Advanced Squamous NSCLC Research Articles

Camrelizumab Plus Carboplatin and Paclitaxel as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Squamous NSCLC (CameL-Sq): A Phase 3 Trial

IntroductionCamrelizumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G4-κ monoclonal antibody against programmed cell death protein 1, has exhibited antitumor activity and tolerability across various tumors, including lung cancers. We conducted this double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab or placebo plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with advanced squamous NSCLC. The predictive value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dynamics was also analyzed. MethodsCameL-sq, a double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial (NCT03668496), was conducted in 53 centers in the People's Republic of China. A total of 389 patients with stage IIIB-IV squamous NSCLC were randomized (1:1) to receive 4 to 6 cycles of carboplatin plus paclitaxel with camrelizumab or placebo (every 3 wk), followed by maintenance therapy with camrelizumab or placebo. Peripheral blood ctDNA samples were collected at baseline and the time after two cycles of treatment. ResultsOf 389 eligible patients, 193 patients allocated camrelizumab plus chemotherapy and 196 patients allocated placebo plus chemotherapy were included in the efficacy and safety analysis. The results revealed significantly prolonged progression-free survival (median, 8.5 vs. 4.9 mo; p <0.0001) and overall survival (median, not reached vs. 14.5 mo; p <0.0001) with camrelizumab-chemotherapy versus placebo-chemotherapy. No unexpected treatment immune-related adverse events were observed in both groups. Biomarker analysis revealed that ctDNA clearance after two cycles of treatment was independently associated with dramatically longer progression-free survival (p <0.0001) and overall survival (p <0.0001) in camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group. ConclusionsOur findings support camrelizumab plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment option in advanced squamous NSCLC. On-treatment ctDNA dynamics exhibited the potency to predict the efficacy of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy.

P17.03 Sintilimab With Two Cycles Nab-Paclitaxel / Platinum as First Line Therapy for Advanced Squamous Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with chemotherapy has become the new stand of care in NSCLC, the optimal treatment cycles of chemotherapy is still debating. Chemotherapy is able to sensitize immune response in combination with ICIs via inducing tumor cell apoptosis and releasing neoantigen in initial combining cycles. In contrast, increasing cycles of chemotherapy might play negative roles of toxicity rather than synergetic effects. Therefore, this open-lable, multi-center, phase II study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with short-course (two cycles) nab-paclitaxel / platinum in treatment naïve advanced squamous NSCLC patients.

1207O Bevacizumab + erlotinib vs erlotinib alone as first-line treatment of pts with EGFR mutated advanced non squamous NSCLC: Final analysis of the multicenter, randomized, phase III BEVERLY trial

Adding bevacizumab to erlotinib prolonged PFS in NEJ026 and CTONG 1509 trials, but limited data are available in non-Asian patients (pts). BEVERLY is an Italian no-profit, randomized, open-label, multicenter phase III trial of bevacizumab (BEV) plus erlotinib (E) vs E alone as first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC. Eligible pts were randomized 1:1 to E (150mg daily) alone or combined with BEV (15mg/kg iv q3w) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Center, ECOG PS and type of mutation (ex19 deletion vs ex21 L858R vs others) were stratification variables. Co-primary endpoints were investigator-assessed PFS (IA-PFS) and blinded-independent centrally-reviewed PFS (BICR-PFS). Secondary endpoints were OS, QoL, IA- and BICR- objective response rate (ORR) and safety; biomarker analyses are also planned. 126 events out of 160 randomized pts were required to detect a PFS prolongation with BEV from 10 to 16.7 mos (HR 0.60), with 2-sided α=0.05, 80% power. From Apr 11, 2016 to Feb 27, 2019, 160 pts were randomized to BEV+E (80) or E alone (80). Pts were mainly female (63.8%), never smokers (51.9%), ECOG PS 0-1 (98.1%), median age 66 (IQR 59-73); 55% of pts had ex19Del and 41% L858R mutation. At a median follow-up of 31 mos, 130/160 (81.3%) pts had a PFS event (progression or death) and 84/160 (52.5%) died. BEV+E significantly prolonged IA-PFS over E alone with a median of 15.4 vs 9.7 mos (HR 0.60; 95%CI 0.42-0.85, log-rank P=0.0039). Median OS was 28.4 vs 23.0 mos in BEV+E and E arms, respectively (HR 0.70; 95%CI 0.46-1.10, log-rank P=0.12). One toxic death was reported, due to intracranial hemorrhage with BEV+E. Hypertension (any grade: 49% vs 18%; grade≥3: 24% vs 5%), skin rash (grade≥3: 31% vs 14%), thromboembolic events (any grade: 11% vs 4%), and proteinuria (any grade: 23% vs 6%) were more frequent with the experimental combination treatment. The addition of BEV to E significantly prolonged IA-PFS compared with E alone as first-line treatment in Italian EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients, with no unexpected safety issues. Blinded radiologic revision of PFS and ORR is ongoing and will be presented at the meeting.

