Abstract
Background
There have not been standard second-line or maintenance regimens with definite survival benefits so far for patients with pancreatic carcinoma who have lost the opportunity of curable resections or failed first-line chemotherapy. Anlotinib, a potent small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour effects by specifically binding to multiple targets such as VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR, c-Kit and Ret. Toripalimab, a novel anti-PD-1 mAb, has been proved to significantly prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in various solid tumours with manageable toxicities when combining with cytotoxic chemotherapy. We design this study to assess the combination of anlotinib, toripalimab and nab-paclitaxel as a second-line or maintenance therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) or metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC).
Patients and Methods:
This is an open-label, non-randomized, single-arm phase Ⅱ study, aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety profile of the above-mentioned combination strategy in first-line therapy-failed LAPC or MPC. Totally 53 patients are to be enrolled and receive anlotinib (12 mg, po. qd.) plus toripalimab (240 mg, ivgtt. q3w.) and nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2, ivgtt, d1, d8) every 3 weeks as a cycle until disease progression or intolerable adverse events. The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary end points include OS, disease control rate (DCR), object response rate (ORR), quality of life (QoL) and safety. Enrollment started in April 2021, and follow-up will be finished in April 2023.
Discussion and Significance:
Combination of anlotinib, toripalimab and nab-paclitaxel may promote vessel normalization and drug delivery, and activate the immune response, thus exerting synergistic anti-tumour effects and counteracting the immunosuppressive microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. As the first intending to assess this combination in pancreatic cancer, this study will provide comprehensive evidence for second-line or maintenance therapy of LAPC and MPC.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov: ATNPA, NCT04718701. Registered January 22, 2021. (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04718701?term=NCT04718701&draw=2&rank=1)
Second-line palliative chemotherapy, survival, and prognostic factors in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer
