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PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of two doses of gefitinib (Iressa [ZD1839]; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE), a novel epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with pretreated advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter phase II trial. Two hundred ten patients with advanced NSCLC who were previously treated with one or two chemotherapy regimens (at least one containing platinum) were randomized to receive either 250-mg or 500-mg oral doses of gefitinib once daily. RESULTS Efficacy was similar for the 250- and 500-mg/d groups. Objective tumor response rates were 18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.5 to 27.3) and 19.0% (95% CI, 12.1 to 27.9); among evaluable patients, symptom improvement rates were 40.3% (95% CI, 28.5 to 53.0) and 37.0% (95% CI, 26.0 to 49.1); median progression-free survival times were 2.7 and 2.8 months; and median overall survival times were 7.6 and 8.0 months, respectively. Symptom improvements were recorded for 69.2% (250 mg/d) and 85.7% (500 mg/d) of patients with a tumor response. Adverse events (AEs) at both dose levels were generally mild (grade 1 or 2) and consisted mainly of skin reactions and diarrhea. Drug-related toxicities were more frequent in the higher-dose group. Withdrawal due to drug-related AEs was 1.9% and 9.4% for patients receiving gefitinib 250 and 500 mg/d, respectively. CONCLUSION Gefitinib showed clinically meaningful antitumor activity and provided symptom relief as second- and third-line treatment in these patients. At 250 mg/d, gefitinib had a favorable AE profile. Gefitinib 250 mg/d is an important, novel treatment option for patients with pretreated advanced NSCLC.

Adverse events of any grade.

PDF file 108K, Table S4. Clinical characteristics of human lung adenocarcinoma samples

XLSX file 2064K, Table S1. Tabulated complete data from the first genome-wide screen. Table S2. Tabulated data from the 242 siRNA pools identified in the first genome-wide screen with the Z-scores obtained in the repeat genome-wide screen

PDF file 84K, Table S3. Summary of the individual murine tumors with treatment response

Adverse events of any grade and any causality.

PDF file 415K, Supplementary Figures 1-7. Figure S1, related to Figure 1. Genome-wide siRNA screen identifies determinants of resistance to erlotinib treatment. Figure S2, related to Figure 2. Reduced Nf1 expression in erlotinib-resistant EGFR-driven lung tumors. Figure S3, related to Figure 3. NF1 silencing confers resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells to erlotinib. Figure S4, related to Figure 4. : NF1 downregulation activates MAPK pathway signaling. Figure S5, related to Figure 5. Low neurofibromin expressing cells respond to erlotinib when combined with MEK inhibition. Figure S6, related to Figure 6. Erlotinib-resistant murine EGFRL858R lung adenocarcinomas respond to combined EGFR and MEK inhibition. Figure S7, related to Figure 7. Reduced NF1 expression in erlotinib-resistant human NSCLC samples

Supplementary Fig. S1: Characterization of the model used for whole genome silencing, individual screen lethality scores and list of candidate genes with differential lethality scores ; Supplementary Fig. S2: Validation of the RRM1 and RRM2 knockdown; Supplementary Fig. S3: Expression of RRM1 and RRM2 in MPM; Supplementary Fig. S4: Modulation of BAP1 expression, effect on gene expression, response to olaparib, and rescue of gemcitabine cytotoxicity by dNMPs; Supplementary Fig. S5: Schematic representation of the potential role of BAP1 in the regulation of RRM2 on transcriptional level under normal and replicative stress condition; Supplementary Fig. S6: Gemcitabine induced increase of RRM1 and RRM2 in NCI60 cell line panel and high RRM1 and RRM2 expression predicts poor overall survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients; Supplementary Table S1: Primer sequences; Supplementary Table S2: Gene ontology analysis on genes with differential lethality score.

PDF file 180K, Supplementary experimental procedures Supplementary table and figure legends Supplementary references

Supplementary Data from PD-1T TILs as a Predictive Biomarker for Clinical Benefit to PD-1 Blockade in Patients with Advanced NSCLC

Purpose:Durable clinical benefit to PD-1 blockade in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is currently limited to a small fraction of patients, underlining the need for predictive biomarkers. We recently identified a tumor-reactive tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte (TIL) pool, termed PD-1T TILs, with predictive potential in NSCLC. Here, we examined PD-1T TILs as biomarker in NSCLC.Experimental Design:PD-1T TILs were digitally quantified in 120 baseline samples from advanced NSCLC patients treated with PD-1 blockade. Primary outcome was disease control (DC) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were DC at 12 months and survival. Exploratory analyses addressed the impact of lesion-specific responses, tissue sample properties, and combination with other biomarkers on the predictive value of PD-1T TILs.Results:PD-1T TILs as a biomarker reached 77% sensitivity and 67% specificity at 6 months, and 93% and 65% at 12 months, respectively. Particularly, a patient group without clinical benefit was reliably identified, indicated by a high negative predictive value (NPV) (88% at 6 months, 98% at 12 months). High PD-1T TILs related to significantly longer progression-free (HR 0.39, 95% CI, 0.24–0.63, P < 0.0001) and overall survival (HR 0.46, 95% CI, 0.28–0.76, P < 0.01). Predictive performance was increased when lesion-specific responses and samples obtained immediately before treatment were assessed. Notably, the predictive performance of PD-1T TILs was superior to PD-L1 and tertiary lymphoid structures in the same cohort.Conclusions:This study established PD-1T TILs as predictive biomarker for clinical benefit to PD-1 blockade in patients with advanced NSCLC. Most importantly, the high NPV demonstrates an accurate identification of a patient group without benefit.See related commentary by Anagnostou and Luke, p. 4835