Abstract CT041: ORIENT-3: A randomized, open-label, phase 3 study of sintilimab versus docetaxel in previously treated advanced/metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC)

Abstract Background: Patients (pts) with advanced squamous NSCLC (sqNSCLC) have very limited second-line treatment options after failure of the platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. ORIENT-3 was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of sintilimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, with docetaxel in second-line treatment in sqNSCLC. (NCT03150875) Method: Pts with stage IIIB/IIIC or IV (ineligible for radical chemo-radiotherapy) sqNSCLC who have disease progression during or after first-line platimum-based chemotherapy were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to receive sintilimab 200mg (Sin arm) or docetaxel 75mg/m2 (Doc arm) intravenously, Q3W until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Stratification factor was ECOG score (0 vs. 1). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Results: As of July 31, 2020, 290 pts were enrolled with 145 in each treatment group. Efficacy analysis was based on FAS (n=280), and safety analysis was based on safety set (n=274). Baseline characteristics were well balanced between treatment groups, and most pts in efficacy analysis (75.9% in Sin arm, 77.0% in Doc arm) had ECOG PS score of 1. Pts received a median of 8.0 cycles (range: 1-45) of sintilimab, and 2.0 cycles of docetaxel (range: 1-15). With a median follow-up of 23.56 months, sintilimab had a significant improvement in OS versus docetaxel (median: 11.79 m [95% CI 10.28-15.57] vs. 8.25 m [95% CI 6.47-9.82]; HR 0.74, [95%CI 0.56-0.96], P = 0.02489). The median PFS was also significantly superior in Sin arm (4.30 m, 95% CI 4.04-5.78) to that in Doc arm (2.79 m, 95% CI 1.91-3.19) (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39-0.68, P&amp;lt;0.00001). The confirmed ORR was 25.5% (95% CI, 18.6%-33.4%) in Sin arm and 2.2% (95% CI 0.5%-6.4%) in Doc arm. 84.7% of pts in Sin arm and 83.1% in Doc arm reported treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), most commonly with hypothyroidism (18.1%) and alopecia (34.6%), respectively. TRAEs ≥ grade 3 were less frequent in Sin arm (18.1%) than in Doc arm (36.2%). Five pts occurred sintilimab-related death, and one death reported relating with docetaxel. Conclusion: Sintilimab as second-line treatment for advanced and metastatic sqNSCLC showed a superior OS and PFS benefit, compared with docetaxel. Citation Format: Yuankai Shi, Lin Wu, Xinmin Yu, Yan Wang, Puyuan Xing, Jianying Zhou, Airong Wang, Jianhua Shi, Yi Hu, Ziping Wang, Guangyu An, Yong Fang, Sanyuan Sun, Caicun Zhou, Changli Wang, Feng Ye, Xingya Li, Junye Wang, Mengzhao Wang, Yunpeng Liu, Yanqiu Zhao, Jifeng Feng. ORIENT-3: A randomized, open-label, phase 3 study of sintilimab versus docetaxel in previously treated advanced/metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT041.

