NGR-hTNF and doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer (OC).

Abstract

5059 Background: NGR-hTNF (asparagine-glycine-arginine human tumor necrosis factor) is able to promote antitumor immune responses and to improve the intratumoral doxorubicin (D) uptake by selectively damaging tumor vessels. Methods: OC patients (pts) with progressive disease (PD) after ≥ 1 platinum/taxane regimen and with a platinum free interval lower than 6 months (PFI <6) or ranging from 6 to 12 months (PFI 6-12) received NGR-hTNF (N) 0.8 µg/m2 and D 60 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks. Primary endpoint of this phase 2 trial was response rate by RECIST criteria with a target of ≥ 6/37 responding pts. Secondary aims were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: 37 pts (median age 57 years; PS 0/1 32/5; PFI < 6/6-12 25/12; prior regimens 1-5) were enrolled. Median baseline peripheral blood lymphocyte count (PBLC) was 1.6/mL (interquartile range 1.2-2.1). In all, 177 cycles were given, with 18 pts (49%) receiving ≥ 6 cycles and 12 pts (32%) 8 cycles. Neither grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) related to N nor increase of D-related AEs were noted. Common grade 1/2 AEs included chills (65%). Eight pts (23%; 95% CI 12-39) had partial response (PR; 2 with PFI < 6 and 6 with PFI 6-12; median duration: 8.2 months). Fifteen pts had stable disease (SD, 43%; 10 with PFI < 6 and 5 with PFI 6-12; median duration: 4.9 months) for an overall disease control (DC, PR+SD) rate of 66%. Mean changes from baseline in target tumor size after 2, 4, 6, and 8 cycles were 2%, -54%, -69%, and -77%, respectively. Median PFS was 5.0 months (95% CI 3.1-6.9) and median OS was 17.0 months (10.4-23.6). In pts with PFI < 6 or 6-12, median PFS were 3.8 and 7.8 months (p=.03) and median OS were 14.3 and 20.1 months (p=.14), respectively. Pts with DC had longer median OS than those with early PD (24.0 and 4.9 months, respectively, p=.02). Longer PFI (p=.03) and higher PBLC (p=.01) were associated with better PFS, while OS correlated only with PBLC (p=.001). In the subset with PFI < 6, pts with PBLC ≥ or < 1.2/mL (1st quartile) had median PFS of 4.9 and 2.6 months (p=.02) and median OS of 15.8 and 4.3 months (p=.0001), respectivel Conclusions: A randomized phase II trial is currently testing D ± NGR-hTNF in pts with PFI < 6 (refractory/resistant). The role of PBLC as blood-based biomarker deserves further investigation.