Multitargeted Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Research Articles

Abstract PO2-05-01: Famitinib, a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, combined with dalpicilib and fulvestrant in advanced HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer

Abstract Background: CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with endocrinotherapy (ET) represent an essential part of the treatment for HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer (BC). However, the role of angiogenesis inhibitors, such as bevacizumab, in these patients (pts) is controversial. While it has been demonstrated to improve progression-free survival (PFS), it has failed to show a significant overall survival (OS) benefit in HER2-negative BC. Several preclinical studies have explored the combination of anti-angiogenesis multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and CDK4/6 inhibitors in other cancers, suggesting a synergistic effect. Our phase Ib/II trial (NCT05176080, ChiCTR2100053950) aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel anti-angiogenesis TKI famitinib (F) added to dalpiciclib (D) and ET in advanced HR-positive and HER2-negative BC. Here we report the results of Phase Ib. Methods: A 3+3 de-escalation design was used in this dose-exploring phase (phase Ib). Pts with HR-positive and HER2-negative BC, who had no more than two prior chemotherapies in the advanced setting, were enrolled and administered F (orally, at doses of 15 mg/d, 10 mg/d, or 15 mg qod), D (orally, at doses of 150, 125 or 100 mg/d, 21 days on and 7 days off) and fulvestrant (intramuscularly, at a fixed dose of 500 mg every four weeks) until progression, unaccepted toxicities, or withdrawal. The initial dose level (Level 1) was set as F 15 mg daily and D 150 mg/d. The primary endpoints were recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and safety. Results: From December 2021 to June 2022, 18 pts were enrolled, and 3, 6, 3, and 6 pts were assigned to Level 1 (F 15 mg + D 150 mg), Level 2 (F 10 mg + D 125 mg), Level 3 (F 15 mg qod + D 125 mg), and Level 4 (F 10 mg + D 100 mg), respectively. 14 (77.8%) pts had visceral metastasis, and 7 (38.9%) had prior systemic therapies in the advanced setting. 13 (72.2%) pts had received ET, and 11 (61.1%) were resistant to ET before enrolled. A total of 6 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed, including 3 Grade 4 thrombopenia (2 in Level 1, 1 in Level 2) and 3 Grade 4 neutropenia (2 in Level 3, 1 in Level 4), 4 of which were serious adverse events (AEs). The most common (≥20%) treatment-related AEs of Grade 3 or above were neutropenia (100.0%), leukopenia (88.9%), thrombocytopenia (33.3%), anemia (27.8%), lymphopenia and hypertension (both 22.2%). No death was reported. Overall 10 pts (55.6%) achieved confirmed partial responses and 16 (88.9%) achieved clinical benefits. Confirmed objective response rates (ORRs), clinical benefit rates (CBRs), and DLTs in different dose levels were shown in Table 1. Considering the efficacy and safety profiles, Level 4 was selected as RP2D. Conclusion: The anti-angiogenesis multi-targeted receptor TKI famitinib combined with CDK4/6i and fulvestrant has shown antitumor effects in advanced HR-positive and HER2-negative BC, and no new safety signals were observed. Citation Format: Min Yan, Mengwei Zhang, Limin Niu, Huimin Lv, Zhenzhen Liu, Huiai Zeng, Shengnan Zhao, Huihui Sun, Jing Wang, Yajing Feng, Huajun Li. Famitinib, a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, combined with dalpicilib and fulvestrant in advanced HR-positive and HER2-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 PO2-05-01.

