Oral Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Research Articles

Targeted Therapies for EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutation in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) frequently harbors mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), with exon 20 insertions comprising 1-10% of these mutations. EGFR exon 20 insertions are less responsive to conventional tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), leading to the development of targeted agents. This review explores key therapeutic agents, such as Amivantamab, Mobocertinib, Poziotinib, Zipalertinib, and Sunvozertinib, which have shown promise in treating NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertions. Amivantamab, a bispecific antibody-targeting EGFR and c-MET, demonstrates significant efficacy, particularly when combined with chemotherapy. Mobocertinib, a TKI, selectively targets EGFR exon 20 mutations but faces limitations in efficacy. Poziotinib, another oral TKI, shows mixed results due to mutation-specific responses. Zipalertinib and Sunvozertinib have emerged as potent TKIs with promising clinical data. Despite these advances, challenges in overcoming resistance mutations and improving central nervous system penetration remain. Future research should focus on optimizing first-line combination therapies and enhancing diagnostic strategies for comprehensive mutation profiling.

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.

Lorlatinib in the second line and beyond for ALK positive lung cancer: real-world data from resource-constrained settings

BackgroundALK-positive lung cancers are known to have favorable responses with oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Lorlatinib is an approved treatment option post first and second-line ALK inhibitors and is now also in first line. We present a retrospective observational study of the safety and efficacy of patients receiving Lorlatinib in second-line and beyond.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study of ALK-positive patients who received Lorlatinib post-progression or intolerance to initial therapy at the Medical Oncology department. The patients who were started on Lorlatinib between January 2018 to December 2019 were included. The patients underwent routine blood and radiological evaluation every two to three months.ResultsA total of 38 patients received Lorlatinib in the specified period. The median age was 48 years (range 23–68), with 53% of patients being male, 37% having comorbidities; the most common being hypertension and diabetes and 79% of patients were of ECOG-PS1. Twenty-two patients (58%) had received two prior TKIs. The most common sites of metastasis before starting Lorlatinib were brain (55%) and bone (53%). All patients except one received prior whole-brain radiotherapy with 4 receiving radiation twice. The median follow-up period was 49 months (95% CI: 46.4–51.6). Eighty-four percent showed disease control with median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 16 months (95% CI 5.4–26.6) and 22 months (95% CI 9.9–34.1) respectively. Twelve patients died without documented progression. Five out of twelve with documented progression had brain involvement while six had lung involvement. Twelve out of twenty-four patients who progressed received subsequent chemotherapy. The most common grade 3 and above toxicities were hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Three (7.8%) patients required dose reduction.ConclusionThis real-world data confirms the efficacy of Lorlatinib in the second line and beyond with adverse effects matching that of registration studies.

Inhibition of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzyme by entrectinib: Implications for drug-drug interactions

As a new type of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, entrectinib can act on multiple targets and exert efficacy and has been approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and solid tumors. However, whether entrectinib affects the activities of recombinant human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of entrectinib on human UGTs and to assess the potential risk of causing drug-drug interactions (DDIs) based on the inhibition against UGTs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of entrectinib on UGTs according to the product formation rate of UGT substrate with or without entrectinib, and the inhibition kinetics experiment was conducted to assess the inhibitory type of entrectinib on UGTs. Our results showed that entrectinib exhibited extensive inhibitory effects on most human UGTs, and especially inhibited the activities of UGT1A7, UGT1A8, and UGT2B15 with Ki (Inhibition constant) of lower than 5 μM (0.95–4.38 μM). Furthermore, the results from quantitative prediction research suggested that the combination of entrectinib at 600 mg/day with substrates primarily metabolized by hepatic UGT2B15 or intestinal UGT1A7 and UGT1A8 might cause clinical DDIs. Thus, special attention should be paid to avoid adverse reactions induced by DDIs when co-administration of entrectinib and drugs metabolized by UGTs.

Development of crizotinib-associated renal cyst in a non-small cell lung cancer patient with ALK fusion: a case report and review of the literature

BackgroundCrizotinib, an oral first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is superior to systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with positive rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). However, an increased incidence of renal and hepatic cysts has been reported in the patients on crizotinib treatment.Case presentationHere, we describe a case of a 71-year-old Chinese women developed multiple cystic lesions in kidney and liver during crizotinib treatment for the primary and metastatic NSCLC. The renal and hepatic cysts were noted by CT scan 3 months after crizotinib treatment, which were spontaneously and significantly regressed after stopping crizotinib.ConclusionsBased on literature review and our experience in this case report, we concluded that crizotinib-associated renal cyst (CARCs) has features of malignancy and abscess in radiographic imaging, and thus, pathological confirmation is necessary to avoid inappropriate treatment decision. In addition, to benefit the patients with progress-free survival (PFS), switching from crizotinib to alectinib is recommended for the treatment of NSCLC patients who developed CARCs.

