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As chronic antigenic stimulation from infection and autoimmunity is a feature of primary antibody deficiency (PAD), analysis of affected patients could yield insights into T-cell differentiation and explain how environmental exposures modify clinical phenotypes conferred by single-gene defects. CD57 marks dysfunctional T cells that have differentiated after antigenic stimulation. Indeed, while circulating CD57+ CD4+ T cells are normally rare, we found that they are increased in patients with PAD and markedly increased with CTLA4 haploinsufficiency or blockade. We performed single-cell RNA-seq analysis of matched CD57+ CD4+ T cells from blood and tonsil samples. Circulating CD57+ CD4+ T cells (CD4cyt) exhibited a cytotoxic transcriptome similar to that of CD8+ effector cells, could kill B cells, and inhibited B-cell responses. CTLA4 restrained the formation of CD4cyt. While CD57 also marked an abundant subset of follicular helper T cells, which is consistent with their antigen-driven differentiation, this subset had a pre-exhaustion transcriptomic signature marked by TCF7, TOX, and ID3 expression and constitutive expression of CTLA4 and did not become cytotoxic even after CTLA4 inhibition. Thus, CD57+ CD4+ T-cell cytotoxicity and exhaustion phenotypes are compartmentalised between blood and germinal centers. CTLA4 is a key modifier of CD4+ T-cell cytotoxicity, and the pathological CD4cyt phenotype is accentuated by infection.

PURPOSE We previously reported that enzalutamide improved overall survival when added to standard of care in metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Here, we report its effects on aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQL). METHODS HRQL was assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer core quality-of-life questionnaire and QLM-PR25 at weeks 0, 4, 12, and then every 12 weeks until progression. Scores from week 4 to 156 were analyzed with repeated measures modeling to calculate group means and differences. Deterioration-free survival was from random assignment until the earliest of death, clinical progression, discontinuation of study treatment, or a worsening of 10 points or more from baseline in fatigue, physical function, cognitive function, or overall health and quality of life (OHQL). HRQL scores range from 0 (lowest possible) to 100 (highest possible). RESULTS HRQL was assessed in 1,042 of 1,125 participants (93%). Differences in means favored control over enzalutamide for fatigue (5.2, 95% CI, 3.6 to 6.9; P < .001), cognitive function (4.0, 95% CI, 2.5 to 5.5; P < .001), and physical function (2.6, 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.9; P < .001), but not OHQL (1.2, 95% CI, −0.2 to 2.7; P = .1). Deterioration-free survival rates at 3 years, and log-rank P values comparing the whole distributions, favored enzalutamide over control for OHQL (31% v 17%; P < .0001), cognitive function (31% v 20%; P = .001), and physical function (31% v 22%; P < .001), but not fatigue (24% v 18%; P = .16). The effects of enzalutamide on HRQL were independent of baseline characteristics. CONCLUSION Enzalutamide was associated with worsening of self-reported fatigue, cognitive function, and physical function, but not OHQL. Enzalutamide was associated with improved deterioration-free survival for OHQL, physical function, and cognitive function because delays in disease progression outweighed early deteriorations in these aspects of HRQL.

As chronic antigenic stimulation from infection and autoimmunity are features of primary antibody deficiency (PAD), analysis of affected patients could yield insights into T cell differentiation, and explain how environmental exposures modify clinical phenotypes conferred by single gene defects. CD57 marks dysfunctional T cells that have differentiated after antigenic stimulation. Indeed, while CD57+ CD4+ T cells are normally rare in the circulation, we found that they are increased in patients with PAD, and markedly by CTLA4 haploinsufficiency or blockade. We performed single-cell RNA-seq analysis of matched CD57+ CD4+ T cells from blood and tonsil. Circulating CD57+ CD4+ T cells (CD4cyt) exhibit a cytotoxic transcriptome similar to CD8+ effectors, can kill B cells, and inhibit B cell responses. CTLA4 restrains the formation of CD4cyt. While CD57 also marks an abundant subset of follicular helper T cells, which is consistent with their antigen-driven differentiation, this subset has a precursor of exhaustion transcriptomic signature marked by TCF7, TOX, ID3, and constitutive expression of CTLA4, and are robust to becoming cytotoxic even after CTLA4 inhibition. Thus, CD57+ CD4+ T cell phenotypes of cytotoxicity and exhaustion are compartmentalized between blood and germinal centres. CTLA4 is a key modifier of CD4+ T cell cytotoxicity, and the pathological CD4cyt phenotype is accentuated in CTLA4 deficiency by the environmental stimulus of infection.

IntroductionGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary central nervous system cancer in adults. The objective of the Multi-Arm GlioblastoMa Australasia (MAGMA) trial is to test hypotheses in real world setting to improve survival of people with GBM. Initial experimental arms are evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in newly diagnosed GBM (ndGBM). This study will compare maximal surgical resection followed by chemoradiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months with the addition of (1) ‘neoadjuvant’ chemotherapy beginning as soon as possible after surgery and/or (2) adjuvant chemotherapy continued until progression within the same study platform.Methods and analysisMAGMA will establish a platform for open-label, multiarm, multicentre randomised controlled testing of treatments for GBM. The study began recruiting in September 2020 and recruitment to the initial two interventions in MAGMA is expected to continue until September 2023.Adults aged ≥18 years with ndGBM will be given the option of undergoing randomisation to each study intervention separately, thereby giving rise to a partial factorial design, with two separate randomisation time points, one for neoadjuvant therapy and one for extended therapy. Patients will have the option of being randomised at each time point or continuing on with standard treatment.The primary outcome for the study is overall survival from the date of initial surgery until death from any cause. Secondary outcomes include progression-free survival, time to first non-temozolomide treatment, overall survival from each treatment randomisation, clinically significant toxicity as measured by grade 3 or 4 adverse events and health-related quality-of-life measures. Tertiary outcomes are predictive/prognostic biomarkers and health utilities and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.The primary analysis of overall survival will be performed separately for each study intervention according to the intention to treat principle on all patients randomised to each study intervention.Ethics and disseminationThe study (Protocol version 2.0 dated 23 November 2020) was approved by a lead Human Research Ethics Committee (Sydney Local Health District: 2019/ETH13297). The study will be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000048987.

Women with advanced endometrial carcinoma (EC) with mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency have improved outcomes when treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors; however, additional biomarkers are needed to identify women most likely to respond. Scores for programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), immunohistochemical staining of tumor (TC+), immune cells (IC+) and presence of tumor-associated immune cells (ICP) on MMR deficient (n = 34) and proficient (n = 33) EC from women treated with durvalumab in the PHAEDRA trial (ANZGOG1601/CTC0144) (trial registration number ACTRN12617000106336, prospectively registered 19 January 2017) are reported and correlated with outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and area under the ROC curve were used to determine optimal cutpoints. Performance was compared with median cutpoints and two algorithms; a novel algorithm derived from optimal cutpoints (TC+ ≥ 1 or ICP ≥ 10 or IC+ ≥ 35) and the Ventana urothelial carcinoma (UC) algorithm (either TC+ ≥ 25, ICP > 1 and IC+ ≥ 25 or ICP = 1 and IC+ = 100). The cutpoint ICP ≥ 10 had highest sensitivity (53%) and specificity (82%), being prognostic for progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.01), while the optimal cutpoints algorithm was associated with overall survival (p = 0.02); these results were not significant after adjusting for MMR status. The optimal cutpoints algorithm identified non-responders (p = 0.02) with high sensitivity (88%) and negative predictive value (92%), remaining significant after adjustment for MMR. Although MMR status had the strongest association with response, further work to determine the significance of ICP ≥ 10 and the novel optimal cutpoint algorithm is needed.

