ALK TKIs Research Articles

P1.12B.03 Real-World Outcomes of 2L ALK TKIs Following 1L Brigatinib for Patients with ALK+ NSCLC from the ALTA-1L Trial

P1.12B.03 Real-World Outcomes of 2L ALK TKIs Following 1L Brigatinib for Patients with ALK+ NSCLC from the ALTA-1L Trial

EP.17A.01 The Cumulative Incidence of Brain Metastases in US Medicare Patients with ALK+ mNSCLC Treated with Second-generation ALK TKIs

EP.17A.01 The Cumulative Incidence of Brain Metastases in US Medicare Patients with ALK+ mNSCLC Treated with Second-generation ALK TKIs

EP.12B.02 Real-World Treatment Patterns and Effectiveness in Patients with ALK+ Advanced NSCLC Treated with 1L ALK TKIs

EP.12B.02 Real-World Treatment Patterns and Effectiveness in Patients with ALK+ Advanced NSCLC Treated with 1L ALK TKIs

Alectinib vs. Lorlatinib in the Front-Line Setting for ALK-Rearranged Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Deep Dive into the Main Differences across ALEX and CROWN Phase 3 Trials.

Various next-generation ALK TKIs are available as first-line options for ALK-positive NSCLC, with alectinib and lorlatinib being commonly preferred. However, no direct comparison between them has been conducted, making it impossible to pick a winner. We performed an analytic, 'non-comparative' assessment of the two phase 3 pivotal clinical trials showing superiority of alectinib (ALEX) and lorlatinib (CROWN) in comparison to crizotinib. Overall, the two studies were very similar in the study design and patient characteristics, with the exception of the selection and evaluation of brain metastases. PFS hazard ratios numerically favored lorlatinib, both according to the investigator and to BICR. Notably, the 3-year PFS rate was numerically higher with lorlatinib (64%) than with alectinib (46.4%). Despite similar response rates and overall intracranial response, the rate of complete intracranial response was higher with lorlatinib, with a cumulative incidence risk of CNS disease progression at 12 months of 9.4% with alectinib and 2.8% with lorlatinib. The peculiar toxicities of lorlatinib were related to lipidic profile alterations, peripheral oedema and cognitive effects, with no impact on cardiovascular risk nor impairment in quality of life versus crizotinib. Furthermore, the rate of permanent treatment discontinuation due to adverse events was numerically higher with alectinib (26%) than with lorlatinib (7%). In conclusion, despite the immature OS data for both drugs, the efficacy of lorlatinib appears higher than alectinib while maintaining a manageable toxicity profile.

Impact of EML4-ALK Variants and Co-Occurring TP53 Mutations on Duration of First-Line ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment and Overall Survival in ALK Fusion-Positive NSCLC: Real-World Outcomes From the GuardantINFORM database

IntroductionTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are first-line treatment options for ALK-positive (ALK+) NSCLC. Factors such as variant allele frequencies (VAFs), EML4-ALK fusion variant, and concurrent TP53 mutations (TP53mt) in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may affect treatment outcomes. We evaluated their effects on time to discontinuation (TTD) of first-line treatment with next-generation ALK TKIs in a real-world setting. MethodsAdults with advanced or metastatic NSCLC and ctDNA-detected ALK fusion who received first-line next-generation ALK TKI monotherapy were identified in GuardantINFORM. Effects of ALK fusion VAF, EML4-ALK variants, and TP53mt detection on TTD were evaluated. ResultsA total of 307 patients with ALK fusion in baseline ctDNA received first-line alectinib (n = 280), brigatinib (n = 15), lorlatinib (n = 9), or ceritinib (n = 3); 150 patients (49%) had ALK-fusion VAF greater than or equal to 1%. Among 232 patients with EML4-ALK fusions (v1, 50%; v3, 36%), TP53mt co-occurred with v1 in 42 (18%) and v3 in 32 (14%). Patients with VAF less than 1% versus greater than or equal to 1% had a median TTD of 32.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.7–not estimable [NE]) versus 14.7 months (10.4–19.9; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.57 [95% CI: 1.09–2.26]; p = 0.0146). Median TTD was 13.1 (9.5–19.9) versus 27.6 months (17.3–NE) in patients with versus without TP53mt detected (HR = 1.53 [1.07–2.19]; p = 0.0202) and 20.3 (14.4–NE) versus 11.5 months (7.4–31.1) in patients with v1 versus v3 (HR = 1.29 [0.83–2.01]; p = 0.2641). Patients with TP53mt and v3 had a median TTD of 7.4 months (95% CI: 4.2–31.1). ConclusionHigh ctDNA VAF, EML4-ALK v3, and TP53mt were associated with early discontinuation of first-line ALK TKIs.