Abstract CT159: Phase I trial of trastuzumab deruxtecan in combination with neratinib in solid tumors with HER2 alterations (NCI 10495)

Abstract Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression, amplification, or mutation occurs across a variety of solid tumors. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that has been approved by the FDA for HER2-overexpressed advanced breast, gastroesophageal cancers, HER2-low breast cancer, and HER2-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. However, some patients do not derive clinical benefit from T-DXd, and drug resistance is inevitable. Preclinical studies demonstrated that neratinib, an oral irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor, can increase uptake of HER2-targeting ADCs, including ado-trastuzumab emtansine and T-DXd, in vivo. Enhanced uptake of ADC is postulated to be secondary to hindering HSP90 binding to the HER2 receptor, thereby inducing receptor ubiquitination and internalization. This finding was further confirmed in patient-derived xenograft models from two patients with HER2-mutated, but non-amplified, low-expressing advanced breast cancer. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of T-DXd and neratinib in patients with advanced solid tumors with a HER2 alteration will enhance the efficacy of T-DXd. As T-DXd and neratinib may have overlapping toxicities in patients, a phase I study to establish the safety of the combination is warranted. Methods: This is a multi-center, phase I clinical trial (NCT05372614, NCI 10495) with a 3+3 design to study the safety and tolerability of T-DXd and neratinib. The trial is supported by the National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network. Eligible patients have advanced solid tumors with HER2 overexpression, amplification by ISH/NGS, or an activating HER2 mutation. Up to 18 evaluable patients will be enrolled in the dose escalation portion (Part 1), and 12 patients will be enrolled in the pharmacodynamic cohort (Part 2). During Part 1, the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase 2 dose will be determined for neratinib. The dose of T-DXd is fixed at 5.4 mg/kg. We are actively enrolling patients in Part 1. The primary endpoint is dose-limiting toxicities of the combination during the first 2 cycles of treatment (42 days). Key secondary objectives of the study include T-DXd payload (DXd/MAAA-1181a) in tumor tissue obtained before and after co-treatment with neratinib to assess the potential enhanced payload concentration with the combination and quantitative HER2 assessed by mass spectrometry using multiplex reaction monitoring. Citation Format: Andrew A. Davis, Ecaterina E. Dumbrava, Aparna Kalyan, Nataliya V. Uboha, Haider S. Mahdi, Reema A. Patel, Farshid Dayyani, Jessica Porzel, Whitney L. Hensing, Cynthia X. Ma, Ron Bose, Haeseong Park. Phase I trial of trastuzumab deruxtecan in combination with neratinib in solid tumors with HER2 alterations (NCI 10495) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr CT159.

The efficiency and safety of low-dose apatinib combined with oral vinorelbine in pretreated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Apatinib is an oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2. Oral vinorelbine is a semisynthetic chemotherapeutic agent of vinorelbine alkaloids. Apatinib and oral vinorelbine have been proved to be effective in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (mBC). At present, several small sample clinical trials have explored the efficacy of apatinib combined with oral vinorelbine in the treatment of mBC. This retrospective study included 100 human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative mBC patients who received low-dose apatinib (250 mg orally per day) plus oral vinorelbine until disease progression or intolerance during February 2017 and March 2023. The progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety were analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software and GraphPad Prism 8 software. Cox proportional hazards regression model for univariate and multivariate was used to identify factors significantly related to PFS and OS. The median follow-up time for this study was 38.1 months. Among 100 patients with HER2-negative mBC, 66 were hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative and 34 were triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The median PFS and OS were 6.0 months (95% CI, 5.2-6.8 months) and 23.0 months (95% CI, 19.9-26.1 months). There were no statistical differences in PFS (p = 0.239) and OS (p = 0.762) between the HR-positive /HER2-negative and TNBC subgroups. The ORR, CBR, and DCR were 21.0%, 58.0%, and 78.0%, respectively. Ninety-five patients (95.0%) experienced varying grades of adverse events (AEs) and 38.0% of patients for Grades 3-4. The most common Grades 3-4 AEs that we observed were neutropenia (30.0%) and leukopenia (25.0%). Low-dose apatinib combined with oral vinorelbine demonstrates potential efficacy and well tolerated for pretreated HER2-negative mBC.

