Trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201) in patients with HER2-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer (DESTINY-CRC01): a multicentre, open-label, phase 2 trial.

Background: HER2 amplification has been identified in 2-3% of patients with colorectal cancer, although there are currently no approved HER2-targeted therapies for colorectal cancer. We aimed to study the antitumour activity and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan (an antibody-drug conjugate of humanised anti-HER2 antibody with topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads) in patients with HER2-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer.
Methods: DESTINY-CRC01 is an open-label, phase 2 study that recruited patients from 25 clinics and hospitals in Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Eligible patients had centrally confirmed HER2-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer that had progressed on two or more previous regimens (HER2-targeted therapies other than trastuzumab deruxtecan permitted), were aged 18 years or older (≥20 years in Japan), had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 0 or 1, and had RAS and BRAF ^V600E wild-type tumours. Patients were enrolled into one of three cohorts by HER2 expression level: cohort A (HER2-positive, immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or IHC2+ and in-situ hybridisation [ISH]-positive), cohort B (IHC2+ and ISH-negative), or cohort C (IHC1+). Patients received 6·4 mg/kg trastuzumab deruxtecan intravenously every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable adverse events, withdrawal of consent, or death. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate in cohort A by independent central review which was assessed in the full analysis set and safety was assessed in the safety analysis set. Both the full analysis set and the safety analysis set included all patients who received one or more doses of trastuzumab deruxtecan. This ongoing trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03384940.
Findings: Between Feb 23, 2018, and July 3, 2019, 78 patients were enrolled in the study (53 in cohort A, seven in cohort B, and 18 in cohort C), all of whom received at least one dose of study drug. For the 53 (68%) patients with HER2-positive tumours (cohort A), a confirmed objective response was reported in 24 (45·3%, 95% CI 31·6-59·6) patients after a median follow-up of 27·1 weeks (IQR 19·3-40·1). Grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events that occurred in at least 10% of all participants were decreased neutrophil count (17 [22%] of 78) and anaemia (11 [14%]). Five patients (6%) had adjudicated interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis (two grade 2; one grade 3; two grade 5, the only treatment-related deaths).
Interpretation: Trastuzumab deruxtecan showed promising and durable activity in HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to standard treatment, with a safety profile consistent with that reported in previous trastuzumab deruxtecan trials. Interstitial lung disease and pneumonitis are important risks requiring careful monitoring and prompt intervention.
Funding: Daiichi Sankyo.
Competing Interests: Declaration of interests SS reports personal fees from and is an advisory board member for Daiichi-Sankyo, Amgen, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, CheckmAb, Merck, Roche-Genentech, and Seattle Genetics. KR is an advisor and speaker for Bayer and Daiichi Sankyo, and an advisor for AstraZeneca, outside of the submitted work. MDB reports grants from Eli Lilly Italia and personal fees from Eli Lilly Italia and Bristol Myers Squibb outside the submitted work and is a consultant for Myland Italy and speaker for Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, and Eli Lilly Italia. TM reports personal fees from Takeda, Chugai, Merck, Taiho, Bayer, Lilly Japan, Yakult Honsha, and Sanofi, and grants from MSD, Daiichi Sankyo, and Ono, outside the submitted work. HK reports non-financial support from Daiichi Sankyo, during the conduct of the study; grants, personal fees, and support for advisory role and honoraria (speeches) from Taiho, personal fees and support for advisory role and honoraria (speeches) from Bristol Myers Squibb Japan, Ono, and Lilly Japan, grants, personal fees, and upport for advisory role and honoraria (speeches) from Daiichi Sankyo, grants and personal fees from Chugai/Roche, personal fees from Yakult Pharmaceutical, Takeda, MSD KK, Merck Serono, Bayer, and AstraZeneca, and grants from Eisai, outside the submitted work. KY reports a grant from Daiichi Sankyo during the conduct of the study, and grants from Taiho, Sanofi, Ono, and Yakurt Honsha, and is a speaker for Taiho, Eli Lilly, Takeda, Chugai, Ono, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bayer, and Merck, outside the submitted work. TN reports a grant from Daiichi Sankyo during the conduct of the study, and grants from Taiho, Chugai, MSD, Ono, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lilly, and Dainippon Sumitomo. MF reports personal fees from Amgen, Array, Bayer, Guardant360, and Pfizer, and grants from Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Novartis, outside the submitted work. EE reports grants and personal fees from Hoffman-La Roche, Amgen, Merck Serono, and Servier, personal fees from Sanofi Aventis, and Array, honoraria institution support from MSD, and grants from Bristol Myers Squibb, during the conduct of the study. FC has served as an advisor and speaker for Roche, Amgen, Merck-Serono, Pfizer, Sanofi, Bayer, Servier, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, and Eli Lilly, and received institutional research grants from Bayer, Roche, Merck-Serono, Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Takeda. YK reports grants from Daiichi Sankyo, during the conduct of the study, grants from A2 Healthcare, Dainippon Sumitomo, Eisai, EP – CRSU, EPS, Linical, NanoCarrier, QuintilesIMS, Sysmex, Astellas, Incyte, IQVIA, and Syneos Health Clinical KK, grants and personal fees from Bayer Yakuhin, Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly Japan, Linical, MSD KK, Taiho, Kyowa Kirin, Ono, Sanofi-Aventis, and Yakult Honsha, and personal fees from Bristol Myers Squibb, Chugai, EA Pharma, Takeda, Merck, Nipro, Pfizer Japan, Sawai, Shiseido, Asahi Kasei, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Merck, Shire Japan, Nippon Kayaku, Otsuka, and Novartis, outside the submitted work. TE reports grants and personal fees from MSD, Ono, Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, Taiho, Lilly, Merck Serono, Nihon Kayaku, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eisai, Shionogi, Chugai, and Takeda, grants from Novartis, Dainippon Sumitomo, Astellas, Amgen, BeiGene, Array, Shionogi, and Yakult, and personal fees from Sanofi, outside the submitted work. ZW reports grants from Plexxikon and Novartis outside the submitted work, and is a consultant for Array, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Novartis, Ono, Eli Lilly, Ipsen, Incyte, Merck, and EMD Serono. AS-B reports personal fees from Amgen, Bayer, Sanofi, and Servier, outside the submitted work. KS, EY, EB, YO, and JS are full-time employees of Daiichi Sankyo. AG reports grants from Daiichi Sanyko, during the conduct of the study, grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Bayer, Merck, and Array/ Pfizer, and grants from OBI, outside the submitted work. TY reports grants from Novartis, MSD, Sumitomo Dainippon, Chugai, Sanofi, Daiichi Sankyo, Parexel, Ono, and GlaxoSmithKline, outside the submitted work. FL, JR, and KC declare no competing interests.
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