Supplementary Figure from PD-1T TILs as a Predictive Biomarker for Clinical Benefit to PD-1 Blockade in Patients with Advanced NSCLC

Supplementary Figure from Patients with Rare Cancers in the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP) Benefit from Genomics-Guided Treatment

PDF File - 77K, Supplementary data showing measurements in evaluable tumors.

Purpose:Patients with rare cancers (incidence less than 6 cases per 100,000 persons per year) commonly have less treatment opportunities and are understudied at the level of genomic targets. We hypothesized that patients with rare cancer benefit from approved anticancer drugs outside their label similar to common cancers.Experimental Design:In the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP), patients with therapy-refractory metastatic cancers harboring an actionable molecular profile are matched to FDA/European Medicines Agency–approved targeted therapy or immunotherapy. Patients are enrolled in parallel cohorts based on the histologic tumor type, molecular profile and study drug. Primary endpoint is clinical benefit (complete response, partial response, stable disease ≥ 16 weeks).Results:Of 1,145 submitted cases, 500 patients, including 164 patients with rare cancers, started one of the 25 available drugs and were evaluable for treatment outcome. The overall clinical benefit rate was 33% in both the rare cancer and nonrare cancer subgroup. Inactivating alterations of CDKN2A and activating BRAF aberrations were overrepresented in patients with rare cancer compared with nonrare cancers, resulting in more matches to CDK4/6 inhibitors (14% vs. 4%; P ≤ 0.001) or BRAF inhibitors (9% vs. 1%; P ≤ 0.001). Patients with rare cancer treated with small-molecule inhibitors targeting BRAF experienced higher rates of clinical benefit (75%) than the nonrare cancer subgroup.Conclusions:Comprehensive molecular testing in patients with rare cancers may identify treatment opportunities and clinical benefit similar to patients with common cancers. Our findings highlight the importance of access to broad molecular diagnostics to ensure equal treatment opportunities for all patients with cancer.

FISH analysis datafile

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Purpose: Current staging methods are imprecise for predicting prognosis of early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to develop a gene expression profile for stage I and stage II NSCLC, allowing identification of patients with a high risk of disease recurrence within 2 to 3 years after initial diagnosis.Experimental Design: We used whole-genome gene expression microarrays to analyze frozen tumor samples from 172 NSCLC patients (pT1-2, N0-1, M0) from five European institutions, who had undergone complete surgical resection. Median follow-up was 89 months (range, 1.2-389) and 64 patients developed a recurrence. A random two thirds of the samples were assigned as the training cohort with the remaining samples set aside for independent validation. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between expression levels of individual genes and patient recurrence-free survival. A nearest mean analysis was used to develop a gene-expression classifier for disease recurrence.Results: We have developed a 72-gene expression prognostic NSCLC classifier. Based on the classifier score, patients were classified as either high or low risk of disease recurrence. Patients classified as low risk showed a significantly better recurrence-free survival both in the training set (P < 0.001; n = 103) and in the independent validation set (P < 0.01; n = 69). Genes in our prognostic signature were strongly enriched for genes associated with immune response.Conclusions: Our 72-gene signature is closely associated with recurrence-free and overall survival in early-stage NSCLC patients and may become a tool for patient selection for adjuvant therapy.

Purpose: Pharmacokinetics of docetaxel can be measured in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) and a microdose of radiolabeled docetaxel ([11C]docetaxel). The objective of this study was to investigate whether a [11C]docetaxel PET microdosing study could predict tumor uptake of therapeutic doses of docetaxel.Experimental Design: Docetaxel-naïve lung cancer patients underwent 2 [11C]docetaxel PET scans; one after bolus injection of [11C]docetaxel and another during combined infusion of [11C]docetaxel and a therapeutic dose of docetaxel (75 mg·m−2). Compartmental and spectral analyses were used to quantify [11C]docetaxel tumor kinetics. [11C]docetaxel PET measurements were used to estimate the area under the curve (AUC) of docetaxel in tumors. Tumor response was evaluated using computed tomography scans.Results: Net rates of influx (Ki) of [11C]docetaxel in tumors were comparable during microdosing and therapeutic scans. [11C]docetaxel AUCTumor during the therapeutic scan could be predicted reliably using an impulse response function derived from the microdosing scan together with the plasma curve of [11C]docetaxel during the therapeutic scan. At 90 minutes, the accumulated amount of docetaxel in tumors was less than 1% of the total infused dose of docetaxel. [11C]docetaxel Ki derived from the microdosing scan correlated with AUCTumor of docetaxel (Spearman ρ = 0.715; P = 0.004) during the therapeutic scan and with tumor response to docetaxel therapy (Spearman ρ = −0.800; P = 0.010).Conclusions: Microdosing data of [11C]docetaxel PET can be used to predict tumor uptake of docetaxel during chemotherapy. The present study provides a framework for investigating the PET microdosing concept for radiolabeled anticancer drugs in patients. Clin Cancer Res; 19(15); 4163–73. ©2013 AACR.