BackgroundTemozolomide offers minimal benefit in patients with glioblastoma with unmethylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter status, hence, the need for novel therapies. This study evaluated whether veliparib, a brain-penetrant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, acts synergistically with radiation and temozolomide.MethodsVERTU was a multicenter 2:1 randomized phase II trial in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and MGMT-unmethylated promotor status. The experimental arm consisted of veliparib and radiotherapy, followed by adjuvant veliparib and temozolomide. The standard arm consisted of concurrent temozolomide and radiotherapy, followed by adjuvant temozolomide. The primary objective was to extend the progression-free survival rate at six months (PFS-6m) in the experimental arm.ResultsA total of 125 participants were enrolled, with 84 in the experimental arm and 41 in the standard arm. The median age was 61 years, 70% were male, 59% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, and 87% underwent macroscopic resection. PFS-6m was 46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 36%-57%) in the experimental arm and 31% (95% CI: 18%-46%) in the standard arm. Median overall survival was 12.7 months (95% CI: 11.4-14.5 months) in the experimental arm and 12.8 months (95% CI: 9.5-15.8 months) in the standard arm. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia and neutropenia, with no new safety signals.ConclusionThe veliparib-containing regimen was feasible and well tolerated. However, there was insufficient evidence of clinical benefit in this population. Further information from correlative translational work and other trials of PARP inhibitors in glioblastoma are still awaited.

Summary Background There is a strong unmet need to improve systemic therapy in mesothelioma. Chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed improves survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are an emerging treatment in this disease. We aimed to evaluate the activity of durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, given during and after first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed in patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods DREAM was a multicentre, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 trial done in nine hospitals in Australia. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older and had histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma considered unsuitable for cancer-directed surgery, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and measurable disease as per the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0 (mRECIST) for mesothelioma that was previously untreated with systemic therapy. All histological subtypes were eligible. The first six participants were treated for two cycles in a safety run-in. All participants received cisplatin 75 mg/m2, pemetrexed 500 mg/m2, and durvalumab 1125 mg intravenously on day 1 of a 3-weekly schedule for a maximum of six cycles. Change from cisplatin to carboplatin with an area under the curve of 5 was permitted. Durvalumab was continued for a maximum of 12 months. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 6 months, measured according to mRECIST for malignant pleural mesothelioma and analysed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses included all participants who receive at least one dose of any study drug. This study is registered with the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12616001170415. Findings Between Dec 28, 2016, and Sept 27, 2017, 55 participants were enrolled. 54 patients were eligible and were followed up for a median of 28·2 months (IQR 26·5–30·2). 31 (57%; 95% CI 44–70) of 54 patients were alive and progression-free at 6 months. The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were neutropenia (seven [13%] patients), nausea (six [11%]), and anaemia (four [7%]). A total of 60 serious adverse events occurred in 29 participants, five of which were considered possibly related to durvalumab. Five patients died during the study treatment; none of these five deaths were attributed to study treatment. Interpretation The combination of durvalumab, cisplatin, and pemetrexed has promising activity and an acceptable safety profile that warrants further investigation in a randomised phase 3 trial. Funding AstraZeneca.

IntroductionThere is a strong theoretical rationale for combining checkpoint blockade with cytotoxic chemotherapy in pleural mesothelioma and other cancers. Two recent single-arm, phase 2 trials [DuRvalumab with chEmotherapy as first-line treAtment in advanced pleural Mesothelioma (DREAM) and Phase II multicenter study of anti-PD-L1, durvalumab, in combination with cisplatin and pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (PrE0505)] combining the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab with standard first-line chemotherapy exceeded prespecified safety and activity criteria to proceed to a phase 3 confirmatory trial to assess this combination. We present the protocol of the DREAM3R trial.Methods and analysisThis multicentre open-label randomised trial will recruit 480 treatment-naïve adults with advanced pleural mesothelioma, randomised (2:1) to either 3-weekly durvalumab 1500 mg plus 3-weekly doublet chemotherapy (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 or carboplatin, Area Under the Curve,AUC 5 and pemetrexed 500 mg/m2) 4–6 cycles, followed by 4-weekly durvalumab 1500 mg until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or patient withdrawal; OR doublet chemotherapy alone for 4–6 cycles, followed by observation. The target accrual time is 27 months, with follow-up for an additional 24 months. This provides over 85% power if the true HR for overall survival (OS) is 0.70, with two-sided alpha of 0.05, assuming a median OS of 15 months in the control group. Randomisation is stratified by age (18–70 years vs >70), sex, histology (epithelioid vs non-epithelioid), platinum agent (cisplatin vs carboplatin) and region (USA vs Australia/New Zealand vs Other). The primary endpoint is OS. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, objective tumour response (by mRECIST V.1.1 and iRECIST), adverse events, health-related quality of life and healthcare resource use. Tertiary correlative objectives are to explore and validate potential prognostic and/or predictive biomarkers (including features identified in the DuRvalumab with chEmotherapy as first-line treAtment in advanced pleural Mesothelioma (DREAM) and PrE0505 studies, PD-L1 expression, tumour mutational burden, genomic characteristics and human leukocyte antigen subtypes) in tissue and serial blood samples. An imaging databank will be assembled for validation of radiological measures of response, and studies of possible radiomic biomarkers in mesothelioma.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol was approved by human research ethics review committees for all participating sites. Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.Drug SupplyAstraZeneca.Protocol versionCTC 0231 / TOGA 18/001 / PrE0506 3.0, 29 July 2021.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04334759 ACTRN 12620001199909.

IntroductionGrades 2 and 3 gliomas (G2/3 gliomas), when combined, are the second largest group of malignant brain tumours in adults. The outcomes for G2/3 gliomas at progression approach the dismal outcomes for glioblastoma (GBM), yet there is a paucity of trials for Australian patients with relapsed G2/3 gliomas compared with patients with GBM. LUMOS will be a pilot umbrella study for patients with relapsed G2/3 gliomas that aims to match patients to targeted therapies based on molecular screening with contemporaneous tumour tissue. Participants in whom no actionable or no druggable mutation is found, or in whom the matching drug is not available, will form a comparator arm and receive standard of care chemotherapy. The objective of the LUMOS trial is to assess the feasibility of this approach in a multicentre study across five sites in Australia, with a view to establishing a national molecular screening platform for patient treatment guided by the mutational analysis of contemporaneous tissue biopsiesMethods and analysisThis study will be a multicentre pilot study enrolling patients with recurrent grade 2/3 gliomas that have previously been treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy at diagnosis or at first relapse. Contemporaneous tumour tissue at the time of first relapse, defined as tissue obtained within 6 months of relapse and without subsequent intervening therapy, will be obtained from patients. Molecular screening will be performed by targeted next-generation sequencing at the reference laboratory (PathWest, Perth, Australia). RNA and DNA will be extracted from representative formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue scrolls or microdissected from sections on glass slides tissue sections following a review of the histology by pathologists. Extracted nucleic acid will be quantified by Qubit Fluorometric Quantitation (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Library preparation and targeted capture will be performed using the TruSight Tumor 170 (TST170) kit and samples sequenced on NextSeq 550 (Illumina) using NextSeq V.2.5 hi output reagents, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Data analysis will be performed using the Illumina BaseSpace TST170 app v1.02 and a custom tertiary pipeline, implemented within the Clinical Genomics Workspace software platform from PierianDx (also refer to section 3.2). Primary outcomes for the study will be the number of patients enrolled and the number of patients who complete molecular screening. Secondary outcomes will include the proportion of screened patients enrolled; proportion of patients who complete molecular screening; the turn-around time of molecular screening; and the value of a brain tumour specific multi-disciplinary tumour board, called the molecular tumour advisory panel as measured by the proportion of patients in whom the treatment recommendation was refined compared with the recommendations from the automated bioinformatics platform of the reference laboratory testing.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the lead Human Research Ethics Committee of the Sydney Local Health District: Protocol No. X19-0383. The study will be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki 2013, guidelines for Good Clinical Practice and the National Health and Medical Research Council National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, updated 2018 and as amended periodically). Results will be disseminated using a range of media channels including newsletters, social media, scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000087954; Pre-results.

