Summary Background The antibody–drug conjugate trastuzumab emtansine is indicated for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a ...taxane. Approval of this drug was based on progression-free survival and interim overall survival data from the phase 3 EMILIA study. In this report, we present a descriptive analysis of the final overall survival data from that trial. Methods EMILIA was a randomised, international, open-label, phase 3 study of men and women aged 18 years or older with HER2-positive unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a hierarchical, dynamic randomisation scheme and an interactive voice response system to trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks) or control (capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 self-administered orally twice daily on days 1–14 on each 21-day cycle, plus lapatinib 1250 mg orally once daily on days 1–21). Randomisation was stratified by world region (USA vs western Europe vs or other), number of previous chemotherapy regimens for unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease (0 or 1 vs >1), and disease involvement (visceral vs non-visceral). The coprimary efficacy endpoints were progression-free survival (per independent review committee assessment) and overall survival. Efficacy was analysed in the intention-to-treat population; safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment, with patients analysed according to the treatment actually received. On May 30, 2012, the study protocol was amended to allow crossover from control to trastuzumab emtansine after the second interim overall survival analysis crossed the prespecified overall survival efficacy boundary. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00829166. Findings Between Feb 23, 2009, and Oct 13, 2011, 991 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trastuzumab emtansine (n=495) or capecitabine and lapatinib (control; n=496). In this final descriptive analysis, median overall survival was longer with trastuzumab emtansine than with control (29·9 months 95% CI 26·3–34·1 vs 25·9 months 95% CI 22·7–28·3; hazard ratio 0·75 95% CI 0·64–0·88). 136 (27%) of 496 patients crossed over from control to trastuzumab emtansine after the second interim overall survival analysis (median follow-up duration 24·1 months IQR 19·5–26·1). Of those patients originally randomly assigned to trastuzumab emtansine, 254 (51%) of 495 received capecitabine and 241 49% of 495 received lapatinib (separately or in combination) after study drug discontinuation. In the safety population (488 patients treated with capecitabine plus lapatinib, 490 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine), fewer grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred with trastuzumab emtansine (233 48% of 490) than with capecitabine plus lapatinib control treatment (291 60% of 488). In the control group, the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events were diarrhoea (103 21% of 488 patients) followed by palmar–plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (87 18%), and vomiting (24 5%). The safety profile of trastuzumab emtansine was similar to that reported previously; the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events in the trastuzumab emtansine group were thrombocytopenia (70 14% of 490), increased aspartate aminotransferase levels (22 5%), and anaemia (19 4%). Nine patients died from adverse events; five of these deaths were judged to be related to treatment (two in the control group coronary artery disease and multiorgan failure and three in the trastuzumab emtansine group metabolic encephalopathy, neutropenic sepsis, and acute myeloid leukaemia). Interpretation This descriptive analysis of final overall survival in the EMILIA trial shows that trastuzumab emtansine improved overall survival in patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer even in the presence of crossover treatment. The safety profile was similar to that reported in previous analyses, reaffirming trastuzumab emtansine as an efficacious and tolerable treatment in this patient population. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech.
