First-line Treatment For Patients Research Articles

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitor prescriptions in Chinese hospitalized chronic kidney disease patients

BACKGROUND Many guidelines have recommended renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) as the first-line treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied RASI prescription trends from 2010 to 2019, and analyzed the characteristics associated with RASI prescription in Chinese hospitalized CKD patients. AIM To study the prescription of renin angiotensin system inhibitors in hospitalized patients with CKD in China. METHODS It was retrospectively, cross-sectional reviewed RASI prescriptions in hospitalized CKD patients in China from 2010 to 2019. RASI prescribing trends were analyzed from 2010 to 2019, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify characteristics associated with RASI prescription. RESULTS A total of 35090 CKD patients were included, with 10043 (28.6%) RASI prescriptions. Among these patients, 18919 (53.9%) met the criteria for RASI treatments based on the 2012 kidney disease: Improving global outcomes guidelines. Of these, 7246 (38.3%) patients received RASI prescriptions. RASI prescriptions showed an initial rapid increase from 2011 to 2012, reached its peak around 2015 and 2016, and then exhibited a subsequent slight decreasing trend. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that several characteristics, including the male gender, age < 60-year-old, nephrology department admission, lower CKD stage, history of hypertension or diabetes, proteinuria, glomerulonephritis as the CKD etiology, and non-acute kidney injury were associated with RASI prescriptions. CONCLUSION The frequency of RASI prescriptions showed an initial increase but a slight decreasing trend in more recent years. CKD patients with certain characteristics such as elderly age, advanced disease stage, surgery department admission, or acute kidney injury were less likely to receive RASI prescriptions. In the application of RASI in hospitalized CKD patients is insufficient. The actual clinical practice needs to be improved. The development of related research is helpful to guide the correct choice of clinical treatment strategy.

Subcutaneous amivantamab and lazertinib as first-line treatment in patients with EGFR-mutated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results from the phase 2 PALOMA-2 study.

LBA8612 Background: Amivantamab (ami), an EGFR-MET bispecific antibody with immune cell-directing activity, is approved as an intravenous (IV) formulation. IV ami + lazertinib (laz), a 3rd-generation EGFR TKI, demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS) in patients (pts) with treatment-naïve, advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC vs osimertinib (Cho Ann Oncol 2023). Subcutaneous (SC) ami substantially reduced infusion-related reactions (16% vs 67%) and administration time (≤7 mins vs 2–4 hours) vs historical IV experience (Minchom JCO 2023). PALOMA-2 (NCT05498428) evaluated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of first-line SC ami+laz. Methods: Cohorts 1 and 6 enrolled pts with treatment-naïve, EGFR Ex19del or L858R-mutated advanced NSCLC. Prophylactic anticoagulation for the first 4 months (mo) of treatment was recommended in cohort 1 and mandatory in cohort 6. SC ami was administered by manual injection in the abdomen at 1600 mg (≥80 kg: 2240 mg) weekly for the first 4 weeks and every 2 weeks thereafter. Laz was dosed orally at 240 mg daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by the investigator per RECIST v1.1. Results: As of 6 Jan 2024, 68 and 58 pts were enrolled in cohorts 1 and 6, respectively. Overall, median age was 59 years, 60% were female, and 68% Asian. The median follow-up was 10 mo for cohort 1 and 6 mo for cohort 6. ORR (confirmed responses) in cohort 1 was 68% (95% CI, 55–79) by investigator and 72% (95% CI, 60–82) by independent central review. ORR in cohort 6 was 64% (95% CI, 49–78) and 73% (95% CI, 58–85), respectively. At data cutoff, 40/46 responders in cohort 1 and 29/29 responders in cohort 6 were receiving ongoing treatment. Best overall response rates (includes unconfirmed responses) were 81% (95% CI, 70–89) for cohort 1 and 76% (95% CI, 61–87) for cohort 6. Median time to response was 2 mo (range, 1.4–5.3). Median duration of response, PFS, and overall survival were not estimable. Administration-related reactions (ARRs) were reported in 13 (19%) pts in cohort 1 and 6 (11%) pts in cohort 6, all grade 1–2. EGFR- and MET-related AEs were primarily grade 1–2. Total of 71% of pts in cohort 1 and 100% in cohort 6 received prophylactic anticoagulation. Venous thromboembolic events (VTE) were reported in 18% and 7% of pts in cohorts 1 and 6, respectively. There were no dose reductions or discontinuations due to VTE. Rate of bleeding was 2% among pts receiving anticoagulation. Mean ami concentrations on cycle 2 day 1 were 328 µg/mL (n=49) in cohort 1 and 371 µg/mL (n=41) in cohort 6, consistent with historic IV levels. Conclusions: SC ami+laz showed a response rate similar to historic IV ami+laz in first-line EGFR-mutated NSCLC, with an improved safety profile that included significantly lower ARR rates. Further, prophylactic anticoagulation can be safely implemented and reduced incidence of VTE. Clinical trial information: NCT05498428 .

Retrospective registry of patients with locally advanced/metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer treated in clinical practice in Andalusia.

Limited data are available regarding the real-world effectiveness and safety of Cyclin Dependent Kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) (palbociclib/ribociclib) just as a first-line treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR + /HER2‒) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). To assess whether clinical or demographic characteristics limit access to first-line CDK4/6i treatment in clinical practice in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain) between November 2017 and April 2020. In addition, effectiveness will be described in an exploratory analysis. Physicians from 12 centers participated in selecting demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome data from women with HR + /HER2- MBC treated with or without CDK4/6i in addition to hormonal in the first-line setting, in a 3:1 proportion. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated progression-free rates (PFRs) and survival rates (SRs). A total of 212 patients were included, of whom 175 (82.5%) were in the CDK4/6i treatment group and 37 (17.5%) were in the non-CDK4/6i treatment group (control group). Patients in the CDK 4/6i treatment group were younger (p = 0.0011), the biopsies of the metastatic site at the moment of the relapse were most commonly performed (p = 0.0454), and had multiple metastatic sites (p = 0.0025). The clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 82.3% in the CDK4/6i group and 67.8% in the control group. Median time to a progression event or death (PFS) was 20.4months (95%CI 15.6-28) in the CDK4/6i group and 12.1months (95%CI 7.9-not reached) in the control group. Younger patients, biopsies of metastatic disease and with multiple metastatic sites were more frequently treated with CDK4/6i in our daily clinical practice.

