A phase Ib study of near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) using ASP-1929 in combination with nivolumab and for patients with advanced gastric or esophageal cancer (GE-PIT study, EPOC1901).

Abstract

TPS457 Background: Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a newly developed, molecular targeted cancer therapy based on conjugating a near infrared silica-phthalocyanine dye to a monoclonal antibody, which result in necrotic cell death of targeted cancer cell immediately after exposure to near infrared light. Phase IIa trial of NIR-PIT with RM-1929 (anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab conjugated to IRDye 700DX) showed a 43% objective response rate (ORR) for recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (Cognetti DM, et al.ASCO 2019 abstr 6014). Meanwhile, PD-1 blockade reverses adaptive immune resistance, resulting in activation of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte after NIR-PIT in syngeneic mouse models (Nagaya T, et al. Cancer immunology research. 2019). The objective of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of the NIR-PIT using ASP-1929 (analogous to RM-1929) in combination with nivolumab for advanced gastric or esophageal cancer. Methods: The study is an open-label, single-arm, single-center, Phase Ib clinical trial. Eligible patients are with unresectable esophagogastric squamous cell carcinoma or EGFR positive adenocarcinoma after standard chemotherapy. Dose escalation cohort is designed to determine the recommended dose of laser irradiation energy density in a “3+3” design (50, 75, and 100 J/cm2). Nivolumab of 240 mg on Day 1 and ASP-1929 of 640 mg/m2 on Day 8 is administered, and laser irradiation is performed under endoscopy using the laser PIT unit on Day 9. In expansion cohort, approximately 20 patients will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is proportion of incidence of dose-limiting toxicity, and the secondary endpoints are proportion of incidence of adverse events, ORR, local complete response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS, overall survival, and proportion of incidence of device malfunction. We also investigate several biomarkers using pre- and post-treatment biopsied samples. First patient will be enrolled in December 2019. Clinical trial information: JapicCTI-194969.