Impact of Tumor-intrinsic Molecular Features on Survival and Acquired Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Resistance in ALK-positive NSCLC.

In a large-scale, contemporary cohort of patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC, we evaluated molecular characteristics and their impact on acquired resistance mutations and clinical outcomes. Our findings that certain ALK variants and co-mutations are associated with differential survival and specific TKI-relevant resistance patterns highlight potential molecular underpinnings of the heterogenous response to ALK TKIs and nominate biomarkers that may inform patient selection for first-line and consolidative therapies.

EP12.02-02 Treatment Patterns and Economic Burden of Brain Metastases (BM) in Patients with ALK+ mNSCLC Receiving ALK TKIs

EP12.02-02 Treatment Patterns and Economic Burden of Brain Metastases (BM) in Patients with ALK+ mNSCLC Receiving ALK TKIs

From ASCEND-5 to ALUR to ALTA-3, an Anti-Climactic End to the Era of Randomized Phase 3 Trials of Next-Generation ALK TKIs in the Crizotinib-Refractory Setting.

The competing roles of various next-generation ALK TKIs in the first and second line treatment setting of advanced ALK+ NSCLC were based on many phase 3 clinical trials in both the first-line and crizotinib-refractory settings. The approval of all next-generation ALK TKIs was first in the crizotinib-refractory setting, based on a large-scale Phase 2 trial, and was then followed by at least one global randomized phase 3 trial comparing to platinum-based chemotherapy (ASCEND-4) or to crizotinib (ALEX, ALTA-1L, eXalt3, CROWN). In addition, three randomized phase 3 trials in the crizotinib-refractory setting were also conducted by next-generation ALK TKIs that were developed earlier before the superiority of next-generation ALK TKIs was demonstrated in order to secure the approval of these ALK TKIs in the crizotinib-refractory setting. These three crizotinib-refractory randomized trials were: ASCEND-5 (ceritinib), ALUR (alectinib), and ALTA-3 (brigatinib). The outcome of the ATLA-3 trial was recently presented closing out the chapter where next-generation ALK TKIs were investigated in the crizotinib-refractory setting as they have replaced crizotinib as the standard of care first-line treatment of advanced ALK+ NSCLC. This editorial summarizes the results of next-generation ALK TKIs in randomized crizotinib-refractory trials and provides a perspective on how natural history of ALK+ NSCLC may potentially be altered with sequential treatment. ALTA-3 compared brigatinib to alectinib, showing that both achieved near identical blinded independent review committee (BIRC)-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) (19.2-19.3 months). Importantly, 4.8% of brigatinib-treated patients developed interstitial lung disease (ILD) while no alectinib-treated patients developed ILD. Dose reduction and discontinuation due to treatment-related adverse events were 21% and 5%, respectively, for brigatinib-treated patients compared to 11% and 2%, respectively, for alectinib-treated patients. Upon analysis of these findings, we speculate that brigatinib may have a diminishing role in the treatment of advanced ALK+ NSCLC.