Purpose:Primary analysis of VISION showed tepotinib had durable clinical activity in patients with MET exon 14 (METex14) skipping non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We present updated outcomes for clinically relevant subgroups.Patients and Methods:This phase II, open-label, multi-cohort study of 500 mg (450 mg active moiety) tepotinib in patients with METex14 skipping NSCLC assessed efficacy and safety in predefined subgroups according to age, prior therapies (chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors), and brain metastases. An ad hoc retrospective analysis using Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases (RANO-BM) criteria assessed intracranial activity.Results:152 patients were evaluable for efficacy (median age: 73.1). Overall, objective response rate (ORR) was 44.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 36.7–53.0]. Patients aged n = 84) and ≥75 (n = 68) had ORRs of 48.8% (95% CI: 37.7–60.0) and 39.7% (95% CI: 28.0–52.3), respectively. Treatment-naïve (n = 69) versus previously treated (n = 83) patients showed consistent efficacy [ORR (95% CI): 44.9% (32.9–57.4) vs. 44.6% (33.7–55.9); median duration of response (95% CI): 10.8 (6.9–not estimable) vs. 11.1 (9.5–18.5) months]. Of 15 patients analyzed by RANO-BM (12 received prior radiotherapy), 13 achieved intracranial disease control; 5 of 7 patients with measurable brain metastases had partial intracranial responses. Of 255 patients evaluable for safety, 64 (25.1%) experienced grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE), leading to discontinuation in 27 patients (10.6%). Rates of adverse events (AE) were broadly consistent irrespective of prior therapies.Conclusions:Tepotinib showed meaningful activity across subgroups by age, prior therapies, and brain metastases, with a manageable safety profile and few treatment discontinuations.See related commentary by Rosner and Spira, p. 1055

A) Overall survival according to the original established diagnosis in patients included in the panel-consensus revision (n=232). B) Overall survival according to the panel-consensus diagnoses. Abbreviations: NSCLC NED, non-small cell lung carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation; NEC, neuroendocrine carcinoma; dd, differential diagnosis; NET NOS, neuroendocrine tumor not otherwise specified.

Purpose: Previous genomic studies have identified two mutually exclusive molecular subtypes of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC): the RB1 mutated (mostly comutated with TP53) and the RB1 wild-type groups. We assessed whether these subtypes have a predictive value on chemotherapy outcome.Experimental Design: Clinical data and tumor specimens were retrospectively obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and Pathology Registry. Panel-consensus pathology revision confirmed the diagnosis of LCNEC in 148 of 232 cases. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for TP53, RB1, STK11, and KEAP1 genes, as well as IHC for RB1 and P16 was performed on 79 and 109 cases, respectively, and correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), stratifying for non–small cell lung cancer type chemotherapy including platinum + gemcitabine or taxanes (NSCLC-GEM/TAX) and platinum-etoposide (SCLC-PE).Results: RB1 mutation and protein loss were detected in 47% (n = 37) and 72% (n = 78) of the cases, respectively. Patients with RB1 wild-type LCNEC treated with NSCLC-GEM/TAX had a significantly longer OS [9.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.7–11.6 months] than those treated with SCLC-PE [5.8 (5.5–6.1); P = 0.026]. Similar results were obtained for patients expressing RB1 in their tumors (P = 0.001). RB1 staining or P16 loss showed similar results. The same outcome for chemotherapy treatment was observed in LCNEC tumors harboring an RB1 mutation or lost RB1 protein.Conclusions: Patients with LCNEC tumors that carry a wild-type RB1 gene or express the RB1 protein do better with NSCLC-GEM/TAX treatment than with SCLC-PE chemotherapy. However, no difference was observed for RB1 mutated or with lost protein expression. Clin Cancer Res; 24(1); 33–42. ©2017 AACR.

Pathology review data and next-generation sequencing datafile.

Supplementary Table from Patients with Rare Cancers in the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP) Benefit from Genomics-Guided Treatment

PDF file - 46K, Metabolite analysis. Mean fractions of parent 11Cerlotinib, nonpolar metabolites and polar metabolites for groups 1 (filled symbols) and 2 (open symbols). Vertical bars indicate standard deviations.

