scholarly journals Efficacy and Safety of Daratumumab Combined With All-Trans Retinoic Acid in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine A. Frerichs ◽  
Monique Christina Minnema ◽  
Mark-David Levin ◽  
Annemiek Broijl ◽  
Gerard MJ Bos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Stable Disease ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Flow Cytometric Analysis ◽  
Optimal Dose ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Cd38 Expression

The efficacy of daratumumab is partially dependent on CD38 expression on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. We have previously shown that ATRA upregulates CD38 expression and reverts daratumumab-resistance ex vivo. We therefore evaluated the optimal dose, efficacy and safety of daratumumab combined with ATRA in daratumumab-refractory MM patients in a phase 1/2 study (NCT02751255). In part A of the study, 63 patients were treated with daratumumab monotherapy. Fifty daratumumab-refractory patients were subsequently enrolled in part B, and treated with daratumumab (re-intensified schedule) combined with ATRA until disease progression. The recommended phase 2 dose of ATRA in combination with daratumumab was defined as 45 mg/m2. At this dose, the overall response rate (ORR) was 5%, indicating that the primary endpoint (ORR≥15%) was not met. However, the majority of patients (66%) achieved at least stable disease. After a median follow-up of 43 months, the median PFS for all patients was 2.8 months. Patients who previously achieved at least a partial response or minimal response/stable disease with prior daratumumab monotherapy had a significantly longer PFS, compared to those who immediately progressed during daratumumab as single agent (median PFS 3.4 and 2.8 versus 1.3 months). The median OS was 19.1 months. The addition of ATRA did not increase the incidence of adverse events. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that ATRA temporarily increased CD38 expression on immune cell subsets. In conclusion, the addition of ATRA and re-intensification of daratumumab had limited activity in daratumumab-refractory patients, which may be explained by the transient upregulation of CD38 expression.

scholarly journals DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors Increase Expression of CD38 and Enhance Daratumumab Efficacy in Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 5618-5618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Choudhry ◽  
Margarette C. Mariano ◽  
Arun P Wiita
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Cd38 Expression

Abstract Introduction: The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody Daratumumab is highly effective against multiple myeloma, is well tolerated, and has high single agent activity as well as combination effects with lenalidomide-dexamethasone as well as bortezomib-dexamethasone. Patient response to daratumumab monotherapy is highly correlated with pretreatment levels of CD38 expression on MM plasma cells (Nijhof et al, Leukemia (2015) 29:2039) and CD38 loss is correlated with daratumumab resistance (Nijhof et al, Blood (2016) 128:959). As a result, there is significant interest in elucidating the regulation and role of CD38 in MM. Recently, All Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA), a known small molecule inducer of CD38 in myeloid cells, as well as the FDA-approved histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat, were both demonstrated to induce CD38 in MM plasma cells leading to increased lysis by daratumumab. Examining ENCODE data, we found the presence of a CpG island at the first exon of CD38. We hypothesized that removing methylation sites from this CpG island may de-repress CD38 transcription and lead to increased CD38 protein at the cell surface in MM plasma cells. Therefore, here we studied the role of DNA methyl-transferase inhibitors (DNMTis), currently FDA-approved for treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome, as agents to potentiate daratumumab therapy. Methods: We treated MM cell lines (RPMI-8226, MM.1S, XG-1, KMS12-PE) with two different DNMTis, 5-Azacytidine and decitabine, and assessed CD38 cell surface expression by flow cytometry. Similarly, we treated MM patient bone marrow aspirates ex vivo and assessed induction of CD38 expression in the CD138 positive population by flow cytometry. We analyzed CD38 mRNA levels and total CD38 protein levels by qRT-PCR and western blotting respectively. ATRA was used as a positive control in all experiments. We further tested the functional effect of DNMTi treatment on MM cell lines using an Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. Briefly, live treated cells were incubated overnight with daratumumab and NK92-CD16 transgenic cells at and E:T ratio of 20:1, and lysis was measured using CytoTox-Glo (Promega). Results: Flow analysis revealed that DNMTi treatment induces a 1.2-2 fold increase in CD38 surface protein expression in a dose-dependent manner across MM cell lines. DNMTi treatment consistently yielded similar or higher increases in CD38 expression than that seen in ATRA- or panobinostat-treated cells. Despite significantly lower single-agent cytotoxicity, we found that decitabine led to similar surface CD38 induction as 5-Azacytidine. By RT-qPCR, 5-Azacytidine increased CD38 mRNA expression ~3 fold versus DMSO control, compared to ~2 fold mRNA increase with ATRA. In functional ADCC assays, DNMTi treatment also led to greater lysis than ATRA. Furthermore, the combination of both DNMTi and ATRA was additive, leading to the greatest lysis by NK cells. In contrast, in ex vivo-treated patient samples, ATRA induced greater CD38 expression than 5-Azacytidine on malignant plasma cells. However, this result is expected since MM plasma cells from patients typically do not proliferate in standard ex vivo culture, and active DNA replication is a requirement for successful DNMT inhibition based on known mechanism of action. In patients, however, we anticipate that continual plasma cell proliferation will lead to effective increases in CD38 after DNMTi treatment, as found in MM cell lines here. Summary and Conclusions: Our results here demonstrate that CD38 expression in MM cells is regulated by DNA methylation and targeting DNMTs with small molecule inhibitors leads to increased vulnerability to Daratumumab treatment. We propose that combination treatment with DNMTi and Daratumumab can lead to higher efficacy of daratumumab in daratumumab-naïve MM, as well as reversal of daratumumab-resistance. These combinations should be tested in clinical trials. Disclosures Wiita: Sutro Biopharma: Research Funding; TeneoBio: Research Funding.

A2A or Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonist Synergies Induce Distinct Patterns of Gene Expression Relevant to Multiple Myeloma Cell Survival.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 3831-3831
Author(s):  
Winnie F. Tam ◽  
Richard J Rickles ◽  
Thomas Giordano ◽  
Alexis Borisy ◽  
Margaret S. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Flow Cytometric Analysis ◽  
Multiple Cancer ◽  
Combination Drug ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Combination Treatments ◽  
Beta 2

Abstract Abstract 3831 Poster Board III-767 Using a high-throughput combination screening strategy, we have demonstrated that adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) or beta-2 adrenergic receptors (bAR) agonists, in low nano-molar range, exhibit highly synergistic anti-proliferative activity when combined with Multiple Myeloma drugs, such as dexamethasone, lenalidomide, bortezomib, melphalan and doxorubicin at clinically relevant concentrations. Synergy and selectivity have been observed in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and ex vivo using patient tumor cells. To understand this synergistic mechanism, we employed the Affymetrix U133 plus 2.0 cDNA microarray to investigate the differentially expressed genes in a multiple myeloma MM1.S cell line treated with A2AR agonists, bAR agonists, dexamethasone, or in combinations (A2AR/ bAR agonists and dex) for six hours. Using conventional hierarchical clustering, unsupervised analyses clearly separate the A2AR/ bAR agonists or the dexamethosone groups from the combination groups, suggesting a unique mechanism underlying the combination treatments. With SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays), we found 314 and 309 genes that showed statistically significant up-regulation or down-regulation respectively in the combination groups compared to the untreated control, with a false discovery rate=<1%. Interestingly, only a few genes were statistically different between A2AR agonists with dex and bAR agonists with dex, indicating that they may function with a similar mechanism. To further investigate the genes that are coordinately expressed, we performed gene set enrichment analyses (GESA) with the published or curated gene sets available from Board Institute (Cambridge, MA) or GeneGo pathway analysis software (Encinitas, CA). We found that the cells treated with drug combinations were enriched in genes involved in multiple cancer relevant pathways including TGF-beta receptor signaling, WNT signaling, MAPK/Erk signaling, PKA signaling, IGF-RI signaling, the stress response pathway and the myc pathway. Bim1 is one of the genes upregulated by single agent and combination drug treatment and is important for cell killing as siRNA targeting Bim1 reduces single agent and combination effects. Down-regulation of IRF4 by combination treatments is particularly interesting. High levels of IRF-4 expression have been suggested as an independent risk factor for poor survival in multiple myeloma patients (Heintel D et. al., Leukemia 2008). Moreover, IRF4 has recently been shown to be critical for proliferation and/or survival in a number of multiple myleoma cell lines (Shaffer et al., Nature 2008). Consistent with these observations, flow cytometric analysis of annexinV/PI stained MM1.S cells transfected with siRNA against IRF4 confirms that IRF-4 is important for MM.1S survival. Furthermore, direct or indirect downstream targets of IRF4 (e.g. MYC, HK2, PDK1, and SUB1) are coordinately down-regulated in MM1.S cells when IRF4 expression is reduced by A2AR / bAR agonists with dex. These data suggest that A2A and bAR agonist combinations coordinately down-regulate both myc and IRF4, which form a positive autoregulatory loop important for MM proliferation/survival and further underscore the utility of systematic combination screening in the identification of pathway and chemical interactions relevant to disease. Disclosures: Tam: CombinatoRx, Inc.: Employment. Rickles:CombinatoRx, Inc.: Employment. Giordano:CombinatoRx, Inc.: Employment. Borisy:CombinatoRx, Inc.: Employment. Lee:CombinatoRx, Inc.: Employment.