Efficacy and safety of dose-escalated alectinib in patients with metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC and CNS relapse on standard dose alectinib.

e21079 Background: Central nervous system (CNS) metastases represent a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients (pts) with ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with limited therapeutic options. We previously reported re-induction of CNS responses using dose intensification of alectinib in two pts with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who had experienced CNS progression on standard dose alectinib. However, this strategy has not been assessed in larger cohorts. Methods: In this retrospective study, pts were eligible if they had advanced ALK+ NSCLC with CNS relapse on standard dose alectinib (600 mg twice daily) and subsequently received dose-escalated alectinib (900 mg twice daily). Medical records and radiographic imaging were reviewed to determine treatment outcomes. CNS efficacy was assessed per the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) were graded per the CTCAE version 5.0. Results: 27 pts were eligible [male, 67%; median age at diagnosis, 53 (range, 31-69)]. Pts had previously received median 3 lines of systemic therapy (range, 1-12) and median 2 ALK TKIs (range, 1-4); all had received standard dose alectinib with CNS progression. 19 pts (70%) had received prior CNS-directed radiotherapy (RT) [median time from most recent RT to dose-escalated alectinib, 13.9 months (mos) (range, 0.2-52.3)]. The median duration of dose-escalated alectinib therapy in this cohort was 7.7 mos (95% CI, 4.8-10.9), with median overall progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.8 mos (95% CI, 4.9-13.7). Among 25 response-evaluable pts with baseline measurable or non-measurable CNS metastases, the CNS objective response rate (ORR) was 8.0% (95% CI, 1.0-26.0), with 2 pts having intracranial complete responses. CNS disease control rate (DCR) was 92.0% (95% CI, 74.0-99.0), with median CNS duration of response (DoR) of 5.3 mos (95% CI, 3.4-8.3) and median CNS PFS of 7.1 mos (95% CI, 4.4-13.7). Of 3 patients with baseline measurable CNS disease, all 3 had best intracranial response of SD, and median CNS PFS was 6.7 mos (95% CI, 6.2-not reached). Dose-escalated alectinib was well tolerated with no drug discontinuation due to trAE and no grade 3 or higher trAEs. One pt required dose reduction to 750 mg twice daily due to intolerable grade 2 fatigue. 23 pts (85%) experienced grade 1-2 trAEs. Grade 1-2 trAEs that occurred in 10% of pts were anemia (52%), fatigue (37%), constipation (26%), bilirubin increase (15%), alkaline phosphatase increase (15%), and peripheral neuropathy (11%). Conclusions: Dose intensification of alectinib demonstrated meaningful efficacy and tolerability in pts with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who had experienced CNS disease relapse on standard dose alectinib, and may represent a viable therapeutic option for re-establishing CNS disease control.

Incidence of pneumonitis following the use of different anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitor regimens: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK TKIs) have shown remarkable clinical activity in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, pneumonitis is a serious side effect of ALK TKIs in NSCLC patients. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the incidence of ALK-TKI-associated pneumonitis. We searched electronic databases to identify relevant studies published until August 2022. The incidence of pneumonitis was calculated using a fixed-effects model when no substantial heterogeneity was observed. Otherwise, a random-effects model was used. Subgroup analyses of different treatment groups were performed. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 17.0. Twenty-six clinical trials involving 4752 patients were eligible for analysis. All-grade pneumonitis incidence was 2.92% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.79%-4.27%), high-grade (Grade 3-4) pneumonitis incidence was 1.42% (95% CI: 0.84%-2.12%) and Grade 5 pneumonitis incidence was 0.09% (95% CI: 0.00%-0.28%). The subgroup analysis showed that brigatinib was associated with the highest incidence of both all-grade and high-grade pneumonitis (7.09% and 3.06%, respectively). ALK TKI treatment after chemotherapy was associated with a higher incidence of all-grade and high-grade pneumonitis than first-line ALK TKI treatment (7.73% vs. 2.26% and 3.64% vs. 1.26%, respectively). Cohorts from Japanese trials had a higher incidence of all-grade and high-grade pneumonitis. Our study provides precise data on the incidence of pneumonitis in patients receiving treatment with ALK TKIs. Overall, ALK TKIs have tolerable pulmonary toxicity. Early pneumonitis identification and treatment are required to prevent further deterioration in patients receiving treatment with brigatinib and in those who received prior chemotherapy, particularly in the Japanese population.

