Preoperative Nivolumab Research Articles

Preoperative nivolumab plus SOX in patients with locally advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction cancer: A phase 2, single-arm trial.

4074 Background: Preoperative chemotherapy has been widely recommended in patients with locally advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC), and the addition of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor is under investigation. We conducted a single-arm phase II trial (Stimulate-01) to evaluate the efficacy and safe of the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab plus SOX regimen in patients with locally advanced GC/GEJC and to explore the biomarker associated with therapy response. Methods: Patients with locally advanced GC/GEJC (cT3-4N+M0) were enrolled and received either 3 preoperative and 3 postoperative cycles of nivolumab (360 mg, IV, d1, Q21d) plus SOX regimen (oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2, IV, d1 with oral S-1 40-60mg, bid, d1-d14, Q21d) therapy, followed by 11 cycles of nivolumab monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, while the major pathological response rate (mPR), 3-year-DFS and 3-year-OS as the second endpoint. This clinical trial was registered at Clinicaltrial.gov (NCT05739045). In addition, tissue sample before and after treatment from patients were performed scRNA-seq. Results: Forty-six patients were enrolled from November 2022 to March 2023, with a median age of 66 years (range, 34-74), and 38 were male. The pCR rate was 28.26% [95% confidence interval (CI), 15.2%-41.3%], and the major pathologic response (mPR) [tumor regression grade (TRG)0/1] rate was 41.3% (95% CI, 27.1%-55.5%). All the patients underwent R0 resection. The mPR rate in patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥5 and patients with PD-L1 CPS<5 was 42.86% vs 38.89% ( P= 0.790). In addition, This clinical study period spans from epidemic control to full liberalization in China. The mPR rate in patients infected with COVID-19 was 44.44% (12/27), while the mPR rate in patients who have not been infected with COVID-19 was 36.84% (7/19) ( P=0.146). There were no severe complications or death related to the surgery. The scRNA-seq data revealed that the composition of MHC-II (HLA-DRA, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DPB1 and HLA-DQB1) were significantly over-expressed in cancer cell of treatment-sensitive patients (TRG0/1) compared to that of treatment-insensitive patients (TRG2/3). Then the MHC-II expression in pre-treatment biopsy samples from 240 GC patients who received preoperative immunotherapy plus chemotherapy were performed by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the mPR rate in patients with MHC-II IHC ≥2 and patients with MHC-II IHC<2 was 58.87% (83/141) vs 21.21% (21/99) ( P<0.001). Conclusions: Nivolumab plus SOX as neoadjuvant therapy showed an encouraging pCR rate, mPR rate, and manageable safety. The long-term efficacy of this combination of regimens will be continued to follow up. In addition, the MHC-II expression may be a potential biomarker for predicting the effectiveness of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for GC/GEJC. Clinical trial information: NCT05739045 .

Multimodal Integrative Genomics and Pathology Analyses in Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Treatment for Intermediate and Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Introduction: Immunotherapy has resulted in pathologic responses in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the benefits and molecular mechanisms of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade are largely unknown. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of preoperative nivolumab (anti-PD-1) in patients with intermediate and locally advanced HCC and determined the molecular markers for predicting treatment response. Results: Between July 2020 and November 2021, 20 treatment-naive HCC patients with intermediate and locally advanced tumors received preoperative nivolumab at 3 mg/kg for 3 cycles prior to surgical resection. Nineteen patients underwent surgical resection on trial. Seven (36.8%) of the 19 patients had major pathologic tumor necrosis (≥60%) in the post-nivolumab resection specimens, with 3 having almost complete (>90%) tumor necrosis. The tumor necrosis was hemorrhagic and often accompanied by increased or dense immune cell infiltrate at the border of the tumors. None of the patients developed major adverse reactions contradicting hepatectomy. RNA-sequencing analysis on both pre-nivolumab tumor biopsies and post-nivolumab resected specimens showed that, in cases with major pathologic necrosis, the proportion of CD8 T cells in the HCC tissues predominantly increased after treatment. Moreover, to investigate noninvasive biomarker for nivolumab response, we evaluated the copy number variation (CNV) using target-panel sequencing on plasma cell-free DNA of the patients and derived a CNV-based anti-PD-1 score. The score correlated with the extent of tumor necrosis and was validated in a Korean patient cohort with anti-PD-1 treatment. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant nivolumab demonstrated promising clinical activity in intermediate and locally advanced HCC patients. We also identified useful noninvasive biomarker predicting responsiveness.