Abstract 2127: Enhancing radiosensitivity in biliary tract cancer: The dual role of surufatinib in tumor suppression and macrophage reprogramming

Abstract Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is notorious for its unfavorable clinical outcomes. Radiotherapy (RT) is a crucial component in BTC treatment. This study explores the radiosensitizing potential and mechanisms of Surufatinib (SF), an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, distinguished by its anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory effects. Methods: In a NOZ mouse xenograft model, tumor growth and expressions of Ki-67, CD31 were analyzed. NOZ and TFK1 BTC cells treated with SF and/or RT underwent assessments for viability, cycle, and apoptosis using CCK8, colony formation, and flow cytometry. Macrophage polarization in SF/RT-treated tumor cell-macrophage co-cultures was studied using Elisa, qRT-PCR, and flow cytometry. Results: In vivo, SF impeded angiogenesis and bolsters the anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy. SF combined with RT significantly reduced subcutaneous tumor growth in nude mice, and diminished Ki-67 and CD31 expressions. In vitro, SF heightened cholangiocarcinoma cells' radio-sensitivity, causing DNA double-strand breaks and apoptosis. SF and radiotherapy combined notably increased γ-H2A expression and apoptosis levels (P<0.05). SF induced inflammatory response changes, favoring M2 to M1 macrophage polarization. In a tumor cell-macrophage co-culture, the SF-radiotherapy group showed increased IL-6 and decreased TGF-β (P<0.05), with upregulated M1 markers (IL-6, CXCL10) and downregulated M2 markers (TGF-β, CCL22, Arg-1) in macrophages (P<0.05). Both in vivo and in vitro, SF significantly reduced CD206+ M2-type macrophages (P<0.05). Conclusion: Surufatinib alters the immune microenvironment in cholangiocarcinoma, reversing the immunosuppressive macrophage polarization induced by radiotherapy and reprogramming M2-type macrophages into M1-type, thereby enhancing the radiosensitivity of cholangiocarcinoma. Citation Format: Ningyu Wang, Hong Ma, Xiangping Mei, Ai Huang, Yong Xiao, Jing Yao. Enhancing radiosensitivity in biliary tract cancer: The dual role of surufatinib in tumor suppression and macrophage reprogramming [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 2127.

Clinical profile and outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma in primary Budd-Chiari syndrome.

There is scant literature on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). To assess the magnitude, clinical characteristics, feasibility, and outcomes of treatment in BCS-HCC. A total of 904 BCS patients from New Delhi, India and 1140 from Mumbai, India were included. The prevalence and incidence of HCC were determined, and among patients with BCS-HCC, the viability and outcomes of interventional therapy were evaluated. In the New Delhi cohort of 35 BCS-HCC patients, 18 had HCC at index presentation (prevalence 1.99%), and 17 developed HCC over a follow-up of 4601 person-years, [incidence 0.36 (0.22-0.57) per 100 person-years]. BCS-HCC patients were older when compared to patients with BCS alone (P = 0.001) and had a higher proportion of inferior vena cava block, cirrhosis, and long-segment vascular obstruction. The median alpha-fetoprotein level was higher in patients with BCS-HCC at first presentation than those who developed HCC at follow-up (13029 ng/mL vs 500 ng/mL, P = 0.01). Of the 35 BCS-HCC, 26 (74.3%) underwent radiological interventions for BCS, and 22 (62.8%) patients underwent treatment for HCC [transarterial chemoembolization in 18 (81.8%), oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor in 3 (13.6%), and transarterial radioembolization in 1 (4.5%)]. The median survival among patients who underwent interventions for HCC compared with those who did not was 3.5 years vs 3.1 mo (P = 0.0001). In contrast to the New Delhi cohort, the Mumbai cohort of BCS-HCC patients were predominantly males, presented with a more advanced HCC [Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer C and D], and 2 patients underwent liver transplantation. HCC is not uncommon in patients with BCS. Radiological interventions and liver transplantation are feasible in select primary BCS-HCC patients and may improve outcomes.