PDF file - 43K, Synthesis of 11Cerlotinib. Reaction conditions: 1.0 mg (2.6 μmole) of (1) 6-O-desmethyl-erlotinib, 11CCH3I, 250 μL of acetonitrile, 4.6 μmole of tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide (2.0 μL of a 60% solution in water), 80 {degree sign}C, 5 min.

Progression-free survival for subtypes of chemotherapy in panel-consensus LCNEC with A) RB1 wild-type*; B) RB1 mutation; C) H-score {greater than or equal to}50 for RB1* IHC; D) H-score

Original magnification overview x10 and insert x40 in panel-consensus diagnosed LCNECs. A) No nuclear staining for RB1 (13A10) in LCNEC mutated for RB1 and TP53 genes. B) Nuclear and cytoplasmatic staining for P16. C) Nuclear staining for RB1 protein staining (13A10) in LCNEC with RB1 and TP53 wild-type genes (10x); the arrow indicates a positive internal control. D) In the same case as C, no staining for P16 protein (J8C)

PDF File - 1091K, Schematic diagram illustrating the various analyses that were performed to estimate the accumulated amount of docetaxel in tumor tissue.

Supplementary Data from Tepotinib Efficacy and Safety in Patients with MET Exon 14 Skipping NSCLC: Outcomes in Patient Subgroups from the VISION Study with Relevance for Clinical Practice

Supplementary Data from An Immune Response Enriched 72-Gene Prognostic Profile for Early-Stage Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

CCR Translation for This Article from Toward Prediction of Efficacy of Chemotherapy: A Proof of Concept Study in Lung Cancer Patients Using [11C]docetaxel and Positron Emission Tomography

Purpose: To evaluate whether, in patients with non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), tumor uptake of [11C]erlotinib can be quantified and imaged using positron emission tomography and to assess whether the level of tracer uptake corresponds with the presence of activating tumor EGF receptor (EGFR) mutations.Experimental Design: Ten patients with NSCLCs, five with an EGFR exon 19 deletion, and five without were scanned twice (test retest) on the same day with an interval of at least 4 hours. Each scanning procedure included a low-dose computed tomographic scan, a 10-minute dynamic [15O]H2O scan, and a 1-hour dynamic [11C]erlotinib scan. Data were analyzed using full tracer kinetic modeling. EGFR expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.Results: The quantitative measure of [11C]erlotinib uptake, that is, volume of distribution (VT), was significantly higher in tumors with activating mutations, that is, all with exon 19 deletions (median VT, 1.76; range, 1.25–2.93), than in those without activating mutations (median VT, 1.06; range, 0.67–1.22) for both test and retest data (P = 0.014 and P = 0.009, respectively). Good reproducibility of [11C]erlotinib VT was seen (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.88). Intergroup differences in [11C]erlotinib uptake were not correlated with EGFR expression levels, nor tumor blood flow.Conclusion: [11C]erlotinib VT was significantly higher in NSCLCs tumors with EGFR exon 19 deletions. Clin Cancer Res; 19(1); 183–93. ©2012 AACR.

Purpose:Pretreatment selection of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who would derive clinical benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) would fulfill an unmet clinical need by reducing unnecessary toxicities from treatment and result in substantial health care savings.Experimental Design:In a retrospective study, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis was performed on pretreatment sera derived from patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab as part of routine clinical care (n = 289). Machine learning combined spectral and clinical data to stratify patients into three groups with good (“sensitive”), intermediate, and poor (“resistant”) outcomes following treatment in the second-line setting. The test was applied to three independent patient cohorts and its biology was investigated using protein set enrichment analyses (PSEA).Results:A signature consisting of 274 MS features derived from a development set of 116 patients was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) across two validation cohorts (N = 98 and N = 75). In pooled analysis, significantly better OS was demonstrated for “sensitive” relative to “not sensitive” patients treated with nivolumab; HR, 0.58 (95% confidence interval, 0.38–0–87; P = 0.009). There was no significant association with clinical factors including PD-L1 expression, available from 133 of 289 patients. The test demonstrated no significant association with PFS or OS in a historical cohort (n = 68) of second-line NSCLC patients treated with docetaxel. PSEA revealed proteomic classification to be significantly associated with complement and wound-healing cascades.Conclusions:This serum-derived protein signature successfully stratified outcomes in cohorts of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with second-line PD-1 CPIs and deserves further prospective study.