BACKGROUND VERTU was a randomized phase II trial evaluating veliparib, a brain-penetrant PARP inhibitor, combined with radiotherapy and temozolomide, for patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma. As part of planned correlative work after study completion, we assessed genome-wide DNA methylation patterns to predict methylation class, glioblastoma subtype and MGMT status. METHODS Patients were randomized 2:1 to experimental (60Gy/30 fractions with veliparib 200mg bid, then temozolomide 150-200mg/m2 D1-5 + veliparib 40mg bid D1-7 Q28D for 6 cycles) versus standard arm (60Gy/30 fractions with temozolomide 75mg/m2 daily, then temozolomide 150-200mg/m2 D1-5 Q28D for 6 cycles). The primary objective to improve 6-month progression-free survival (PFS-6m) was not met (doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noab111). Methylation data were generated using the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC bead chip array. Tumor tissues were categorized using the Heidelberg methylation-based classifier. RESULTS Methylation data were successfully generated for 98/125 patients (poor quality DNA [n = 12], no consent [n = 11], insufficient tissue [n = 4]). Those with classifier scores below 0.5 (n = 25), tumor microenvironment only (n = 6) and rediagnosis as pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (n = 1) were excluded, leaving n = 66. Methylation classes were GBM RTK II (n = 23, PFS-6m 43% [95%CI 23-62]), RTK I (n = 20, PFS-6m 50% [95%CI 27-69]), MES (n = 20, PFS-6m 40% [95%CI 19-60]), MID (n = 2) and G34 (n = 1). Glioblastoma subtypes were mesenchymal (n = 28, PFS-6m 50% [95%CI 30-66]), proneural (n = 24, PFS-6m 50% [95%CI 29-68]) and classical (n = 14, PFS-6m 36% [95%CI 13-59]). MGMT status were unmethylated (n = 58, PFS-6m 48% [95%CI 35-60]) and methylated (n = 8, PFS-6m 38% [95%CI 9-67]). There was no evidence of interaction between treatment arm and methylation class (excluding GBM MID and G34, P = 0.45), glioblastoma subtype (P = 0.68) or MGMT status (P = 0.52). CONCLUSIONS Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in VERTU identified a spectrum of methylation-defined subgroups, reflecting tumoral heterogeneity. This may have utility for future clinical trials and practice. The effect of veliparib in VERTU appeared to be consistent across subgroups. ACTRN12615000407594.

BACKGROUND Nivolumab is a PD-1 inhibitor with known safety profile. An increase in mutations as we age is well documented in glioblastoma and other cancers. Higher mutational load is associated with increased response to nivolumab in extracranial malignancies. NUTMEG examined the activity of nivolumab added to temozolomide in glioblastoma patients aged ≥ 65 years. METHODS NUTMEG was an international multicenter phase II trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients aged ≥ 65 years, randomized 2:1 to experimental (40Gy/15 fractions with temozolomide 75mg/m2, then 6 cycles of temozolomide 150-200mg/m2 D1-5 Q28D + nivolumab 240mg D1,15 Q28D C1-4 and 480mg D1 Q28D C5-6) versus standard arm (40Gy/15 fractions with temozolomide 75mg/m2, then 6 cycles of temozolomide alone 150-200mg/m2 D1-5 Q28D), stratified by age, ECOG status, MGMT status and resection extent. RESULTS 103 patients were enrolled (69 in experimental arm, 34 in standard arm). Median age was 73 years, 36% ECOG 0, 57% MGMT-unmethylated and 51% gross macroscopic resection. Median follow-up is 31 months to date, with 77 deaths (surviving patients to continue follow-up and final results will be presented). Median overall survival was 11.8 months in the experimental arm versus 12.0 months in the standard arm (HR 0.95 95%CI 0.59-1.53 for experimental relative to control). Six-month progression-free survival rate using mRANO was 64% in the experimental arm versus 49% in the standard arm (HR 0.81 95%CI 0.51-1.26). Grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 46% of experimental arm (7% lung infection, 7% thromboembolic events, 6% fatigue, 6% muscle weakness) and in 29% of control arm (9% fatigue, 6% seizure, 6% thromboembolic events). CONCLUSIONS There was insufficient evidence of clinical benefit with nivolumab in this population. No new safety signals were identified. Central imaging review is underway and correlative studies will characterize the immune landscape, including mutational load, neoantigen and other immune markers. NCT04195139.

Background Among patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer, 80% have high-risk, borderline resectable or locally advanced cancer, with a 5-year overall survival of 12%. MASTERPLAN evaluates the safety and activity of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in addition to chemotherapy in these patients. Methods and design MASTERPLAN is a multi-centre randomised phase II trial of 120 patients with histologically confirmed potentially operable pancreatic cancer (POPC) or inoperable pancreatic cancer (IPC). POPC includes patients with borderline resectable or high-risk tumours; IPC is defined as locally advanced or medically inoperable pancreatic cancer. Randomisation is 2:1 to chemotherapy + SBRT (investigational arm) or chemotherapy alone (control arm) by minimisation and stratified by patient cohort (POPC v IPC), planned induction chemotherapy and institution. Chemotherapy can have been commenced ≤28 days prior to randomisation. Both arms receive 6 × 2 weekly cycles of modified FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 IV), irinotecan (150 mg/m2), 5-fluorouracil (2400 mg/m2 CIV), leucovorin (50 mg IV bolus)) plus SBRT in the investigational arm. Gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel is permitted for patients unsuitable for mFOLFIRINOX. SBRT is 40Gy in five fractions with planning quality assurance to occur in real time. Following initial chemotherapy ± SBRT, resectability will be evaluated. For resected patients, adjuvant chemotherapy is six cycles of mFOLFIRINOX. Where gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel was used initially, the adjuvant treatment is 12 weeks of gemcitabine and capecitabine or mFOLFIRINOX. Unresectable or medically inoperable patients with stable/responding disease will continue with a further six cycles of mFOLFIRINOX or three cycles of gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel, whatever was used initially. The primary endpoint is 12-month locoregional control. Secondary endpoints are safety, surgical morbidity and mortality, radiological response rates, progression-free survival, pathological response rates, surgical resection rates, R0 resection rate, quality of life, deterioration-free survival and overall survival. Tertiary/correlative objectives are radiological measures of nutrition and sarcopenia, and serial tissue, blood and microbiome samples to be assessed for associations between clinical endpoints and potential predictive/prognostic biomarkers. Interim analysis will review rates of locoregional recurrence, distant failure and death after 40 patients complete 12 months follow-up. Fifteen Australian and New Zealand sites will recruit over a 4-year period, with minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Discussion MASTERPLAN evaluates SBRT in both resectable and unresectable patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Trial registration Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619000409178, 13/03/2019. Protocol version: 2.0, 19 May 2019

