Drug-related Interstitial Lung Disease Research Articles

TROPION-PanTumor01: Dose analysis of the TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd, DS-1062) for the treatment (Tx) of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

9058 Background: Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd; DS-1062) is an ADC composed of a humanized anti-TROP2 IgG1 monoclonal antibody conjugated to a topoisomerase I inhibitor via a tetrapeptide-based cleavable linker. Methods: TROPION-PanTumor01 (NCT03401385) is a multicenter dose-escalation/expansion study evaluating Dato-DXd administered Q3W in patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC (since expanded to other tumor types, excluded from this analysis). Efficacy and safety were evaluated in 175 pts for dose analysis. Pharmacometric analyses (population pharmacokinetics [popPK] and exposure-response modeling) were conducted across doses to inform dose selection for further development. Results: At data cutoff (Sept 4, 2020), median follow-up was 7.4 mo (range, 0.10-21.7 mo). Select all-grade TEAEs were 1.5- to 2-fold higher in the 8 mg/kg vs 4 and 6 mg/kg cohorts: vomiting (34% vs 12% and 18%), anemia (28% vs 4% and 16%), diarrhea (20% vs 6% and 11%), and mucositis (29% vs 6% and 13%). Rates of grade ≥3 drug-related TEAEs and serious drug-related TEAEs were ≥2-fold higher with the 8 mg/kg dose (n = 80; 34% and 20%) relative to the 4 mg/kg (n = 50; 10% and 8%) and 6 mg/kg (n = 45; 16% and 9%) doses. Rates of drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD), as determined by an independent adjudication committee, were higher in the 8 mg/kg cohort (15% vs 2% and 2% in the 4 and 6 mg/kg cohorts); 3 pts in the 8 mg/kg cohort experienced grade 5 ILD. Dose interruptions and reductions due to TEAEs increased with dose (4 mg/kg: 4% and 2%; 6 mg/kg: 20% and 9%; 8 mg/kg: 20% and 31%). More pts in the 8 mg/kg cohort discontinued Tx early due to AEs (15%) compared with those in the 4 mg/kg (4%) and 6 mg/kg (7%) cohorts. ORRs determined by blinded independent central review were similar: 8 mg/kg, 25% (20/80); 6 mg/kg, 21% (8/39); and 4 mg/kg, 23% (9/40). Preliminary median PFS (95% CI) was 5.4 mo (4.1-7.1 mo) in the 8 mg/kg cohort, 8.2 mo (1.5-11.8 mo) in the 6 mg/kg cohort, and 4.3 mo (2.0 mo-NE) in the 4 mg/kg cohort. PFS was limited by early censoring due to immature duration of follow-up, with the majority of pts having ≤3 mo of follow-up in the 4 (66%) and 6 mg/kg (67%) cohorts vs 8 mg/kg (46%) cohort. In pharmacometric analyses, tumor-size change from baseline and probability of complete response/partial response positively correlated with exposure (AUC) of Dato-DXd. Incidences of dose reduction and grade ≥2 stomatitis/mucositis were also positively correlated with exposure; projected probabilities in a virtual population bootstrapped from pts with NSCLC in the popPK data confirmed these trends. Updated results will be presented. Conclusions: A Dato-DXd dose of 6 mg/kg was selected for the randomized, phase 3, TROPION-Lung01 trial (NCT04656652) based on better tolerance and improved efficacy, including a trend toward increased PFS. Clinical trial information: NCT03401385.

92O Analysis of study drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients (pts) with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (mBC) treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd)

The phase (ph) II DESTINY-Breast01 trial showed strong efficacy of T-DXd (objective response rate, 61.4%; median progression-free survival, 19.4 mo) and manageable safety in pts with pretreated HER2+ mBC (Modi SABCS 2020), supporting approval for treatment (tx) of pts with HER2+ mBC that has progressed on ≥2 anti-HER2 therapies (US/EU) or after chemotherapy (Japan). ILD is an important identified risk with T-DXd. We characterized ILD in pts with HER2+ mBC treated with T-DXd across ph 1 and 2 trials.