Introduction: Alectinib is a standard-of-care treatment for metastatic ALK+ NSCLC. Weight gain is an unexplored side effect reported in approximately 10%. To prevent or intervene alectinib-induced weight gain, more insight in its extent and etiology is needed. Methods: Change in body composition was analyzed in a prospective series of 46 patients with ALK+ NSCLC, treated with alectinib. Waist circumference, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and skeletal muscle were quantified using sliceOmatic software on computed tomography images at baseline, 3 months (3M), and 1 year (1Y). To investigate an exposure-toxicity relationship, alectinib plasma concentrations were quantified. Four patients with more than 10 kg weight gain were referred to Erasmus MC Obesity Center CGG for in-depth analysis (e.g., assessments of appetite, dietary habits, other lifestyle, medical and psychosocial factors, and extensive metabolic and endocrine assessments, including resting energy expenditure). Results: Mean increase in waist circumference was 9 cm (9.7%, p < 0.001) in 1Y with a 40% increase in abdominal obesity (p = 0.014). VAT increased to 10.8 cm 2 (15.0%, p = 0.003) in 3M and 35.7 cm 2 (39.0%, p < 0.001) in 1Y. SAT increased to 18.8 cm 2 (12.4%, p < 0.001) in 3M and 45.4 cm 2 (33.3%, p < 0.001) in 1Y. The incidence of sarcopenic obesity increased from 23.7% to 47.4% during 1Y of treatment. Baseline waist circumference was a positive predictor of increase in VAT (p = 0.037). No exposure-toxicity relationship was found. In-depth analysis (n = 4) revealed increased appetite in two patients and metabolic syndrome in all four patients. Conclusions: Alectinib may cause relevant increased sarcopenic abdominal obesity, with increases of both VAT and SAT, quickly after initiation. This may lead to many serious metabolic, physical, and mental disturbances in long-surviving patients.

MET amplification (METamp), a mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, occurs in up to 30% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progressing on first-line osimertinib. Combining osimertinib with a MET inhibitor, such as tepotinib, an oral, highly selective, potent MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor, may overcome METamp-driven resistance. INSIGHT 2 (NCT03940703), an international, open-label, multicenter phase II trial, assesses tepotinib plus osimertinib in patients with advanced/metastatic EGFR-mutant NSCLC and acquired resistance to first-line osimertinib and METamp, determined centrally by fluorescence in situ hybridization (gene copy number ≥5 and/or MET/CEP7 ≥2) at time of progression. Patients will receive tepotinib 500 mg (450 mg active moiety) plus osimertinib 80 mg once-a-day. The primary end point is objective response, and secondary end points include duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival and safety. Trial registration number: NCT03940703 (clinicaltrials.gov). ispartof: FUTURE ONCOLOGY vol:18 issue:9 pages:1039-1054 ispartof: location:England status: published

Background Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies have not been approved for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The efficacy and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan (formerly DS-8201), a HER2 antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC have not been investigated extensively. Methods We conducted a multicenter, international, phase 2 study in which trastuzumab deruxtecan (6.4 mg per kilogram of body weight) was administered to patients who had metastatic HER2-mutant NSCLC that was refractory to standard treatment. The primary outcome was objective response as assessed by independent central review. Secondary outcomes included the duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Biomarkers of HER2 alterations were assessed. Results A total of 91 patients were enrolled. The median duration of follow-up was 13.1 months (range, 0.7 to 29.1). Centrally confirmed objective response occurred in 55% of the patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 44 to 65). The median duration of response was 9.3 months (95% CI, 5.7 to 14.7). Median progression-free survival was 8.2 months (95% CI, 6.0 to 11.9), and median overall survival was 17.8 months (95% CI, 13.8 to 22.1). The safety profile was generally consistent with those from previous studies; grade 3 or higher drug-related adverse events occurred in 46% of patients, the most common event being neutropenia (in 19%). Adjudicated drug-related interstitial lung disease occurred in 26% of patients and resulted in death in 2 patients. Responses were observed across different HER2 mutation subtypes, as well as in patients with no detectable HER2 expression or HER2 amplification. Conclusions Trastuzumab deruxtecan showed durable anticancer activity in patients with previously treated HER2-mutant NSCLC. The safety profile included interstitial lung disease that was fatal in two cases. Observed toxic effects were generally consistent with those in previously reported studies. (Funded by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca; DESTINY-Lung01 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03505710.).

Contains fulltext : 292912.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Expensive novel anticancer drugs put a serious strain on healthcare budgets, and the associated drug expenses limit access to life-saving treatments worldwide. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop alternative dosing regimens to reduce drug expenses. METHODS: We developed alternative dosing regimens for the following monoclonal antibodies used for the treatment of lung cancer: amivantamab, atezolizumab, bevacizumab, durvalumab, ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and ramucirumab; and for the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan. The alternative dosing regimens were developed by means of modeling and simulation based on the population pharmacokinetic models developed by the license holders. They were based on weight bands and the administration of complete vials to limit drug wastage. The resulting dosing regimens were developed to comply with criteria used by regulatory authorities for in silico dose development. RESULTS: We found that alternative dosing regimens could result in cost savings that range from 11 to 28%, and lead to equivalent pharmacokinetic exposure with no relevant increases in variability in exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Dosing regimens based on weight bands and the use of complete vials to reduce drug wastage result in less expenses while maintaining equivalent exposure. The level of evidence of our proposal is the same as accepted by regulatory authorities for the approval of alternative dosing regimens of other monoclonal antibodies in oncology. The proposed alternative dosing regimens can, therefore, be directly implemented in clinical practice.