Cure can be Achieved by Conversion to Microwave Ablation following Atezolizumab-Bevacizumab Therapy in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Atezolizumab/bevacizumab is the recommended first-line systemic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and may facilitate curative conversion through resection and locoregional therapies. However, there have been very few reports on curative conversion using microwave ablation (MWA). This study aimed to determine the curative conversion rate with MWA using atezolizumab-bevacizumab as the first-line treatment in patients with uHCC, and to compare the characteristics and survival of patients with and without curative conversion. Consecutive patients with uHCC who were started on atezolizumab-bevacizumab from May 2021 and December 2023 in a single tertiary center were included. Objective response (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were based on the RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST criteria. Twenty consecutive patients with uHCC (60% advanced-stage) were included, 90% exceeding the up-to-7 criteria. The ORR and DCR were 35% and 60%, and 35% and 55% using RECIST and mRECIST, respectively. Five (25%) patients underwent successful curative conversion with MWA (4 advanced and 1 intermediate stage) despite a median HCC size of 6.1 (range: 2.4-7.3) cm. Two of these patients were tumor and drug-free 132-133 weeks from the 1st atezolizumab-bevacizumab dose. Patients who underwent curative conversion had significantly longer survival than those who did not. (p=0.024) Other factors associated with survival were male sex, Child-Pugh class A, and an objective response. Despite the relatively large tumor size, successful curative conversion with MWA was achieved with first-line atezolizumab-bevacizumab in uHCC. However, data from prospective multicenter trials are required to determine whether this strategy is universally applicable.

Comparative efficacy of six programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors in first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

e14702 Background: All six programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, sintilimab, tislelizumab, toripalimab, and camrelizumab) have been used as first-line therapy in Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the comparative efficacy of these different drugs remains unclear. Methods: Retrospective collection of patient data from the First, Third, and Fifth Medical Centers of the Chinese PLA General Hospital who received PD-1 inhibitors (monotherapy or combination therapy) from June 2015 to April 2023. Analysis of patient clinical characteristics, treatment response, and survival outcomes was conducted, with the primary endpoints being overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). Results: 913 patients were included and divided into 6 groups: nivolumab (123, 13.5%), pembrolizumab (421, 46.1%), sintilimab (239, 26.1%), tislelizumab (64, 7.0%), toripalimab (39, 4.3%), and camrelizumab (27, 3.0%). Median PFS was 16.0, 16.1, 18.4, 16.9, 23.7, and 12.8 months, and median OS was 33.7, 36.1, 32.5, not reached, 30.9, and 46.0 months for the nivolumab, sintilimab, pembrolizumab, tislelizumab, toripalimab, and camrelizumab groups, respectively. PFS and OS did not differ among the different PD-1 inhibitor groups (all P>0.05). There were differences in ORR among the different PD-1 inhibitors (P<0.05), but no differences in DCR (P>0.05). Conclusions: Nivolumab, pembrolizumab, sintilimab, tislelizumab, toripalimab, and camrelizumab exhibit similar efficacy in first-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC.

Randomized controlled, open-label, phase IIb/III study of lurbinectedin in combination with doxorubicin versus doxorubicin alone as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma.

TPS11590 Background: Lurbinectedin (LUR) is a synthetic chemical entity structurally related to trabectedin that inhibits oncogenic transcription and is active in tumors addicted to transcription. Synergistic activity of the combination of LUR with Doxorubicin (DOX) was found in solid tumors. Preliminary results from two trials showed efficacy for LUR/DOX in anthracycline-naïve advanced Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) (1st or 2nd line) at different doses. In a phase 2 trial in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients (pts) (mostly with LMS: 12/20 pts), a combination of DOX 50 mg/m2 + LUR 2 mg/m2 Day (D)1 q3wk resulted in a response rate (RR) of 35% (4/7 LMS pts responding) and a disease control rate (DCR) at 24 wks of 40% (1). A phase 1b/2 trial in 10 advanced STS pts found a RR of 60% (5 were LMS, with 3 partial responses) treated at DOX 25 mg/m2 D1 or D1,D8 + LUR 3.2 mg/m2 D1 q3wk, (2). The promising results of these trials provide a rationale for further exploring this combination in a phase 2b/3 trial as first-line therapy for metastatic LMS (SaLuDo - NCT06088290). Methods: SaLuDo is a randomized, open-label study evaluating LUR in combination with DOX compared to DOX alone as first-line treatment of pts with metastatic LMS. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) according to Independent Radiological committee (IRC). Secondary endpoints include overall survival, PFS according to Investigator assessment (IA), overall response rate, duration of response, and clinical benefit rate (according to IRC and IA), safety profile, patient-reported outcomes, pharmacokinetics, and exploratory pharmacogenomic analysis. Main inclusion criteria include age ≥ 18 years, confirmed diagnosis of metastatic LMS, and no prior systemic treatment for metastatic disease. Exclusion criteria include prior treatment with anthracyclines, lurbinectedin or trabectedin. The phase 2b part of the study will randomize approximately 120 pts into 3 arms (1:1:1): Control arm (DOX 75 mg/m2 D1 q3wk; experimental ARM A (DOX 50 mg/m2 D1 + LUR 2.2 mg/m2 D1 + 1ry GCSF prophylaxis q3wk), and experimental ARM B (DOX 25 mg/m2 D1 + LUR 3.2mg/m2 D1 + 1ry GCSF prophylaxis q3wk). Stratification will be done according to site of primary tumor (uterine vs. soft tissue), sites of metastatic disease (lung as unique site vs. other) and time from diagnosis to study entry (≤ 12 months vs. >12 months). One of the two experimental arms will be dropped out at the end of phase 2b. The study will then enter the phase 3 part and approximately 120 pts will be randomized 1:1 between the control arm and the selected experimental arm. An Independent Data Monitoring Committee will oversee the conduct of the study. The first patient was randomized in 09/2023. The phase 2b part of the study is ongoing and recruiting patients in Europe and the USA. 1. Cote EJC 2020; 126:21-32. 2. Cote. JCO 2023; 41: Abst 11507. Clinical trial information: NCT06088290 .

