24.0%), including 7 complete responses. Responses were early (median time to response, 1.41 months), durable (median duration of response not reached), and observed regardless of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression (ORR, 27.6% [n = 27; 95% CI, 19.0%-37.5%] and 5.1% [n = 4; 95% CI, 1.4%-12.5%] in patients with high and low or negative expression of PD-L1, respectively). Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.5 months (95% CI, 1.4-1.9 months) and 18.2 months (95% CI, 8.1 months to not estimable), respectively; the 1-year overall survival rate was 55% (95% CI, 44%-65%), as estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 13 patients (6.8%); grade 3/4 immune-mediated AEs occurred in 4 patients (2.1%); and treatment-related AEs led to discontinuation of 3 patients (1.6%), 2 of whom had immune-mediated AEs that led to death (autoimmune hepatitis and pneumonitis). Conclusions and Relevance Durvalumab, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks, demonstrates favorable clinical activity and an encouraging and manageable safety profile in patients with locally advanced/metastatic UC. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01693562

Population Pharmacokinetics of Durvalumab in Cancer Patients and Association With Longitudinal Biomarkers of Disease Status

The objectives of this analysis were to develop a population pharmacokinetics (PK) model of durvalumab, an anti‐PD‐L1 antibody, and quantify the impact of baseline and time‐varying patient/disease characteristics on PK. Pooled data from two studies (1,409 patients providing 7,407 PK samples) were analyzed with nonlinear mixed effects modeling. Durvalumab PK was best described by a two‐compartment model with both linear and nonlinear clearances. Three candidate models were evaluated: a time‐invariant clearance (CL) model, an empirical time‐varying CL model, and a semimechanistic time‐varying CL model incorporating longitudinal covariates related to disease status (tumor shrinkage and albumin). The data supported a slight decrease in durvalumab clearance with time and suggested that it may be associated with a decrease in nonspecific protein catabolic rate among cancer patients who benefit from therapy. No covariates were clinically relevant, indicating no need for dose adjustment. Simulations indicated similar overall PK exposures following weight‐based and flat‐dosing regimens.

Abstract A047: Safety and clinical activity of durvalumab (MEDI4736), an anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Background: Durvalumab (D) is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that blocks PD-L1 binding to programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and CD80 with high affinity and selectivity. PD-L1 is expressed in NSCLC tumors and may be associated with response to anti-PD-L1 treatment. This ongoing Phase 1/2, multicenter, open-label study (NCT01693562) evaluates the safety and clinical activity of D in patients (pts) with multiple solid tumor types including NSCLC. Methods: D is administered at 10 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks (wks) (q2w) until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or for up to 12 months. Safety evaluations occur prior to each dose (toxicities graded by CTCAE v4.0). Response is based on investigator assessment (RECIST v1.1; includes confirmed/unconfirmed responses) at 6, 12, and 16 wks, then every 8 wks. Retreatment is permitted upon disease progression after 12 months of therapy. PD-L1 expression within the pre-treatment tumor is assessed using Ventana PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) (SP263). Results: As of February 27, 2015, 228 pts (126 non-squamous and 102 squamous histology; mean age 64 [range 26 – 87]; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 0 [25%] or 1 [74%]; 83% current/prior smokers; 0 [12%], 1 [29%], or ≥2 [56%] prior lines of therapy) have been treated with D 10 mg/kg q2w (median 6 doses; range 1 – 27). Drug-related adverse events (AEs) were reported in 50% of pts; most frequently fatigue (15%), decreased appetite (9%), and nausea (8%). Grade ≥3 drug-related AEs were reported in 8% of pts. Drug-related AEs led to study discontinuation in 5% of pts with no treatment-related deaths. Pneumonitis occurred in 3 (1%) pts; none were Grade ≥3. In all, 200 pts were evaluable for response with ≥12 wks of follow-up; objective response rate (ORR) was 16% (27% in PD-L1+), and disease control rate at 12 wks was 42%. ORR was higher in squamous (21%) than non-squamous pts (13%). Responses were durable with 66% ongoing (duration of response range 0.1+ – 54.4+ wks). Data from translational studies will be presented. Conclusions: With longer follow-up, the safety profile of D in NSCLC is manageable and consistent with our previous reports. Responses are durable; ORR appears to be higher in squamous NSCLC and PD-L1+ pts. A broad development program of D alone and in combination with other treatments in NSCLC is underway. Citation Format: Scott Antonia, Naiyer Rizvi, Julie Brahmer, Sai-Hong Ou, Samir N. Khleif, Wen-Jen Hwu, Martin Gutierrez, Patrick Schoffski, Omid Hamid, Jared Weiss, Jose Lutzky, Michele Maio, John Nemunaitis, Dirk Jaeger, Ani Balmanoukian, Marlon C. Rebelatto, Keith E. Steele, Xiaoping Jin, Paul B. Robbins, John A. Blake-Haskins, Neil H. Segal. Safety and clinical activity of durvalumab (MEDI4736), an anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A047.