Biology and impact of lineage plasticity in ALK-positive NSCLC: a narrative review.

Lineage transformation is a known mechanism of acquired resistance to targeted therapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Transformation to small cell and squamous carcinoma and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have all been identified as recurrent but rare events in ALK-positive NSCLC. However, centralized data informing our understanding of the biology and clinical implications of lineage transformation in ALK-positive NSCLC are lacking. We performed a narrative review by searching the PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov databases for articles published in English from August, 2007 until October, 2022 and reviewing the bibliographies of key references to identify important literature related to lineage transformation in ALK-positive NSCLC. In this review, we aimed to synthesize the published literature describing the incidence, mechanism(s), and clinical outcomes of lineage transformation in ALK-positive NSCLC. Lineage transformation as a mechanism of resistance to ALK TKIs in ALK-positive NSCLC is reported at a frequency of <5%. Available data across molecular subtypes of NSCLC suggest that the process of lineage transformation is likely to be driven by transcriptional reprogramming rather than acquired genomic mutations. Retrospective cohorts including tissue-based translational studies together with clinical outcomes make up the highest level of evidence that exists to inform treatment approach for patients with transfomed ALK-positive NSCLC. The clinicopathologic features of transformed ALK-positive NSCLC as well as the biologic mechanisms underling lineage transformation remain incompletely understood. Prospective data are needed to develop improved diagnostic and treatment algorithms for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC that undergo lineage transformation.

Abstract 14702: The Burden of Cardiac Adverse Events Associated With Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: A Large Pharmacovigilance Database Analysis

Introduction: Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK TKIs) have played a pivotal role in the management of Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). ALK rearrangements are associated with improved survival compared to the standard first-line therapy. However, the cardiovascular safety profile of these agents remains understudied. Methods: We interrogated the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database for the reported cardiac adverse events (AE) of: crizotinib, ceritinib, alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib. The number of cardiac AEs reported for ALK TKIs were compared with all the other drugs between 2011-2022. Disproportionality analysis was performed using Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR). Results: We identified a total of 20,337 AEs for ALK TKIs, of which 1191 were cardiac AEs. The most frequently reported cardiac AEs associated with ALK TKIs were pericardial diseases (271), followed by bradyarrhythmia (253) and heart failure (HF) (245). HF reporting was significantly higher with lorlatinib (ROR 2.9; CI 95% 2.0-4.1). Ceretinib was associated with significantly higher reporting of pericardial diseases (ROR 28.3; CI 95% 22.6-35.3), and other tachyarrhythmias (ROR 8.9; CI 95% 5.7-13.8). Alectinib was associated with significantly higher reporting of bradyarrhythmias (ROR 9.7, CI 95% 7.8-12.1). Conclusion: Cardiovascular AEs were disproportionately higher with ALK TKIs for pericardial diseases and bradyarrhythmias with ceretinib and alectinib respectively. Larger prospective studies are needed to identify high-risk groups that would benefit from robust cardiovascular surveillance.

319O ALTA-3: A randomized trial of brigatinib (BRG) vs alectinib (ALC) in crizotinib (CRZ)-refractory advanced ALK+ NSCLC

In patients (pts) with ALK+ NSCLC, resistance to the first-generation ALK TKI CRZ eventually develops, with CNS progression and/or ALK-acquired resistance mutations. ALC and BRG are CNS-active, next-generation ALK TKIs with differing selectivity vs these mutations. Single-arm post-CRZ trials with ALC reported median PFS (mPFS) <12 mo, while BRG showed mPFS >16 mo (16.3–16.7). ALTA-3 (NCT03596866) was designed to test whether BRG efficacy is superior to ALC in ALK+ NSCLC that progressed on CRZ. We report results of the preplanned interim analysis (IA).