Contains fulltext : 249108.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) In oncology, and especially in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), dose optimization is often a neglected part of precision medicine. Many drugs are still being administered in "one dose fits all" regimens or based on parameters that are often only minor determinants for systemic exposure. These dosing approaches often introduce additional pharmacokinetic variability and do not add to treatment outcomes. Fortunately, pharmacological knowledge is increasing, providing valuable information regarding the potential of, for example, therapeutic drug monitoring. This article focuses on the evidence for the most promising and easily implemented optimized dosing approaches for the small-molecule inhibitors, chemotherapeutic agents, and monoclonal antibodies as treatment options currently approved for NSCLC. Despite limitations such as investigations having been conducted in oncological diseases other than NSCLC or the retrospective origin of many analyses, an alternative dosing regimen could be beneficial for treatment outcomes, prescriber convenience, or financial burden on healthcare systems. This review of the literature provides recommendations on the implementation of dose optimization and advice regarding promising strategies that deserve further research in NSCLC.

Background Overall survival (OS) data of osimertinib in pretreated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in real-world practice is limited, and treatment benefits for patients not represented in the pivotal trials (ineligible) are unclear. Objective To determine the representativeness of the AURA3 trial for NSCLC patients treated with osimertinib in a real-world setting and to determine outcomes of patients who were represented in the AURA3 trial (eligible) and those who were ineligible. Methods Advanced NSCLC patients receiving post first-line osimertinib were included in this retrospective study and were divided into two groups based on eligibility criteria of the AURA3 trial. Progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox models were used to estimate the association of eligibility criteria with OS. Results 328 patients were included; 126 (38%) patients were eligible and 202 (62%) patients were ineligible. The most common ineligibility reasons were the number of earlier treatment lines and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) > 1. PFS of eligible and ineligible patients was not statistically different (8.0 vs. 5.8 months, p = 0.062). Eligible patients had a longer OS (24.0 vs. 15.4 months, p = 0.001) compared to ineligible patients. ECOG PS was the best predictor for OS. An ECOG PS of 1 was already associated with poorer survival compared to an ECOG PS of 0 (hazard ratio 1.54; p = 0.016). Conclusion The majority of the study population was not represented in the AURA3 trial. Survival outcomes of eligible patients are in concordance with the AURA3 trial, while OS of ineligible patients was significantly shorter compared to eligible patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination to prevent COVID-19 is recommended, but data on the immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for patients with solid tumours receiving systemic cancer treatment are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and chemoimmunotherapy on the immunogenicity and safety of the mRNA-1273 (Moderna Biotech, Madrid, Spain) COVID-19 vaccine as part of the Vaccination Against COVID in Cancer (VOICE) trial.METHODS: This prospective, multicentre, non-inferiority trial was done across three centres in the Netherlands. Individuals aged 18 years or older with a life expectancy of more than 12 months were enrolled into four cohorts: individuals without cancer (cohort A [control cohort]), and patients with solid tumours, regardless of stage and histology, treated with immunotherapy (cohort B), chemotherapy (cohort C), or chemoimmunotherapy (cohort D). Participants received two mRNA-1273 vaccinations of 100 μg in 0·5 mL intramuscularly, 28 days apart. The primary endpoint, analysed per protocol (excluding patients with a positive baseline sample [>10 binding antibody units (BAU)/mL], indicating previous SARS-CoV-2 infection), was defined as the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1-specific IgG serum antibody response (ie, SARS-CoV-2-binding antibody concentration of >10 BAU/mL) 28 days after the second vaccination. For the primary endpoint analysis, a non-inferiority design with a margin of 10% was used. We also assessed adverse events in all patients who received at least one vaccination, and recorded solicited adverse events in participants who received at least one vaccination but excluding those who already had seroconversion (>10 BAU/mL) at baseline. This study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04715438.FINDINGS: Between Feb 17 and March 12, 2021, 791 participants were enrolled and followed up for a median of 122 days (IQR 118 to 128). A SARS-CoV-2-binding antibody response was found in 240 (100%; 95% CI 98 to 100) of 240 evaluable participants in cohort A, 130 (99%; 96 to >99) of 131 evaluable patients in cohort B, 223 (97%; 94 to 99) of 229 evaluable patients in cohort C, and 143 (100%; 97 to 100) of 143 evaluable patients in cohort D. The SARS-CoV-2-binding antibody response in each patient cohort was non-inferior compared with cohort A. No new safety signals were observed. Grade 3 or worse serious adverse events occurred in no participants in cohort A, three (2%) of 137 patients in cohort B, six (2%) of 244 patients in cohort C, and one (1%) of 163 patients in cohort D, with four events (two of fever, and one each of diarrhoea and febrile neutropenia) potentially related to the vaccination. There were no vaccine-related deaths.INTERPRETATION: Most patients with cancer develop, while receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or both for a solid tumour, an adequate antibody response to vaccination with the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is also safe in these patients. The minority of patients with an inadequate response after two vaccinations might benefit from a third vaccination.FUNDING: ZonMw, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.