Abstract PO2-06-09: A prospective phase 2 study on efficacy and safety of AK105, anlotinib combined with nab-paclitaxel (nab-P) as a first-line therapy in patients(pts) with advanced triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)

Abstract Background: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy have shown tolerability and significant clinical benefits in pts with advanced TNBC. Antiangiogenic agent could remodel tumor blood vessels and increase the response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). AK105, an anti-PD-1 antibody, can effectively prevents PD-1 from binding to PD-L1 and PD-L2, and avoid immune evasion of tumor cells. Anlotinib is a novel antiangiogenic, multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor which inhibits VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR, c-KIT, c-RET and MET. This investigator initiated trial (IIT) (NCT05244993) aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of AK105, anlotinib combined with nab-P as a first-line therapy in pts with advanced TNBC. Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, single arm, phase 2 study, eligible pts were female aged 18-75 years, with ECOG PS 0-1, who had locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic triple-negative (estrogen receptor-, progesterone receptor- and HER2-) breast cancer. Eligible pts were treated with intravenous AK105 (200 mg on day 1), oral anlotinib (12 mg once daily on days 1-14) and intravenous nab-P (125 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) . The triplet combination regimen repeated every 21 days until disease progression, death or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints are disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS)and safety. Results: From July 2022 to July 2023, 19 patients were enrolled in this study. Median follow-up was 6.18 months (95% CI 1.29-11.06). Of all the patients whose efficacy could be evaluated (16/19), no patient achieved complete response (CR); 9(56.25%), 6(37.5%) and 1(6.25%) patients got partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) and progression disease (PD), respectively. ORR was 56.25 % (95% CI 30.55-79.25) and DCR was 93.75% (95% CI 67.71-99.67). mPFS and OS have not reached. The most common adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2. The grade 3 AEs were neutropenia (15.79%), Leukopenia (10.52%), elevated ALT (5.26%), elevated AST (5.26%) and hypercholesteremia (5.26%). There were one case of grade 4 neutropenia and one case of grade 4 hypertriglyceridemia. No treatment-related death was observed. Conclusion: The combination of AK105, anlotinib and nab-P showed better treatment response and tolerable toxicity in the treatment of first-line patients with TNBC. Further studies enrolling more patients are still needed. Citation Format: Liang Zhang, Tao Sun. A prospective phase 2 study on efficacy and safety of AK105, anlotinib combined with nab-paclitaxel (nab-P) as a first-line therapy in patients(pts) with advanced triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC) [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 PO2-06-09.

Abstract PO3-06-07: Efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with anlotinib plus metronomic chemotherapy in advanced triple negative breast cancer (SPACE): preliminary results of a single-arm, multicenter phase II trial

Abstract Background: Antiangiogenic drugs have demonstrated synergistic effect with anti-PD-1 antibody in advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Anlotinib is an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that strongly inhibits VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR, and c-kit. Preclinical studies showed that metronomic chemotherapy inhibited angiogenesis and enhanced the efficacy of immunotherapy in TNBC via modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. We hereby conducted a single-arm, multicenter, phase II trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab (anti-PD-1 antibody) plus anlotinib and metronomic chemotherapy as a potential novel therapeutic strategy in advanced TNBC and explore potential biomarkers. Methods: Forty-four cases were planning to be included in this trial. The eligible patients who had received no more than two lines of chemotherapy for metastatic disease were enrolled and received sintilimab (200 mg iv q3w) and anlotinib (12 mg po d1-14 q3w) plus capecitabine (500 mg po, tid) or vinorelbine (40 mg po, tiw) until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR) and secondary endpoints are disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The safety profile has also been assessed. Results: As of April 2023, a total of 44 patients were enrolled, and 42 patients were evaluable for efficacy. 3 patients (7.1%) achieved complete response (CR). 6 patients (14.3%) achieved partial response (PR). 25 patients (59.5%) achieved stable disease (SD).The ORR is 21.4% (95%CI 0.103-0.368) and DCR is 81.0% (95%CI 0.810-0.659). The median PFS was 5.06 months (95%CI 2.051-8.069). The most common grade 1 or 2 adverse events (AEs) include elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (52.38%, 22/42), elevated bilirubin (23.81%, 10/42), hand-foot syndrome (22.22%, 8/42), leukopenia (16.67%,7/42), nausea (14.29%, 6/42). Grade 3 AEs include elevated bilirubin (2.38%, 1/42), hypertension (2.38%, 1/42) and herpes zoster (2.38%, 1/42). No grade 4 or 5 AEs occurred. Conclusions: Our date showed that sintilimab in combination with anlotinib plus metronomic chemotherapy have shown favorable efficacy and acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced TNBC. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2100044725 Citation Format: huihui Li, Dongdong Zhou, Zeshun Yv, Yuqian Liao, Jie Huang, Shujuan Sun, fangchao zheng, Baojiang Li, Shu Fang, Ling Qiang, Guohua Ren, Bing Bu, Pengfei Qiu, Xinzhao Wang, Chao Li, Fangli Cao, Qian Shao, Dali Han, Lihua Song, Baoxuan Zhang, Bingjie Fan, Liang Xu, Xuemei Xie, Xianguang Zhao, Lanping Liu, Wanlong Li, Zhenbo Wang, Changmin Liu, Hui Fu, Xiao Sun, Zhiqiang Shi, Fengxiang Li. Efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with anlotinib plus metronomic chemotherapy in advanced triple negative breast cancer (SPACE): preliminary results of a single-arm, multicenter phase II 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 PO3-06-07.