Implementing High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy in Medical Wards: A Scoping Review to Understand Hospital Protocols and Procedures.

Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (ARF) is a common cause for hospital admission. High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) is increasingly used as a first-line treatment for patients with ARF, including in medical wards. Clinical guidance is crucial when providing HFNO, and health services use local health guidance documents (LHGDs) to achieve this. It is unknown what hospital LHGDs recommend regarding ward administration of HFNO. This study examined Australian hospitals' LHGDs regarding ward-based HFNO administration to determine content that may affect safe delivery. A scoping review was undertaken on 2 May 2022 and updated on 29 January 2024 to identify public hospitals' LHGDs regarding delivery of HFNO to adults with ARF in medical wards in two Australian states. Data were extracted and analysed regarding HFNO initiation, monitoring, maintenance and weaning, and management of clinical deterioration. Of the twenty-six included LHGDs, five documents referenced Australian Oxygen Guidelines. Twenty LHGDs did not define a threshold level of hypoxaemia where HFNO use was recommended over conventional oxygen therapy. Thirteen did not provide target oxygen saturation ranges whilst utilising HFNO. Recommendations varied regarding maximal levels of inspired oxygen and flow rates in the medical ward. Eight LHGDs did not specify any system to identify and manage deteriorating patients. Five LHGDs did not provide guidance for weaning patients from HFNO. There was substantial variation in the LHGDs regarding HFNO care for adult patients with ARF in Australian hospitals. These findings have implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe clinical care in hospitals.

A comparative study on safety profile and efficacy of salmeterol and tiotropium in COPD Patients

Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study is assess the safety profile and efficacy of salmeterol and Tiotropium in patients with COPD. The objective is to compare to evaluate the safety profile and efficacy of salmeterol and Tiotropium in patients with COPD. Methodology: This was a prospective observational study conducted at secondary care hospital in India. In our study, we have included a total of 50 patients who are divided in to two groups based on their treatment and follow-ups was done for 12 weeks. Results: Patients were divided into 2 equal groups to receive salmeterol and Tiotropium (25 subjects each). The mean FEV1 level at baseline was 63.72±3.0210 for Tiotropium group and 64.96±1.645 for Salmeterol group and the mean FEV1 level after 12 weeks of treatment was 72.12±1.423 for Tiotropium group and 70.68±1.973 for Salmeterol group. Tiotropium treatment were associated with significant decrease in FEV1 level from baseline to 12 weeks. (P*<0.05). Conclusion: In our study, by performing the study, we concluded that tiotropium used once daily, produced superior bronchodilation and reduced dyspnea in patients with COPD when compared with salmeterol. Patients treated with tiotropium also indicated more improvement in their symptoms than those who treated with salmeterol. Because of these advantages, tiotropium should be considered first-line treatment in patients with COPD. While performing the safety parameters for a drug, side effects of tiotropium are less when compared to salmeterol.

Lenvatinib rechallenge after failure of lenvatinib and sorafenib in metastatic thyroid cancer.

The oral multikinase inhibitors sorafenib and lenvatinib are currently available as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic thyroid cancer. However, treatment options for patients who are refractory to these multikinase inhibitors are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rechallenged lenvatinib after failure of both lenvatinib and sorafenib in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer in the real-world clinical practice. We retrospectively reviewed the data of consecutive 16 patients with metastatic thyroid cancer who received lenvatinib as a rechallenge after failure of initial lenvatinib and sorafenib treatment at Shizuoka Cancer Center between 2016 and 2023. Of these, the initial lenvatinib was discontinued in 12 patients owing to progressive disease, in 3 patients owing to adverse events, and in 1 patient owing to both. The overall response rate was 6.7%, and disease control was achieved by rechallenge with lenvatinib in all patients with the target lesions. The median progression free survival after rechallenging with lenvatinib was 15.0 months. No new signs of toxicity were observed after rechallenging with lenvatinib. Our findings suggest that rechallenge with lenvatinib after failure of both lenvatinib and sorafenib showed manageable safety and modest efficacy in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer in clinical practice. The strategy of lenvatinib rechallenge may provide an alternative option for patients with no targetable driver genes or when selective kinase inhibitors are not indicated.

The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio as a significant inflammatory marker associated with survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated using nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI) is the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). While approximately 40% of patients treated with NIVO + IPI achieve a durable response, 20% develop primary resistance with severe consequences. Therefore, there is a clinical need for criteria to select patients suitable for NIVO + IPI therapy to optimize its therapeutic efficacy. Accordingly, our aim was to evaluate the association between candidate biomarkers measured before treatment initiation and survival. This was a multi-institutional, retrospective, cohort study of 183 patients with mRCC treated with systematic therapies between August 2015 and July 2023. Of these, 112 received NIVO + IPI as first-line therapy: mean age, 68years; men, 83.0% (n = 93), and clear cell histology, 80.4% (n = 90). Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to evaluate associations between biomarkers and survival. On univariate analysis, high C-reactive protein and systemic index, a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and a low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were associated with shorter overall survival (OS). On multivariable analysis, a LMR ≤ 3 was retained as an independent factor associated to shorter OS with the highest accuracy (C-index, 0.656; hazard ratio, 7.042; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-25.0; p = 0.002). A low LMR may identify patients who would be candidate for NIVO + IPI therapy for mRCC.