EP08.02-068 ALK-Dependent Resistance Mechanism to Ensartinib Differs Between the ALK Fusion Subtypes Variant 1 (V1) and Variant 3 (V3)

Ensartinib is a next-generation (NG) ALK TKI that showed comparable efficacy to other NG ALK TKIs in the first-line and post-crizotinib settings. We have reported that ensartinib has similar efficacy between ALK fusion subtypes V1 and V3, and their median PFS were 5.5 (4.2, 7.7) and 6.6 (4.1, 9.8) months, respectively. Here, we further explored the ALK-dependent resistance mechanisms of these two subtypes.

EP08.02-156 Real-World Treatment Patterns and Impact of Comorbidity Burden on Treatment Duration for Patients with ALK+ NSCLC in the US

This study aims to describe treatment patterns of patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC and to evaluate the impact of comorbidity burden on duration of first-line (1L) treatment with next-generation ALK TKIs.

EP08.02-009 Progression Pattern, Resistance Mechanism and Subsequent Therapy for ALK Positive NSCLC in the Era of Second—Generation ALK—TKIs

EP08.02-009 Progression Pattern, Resistance Mechanism and Subsequent Therapy for ALK Positive NSCLC in the Era of Second—Generation ALK—TKIs

Genetic correlation of crizotinib efficacy and resistance in ALK- rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer

ObjectivesCrizotinib remains one of the most commonly used targeted therapies for ALK fusion-positive patients. However, the mutational profiles and mechanisms of resistance to first-line crizotinib treatment remain to be thoroughly examined. Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 125 ALK-positive patients with histological and/or cytological diagnosis of NSCLC. Of these, baseline samples were available from 62 patients and 63 had resistance samples following first-line crizotinib treatment, with 18 patients having paired baseline and resistance samples. All patients were genetically profiled by NGS using a 139 lung cancer gene panel (Pulmocan®, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc.). Survival associations of progression-free survival (PFS) and resistance mechanisms were evaluated in relation to ALK fusion variants and background genetic alterations. ResultsThe median age of the cohort was 53 years old (range 26–78; 46.4 % females). Three novel ALK fusion partners were identified, including PSME4, cullin3 (CUL3) and coiled-coil domain containing 85A (CCDC85A). Among the different ALK fusion genes, patients carrying the v3 variant experienced worse PFS outcome compared with other non-v3 fusions (P = 0.01) in response to first-line crizotinib. Profiling of the genetic landscape revealed TP53 as the most frequently co-mutated gene, alterations of which were associated with unfavorable outcome (P = 0.024) and were among the secondary acquired mutations in the resistance samples. Examinations of the resistance mechanisms showed that the v3 variant was more likely to acquire ALK activating mutations (P = 0.04). Off-target resistance mechanisms included mutations in genes in the RAS/MAPK and its parallel pathway genes, such as ERBB2, BRAF, KRAS, FGFR3, NF1 and CREBBP. ConclusionIn this study, through profiling of the mutational landscape of ALK-positive advanced NSCLCs both at baseline and disease progression, we characterized resistance mechanisms and molecular correlations of PFS in response to first-line crizotinib. Our findings may facilitate rational selection of subsequent ALK TKIs in the clinic.

P24.02 Unique Efficacy of Ensartinib on Different ALK Fusion Subtypes Evaluated by Plasma ctDNA

FDA has approved second generation ALK inhibitors such as alectinib, ceritinib, brigatinib for ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ensartinib, a next generation ALK TKI approved by NMPA in China, showed comparable efficacy to other ALK TKIs in the post-crizotinib setting. Precision therapy and clinical management need to know resistance mechanisms of TKIs and their efficacy on different ALK fusion subtypes and ALK secondary mutations. In this analysis, we investigated the unique efficacy of ensartinib on different mutations via ctDNA analysis.

