This open-label, two-arm, phase II clinical trial evaluated the antitumor activity and safety profile of PM00104 (Zalypsis
®
) administered as a 1-h, weekly, intravenous infusion (days 1, 8 and 15; ...every 4 weeks) at a dose of 2 mg/m
2
to patients with advanced and/or metastatic endometrial (EC) or cervical cancer (CC) after one previous line of systemic chemotherapy. Twelve patients (median age, 61.5 years) with pretreated EC received a median of 2 treatment cycles (range 1–5) and seven patients (median age, 38 years) with pretreated CC received 2 treatment cycles. None achieved objective tumor response. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 1.8 months, and median overall survival (OS) was 5.5 months in EC (median follow-up = 20.1 months); median PFS was 1.5 months, and median OS was 5.6 months in CC (median follow-up = 17.1 months). The most common toxicities reported were mild to moderate asthenia, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Despite PM00104 showing mostly mild, predictable, manageable and reversible toxicity, protocol criteria for further recruitment were not met in EC, a futility analysis was done and recruitment was stopped; a low patient recruitment rate together with no evidence of activity in CC resulted in early study closure.
Summary
Lurbinectedin and paclitaxel showed synergism in preclinical studies and have non-completely overlapping toxicity profiles. This phase I trial evaluated a combination of paclitaxel and ...lurbinectedin with/without bevacizumab in advanced tumors. This trial was divided into Group A, which evaluated weekly paclitaxel (60 or 80 mg) plus lurbinectedin (3.0–5.0 mg flat dose FD or 2.2 mg/m
2
) every 3 weeks in advanced solid tumors; and Group B, which evaluated bevacizumab (BEV, 15 mg/kg) added to the recommended dose (RD) defined in Group A in advanced epithelial ovarian or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 67 patients (A, n = 55; B, n = 12) were treated. The RD was paclitaxel 80 mg/m
2
on Day (D)1,D8 plus lurbinectedin 2.2 mg/m
2
on D1. At this RD, myelotoxicity was reversible and manageable, and most non-hematological toxicities were mild/moderate. Adding BEV did not notably change tolerability. Twenty-five confirmed responses were observed: 20/51 evaluable patients in Group A (overall response rate ORR = 39% at all dose levels and at the RD), and 5/10 evaluable patients in Group B (ORR = 50%). Most responders had breast (n = 7/12 patients), small cell lung (SCLC) (n = 5/7), epithelial ovarian (n = 3/9) and endometrial cancer (n = 3/11) in Group A, and epithelial ovarian (n = 3/4) and NSCLC (n = 2/6) in Group B. Clinical benefit rate was 61% in Group A (58% at the RD), and 90% in Group B. No major pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions were observed. Paclitaxel/lurbinectedin and paclitaxel/lurbinectedin/BEV are feasible combinations. Further development is warranted of paclitaxel/lurbinectedin in SCLC, breast, and endometrial cancer, and of paclitaxel/lurbinectedin/BEV in epithelial ovarian cancer.
Lurbinectedin suppresses the oncogenic transcription factor EWS-FLI1 through relocalization to the nucleolus, and delays tumor growth in mice bearing Ewing sarcoma xenografts. On the basis of this ...rationale, lurbinectedin was evaluated in patients with relapsed Ewing sarcoma.
This open-label, single-arm, Basket phase II trial included a cohort of 28 treated adult patients with confirmed Ewing sarcoma, measurable disease as per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) v.1.1, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤2, adequate organ function, no central nervous system metastasis, and pretreated with ≤2 chemotherapy lines for metastatic/recurrent disease. Patients received lurbinectedin 3.2 mg/m2 as a 1-hour infusion every 3 weeks. Primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) as per RECIST v.1.1. Secondary endpoints included time-to-event parameters and safety profile.
ORR was 14.3% 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0%-32.7%, with median duration of response of 4.2 months (95% CI, 2.9-5.5 months). Median progression-free survival was 2.7 months (95% CI, 1.4-4.3 months), clinical benefit rate was 39.3%, and disease control rate was 57.1%. With 39% censoring, median overall survival was 12.0 months (95% CI, 8.5-18.5 months). Most common grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (57%), anemia, thrombocytopenia, and treatment-related febrile neutropenia (14% each). No deaths or discontinuations were due to toxicity.
Lurbinectedin was active in the treatment of relapsed Ewing sarcoma and had a manageable safety profile. Lurbinectedin could represent a valuable addition to therapies for Ewing sarcoma, and is currently being evaluated in combination with irinotecan in advanced Ewing sarcoma in a phase Ib/II trial.
Patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) need alternative therapies after failure of first-line therapy.
This phase II trial evaluated lurbinectedin, a selective inhibitor of oncogenic ...transcription, at 3.2 mg/m2 as a 1-h intravenous infusion every 3 weeks in 32 NETs patients treated in the second- or third-line setting. The primary efficacy endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) according to RECIST v1.1 assessed by the investigators. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety.