Analysis of sequential chemotherapy efficacy in ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma and primary peritoneal carcinoma

Objective: To explore the sequential chemotherapy efficacy of different chemotherapeutic regimens in ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma, and primary peritoneal carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical and pathological data of 100 patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma, and primary peritoneal carcinoma treated at Peking University Peopel's Hospital from January 1992 to January 2019. All patients underwent staging surgery or cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Based on different postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, patients were divided into the sequential chemotherapy group (70 cases) and the conventional chemotherapy group (30 cases). Clinical and pathological characteristics, chemotherapy efficacy, adverse reactions, and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Results: (1) Clinical and pathological characteristics: the age, tumor types (including ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma, and primary peritoneal carcinoma), pathological types, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, postoperative residual disease size, presence of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and total number of chemotherapy cycles were compared between the sequential chemotherapy group and the conventional chemotherapy group. There were no statistically significant differences observed in these characteristics between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Chemotherapy efficacy: the median sum of complete response (CR)+partial response (PR) duration in the sequential chemotherapy group was 80.0 months (range: 39 to 369 months), whereas in the conventional chemotherapy group, it was 28.0 months (range: 13 to 52 months). A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (Z=-7.82, P<0.001). (3) Chemotherapy adverse reactions: in the sequential chemotherapy group, 55 cases (79%, 55/70) experienced bone marrow suppression and 20 cases (29%, 20/70) had neurological symptoms. In the conventional chemotherapy group, these adverse reactions occurred in 11 cases (37%, 11/30) and 2 cases (7%, 2/30), respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups for both bone marrow suppression and neurological symptoms (all P<0.05). For the other chemotherapy adverse reactions compared between the two groups, no statistically significant differences were observed (all P>0.05). (4) Prognosis: during the follow-up period, the recurrence rate in the sequential chemotherapy group was 73% (51/70) and in the conventional chemotherapy group was 100% (30/30). The median sum of recurrence-free interval was 70.5 months (range: 19 to 330 months) in the sequential chemotherapy group and 15.0 months (range: 6 to 40 months) in the conventional chemotherapy group. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups for both recurrence rate and median recurrence-free interval (all P<0.01).In the sequential chemotherapy group, the median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 84.0 months (range: 34 to 373 months), and the median overall survival (OS) time was 87.0 months (range: 45 to 377 months). In contrast, in the conventional chemotherapy group, the median PFS time was 30.5 months (range: 14 to 60 months), and the median OS time was 37.5 months (range: 18 to 67 months). Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups for both PFS and OS (all P<0.001). In the sequential chemotherapy group, the 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year OS rates were 100% (70/70), 93% (65/70), and 21% (15/70), respectively. In contrast, in the conventional chemotherapy group, the OS rates were 50% (15/30) at 3 years, 3% (1/30) at 5 years, and 0 at 10 years, respectively. The two groups were compared respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Sequential chemotherapy significantly prolongs PFS and OS in patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma, and primary peritoneal carcinoma. The efficacy is superior to that of the conventional chemotherapy, with manageable adverse reactions. The use of sequential chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma, fallopian tube carcinoma, and primary peritoneal carcinoma is recommended.

Treatment patterns in a real-world cohort of patients with Wilson disease in the United States

BackgroundWilson disease (WD) is a rare and potentially fatal genetic disorder caused by accumulation of toxic levels of copper. Current treatments include chelating agents and/or zinc. We characterized real-world US treatment patterns in patients with WD.MethodsThis retrospective, observational medical chart review utilized deidentified clinical data, including treatment patterns, abstracted from patient medical charts between 01/2012 and 06/2017. Line of therapy was assessed based on disease presentation and aggregated. Index treatment was defined as the first line of therapy, followed by second line of therapy and third line of therapy. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 225 patients were included (mean [SD] age at diagnosis: 24.7 [9.8] years). Initial disease presentation was both neurologic/psychiatric and hepatic in 52.9%, followed by neurologic/psychiatric (20.0%), hepatic (16.9%), and asymptomatic (10.2%). Median (first and third quartiles) duration of follow-up from diagnosis was 39.5 (33.8–60.4) months. The most common first line of therapy was penicillamine monotherapy in 45.5%, followed by trientine monotherapy (26.1%) and chelator/zinc combination therapy (21.2%). A total of 167/222 (75.2%) patients remained on first line of therapy during the follow-up period. Of the 13.5% who switched to second line of therapy, most changed to trientine monotherapy (53.3%). All those who switched to third line of therapy transitioned to zinc monotherapy (100.0%). Unexpectedly, 11.3% discontinued first line of therapy without transitioning to a subsequent therapy. The primary rationale for index monotherapy selection was improved efficacy (61.6%). Most discontinuations were due to side effects/tolerability (40.8%). Treatment patterns varied by initial disease presentation, practice setting, physician specialty, and geographic location.ConclusionThese results demonstrate a lack of consensus in the US regarding first-line treatment for patients with WD. Evidence-based treatment pathways informed by high-quality clinical trials for improved health outcomes are needed.

Cadonilimab with chemotherapy in HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 1b/2 COMPASSION-04 trial.

Treatment with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy and chemotherapy prolongs the survival of patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. The benefit from anti-PD-1 therapy is enriched in patients with programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS)-positive or CPS-high tumors compared with patients with PD-L1 CPS-negative or CPS-low tumors. In this phase 1b/2 study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of cadonilimab, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma. The primary endpoint was the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for phase 1b and the objective response rate for phase 2. Secondary endpoints included disease control rate, duration of response, time to response, progression-free survival, overall survival (OS) and safety. The primary endpoint was met. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed during dose escalation in phase 1b; the recommended phase 2 dose was determined as 6 mg kg-1 every 2 weeks. The objective response rate was 52.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 41.6-62.5), consisting of complete and partial responses in 4.3% and 47.9% of patients, respectively. The median duration of response, progression-free survival and OS were 13.73 months (95% CI = 7.79-19.12), 8.18 months (95% CI = 6.67-10.48) and 17.48 months (95% CI = 12.35-26.55), respectively. The median OS in patients with a PD-L1 CPS ≥ 5 was 20.32 months (95% CI = 4.67-not estimable); in patients with a PD-L1 CPS < 1, the median OS reached 17.64 months (95% CI = 11.63-31.70). The most common treatment-related grade 3 or higher adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (19.1%), decreased platelet count (16.0%), anemia (12.8%) and decreased leukocyte count (8.5%). No new safety signal was identified. The current regimen showed promising clinical activity and manageable safety in patients with gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma regardless of PD-L1 expression. Chinadrugtrials.org.cn registration: CTR20182027.