scholarly journals Oncolytic Reovirus Immune Priming: A Phase 1b Study of Reolysin with Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 4507-4507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Kelly ◽  
Kaijin Wu ◽  
Denice Tsao-Wei ◽  
Susan Groshen ◽  
Timothy Junius Triche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Stable Disease ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Phase 1B

Abstract Background: While novel agents have improved the outcome for multiple myeloma (MM), the disease remains incurable. Our preclinical work has shown that MM cells from relapsed/refractory patients are very sensitive to the combination of Reolysin (a proprietary formulation of an oncolytic reovirus) and bortezomib (BZ), resulting in synergistic levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. A pilot phase 1 study showed that Reolysin was well tolerated in relapsed/refractory MM patients and was associated with prolonged stable disease. Methods: Relapsed/refractory MM patients including patients refractory to BZ were included. This is a phase 1b study of 3 escalating doses of Reolysin (cohort 1; 3 x1010 TCID50, cohort 2; 4.5 x1010 TCID50, and cohort 3; 9 x1010 TCID50). Reolysin is given on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Patients receive 40 mg dexamethasone and 1.5 mg/m2bortezomib on days 1, 8, and 15. Cycles are repeated every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Results: Eight patients have been enrolled, seven were male and the median age was 55 (range, 33 - 66). The median number of prior therapies was 4 (range 1 to 6). All patients were previously exposed to BZ, and 6 patients were previously exposed to both an immunomodulatory agent and carfilzomib. Most patients had ISS stage I disease at study entry (n=5), 2 had stage II and 1 had stage III. The combination was well tolerated and most treatment-related toxicities were transient and easily managed with supportive care. The most common treatment-related toxicities were grade 1 diarrhea (n=4), grade 1 fatigue (n=4), grade 1 flu-like symptoms (n=5) and grade 1 headache (n=4). No dose limiting toxicities occurred in cohort 1 or 2. Three patients completed 1 cycle of treatment only, 2 completed 3 cycles, and 1 patient completed 4 cycles. One patient remains on treatment. Reasons for treatment discontinuation included disease progression (n=4), clinical deterioration (n=1) and patient withdrawal (n=2). Six patients were evaluable for response, 3 patients had stable disease lasting at least 3 cycles whereas 3 patients had progressive disease at the end of cycle 1. Ex vivo treatment of primary MM cells and MM cell lines (U266 and RPMI-8226) with Reolysin revealed a dramatic induction of PD-L1 expression as measured by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. Furthermore, ex vivo treatment of MM patient mononuclear cells with Reolysin resulted in NK and T cell activation. These results suggest that the addition of an anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 agent may augment the anti-MM activity of Reolysin. Conclusions: The combination of Reolysin, BZ and dexamethasone is well tolerated in a heavily pretreated MM patient population. Cohort 3 is currently enrolling at the 9 x1010 TCID50 dose level of Reolysin. The potential anti-MM effects of immune activation following Reolysin infusion may be mitigated by MM expression of PD-L1. Additional cohorts exploring the tolerability, efficacy and pharmacodynamics of the combination of Reolysin, BZ or carfilzomib, dexamethasone and an immune checkpoint inhibitor will be added following completion of cohort 3. Disclosures Kelly: Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Coffey:Oncolytics Biotech: Employment. Gill:Oncolytics Biotech: Employment.