Dasatinib-Induced Chylothorax- A Rare Case

Dasatinib is an efficacious and highly potent second-generation oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the therapy of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Pulmonary complications are commonly seen with Dasatinib therapy out of which pleural effusion is the most frequent finding. Pleural effusion in these cases is caused secondary to fluid retention, however, chylothorax causing pleural effusion is exceptionally rare. A 58-year-old man treated with second-line Dasatinib for CML presented to us with Empyema thoracis for a chest tube insertion. Thoracentesis showed thick dirty haemorrhagic aspirate, which was then inferred as chylothorax by cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. After the exclusion of other common causes, drug-induced chylothorax was confirmed. Dasatinib was stopped, a short course of prednisolone was given and the chylothorax resolved. A substitute drug as suggested by the haematologist was started. There was no reoccurrence of pleural effusion.

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.

Repotrectinib (Augtyro) for non-small cell lung cancer.

The FDA has approved the oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor repotrectinib (Augtyro – BMS) for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults. Repotrectinib is the third oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor to be approved for this indication in the US; crizotinib (Xalkori) and entrectinib (Rozlytrek) were approved earlier.

Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel combined with afatinib in metastatic pancreatic cancer – Results of a phase 1b clinical trial

PurposeThe combination of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel is an established standard treatment in the first-line treatment of metastatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (mPDAC). Afatinib, an oral second-generation pan ErbB family tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown promising pre-clinical signs in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this phase 1b trial was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of afatinib in combination with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with mPDAC. MethodsTreatment naïve patients (≥18 years) with histologically proven mPDAC and good performance status (ECOG 0/1) were enrolled to receive gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in combination with afatinib. Treatment was continued until disease progression, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint MTD was determined using a 3 + 3 design. Treatment started at dose level 0 with intravenous gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel 1000 mg/m2 / 125 mg/m2 (day 1, 8, 15 of a 28-day cycle) + oral afatinib 30 mg daily. At dose level + 1 afatinib was increased to 40 mg. Secondary endpoints included safety parameters and exploratory endpoints evaluated treatment efficacy. ResultsTwelve patients were included in this trial, and 11 patients were treated and analysed in the safety and full analysis set (FAS). At dose level 0 the first three patients did not experience a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). At dose leve (DL) + 1 two patients experienced a DLT. Accordingly, enrolment continued at DL 0 with three more patients, of which one experienced DLT (skin rash ≥ CTCAE grade 3). Seven patients (63.6%) experienced at least one treatment-emergent serious adverse event (TESAE), with four patients (36.4%) experiencing TESAEs grade 3–5 related to the study medication. In the FAS, the objective response rate (ORR) was 36.4%, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.5 months and median overall survival in nine evaluable patients was 7.5 months. ConclusionsIn this phase 1b clinical trial, the MTD of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (1000 mg/m2 / 125 mg/m2) and afatinib (30 mg) was established. In a cohort of 11 patients, the combination showed an acceptable safety profile.

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.

Camrelizumab combined with apatinib for unresectable, metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a single-center, single-arm, prospective study.

The prognosis for esophageal cancer (EC), a common malignant tumor, is poor. The new oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor apatinib has shown an excellent therapeutic effect on treating EC. Camrelizumab is a humanized programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor with high affinity. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy have become the standard first-line treatment for advanced EC. The new combination strategy of anti-angiogenic therapy combined with immunotherapy has great application prospects in the treatment of tumors. We aimed to assess camrelizumab in combination with apatinib as a new combination regimen for advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we recruited patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2, with pathologically confirmed unresectable, locally advanced, locally recurrent, or metastatic ESCC. Each patient received an intravenous infusion of camrelizumab 200 mg and oral administration of apatinib 250 mg once a day, every 21 days, as a cycle until disease progression, intolerance, or death. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), while the Kaplan-Meier method and LIFETEST procedure were used to estimate survival functions for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.03, was used to evaluate adverse events. Between December 1, 2019 and July 31, 2022, 35 patients were enrolled, with 29 patients in the efficacy and safety analysis. The ORR was 34.5%, and the disease control rate (DCR) reached 82.8%. Median OS was 13.8 months (95% CI: 11.2-16.2), and the estimated 6-, 9-, and 12-month OS rates were 85.5% (95% CI: 65.7-94.3%), 80.9% (95% CI: 60.3-91.5%), and 67.0% (95% CI: 43.8-82.4%), respectively. Median PFS was 9.5 months (95% CI: 7.0-13.6). The most prominent grade ≥3 adverse events associated with treatments were alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increase (10.3%), hypertension (10.3%), and reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (CCEP) (6.9%), and no deaths occurred due to adverse events. Among patients with advanced or metastatic ESCC, camrelizumab combined with apatinib showed a reasonable remission rate and survival benefit with a manageable safety profile.