Abstract RF02-04: A phase III study comparing trastuzumab emtansine with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel in older patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. (JCOG1607 HERB TEA study)

Abstract Background A combination of trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel (HPD) is recommended as first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. For older patients, it is difficult to maintain a relative dose intensity, which often impairs their quality of life. A new standard treatment option for older patients is required with less toxicity and non-inferior efficacy compared to HPD. Methods The eligibility criteria were as follows: age 65 years and older, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, no previous systemic treatment with chemotherapy and anti-HER2 targeted drugs, ECOG PS 0–2 for 65–74 years or 0–1 for 75 years or older, and adequate organ function. Treatment consisted of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) 3.6 mg/kg every 3 weeks or HPD (trastuzumab 8 mg/kg, then 6 mg/kg, pertuzumab 840 mg, then 420 mg/body, and docetaxel 60 mg/m2, could be escalated to 75 mg/m2 if there were no unmanageable toxicity) every 3 weeks after a 1:1 ratio randomization. The trial was designed to achieve 70% power to confirm the non-inferiority of T-DM1 to HPD at a one-sided alpha of 5% with a non-inferiority margin of 1.35 in terms of the hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) as the primary endpoint. With a median OS of 30 months in both arms, 6.5 years of accrual, and 5 years of follow-up, the planned sample size was 250. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), adverse events, cumulative breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM), safety, and deterioration of activities of daily living. (Clinical Trial Information: UMIN000030783). Results In total, 148 patients were enrolled between January 2018 and March 2023. A total of 135 patients were assessed in the preplanned first interim analysis. The median patient age was 72 years (range 65-88) in the T-DM1 arm and 71 (65-84) in the HPD arm. The proportion of estrogen receptor-positive (10%) patients was well balanced between both arms (49.3 and 55.6%, respectively). Of these patients, 64.8% had stage IV disease and 35.2% had recurrent disease. T-DM1 was not non-inferior to HPD (HR 1.487; 99.9% CI, 0.288 to 7.678) in terms of OS. The median PFS was 9.8 months in the T-DM1 arm and 18.4 months in the HPD arm (HR 1.749; 95%CI, 1.124-2.723). Response rates were lower in the T-DM1 arm than that of the HPD arm (52.7% [95% CI, 38.8-66.4] and 76.8% [95% CI, 63.6-87.0], respectively) (p=0.099). BCSM was higher in the T-DM1 arm than that of the HPD arm (HR 1.617; 95% CI, 0.764-3.425). Grade 3 and higher neutropenia were less common in the T-DM1 arm than in the HPD arm (0 vs. 30.4%); however, thrombocytopenia was more common in the T-DM1 arm than in the HPD arm (16.9 vs. 0%). Grade 3 or more non-hematological adverse events were less common and lower in the T-DM1 arm (35.2%) than in the HPD arm (58.6%), including fatigue (5.6% vs. 22.9%), diarrhea (0% vs. 11.4%), appetite loss (8.5% vs. 11.4%), and febrile neutropenia (0% vs. 10.0%), which reduced the quality of life in older patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Conclusion T-DM1 was not non-inferior to HPD in terms of OS. However, T-DM1 showed better tolerability in terms of frequency and severity of adverse events. HPD will continue to be the standard of care as the first-line treatment for older patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Older patients with breast cancer have heterogeneous health conditions. A subset analysis according to age or geriatric assessment may identify the subpopulation of older patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer for whom T-DM1 is an optional treatment. Citation Format: Akihiko Shimomura, Kenji Tamura, Keita Sasaki, Ryo Sadate, Akihiko Suto, Masataka Sawaki, Naohito Yamamoto, Tomoyuki Yoshiyama, Takako Hayashi, Eriko Tokunaga, Takashi Yamanaka, Chikako Shimizu, Tadahiko Shien, Hiroji Iwata. A phase III study comparing trastuzumab emtansine with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel in older patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. (JCOG1607 HERB TEA study) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr RF02-04.

Abstract PO2-06-11: A phase II randomized trial of gemcitabine plus cisplatin(GP) vs gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GC) as the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GC) is one of the classic chemotherapeutic regimens for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer(mTNBC) and also a backbone regimen for chemoimmunotherapy, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.6 months in the first-line (O'Shaughnessy J, et al. J Clin Oncol 2014). Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) has also demonstrated promising efficacy and safety in the first-line phase III trial of mTNBC, with a median PFS of 7.7 months (Hu XC, et al. Lancet Oncol 2015). To further investigate the superiority between carboplatin and cisplatin when combined with gemcitabine, a prospective phase II study was conducted to directly compare the efficacy and safety of GP with GC in the first-line treatment for patients with mTNBC (NCT02341911). Methods: Patients with untreated mTNBC were randomized 1:1 to receive gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2, D1,8) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m2, D1) or gemcitabine (1000mg/m2, D1,8) plus carboplatin (area under the curve 2 mg × min/mL, D1,8) every 21 days until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The stratification factors included visceral metastasis (yes or no) and the number of metastatic sites (1, 2, or ≥3). The primary endpoint was PFS and secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results A total of 150 mTNBC patients were enrolled. After a median follow-up of 49.1 months (IQR 31.3-70.7), PFS events had been recorded in 55 (73.3%) of 75 patients in the GP group and 59 (78.7%) of 75 patients in the GC group. PFS was numerically longer in the GP group than in the GC group, though not significantly (median, 7.8 months [95% CI 7.2–8.4] vs. 6.9 months [95% CI 6.4–7.4]; HR, 0.93; 95% CI 0.64–1.34; P = 0.689; stratified HR, 0.84; 95% CI 0.58–1.23; P = 0.375). Median OS was 20.7 months (95%CI 17.9-23.5) in GP group and 20.9 months (95%CI 15.3-26.5) in GC group, HR, 1.13; 95% CI 0.77–1.67; P = 0.537; stratified HR, 1.03; 95% CI 0.70–1.52; P = 0.886). The ORR of GP and GC was 49.3% and 41.3% in the intent-to-treat population. Dose reduction occurred in 30(40.0%) patients in the GP group and 38 (50.7%) patients in the GC group. Grade 3 and 4 hematological AEs, including leucopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia were slightly higher in the GC group. Grade 3 and 4 non-hematological AEs, including nausea, vomiting, and hearing toxicity, were more common in the GP group. No treatment-related deaths were reported. Conclusions Cisplatin was not associated with a survival advantage over carboplatin when combined with gemcitabine as a first-line treatment for patients with mTNBC, though numerically longer PFS and higher ORR was observed. The safety profiles of the two combinations were different but the adverse events were manageable. Citation Format: Chengcheng Gong, Yannan Zhao, Leiping Wang, Jun Cao, Zhonghua Tao, Ting Li, Mingchuan Zhao, Haitao Miao, Juan Jin, Xichun Hu, Biyun Wang. A phase II randomized trial of gemcitabine plus cisplatin(GP) vs gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GC) as the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-06-11.