Two of 31 evaluable patients had confirmed partial responses (ORR = 6.5%; 95%CI, 0.8–21.4%). Median DoR was 4.7 months (95% CI, 4.0–5.4 months), median PFS was 1.4 months (95% CI, 1.2–3.0 months) and median OS was 7.4 months (95% CI, 3.4–16.2 months). Lurbinectedin showed an acceptable, predictable and manageable safety profile. The most common grade 3/4 toxicity was neutropenia (40.6%; grade 4, 12.4%; febrile neutropenia, 3.1%).
Considering the exploratory aim of this trial that evaluated a heterogeneous population of NETs patients, and the signs of antitumour activity observed (two confirmed partial responses and seven long disease stabilisations), further development of lurbinectedin is warranted in a more selected NETs population.
Sponsor Study Code: PM1183-B-005-14. EudraCT number: 2014-003773-42. ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT02454972.
•ORR with lurbinectedin in patients with NETs was 6.5% (95%CI, 0.8–21.4%).•Median DoR, PFS and OS were 4.7, 1.4 and 7.4 months, respectively.•Safety profile was predictable and manageable.•Development of lurbinectedin in a selected NETs population is warranted.
Second-line treatment of endometrial cancer is an unmet medical need. Lurbinectedin showed promising antitumor activity in a phase I study in combination with doxorubicin in advanced endometrial ...cancer. This phase 2 Basket trial evaluated lurbinectedin 3.2 mg/m
2
1-h intravenous infusion every 3 weeks in a cohort of 73 patients with pretreated endometrial cancer. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) according to RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), safety and an exploratory translational study. Confirmed complete (CR) and partial response (PR) was reported in two and six patients, respectively (ORR = 11.3%; 95%CI, 5.0–21.0%). Median DoR was 9.2 months (95%CI, 3.4–18.0 months), median PFS was 2.6 months (95%CI, 1.4–4.0 months) and median OS was 9.3 months (95%CI, 6.1–12.8 months). Molecular subtypes showed differences in PFS rate at 6 months (p53abn 23.7%
vs.
“No Specific Molecular Profile” NSMP 42.9%) and median OS (p53abn 6.6 months
vs.
NSMP 16.1 months). The most common treatment-related adverse events (mostly grade 1/2) were fatigue (54.8% of patients), nausea (50.7%), vomiting (26.0%) decreased appetite (17.8%). and constipation, (19.2%). The most common grade 3/4 toxicity was neutropenia (43.8%; grade 4, 19.2%; febrile neutropenia, 4.1%). In conclusion, considering the exploratory aim of this trial and the hints of antitumor activity observed together with a predictable and manageable safety profile, further biomarker-based development of lurbinectedin is recommended in this indication in combination with other agents.
Clinicaltrials.gov
identifier: NCT02454972.
Lurbinectedin (PM01183) binds covalently to DNA and has broad activity against tumor cell lines. This first-in-human phase I study evaluated dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) and defined a phase II ...recommended dose for PM01183 as a 1-hour intravenous infusion every three weeks (q3wk).
Thirty-one patients with advanced solid tumors received escalating doses of PM01183 following an accelerated titration design.
PM01183 was safely escalated over 200-fold, from 0.02 to 5.0 mg/m(2). Dose doubling was utilized, requiring 15 patients and nine dose levels to identify DLT. The recommended dose was 4.0 mg/m(2), with one of 15 patients having DLT (grade 4 thrombocytopenia). Clearance was independent of body surface area; thus, a flat dose of 7.0 mg was used during expansion. Myelosuppression, mostly grade 4 neutropenia, occurred in 40% of patients but was transient and manageable, and none was febrile. All other toxicity was mild and fatigue, nausea and vomiting were the most common at the recommended dose. Pharmacokinetic parameters showed high interindividual variation, though linearity was observed. At or above the recommended dose, the myelosuppressive effect was significantly associated with the area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (white blood cells, P = 0.0007; absolute neutrophil count, P = 0.016). A partial response was observed in one patient with pancreatic adenocarcinoma at the recommended dose.
A flat dose of 7.0 mg is the recommended dose for PM01183 as a 1-hour infusion q3wk. This dose is tolerated and active. Severe neutropenia occurred at this dose, although it was transient and with no clinical consequences in this study.
•The NCCN recommends first-line re-challenge for relapsed SCLC with CTFI ≥ 180 days.•This recommendation is based on data from small trials from the 1980s.•Lurbinectedin has remarkable activity and ...acceptable safety in second-line SCLC.•ORR was 60.0 % in a preplanned subset of patients with CTFI ≥ 180 days.•Lurbinectedin can be a valuable alternative to re-treatment with first-line therapy.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend re-challenge with the first-line treatment for relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with chemotherapy-free interval (CTFI)≥180 days. A phase II study (NCT02454972) showed remarkable antitumor activity in SCLC patients treated with lurbinectedin 3.2 mg/m2 1 -h intravenous infusion every 3 weeks as second-line therapy. We report results for the pre-planned subset of patients with CTFI ≥ 180 days.