Donafenib as neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced thyroid cancer: protocol for the DONATHYCA phase II prospective single-arm trial in China

IntroductionThe invasion of important structures in locally advanced thyroid cancer (LATC) hinders radical resection, increases the risk of recurrence and even prevents surgery. Creating the opportunity for radical operation in...

Arbutus unedo L. Fractions Exhibit Chemotherapeutic Properties for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

Novel treatments in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are essential due to imatinib resistance and the modest results obtained with multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We investigated the possibility that the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of Arbutus unedo L. (AUN) could harbor novel chemotherapeutics. The bio-guided fractionation of AUN led to a subfraction, FR2-A, that affected the viability of both imatinib-sensitive and -resistant GIST cells. Cells treated with FR2-A were positive for Annexin V staining, a marker of apoptosis. A rapid PARP-1 downregulation was observed, although without the traditional caspase-dependent cleavage. The fractionation of FR2-A produced nine further active subfractions (FRs), indicating that different molecules contributed to the effect promoted by FR2-A. NMR analysis revealed that pyrogallol-bearing compounds, such as gallic acid, gallic acid hexoside, gallocatechin, myricetin hexoside, and trigalloyl-glucose, are the main components of active FRs. Notably, FRs similarly impaired the viability of GIST cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), suggesting a non-specific mechanism of action. Nevertheless, despite the lack of specificity, the established FRs showed promising chemotherapeutic properties to broadly affect the viability of GIST cells, including those that are imatinib-resistant, encouraging further studies to investigate whether pyrogallol-bearing compounds could represent an alternative avenue in GISTs.

Efficacy of Sorafenib-Based Therapies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with a poor prognosis. Of the two types, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the major and most prevalent type and associated with low response rates to the current treatment options. Sorafenib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for various malignancies, gained attention for its potential efficacy in NSCLC. This review paper focuses on the findings of recent in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies regarding the efficacy of sorafenib. Overall, sorafenib has shown definitive therapeutic potential in NSCLC cell lines, xenografts, and human subjects. Novel approaches to sorafenib delivery may improve its efficacy and should be the focus of further studies.

Anlotinib Inhibits Ovarian Cancer and Enhances Cisplatinum Sensitivity via Suppressing NOTCH2 Expression and Stemness.

The prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC) patients is especially poor for patients with chemotherapy resistance. Anlotinib, a novel multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown encouraging clinical efficacy in several tumor types. The aim of the present study was to examine the inhibitory efficacy and mechanism of anlotinib on the proliferation and chemosensitivity of OC cells. The inhibitory effects of Anlotinib on SKOV3 and OVCAR3 OC cells were examined using CCK-8 cell-viability, colony-formation, flow-cytometry, transwell-migration and sphere-formation assays. A xenograft mouse model was used for in vivo studies. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to detect gene expression. Molecular targets of anlotinib were elevated in OC patient tumors. Anlotinib significantly inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Anlotinib enhanced the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatinum both in vitro and in vivo. Anlotinib suppressed sphere formation and the stemness phenotype of OC cells by inhibiting NOTCH2 expression. Anlotinib inhibits ovarian cancer and enhances cisplatinum sensitivity, suggesting its future clinical promise.