Phase-1 Study of ZIO-101: A New Organic Arsenic Active in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and Multiple Myeloma (MM).

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1966-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Berenson ◽  
Ralph Vincent V. Boccia ◽  
Mohamad A. Hussein ◽  
Andrew Belch ◽  
Lawrence Boise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Stable Disease ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Qtc Prolongation ◽  
Hematological Cancers ◽  
Organic Arsenic

Abstract Background: Although arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is active in vitro against diverse hematological cancers, clinical data show activity only in acute progranulocytic leukemia (APL); there is little if any single-agent activity in multiple myeloma and other hematological cancers. This discordance may be because relatively little As2O3 can be given consequent to its substantial toxicity (especially QTc-prolongation) or because the mode of action (MOA) in APL (differentiation) is inoperative in other hematological cancers (or both). ZIO-101 (S-dimethylarsino-glutathione), a new organic arsenic, is active against diverse cancers in vitro and in animal models including AML and MM. Cell-killing by ZIO-101 is mediated by mitochondrial-disruption and apoptosis-induction rather than the differentiation MOA of As2O3. ZIO-101 can be given at doses ≥ 50-fold higher than As2O3 and achieves 5–10-fold higher intracellular concentrations at equimolar extracellular As concentrations. Gene-expression profiling data suggest different cellular responses to ZIO-101 and As2O3. These features make ZIO-101 attractive for evaluation in AML and MM. Methods: 2 phase-1 studies evaluating safety, activity and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of ZIO-101 in 21 subjects with advanced AML (N=8) or MM (N=13). Median age is 58 y (range, 41–85 y). Median N of prior therapies is 5 (range, 2–12) including 4 subjects failing prior As2O3 therapy. Starting dose was 78 mg/me2/d IV for 5 consecutive d every 4 w. Results: Subjects received a median of 2 cycles (range, 1–6). Therapy was well-tolerated; adverse events ≥ grade-2 occurring in > 25% of subjects included neutropenia, hypokalemia and hyperglycemia. There was no clinically-important renal, liver or heart toxicity nor QTc-prolongation. Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 420 mg/me2/d. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies at this dose showed a tmax=1 h (SD±0.9), Cmax=1.06 μg/mL (SD±0.07 μg/mL), t1/2=17.8 h (SD±1.4 h) and AUC0-∞=25.9 μg·h/mL (SD±0.8 μg·h/mL). 4 subjects with AML had stable disease (SD) after 1 cycle and received 2–4 more cycles before progressing. Blood myeloblasts decreased substantially in 1 subject and completely resolved in 2. Bone marrow myeloblasts decreased in 1. 1 subject with prior myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) stopped requiring frequent RBC transfusions. 1 subject with rapidly-progressing As2O3- and bortezumib-resistant MM has stable disease (SD) >6 mo. Conclusions: These early data suggest activity of ZIO-101 in advanced AML and MM. The MTD is 420 mg/me2/d, ≥ 50-fold higher than As2O3. Plasma levels exceed the IC50 for AML and MM cell in vitro and animal models. Clinically-important QTc-prolongation was not seen. Some subjects failing As2O3 responded to ZIO-101 indicating efficacy of a higher dose, different MOA or both. Because of these favorable results phase-2 studies in hematological cancers are in progress.