BackgroundIn this study, we assessed the activity of durvalumab, an antibody to programmed death ligand-1, in two cohorts of women with advanced endometrial cancers (AEC)—mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) and mismatch repair deficient (dMMR).MethodsA multicenter phase two study was performed in women with AEC with pMMR tumor progressing after one to three lines of chemotherapy and women with AEC with dMMR tumor progressing after zero to three lines of chemotherapy. Mismatch repair status was based on immunohistochemistry expression. All women received durvalumab 1500 mg given every 4 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective tumor response by RECIST V.1.1 modified for immune-based therapeutics.ResultsSeventy-one women were recruited: 35 dMMR and 36 pMMR. Median follow-up was 19 vs 21 months in dMMR versus pMMR, respectively. Median age was 67 years. Histology in dMMR versus pMMR included endometrioid (94% vs 57%) and serous (0% vs 31%) and was high grade in 26% vs 74%. The objective tumor response rate (OTRR) in the dMMR cohort was 47% (17/36, 95% CI 32 to 63), including 6 complete responses and 11 partial responses (PRs)) vs 3% in the pMMR cohort (1/35, 95% CI 1 to 15, PR). In the dMMR cohort, durvalumab was the first-line therapy in 58% (OTRR 57%) and the second-line therapy in 39% (OTRR 38%). Median progression-free survival was 8.3 months in the dMMR cohort vs 1.8 months in the pMMR cohort. The 12-month overall survival (OS) rate was 71% in dMMR vs 51% in pMMR, with median OS not reached for dMMR vs 12 months for pMMR. Immune-related adverse events occurred in 14 women, mostly grades 1–2.ConclusionDurvalumab monotherapy showed promising activity and acceptable safety in AEC with dMMR regardless of prior lines of chemotherapy, but activity was limited in AEC with pMMR.Trial registration numbersANZGOG1601, ACTRN12617000106336, and NCT03015129.

International collaboration in oncology trials has the potential to enhance clinical trial activity by expediting the recruitment of large patient populations, testing treatments in diverse populations and facilitating the study of rare tumours or specific molecular subtypes. However, a number of challenges continue to hinder the efficient and productive conduct of both commercial and non-commercial international clinical trials. These challenges include complex and burdensome regulatory requirements, the high cost of conducting trials, and logistical challenges associated with ethics review, drug supply and biospecimen collection and management. We propose solutions to promote oncology trial collaboration, such as regulatory reform, harmonisation of trial initiation and management processes and greater recognition and funding of academic (non-commercial) clinical trials. It is only through coordinated effort and leadership from researchers, regulators and those responsible for health systems that the full potential of international trial collaboration can be realised.

BACKGROUND Grade 2 and 3 (G2/3) gliomas are the second largest group of brain tumors in adults. Although the prognosis for G2/3 gliomas at the time of relapse mirror those of glioblastoma, there are few trials in this space. METHODS LUMOS was a national multi-center pilot study for patients with relapsed G2/3 gliomas designed to match contemporaneous tissue obtained at the time of disease progression with subsequent targeted therapies. The objective was to establish the feasibility of a precision oncology, umbrella approach to obtain and type tissue within a useful timeframe. As a key feature of LUMOS, a multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Advisory Panel (MTAP) with subspecialty neuro-oncology expertise was formed to interpret the complex genomic information and provide a simplified recommendation to the treating physician. RESULTS Ten patients (median age 42: range 32-62; four G2 astrocytoma, one G3 astrocytoma, three G2 oligoendroglioma, one G3 oligodendroglioma, one mixed tumor) were enrolled in the study. Eight patients had biopsies within 6 months of study entry whilst two underwent a biopsy during the study. All patients had potentially targetable alterations (10 IDH, 3 FGFR, 2 PIK3K, CCND3, NRAS, CDK4, PRPRZ1-MET fusion and MET amplification). Matched therapies were delivered for two patients via compassionate access outside the study. The median turnaround time (TAT) of MTAP reports was 6.2 weeks (range 4.2-9.7 weeks) but 4.6 weeks when lag time for shipping was removed. CONCLUSION LUMOS confirmed that this design was feasible with good turnaround times. The MTAP facilitated education and support for treating physicians. Thes findings support moving to a larger study using contemporaneous and longitudinal tissue samples matched with targeted therapies as part of a comprehensive umbrella study design. Delivery and interpretation of molecular data is a challenge shared across oncology which may be mitigated with a neuro-oncology specific molecular tumor board.

BACKGROUND Survival outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma have not changed significantly since the introduction of concurrent temozolomide with post-surgical radiation followed by adjuvant temozolomide. METHODS Multi-Arm Glioblastoma Australasia (MAGMA) is a recently initiated phase III multi-arm, multi-centre randomized trial for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, led by the Australian Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO), that will concurrently test multiple treatment questions. Initially, a partial factorial design will be implemented to compare the current standard of care with either or both of (1) neoadjuvant temozolomide and (2) aduvant temozolomide continued beyond six months until progression. MAGMA will transition to a multi-arm multi-stage (MAMS) design as additional tratment question are introduced. Treatment allocation to each question will be balanced (1:1) using minimisation over several stratification factors, including study site, age, IDH-mutation status, surgical extent and randomization to the prior treatment question(s). The primary outcome is overall survival. Secondary outcomes include progression-free survival (measured by mRANO), time to first non-temozolomide systemic treatment, clinically significant toxicity as measured by Grade 2/4 adverse events, and health-related quality of life measures. Parsimonious data collection and a streamlined assessment schedule have been incorporated to mitigate the burden of data collection (such as low grade toxicity from temozolomide), and to encourage participation in regional and rural settings. A consortium model has been adopted to foster neuro-oncology expertise and infrastructure and share academic credit and future design opportunities. PROGRESS Recruitment commenced in September 2020. To date, 60 patients have been recruited from an initial sample size target of 250 patients for each of these initial two treatment questions. Of these 60 patients, 45 have been randomized in Question 1 (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) whilst 50 randomized in Question 2 (prolonged adjuvant chemotherapy). To date, 14 of the 27 intended sites are open to recruitment.

