Phase 2, two-group, two-stage study of avelumab in patients (pts) with microsatellite stable (MSS), microsatellite instable (MSI), and polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutated recurrent/persistent endometrial cancer (EC).

Abstract

5502 Background: This non-randomized phase 2 study evaluated the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab in two cohorts of EC: i) MSI/ POLE cohort including ECs with immunohistochemical (IHC) loss of expression of at least one of the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins and/or documented mutation in the exonuclease domain of POLE and ii) MSS cohort including ECs with normal IHC expression of all MMR proteins. Methods: Eligibility criteria included measurable disease, unlimited prior therapies, and any EC histology. Co-primary endpoints were confirmed objective response (OR) and progression-free survival rate at 6 months (PFS6). Avelumab 10 mg/kg IV was given every 2 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. In the 1st stage, 16 pts were enrolled in each cohort; if there were ≥2 ORs or ≥2 PFS6 responses, accrual would continue to the 2nd stage with enrollment of 19 additional pts. Overall, if there are ≥4 ORs or ≥8 PFS6 responses, avelumab would be considered worthy of further study in each cohort. Results: As of 12/2018, 33 pts were enrolled. The MSS cohort was closed at the 1st stage due to futility; of 16 pts in the MSS cohort, only 1 pt exhibited an OR and PFS6 response [ORR and PFS6 rate 6.25% (95% CI 0.16%-30.2%)]. Conversely, the MSI/POLE cohort reached the primary endpoint of 4 ORs after accrual of only 17 pts. Two pts in the MSI/POLE cohort did not initiate protocol therapy and were excluded from all analyses. Of 15 pts in the MSI/POLE cohort, 4 pts exhibited OR [1CR+3PRs, OR rate (ORR) 26.7% (95% CI 7.8%-55.1%)] and 6 pts (including the 4 pts with OR) exhibited PFS6 responses [PFS6 rate 40.0% (95% CI 16.3%-66.7%)], 4 ongoing and 3 approaching 2 yrs. Twenty-two pts (71%) reported treatment related toxicities, 6 patients (19%) G3 toxicities; there were no treatment-related G4 and G5 toxicities. In the MSI/POLE cohort, 5 of 6 PFS6 responses were observed in pts with ≥3 lines of prior therapy (p = 0.011) and in tumors who were PD-L1 negative by IHC. Further correlative work will be reported at the meeting. Conclusions: In EC pts stratified by MSI/POLE status, MSI vs MSS status appears to be correlated with avelumab response even in PD-L1 negative tumors. Responses in the MSI/POLE cohort were more frequent in more heavily pretreated patients, a finding that warrants further investigation. Clinical trial information: NCT02912572.