Tadalafil Enhances Immune Signatures in Response to Neoadjuvant Nivolumab in Resectable Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

We hypothesize that the addition of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil to the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab, is safe and will augment immune-mediated antitumor responses in previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). We conducted a two-arm multi-institutional neoadjuvant randomized trial in any-stage resectable HNSCC (NCT03238365). Patients were stratified at randomization by human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Patients in both arms received nivolumab 240 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15 followed by surgery on day 28. Those in the combination therapy arm also received tadalafil 10 mg orally once daily for 4 weeks. Imaging, blood, and tumor were obtained pretreatment and posttreatment for correlative analysis. Neoadjuvant therapy was well-tolerated with no grade 3 to 5 adverse events and no surgical delays. Twenty-five of 46 (54%) evaluable patients had a pathologic treatment response of ≥20%, including three (7%) patients with a complete pathologic response. Regardless of HPV status, tumor proliferation rate was a negative predictor of response. A strong pretreatment T-cell signature in the HPV-negative cohort was a predictor of response. Tadalafil altered the immune microenvironment, as evidenced by transcriptome data identifying enriched B- and natural killer cell gene sets in the tumor and augmented effector T cells in the periphery. Preoperative nivolumab ± tadalafil is safe in HNSCC and results in more than 50% of the patients having a pathologic treatment response of at least 20% after 4 weeks of treatment. Pretreatment specimens identified HPV status-dependent signatures that predicted response to immunotherapy while posttreatment specimens showed augmentation of the immune microenvironment with the addition of tadalafil.

Intracerebral administration of CTLA-4 and PD-1 immune checkpoint blocking monoclonal antibodies in patients with recurrent glioblastoma: a phase I clinical trial

BackgroundPatients with recurrent glioblastoma (rGB) have a poor prognosis with a median overall survival (OS) of 30–39 weeks in prospective clinical trials. Intravenous administration of programmed cell death protein 1...

A pilot study of preoperative nivolumab in high-risk nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma.

323 Background: Immunotherapy improves survival in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but has no established role for perioperative use in patients with localized RCC. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy is a promising strategy in several cancers, and may leverage the primary tumor as antigen source. Methods: We conducted a single institution pilot study of neoadjuvant nivolumab in patients with RCC undergoing nephrectomy with curative intent. Patients were eligible if their risk of metastatic recurrence within the first 12 years was >20% by an established nomogram. After confirmatory biopsy and renal MRI, patients were treated with standard dose nivolumab every 2 weeks for 4 treatments, with a follow-up renal MRI prior to nephrectomy. The primary end points of the study were safety and feasibility defined as being able to complete 3/4 treatments without surgical delay. We evaluated adverse events by CTCAE, surgical safety by Clavien-Dindo classification, and tumor radiographic response by RECIST 1.1. Results: Eighteen (11 men, 7 women; median age 60) were enrolled. All patients had clear cell RCC, median tumor size at baseline was 8.8cm (range 6.4-14.2cm). Median predicted 12-year probability of recurrence was 45% (range 25-71%). All received at least 1 dose of nivolumab; 16/18 patients completed all 4 doses. 17/18 (94%) patients completed at least 3 doses. No patient had notable delay in the timing of their nephrectomy. 4 patients had surgical complications per Clavien-Dindo classification, including 2 with grade 3a chylous ascites after lymphadenectomy. Two patients had nivolumab discontinued for immune-related adverse events, including grade 3 transaminitis and grade 2 arthralgias; a third patient developed grade 4 colitis 4 months after completing nivolumab. All patients had stable disease as the best response prior to surgery. Recurrence-free survival at 2 years was 0.74 (95%CI 0.45-0.90). We analyzed an additional 21 patients with metastatic RCC (20 ccRCC, 1 epithelioid AML) who subsequently had nephrectomy after standard immunotherapy. 15 patients had received ipilimumab+nivolumab, 6 received single-agent PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors. 3 (14%) patients achieved a near or complete pathologic response, including a patient with epithelioid AML. Analysis of radiologic and pathologic biomarkers of response are ongoing and will be presented at conference. Conclusions: In this pilot study, there were no new safety signals or delays in surgery with preoperative nivolumab. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy shows preliminary evidence of safety, feasibility and efficacy; biomarker studies may help identify individuals who may have a higher likelihood of response. Clinical trial information: NCT02595918 .

1116PD - A window of opportunity trial of preoperative nivolumab with or without tadalafil in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN): Safety, clinical, and correlative outcomes

BackgroundTadalafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor was found to decrease MDSC, Treg, arginase and iNOS expression with an increase in cytotoxic effector T cells. In order to improve on the clinical efficacy of PD-1 blockade platform, we designed a window of opportunity trial to test the immunological and therapeutic effects of nivolumab and tadalafil combination. MethodsWe conducted an investigator-initiated, two-arm multi-institutional window of opportunity randomized trial in patients with SCCHN of any stage, who were candidates for complete surgical resection (NCT03238365). Subjects in the two cohorts received nivolumab 240mg intravenously on day 1 and 15 followed by surgery on day 28. Subjects in the combination cohort received tadalafil 10mg p.o. once daily for 4 weeks. Patients were stratified to HPV status. Imaging, blood and tumor were obtained pretreatment and post treatment and used for immunological correlatives. The primary endpoint was correlative analysis of immune cell polarization. We present results with complete study accrual. ResultsOf 47 randomized patients, 21 had HPV + tumors. 45/47 patients completed the treatment regimen. Grade 3 serious adverse event (SAEs) occurred in 18% of pts. No related AE’s resulted in delay of surgery. Preliminary evaluation of pathologic treatment effect (TE) was assessed on post treatment specimens showing that 25% of pts demonstrated no treatment effect (TE), 25% had 1-20% TE, 41% had 21-99%TE and 9% had CR. Patients receiving tadalafil amplified intratumoral transcript levels consistent with enhanced myeloid infiltration and T cell activation. This was associated with changes in cytokine levels in patients sera consistent with altered myeloid phenotypes. ConclusionsNivolumab +/- tadalafil demonstrated a range of treatment responses with 50% of pts having a pathologic TE>21% in 4 weeks. In the context of PD-1 blockade, tadalafil enhanced T lymphocyte and myeloid cell infiltration. The mechanisms underlying this shift warrant further investigation. Clinical trial identificationNCT03238365. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingBristol-Myers Squibb. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Abstract CT124: Sitravatinib and nivolumab in oral cavity cancer window of opportunity study (SNOW)

Abstract Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (SCCOC) often presents at early stages but its prognosis remains guarded, with a 5-year survival rate of 60% despite curative-intent therapies. Preoperative window-of-opportunity (WOO) studies in resectable SCCOC enable pharmacodynamic evaluation of molecular endpoints without compromising curative-intent treatment. Preoperative nivolumab in SCCOC was safe and showed promising tumor responses in CheckMate-358 WOO study (Ferris et al. ESMO 2017, LBA46). Sitravatinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor which potently inhibits Tyro, AXL, Mer, and VEGF family of receptors, has shown encouraging results when combined with nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer patients who have progressed on anti-PD-1 agents (Leal et al. ESMO 2018, 1129O). We hypothesize that sitravatinib and nivolumab have synergistic antitumor and immunogenic effects by increasing tumor immune infiltration and by blocking oncogenic pathways implicated in disease progression and immune-checkpoint resistance. Methods: Trial design: SNOW is a single-center, non-randomized WOO study of preoperative sitravatinib and nivolumab in patients with resectable SCCOC. Sitravatinib 120 mg is given orally once daily from day 1 until 48h before surgery or for a maximum period of 28 days. Nivolumab 240mg is given intravenously on day 15 for one dose only. Surgery is planned between days 23-30 following study treatment initiation. Fresh tumor biopsies and serial blood samples for extensive immunophenotyping and evaluation of other pharmacodynamic biomarkers, as well as clinical photographs of the tumor, are collected at baseline, on day 15 prior to nivolumab and at the time of surgery. 18FAZA-PET scans are performed at baseline and before surgery. Key eligibility criteria: previously untreated and resectable SCCOC; T2-4a, N0-2 or T1 (greater than 1 cm)-N2; no history of tumor bleeding or invasion of major vessels; adequate organ function; no autoimmune disorders; no immunosuppressive therapy. Study objectives: primary objective is to evaluate the immune and pharmacodynamic effects of sitravatinib plus nivolumab. Secondary objectives are: safety and tolerability including toxicity, rate of surgery completion within the planned window and rate of postoperative complications; antitumor activity including rate of complete pathological response; pharmacokinetics of sitravatinib alone and in combination with nivolumab. Correlative studies: tumor and blood immunophenotyping, tumor genome and transcriptome analysis, changes in intratumoral hypoxia based on 18FAZA-PET testing. Sample size: SNOW is a proof-of-concept study with no specific statistical assumptions at trial onset. We plan to enroll 12-15 patients evaluable for correlative studies. Study activation: Aug 30th, 2018. Two patients enrolled as of Jan 10th2019. Clinical trial identification: NCT03575598. Citation Format: Marc Oliva Bernal, Douglas Chepeha, Amy Prawira, Douglass Vines, Anna Spreafico, Scott Bratman, John De Almeida, Aaron Hansen, David Goldstein, Ralph Gilbert, Patrick Gullane, Dale H. Brown, Ilan Weinreb, Bayardo Perez-Ordoñez, Pamela S. Ohashi, Tracy McGaha, Ben X. Wang, Jonathan Irish, Isan Chen, Lillian L. Siu. Sitravatinib and nivolumab in oral cavity cancer window of opportunity study (SNOW) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT124.

610TiP - Preoperative nivolumab in patients(pts) with locally advanced colon cancer (T3 or T4): A window-of-opportunity study (NICOLE)

610TiP - Preoperative nivolumab in patients(pts) with locally advanced colon cancer (T3 or T4): A window-of-opportunity study (NICOLE)