P47.12 ALKternate: A Proof of Concept Study in ALK-Rearranged NSCLC Alternating Lorlatinib With Crizotinib After Disease Progression

Standard frontline therapy for patients with advanced ALK-NSCLC has rapidly evolved to 2nd generation ALK TKIs based on superior survival. Regardless, resistance to treatment is inevitable. Most will receive multiple lines of TKIs +/- chemotherapy before eventually dying from the disease. Lorlatinib is a 3rd generation ALK TKI active against a broad range of acquired ALK kinase domain (KD) resistance mutations. A recent report demonstrated re-sensitization to crizotinib by the lorlatinib ALK resistance mutation L1198F.

Circulating tumor DNA to investigate resistance mechanism and clone evolution of ALK TKI treated lung adenocarcinoma.

3011 Background: Sequential treatment with first-, second-generation ALK TKI followed by third-generation TKI (lorlatinib) have been widely applied to ALK-positive lung cancer. However, acquired resistance is often driven by secondary ALK mutations, which are needed to be further explored. Circulating tumor DNA, a non-invasive approach, can detect tumor-derived DNA from multiple metastatic sites and has become a promising strategy for assessing the genetic evolution of tumors and analyzing TKI resistance. Methods: Post-progression plasma specimens were collected and sequenced with a targeted gene panel from a total of 116 patients underwent ALK TKI treatment with from February 2014 to April 2020. The ALK TKIs administrated in this cohort included crizotinib (first-generation), ceritinib (second-generation), alectinib (second-generation), brigatinib (second-generation), ensartinib (second-generation) and lorlatinib (third-generation). Results: In this ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma cohort, 49.1% were female and the rest were male with a median age of 52 (range 20 to 79). More than half of patients received more than one line of ALK TKI treatment. The most frequent ALK fusion type is EML4-ALK including EML4-ALK v1(E13; A20, 37/116, 31.9%) and EML4-ALKv3(E6a/b; A20, 49/116, 42.2%). TP53 (29.1%, 41/141) was the most frequently mutated gene other than ALK. Frequently identified secondary mutations in patients progressing on ALK inhibitors were ALK mutations L1196M and G1202R. ALK G1202R was more common in patient with v3 fusion than in v1 (25.8% vs 0%; P&lt;.001) while ALK L1196M was more common in v1 than in v3 (20.8% vs 3.2%; P=.005). Meanwhile, G1202R was identified at higher ratio in patients progressed on second-generation ALK TKI than first- and third-generation ALK TKI (11.3% vs 0% and 9.1%) whereas L1196M was more found in patients progressed on first-generation ALK TKI (9.1% vs 1.9% and 4.5%). Other identified secondary mutations were ALK F1174C/V/L, E1210K/Q, D1269A, D1203N and L1122M/V. Compound ALK mutations (≥2 concurrent ALK mutations) were more common in patients relapsed on third-generation ALK TKI lorlatinib (36.4%) compared to first- (12.1%) and second-generation (20.8%) ALK TKIs. Using serial plasma specimens, clone evolution analysis showed that five patients developed compound ALK mutations after sequential ALK TKI treatments and two novel ALK compound lorlatinib-resistant mutations D1203N+I1171N and F1174C+G1202R were identified. Conclusions: Genotyping of sequential post-progression plasma specimens reveals that treatment with sequential first-, second-, and third-generation ALK inhibitors can accelerate the accumulation of ALK resistance mutations and may lead to treatment-refractory compound ALK mutations. The selection for optimal first-line TKI is very important to achieve a more efficacious long-term strategy and prevent the emergence of on-target resistance.