Abstract PO1-04-12: Palbociclib versus ribociclib in first-line treatment of patients with hormone-receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer – real world outcome data from the German registry platform OPAL

Abstract Introduction CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDKi) plus endocrine therapy (ET) are standard of care in first-line (1L) treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC). In the pivotal trials the three CDK4/6i (palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib) + ET showed similar progression-free survival (PFS) benefit over ET alone. However, other than ribociclib, palbociclib failed to demonstrate overall survival (OS) benefit. As patient (pts) characteristics differed between the trials, especially in the number of pts with treatment-free interval (TFI) of &amp;lt; 12 months after end of adjuvant ET, head-to-head comparisons of the CDKi are of clinical interest. Here we analyze the outcome of pts treated with palbociclib + ET or ribociclib + ET with real-world data from OPAL. Methods OPAL (NCT03417115) is a prospective observational, open, longitudinal multicenter cohort study (clinical registry) in Germany. Pts with ABC and early breast cancer can be recruited at start of their first systemic treatment. There are no treatment restrictions. Sites from all medical sectors can participate in OPAL (medical and gynecologic oncologists from outpatient centers and hospitals). Details on all (sequential) treatments, patient and tumor characteristics, biomarker testing, clinical and patient-reported outcomes are collected. Follow-Up is until death or up to 5 years. Between 01/2018 and 07/2021 1049 pts with HR+ HER2- ABC were recruited by 143 sites. Database cut was on 31/08/2022. 384 pts received palbociclib + ET and 231 pts received ribociclib + ET as 1L treatment. All endocrine combination partners including switch of ET during first line therapy was allowed, whereas switch of CDK4/6i (n=25) were excluded. PFS in registries can differ from PFS in clinical trials, since the RECIST criteria are usually not applied in routine care. PFS in registries represents the time to clinically relevant progression in routine care. PFS and OS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To adjust for confounding, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) by propensity score analysis was used to compare PFS and OS between 1L palbociclib+ET and ribociclib+ET. IPTW was performed for the following variables: age, menopausal status, ECOG, any comorbidity, Charlson comorbidity index, metastatic stage, type of metastasis, number of metastatic sites, estrogen-/progesterone status, IHC status, previous chemo-/endocrine therapy, kind of endocrine combination partner, disease-free interval, and treatment-free interval. Results From 2018 to 2021, the proportion of CDK4/6i increased from 68% to 86% in 1L of HR+HER2- ABC. Overall, palbociclib was used in 44% and ribociclib in 26% of all first-line treatments in OPAL. Median age of pts receiving palbociclib/ribociclib was 66/68 years and for 77/81% of pts at least one comorbidity was documented. 37/35% of pts already had metastasis at diagnosis (M1) and 25/26% of pts had a TFI &amp;lt; 12 months. After IPTW, the two treatment groups were comparable for all tested characteristics. 42/46% of patients had a progression (palbociclib/ribociclib group). IPTW-adjusted median PFS was 25.1 months (95% Confidence interval (CI) 20.1 – 30.1) for the palbociclib and 27.0 months (95%-CI 21.1 – 31.6) for the ribociclib group. Hazard ratio was 0.91 (0.71 – 1.17) for palbociclib versus ribociclib. 26/29% of patients had an OS event (palbociclib/ribociclib group). IPTW-adjusted median OS was 36.7 months (95%-CI 33.0 – NA) for the palbociclib and 36.6 months (95%-CI 33.1 – NA) for the ribociclib group. Hazard ratio was 0.95 (0.69 - 1.30) for palbociclib versus ribociclib. Conclusions This analysis of real word data in the OPAL registry platform showed similar PFS and OS for palbociclib + ET compared to ribociclib + ET, when adjusted for a wide range of potential confounding variables. Further analyses will investigate whether one drug showed favorable results in certain subgroups of pts. Citation Format: Marc Thill, Mark-Oliver Zahn, Anja Welt, Arnd Nusch, Matthias Zaiss, Kathrin Engelken, Gabriele Kaltenecker, Kai Ringwald, Katja Gratzke, Lisa Kruggel, Martina Jänicke, Holger Schulz, Christoph Losem, Volker Hagen, Roland Fricker, Elmar Stickeler, Nadia Harbeck, Achim Wöckel, Thomas Decker. Palbociclib versus ribociclib in first-line treatment of patients with hormone-receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer – real world outcome data from the German registry platform OPAL [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-04-12.