Summary Background In the randomised, parallel assignment, open-label, phase 3 TH3RESA study, progression-free survival was significantly longer with trastuzumab emtansine versus treatment of ...physician's choice in previously treated patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. We report results from the final overall survival analysis of the TH3RESA trial. Methods Eligible patients for the TH3RESA trial were men and women (aged ≥18 years) with centrally confirmed HER2-positive advanced breast cancer previously treated with both trastuzumab and lapatinib (advanced setting) and a taxane (any setting) and with progression on two or more HER2-directed regimens in the advanced setting. Patients had to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2, left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 50%, and adequate organ function. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) by an interactive voice and web response system with permuted block randomisation in blocks of six to receive trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg intravenously every 21 days) or treatment of physician's choice administered per local practice. Randomisation was stratified by world region, number of previous regimens for advanced breast cancer, and presence of visceral disease. On Sept 12, 2012, the study protocol was amended to allow patients with disease progression to crossover from treatment of physician's choice to trastuzumab emtansine. The coprimary endpoints for TH3RESA were investigator-assessed progression-free survival and overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. We report results from a preplanned second interim analysis of overall survival, which was planned for when approximately 67% (n=330) of 492 expected deaths had occurred. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01419197. Findings Between Sept 14, 2011, and Nov 19, 2012, 602 patients were enrolled from 146 centres in 22 countries and randomly assigned to trastuzumab emtansine (n=404) or treatment of physician's choice (n=198). At data cutoff (Feb 13, 2015), 93 (47%) of 198 patients in the physician's choice group had crossed over to trastuzumab emtansine. Overall survival was significantly longer with trastuzumab emtansine versus treatment of physician's choice (median 22·7 months 95% CI 19·4–27·5 vs 15·8 months 13·5–18·7; hazard ratio 0·68 95% CI 0·54–0·85; p=0·0007). As the stopping boundary for overall survival was crossed, this overall survival analysis serves as the final and confirmatory analysis of overall survival and the study was terminated according to the protocol. The incidence of grade 3 or worse adverse events was 161 (40%) of 403 patients in the trastuzumab emtansine group and 87 (47%) of 184 patients in the treatment of physician's choice group. Of the most common grade 3 or worse adverse events (affecting ≥2% of patients in either group), those with a 3% or greater difference in incidence between groups that were more frequent with treatment of physician's choice than with trastuzumab emtansine were diarrhoea (three 1% of 403 patients in the trastuzumab emtansine group vs eight 4% of 184 patients in the treatment of physician's choice group), neutropenia (ten 3% vs 29 16%), and febrile neutropenia (one <1% vs seven 4%); whereas those that were more frequent with trastuzumab emtansine were thrombocytopenia (24 6% of 403 patients vs five 3% of 184 patients) and haemorrhage of any type (17 4% of 403 vs one <1% of 184). Serious adverse events were reported in 102 (25%) of 403 patients in the trastuzumab emtansine group and 41 (22%) of 184 in the physician's choice group. Deaths from adverse events were reported in three patients (2%) in the physician's choice group (of which one was judged to be treatment related) and nine (2%) in the trastuzumab emtansine group (of which three were judged to be treatment related). Interpretation In patients who had progressed on two or more HER2-directed regimens, trastuzumab emtansine treatment resulted in a significant improvement in overall survival versus treatment of physician's choice. These data further solidify the role of trastuzumab emtansine in the management of patients with previously treated HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, and validate HER2 as a therapeutic target even after multiple lines of previous therapy. Funding F Hoffman-La Roche/Genentech.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, formerly DS-8201a) is a novel human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC) with a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. A dose ...escalation and expansion phase I study evaluated the safety and activity of T-DXd in patients with advanced HER2-expressing/mutated solid tumors. Here, results for T-DXd at the recommended doses for expansion (RDE) in patients with HER2-low (immunohistochemistry IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization-) breast cancer (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02564900) are reported.
Eligible patients had advanced/metastatic HER2-low-expressing breast cancer refractory to standard therapies. The RDE of 5.4 or 6.4 mg/kg T-DXd were administered intravenously once every 3 weeks until withdrawal of consent, unacceptable toxicity, or progressive disease. Antitumor activity and safety were assessed.
Between August 2016 and August 2018, 54 patients were enrolled and received ≥ 1 dose of T-DXd at the RDE. Patients were extensively pretreated (median, 7.5 prior therapies). The confirmed objective response rate by independent central review was 20/54 (37.0%; 95% CI, 24.3% to 51.3%) with median duration of response of 10.4 months (95% CI, 8.8 month to not evaluable). Most patients (53/54; 98.1%) experienced ≥ 1 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE; grade ≥ 3; 34/54; 63.0%). Common (≥ 5%) grade ≥ 3 TEAEs included decreases in neutrophil, platelet, and WBC counts; anemia; hypokalemia; AST increase; decreased appetite; and diarrhea. Three patients treated at 6.4 mg/kg suffered fatal events associated with T-DXd-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis as determined by an independent adjudication committee.
The novel HER2-targeted ADC, T-DXd, demonstrated promising preliminary antitumor activity in patients with HER2-low breast cancer. Most toxicities were GI or hematologic in nature. ILD is an important identified risk and should be monitored closely and proactively managed.