MA11.03 Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HER2-Mutated Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Interim Results of DESTINY-Lung01

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a novel antibody-drug conjugate composed of an anti-HER2 antibody, cleavable tetrapeptide-based linker, and topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. In a phase 1 trial, patients with HER2-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received T-DXd had a confirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 72.7% (8/11) (Tsurutani et al, Cancer Discov 2020). DESTINY-Lung01 (NCT03505710) is an ongoing, multicenter, phase 2 study of T-DXd in patients with non-squamous NSCLC overexpressing HER2 or containing a HER2-activating mutation. We report data for the cohort with HER2-activating mutations after a median follow-up of 8.0 mo (range, 1.4-14.2 mo). This abstract was previously presented at ASCO 2020. Patients were treated with T-DXd 6.4 mg/kg every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was confirmed ORR (complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]) by independent central review (ICR). Additional endpoints were disease control rate (DCR; CR + PR + stable disease), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Updated data to be presented at the meeting. At data cutoff (25 Nov 2019), 42 patients (64.3% female) had received T-DXd. Median age was 63.0 years (range, 34-83 years; < 65 y, 59.5%); 45.2% had CNS metastases; ECOG performance status was 0 in 23.8% of patients and 1 in 76.2%. HER2 mutations were predominantly in the kinase domain (90.5%). Most patients (90.5%) had prior platinum-based chemotherapy and 54.8% had anti–PD-1 or –PD-L1 treatment. The median number of prior treatment lines was 2 (range, 1-6). Median treatment duration was 7.75 mo (range, 0.7-14.3 mo); 45.2% of patients remained on treatment. Confirmed ORR by ICR among the 42 patients was 61.9% (95% CI, 45.6%-76.4%). At data cutoff, median DOR was not reached, and 16 of 26 responders remained on treatment. DCR was 90.5% (95% CI, 77.4%-97.3%) and estimated median PFS was 14.0 mo (95% CI, 6.4-14.0 mo). All patients (42/42) had treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); 64.3% were grade ≥ 3 (52.4% drug-related), including decreased neutrophil count (26.2%) and anemia (16.7%). There were 5 cases (11.9%) of drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) as adjudicated by an independent committee (all grade 2, no grade ≥ 3) and 1 case of grade 1 ILD is pending adjudication. TEAEs led to dose interruption in 25 patients (59.5%), dose reduction in 16 patients (38.1%), and treatment discontinuation in 10 patients (23.8%). T-DXd demonstrated promising clinical activity with high ORR and durable responses in patients with HER2-mutated NSCLC. The safety profile was generally consistent with previously reported studies.

Drug-related interstitial lung disease in Japan

Drug-related interstitial lung disease in Japan

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd; DS-8201) in patients with HER2-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Interim results of DESTINY-Lung01.

9504 Background: T-DXd is an antibody-drug conjugate composed of an anti-HER2 antibody, cleavable tetrapeptide-based linker, and topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. In a phase I trial, patients (pts) with HER2-mutated NSCLC who received T-DXd had a confirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 72.7% (8/11) (Tsurutani et al, WCLC 2018). DESTINY-Lung01 (NCT03505710) is an ongoing, multicenter, phase II study of T-DXd in pts with non-squamous NSCLC overexpressing HER2 or containing a HER2-activating mutation. We report data for the cohort with HER2 mutations after a median follow-up of 8.0 mo (range, 1.4-14.2 mo). Methods: Pts were treated with T-DXd 6.4 mg/kg every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was confirmed ORR (complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]) by ICR. Additional endpoints were disease control rate (DCR; CR + PR + stable disease), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Results: At data cutoff (25 Nov 2019), 42 pts (64.3% female) had received T-DXd. Median age was 63.0 years (range, 34-83 years; &lt; 65 y, 59.5%); 45.2% had central nervous system metastases; ECOG performance status was 0 in 23.8% of pts and 1 in 76.2%. HER2 mutations were predominantly in the kinase domain (90.5%). Most pts (90.5%) had prior platinum-based chemotherapy and 54.8% had anti–PD-1 or –PD-L1 treatment; median number of prior treatment lines was 2 (range, 1-6). Median treatment duration was 7.75 mo (range, 0.7-14.3 mo); 45.2% of pts remained on treatment. Confirmed ORR by ICR among the 42 pts was 61.9% (95% CI, 45.6%-76.4%); median DOR was not reached at data cutoff; 16 of 26 responders remained on treatment at data cutoff; DCR was 90.5% (95% CI, 77.4%-97.3%); estimated median PFS was 14.0 mo (95% CI, 6.4-14.0 mo). All pts (42/42) had treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); 64.3% were grade ≥ 3 (52.4% drug-related), including decreased neutrophil count (26.2%) and anemia (16.7%). There were 5 cases (11.9%) of drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) as adjudicated by an independent committee (all grade 2, no grade ≥ 3) and 1 case of grade 1 ILD is pending adjudication. TEAEs led to dose interruption in 25 pts (59.5%), dose reduction in 16 pts (38.1%), and treatment discontinuation in 10 pts (23.8%). Conclusions: T-DXd demonstrated promising clinical activity with high ORR and durable responses in pts with HER2-mutated NSCLC. The safety profile was generally consistent with previously reported studies. Clinical trial information: NCT03505710 .