Sintilimab Plus Platinum and Gemcitabine as First-Line Treatment for Advanced or Metastatic Squamous NSCLC: Results From a Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase 3 Trial (ORIENT-12)

IntroductionThe standard chemotherapy for squamous NSCLC (sqNSCLC) includes platinum plus gemcitabine. Sintilimab, an anti–programmed cell death protein 1 antibody, plus platinum and gemcitabine (GP) has revealed encouraging efficacy as first-line therapy for sqNSCLC in a phase 1b study. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study to further compare the efficacy and safety of sintilimab with placebo, both in combination with GP. MethodsORIENT-12, a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study, was conducted at 42 centers in the People’s Republic of China (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03629925). Patients with locally advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC and without EGFR-sensitive mutations or ALK rearrangements were enrolled in the study. The stratification factors included clinical stage, choice of platinum, and programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score. The patients, investigators, research staff, and sponsor team were masked to treatment assignment. Eligible patients were randomized 1:1, using an integrated web-response system, to receive sintilimab 200 mg or placebo plus GP every 3 weeks for four or six cycles, followed by sintilimab or placebo as maintenance therapy until disease progression or 2 years. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), assessed by an independent radiographic review committee. ResultsBetween September 25, 2018 and July 26, 2019, a total of 543 patients were screened, of whom 357 patients were randomized to the sintilimab-GP group (n = 179) and the placebo-GP group (n = 178). After a median follow-up period of 12.9 months, sintilimab-GP continued to reveal a meaningful improvement in PFS than placebo-GP (hazard ratio = 0.536 [95% confidence interval: 0.422–0.681], p < 0.00001). Treatment-emergent adverse events of grade 3 or worse occurred in 86.6% patients in the sintilimab-GP group and in 83.1% in the placebo-GP group. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse event leading to death was 4.5% and 6.7% in the two treatment groups, respectively. ConclusionsRegarding PFS, sintilimab plus GP reveals clinical benefit than GP alone as first-line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC. The toxicity was acceptable, and no new unexpected safety signals were observed.

RATIONALE-307: Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone as first-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC in patients aged ≥ 65.

9102 Background: Tislelizumab is a humanized, monoclonal antibody with high affinity and specificity for the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). It has demonstrated antitumor activity in advanced lung cancers. We conducted a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized open-label study (NCT03594747) to assess the safety and efficacy of tislelizumab plus chemotherapy in patients (pts) with advanced squamous NSCLC. As previously reported, tislelizumab (TIS) significantly improved progression free survival (PFS) and reduced the risk of progression. Here, we report results from a sub-group of pts aged ≥ 65 years. Methods: Eligible pts (aged 18-75 years) enrolled in China were treatment-naive for locally advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC. Pts were stratified by disease stage (IIIB vs IV), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (&lt;1% vs 1-49% vs 50% tumor cells), and randomized 1:1:1 to Arm A: TIS 200 mg + paclitaxel (P) 175 mg/m2 and carboplatin (C) area under the plasma concentration 5 (every 3 weeks [Q3W] on day 1); Arm B: TIS + nab-paclitaxel ( nab-P) 100 mg/m2 (Q3W on days 1, 8 and 15) + C (Q3W on Day 1); or Arm C: P + C (Q3W on day 1). P, nab-P and C were administered for 4 to 6 cycles. TIS was administered until loss of benefit, withdrawal of consent or start of a new anticancer therapy. In this sub-group analysis, pts aged ≥ 65 years were evaluated according to the primary endpoint (PFS) and key secondary endpoints (objective response rate and safety). Results: Overall, 127 pts aged ≥ 65 years were randomized to receive treatment. Median age of pts aged ≥ 65 was 68.0 years and 120 pts (94.5%) were male. In total, 18 (46.2%), 20 (38.5%), and 34 (94.4%) pts in Arms A, B and C, respectively, had discontinued treatment. In Arm C 22/34 pts had completed chemotherapy. The primary and secondary endpoints, PFS and ORR, were longer and higher, respectively, in Arms A and B, compared with Arm C (Table). Grade ≥ 3 treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 33 (84.6%), 44 (84.6%) and 28 (82.4%) pts aged ≥ 65 years in Arms A, B and C, respectively, compared with 103 (85.8%), 99 (83.9%) and 94 (80.3%) pts aged ≥ 18 years enrolled in the study. The most commonly reported TRAEs in pts aged ≥ 65 years were anemia, decrease in neutrophil count, and alopecia. Conclusions: In this sub-group analysis, PFS and ORR were longer and higher, respectively, with TIS in pts aged ≥ 65 years with advanced squamous NSCLC. The safety profile of TIS in pts aged ≥ 65 years was similar to the safety profile for all aged pts aged ≥ 18 years. Clinical trial information: NCT03594747. [Table: see text]

