A phase Ib/II trial of indomethacin and enzalutamide to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)

TPS394 Background: Enzalutamide (Enza) and abiraterone (Abi) are commonly used to treat CRPC. Resistance is the most common cause of treatment failure. We discovered that a critical steroidogenic enzyme AKR1C3 was significantly elevated and contributed to intratumoral androgen synthesis in Enza-resistant prostate cancer cells and tumors. Overexpression of AKR1C3 induced androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) expression, while inhibition of AKR1C3 downregulated AR-V7. We then discovered that indomethacin (Indo) inhibited AKR1C3 activation and sensitized resistant CRPC cells to Enza and Abi. One patient accidentally took Indo and achieved biochemical as well as radiological response of his prostate cancer. These findings prompted us to design a clinical trial to test the combination of Indo with Enza for the treatment of CRPC and to study the underlying mechanisms of action and resistance. Methods: This investigator-initiated single-arm Phase Ib/II trial enrolls patients with progressive CRPC after Abi, adequate vital organ function, ECOG performance status 0-2, and serum testosterone < 50 ng/dl. Major exclusion criteria include prior Enza treatment, brain metastasis and history of seizure. In the Phase Ib cohort, patients receive Enza 160 mg po qd and Indo 50 mg po tid to determine toxicity. The Phase II expansion will enroll 26 patients with 21 evaluable patients. This sample size provides 90% power to detect, at the 0.05 level (1-sided), the difference between a PSA response rate of 50% expected with the study treatment and a historical control of 20% with Enza alone. Co-primary endpoints are safety and PSA response of ≥50% decrease. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate as determined by the Prostate Cancer Working Group 2 criteria (PCWG2), progression-free survival and overall survival. Molecular correlative studies are exploratory endpoints. Serum and intratumoral androgen levels, full-length AR, AR-V7 and AKR1C3 will be measured to assess the effect of the combination therapy. To date, 4 patients have been enrolled to the trial (clinicaltrials.gov Identifier No: NCT02935205; this trial is funded by DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program IMPACT award). Clinical trial information: NCT02935205.