scholarly journals Efficacy and Safety of Durvalumab Combined with Daratumumab in Daratumumab-Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2452
Author(s):  
Kristine A. Frerichs ◽  
Christie P. M. Verkleij ◽  
Meletios A. Dimopoulos ◽  
Jhon A. Marin Soto ◽  
Sonja Zweegman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Immunomodulatory Effects ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Blocking Antibody ◽  
Phase 2 Study

Daratumumab is active both as a single agent and in combination with other agents in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, the majority of patients will develop daratumumab-refractory disease, which carries a poor prognosis. Since daratumumab also has immunomodulatory effects, addition of the PD-L1 blocking antibody durvalumab at the time of progression may reverse daratumumab-resistance. The efficacy and safety of daratumumab and durvalumab in daratumumab-refractory relapsed/refractory MM patients was evaluated in this prospective, single-arm phase 2 study (NCT03000452). None of the 18 enrolled patients achieved PR or better. The frequency of serious adverse events was 38.9%, with one patient experiencing an immune related adverse event (grade 2 hyperthyroidism). No infusion-related reactions were observed. Analysis of tumor- and immune cell characteristics was performed on bone marrow samples obtained at baseline and during treatment. Daratumumab combined with durvalumab reduced the frequency of regulatory T-cells and decreased the proportion of T-cells expressing LAG3 and CD8+ T-cells expressing TIM-3, without altering T- and NK-cell frequencies. Durvalumab did not affect tumor cell characteristics associated with daratumumab resistance. In conclusion, the addition of durvalumab to daratumumab following development of daratumumab-resistance was associated with an acceptable toxicity profile, but was not effective. This indicates that inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway at the time of daratumumab-resistance is insufficient to reverse daratumumab-resistance.

scholarly journals Ex Vivo Activity of Immunotherapeutic Approaches Targeting CD38 Against Daratumumab-Resistant Multiple Myeloma Patient Samples

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1848-1848
Author(s):  
Maria Karvouni ◽  
Heyue Zhou ◽  
Arnika Kathleen Wagner ◽  
Qiangzhong Ma ◽  
Alamdar H. Baloch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Employment Equity ◽  
Multiple Myeloma Patient ◽  
Myeloma Cells ◽  
Car T ◽  
Equity Ownership

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that remains incurable. The identification of CD38, a transmembrane glycoprotein overexpressed on MM cells, led to the development of target-specific therapeutics such as the FDA approved monoclonal antibody (mAb) Daratumumab (DARA). Although a valuable treatment option for refractory/relapsed (R/R) MM patients, DARA has a limited response rate of below 50%, which highlights the clinical need for novel therapeutics. Aims: Aiming to further exploit the therapeutic potential of CD38 in the MM setting, immunotherapies based on the novel anti-CD38 mAb CD38A2 were tested. Methods: For the first approach, the CD38A2 mAb -that binds to a unique, distinct from DARA's, CD38 epitope- was conjugated with either the alkylating agent Duomycin (ADC-136) or the microtubulin binder Duostatin (ADC-129). The ADCs were compared to DARA, in cultures of primary MM cells from patients refractory to DARA treatment. In a second approach, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) consisting of the CD38A2 scFv and the intracellular domains of CD28 and CD3ζ was used to transduce primary T and NK cells from R/R MM patients. The functionality of the CAR-T and CAR-NK cells was assessed in cytotoxicity assays against autologous myeloma cells. Results: ADC-136 demonstrated the most potent cytotoxicity against the MM cells with an IC50 of 6pM at day 6 following a single dose treatment. ADC-129 showed cell killing with an IC50 of 30pM, while DARA did not exhibit appreciable cytotoxicity. Regarding the cell therapy approach, patients' T and NK cells were effectively transduced, showing a CD38A2-CAR expression ranging between 11-68%. In functional assays, CAR-T and CAR-NK cells were assayed against autologous myeloma cells, where they exhibited an increase in target cell cytotoxicity, compared to the untransduced cells. Summary/Conclusion: Altogether, our preliminary findings demonstrate that CD38 targeting using CD38A2-based immunotherapies could be a viable therapeutic approach in R/R MM patients previously exposed to DARA. Currently, an anti-CD38 CAR-T therapy based on CD38A2 is being evaluated in Phase 1 studies in R/R MM patients by Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. Disclosures Zhou: Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Ma:Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Zhu:Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Zhang:Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kaufmann:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties.