Summary Background Patients with progressive disease after two or more HER2-directed regimens for recurrent or metastatic breast cancer have few effective therapeutic options. We aimed to compare ...trastuzumab emtansine, an antibody–drug conjugate comprising the cytotoxic agent DM1 linked to trastuzumab, with treatment of physician's choice in this population of patients. Methods This randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial took place in medical centres in 22 countries across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia-Pacific. Eligible patients (≥18 years, left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0–2) with progressive HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who had received two or more HER2-directed regimens in the advanced setting, including trastuzumab and lapatinib, and previous taxane therapy in any setting, were randomly assigned (in a 2:1 ratio) to trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg intravenously every 21 days) or physician's choice using a permuted block randomisation scheme by an interactive voice and web response system. Patients were stratified according to world region (USA vs western Europe vs other), number of previous regimens (excluding single-agent hormonal therapy) for the treatment of advanced disease (two to three vs more than three), and presence of visceral disease (any vs none). Coprimary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. We report the final PFS analysis and the first interim overall survival analysis. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01419197. Findings From Sept 14, 2011, to Nov 19, 2012, 602 patients were randomly assigned (404 to trastuzumab emtansine and 198 to physician's choice). At data cutoff (Feb 11, 2013), 44 patients assigned to physician's choice had crossed over to trastuzumab emtansine. After a median follow-up of 7·2 months (IQR 5·0–10·1 months) in the trastuzumab emtansine group and 6·5 months (IQR 4·1–9·7) in the physician's choice group, 219 (54%) patients in the trastuzumab emtansine group and 129 (65%) of patients in the physician's choice group had PFS events. PFS was significantly improved with trastuzumab emtansine compared with physician's choice (median 6·2 months 95% CI 5·59–6·87 vs 3·3 months 2·89–4·14; stratified hazard ratio HR 0·528 0·422–0·661; p<0·0001). Interim overall survival analysis showed a trend favouring trastuzumab emtansine (stratified HR 0·552 95% CI 0·369–0·826; p=0·0034), but the stopping boundary was not crossed. A lower incidence of grade 3 or worse adverse events was reported with trastuzumab emtansine than with physician's choice (130 events 32% in 403 patients vs 80 events 43% in 184 patients). Neutropenia (ten 2% vs 29 16%), diarrhoea (three <1% vs eight 4%), and febrile neutropenia (one <1% vs seven 4%) were grade 3 or worse adverse events that were more common in the physician's choice group than in the trastuzumab emtansine group. Thrombocytopenia (19 5% vs three 2%) was the grade 3 or worse adverse event that was more common in the trastuzumab emtansine group. 74 (18%) patients in the trastuzumab emtansine group and 38 (21%) in the physician's choice group reported a serious adverse event. Interpretation Trastuzumab emtansine should be considered as a new standard for patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who have previously received trastuzumab and lapatinib. Funding Genentech.
Olaparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (PARPi), is approved for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in germline ...(g)
/
mutation carriers. Olaparib Expanded, an investigator-initiated, phase II study, assessed olaparib response in patients with MBC with somatic (s)
/
mutations or g/s mutations in homologous recombination (HR)-related genes other than
2.
Eligible patients had MBC with measurable disease and germline mutations in non-
/
HR-related genes (cohort 1) or somatic mutations in these genes or
/
(cohort 2). Prior PARPi, platinum-refractory disease, or progression on more than two chemotherapy regimens (metastatic setting) was not allowed. Patients received olaparib 300 mg orally twice a day until progression. A single-arm, two-stage design was used. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR); the null hypothesis (≤ 5% ORR) would be rejected within each cohort if there were four or more responses in 27 patients. Secondary endpoints included clinical benefit rate and progression-free survival (PFS).
Fifty-four patients enrolled. Seventy-six percent had estrogen receptor-positive HER2-negative disease. Eighty-seven percent had mutations in
s
/
,
or
. In cohort 1, ORR was 33% (90% CI, 19% to 51%) and in cohort 2, 31% (90% CI, 15% to 49%). Confirmed responses were seen only with g
(ORR, 82%) and s
/
(ORR, 50%) mutations. Median PFS was 13.3 months (90% CI, 12 months to not available/computable NA) for g
and 6.3 months (90% CI, 4.4 months to NA) for s
/
mutation carriers. No responses were observed with
or
mutations alone.
PARP inhibition is an effective treatment for patients with MBC and g
or s
/
mutations, significantly expanding the population of patients with breast cancer likely to benefit from PARPi beyond g
/
mutation carriers. These results emphasize the value of molecular characterization for treatment decisions in MBC.