A phase 2, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of KN046 in combination with chemotherapy in subjects with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

9060 Background: Dual blockade of PD-1 and CTLA-4 has shown improved overall survival (OS) in combination with a short course of chemotherapy. KN046 is a novel bispecific antibody that blocks both PD-L1 interaction with PD-1/CD80 and CTLA-4 interaction with CD80/CD86. We hypothesized that KN046 could be combined with a full course of chemotherapy and build more durable clinical benefit. Methods: This study enrolled systemic treatment naive, stage IV NSCLC patients (pts). Eligible pts received KN046 plus platinum doublet chemotherapy until progressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of informed consent or death. Efficacy evaluation was performed by investigators per RECIST 1.1. Safety and tolerability were assessed per NCI-CTCAE v5.0. Results: As of the Jan. 19, 2021, 87 pts [Cohort 1 (n = 51), Cohort 2 (n = 36)] have been enrolled with 83 pts having tumor PD-L1 expression data (PD-L1 ≥1%: 55.4%; PD-L1 &lt; 1%: 44.6%). 33.3% pts remained on the study treatment and 66.7% pts discontinued treatment due to disease progression (27.6%), TEAE (13.8%), death (9.2%) and other reasons (16%). The median treatment duration of KN046 was 21 weeks (range: 1.6̃68.7 weeks). Treatment related TEAE (TRAE) occurred in 92% pts. 25.3% pts experienced Grade≥3 TRAE [diarrhoea (5.7%), alanine aminotransferase increased (4.6%), infusion related reaction (3.4%), rash (3.4%), aspartate aminotransferase increased, dermatitis allergic and immune-mediated pneumonitis (2.3%, respectively), anaphylactoid reaction, autoimmune hepatitis, back pain, bilirubin conjugated increased, hypertension, neutrophil count decreased, platelet count decreased, pneumonitis, rash maculo-papular, septic shock and white blood cell count decreased (1.1%, respectively). In 81 efficacy evaluable pts, the overall objective response rate (ORR) was 50.6% (95% CI: 39.3%,61.9%) and disease control rate (DCR) was 87.7% (95% CI: 78.5%-93.9%). The ORR and DCR in pts with non-squamous NSCLC (n = 48) were 45.8% (95% CI: 31.4%, 60.8%) and 89.6% (95% CI: 77.3%, 96.5%). The ORR and DCR in pts with squamous NSCLC (n = 33) were 57.6% (95% CI: 39.2%, 74.5%) and 84.8% (95% CI: 68.1%, 94.9). Progression free survival (PFS) and OS events have occurred in 53% and 18% patients. Median PFS was 5.9 (95%CI: 5.3, 8.7) months. Median OS was not reached. OS rate at 12 and 15 months were both 74.9%. Similar OS curves have been observed in PD-L1 ≥1% and PD-L1 &lt; 1% pts. In PD-L1 ≥1% patients, median PFS was 6.7 months (10.8 months for PD-L1 ≥1% squamous NSCLC pts). Conclusions: KN046 combined with platinum doublet chemotherapy is tolerated and has shown promising clinical benefit as IL treatment for stage IV NSCLC particularly in PD-L1≥1% tumors and squamous histology. Pivotal Phase III trial in advanced unresectable or metastatic squamous NSCLC is currently ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT04054531.

97O First-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for patients with advanced squamous NSCLC: 3-year follow-up from KEYNOTE-407

97O First-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for patients with advanced squamous NSCLC: 3-year follow-up from KEYNOTE-407

168P Changes in cfDNA levels in squamous non-small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy: Correlation with symptom scores and radiological responses

Background: There is limited data on prognostic value of baseline plasma cfDNA in advanced squamous NSCLC. The current study aimed to assess change in plasma cfDNA levels in locally advanced/metastatic Sq-NSCLC with chemotherapy & its correlation with symptom scores & radiological responses.