scholarly journals Aspacytarabine (BST-236) Is Safe and Efficacious As a Single-Agent, First-Line Therapy for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Unfit for Standard Chemotherapy. Integrated Results from a Phase 1/2a and an Ongoing Phase 2b

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 179-179
Author(s):  
Jessica K. Altman ◽  
Tsila Zuckerman ◽  
Olga Frankfurt ◽  
Selina M. Luger ◽  
Dale L. Bixby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Standard Therapy ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Prior Exposure ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
First Line ◽  
Advisory Committees ◽  
Ongoing Phase

Introduction: Aspacytarabine (BST-236) is a prodrug of cytarabine, a backbone of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy. Due to its unique pharmacokinetics and metabolism, treatment with aspacytarabine evades peak exposure to free cytarabine, which reduces non-hematological toxicity and enables delivery of high-dose cytarabine also to patients unfit for standard therapy. Data from a completed phase 1/2a and an ongoing phase 2b studies in AML patients unfit for standard therapy, including patients with AML secondary to therapy and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with prior exposure to hypomethylating agents (HMA), demonstrate promising single-agent efficacy and safety of aspacytarabine as a potential first-line AML treatment for this challenging population. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of aspacytarabine in AML patients unfit for standard induction therapy. Methods: A completed phase 1/2a study and an ongoing phase 2b study evaluate the efficacy and safety of aspacytarabine as a single-agent therapeutic for AML. The phase 1/2a, dose-escalation study enrolled newly-diagnosed patients unfit for standard therapy and patients with relapsed/refractory AML. Patients were treated with 0.3-6 g/m2/d aspacytarabine in 6 dose-escalating cohorts. The ongoing multi-center phase 2b study expands the subgroup of newly-diagnosed AML patients unfit for standard therapy, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aspacytarabine as a first-line therapy for this population. Secondary AML patients, treated with HMA, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy for a prior condition, are allowed. Patients in the phase 2b study are treated with the selected aspacytarabine dose of 4.5 g/m2/d, containing approximately 3 g/m2/d of cytarabine. Each aspacytarabine treatment course (induction and consolidation) consists of 6 1-hour daily intravenous infusions. Results: To date, 34 AML patients, median age 76 years, received at least 1 dose of aspacytarabine, including 30 patients unfit for standard induction therapy due to age or comorbidities. Overall, 25 patients completed 1 course of aspacytarabine, 4 patients completed 2 courses, 1 patient completed 3 courses, and 1 patient completed 4 courses of aspacytarabine. Three patients (in the phase 1/2a study) did not complete the first course. Aspacytarabine was safe and well-tolerated in repeated-course administration, including in older and unfit patients. Adverse events included mainly hematological "on-target" events with no drug-related mucositis or cerebellar toxicity. Twenty-one patients were newly-diagnosed with AML, either de novo or secondary to MDS or therapy. The patient population was characterized by older age (median 76 years, range 67-88 years), and the majority (67%) of patients had secondary AML, including 10 patients (48%) who were previously treated with HMA (median of 10 courses) or radiotherapy. The median baseline bone marrow blast percentage of this population was 75, and 43% and 48% had intermediate or adverse European LeukemiaNet (ELN) cytogenetic score, respectively. Despite these poor-prognostic characteristics, the 30-day mortality rate in the group of patients receiving ≥4.5 g/m2/d aspacytarabine was 7%. The combined complete remission (CR) rate of all doses was 33%, including 1 patient reaching a CR with partial platelet recovery (CRp). The CR rate in patients treated with at least 4.5 g/m2/d aspacytarabine is 36%, with median time for complete hematological recovery of 27 days (range 21-30) following induction and consolidation. Notably, among the 7 patients who reached a CR/CRp (median age 77), 3 secondary AML patients reached a CR, including 2 patients with prior exposure to HMA (5 and 10 courses) and 1 with prior exposure to radiotherapy (Table 1). Duration of response and overall survival follow up is ongoing and will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions: The accumulating clinical data suggest that aspacytarabine is safe and efficacious for the treatment of AML patients who are unfit for standard induction therapy, including patients with prior exposure to HMA, which may establish aspacytarabine as a new therapeutic backbone for AML, either as a single agent or in combination with targeted therapy. Disclosures Altman: Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Glycomimetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Data Safety and Monitoring Committee; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Biosight: Other: US Lead; Novartis: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Cancer Expert Now: Consultancy; France Foundation: Speakers Bureau; prIME Oncology: Speakers Bureau; PeerView: Speakers Bureau; Theradex: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Luger:Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria; Onconova: Research Funding; Kura: Research Funding; Jazz: Honoraria; Genetech: Research Funding; Daichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Cyslacel: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Biosight: Research Funding; Ariad: Research Funding; Agios: Honoraria. Kota:Takeda: Honoraria; Xcenda: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria. Flaishon:BioSight Ltd.: Employment. Tessler:BioSight Ltd.: Employment. Gengrinovitch:BioSight Ltd.: Employment. Ben Yakar:BioSight Ltd.: Employment. Rowe:BioSight: Consultancy.