Abstract 1773: A baseline IFNG gene expression signature correlates with clinical outcomes in durvalumab-treated advanced NSCLC cancer patients

Durvalumab (D) is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody which inhibits PDL1 binding to PD-1 and CD80, restoring antitumor immunity. In D-treated (tx) NSCLC patients (pts), we previously reported high baseline levels of tumoral PD-L1 protein and IFNγ mRNA expression associated with improved ORRs, PFS and OS. Here, a gene expression signature of baseline tumors associates with improved outcomes on D. CP1108/NCT01693562 was a nonrandomized phase 1/2 trial evaluating D in advanced previously tx NSCLC or other solid tumors. By 29APR2016, 304 NSCLC pts received 10 mg/kg Q2W of D ≤12 months with median 18.8 months follow up. RNA sequencing of frozen biopsies was conducted on 97 NSCLC tumors of sufficient quality with matched IHC for tumoral PD-L1 on 92 fresh or archival biopsies. Among 21 pre-identified immune-related genes, mRNAs for IFNG, LAG3, CXCL9, and PDL1 individually correlated best with outcomes in NSCLC after adjustment for sex, age, prior therapy, histology, ECOG and smoking. A signature was developed as mean mRNA levels of the four genes; signatures >upper tertile were IFNG signature positive (IFNGS+). Analysis was performed on NSCLC, then applied to 30 available urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) biopsies. NSCLC with ≥25% tumor cells stained for PD-L1 at any intensity were PD-L1+. 29 NSCLC had pre/post-treatment tumors for mRNA analysis. KM and Cox PH models were used. IFNGS+ D-tx NSCLC pts had higher ORR, median PFS and OS compared to PDL1+, PDL1-, and IFNGS- pts (Table 1); IFNGS+ UBC D-tx pts also correlated with these outcomes. Following D treatment, IFNGS was induced in NSCLC pts (FC=2; p=0.0046) regardless of clinical response. High levels of pre-treatment IFNGS in NSCLC pts associated with greater benefit from D. D induces IFNGS within the tumor microenvironment. Observations from other tumor types will be presented. Table 1. Clinical outcomes by IFNGS or PD-L1 status Citation Format: Brandon W. Higgs, Chris A. Morehouse, Katie Streicher, Philp Z. Brohawn, Keith Steele, Marlon Rebelatto, Fernanda Pilataxi, Carlos Bais, Li Shi, Xiaoping Jin, Joyce Antal, Ashok Gupta, Koustubh Ranade. A baseline IFNG gene expression signature correlates with clinical outcomes in durvalumab-treated advanced NSCLC cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1773. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1773

Population Modeling of Tumor Kinetics and Overall Survival to Identify Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers of Efficacy for Durvalumab in Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma

Durvalumab is an anti‐PD‐L1 monoclonal antibody approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has progressed after platinum‐containing chemotherapy. A population tumor kinetic model, coupled with dropout and survival models, was developed to describe longitudinal tumor size data and predict overall survival in UC patients treated with durvalumab (NCT01693562) and to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers of clinical outcomes. Model‐based covariate analysis identified liver metastasis as the most influential factor for tumor growth and immune‐cell PD‐L1 expression and baseline tumor burden as predictive factors for tumor killing. Tumor or immune‐cell PD‐L1 expression, liver metastasis, baseline hemoglobin, and albumin levels were identified as significant covariates for overall survival. These model simulations provided further insights into the impact of PD‐L1 cutoff values on treatment outcomes. The modeling framework can be a useful tool to guide patient selection and enrichment strategies for immunotherapies across various cancer indications.