96O Camrelizumab or placebo plus carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC (CameL-sq): A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase III trial

96O Camrelizumab or placebo plus carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC (CameL-sq): A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase III trial

MET exon 14 skipping mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer: Response to systemic therapy

ObjectivesMET exon 14 skipping is a potentially targetable molecular alteration. The goals of this study were to identify patients treated in British Columbia with MET exon 14 skipping to understand prevalence, biology and response to treatment, and to identify molecular signatures that may predict for response or resistance to targeted MET therapy in the setting of advanced disease. Materials and MethodsA retrospective review was completed of patients found to have MET exon 14 skipping alterations between January 2016-September 2019. Information was collected on baseline characteristics, response to systemic treatments, and outcomes. ResultsOut of 1934 advanced, non-squamous and never-smoking squamous NSCLC patients tested, 41 patients were found to have MET exon 14 skipping (2.1 %). MET alteration types: 2% CBL binding-domain mutations, 34 % poly-pyrimidine tract deletions, 63 % splice donor mutations or deletions. The most common co-mutation was TP53 (22 %). Thirty-three patients received systemic therapy. Physician-assessed disease control was 68 % among 19 evaluable patients treated with crizotinib, 80 % among 10 evaluable patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, and 70 % among 10 evaluable patients treated with immunotherapy. Median time to treatment discontinuation was 3.0, 2.8, and 2.4 months, respectively. Median overall survival for metastatic patients treated with any systemic therapy was 15.4 months. In this small cohort, there were no clear correlations between molecular aberrations and response, time to treatment discontinuation, or survival for crizotinib, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. ConclusionThe prevalence of MET exon 14 skipping in a North American population was 2.1 %. Unlike other targetable mutations, patients were older and more commonly current or former smokers. Patients with MET exon 14 skipping alteration demonstrate disease control with crizotinib, platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Co-mutations with TP53 were commonly noted, but correlation between co-mutations and efficacy of therapy were not identified in this cohort.

Prognostic value of Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma in patients treated with anti PD-1/PD-L1

ABSTRACT Anti-PD1/PD-L1-directed immune checkpoint inhibitors are game changers in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, but biomarkers are lacking. The aim of our study was to find clinically relevant biomarkers of the efficacy of ICI in non-squamous NSCLC. We conducted a retrospective study of patients receiving ICI for advanced non squamous NSCLC in two cohorts. For a subset of patients, RNAseq data were generated on tumor biopsy taken before ICI. The primary end point was progression-free survival under ICI. Secondary end point was overall survival from ICI initiation. In the cohort, we studied 231 patients. Clinico-pathological characteristics included KRAS mutant status (n = 88), TTF1-positive expression (n = 136), LIPI (Lung Immune Prognostic Index) score of 0 (n = 116). In our cohort, lack of TTF1 expression, LIPI score >0, line of treatment >1, and liver metastases were associated with poorer PFS. TTF1 and PD-L1 status could be used to stratify survival and improve the AUC for prediction of prognosis in comparison with the PD-L1 gold standard. Using an external cohort of 154 patients, we confirmed the independent prognostic role of TTF1. TTF1 expression and PD-L1 can be used to stratify risk and predict PFS and OS in patients treated with ICI for NS-NSCLC.

Oral vinorelbine and cisplatin as first-line therapy for advanced squamous NSCLC patients: a prospective randomized international phase II study (NAVoTrial 03).

Objective:The study investigated the efficacy and safety of oral vinorelbine-cisplatin (OV-CDDP) and gemcitabine-cisplatin (GEM-CDDP) in patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sq-NSCLC).Patients and methods:This was an open-label, prospective, multicenter, international phase II study that enrolled untreated patients with advanced sq-NSCLC. Patients were randomized to receive 3-week cycles of either 60–80 mg/m2 OV days 1 and 8 in combination with 80 mg/m2 CDDP day 1 (arm A) or 1250 mg/m2 GEM days 1 and 8 in combination with 75 mg/m2 CDDP day 1 (arm B). After four cycles, patients without disease progression continued maintenance dose of OV or GEM until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective was disease control rate (DCR). Secondary objectives included progression-free survival (PFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival (OS), safety, and quality of life (QoL).Results:A total of 114 patients with sq-NSCLC were randomized, and 113 were treated (57 in arm A and 56 in arm B). DCR was high in both arms: 73.7% (95%CI: 62.4–100.0) in arm A and 75.0% (95%CI: 63.7–100.0) in arm B. Median PFS and TTF were similar in arm A and B 4.2 and 2.8 months, and 4.3 and 3.1 months, respectively. Even though the difference was not significant, the OS was 10.2 for arm A and 8.4 months for arm B. The safety profiles were consistent with the current knowledge of adverse events. QoL results revealed an improvement in patients under OV treatment.Conclusion:The OV-CDDP combination showed comparable efficacy to GEM-CDDP with acceptable safety profile and enhanced patients’ QoL.Trial registration:The study was registered under EudraCT number 2012-003531-40.

