scholarly journals Avapritinib: novel hope for patients with metastatic gist with PDGFRA exon 18 mutation

Author(s):  
Sachin Maggo ◽  
A. P. Dubey ◽  
Pawan Dhull ◽  
Nilabh Kumar Singh

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract associated with high rates of malignant transformation. The activating mutations in platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) have been linked to the development of GISTs, and up to approximately 10% of GIST cases involve mutations of this gene. Current treatment options for metastatic GIST are minimal, mainly trusting on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as Imatinib, Sunitinib and Regorafenib. However, eventually, most patients develop resistance to TKIs, usually due to the acquisition of secondary mutations. Moreover, 5-6% of patients with unresectable of metastatic GIST have the primary PDGFRA D842V mutation, which makes it resistant to all approved treatment options. Avapritinib, a potent and selective TKI of KIT and PDGFRA activation loop mutants. The drug demonstrates anti-tumor activity by inhibiting the autophosphorylation of KIT D816V and PDGFRA D842V, thereby terminating the downstream signalling. The drug is available in oral formulation with a recommended dosage of 300 mg once daily. The onset of Avapritinib is fast, shows rapid absorption and linear pharmacokinetics. Most common adverse reactions seen are edema, fatigue, abdominal pain, and neurocognitive defects. Clinical trials for Avapritinib have been positive, and results suggest that the drug may be a new safe and effective option for metastatic GIST treatment. With Blueprint Medicines having already received US FDA approval in January 2020, Avapritinib may soon be an addition to the mounting armoury of drugs against metastatic GIST harbouring PDGFRA exon 18 mutation.

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3807
Author(s):  
Pierangela Sepe ◽  
Arianna Ottini ◽  
Chiara Carlotta Pircher ◽  
Andrea Franza ◽  
Melanie Claps ◽  
...  

Non-clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCC) comprise several rare and poorly described diseases, often characterized by bad prognosis and with no standard treatments available. The gap in their clinical management is linked to the poor molecular characterization in handling the treatment of non clear-cell RCC with untailored therapies. Due to their rarity, non-clear RCC are in fact under-represented in prospective randomized trials. Thus, treatment choices are based on extrapolating results from clear cell RCC trials, retrospective data, or case reports. Over the last two decades, various options have been considered as the mainstay for the treatment of metastatic RCC (mRCC), including angiogenesis inhibitors, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors, other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), as well as MET inhibitors and mammalian targeting of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors. More recently, the therapeutic armamentarium has been enriched with immunotherapy, alone or in combination with targeted agents that have been shown to significantly improve outcomes of mRCC patients, if compared to TKI single-agent. It has been widely proven that non-clear cell RCC is a morphologically and clinically distinct entity from its clear cell counterpart but more knowledge about its biology is certainly needed. Histology-specific collaborative trials are in fact now emerging to investigate different treatments for non-clear cell RCC. This review summarizes pathogenetic mechanisms of non-clear cell RCC, the evolution of treatment paradigms over the last few decades, with a focus on immunotherapy-based trials, and future potential treatment options.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72
Author(s):  
H Ozkayalar ◽  
MC Ergoren ◽  
G Tuncel ◽  
S Kurt ◽  
E Cevik ◽  
...  

Abstract Being one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide and their resistance to conventional treatment methods, made gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) one of the hot topics in medical research areas in the past decade. To investigate molecular alterations underlying the tumor is of great importance to be able to develop new, targeted treatment options. In this study, GIST samples obtained from 40 Turkish patients were analyzed for actionable epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations that are related to treatment regimes in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to understand whether EGFR expression is altered in GISTs. Established alterations in EGFR can make the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors possible, which are currently used in cancer therapy, especially in NSCLC. Our results indicated that EGFR mutations are rare in GISTs. Further research is needed to sequence whole coding regions of the gene to investigate new actionable mutations in EGFR in an increased sample size.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Malenica ◽  
Matteo Donadon ◽  
Ana Lleo