Src, a membrane-associated nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, plays a crucial role in the coordination and facilitation of cell-signaling pathways controlling a wide range of cellular functions, including ...growth, survival, invasion, adhesion, and migration. Deregulation and increased activity of Src has been observed in multiple human malignancies, prompting the development of specific inhibitors of Src. In preclinical studies, Src inhibitors show antitumor effects in multiple solid tumor types. Recently completed early-phase trials using the inhibitors dasatinib and bosutinib have suggested modest activity as monotherapy in breast and prostate cancer, with potentially greater activity in combination regimens. Given the interaction between Src and the estrogen receptor, ongoing trials are exploring combinations with endocrine therapy. The relationship between Src and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor also justifies investigation of combinations with angiogenesis inhibitors. Future trials will continue to explore the contribution of Src inhibition with both chemotherapy and targeted agents.
If not promptly recognized, endocrine dysfunction can be life threatening. The incidence and risk of developing such adverse events (AEs) following the use of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) ...regimens are unknown.
To compare the incidence and risk of endocrine AEs following treatment with US Food and Drug Administration-approved ICI regimens.
A PubMed search through July 18, 2016, using the following keywords was performed: "ipilimumab," "MDX-010," "nivolumab," "BMS-963558," "pembrolizumab," "MK-3475," "atezolizumab," "MPDL3280A," and "phase."
Thirty-eight randomized clinical trials evaluating the usage of these ICIs for treatment of advanced solid tumors were identified, resulting in a total of 7551 patients who were eligible for a meta-analysis. Regimens were categorized by class into monotherapy with a PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) inhibitor, a CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4) inhibitor, or a PD-L1 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) inhibitor, and combination therapy with PD-1 plus CTLA-4 inhibitors.
The data were extracted by 1 primary reviewer (R.B.-S.) and then independently reviewed by 2 secondary reviewers (W.T.B. and A.C.G.-C.) following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Inferences on the incidence of AEs were made using log-odds random effects models.
Incidence of all-grade hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypophysitis, primary adrenal insufficiency, and insulin-deficient diabetes.
Overall, 38 randomized clinical trials comprising 7551 patients were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The incidence of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was highest in patients receiving combination therapy. Patients on the combination regimen were significantly more likely to experience hypothyroidism (odds ratio OR, 3.81; 95% CI, 2.10-6.91, P < .001) and hyperthyroidism (OR, 4.27; 95% CI, 2.05-8.90; P = .001) than patients on ipilimumab. Compared with patients on ipilimumab, those on PD-1 inhibitors had a higher risk of developing hypothyroidism (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.17-3.05; P = .03). The risk of hyperthyroidism, but not hypothyroidism, was significantly greater with PD-1 than with PD-L1 inhibitors (OR, 5.36; 95% CI, 2.04-14.08; P = .002). While patients who received PD-1 inhibitors were significantly less likely to experience hypophysitis than those receiving ipilimumab (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.18-0.49; P < .001), those who received combination therapy were significantly more likely to develop it (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.39-3.60; P = .001). For primary adrenal insufficiency and insulin-deficient diabetes no statistical inferences were made due to the smaller number of events.
Our study provides more precise data on the incidence of endocrine dysfunctions among patients receiving ICI regimens. Patients on combination therapy are at increased risk of thyroid dysfunction and hypophysitis.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) is a novel HER2-targeted antibody–drug conjugate with a humanised anti-HER2 antibody, cleavable peptide-based linker, and potent topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. A ...phase 1, non-randomised, open-label, multiple-dose study was done to assess the safety, tolerability, and activity of trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-expressing, advanced solid tumours. The dose escalation (part 1) has previously been reported and the recommended doses for expansion of 5·4 mg/kg or 6·4 mg/kg were established. In this Article, we report the safety and preliminary activity results from this phase 1 trial in all patients with HER2-positive advanced-stage breast cancer with previous trastuzumab emtansine treatment who received trastuzumab deruxtecan at the recommended doses for expansion.
We did an open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion phase 1 trial at eight hospitals and clinics in the USA and six in Japan. Eligible patients were at least 18 years old in the USA and at least 20 years of age in Japan and had advanced solid tumours (regardless of HER2 expression in dose escalation or HER2 expression or mutation in dose expansion). The recommended doses for expansion of 5·4 mg/kg or 6·4 mg/kg trastuzumab deruxtecan were administered intravenously to patients once every 3 weeks until withdrawal of consent, unacceptable toxicity, or progressive disease. In this Article, all patients with HER2-positive advanced-stage breast cancer with previous trastuzumab emtansine treatment who received trastuzumab deruxtecan at the recommended doses for expansion were analysed together. The primary endpoints of the study were safety and preliminary activity (proportion of patients who achieved an objective response as assessed by the investigators). The activity evaluable set included all patients who received at least one dose of trastuzumab deruxtecan at the recommended doses for expansion, and for whom both baseline and post-treatment activity data were available. The safety analysis set included all patients who received at least one dose of trastuzumab deruxtecan at the recommended doses for expansion. Enrolment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer has been completed. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02564900, and ClinicalTrials.jp, number JapicCTI-152978.