Purpose/Objective(s) Synergy and abscopal phenomena have been observed with radiation and immunotherapy in pre-clinical and early clinical studies. Nivolumab, a PD-1 receptor antibody, improved overall survival in advanced NSCLC progressing after chemotherapy. We hypothesized that the addition of SABR might increase the activity of nivolumab. The aim of NIVORAD was to determine the activity and safety of treating a site of disease with a single fraction of SABR during therapy with nivolumab in advanced NSCLC progressing after 1 or 2 lines of chemotherapy. Materials/Methods Adults with metastatic NSCLC progressing after 1 or 2 lines of chemotherapy and a disease site suitable for SABR were randomly assigned (2:1) to either nivolumab 240mg 2-weekly until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity given together with a single fraction of SABR (18-20 Gy on day 8-14 of cycle 1); or, the same regimen of nivolumab without SABR. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included objective tumor response rate (OTRR), overall survival (OS), PFS at 1 year and 2 years, and adverse events (AEs). The planned sample size of 120 provided 80% power with a 1-sided type 1 error rate of 5% to distinguish the observed proportions alive and progression free at 6 months from benchmarks of 50% (worthy of pursuit) versus 35%. The study was closed early because of slow accrual. Results Fifty of the planned 120 participants were recruited from MAR2017 to JUN2019 (median age 66 years; male 58%; ECOG PS 0 32%, PS 1 68%; current smoker 30%) and randomly assigned to either nivolumab plus SABR (n = 34) or nivolumab alone (n = 16). Median follow-up was 25 months. PFS was similar among those assigned nivolumab plus SABR versus nivolumab alone (HR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.54, P = 0.6; PFS at 6mo 44% vs 43%, at 1y 27% vs 19%, and at 2y 16% vs 6%, respectively). OTRR (8/34 [24%] vs 4/16 [25%]) and OS (HR 0.94, P = 0.9) were also similar in the two treatment groups, as were the numbers of participants with grade 3-4 AEs: 24/30 (80%) vs 12/16 (75%) respectively. There were no treatment-related deaths in either arm. Conclusion Nivolumab plus SABR demonstrated similar activity and safety to nivolumab alone in NSCLC progressing after 1 or 2 lines of chemotherapy, with a potential signal of long-term efficacy, although the study was underpowered to detect this. Research should focus on identifying more active regimens of SABR and immunotherapy worthy of further evaluation.

Introduction Consent to biobanking remains controversial, with little empirical data to guide policy and practice. This study aimed to explore the attitudes, motivations, and concerns of both oncology patients and health care professionals (HCPs) regarding biobanking. Materials and methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with oncology patients and HCPs purposively selected from five Australian hospitals. Patients were invited to give biobanking consent as part of a clinical trial and/or for future research were eligible. HCPs were eligible if involved in consenting patients to biobanking or to donate specimens to clinical trials. Results Twenty-two patients participated, with head and neck (36%) and prostate (18%) the most common cancer diagnoses; all had consented to biobanking. Twenty-two HCPs participated, from across eight cancer streams and five disciplines. Themes identified were (a) biobanking is a "no brainer"; (b) altruism or scientific enquiry; (c) trust in clinicians, science, and institutions; (d) no consent-just do it; (e) respecting patient choice ("opt-out"); (f) respectful timing of the request; (g) need for emotional/family support; (h) context of the biobanking request matters; and (i) factors for biobanking success. Discussion These findings reinforced previous findings regarding high public trust in, and support for, biobanking. An initial opt-in consent approach with the option of later opt-out was favored by patients to respect and recognize donor generosity, whereas HCPs preferred an upfront opt-out model. Factors impacting biobanking success included the context of the request for use in a trial or specific research question, pre-existing patient and HCP rapport, a local institution champion, and infrastructure. Implications for practice Patients and health care professionals (HCPs) who experienced cancer biobanking consent were overwhelmingly supportive of biobanking. The motivations and approaches to seeking consent were largely mirrored between the groups. The findings of this study support the opt-in model of biobanking favored by patients; however, HCPs preferred an opt-out model. Both groups recognize the importance of making the request for biobanking at an appropriate time, preferably with emotional or family support, and respecting the timing of the request and privacy of the patient. Biobanking success can be promoted by hospital departments with a research focus by identifying an institutional biobanking champion and ensuring local infrastructure is available.

Background The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of intraperitoneal bevacizumab (IP-bev) in delaying re-accumulation of malignant ascites in women with chemotherapy-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (CR-EOC) who have ceased chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes were safety and quality of life. Methods Women with CR-EOC and malignant ascites that reaccumulated within 28 days of their last paracentesis (P-1) were administered IP-bev 5 mg/kg following their first therapeutic paracentesis on study (P0). Additional doses of IP-bev were allowed at each subsequent paracentesis (P1, P2, etc) provided the interval from the last dose was 42 days or greater (median time from first to second therapeutic ascitic drainage). Results 24 participants (median age 67 years [range 38–86]; median 4.5 lines prior systemic treatment [range 1–12]; ECOG performance status of 0 in 1, 1 in 8, and 2–3 in 15) were recruited. The doses of IP-bev administered were 1 in 13 participants, 2 in 5, 3 in 2, 4 in 1, and 5 in 1. The proportion with a TTP of >42 days using competing risk analysis was 77% (95% CI 58–92). Median time from P0 to P1 or death was 48 days (range 8–248). Median paracentesis-free interval (P0–P1 or death) was 4.29-fold (95% CI 2.4–5.8) higher following a first dose of IP-bev compared with the time between paracenteses prior to study entry (P-1–P0). Conclusion IP-bev was safe, active, and warrants further study as a palliative intervention for recurrent ascites in CR-EOC patients receiving best supportive care.

Bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy administered every 3 weeks for 4 cycles remains the standard first line treatment for patients with intermediate- and poor-risk metastatic germ cell tumours (GCTs). Administering standard chemotherapy 2-weekly rather than 3-weekly, so-called ‘accelerating chemotherapy’, has improved cure rates in other cancers. An Australian multicentre phase 2 trial demonstrated this regimen is feasible and tolerable with efficacy data that appears promising. The aim of this trial is to determine if accelerated BEP is superior to standard BEP as first line chemotherapy for adult and paediatric male and female participants with intermediate and poor risk metastatic GCTs. This is an open label, randomised, stratified, 2-arm, international multicentre, 2 stage, phase 3 clinical trial. Participants are randomised 1:1 to receive accelerated BEP or standard BEP chemotherapy. Eligible male or female participants, aged between 11 and 45 years with intermediate or poor-risk metastatic GCTs for first line chemotherapy will be enrolled from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants will have regular follow up for at least 5 years. The primary endpoint for stage 1 of the trial (n = 150) is complete response rate and for the entire trial (n = 500) is progression free survival. Secondary endpoints include response following treatment completion (by a protocol-specific response criteria), adverse events, health-related quality of life, treatment preference, delivered dose-intensity of chemotherapy (relative to standard BEP), overall survival and associations between biomarkers (to be specified) and their correlations with clinical outcomes. This is the first international randomised clinical trial for intermediate and poor-risk metastatic extra-cranial GCTs involving both adult and pediatric age groups open to both males and females. It is also the largest, current randomised trial for germ cell tumours in the world. Positive results for this affordable intervention could change the global standard of care for intermediate and poor risk germ cell tumours, improve cure rates, avoid the need for toxic and costly salvage treatment, and return young adults to long, healthy and productive lives. ACTRN 12613000496718 on 3rd May 2013 and Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02582697 on 21st October 2015.

Enzalutamide, an androgen-receptor inhibitor, has been associated with improved overall survival in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer. It is not known whether adding enzalutamide to testosterone suppression, with or without early docetaxel, will improve survival in men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.In this open-label, randomized, phase 3 trial, we assigned patients to receive testosterone suppression plus either open-label enzalutamide or a standard nonsteroidal antiandrogen therapy (standard-care group). The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points included progression-free survival as determined by the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical progression-free survival, and adverse events.A total of 1125 men underwent randomization; the median follow-up was 34 months. There were 102 deaths in the enzalutamide group and 143 deaths in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.86; P = 0.002). Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival at 3 years were 80% (based on 94 events) in the enzalutamide group and 72% (based on 130 events) in the standard-care group. Better results with enzalutamide were also seen in PSA progression-free survival (174 and 333 events, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.39; P0.001) and in clinical progression-free survival (167 and 320 events, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.40; P0.001). Treatment discontinuation due to adverse events was more frequent in the enzalutamide group than in the standard-care group (33 events and 14 events, respectively). Fatigue was more common in the enzalutamide group; seizures occurred in 7 patients in the enzalutamide group (1%) and in no patients in the standard-care group.Enzalutamide was associated with significantly longer progression-free and overall survival than standard care in men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer receiving testosterone suppression. The enzalutamide group had a higher incidence of seizures and other toxic effects, especially among those treated with early docetaxel. (Funded by Astellas Scientific and Medical Affairs and others; ENZAMET (ANZUP 1304) ANZCTR number, ACTRN12614000110684; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02446405; and EU Clinical Trials Register number, 2014-003190-42.).

Purpose We evaluated the activity of regorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Patients and Methods We conducted an international (Australia and New Zealand, South Korea, and Canada) randomized phase II trial in which patients were randomly assigned at a two-to-one ratio and stratified by lines of prior chemotherapy for advanced disease (one v two) and region. Eligible patients received best supportive care plus regorafenib 160 mg or matching placebo orally on days 1 to 21 of each 28-day cycle until disease progression or prohibitive adverse events occurred. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Final analysis included data to December 31, 2014. Results A total of 152 patients were randomly assigned from November 7, 2012, to February 25, 2014, yielding 147 evaluable patients (regorafenib, n = 97; placebo, n = 50). Baseline characteristics were balanced. Median PFS significantly differed between groups (regorafenib, 2.6 months; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.1 and placebo, 0.9 months; 95% CI, 0.9 to 0.9; hazard ratio [HR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.59; P < .001). The effect was greater in South Korea than in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada combined (HR, 0.12 v 0.61; interaction P < .001) but consistent across age, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, primary site, lines of chemotherapy, peritoneal metastasis presence, number of metastatic sites, and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor A. A survival trend in favor of regorafenib was seen (median, 5.8 months; 95% CI, 4.4 to 6.8 v 4.5 months; 95% CI, 3.4 to 5.2; HR, 0.74; P = .147). Twenty-nine patients assigned to placebo received open-label regorafenib after disease progression. Regorafenib toxicity was similar to that previously reported. Conclusion In this phase II trial, regorafenib was effective in prolonging PFS in refractory advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Regional differences were found, but regorafenib was effective in both regional groups. A phase III trial is planned.

BACKGROUND TMZ offers minimal benefit in pts with de novo uMGMT GBM. V is synergistic with RT and TMZ in uMGMT preclinical GBM models, safe when combined with either RT or TMZ clinically, but the triplet (V+RT+TMZ) is poorly tolerated. VERTU tested V in pts with uMGMT GBM. METHODS VERTU is a randomized Phase 2 trial comparing Standard Arm (Arm A), RT (60Gy/30 fractions) + TMZ (75mg/m2 daily) followed by TMZ (150–200mg/m2D 1–5) every 28 days for 6 cycles vs Experimental Arm (Arm B), RT (60Gy/30 fractions) + V (200mg PO BID) followed by TMZ (150–200mg/m2D 1–5) + V (40mg bid, D 1–7) every 28 days for 6 cycles in pts with de novo uMGMT GBM according to centralised testing. RESULTS 125 pts were randomized 1:2 (41:84). The 2 groups were matched for age, sex, performance status and extent of resection. Median follow-up was 25.8 months and 91 pts had died. The 6-month Progression-Free Survival (6mPFS) for Arms A and B were 34% (95% CI 20–48) and 46% (95% CI 36–57) respectively. The median PFS for Arms A and B were 4.2m (95% CI 2.5–6.0) and 5.7m (95% CI 4.1–6.6) respectively (HR = 0.80, 95%CI 0.55–1.18). 55% of pts in both arms experienced Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) with no significant differences in frequency or severity between the arms. Most common Grade 3/4 AEs were thrombocytopenia, seizures, hyperglycaemia and diarrhoea. CONCLUSION VERTU demonstrated that a novel treatment strategy for patients with de novo uMGMT GBM was feasible and tolerable. The observed 6mPFS and PFS were similar in both arms. Overall survival and other endpoints will be presented. Central MRI review, biomarker analyses, including DNA repair and methylation signature analyses are ongoing. (ANZCTR#ACTRN12615000407594).

Background AGOC has a poor prognosis with limited benefits from treatments following failure of chemotherapy (CT). Regorafenib (BAY 73-4506)(REG) is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor targeting kinases involved in angiogenesis (VEGFR1-3, TIE-2), tumor microenvironment (PDGFR-β, FGFR), and oncogenesis (RAF, RET and KIT). INTEGRATE (phase 2) demonstrated REG effectiveness in prolonging PFS in AGOC pts, with a positive OS trend and less toxicity than other REG trials at the same doses. REG was effective across all regions/subgroups, with regional differences noted in magnitude of effect. INTEGRATE II (phase 3) will explore whether REG is effective in prolonging survival in all patients, and in the Asian sub-population Methods International randomised phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 2:1 (REG:placebo)(PBO) randomisation and stratification by tumour location, geographic region, and prior VEGF inhibitors. Histologically confirmed AGOC patients, with evaluable metastatic or locally advanced disease refractory to/relapsed following at least 2 lines of CT, will receive best supportive care plus 160mg REG or matched placebo orally on days 1-21 of each 28 day cycle until disease progression or prohibitive adverse events. Primary endpoint is OS. Secondary endpoints: PFS, response rate, quality of life, safety, identification of prognostic/predictive biomarkers for study endpoints, and REG PK across geographical regions. 350 patients (50% from Asia, with at least 50 patients to be recruited from Japan) randomized in a 2:1 ratio will provide 90% power to detect a hazard ratio (HR) for OS of 0.67 with a 2-sided α of 0.05 assuming PBO median survival is 4.5 mos. The sample size accommodates an interim analysis undertaken once 2/3 of required events have occurred. Results 27 ANZ, 8 Canadian, 15 Korean, 5 Taiwanese, and 2 Japanese sites have been activated with 106 patients enrolled. Remaining Japanese/US sites expected to activate through Q1/Q2 2019.