Rituksimab İlişkili İnterstisyel Akciğer Hastalığı

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody which is developed against CD 20 antigen, increasingly used nowadays. While it is used in the treament of the diseases such as lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, transverse myelitis; can also cause interstitial lung disease. A 59 year old female patient who has been followed up with the disease of transverse myelitis and receiving rituximab therapy, applied to the emergency department with labored breath, cough, and fever after drug use. As a result of clinical and radiological evaluations, the patient has diagnosed as drug-related interstitial lung disease. One month after the termination of rituximab therapy and the start of methylprednisolone, the patient’s clinical and radiological findings improved. In conclusion, while investigating the primary cause in interstitial lung disease, the drugs used by the patient should be questioned in this respect and it should be kept in mind that many other drugs such as rituximab can be involved in the etiology.

Abstract P6-17-06: Characterization, monitoring and management of interstitial lung disease in patients with metastatic breast cancer: Analysis of data available from multiple studies of DS-8201a, a HER2-targeted antibody drug conjugate with a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload

Abstract Background: Several classes of anti-cancer agents including certain immunotherapies, systemic chemotherapies, and targeted therapies including trastuzumab and T-DM1 increase the risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and fatal cases have been reported. For DS-8201a, interim efficacy and safety analyses of available data established a final recommended dose of 5.4 mg/kg IV q3wk in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Based on preliminary clinical results, ILD was identified as an important risk for DS-8201a. A robust monitoring and management plan was established across all studies and an international, independent ILD adjudication committee (AC) reviews the cases reported as ILD on an ongoing basis. Methods: All subjects (sbj) who received ≥1 dose of DS-8201a across 7 ongoing studies were included in this analysis. Reported ILD (standardized MedDRA Query terms) included the terms ILD, pneumonitis, and organizing pneumonia. ILD frequencies were calculated based on investigator's assessment and after adjudication. The analysis of potential risk factors associated with ILD is ongoing. Results: As of 21 June 2018, 448 sbj received ≥1 dose of DS-8201a across multiple tumor types, including BC. Of the 321 sbj with BC, 173 (53.9%) were from Japan, 103 (32.1%) from the US, and 45 (14.0%) from 6 other countries (Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, France, and Italy). These sbj received 1 of 7 doses of DS-8201a (0.8 mg/kg: 3 sbjs, 1.6 mg/kg: 1 sbj, 3.2 mg/kg: 3 sbjs, 5.4 mg/kg: 111 sbjs, 6.4 mg/kg: 178 sbj, 7.4 mg/kg: 20 sbj, 8.0 mg/kg: 5 sbj). Overall, 44 cases of potential ILD were reported by the investigators across all tumor types (44/448, 9.8%; Grade ≥3 10/448, 2.2%). In sbj with BC who received 5.4 mg/kg, any grade and Grade ≥3 investigator-reported ILD were 7.2% (8/111) and 0.9% (1/111), respectively. The ILD AC assessed 30 of 44 cases; 22 were considered drug-related ILD, 4 were ILD but not drug-related, and 4 were found not to be ILD. For adjudicated drug-related ILD cases, the median time to onset was 159 (range; 46-591) days from the time of first dose. Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 All Grades All tumors, All doses (N=448) Investigator-reported20 (4.5)14 (3.1)4 (0.9)1 (0.2)5 (1.1)44 (9.8)Cases adjudicated13840530Adjudicated as drug-related ILD9 (2.0)6 (1.3)3 (0.7)04 (0.9)22 (4.9) BC, All doses (N=321) Investigator-reported17 (5.3)11 (3.4)3 (0.9)1 (0.3)4 (1.2)36 (11.2)Cases adjudicated11830426Adjudicated as drug-related ILD8 (2.5)6 (1.9)3 (0.9)04 (1.2)21 (6.5) BC, 5.4 mg/kg (N=111) Investigator-reported4 (3.6)3 (2.7)001 (0.9)8 (7.2)Cases adjudicated120014Adjudicated as drug-related ILD00001 (0.9)1 (0.9)n (%), except where noted Conclusions: These analyses confirm that ILD is an important identified risk for DS-8201a. Further analyses are ongoing to better understand the potential risk factors associated with the incidence of on-treatment ILD. When ILD is suspected, early diagnosis through appropriate imaging, laboratory tests, and pulmonary consultation as well as prompt management with steroids are recommended. Citation Format: Powell CA, Camidge DR, Gemma A, Kusumoto M, Baba T, Kuwano K, Bankier A, Kiura K, Tamura K, Modi S, Tsurutani J, Doi T, Iwata H, Krop IE, Zhang L, Jasmeet S, Saito K, Shahidi J, Yver A, Takahashi S. Characterization, monitoring and management of interstitial lung disease in patients with metastatic breast cancer: Analysis of data available from multiple studies of DS-8201a, a HER2-targeted antibody drug conjugate with a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-17-06.

The effect of icotinib combined with chemotherapy in untreated non-small-cell lung cancer that harbored EGFR-sensitive mutations in a real-life setting: a retrospective analysis.

PurposeThis study was conducted to compare the efficacy of a combination of icotinib and chemotherapy with icotinib or chemotherapy alone in untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-sensitive mutations and to analyze the curative effect of different treatments on different genetic mutations (EGFR 19 exon deletion and L858R mutation) in a real-life setting.Patients and methodsOne hundred ninety-one patients were studied in this retrospective analysis from January 2013 to December 2015. The baseline characteristics, curative effects and adverse events of patients were analyzed. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS).ResultsLonger PFS and overall survival (OS), and better objective response rate (ORR) were observed in the combination group compared to icotinib or chemotherapy along. For patients with an EGFR 19 exon deletion, the PFS, OS, and ORR in the combination group were superior to those in the icotinib or chemotherapy group. For the patients with the EGFR L858R mutation, better PFS and ORR were observed in the combination group, but OS was not obviously prolonged. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were most commonly reported with combination therapy or chemotherapy alone. No possible drug-related interstitial lung disease or of drug related deaths occurred.ConclusionThe combination of icotinib and chemotherapy in patients with untreated NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations resulted in improved PFS and OS, especially in those who harbored the EGFR exon 19 deletion.

P1.34: First-Line Afatinib vs Gefitinib for Patients With EGFR Mutation-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: The LUX-Lung 7 Trial