Quantification of midostaurin in plasma and serum by stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: Application to a cohort of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Midostaurin is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therapeutic drug monitoring of midostaurin may support its safe use when suspecting toxicity or combined with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. A stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination and quantification of midostaurin in human plasma and serum. Midostaurin serum concentrations were analyzed in 12 patients with FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-mutated AML during induction chemotherapy with cytarabine, daunorubicin, and midostaurin. Posaconazole was used as prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections. Linear quantification of midostaurin was demonstrated across a concentration range of 0.01-8.00 mg/L. Inter- and intraday imprecisions of the proposed method were well within ±10%. Venous blood samples were taken in nine and three patients in the first and second cycle of induction chemotherapy. Median (range) midostaurin serum concentration was 7.9 mg/L (1.5-26.1 mg/L) as determined in 37 independent serum specimens. In a real-life cohort of AML patients, interindividual variability in midostaurin serum concentrations was high, highlighting issues concerning optimal drug dosing in AML patients. A personalized dosage approach may maximize the safety of midostaurin. Prospective studies and standardization of analytical methods to support such an approach are needed.

A phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of anlotinib combined with penpulimab for advanced refractory biliary tract cancer.

TPS582 Background: Although with modest efficacy, mFOLFOX is recommended as standard second-line chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Several clinical trials are exploring the combination treatment of antiangiogenic drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Anlotinib is an oral multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting VEGFR1/2/3, FGFR1-4 and PDGFRα/β, which effectively blocks tumor neovascularization and growth. Previous phase I/II clinical trials suggested that anlotinib combined with PD-(L)1 inhibitors as second-line therapy was well tolerated and showed clinical anti-tumor activity in advanced biliary tract cancer (NCT03825705, NCT03996408, ChiCTR1900022003, ChiCTR2000037847). Penpulimab is a novel humanized anti-PD-1 IgG1 antibody with complete removal of Fc receptor mediated effect, and featuring slow antigen binding off-rate and high receptor occupancy. In this study, we explore anlotinib plus penpulimab as a chemo-free combination for second-line and above therapy. Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm, phase II study. BTC patients (pts) failed after the first-line treatment, aged 18-75 and an ECOG PS of 0-1 were recruited.Eligible pts received anlotinib (12mg, po, d1-14, q3w) and penpulimab (200mg, iv, d1, q3w) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was Objective Response Rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included Overall survival (OS), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Disease Control Rate (DCR) and safety. Based on a two-sided test for one proportion with 5.0% type I error, 80% power to detect an improvement in ORR from 5% to 22%, there will be 27 pts enrolled considering 20% of pts dropping out. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2300069126 .

Updated survival results of ALTER-C002: Anlotinib combined with CAPEOX as first-line treatment in RAS/BRAF wild-type unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer.

131 Background: Anlotinib is an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, mainly targeting VEGFR 1-3, FGFR 1-4, PDGFR a/b and c-kit. Previous trial had demonstrated that anlotinib monotherapy was effective and safe in advanced colorectal cancer. ALTER-C002 trial is an open-label, single-arm, phase II study, aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus CAPEOX as first-line therapy in patients with RAS/ BRAF wild-type unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The progression-free survival has been reported, preliminary results demonstrated significant antitumor activity and manageable toxicity, here we reported the overall survival results at the data cutoff of May 29, 2023. Methods: RAS/BRAF wild-type unresectable mCRC patients with no prior systemic treatment received anlotinib (12 mg p.o. qd, d1-d14, q3w), capecitabine (850 mg/m2 p.o., bid, d1-d14, q3w) and oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 i.v., d1, q3w) for 6 cycles followed by anlotinib and capecitabine as maintenance therapy until disease progression. Tumor response was assessed every 6 weeks according to RECIST v1.1 by investigator. The primary endpoint was ORR, and secondary endpoints included safety, DCR, DOR and PFS. Results: From Nov 2019 to February 2021, 30 eligible patients were enrolled, of whom, median age was 60y (range, 32-72y), 26 (86.7%) had left colon or rectal cancer, and 25 (83.3%) had liver metastases. In previous reports, ORR, DCR, and median PFS were 76.7%, 93.3%, and 11.3 months, respectively. At a Median follow-up of 31.7 months (95% CI, 27.8-35.6), the median OS was 29.7 months (95% CI, 21.2-38.2), the 24-month OS rate was 55.0% (95%CI, 35.4-70.9%) and the 30-month OS rate was 40.6% (95%CI:21.6-58.9%). Conclusions: Anlotinib combined with oxaliplatin and capecitabine achieved considerable OS and showed potential efficacy as first-line therapy for mCRC with manageable toxicity profiles. Clinical trial information: NCT04080843 .