Introduction: Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and a leading cause of cancer death. Advanced OesophagoGastric cancer (AOGC) has a poor prognosis despite treatment. The P2 INTEGRATE multinational 2:1 (active:placebo) randomized trial demonstrated the activity, on progression-free survival (PFS), of the oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib (REG) in patients (pts) with refractory AOGC (Pavlakis et al JCO 2016), leading to the P3 INTEGRATE II trial (NCT02773524) currently underway. Here, we sought to identify prognostic protein biomarkers in a discovery analysis of a patient subset from INTEGRATE I. Methods: The discovery analysis set comprised of 40 INTEGRATE I patients (12 placebo; 28 REG) selected using stratified random sampling based on quartiles of observed PFS within each arm of allocation, half from 1st quartile (worst PFS outcome) and half from 4th quartile (best PFS outcome). We profiled the plasma proteome of INTEGRATE pts using data-independent acquisition of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS acquisition). Plasma collected at baseline (10µl) was analyzed with TripleTOF 6600 System (SCIEX, MA, USA). Data was searched against an “extended” spectral library generated using SwathXtendsoftware (Wu et al MCP 2016). Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the prognostic value of log2 protein expression level adjusted for treatment allocation. Results: 437 proteins were identified across all 40 pt samples (>99% peptide confidence). A subset of 27 proteins were identified as candidates for possible further investigation using the verification analysis set on the basis of having p-values Conclusions: This is the first time that SWATH has been used to analyse AOGC pt samples, an otherwise challenging biofluid (undepleted plasma) for profiling. These proteins could represent a novel prognostic signature for PFS in AOGC patients, pending validation in the larger verification data set. This work highlights the potential value of incorporating proteomics into risk assessments guiding treatment strategies for patients. Citation Format: Sarah A. Hayes, Andrew Martin, Sonia Yip, Viive M. Howell, Katrin M. Sjoquist, Eric Tsobanis, Yoon-Koo Kang, Yung-Jue Bang, Thierry Alcindor, Christopher J. O'Callaghan, Niall C. Tebbutt, John Simes, David Goldstein, Nick Pavlakis. SWATH-MS profiling identifies prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) In INTEGRATE - A randomized phase II double-blind placebo-controlled study of regorafenib in refractory advanced oesophagogastric cancer (AOGC) - A study by the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4531.

BACKGROUND: An increase of mutations as we age is well documented in GBM and in cancer in general. Elderly patients with GBM may have higher mutational burden and may be more likely to respond to immunotherapies. NUTMEG is a randomised Phase II study comparing post radiation NivolUmab and TMZ versus TMZ alone in Elderly patients with newly diagnosed GBM. METHODS: 102 patients will be randomized in a 2:1 allocation to receive short course RT (40Gy/15 daily fractions) and TMZ 75mg/m2) followed by 6 cycles of adjuvant TMZ (150-200mg/m2 days (D) 1–5 q28 days) with Nivolumab (240 mg D1, 15 q28 days for cycles (C) (1–4; 480 mg D1 Q 28 days for C5-6) versus 6 cycles of adjuvant TMZ (150-200mg/m2 D1-5 q28) alone. The study is stratified for ECOG performance status, age (< 70 vs 70), MGMT methylation and extent of resection. An independent safety monitoring committee is overseeing the trial and will review safety data for the first 10 patients treated on the experimental arm (TMZ + Nivolumab). The primary endpoint is Overall Survival (OS). Secondary endpoints include: 6 month Progression Free Survival, adverse events (AEs) and immune AEs, Quality of life, neurological function (NANO Scale), and correlation of modified RANO and iRANO in the experimental arm. Translational research endpoints include correlation of clinical endpoints with mutational burden, comprehensive immune characteristics and novel MRI sequences including pH-weighted MRIs. The expected proportion of patients alive at 24 months is predicted to be 15.7%. A hazard ratio of more than 0.69 in favour of the Nivolumab + TMZ arm will be considered sufficient to warrant further investigation including converting this study into a phase III trial. PROGRESS: At 3 June 2018, 6/18 study sites are open in Australia with 5 patients randomized. ACTRN12617000267358.

BACKGROUND: TMZ with short course radiotherapy (RT) is an option for elderly GBM patients. Nivolumab is a PD-1 inhibitor with known safety profile in GBM. An increase of mutations as we age is well documented in GBM and in cancer in general. A higher mutational load is associated with increased response to nivolumab. NUTMEG examines activity of nivolumab added to TMZ in GBM patients 65 years or older. METHODS: NUTMEG patients will receive RT (40Gy/15 fractions) concurrently with TMZ 75mg/m2. Post-radiation, the experimental group will receive nivolumab (240 mg days 1 and 15 Q 28 days for cycles 1–4; then 480 mg day 1 Q 28 days for cycles 5–6) with adjuvant TMZ (150-200mg/m2 days 1–5 Q 28 days) for 6 cycles. The standard treatment group will receive same dose and schedule of TMZ. The primary endpoint is Overall Survival (OS). Secondary endpoints include: 6-month (mo) Progression Free Survival (PFS-6), adverse events using NCI CTCAE v4.03 incorporating immune related AEs, QoL (EORTC QLQ-30, BN-20, and EuroQol EQ-5D-5L), Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) Scale and correlation between modified RANO and immune-related RANO in the experimental arm. Translational research (TR) endpoints include mutational burden deciphered by whole exome sequencing; immune-related markers PD-L1, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and FOXP3 tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and correlation with clinical outcomes. Advanced MRI will assess distribution of perfusion and diffusion, 3D morphometric and texture features and pH-weighted imaging correlated with clinical and TR endpoints. Safety will be reviewed by an independent data safety monitoring committee. Assuming a median OS of 9 mo, and accrual of 18mo and ≥24 mo follow-up 102 patients will be randomized in a 2:1 allocation (68 in the experimental arm and 34 in the control arm). This randomized phase II design targets a hazard ratio (HR) TMZ + nivolumab: TMZ for survival between experimental and control arms with a 90% CI of HR/1.46 to HR*1.46. If the upper limit is less than 1, we would conclude TMZ + nivolumab to be superior to warrant further investigation. This phase II design may be converted to a larger phase III trial if, at the end of the study, the number of events is sufficiently large. PROGRESS: At 28 May 2018, 5/18 study sites are open in Australia with 5 patients randomized. ACTRN12617000267358. Supported by NHMRC Project grant APP1125204 and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Purpose: Personalized medicine strategies using genomic profiling are particularly pertinent for pancreas cancer. The Individualized Molecular Pancreatic Cancer Therapy (IMPaCT) trial was initially designed to exploit results from genome sequencing of pancreatic cancer under the auspices of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) in Australia. Sequencing revealed small subsets of patients with aberrations in their tumor genome that could be targeted with currently available therapies. Experimental Design: The pilot stage of the IMPaCT trial assessed the feasibility of acquiring suitable tumor specimens for molecular analysis and returning high-quality actionable genomic data within a clinically acceptable timeframe. We screened for three molecular targets: HER2 amplification; KRAS wild-type; and mutations in DNA damage repair pathways (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM). Results: Tumor biopsy and archived tumor samples were collected from 93 patients and 76 were screened. To date 22 candidate cases have been identified: 14 KRAS wild-type, 5 cases of HER2 amplification, 2 mutations in BRCA2, and 1 ATM mutation. Median time from consent to the return of validated results was 21.5 days. An inability to obtain a biopsy or insufficient tumor content in the available specimen were common reasons for patient exclusion from molecular analysis while deteriorating performance status prohibited a number of patients from proceeding in the study. Conclusions: Documenting the feasibility of acquiring and screening biospecimens for actionable molecular targets in real time will aid other groups embarking on similar trials. Key elements include the need to better prescreen patients, screen more patients, and offer more attractive clinical trial options. Clin Cancer Res; 21(9); 2029–37. ©2015 AACR.