scholarly journals A Phase 1/2 Trial of Pomalidomide, Dexamethasone and Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 4774-4774
Author(s):  
James R. Berenson ◽  
Laura V. Stampleman ◽  
Alberto Bessudo ◽  
Peter J. Rosen ◽  
Leonard M Klein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Progressive Disease ◽  
Liposomal Doxorubicin ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Grade 3

Abstract Background Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD), such as thalidomide and lenalidomide (LEN) and its newest derivative pomalidomide (POM), have shown great promise for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) patients (pts). POM has in vitro anti-MM potency and has shown efficacy for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (RR) MM pts. POM with dexamethasone (DEX) induces responses even for MM pts who are refractory to bortezomib (BORT) and LEN (Richardson et al, 2012). Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) with BORT is FDA-approved for the treatment of MM pts who have received one prior therapy not containing BORT. The combination of PLD and LEN or thalidomide has shown efficacy for both RR and frontline MM pts (Offidani et al, 2006; 2007). We have also demonstrated that both the efficacy and tolerability of LEN in combination with DEX, PLD and BORT (DVD-R) may be improved by changing the doses and schedules of these drugs (Berenson et al, 2012). Based on these results, we hypothesized that the combination of POM, DEX and PLD would be effective for the treatment of RRMM pts. Thus, we conducted the first study investigating the safety and efficacy of POM in combination with intravenous (IV) DEX and PLD as a phase 1/2 trial using a modified dose, schedule and longer 28-day cycles for pts with RRMM. Methods The phase 1 portion enrolled MM pts w/ progressive disease whereas those enrolled in phase 2 also had to be refractory to LEN (single-agent or in combination), as demonstrated by progressive disease while receiving their last LEN-containing regimen or relapsed within 8 weeks of their last dose of this IMiD. Pts who have previously received POM treatment were ineligible. In the phase 1 portion, POM was administered at 2, 3 or 4 mg daily in three cohorts on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle and DEX (40 mg) and PLD (5 mg/m2) were fixed and given intravenously on days 1, 4, 8, and 11. Results As of June 20th, 2014, 48 pts were enrolled in the trial and a total of 47 pts had received study drug. Pts had received a median of 4 prior treatments (range 1-18), with a median of 2 prior IMiD-containing regimens (range, 0-8). Fifty-three percent of the pts had received a prior PLD-containing regimen and 21% had received a prior IMiD and PLD combination treatment. Among all enrolled pts, 40 pts discontinued treatment and seven remain active. Pts completed a median of 3 cycles (range: 1-8), with a median follow-up time of 5.4 months (range: 0-22). During the phase 1 portion of the trial, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of POM was established at 4 mg. Enrollment of pts into the phase 2 portion of the trial began at the MTD. However, neutropenia ≥ grade 3 was observed at this dose in 10/17 (58.8%) phase 2 pts; and, as a result, the protocol was amended so that the MTD was lowered to 3 mg for all pts subsequently enrolled. Among the 36 pts enrolled in phase 2, 78% percent were refractory to LEN and steroids with or without other agents and 47% had previously received PLD. A median of 2 cycles (range, 1 to 8) were administered among the pts enrolled in phase 2. Thirty-five pts were