1267P Efficacy of camrelizumab (SHR-1210) plus apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC

1267P Efficacy of camrelizumab (SHR-1210) plus apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC

Abstract 1234: The anticancer drug ABTL0812 induces cancer cell death by impairing Akt/mTORC1 axis and inducing ER stress-mediated cytotoxic autophagy

Abstract ABTL0812 is a first-in-class small molecule with anticancer activity currently in Phase 2a clinical evaluation in patients with advanced endometrial and squamous NSCLC. We have previously described that ABTL0812 induces TRIB3 pseudokinase expression, resulting in inhibition of the Akt-mTORC1 axis and autophagy-mediated cancer cell death. However, classical PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors do not induce an autophagy as strong as ABTL0812 does, therefore we aimed to further elucidate the molecular mechanism responsible for the cytotoxic autophagy which causes ABTL0812 anticancer activity. ABTL0812 induced UPR hallmarks ATF4, CHOP and TRIB3 in vitro in lung, endometrial and pancreatic cancer cell lines, as well as in non-tumor cells. Nevertheless, therapeutic concentrations of ABTL0812 did not induce cytotoxic autophagy in non-tumor cells. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the UPR resulted in impaired ABTL0812 cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Expression of UPR markers (ATF4, CHOP and TRIB3) in response to ABTL0812 treatment were also validated in xenograft models. In order to uncover the precise molecular mechanism involved in ABTL0812-induced UPR and cytotoxic autophagy we undertook a comprehensive sphingolipidomic analysis, since changes in sphingolipids have been reported to contribute to activation of both UPR and autophagy. ABTL0812 treatment resulted in increased levels of long chain dihydroceramides in cultured cancer cells as well as in vivo. Mechanistically, ABTL0812 impaired desaturase-1 activity (Des-1), the enzyme that introduces a 4,5-trans-double bond in the sphingolipid backbone of dihydroceramides to generate ceramides. Accordingly, in vitro incubation of cancer cells with dihydroceramides resulted in activation of UPR, autophagy and cytotoxicity. Of interest, we observed that tumor cells showed higher Des-1 expression levels than non-tumor cells. Finally, we showed that Des-1 inhibition (GT11) and mTORC1 inhibition (everolimus) collaborate to promote autophagy and cancer cell death, simulating ABTL0812 activity. Furthermore, we have validated the increased expression of CHOP and TRIB3 mRNA levels in blood samples from ABTL0812 treated patients. These biomarkers are currently used as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in the ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in patients with squamous NSCLC and endometrial cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first time that UPR markers are reported to change in human blood in response to any drug treatment. In conclusion, we have shown that ABTL0812 triggers a sustained ER stress and UPR activation mediated by the impairment of Des-1 activity which collaborates with mTORC1 inhibition to induce cytotoxic autophagy in cancer cells, which offers improved anticancer activity over just inhibiting mTORC1. Citation Format: Pau Muñoz-Guardiola, Josefina Casas, Elisabet Megías-Roda, Hector Perez-Montoyo, Sonia Solé-Sánchez, Marc Yeste-Velasco, Tatiana Erazo, Nora Diéguez-Martínez, Sergio Espinosa-Gil, Guillermo Yoldi, Cristina Muñoz-Pinedo, Miguel F. Segura, Jose Alfon, Gemma Fabriàs, Guillermo Velasco, Carles Domenech, Jose M. Lizcano. The anticancer drug ABTL0812 induces cancer cell death by impairing Akt/mTORC1 axis and inducing ER stress-mediated cytotoxic autophagy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1234.