Background The irreversible ErbB family blocker afatinib and the reversible EGFR TKI gefitinib are approved for first-line treatment of advanced EGFRm+ NSCLC. This phase IIb trial prospectively compared afatinib versus gefitinib in this setting. Method Patients with stage IIIB/IV EGFRm+ adenocarcinoma received afatinib (40 mg/day) or gefitinib (250 mg/day) until disease progression or beyond if deemed beneficial. Co-primary endpoints were: progression-free survival (PFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), and overall survival (OS). Other endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), adverse events (AEs) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs; EQ-5D utility and EQ-VAS scores). In case of grade ≥3/selected grade 2 drug-related AEs the dose of afatinib could be reduced to 30 mg or 20 mg (minimum). Results 319 patients were randomized (afatinib: 160; gefitinib: 159). Baseline characteristics were generally balanced (afatinib versus gefitinib): female: 56.8 vs 66.7%; Asian: 58.8 vs 55.3%; Del19 mutation: 58.1 vs 58.5%. PFS (HR [95% CI] 0.73 [0.57-0.95]; p=0.017) and TTF (0.73 [0.58-0.92]; p=0.007) were significantly improved with afatinib versus gefitinib, with consistent effects by mutation type and race (Asian/non-Asian) subgroups. Afatinib significantly improved ORR versus gefitinib (70.0 vs 56.0%; p=0.008); median duration of response was 10.1 versus 8.4 months. OS is not yet mature. The most common grade ≥3 drug-related AEs were diarrhea (12.5%) and rash/acne (9.4%) with afatinib and elevated ALT/AST (8.8%) with gefitinib. Drug-related interstitial lung disease was reported in 0 and 4 patients treated with afatinib and gefitinib, respectively. Rates of discontinuation due to treatment-related AEs were the same in each arm (6.3%). There was no significant/clinically meaningful difference in baseline to post-baseline mean EQ-5D (afatinib: 0.72 to 0.77; gefitinib: 0.73 to 0.80; p=0.142) or EQ-VAS (afatinib: 69.7 to 74.5; gefitinib: 71.2 to 76.0; p=0.203) with afatinib and gefitinib. 39% of patients in the afatinib arm had at least dose reduction from 40 mg. Dose reduction of afatinib did not negatively impact PFS (<40mg vs ≥40mg HR [95% CI]: 1.34 [0.90-2.00]; p=0.144) but the incidence and severity of treatment-related AEs was lower following dose reduction (pre- and post-dose reduction [in the 63/160 patients who had a reduction] diarrhea: 25.4 to 9.5%; rash/acne: 20.6 to 3.2%). Dose reduction of afatinib did not diminish its effects on PROs (EQ-5D <40 mg: 0.69 to 0.74, ≥40 mg: 0.73 to 0.77; EQ-VAS <40 mg: 72.4 to 70.5, ≥40 mg: 68.6 to 75.4). Conclusion Afatinib significantly improved PFS, TTF and ORR versus gefitinib in EGFRm+ NSCLC patients. AEs were manageable and treatment-related discontinuations were low in both arms. Improvements in PROs were similar in patients treated with afatinib or gefitinib. Dose reduction of afatinib reduced the incidence and severity of treatment-related AEs without compromising efficacy or PROs.

Both gefitinib and erlotinib induced drug-related interstitial lung disease in a patient with pulmonary adenocarcinoma

Treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer with gefitinib and erlotinib is efficacious. However, while many studies have reported on gefitinib-related interstitial lung disease (ILD), less published data are available regarding erlotinib-induced ILD. Here, we report a case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma who developed ILD due to gefitinib initially and erlotinib thereafter. The two episodes of ILD were treated successfully with the discontinuation of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors and high-dose intravenous corticosteroids.

Prospective evaluation of drug-induced lung toxicity with high-resolution CT and transbronchial biopsy