Abstract 2312: Integrating spatial multi-omics data with spatial quantitative pharmacology (spQSP) model to simulate human neoadjuvant immunotherapy clinical trial of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Human clinical trials provided tremendous insights to advance novel systemic therapies and to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. The few durable treatment options have led to a critical need to advance new therapeutics in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent human clinical trials have demonstrated that new combination of immunotherapeutic regimens provide augmented clinical response in a subset of patients. Computational methods that can simulate tumors from mathematical equations describing cellular and molecular interactions are emerging as promising tools to simulate the impact of therapies entirely in silico. To facilitate designing dosing regimens and selecting potential predictive biomarkers, we developed a new computational model to track tumor progression at organ scale while reflecting the spatial heterogeneity in the tumor at cellular and molecular scale in HCC. This computational model is called a spatial quantitative systems pharmacology (spQSP) platform and it is also designed to simulate the effects of combination immunotherapy. The model is first calibrated using clinical outcomes and measured immune cell densities based on recent neoadjuvant HCC clinical trial combining anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) cabozantinib (NCT03299946). Then, we validate the results from the spQSP model by leveraging real-world spatial multi-omics data from the same clinical trial. The model output is compared with spatial data from Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC). Both IMC data and simulation results suggest closer proximity between CD8 T cell and Arginase 1 (Arg1) positive macrophages among non-responders while the reverse trend was observed for responders. We also compared the model output with Visium spatial transcriptomics analyses of samples from post-treatment tumor resections in the original clinical trial. Both spatial transcriptomic data and simulation results identify the role of spatial patterns of tumor vasculature and TGFβ in tumor and immune cell interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first spatial tumor model for virtual clinical trials at a molecular and cellular scale that is grounded in high-throughput spatial multi-omics data from a human clinical trial. Citation Format: Shuming Zhang, Atul Deshpande, Babita K. Verma, Hanwen Wang, Haoyang Mi, Long Yuan, Won Jin Ho, Elizabeth M. Jaffee, Qingfeng Zhu, Robert A. Anders, Mark Yarchoan, Luciane T. Kagohara, Elana J. Fertig, Aleksander S. Popel. Integrating spatial multi-omics data with spatial quantitative pharmacology (spQSP) model to simulate human neoadjuvant immunotherapy clinical trial of hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2312.

Abstract 3993: A tunable safety switch for solid tumor CAR T-cell therapy

Abstract On-target off-tumor toxicity, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) are severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that are frequently associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Current efforts to manage such therapy-related toxicities involve incorporation of an inducible suicide agent within CAR constructs, such as iCaspase-9 or herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase that can be selectively activated to produce toxic effects within CAR T cells and attenuate their activity. However, while activation of these agents helps to mitigate or overcome such unwarranted toxicities, the therapeutic benefit of CAR T cells anti-tumor activity is also compromised. Therefore, to continue maintenance of CAR T cells’ therapeutic function while minimizing irAEs, an ideal safety switch should 1) rapidly inhibit the activation and proliferation of CAR T cells exposed to the target antigen, 2) reversibly inhibit activity without inducing CAR T cell elimination and 3) be clinically translatable for safe application in patients. Our laboratory investigated one such safety switch to inhibit CAR T-cell activity while maintaining their therapeutic function. We showed that incorporating a mutant variant of c-KIT D816V (KITv) in the intracellular domain of mesothelin-targeting second-generation CAR T cells (M28z-KITv) improved efficacy in solid tumors with low antigen, or an immunosuppressive environment. Herein, we evaluate the use of Dasatinib, a clinically available multitarget (BCR, SRC, c-KIT) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), as a tunable safety switch to reversibly inhibit M28z-KITv CAR T-cell functional activity. In cohorts of mice established with lung adenocarcinoma, daily administration of Dasatinib starting on day 1 or day 3 after CAR T-cell administration stabilized tumor growth, which otherwise continued to regress in untreated mice, indicating inhibition of CAR T-cell functional activity. Upon discontinuation of Dasatinib, tumors regressed, indicating reversal of CAR T-cell functional activity. In an experiment conducted to investigate functional persistence of CAR T cells upon long-term exposure to Dasatinib (1 month), we noted uninhibited activity of CAR T cells to rechallenged tumors. Dasatinib, thus may act as a tunable safety switch to regulate M28z-KITv CAR T-cell activity without compromising its therapeutic function. Citation Format: Kyohei Misawa, Meriem Taleb, Srijita Banerjee, William-Ray Vista, Navin K. Chintala, Prasad S. Adusumilli. A tunable safety switch for solid tumor CAR T-cell therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3993.