Abstract 3720: Biological and clinical relevance of PD-L1 expression in tumor and inflammatory cells in NSCLC

Background: High PD-L1 expression has been shown to be associated with improved clinical outcomes to anti-PD-1/L1 therapies in NSCLC and other indications. However, only a fraction of the PD-L1 high patients (pts) respond. PD-L1 can be induced by IFNG and expressed in tumor cells (TC) and inflammatory cells (IC). Improving our ability to predict patient benefit from anti-PD-1/L1 therapies requires a better understanding of associations between PD-L1 expression in TC and/or IC and outcome. Here we explore the relationship between patterns of IHC PD-L1 expression in TC and IC, gene expression, and clinical outcome. Methods: CP1108/NCT01693562 was a nonrandomized phase 1/2 trial evaluating durvalumab in pts with advanced NSCLC or other solid tumors. As of 29 APR 2016, 368 previously treated NSCLC pts received durvalumab ≤12 months with a median 18.8 months follow up. Pts with ≥25% TC or IC were scored TC+ and/or IC+, respectively. Results: TC+ PD-L1 pts (includes IC+ and IC- PD-L1 pts) had improved survival compared to TC- PD-L1 pts. TC+ and IC+ PD-L1 pts had: improved survival compared to TC+/IC-, TC-/IC+, or TC-/IC- PD-L1 pts. However, prevalence of TC+/IC+ was lower than TC+. Twenty-one genes significantly differed between TC+/IC+, TC+/IC-, TC-/IC+, and TC-/IC- PD-L1 patient subsets, the vast majority being well-known IFNG-inducible genes and mostly over-expressed in the TC+/IC+ subset. Conclusions: TC+ and IC+ PD-L1 pts had the highest levels of IFNG-inducible gene expression, a key biological feature that distinguishes PD-L1 IHC positive from negative pts. Thus, in addition to PD-L1 IHC, the predictive value of IFNG should be investigated in additional relevant studies All comers: median OS: 11.2 months (N=304) Citation Format: Carlos Bais, Chris Morehouse, Brandon W. Higgs, Rebelatto Marlon, Keith Steele, Xiaoping Jin, Li Shi, Susana Korolevich, Ashok Gupta, Koustubh Ranade. Biological and clinical relevance of PD-L1 expression in tumor and inflammatory cells in NSCLC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3720. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3720

Abstract 664: Analytical validation and clinical utility of an immunohistochemical PD-L1 diagnostic assay for treatment with durvalumab in urothelial carcinoma patients

Background: A high quality programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) diagnostic may help to identify patients (pts) most likely to respond to anti-PD-L1/programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) therapy. Here we describe a PD-L1 immunohistochemical (IHC) diagnostic test developed for urothelial carcinoma (UC) pts treated with durvalumab. Methods: The IHC assay uses an anti-human PD-L1 rabbit mAb optimized for detection of both tumor cell (TC) and tumor-associated immune cell (IC) PD-L1 expression with the OptiView DAB IHC Detection Kit on the automated VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA platform. The assay was validated for intended use in UC formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples in a series of studies that addressed sensitivity, specificity, robustness and precision and implemented in Study CD-ON-MEDI4736-1108 (NCT01693562). Pts were evaluated using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay at a prespecified PD-L1 expression cut-off. Efficacy was analyzed in pts with PD-L1 low/negative (defined as TC Results: The VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay met all the predefined acceptance criteria (average positive agreement and average negative agreement >85%), showing analytical specificity, sensitivity and precision. It demonstrated ≥97% and ≥85% inter-reader precision agreement for TC and IC respectively. For intra-reader precision, it demonstrated >96% and >87% agreement for TC and IC respectively. For intra-day performance, the assay demonstrated ≥96% agreement for TC and IC and for inter-day performance, it demonstrated ≥98% and 100% agreement for TC and IC respectively. Precision studies for inter-antibody lot, inter-detection kit lot and intra-platform demonstrated >97% agreement for both TC and IC. Inter-laboratory testing was performed at 3 external laboratories and demonstrated an overall agreement rate of 92.3%. The VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay was implemented in Study CD-ON-MEDI4736-1108 and durvalumab demonstrated clinical activity and durability of response in both PD-L1 high and PD-L1 low/negative subgroups, yet with different response rates. In addition, given the high negative predictive value of the assay, it is especially helpful in evaluating the likelihood of response to durvalumab; pts who were classified as PD-L1 high with the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay tended to have a higher objective response rate per RECIST v1.1 than pts who were PD-L1 low/negative. Conclusions: These data show that determination of PD-L1 expression in TC and IC in UC pts using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay is precise and highly reproducible and highlight the utility of the assay in a clinical setting. The VENTANA SP263 Assay is especially helpful in informing pts and physicians on the likelihood of response to durvalumab, but not for the purpose of restricting treatment to only PD-L1 high pts. Citation Format: M Zajac, A M. Boothman, Y Ben, A Gupta, J Antal, X Jin, A Nielsen, G Manriquez, C Barker, P Wang, P Patil, N Schechter, M Rebelatto, J Walker. Analytical validation and clinical utility of an immunohistochemical PD-L1 diagnostic assay for treatment with durvalumab in urothelial carcinoma patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 664. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-664