Abstract PO5-04-13: Liquid Biopsy Testing in a Greek Cohort of ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients

Abstract AIM Endocrine therapy (ET) represents the first line treatment for patients with ER+, HER2- breast cancer, however disease progression is observed in many cases. PIK3CA and ESR1 are the most encountered mutated genes that have been associated with targeted molecular treatment, as well as with resistance to Endocrine Therapy. Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive procedure, that can provide “real-time” monitoring of disease progression and response to treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the mutation rate of ESR1 and PIK3CA genes in a selected cohort of 200 Greek breast cancer patients, using liquid biopsies and NGS technology. PATIENTS AND METHODS Liquid biopsies were collected from 200 ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients who have received at least one previous line of endocrine treatment. cfDNA was extracted using the QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit (Qiagen). Library preparation was performed using Oncomine™ Breast cfDNA Research Assay (Thermofisher Scientific) and sequencing was carried out using Ion GeneStudio™ S5 System (Thermofisher Scientific). Ion Torrent Oncomine Knowledgebase Reporter was used in sequence analysis and interpretation of Copy number variations, SNPs, and indels. RESULTS Preliminary data of the first 49 examined samples demonstrated the prevalence of ESR1 and PIK3CA mutations in 20.4% (10/49) and 38.7% (19/49) of the cases respectively. The most frequently mutated codon in the ESR1 gene is the Y537, while in the PIK3CA gene, the H1047 codon is mainly altered. ESR1 and PIK3CA genes were co-mutated in 10.2% of the cases. Mutations in KRAS (6.1%) and TP53 (24%) were also detected. CONCLUSION More than 20% of the ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients with metastatic disease are eligible for targeted treatment with elacestrant. In addition, the high prevalence of mutations detected in our cohort indicates that liquid biopsy NGS panel testing can be used to monitor treatment response, track the development of resistance, and identify emerging genetic alterations that may guide treatment adjustments or the selection of alternative targeted therapies in breast cancer patients. REFERENCES Demir Cetinkaya B, Biray Avci C. Molecular perspective on targeted therapy in breast cancer: a review of current status. Med Oncol. 2022 Jul 14;39(10):149. doi: 10.1007/s12032-022-01749-1. PMID: 35834030; PMCID: PMC9281252. Liao H, Huang W, Pei W, Li H. Detection of ESR1 Mutations Based on Liquid Biopsy in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Clinical Impacts and Prospects. Front Oncol. 2020 Dec 15;10:587671. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.587671. PMID: 33384956; PMCID: PMC7770162. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-elacestrant-er-positive-her2-negative-esr1-mutated-advanced-or-metastatic-breast-cancer Citation Format: Nikolaos Tsoulos, Angeliki Meintani, Georgios Kapetsis, Chrysiis Chatzigiannidou-Florou, Aikaterini Tsantikidi, Stella Maxouri, Eleni Thanou, Kalliopi Aggelaina, Vasiliki Metaxa-Mariatou, Georgios Tsaousis, Ioannis Natsiopoulos, Vasileios Venizelos, Christos Markopoulos, Flora Zagouri, Eleftherios Kampletsas, Eirini Karyda, Dimitrios Tryfonopoulos, Konstantinos Papazisis, Dimitrios Ziogas, Ilias Athanasiadis, Eirini Papadopoulou, Georgios Nasioulas. Liquid Biopsy Testing in a Greek Cohort of ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-04-13.

Abstract PO2-20-03: VERITAC-3: A randomized phase 3 study, with a lead-in, of first-line vepdegestrant + palbociclib vs letrozole + palbociclib in estrogen receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative advanced breast cancer

Abstract Background: Vepdegestrant (ARV-471) is a selective, orally administered PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) estrogen receptor (ER) degrader. In the phase 2 portion (VERITAC) of a first-in-human phase 1/2 study (NCT04072952), vepdegestrant 200 mg once daily (QD) was well tolerated and had clinical activity in heavily pretreated patients with ER+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer and was selected as the recommended phase 3 dose (RP3D) for vepdegestrant monotherapy. A phase 1b cohort of the phase 1/2 study is evaluating the safety and clinical activity of vepdegestrant plus palbociclib in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer after prior endocrine-based therapy; prior cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitor therapy was permitted. Preliminary results showed encouraging activity for the combination based on clinical benefit rate (CBR; rate of confirmed complete response, partial response, or stable disease ≥24 weeks); an increase in palbociclib exposure was observed relative to historical palbociclib pharmacokinetic data and was accompanied by a higher incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia compared with prior palbociclib and endocrine therapy combination studies, which was managed by monitoring and standard palbociclib dose modifications. The global, randomized phase 3 VERITAC-3 study (NCT05909397) will compare the efficacy and safety of vepdegestrant plus palbociclib vs letrozole plus palbociclib as first-line treatment for patients with ER+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. An open-label study lead-in (SLI) will evaluate the safety and tolerability of vepdegestrant 200 mg QD plus 2 doses of palbociclib (100 mg QD and 75 mg QD) in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced breast cancer to select the RP3D of palbociclib for this combination. Trial Design: Approximately 50 and 1130 patients will be enrolled in the SLI and the phase 3 parts of the study, respectively. Eligible patients (aged ≥18 years) must have histologically or cytologically confirmed ER+/HER2- locoregionally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, with no prior treatment in the advanced setting, and no prior treatment in any setting with CDK4/6 inhibitors, vepdegestrant, fulvestrant, elacestrant, or other investigational agents (including novel endocrine therapy, selective ER degraders, selective ER covalent antagonists, and complete ER antagonists). Patients with measurable disease per RECIST v1.1 or nonmeasurable bone-only disease are eligible. Patients with disease recurrence during or ≤12 months after completion of adjuvant endocrine therapy are excluded. For the SLI, patients are randomized 1:1 to receive vepdegestrant 200 mg QD in combination with palbociclib 100 mg QD or 75 mg QD and are treated in 28-day cycles with vepdegestrant given continuously and palbociclib given for 21 days followed by 7 days off treatment. The objective of the SLI is to identify the RP3D of palbociclib in combination with vepdegestrant, which will be determined through the primary outcome measures of incidence of grade 4 neutropenia, study drug dose reduction, and study drug discontinuation within the first 4 cycles of treatment. Secondary outcome measures include safety, antitumor activity (objective response rate, CBR, and duration of response), and plasma concentrations of study drugs. In the planned phase 3 portion of the trial, patients will be randomized to vepdegestrant plus palbociclib or letrozole plus palbociclib. The primary efficacy endpoint of the phase 3 portion is progression-free survival based on blinded independent central review. Enrollment began June 2023 and is ongoing. Citation Format: Seth Wander, Erika Hamilton, Mario Campone, Michael Danso, Sara Hurvitz, Hiroji Iwata, Colombe Chappey, Derek Yang, Julia Perkins Smith, Yuan Liu, Yuanyuan Zhang, Sibyl Anderson, Michelino de Laurentiis. VERITAC-3: A randomized phase 3 study, with a lead-in, of first-line vepdegestrant + palbociclib vs letrozole + palbociclib in estrogen receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-20-03.