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a group of rare cancers that account for up to 3–5% of cancer patients worldwide. BTCs include cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), gallbladder cancer (GBC), and ampulla of Vater cancer (AVC). They are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage when the disease is often found disseminated. A late diagnosis highly compromises surgery, the only potentially curative option. Current treatment regimens include a combination of chemotherapeutic drugs gemcitabine with cisplatin that have a limited efficiency since more than 50% of patients relapse in the first year. More recently, an inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) was approved as a second-line treatment, based on the promising results from the NCT02924376 clinical trial. However, novel secondary treatment options are urgently needed. Recent molecular characterization of CCA and GBC highlighted the molecular heterogeneity, etiology, and epidemiology in BTC development and lead to the classification of the extrahepatic CCA into four types: metabolic, proliferating, mesenchymal, and immune type. Differences in the immune infiltration and tumor microenvironment (TME) have been described as well, showing that only a small subset of BTCs could be classified as an immune “hot” and targeted with the immunotherapeutic drugs. This recent evidence has opened a way to new clinical trials for BTCs, and new drug approvals are highly expected by the medical community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
R. A. Gafanov ◽  
A. G. Dzidzaria ◽  
I. B. Kravtsov ◽  
S. V. Fastovets

The treatment strategy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has evolved with the emergence of anti-angiogenic drugs, in particular tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Both treatment options improved patient outcomes and altered the natural history of mRCC. Clinical studies have focused on evaluating combination regimens containing ICI and VEGFR-targeted TKIs. The combination of axitinib with pembrolizumab (KEYNOTE-426) showed better results compared to sunitinib in patients with mRCC who had not previously received systemic therapy. In this article, we discuss the rationale for the combination of ICI and TKI based on preclinical data, as well as the clinical results obtained with the combination of axitinib with pembrolizumab in first-line patients in clinical trials.


Author(s):  
Jim Cassidy ◽  
Donald Bissett ◽  
Roy A. J. Spence OBE ◽  
Miranda Payne ◽  
Gareth Morris-Stiff

Haematological malignancies examines the epidemiology, genetics, clinical presentation and classification of these diseases, and presents current treatment approaches for each. First are the acute leukaemias, and the management of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Chronic myeloid leukaemia, its genetics and sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, is described. Myelodysplastic syndromes and their management, are followed by chronic lymphoid leukaemias, a large heterogeneous group of diseases, and their treatment. Hodgkin lymphoma, its pathology and presentation, staging and role of PET scanning, is described along with current treatment with chemotherapy and limited radiotherapy. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is another heterogeneous group of diseases, divided into low-grade and high-grade pathology, and varying in their genetics, presentation, and management. Rituximab is a key component of chemotherapy regimens against B-cell lymphoma. Myeloma and other plasma cell dyscrasias are described, and treatment options reviewed. Myeloma remains incurable, but with appropriate management consistent with prolonged good quality life. Treatment includes chemotherapy, bisphosphonate therapy, analgesics and radiotherapy, Throughout this chapter is emphasised the importance of clinical trials in driving the rapid improvements in treatment of these diseases.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 7074-7074 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Mitsudomi ◽  
T. Kosaka ◽  
H. Endoh ◽  
K. Yoshida ◽  
T. Hida ◽  
...  

7074 Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is usually highly sensitive to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), gefitinib or erlotinib. However, it is common to develop acquired resistance to TKI after presenting an initial striking response. It has been reported that secondary mutation of threonine to methionine at codon 790 (T790M) of the EGFR gene is related to this acquired resistance. Methods: We sequenced exons 18–21 of the EGFR gene in 14 NSCLC patients exhibiting acquired resistance to gefitinib following the initial good response. This region of the EGFR gene corresponds with that of the ABL gene where various secondary mutations have been reported in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with acquired resistance to imatinib. To raise sensitivity of the assay, we also subcloned the PCR products into plasmids and sequenced, or we used CyCleave method (real-time PCR combined with fluorescence labeled mutant specific probe) in addition to usual sequencing. We also searched for secondary K-ras mutations. Results: All the 14 patients had activating mutations of the EGFR gene (9 with exon 19 deletions, 5 with L858R). In addition, we found that 7 of 14 patients had a T790M mutation, but there were not any other novel secondary mutations. In these seven patients, T790M mutant bands were smaller than wild-type bands. Patients with T790M tended to be never smoking female, but there was no difference in the period of gefitinib administration by the presence or absence of T790M. We could not detect any T790M in tumors before gefitinib treatment at the sensitivity of 1%. There were no patients with acquired mutation of the K-ras gene. Conclusions: Secondary T790M mutation of the EGFR gene accounted for half of the cases with acquired resistance to gefitinib. Unlike the cases with CML, various kinds of secondary mutations were not likely to exist in the EGFR gene as a mechanism of acquired resistance. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (27) ◽  
pp. 3171-3184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik T Petersen ◽  
Saqib R Ahmed ◽  
Leon Chen ◽  
Sirunya Silapunt ◽  
Michael R Migden

Advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) accounts for only 5% of all cases of cSCC but up to 60% of disease related deaths. Historically, this disease has lacked effective treatment options due to a combination of poor response rate, poor response durability and significant treatment-associated morbidity. Autumn of 2018 marked the first time ever that an agent received US FDA approval for advanced cSCC and the future is looking much brighter for this previously neglected patient population. The purpose of this article is to review the various systemic treatment options for advanced cSCC moving from the past to the present, highlighting their relative merits and shortcomings, and to briefly speculate on future developments in the field of advanced cSCC.


Immunotherapy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 1357-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Serrano ◽  
Victoria Maloney ◽  
Kenneth B Gordon

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple organ systems affecting approximately 2% of the population worldwide. The etiology is multifactorial etiology with multiple co-morbidities complicating the disease. Therapeutic options for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis have made tremendous strides since the turn of the century and biologic agents are now generally considered to be safe, efficacious and common options for these patients. However, some patients remain recalcitrant to the current treatment options. Risankizumab is a newly US FDA-approved biologic therapy that inhibits IL-23p19 subunit, which is specific to IL-23. Risankizumab has proven rapid onset, safety and efficacy in moderate-to-severe psoriasis and is currently being studied in other diseases utilizing the IL-23 pathway.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiji Kuwata ◽  
Kazue Yoneda ◽  
Kenichi Kobayashi ◽  
Rintarou Oyama ◽  
Hiroki Matumiya ◽  
...  

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may achieve long-term survival in selected cases with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring activating mutations in the EGFR gene, but a cured case has not been reported yet. Here, we present the first case of EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma cured with an EGFR-TKI, as the 75-year-old Japanese man has achieved complete response with gefitinib treatment and has survived without tumor 10 years after termination of gefitinib treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii29-ii29
Author(s):  
Erin Smithberger ◽  
Abigail Shelton ◽  
Madison Butler ◽  
Allie Stamper ◽  
Ryan Bash ◽  
...  

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with poor survival and limited treatment options. However, it is an attractive candidate for precision therapeutic approaches due to the frequency of amplification and/or activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene and the availability of several brain penetrant second- and third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We used comprehensive molecular profiling of a panel of genetically engineered mouse astrocyte models to examine whether mutational profiles, particularly EGFR and PTEN status, could be used to identify kinases upregulated in specific mutational backgrounds. Using RNA-seq and multiplex inhibitor bead/mass spectrometry (MIB-MS) to analyze the kinase transcriptomes and proteomes, respectively, we have identified several potential targets for combination therapy. Overexpression of wild type EGFR in immortalized, Cdkn2a-/- astrocytes resulted in mild rewiring of the GBM kinome. Only 5 kinases aside from EGFR itself were overexpressed on either the transcript or protein levels. One overexpressed kinase, Hck, has been shown to be involved in cell survival, proliferation, adhesion, and migration. In contrast, overexpression of EGFRvIII, a constitutively active, extracellular domain truncation mutant of EGFR, resulted in significant alteration of the GBM kinome – 81 kinases showed differential expression, with 27 upregulated. One potentially attractive target among these was Cdk6, a drug-targetable, prognostically significant cyclin-dependent kinase implicated in proliferation, migration, and invasion. Finally, overexpression of EGFRvIII in cells lacking Pten dysregulated 46 kinases, including 15 upregulated. One particularly interesting target in these cells was Ddr2, a tyrosine kinase involved in migration, invasion, and extracellular matrix remodeling. We conclude that Hck, Cdk6, and Ddr2 represent attractive targets for therapeutic intervention in their relevant genetic contexts. These findings also suggest that molecular diagnostics for EGFR and PTEN status may be useful in guiding development of rational, EGFR TKI-centric drug combinations.


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