Twenty patients aged ≥18 years with pathologically proven SCLC diagnosis, pretreated with only one prior platinum-containing line, no CNS metastases, and with CTFI ≥ 180 days were evaluated. The primary efficacy endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) assessed by the Investigators according to RECIST v1.1.
ORR was 60.0 % (95 %CI, 36.1−86.9), with a median duration of response of 5.5 months (95 %CI, 2.9−11.2) and disease control rate of 95.0 % (95 %CI, 75.1−99.9). Median progression-free survival was 4.6 months (95 %CI, 2.6−7.3). With a censoring of 55.0 %, the median overall survival was 16.2 months (95 %CI, 9.6-upper level not reached). Of note, 60.9 % and 27.1 % of patients were alive at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events and laboratory abnormalities were hematological disorders (neutropenia, 55.0 %; anemia; 10.0 % thrombocytopenia, 10.0 %), fatigue (10.0 %) and increased liver function tests (GGT, 10 %; ALT and AP, 5.0 % each). No febrile neutropenia was reported.
Lurbinectedin is an effective treatment for platinum-sensitive relapsed SCLC, especially in patients with CTFI ≥ 180 days, with acceptable safety and tolerability. These encouraging results suggest that lurbinectedin can be another valuable therapeutic option rather than platinum re-challenge.
Second-line treatment of endometrial cancer is an unmet medical need. We conducted a phase I study evaluating lurbinectedin and doxorubicin intravenously every 3 weeks in patients with solid tumors. ...The aim of this study was to characterise the efficacy and safety of lurbinectedin and doxorubicin for patients with endometrial cancer.
Thirty-four patients were treated: 15 patients in the escalation phase (doxorubicin 50 mg/m
and lurbinectedin 3.0-5.0 mg) and 19 patients in the expansion cohort (doxorubicin 40 mg/m
and lurbinectedin 2.0 mg/m
). All histological subtypes were eligible and patients had received one to two prior lines of chemotherapy for advanced disease. Antitumor activity was evaluated every two cycles according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Adverse events were graded according to the National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.
Median age (range) was 65 (51-78) years. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was up to 1 in 97% of patients. In the escalation phase, 4 (26.7%) of 15 patients had confirmed response: two complete and two partial responses (95% CI 7.8% to 55.1%). Median duration of response was 19.5 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.3 (2.5 to 10.1) months. In the expansion cohort, confirmed partial response was reported in 8 (42.1%) of 19 patients (95% CI 20.3% to 66.5%). Median duration of response was 7.5 (6.4 to not reached) months, median progression-free survival was 7.7 (2.0 to 16.7) months and median overall survival was 14.2 (4.5 to not reached) months. Fatigue (26.3% of patients), and transient and reversible myelosuppression (neutropenia, 78.9%; febrile neutropenia, 21.1%; thrombocytopenia, 15.8%) were the main grade 3 and higher toxicities in the expanded cohort.
In patients with recurrent advanced endometrial cancer treated with doxorubicin and lurbinectedin, response rates (42%) and duration of response (7.5 months) were favorable. Further evaluation of doxorubicin and lurbinectedin is warranted in this patient population.
Summary
Background
To determine the recommended dose (RD) of a combination of PM01183 and gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors.
Methods
Forty-five patients received escalating doses of ...PM01183/gemcitabine on Days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks (d1,8 q3wk) following a standard 3 + 3 design.
Results
PM01183 3.5 mg flat dose (FD)/gemcitabine 1000 mg/m
2
was the highest dose level tested. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were mostly hematological and resulted in the expansion of a lower dose level (PM01183 3.5 mg FD/gemcitabine 800 mg/m
2
); 19 patients at this dose level were evaluable but >30% had DLT and >20% had febrile neutropenia. No DLT was observed in 11 patients treated at PM01183 3.0 mg FD/gemcitabine 800 mg/m
2
, which was defined as the RD. This regimen was feasible and tolerable with manageable toxicity; mainly grade 3/4 myelosuppression. Non-hematological toxicity comprised fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and transaminases increases. Fifteen (33%) patients received ≥6 cycles with no cumulative hematological toxicity. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed no evidence of drug-drug interaction. Nine of 38 patients had response as per RECIST (complete 3% and partial 21%), for an overall response rate (ORR) of 24% (95% Confidence Interval CI 12–40%). Eleven patients (29%) had disease stabilization ≥4 months. Responses were durable (median of 8.5 months): overall median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.2 months (95% CI, 2.7–6.5 months).
Conclusions
The RD for this combination is PM01183 3.0 mg FD (or 1.6 mg/m
2
)/gemcitabine 800 mg/m
2
d1,8 q3wk. This schedule is well tolerated and has antitumor activity in several advanced solid tumor types.