A randomized phase II trial of olaparib maintenance versus placebo monotherapy in patients with chemosensitive advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

e21649 Background: Impaired DNA damage response (DDR) is a common feature of cancer, however therapeutic exploitation has been limited to cancers harbouring somatic inactivation of BRCA1/2 which causes homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). We hypothesized that patients (pts) with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer responding to platinum doublet based chemotherapy, might enrich for impaired DDR encompassing HRD, rendering these tumours more sensitive to inhibition of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibition by olaparib. Methods: PIN was a multicentre double-blind placebo controlled randomised phase II screening trial (alpha and beta = 0.2). Chemonaive pts had advanced (stage IIB/IV) squamous (Sq) or non-sq (NS) NSCLC, ECOG performance status 0-1, no EGFR nor ALK mutation. Prior immunotherapy with a PD1/ PDL1 inhibitor was allowed. If tumour shrinkage was observed after 3 cycles of platinum chemotherapy, pts were randomised 1:1 to olaparib (O, 300mg po bd q21) or placebo (P), which was continued until disease progression or withdrawal. Primary end point was progression free survival (PFS), with a one-sided test for significance. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response (RECIST v1.1) and safety (CTCAE4.0). Results: 70 pts were randomised to O (32) or P (38) between Aug 2014 and Nov 2017. There was no difference in median dose intensity (% (IQR), O vs P) was 86.4 (64.3-95.7) vs 93.3 (80.2-97.6). Pts receiving O had a longer, but not statistically significant median PFS (weeks (IQR) was O 16.6 (7.1-21.7) vs P 12 (5.6-18.7)); and hazard ratio (HR) was 0.83 (80% CI 0.6-1.15, p = 0.23), using intention to treat (ITT) unadjusted analysis. However, the ITT Cox model, adjusted for smoking history and histology, showed a significantly longer PFS for pts receiving O (HR 0.73 (80% CI 0.52-1.02, p = 0.11)). Pts receiving O also had greater, but not statistically significant OS: median (weeks (IQR) was O 59.4 (38.7-67.9) vs P 31.3 (22.4-58.6)). OS HR was 0.68 (95% CI 0.37-1.26; two-sided p = 0.22). 3 patients were completely withdrawn prior to progression. No complete responses were observed and treatment was well tolerated. Conclusions: Design parameters justifying a Phase III trial (p &lt; 0.2) were met in the adjusted, but not unadjusted PFS analysis, with a trend towards longer PFS and OS in the O arm. We speculate that this signal may be driven by a DDR deficient molecular subgroup. Translational studies are warranted to investigate these possibilities. Clinical trial information: NCT01788332.

Camrelizumab Combined With Endostar for First-line Treatment in Subjects With Advanced Squamous NSCLC

Camrelizumab Combined With Endostar for First-line Treatment in Subjects With Advanced Squamous NSCLC

Clinical Value of TTFields Treatment in Mesothelioma Using ASCO and ESMO Frameworks

The potential effectiveness and safety of TTFields in addition to pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) was recently shown by the analysis of the phase II single arm EF-23 STELLAR trial. To account for the need of physicians and policymakers to objectively and comparably capture the clinical value of new cancer treatments the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) have both developed assessment frameworks. We quantified the clinical value of the TTFields treatment in MPM by applying ASCO and ESMO frameworks to the comparison of the STELLAR data to historical controls. The EF-23 STELLAR Trial (n=80) demonstrated that adding TTFields to pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients resulted in overall survival of 18.2 months (95% CI 12.1-25.8) and progression free survival of 7.6 months (95% CI 6.7-8.6). The ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS) and the ASCO Net Health Benefit (NHB) frameworks were applied to the EF-23 trial data using a historical control as comparator. The application of the ASCO framework to the EF-23 data resulted in a NHB score of 52. This result was at the higher end of the score range of novel cancer treatments and compares well to the results for nivolumab in advanced non-squamous NSCLC and advanced squamous NSCLC as reference points. Applying the ESMO framework resulted in MCBS scores of A/5 (adjuvant/advanced) which would be the first score reported for MPM. The MCBS scores of A/5 are the highest scores achievable in the ESMO framework, and higher than the ESMO MCBS scores reported in the literature for NSCLC treatments. Despite differences in their respective concepts, both the ASCO and ESMO frameworks suggest that adding TTFields to Pemetrexed and Cisplatin or Carboplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients provides a significant clinical benefit. The high scores underline the fact that treatment with TTFields may extend progression free and overall survival without additional systemic toxicities.