Fruquintinib with PD-1 inhibitors versus fruquintinib monotherapy in late-line mCRC: A retrospective cohort study based on propensity score matching.

139 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are highly effective in patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the population of MSI-H/dMMR only accounts for 5% of mCRC. And most of the remaining microsatellite stable or proficient mismatch repair (MSS/pMMR) mCRC patients appeared not to benefit from mere immunotherapy. Fruquintinib, as the standard third-line regimen for mCRC, is an oral small-molecule anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Studies demonstrated that fruquintinib combined with programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors (FP) can reverse the immunosuppression and achieve promising efficacy. However, due to the lack of the research comparing the efficacy between fruquintinib monotherapy (FM) and FP, it remains unclear if FP can bring extra benefit. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Patients (pts) with MSS/pMMR mCRC who had received at least the 2nd line treatment were eligible. Propensity score (PS) would be calculated to balance the baseline characteristics of two cohorts. Progression-Free survival (PFS) was set as the primary endpoint. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate PFS and to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: From Apr 2020 to Jan 2023, 83 eligible pts in total were enrolled. According to the treatment received, 47 and 36 pts were respectively allocated into FP cohort and FM cohort. With a global median follow-up of 16.5 mo, the crude PFS was 6.8 (95% CI: 4.3-11.3) mo in FP cohort vs. 3.9 (3.1-4.7) mo in FM cohort. The HR of FP was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.34-0.98, FM as reference). Multivariate Cox regression showed that the adjusted HR was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.26-0.93), which was adjusted with sex, age greater than 65 yr, ECOG-PS, RAS mutation, BRAF mutation, location of lesion (left or right), surgery history, metastases (liver and lung), prior medication (bevacizumab and cetuximab), and current line (3 or later). With PS, we performed three statistical methods, namely inverse probability weighting, PS matching (the sample size was 37 vs. 29 after matching), and additional adjustment for propensity score with multivariate cox regression. The HR of FP were 0.49 (95% CI: 0.26-0.94), 0.40 (95% CI: 0.21-0.77), and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.24-0.90), respectively. Conclusions: Pts in FP cohort showed a significantly greater PFS than those in FM cohort. And with further analysis, FP indicated robustly lower HRs than FM. Our study suggests FP could provide additional benefits to pts with MSS/pMMR mCRC, and warrants further investigations in a large cohort.

Dasatinib loaded mucoadhesive lecithin-chitosan hybrid nanoparticles for its augmented oral delivery, in-vitro efficacy and safety

Dasatinib (DAS) is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor; however, its efficacy is significantly subsided by its low oral bioavailability. The present research aimed to improve DAS’s oral delivery and efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer by fabricating its mucoadhesive lecithin-chitosan hybrid nanoparticles (DAS-L/CS-NPs). DAS-L/CS-NPs were optimized using Box-Behnken design which showed mean particle size and percent entrapment efficiency of 179.7 ± 5.42 nm and 64.65 ± 0.06 %, respectively. DAS-L/CS-NPs demonstrated sustained release profile in different release media up to 48 h and showed 10 times higher apparent permeability coefficient and flux than free DAS suspension. The binding of DAS-L/CS-NPs to the mucus layer was demonstrated via ex-vivo mucoadhesion study and change in absorbance using turbidimetry. In cell culture studies, DAS-L/CS-NPs revealed a 4.14-fold decrease in IC50, significantly higher cellular uptake and mitochondrial membrane depolarization, 3.82-fold increased reactive oxygen species generation and 2.10-fold enhanced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells than free DAS. In in-vivo pharmacokinetic assessment, DAS-L/CS-NPs showed a 5.08-fold and 3.74-fold rise in AUC (0-t) and Cmax than free DAS suspension, respectively. An acute toxicity study revealed a good safety profile of DAS-L/CS-NPs. In a nutshell, proposed hybrid nanoparticles are promising carriers for improved oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.