This study compared the results of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and cytohistology after transbronchial biopsy in the evaluation of drug-related interstitial lung disease (DR-ILD). Patients with a clinical and imaging diagnosis of DR-ILD were prospectively included in a study protocol lasting 5 years. All patients were evaluated by bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) following an HRCT examination that raised a suspicion of DR-ILD. Two radiologists (one senior and one junior), unaware of the diagnosis, reported the single HRCT findings, their distribution and predominant pattern. In the event of disagreement, the diagnosis was subsequently reached by consensus. Cytohistological examination was considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of DR-ILD. Patients who were unable to undergo the endoscopic procedure were excluded from the study. The study included 42 patients (25 men, 17 women; age range 20-84 years). Transbronchial biopsy was performed in all but four patients (one case of alveolar haemorrhage and three cases of lipoid pneumonia) in whom the diagnosis was established with BAL. Assessment of the HRCT images revealed the following patterns: noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema (n=13); organising pneumonia (OP) (n=9); hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) (n=2); alveolar haemorrhage (AH) (n=2); nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) (n=5); lipoid pneumonia (LP) (n=1); sarcoid-like pattern (n=1). Cytohistological diagnosis revealed diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) in 11 patients, OP in seven, HP in three, AH in three, chronic interstitial pneumonia (CIP) in eight, LP in three and pseudosarcoidosis in one. Subdivision of the drugs into antineoplastic and nonantineoplastic agents showed that the most common patterns were CIP (n=6), DAD (n=2) and OP (n=2) in the antineoplastic group and DAD (n=9) and OP (n=5) in the nonantineoplastic group. Sensitivity and specificity of the radiological analysis was excellent, especially for patterns such as OP and DAD (sensitivity 0.86 and specificity 0.88 for OP; sensitivity 1 and specificity 0.93 for DAD). HRCT demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity. In cases in which its specificity was low, HRCT was nonetheless useful for biopsy planning and clinical-radiological monitoring after discontinuation of the drug treatment.

Successful rechallenge with erlotinib in a patient with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma who developed gefitinib-related interstitial lung disease

Small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways are used clinically for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is well established that somatic mutations in the kinase domain of the EGFR (Lynch et al. in N Engl J Med 350:2129-2139, 2004; Paez et al. in Science 304:1497-1500, 2004) are strongly associated with the tumor response and clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC receiving EGFR-TKIs (Mitsudomi and Yatabe in Cancer Sci 98:1817-1824, 2007). Although the most common adverse events are skin rash and diarrhea, the most serious adverse effect reported is drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) (Inoue et al. in Lancet 361:137-139, 2003; Ando et al. in J Clin Oncol 24:2549-2556, 2006). The precise mechanism underlying the development of drug-related ILD remains unknown. Here, we describe a case of EGFR-mutant NSCLC who was rechallenged with the small-molecule EGFR antagonist erlotinib after developing gefitinib-related ILD.

A randomized double-blind phase IIa dose-finding study of ZD6474 in Japanese patients with NSCLC

7067 Background: ZD6474 is a once-daily oral therapy that selectively inhibits key signaling pathways in cancer by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-dependent tumor angiogenesis, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)- and RET-dependent cancer cell proliferation and survival. ZD6474 was evaluated as monotherapy in an ongoing randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, Phase IIa, dose-finding, multicenter study in Japan. Methods: Patients with locally advanced or metastatic (stage IIIB/IV) or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), after failure of one or two platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, were eligible for this study. Patients were randomized to receive ZD6474 100, 200 or 300 mg/day in a 1:1:1 ratio, with stratification according to sex, histology (adenocarcinoma vs other histology) and smoking status (smoker vs non-smoker). Tumor response was assessed every 4 weeks for the first 24 weeks of treatment and then every 8 weeks until progressive disease (PD) or withdrawal due to any reasons other than PD. The primary objective was the objective response rate, as evaluated by RECIST. Secondary objectives included disease control rate, tolerability and safety. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed using CTC version 3.0. Results: A total of 53 patients (34 males/19 females, median age 60 years [range 30–78], 35 adenocarcinomas and 33 smokers) with a WHO PS status of 0 (n = 20) or 1 (n = 33) were recruited from eight centers between December 2004 and September 2005. Among 53 patients, 6 partial responses (PR; 11%, 2 males/4 females, 6 adenocarcinomas, 2 smokers/4 non-smokers) have been confirmed and disease control (PR or stable disease≥ 8 weeks) has been observed in 27 patients (51%). The most common AEs were rash and diarrhea, and asymptomatic QTc prolongation was also observed. One patient died due to drug-related interstitial lung disease. Conclusions: In this ongoing trial, ZD6474 has demonstrated antitumor activity as monotherapy in patients with refractory NSCLC, with 11% experiencing a PR and 51% having disease control. The tolerability profile of ZD6474 was consistent with that seen previously. [Table: see text]