Abstract LB-161: Application of the ASCO and ESMO frameworks to TTFields treatment of mesothelioma

Abstract Objective: To assess the clinical value of tumor treating fields (TTFields) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) by means of the ASCO and ESMO frameworks. Background: The potential effectiveness and safety of TTFields in addition to pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin in MPM was recently shown by the analysis of the Phase II single arm EF-23 STELLAR trial. To account for the need of physicians and policymakers to objectively and comparably capture the clinical value of new cancer treatments the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) have both developed assessment frameworks. We quantified the clinical value of the TTFields treatment in MPM by applying ASCO and ESMO frameworks to the comparison of the STELLAR data to historical controls. Materials/Methods: The EF-23 STELLAR Trial (n=80) demonstrated that adding TTFields to pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients resulted in overall survival of 18.2 months (95% CI 12.1-25.8) and progression free survival of 7.6 months (95% CI 6.7-8.6). The ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS) and the ASCO Net Health Benefit (NHB) frameworks were applied to the EF-23 trial data using a historical control as comparator. Results: The application of the ASCO framework to the EF-23 data resulted in a NHB score of 52. This result was at the higher end of the score range of novel cancer treatments and compares well to the results for nivolumab in advanced non-squamous NSCLC and advanced squamous NSCLC as reference points. Applying the ESMO framework resulted in MCBS scores of A/5 (adjuvant/advanced) which would be the first score reported for MPM. The MCBS scores of A/5 are the highest scores achievable in the ESMO framework, and higher then the ESMO MCBS scores reported in the literature for NSCLC treatments. Conclusions: Despite differences in their respective concepts, both the ASCO and ESMO frameworks suggest that adding TTFields to Pemetrexed and Cisplatin or Carboplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients may provide a significant clinical benefit. The high scores underline the fact that treatment with TTFields may extended progression free and overall survival without additional systemic toxicities. Citation Format: Justin Kelly, Uri Weinberg, Christina Proescholdt. Application of the ASCO and ESMO frameworks to TTFields treatment of mesothelioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-161.

MS201944-0170: A phase IIa study to investigate the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC.

TPS9123 Background: Preclinical studies have demonstrated that cetuximab plus chemotherapy results in immunogenic cell death and an increase in CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Avelumab (an anti–PD-L1 antibody) has previously shown antitumor activity in NSCLC. We hypothesize that the combination of cetuximab with platinum-based chemotherapy and avelumab may have synergistic antitumor activity. Methods: This phase IIa, single-arm, multicenter study is investigating the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC who are treatment naive in the advanced setting (NCT03717155). Eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed stage IV, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC with squamous histology, with no prior systemic therapy for metastatic NSCLC, no prior therapy with any antibody/drug targeting T-cell coregulatory proteins, and ECOG PS of 0 to 1. Patients with a tumor harboring an activating EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement are excluded. Patients will receive doublet chemotherapy (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1, gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), cetuximab on days 1 (250 mg/m2) and 8 (500 mg/m2), and avelumab 800 mg on days 1 and 8 for a total of four 3-week cycles. Thereafter, avelumab (800 mg) and cetuximab (500 mg/m2) will be administered as maintenance treatment Q2W until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Enrollment in a safety run-in, which will evaluate the safety and tolerability of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin, is planned for the first 6 patients. Enrollment began on October 30, 2018. Study enrollment will continue until approximately 40 evaluable patients have been recruited. The primary endpoint is confirmed best overall response per RECIST 1.1 by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints include safety (NCI CTCAE v5.0) and tolerability of the combination, duration of response, survival, and tumor biomarkers. The study is ongoing at sites in Hungary and Spain. Clinical trial information: NCT03717155.