Phase II study of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have not been shown to be active in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), with response rates <5%. Lenvatinib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor which binds to vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptors and has demonstrated efficacy in pancreatic and gastrointestinal NETs [44% and 16% objective radiographic response rate (ORR), respectively]. The combination of antiangiogenic and CPI therapies can be synergistic. We therefore evaluated the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab in well-differentiated gastrointestinal (GI) and thoracic NETs. A prospective, phase II trial evaluated patients with advanced GI/thoracic NETs (pancreatic NETs were excluded due to high response rate of lenvatinib monotherapy in this patient population), with evidence of progression within 8 months of study entry and at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. Patients received lenvatinib 20 mg daily and pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks until unacceptable toxicity or progression of disease. Primary endpoint was objective response rate, and an interim analysis was planned once 20 patients were enrolled. Four ORRs were required to continue enrollment. Twenty patients were enrolled on protocol from April 2021 to January 2022 (nine small intestine, five lung, two thymic, two unknown primary, one cecal, one presacral primaries). Two patients (10%) achieved a partial response (atypical lung and small intestinal primaries). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8 months (95% confidence interval 5.8-10.2 months). Twelve (60%) patients experienced probably or definitely associated grade 3 adverse events (10 hypertension). Fourteen patients (70%) required dose reductions or discontinued one of the medications. Two patients discontinued treatment before radiographic assessment. The combination of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib did not show sufficient response in patients with NETs to warrant continued enrollment on trial.

Efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with advanced or metastatic sarcomas after prior chemotherapy: A meta-analysis.

Sarcoma is a heterogeneous malignancy arising from interstitial tissue. Anthracycline-based therapy is the first-line treatment recommended by guidelines for patients with locally advanced or metastatic unresectable sarcoma. Recently, targeted therapies, in particular tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), have made significant progress in the treatment of sarcoma, and their efficacy has been investigated in randomized controlled trials. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy of TKIs in patients with advanced or metastatic sarcoma who have previously received chemotherapy. We completed a meta-analysis after conducting literature searches in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. The single-drug, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled clinical trials of TKIs in patients with advanced or progressive sarcoma who have previously received chemotherapy are available for inclusion in the study. The observation results were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The subgroup analysis was performed according to histological subtypes of sarcoma. This study included 6 studies, including 1033 patients. The ORR (OR: 7.99, 95% CI: 3.62-19.61, P < .00001), DCR (OR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.27-5.08, P = .009), PFS (HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.34-0.62, P < .00001), and OS (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.96, P = .02) of patients treated with TKIs were better than those in the placebo group. In patients with advanced sarcoma, TKIs have been shown to have advantages in terms of ORR, DCR and PFS and OS. Multi-targeted TKIs may be considered as one of the second-line treatment options for sarcoma patients who have received prior chemotherapy.

A Phase IIa Multicenter, Randomized, Vehicle-Controlled, Dose Escalating Study to Evaluate the Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics of CBT-001 Ophthalmic Solution in Patients With Primary or Recurrent Pterygium

PurposeTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of CBT-001, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor (MKI) eyedrop, for pterygia. DesignPhase 2 clinical trial. Stage 1 was a single center, open-labeled, vehicle-controlled study. Stage 2 was a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, vehicle-controlled trial. ParticipantsPatients with primary or recurrent pterygia. Main Outcome MeasuresThe primary efficacy endpoint was lesion vascularity based on masked grading of photographs by an independent reading center. Other endpoints included dimensions of pterygia and safety. MethodsIn Stage 1, 24 eyes of 24 patients received one drop of CBT-001 in a dose escalation fashion (0.02%, 0.05%, and 0.2%) to determine the maximally tolerated dose based on adverse events and blood drug levels. In Stage 2, subjects were randomly assigned to receive the maximally tolerated dose of CBT-001 or vehicle dosed three times a day (TID) for 4 weeks with a 20-week follow up. ResultsIn Stage 1, the plasma maximum concentration (Cmax) values for all doses of CBT-001 were at or below the limit of detection (0.01 ng/mL). The most commonly reported adverse events were mild foreign body sensation and irritation. CBT-001 0.2% was evaluated in Stage 2. Baseline demographic characteristics were similar between patients receiving CBT-001 (n = 25) and vehicle (n = 23). After 4 weeks of dosing, mean change from baseline in pterygium vascularity scores was –0.8 ± 0.7 (mean ± standard deviation) in subjects receiving CBT-001 0.2% and 0.0 ± 0.5 in subjects receiving vehicle (P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.12, -0.40). Pterygium vascularity scores remained significantly decreased, after the 4-week dosing period, at weeks 8 and 16, but not at week 24. Mean changes from baseline in the length of the pterygia were also significantly lower in subjects receiving CBT-001 compared to vehicle at weeks 2, 4, and 8 (P≤0.014). The most commonly reported adverse events were ocular, mild in severity, resolved after therapy, and did not result in discontinuation. ConclusionsCBT-001 0.2% decreased pterygia vascularity and lesion length after 4 weeks of dosing with a prolonged effect after dosing. The drug was well tolerated with minimal detected systemic drug levels.

Sorafenib-Encapsulated Liposomes to Activate Hypoxia-Sensitive Tirapazamine for Synergistic Chemotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Combination therapy with the synergistic effect is an effective way in cancer chemotherapy. Herein, an antiangiogenic sorafenib (SOR) and hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ)-coencapsulated liposome (LipTPZ/SOR) is prepared for chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SOR is a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The antiangiogenesis effect of SOR can reduce oxygen supply and aggravate tumor hypoxia, which is able to activate hypoxia-sensitive prodrug TPZ, exhibiting the synergistic antitumor effect. LipTPZ/SOR at different molar ratios of TPZ and SOR can significantly inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The mole ratio of TPZ and SOR was optimized to 2:1, which exhibited the best synergetic antitumor effect. The synergistic antitumor mechanism of SOR and TPZ was also investigated in vivo. After treated with SOR, the number of vessels was decreased, and the degree of hypoxia was aggravated in tumor tissues. What is more, in the presence of SOR, TPZ could be activated to inhibit tumor growth. The combination of TPZ and SOR exhibited an excellent synergistic antitumor effect. This research not only provides an innovative strategy to aggravate tumor hypoxia to promote TPZ activation but also paints a blueprint about a new nanochemotherapy regimen for the synergistic chemotherapy of HCC, which has excellent biosafety and bright clinical application prospects.

Association of Cabozantinib Dose Reductions for Toxicity With Clinical Effectiveness in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC): Results From the Canadian Kidney Cancer Information System (CKCis)

BackgroundCabozantinib, an oral multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has demonstrated efficacy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The association between toxicity and therapeutic effectiveness has been established with other TKIs. We investigated whether cabozantinib dose reductions, a surrogate for toxicity and adequate drug exposure, were associated with improved clinical outcomes in mRCC. MethodsEmploying the CKCis database, we analyzed patients treated with cabozantinib in the second line or later between 2011 to 2021. The cohort was stratified into those needing dose reductions (DR) during treatment and those not (no-DR). Outcomes, including objective response rate (ORR), time to treatment failure (TTF), and overall survival (OS), were compared based on dose reduction status. The influence of the initial dose on outcomes was also explored. ResultsAmong 319 cabozantinib-treated patients, 48.3% underwent dose reductions. Response rates exhibited no significant difference between the DR and no-DR groups (15.1% vs. 18.2%, P = .55). Patients with DR had superior median OS (26.15 vs. 15.47 months, P = .019) and TTF (12.74 vs. 6.44 months, P = .022) compared to no-DR patients. These differences retained significance following adjustment for IMDC risk group (OS HR = 0.67, P = .032; TTF HR = 0.65, P = .008). There was no association between the initial dose and ORR, OS, or TTF. ConclusionThis study highlights the link between cabozantinib dose reductions due to toxicity and improved survival and time to treatment failure in mRCC patients. These findings underscore the potential of using on-treatment toxicity as an indicator of adequate drug exposure to individualize dosing and optimize treatment effectiveness. Larger studies are warranted to validate these results and develop individualized strategies for cabozantinib when given alone or in combination with immunotherapy.