Background We hypothesised that alternating inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways would delay the development of resistance in advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). Patients and methods A single-arm, two-stage, multicentre, phase 2 trial to determine the activity, feasibility, and safety of 12-week cycles of sunitinib 50 mg daily 4 weeks on / 2 weeks off, alternating with everolimus 10 mg daily for 5 weeks on / 1 week off, until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity in favourable or intermediate-risk aRCC. The primary end point was proportion alive and progression-free at 6 months (PFS6m). The secondary end points were feasibility, tumour response, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). The correlative objective was to assess biomarkers and correlate with clinical outcome. Results We recruited 55 eligible participants from September 2010 to August 2012. Demographics: mean age 61, 71% male, favourable risk 16%, intermediate risk 84%. Cycle 2 commenced within 14 weeks for 80% of participants; 64% received ≥22 weeks of alternating therapy; 78% received ≥22 weeks of any treatment. PFS6m was 29/55 (53%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 40% to 66%). Tumour response rate was 7/55 (13%; 95% CI 4% to 22%, all partial responses). After median follow-up of 20 months, 47 of 55 (86%) had progressed with a median progression-free survival of 8 months (95% CI 5–10), and 30 of 55 (55%) had died with a median OS of 17 months (95% CI 12–undefined). AEs were consistent with those expected for each single agent. No convincing prognostic biomarkers were identified. Conclusions The EVERSUN regimen was feasible and safe, but its activity did not meet pre-specified values to warrant further research. This supports the current approach of continuing anti-VEGF therapy until progression or prohibitive toxicity before changing treatment. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000643279.

Background: The Individualized Molecular Pancreatic Cancer Therapy (IMPaCT) trial is designed to exploit results from whole genome sequencing of pancreatic cancer collected under the auspices of the ICGC in Australia. Results showed that small subsets of patients had actionable changes in their tumor genome that could be druggable with currently available therapies. Only 7% of cases were found to be KRAS wildtype, and this phenotype may enrich for susceptibility to EGFR inhibition. Her2 positivity occurs in 2% and may confer sensitivity to Her inhibition. Tumors displaying defects in the DNA damage repair pathway (∼5%) respond to DNA damaging chemotherapy. Trial Design: The IMPaCT trial has recently been amended to a single arm pilot study of first line molecularly guided therapy for advanced pancreas cancer. Patients are permitted to begin their first cycle of chemotherapy with gemcitabine with or without nab-paclitaxel while awaiting molecular results. We screen potential patients for the three molecular targets: Her2 amplification: trastuzumab + gemcitabine; KRAS wildtype: erlotinib + gemcitabine; and DNA damage: platinum-based chemotherapy. In our initial cohort of patients who underwent resection with curative intent, 70% recurred. Recurrence occurred 16m after initial surgery. Collection of tissue commenced in 2009. The first site to open was in April 2013 by which time, only 8 patients for whom we had complete sequence data and actionable mutations were still alive, so we changed the trial to screen de novo metastatic patients. Using the WGS data, we constructed a custom sequencing panel to use DNA extracted from FFPE core biopsies to screen in real time for mutations in KRAS, BRCA2, BRCA1, PALB2 and ATM. Her2 screening is undertaken with IHC and FISH. We have screened 89 cases in 18m, 8 have relevant molecular targets. The average time from biopsy to delivery of results is 21d. 2 of the 8 eligible cases have commenced precision therapy on trial. Citation Format: Lorraine Chantrill, Skye Simpson, Amber Johns, Mona Martyn-Smith, Angela Chou, Clare Watson, Adnan Nagrial, Venessa Chin, Lucille Sebastian, Sonia Yip, John Simes, Nick Pavlakis, Peter Grimison, Ray Asghari, Sandra Harvey, Andrew Biankin. Precision medicine for advanced pancreas cancer: the individualized molecular pancreatic cancer therapy (IMPaCT) trial. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr CT210. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-CT210

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with luteinising hormone releasing hormone analogue (LHRHA) or surgical castration alone, or combined with conventional non-steroidal anti-androgen (NSAA), is widely used as initial treatment for hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (PC). Meta-analysis of RCTs showed a 3% absolute improvement in 5 year survival with the addition of a conventional NSAA to a LHRHA or surgical castration. Residual, low level androgen receptor (AR) signalling, or agonist activity from conventional NSAA, may provide a stimulatory signal to hormone-sensitive PC cells. We hypothesize that early use of enzalutamide, a more potent and effective androgen receptor blocker, will reduce residual AR signalling, and improve survival. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of ADT + enzalutamide versus ADT + conventional NSAA, as first-line ADT for M1 PC. Trial design: Open label, randomised, stratified 2-arm, multicentre, intergroup, phase 3 trial Eligibility, stratification, endpoints and statistics Eligibility Stratification Endpoints Statistics Met PC Starting first line ADT Adequate organ function Volume of disease Antiresorptive therapy Comorbidities Study site Overall Survival (Primary) PSA PFS Clinical PFS HRQOL Adverse events ICER 1100 participants 2 yrs accrual 3.5 yrs min f/up 80% power to detect 25% reduction in HR of death from any cause Participants randomised 1:1 to Enzalutamide 160mg daily or conventional NSAA daily until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity. All participants are treated with LHRHA or surgical castration. Assessments at baseline, day 29, week 12, and then every 12 weeks from randomisation until evidence of clinical progression. Imaging with CT scan and WBBS at baseline and evidence of PSA or clinical progression. Tertiary objectives are to identify prognostic / predictive biomarkers. Archival tumour tissue and fasting bloods at baseline, week 24, and 1st progression (PSA/clinical) will be collected. Email: enzamet@ctc.usyd.edu.au Website: http://www.anzup.org.au/ Disclosure: C. Sweeney: Consulting with honoraria to declare with Asetallas, Janssen and Sanofi. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background: The Individualized Molecular Pancreatic Cancer Therapy (IMPaCT) trial was designed to exploit results from whole genome sequencing of pancreatic cancer collected under the auspices of the ICGC in Australia. Results showed that small subsets of patients had actionable changes in their tumor genome that could be druggable with currently available therapies. 93% of cases analyzed harbored a KRAS mutation, KRAS wildtype phenotype may enrich for susceptibility to EGFR inhibition. Her2 positivity occurs in 2% and may confer sensitivity to Her inhibition. Tumors displaying defects in the DNA damage repair pathway (∼5%) respond to DNA damaging chemotherapy. Trial design: The IMPaCT trial is a randomized phase 2 study of first line molecularly guided therapy against standard therapy with gemcitabine in advanced pancreas cancer. We screen potential patients for the three molecular targets: Her2 amplification: trastuzumab+gemcitabine; KRAS wildtype: erlotinib+gemcitabine; and DNA damage: mitomycin C+5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. If a patient's tumour has one of these signals, they consent to be randomized to precision treatment tailored for them or standard therapy with gemcitabine. For analysis, the precision treatment arm will be considered as a whole and compared to the standard therapy arm. In our initial cohort of patients who underwent resection with curative intent, 70% recurred. Recurrence occurred on average 16m after initial surgery. Collection of tissue commenced in 2009. The first site to open was in June 2013 by which time, only 6 patients for whom we had complete sequence data and actionable mutations were still alive, so we changed the trial to screen de novo metastatic patients. Using the WGS data, we constructed a custom sequencing panel for DNA extracted from FFPE core biopsies to screen for mutations in KRAS, BRCA2, BRCA1, PALB2 and ATM. Her2 screening is undertaken with IHC and FISH. We have screened 49 cases, and found 10 with relevant molecular targets, 5 of whom were eligible. The average time from biopsy to delivery of results is 23d, an amendment has allowed patients to commence standard therapy whilst waiting for the results of molecular analysis. The IMPaCT trial is breaking new ground in the treatment of pancreas cancer. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.