Introduction: We report brigatinib long-term efficacy and safety from phase 1/2 and phase 2 (ALTA) trials in ALK–rearrangement positive (ALK+) NSCLC.Methods: The phase 1/2 study evaluated brigatinib 30 to 300 mg/d in patients with advanced malignancies. ALTA randomized patients with crizotinib-refractory ALK+ NSCLC to brigatinib 90 mg once daily (arm A) or 180 mg once daily (7-d lead-in at 90 mg; arm B).Results: In the phase 1/2 study, 79 of 137 brigatinib-treated patients had ALK+ NSCLC; 71 were crizotinib pretreated. ALTA randomized 222 patients (n = 112 in arm A; n = 110 in arm B). Median follow-up at phase 1/2 study end (≈5.6 y after last patient enrolled) was 27.7 months; at ALTA study end (≈4.4 y after last patient enrolled), 19.6 months (A) and 28.3 months (B). Among patients with ALK+ NSCLC in the phase 1/2 study, median investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.8–21.2); median overall survival was 47.6 months (28.6–not reached). In ALTA, median investigator-assessed PFS was 9.2 months (7.4–11.1) in arm A and 15.6 months (11.1–18.5) in arm B; median independent review committee (IRC)-assessed PFS was 9.9 (7.4–12.8) and 16.7 (11.6–21.4) months, respectively; median overall survival was 25.9 (18.2–45.8) and 40.6 (32.5–not reached) months, respectively. Median intracranial PFS for patients with any brain metastases was 12.8 (9.2–18.4) months in arm A and 18.4 (12.6–23.9) months in arm B. No new safety signals were identified versus previous analyses.Conclusions: Brigatinib exhibited sustained long-term activity and PFS with manageable safety in patients with crizotinib-refractory ALK+ NSCLC.

We report brigatinib long-term efficacy and safety from phase 1/2 and phase 2 (ALTA) trials inThe phase 1/2 study evaluated brigatinib 30 to 300 mg/d in patients with advanced malignancies. ALTA randomized patients with crizotinib-refractoryIn the phase 1/2 study, 79 of 137 brigatinib-treated patients hadBrigatinib exhibited sustained long-term activity and PFS with manageable safety in patients with crizotinib-refractory

The continued introduction of biomarkers and innovative testing methods makes already complex diagnosis in patients with stage IV nonesmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) even more complex. This study primarily analyzed variations in biomarker testing in clinical practice in patients referred to a comprehensive cancer center in the Netherlands. The secondary aim was to compare the cost of biomarker testing with the cost of whole-genome sequencing. The cohort included 102 stage IV NSCLC patients who received biomarker testing in 2017 or 2018 at the comprehensive cancer center. The complete biomarker testing history of the cohort was identified using linked data from the comprehensive cancer center and the nationwide network and registry of histopathology and cytopathology in the Netherlands. Unique biomarker-test combinations, costs, turnaround times, and test utilization were examined. The results indicate substantial variation in test utilization and sequences. The mean cost per patient of biomarker testing was 2259.92 +/- 1217.10 USD, or 1881.23 +/- 1013.15 EUR. Targeted gene panels were most frequently conducted, followed by IHC analysis for programmed cell death protein ligand 1. Typically, the most common biomarkers were assessed within the first tests, and emerging biomarkers were tested further down the test sequence. At the cost of current biomarker testing, replacing current testing with whole-genome sequencing would have led to costsavings in only two patients (2%).

Previous studies have shown interference between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chemotherapy in the cell cycle, thus reducing efficacy. In this randomised controlled trial we investigated whether intercalated erlotinib with chemotherapy was superior compared to erlotinib alone in untreated advanced EGFR-mutated nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Treatment-naïve patients with an activatingBetween April 2014 and September 2016, 22 patients were randomised equally into both arms; the study was stopped due to slow accrual. Median follow-up was 64 months. Median PFS was 13.7 months (95% CI 5.2-18.8) for CPE and 10.3 months (95% CI 7.1-15.5; hazard ratio (HR) 0.62, 95% CI 0.25-1.57) for erlotinib monotherapy; when compensating for number of days receiving erlotinib, PFS of the CPE arm was superior (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07-0.83; p=0.02). ORR was 64% for CPEIntercalating erlotinib with cisplatin-pemetrexed provides a longer PFS compared to erlotinib alone in