Insights into lenvatinib resistance: mechanisms, potential biomarkers, and strategies to enhance sensitivity.

Lenvatinib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor capable of promoting apoptosis, suppressing angiogenesis, inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, and modulating the immune response. In multiple cancer types, lenvatinib has presented manageable safety and is currently approved as an effective first-line therapy. However, with the gradual increase in lenvatinib application, the inevitable progression of resistance to lenvatinib is becoming more prevalent. A series of recent researches have reported the mechanisms underlying the development of lenvatinib resistance in tumor therapy, which are related to the regulation of cell death or proliferation, histological transformation, metabolism, transport processes, and epigenetics. In this review, we aim to outline recent discoveries achieved in terms of the mechanisms and potential predictive biomarkers of lenvatinib resistance as well as to summarize untapped approaches available for improving the therapeutic efficacy of lenvatinib in patients with various types of cancers.

Anlotinib and anti-PD-1 mAbs perfected CIK cell therapy for lung adenocarcinoma in preclinical trials.

Murine cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are heterologous cells that kill various allogeneic and isogenic tumors and have functional and phenotypic characteristics of natural killer cells and T lymphocytes. However, the effect of CIK cells alone on solid tumor therapy is only limited. To enhance the therapeutic effect, it is vital to discover a mix of several therapy approaches. Immune cell function is inhibited by abnormal tumor vessels and the tumor microenvironment, which block lymphocyte entry into tumor tissue. To increase the effectiveness of CIK cells' antitumor activity, antivascular therapy and CIK cell therapy can be combined. Furthermore, anlotinib is a tiny drug with multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitors that can block cell migration, delay angiogenesis, and decrease blood vessel density. Compared with other antiangiogenesis drugs, anlotinib stands out due to the wider target of action and lower effective dose. In this work, anlotinib and murine CIK cells were coupled to boost CD3+ T cell infiltration, CD3+CD4+ T cell infiltration, and expression of granzyme B and interferon γ from CD3+CD8+ T cells, which increased the antitumor activity. Through the generation of cytotoxic cytokines by T lymphocytes, the therapeutic group using anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies in conjunction with anlotinib and CIK cells was more successful than the group receiving dual therapy. The preclinical study contributes to exploring the therapeutic alternatives for patients with lung adenocarcinoma, thus prolonging their lives.

Foretinib, a c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tackles multidrug resistance in cancer cells by inhibiting ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters

BackgroundABC transporter-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a major obstacle for cancer pharmacological treatment. Some tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been shown to reverse MDR. The present study was designed to evaluate for the first time whether foretinib, a multitargeted TKI, can circumvent ABCB1 and ABCG2-mediated MDR in treatment-resistant cancer models. MethodsAccumulation of fluorescent substrates of ABCB1 and ABCG2 in ABCB1-overexpressing MES-SA/DX5 and ABCG2-overexpressing MCF-7/MX and their parenteral cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. The growth inhibitory activity of single and combination therapy of foretinib and chemotherapeutic drugs on MDR cells was examined by MTT assay. Analysis of combined interaction effects was performed using CalcuSyn software. ResultsIt was firstly proved that foretinib increased the intracellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 and mitoxantrone in MES-SA/DX5 and MCF-7/MX cancer cells, with accumulation ratios of 12 and 2.2 at 25 μM concentration, respectively. However, it did not affect the accumulation of fluorescent substrates in the parental cells. Moreover, foretinib synergistically improved the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin and mitoxantrone. The means of combination index (CI) values at fraction affected (Fa) values of 0.5, 0.75, and 0.9 were 0.64 ± 0.08 and 0.47 ± 0.09, in MES-SA/DX5 and MCF-7/MX cancer cells, respectively. In silico analysis also suggested that the drug-binding domain of ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters could be considered as potential target for foretinib. ConclusionOverall, our results suggest that foretinib can target MDR-linked ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters in clinical cancer therapy.