Abstract PO1-29-03: Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of TQ-B211 (a Trastuzumab Biosimilar) Plus Docetaxel versus Herceptin® Plus Docetaxel for HER2-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: a Double-blind, Randomised, Multicenter, Phase 3 Trial

Abstract Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women worldwide. In China, the incidence of breast cancer has been steadily increasing. Approximately 30% of human breast cancers exhibit human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity, which is closely associated with tumor aggressiveness, high recurrence rate and high mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of TQ-B211 (a trastuzumab biosimilar) compared to the reference trastuzumab in combination with docetaxel as first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Methods: This randomized, multicenter, double-blind phase III equivalence study enrolled HER2+ metastatic breast cancer patients aged 18-75, ECOG PS ≤1, no prior systemic chemotherapy, biologic, or targeted therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease, and at least one measurable lesion (RECIST 1.1). The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group received TQ-B211 (8 mg/kg iv on day 1, cycle 1, followed by 6 mg/kg q3w for cycles 2-8) in combination with docetaxel (75 mg/m2 on day 2, cycle1, followed by 75 mg/m2 on day 1 for cycles 2-8), while the control group received Herceptin® in combination with docetaxel. For subjects who completed 8 cycles of treatment without disease progression and demonstrated tolerability, they were subsequently administered TQ-B211 as monotherapy until disease progression or unsuitable for further treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was ORR up to week 24 (ORR24w). Equivalence was declared if the 90% confidence interval (CI) of relative ratio (RR) value was within the range of 0.8 to 1.25. Secondary efficacy endpoints included duration of response (DoR); progression-free survival (PFS); disease control rate (DCR); overall survival (OS), safety and immunogenicity. Results: Between December 6, 2018 and July 31, 2021, a total of 386 patients (pts) were enrolled (192 pts in the TQ-B211 group and 194 pts in the Herceptin® group). In the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the ORR24w of the TQ-B211 group was 67.19% (95% CI: 60.55, 73.83), while the ORR24w of the Herceptin® group was 65.98% (95% CI: 59.31, 72.65). The RR of the confirmed ORR24w between the two groups was 1.02 (90%CI, 0.90, 1.15), which fell entirely in the predefined equivalence margins (0.8, 1.25), indicating comparable efficacy of the two drugs. In the ITT population, the DCR of the TQ-B211 group and the Herceptin® group were 83.85% (78.65, 89.06) and 78.35% (72.56, 84.15) respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.1940). By the data cutoff date of October 31, 2021, the median PFS was not statistically different (P=0.6834); the median OS was not reached in both groups (P=0.9246). Additionally, the data results of the per-protocol (PP) population were similar to those of the ITT population. In total, similar rates of treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events (41.05% vs. 46.39%) occurred in the TQ-B211 and Herceptin® groups, respectively. The incidence and magnitude of immunogenicity were low in both of the two groups (ADA: 0.53% vs. 0%, Nab: both negative). Conclusion: Equivalence for efficacy was demonstrated between TQ-B211 and Herceptin® on the basis of ORR24w. Safety and immunogenicity were comparable. Citation Format: Xichun Hu, Qingyuan Zhang, Shusen Wang, Tao Sun, Xiaohua Zeng, Weimin Xie, Zhongsheng Tong, Hui Cao, Huihua Xiong, Xiuwen Wang, Jin Yang, Shuqun Zhang, Ying Wang, Chunhong Hu, Kaijian Lei, Binlin Ma, Wei Liu, Zhiyong Yu, PeiJian Peng, Hongwei Yang, Zhijun Yuan, Xiaojia Wang, Xujuan Wang, Hong Wang, Yongqian Shu, Nanlin Li, Wenbin Yue, Jingfen Wang, Daqing Wang, Zhiguo Luo, Junyang Mo, Yarong Li, Lili Sheng. Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of TQ-B211 (a Trastuzumab Biosimilar) Plus Docetaxel versus Herceptin® Plus Docetaxel for HER2-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: a Double-blind, Randomised, Multicenter, Phase 3 Trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-29-03.

LIBRETTO-431: Confirming the Superiority of Selpercatinib to Chemotherapy and the Lack of Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Advanced RET Fusion-Positive (RET+) NSCLC, Another Unique Never-Smoker Predominant Molecular Subtype of NSCLC.

Selpercatinib, a potent and highly selective RET kinase inhibitor with significant CNS activity, has recently gained US approval for the treatment of NSCLC harboring RET fusions (RET+) based on a large-scale single-arm study. The LIBRETTO-431 trial was the global pivotal registration phase 3 trial comparing selpercatinib to platinum-based chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab as the first-line treatment of patients with advanced RET+ NSCLC. Never-smokers constituted 67.4% of the RET+ NSCLC patients enrolled. KIF5B-RET made up the vast majority (77%) of the RET+ fusion variant with known fusion partner. The results of this study demonstrated significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) benefit as well as impressive intracranial disease response in participants treated with selpercatinib as compared to those treated with chemotherapy, with a HR [hazard ratio] of 0.46 (95% CI 0.33-0.70; P < 0.001) for the intention-to-treat (ITT)-pembrolizumab group and HR of 0.46 (95% CI 0.31-0.70, P < 0.001) for the overall ITT-group of patients. The addition of pembrolizumab to platinum/pemetrexed chemotherapy resulted in numerically identical PFS (11.2 months). These results point to selpercatinib's superiority to traditional chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of NSCLC harboring RET fusions and add to literature on the salience of targeted precision oncology and lack of efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor in NSCLC patients with never-smoker predominant actionable driver mutations. RET+ NSCLC should be added to the list of molecular subtypes (EGFR+, ALK+, ROS1+) of NSCLC to be excluded in chemoimmunotherapy trial.