evaluable for response as one pt was active but had not yet had any post-baseline disease assessments. Among all pts enrolled in phase 2, the overall response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) were 29% and 49%, respectively, with 6 pts (17%) showing stable disease and 12 pts (34%) demonstrating progressive disease. For all pts enrolled in phase 2, the median follow-up time was 4.7 months (range 0-12) and the median PFS was 5.3 months. ORR and CBR for pts in the phase 2 were higher among pts receiving POM at 3 mg (32% and 58%, respectively) than among pts receiving POM at 4 mg (25% and 37%, respectively). Pts receiving the 4 mg dose of POM experienced more toxicities resulting in discontinuations, which likely explains the lower ORR and CBR observed among pts receiving this POM dose. Common ≥ grade 3 adverse events observed throughout the trial were neutropenia (21 pts; 44.7%), lymphopenia (10 pts; 21.3%), and hyponatremia (4 pts; 8.5%). One pt died of grade 5 sepsis. Conclusions This phase 1/2 trial is the first evaluating POM with PLD and DEX and demonstrates that the combination of POM at 3 mg, PLD and DEX using a modified 28-day cycle schedule is safe and effective for the treatment of MM pts refractory to LEN. Disclosures Berenson: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Swift:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Vescio:Celgene: Honoraria.

Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

Hematology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 (1) ◽  
pp. 303-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagar Lonial
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
New Agents ◽  
Ongoing Work ◽  
The Many

Abstract Advances in treatment options for patients with multiple myeloma have made a significant impact on the overall survival of patients and have helped achieve levels of response and duration of remission previously not achievable with standard chemotherapy-based approaches. These improvements are due, in large part, to the development of the novel agents thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide, each of which has substantial single-agent activity. In addition, a large number of second-generation agents are also in clinical development, such that the repertoire of available treatment options continues to expand. To better interpret clinical trials performed in the relapsed setting, it is important that definitions of relapse categories are used to help better pinpoint the specific benefit for a given therapy, especially in the combination therapy setting as it aids in determining if ongoing work should be continued or abandoned for a given new agent. Insights from preclinical modeling and in vitro work have identified several new combinations, new targets and second- or third-generation versions of existing targets that hold great promise in the setting of relapsed myeloma. Combinations of thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide with conventional agents or among each other have resulted in enhanced response rates and efficacy. Clinical trials of agents such as carfilzomib, pomalidomide, vorinostat, panobinostat, and elotuzomab are just a few of the many exciting new compounds that are being tested in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials for relapsed patients. Further clinical and translational testing are critical to better understanding how best to combine these new agents, as well as identifying patient populations that may best benefit from treatment with these developing new agents.

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