Randomized phase II trial of NGR-hTNF in combination with standard chemotherapy in previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

8035 Background: NGR-hTNF, a selective antivascular agent, induces at low dose an initial vascular normalization that greatly enhances the intratumoral chemotherapy uptake, with synergistic effects that were noted especially in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine. Methods: Chemo-naive patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC were stratified by histology (nonsquamous or squamous) and PS (0 or 1) and randomly assigned to receive cisplatin 80 mg/m2/d1 plus either pemetrexed 500 mg/m2/d1 (nonsquamous) or gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2/d1+8 (squamous) every 3 weeks (q3w) for 6 cycles, with (arm A) or without (arm B) NGR-hTNF given at 0.8 μg/m2/d1/q3w until progression. Progression-free survival (PFS) was primary aim (1-β=80%, 1-sided α=10%, n=102). Secondary aims comprised adverse events (AEs), response rate (RR), and overall survival (OS). Results: Baseline characteristics in arm A (n=62) vs B (n=59) were: median age: 62 vs 63 years; men: 37 vs 39; PS 1: 23 vs 23; squamous: 18 v 17; smokers: 41 vs 43. For the nonsquamous stratum, 299 cycles were given in arm A (mean 7.0; range 1-20) and 192 in arm B (4.8; 1-6), while for the squamous stratum, 113 in arm A (6.7; 1-31) and 52 in arm B (3.5; 1-6). Rates of grade 3/4 AEs were similar (arm A vs B): neutropenia 13% vs 18%, anaemia 7% vs 4% and fatigue 7% vs 11%. No grade 3/4 AEs related to NGR-hTNF or bleeding/pulmonary hemorrhage events were reported in the squamous subset. With median follow-up time of 24.2 months, median PFS (5.8 vs 5.6 months; HR=0.92), RR (25% vs 21%) and 1-year OS (53% vs 53%) were similar between the two treatment arms. However, by predefined analysis in the squamous stratum, median PFS was 5.6 months for arm A and 4.3 months for arm B (hazard ratio, HR=0.75) and median OS was 14.2 months for arm A and 9.7 months for arm B (HR=0.49; p=0.07). In pts with squamous histology, RR was 38% for arm A and 27% for arm B (odds ratio=1.6), while the median changes in tumor size on treatment from baseline to 2nd, 4th and 6th cycle for arm A vs B were -32% vs -20%, -41% vs -19%, and -42% vs -14%, respectively. Conclusions: Clinical tolerability and benefit were noted in squamous NSCLC with NGR-hTNF plus cisplatin and gemcitabine, which deserve further investigation. Clinical trial information: NCT00994097.