Influence of genetic polymorphisms in vascular endothelial-related genes on the clinical outcome of axitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT Objective Axitinib is an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Because of the severe adverse events (AEs) associated with axitinib, patients often need dose reductions or discontinue its use, highlighting the need for effective biomarkers to assess efficacy and/or AEs. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the pharmacodynamic action of axitinib and clinical prognosis and AEs in metastatic RCC (mRCC) patients. Methods This study included 80 mRCC patients treated with first-, second-, or third-line axitinib (5 mg orally twice daily). Clinical parameters and genetic polymorphisms were examined in 75 cases (53 males and 22 females). We assessed three SNPs in each of three candidate genes namely, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3), and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R), all of which are involved in axitinib effects on vascular endothelial function. Results Axitinib-treated patients carrying the ACE deletion allele suffered more frequently from hand-foot syndrome and a deterioration in kidney function (p = .045 and p = 0.005, respectively) whereas those carrying the NOS3 G allele suffered more frequently from proteinuria and multiple AEs (p = .025 and p = 0.036, respectively). Conclusions Our study found that the ACE deletion allele and the NOS3 G allele are associated with increased AEs.

Hair depigmentation in a patient treated with pazopanib: A case report and a comprehensive analysis

Pazopanib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for the treatment of various solid tumor malignancies. Hair color change, particularly hair depigmentation, is a common side effect of pazopanib therapy. However, it usually develops gradually over a span of few months. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of hair depigmentation in patients treated with pazopanib, focusing on the various aspects of this phenomenon, including its onset, possible causes, and potential implications for therapy success. Multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MKIs) including pazopanib are recommended for various malignancies. Hair color changes are known side effects of MKIs. The exact mechanisms behind hair depigmentation due to pazopanib therapy are not yet fully understood. However, researchers believe that several factors may contribute to this phenomenon. We presented a case of a patient with relapse Ewings sarcoma who experienced rapid hair depigmentation during pazopanib therapy.

Access to innovative therapies in pediatric oncology: Report of the nationwide experience in Canada.

The need for new therapies to improve survival and outcomes in pediatric oncology along with the lack of approval and accessible clinical trials has led to "out-of-trial" use of innovative therapies. We conducted a retrospective analysis of requests for innovative anticancer therapy in Canadian pediatric oncology tertiary centers for patients less than 30 years old between 2013 and 2020. Innovative therapies were defined as cancer-directed drugs used (a) off-label, (b) unlicensed drugs being used outside the context of a clinical trial, or (c) approved drugs with limited evidence in pediatrics. We excluded cytotoxic chemotherapy, cellular products, and cytokines. We retrieved data on 352 innovative therapy drug requests. Underlying diagnosis was primary CNS tumor 31%; extracranial solid tumor 37%, leukemia/lymphoma 22%, LCH 2%, and plexiform neurofibroma 6%. RAS/MAP kinase pathway inhibitors were the most frequently requested innovative therapies in 28% of all requests followed by multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (17%), inhibitors of the PIK3CA-mTOR-AKT pathway (8%), immune checkpoints inhibitors (8%), and antibody drug conjugates (8%). In 112 out of 352 requests, innovative therapies were used in combination with another anticancer agent. 48% of requests were motivated by the presence of an actionable molecular target. Compassionate access accounted for 52% of all requests while public insurance was used in 27%. Mechanisms of funding varied between provinces. This real-world data collection illustrates an increasing use of "out-of-trial" innovative therapies in pediatric oncology. This new field of practice warrants further studies to understand the impact on patient trajectory and equity in access to innovative therapies.