Between Aug 28, 2015, and Aug 10, 2018, 115 of 118 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer were treated with at least one dose of trastuzumab deruxtecan at the recommended doses for expansion. All patients had at least one treatment-emergent adverse event. Frequent grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events included anaemia (19 17% of 115) and decreased neutrophil (16 14%), white blood cell (ten 9%), and platelet (nine 8%) counts. At least one serious treatment-emergent adverse event occurred for 22 (19%) patients. Investigators reported 20 cases of interstitial lung disease, pneumonitis, or organising pneumonia, including one grade 3 event and two treatment-related deaths due to pneumonitis. One death unrelated to study treatment was due to progressive disease. 66 (59·5%; 95% CI 49·7–68·7) of 111 patients had a confirmed objective response.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan had a manageable safety profile and showed preliminary activity in trastuzumab emtansine-pretreated patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. These results suggest that further development in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for HER2-positive breast cancer is warranted.
Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd.
Few patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). On the basis of immunotherapy response correlates in other cancers, we evaluated ...whether high tumor mutational burden (TMB) ≥10 nonsynonymous mutations/megabase and
alterations, defined as nonsynonymous mutations or 1 or 2 copy deletions, were associated with clinical benefit to anti-PD-1/L1 therapy in mTNBC.
We identified patients with mTNBC, who consented to targeted DNA sequencing and were treated with ICIs on clinical trials between April 2014 and January 2019 at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA). Objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were correlated with tumor genomic features.
Sixty-two women received anti-PD-1/L1 inhibitors alone (23%) or combined with targeted therapy (19%) or chemotherapy (58%). High TMB (18%) was associated with significantly longer PFS (12.5 vs. 3.7 months;
= 0.04), while
alterations (29%) were associated with significantly lower ORR (6% vs. 48%;
= 0.01), shorter PFS (2.3 vs. 6.1 months;
= 0.01), and shorter OS (9.7 vs. 20.5 months;
= 0.02). Multivariate analyses confirmed that these associations were independent of performance status, prior lines of therapy, therapy regimen, and visceral metastases. The survival associations were additionally independent of PD-L1 in patients with known PD-L1 and were not found in mTNBC cohorts treated with chemotherapy (
= 90) and non-ICI regimens (
= 169).
Among patients with mTNBC treated with anti-PD-1/L1 therapies, high TMB and
alterations were associated with longer and shorter survival, respectively. These observations warrant validation in larger datasets.
Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) are fundamental drivers of the cell cycle and are required for the initiation and progression of various malignancies. Pharmacological inhibitors of CDK4/6 ...have shown significant activity against several solid tumours. Their primary mechanism of action is thought to be the inhibition of phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor, inducing G1 cell cycle arrest in tumour cells. Here we use mouse models of breast carcinoma and other solid tumours to show that selective CDK4/6 inhibitors not only induce tumour cell cycle arrest, but also promote anti-tumour immunity. We confirm this phenomenon through transcriptomic analysis of serial biopsies from a clinical trial of CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment for breast cancer. The enhanced anti-tumour immune response has two underpinnings. First, CDK4/6 inhibitors activate tumour cell expression of endogenous retroviral elements, thus increasing intracellular levels of double-stranded RNA. This in turn stimulates production of type III interferons and hence enhances tumour antigen presentation. Second, CDK4/6 inhibitors markedly suppress the proliferation of regulatory T cells. Mechanistically, the effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors both on tumour cells and on regulatory T cells are associated with reduced activity of the E2F target, DNA methyltransferase 1. Ultimately, these events promote cytotoxic T-cell-mediated clearance of tumour cells, which is further enhanced by the addition of immune checkpoint blockade. Our findings indicate that CDK4/6 inhibitors increase tumour immunogenicity and provide a rationale for new combination regimens comprising CDK4/6 inhibitors and immunotherapies as anti-cancer treatment.
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