Lurbinectedin is a synthetic marine-derived anticancer agent that acts as a selective inhibitor of oncogenic transcription. Lurbinectedin monotherapy (3·2 mg/mIn this phase 3, open-label, randomised study, adult patients aged 18 years or older with SCLC who relapsed after platinum-based chemotherapy were recruited from 135 hospitals across North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) centrally by dynamic allocation to intravenous lurbinectedin 2·0 mg/mBetween Aug 30, 2016, and Aug 20, 2018, 613 patients were randomly assigned to lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin (n=307) or control (topotecan, n=127; CAV, n=179) and comprised the intention-to-treat population; safety endpoints were assessed in patients who had received any partial or complete study treatment infusions (lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin, n=303; control, n=289). After a median follow-up of 24·1 months (95% CI 21·7-26·3), 303 patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group and 289 patients in the control group had discontinued study treatment; progressive disease was the most common reason for discontinuation (213 [70%] patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group vs 152 [53%] in the control group). Median overall survival was 8·6 months (95% CI 7·1-9·4) in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group versus 7·6 months (6·6-8·2) in the control group (stratified log-rank p=0·90; hazard ratio 0·97 [95% CI 0·82-1·15], p=0·70). 12 patients died because of treatment-related adverse events: two (1%) of 303 in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group and ten (3%) of 289 in the control group. 296 (98%) of 303 patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group had treatment-emergent adverse events compared with 284 (98%) of 289 patients in the control group; treatment-related adverse events occurred in 268 (88%) patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group and 266 (92%) patients in the control group. Grade 3 or worse haematological adverse events were less frequent in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group than the control group (anaemia, 57 [19%] of 302 patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group vs 110 [38%] of 288 in the control group; neutropenia, 112 [37%] vs 200 [69%]; thrombocytopenia, 42 [14%] vs 90 [31%]). The frequency of treatment-related adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation was lower in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group than in the control group (26 [9%] of 303 patients in the lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin group vs 47 [16%] of 289 in the control group).Combination therapy with lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin did not improve overall survival versus control in patients with relapsed SCLC. However, lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin showed a favourable haematological safety profile compared with control.PharmaMar.

Osimertinib, an irreversible inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important drug in the treatment of EGFR-mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical trials with osimertinib could not demonstrate an exposure-efficacy relationship, while a relationship between exposure and toxicity has been found. In this study, we report the exposure-response relationships of osimertinib in a real-life setting.A retrospective observational cohort study was performed, including patients receiving 40 - 80 mg osimertinib as ≥ 2 line therapy and from whom pharmacokinetic samples were collected during routine care. Trough plasma concentrations (CA total of 145 patients and 513 osimertinib plasma concentration samples were included. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 13.3 (95% confidence interval (CI):10.3 - 19.1) months and 9.3 (95% CI: 7.2 - 11.1) months for patients with CIn our real-life cohort, no exposure-response relationship was observed for osimertinib in the current dosing scheme. The feasibility of a standard lower fixed dosing of osimertinib in clinical practice should be studied prospectively.

Purpose: Pretreatment selection of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who would derive clinical benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) would fulfill an unmet clinical need by reducing unnecessary toxicities from treatment and result in substantial health care savings. Experimental Design: In a retrospective study, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis was performed on pretreatment sera derived from patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab as part of routine clinical care (n = 289). Machine learning combined spectral and clinical data to stratify patients into three groups with good (“sensitive”), intermediate, and poor (“resistant”) outcomes following treatment in the second-line setting. The test was applied to three independent patient cohorts and its biology was investigated using protein set enrichment analyses (PSEA). Results: A signature consisting of 274 MS features derived from a development set of 116 patients was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) across two validation cohorts (N = 98 and N = 75). In pooled analysis, significantly better OS was demonstrated for “sensitive” relative to “not sensitive” patients treated with nivolumab; HR, 0.58 (95% confidence interval, 0.38–0–87; P = 0.009). There was no significant association with clinical factors including PD-L1 expression, available from 133 of 289 patients. The test demonstrated no significant association with PFS or OS in a historical cohort (n = 68) of second-line NSCLC patients treated with docetaxel. PSEA revealed proteomic classification to be significantly associated with complement and wound-healing cascades. Conclusions: This serum-derived protein signature successfully stratified outcomes in cohorts of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with second-line PD-1 CPIs and deserves further prospective study.

Introduction: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy remains the main treatment strategy for patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); stage cT3N1 or cT4N0-1 may be eligible for surgery and potentially resectable stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC for neoadjuvant therapy followed by resection. We evaluated treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with stage IIIA NSCLC in The Netherlands. Material and Methods: Primary treatment data of patients with clinically staged IIIA NSCLC between 2010 and 2016 were extracted from The Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patient characteristics were tabulated and 5-year overall survival (OS) was calculated and reported. Results: In total, 9,591 patients were diagnosed with stage IIIA NSCLC. Of these patients, 41.3% were treated with chemoradiotherapy, 11.6% by upfront surgery and 428 patients (4.5%) received neoadjuvant treatment followed by resection. The 5-year OS was 26% after chemoradiotherapy, 40% after upfront surgery and 54% after neoadjuvant treatment followed by resection. Clinical over staging was seen in 42.3% of the patients that were operated without neoadjuvant therapy. Conclusion: In The Netherlands, between 2010 and 2016, 4.5% of patients with stage IIIA NSCLC were selected for treatment with neoadjuvant therapy followed by resection. The 5-year OS in these patients exceeded 50%. However, the outcome might be overestimated due to clinical over staging.