P-200 - PANOVA-2: A phase II study of TTFields (150 kHz) concomitant with standard chemotherapy for front-line therapy of advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma – Updated efficacy results

Abstract

Introduction: Background TTFields are a non-invasive, regional antimitotic treatment modality, which has been approved for the treatment of glioblastoma by the FDA. TTFields predominantly act by disrupting the formation of the mitotic spindle during metaphase. TTFields were effective in multiple preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. PANOVA was the first trial testing TTFields in pancreatic cancer patients. Results from the first cohort of the study testing TTFields in combination with gemcitabine, have demonstrated superiority in efficacy compared to historical controls (Rivera F. et al, J Clin Oncol 34, 2016 (suppl 4S; abstr 269). Methods: Twenty advanced pancreatic cancer patients enrolled in the second cohort, PANOVA-2, were treated with TTFields in combination with gemcitabine concomitant to nab-paclitaxel. All patients had unresectable tumors, an ECOG performance score of 0-1 and no prior therapy. The primary endpoint was the incidence and severity of adverse events. Results: The median age was 68.2 (range – 58-81) and most patients (65%) had an ECOG score of 1. Twelve patients (60%) had distant metastases. Ten patients (50%) had serious AEs during the study period. Eleven patients (55%) had treatment-related skin toxicity, of which 5 had grade 3 toxicity. No TTFields-related serious AEs were reported. The median PFS was 12.7 months (95% CI 5.4, NA): 9.3 months in patients with metastatic disease, and not reached in locally-advanced patients. PFS rate at 6 months was 65%: 50% in metastatic disease and 87.5% in locally advanced patients. Of the evaluable tumors, 40% had partial response and another 47% stable disease. The median OS was not reached, and the 1-year survival rate was 72% (62.5% in metastatic disease and 87.5% in locally advanced disease). Conclusion: TTFields concomitant to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel are safe for advanced pancreatic cancer patients, with promising clinical outcome which doubled historical data. A phase III trial (PANOVA-3) is planned to test the efficacy of TTFields combined with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in locally-advanced pancreatic cancer patients.