Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer Research Articles

A Phase II Placebo-Controlled Study of the Effect and Safety of Nanvuranlat in Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers Previously Treated by Systemic Chemotherapy.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nanvuranlat [an L-type amino acid transporter 1 inhibitor] monotherapy as a later-line treatment in advanced, metastatic, and refractory biliary tract cancers. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study was conducted across fourteen leading Japanese cancer centers and hospitals. Nanvuranlat 25 mg/m2/day or placebo was given intravenously in cycles of 5 consecutive days, followed by 9 days off. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival and disease control rate. Subgroup analysis was performed in patients with high L-type amino acid transporter 1 expression and biliary tract cancer subtypes. A total of 211 patients were screened, of which 105 eligible patients were randomized. Among these, 70 received nanvuranlat and 35 received placebo. Nanvuranlat demonstrated an improvement in PFS when compared with placebo (HR, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.90; P = 0.02). Grade 3 or higher adverse events were reported in 30.0% and 22.9% of those in the nanvuranlat and placebo groups, respectively. The overall survival was not statistically different between nanvuranlat- and placebo-treated patients. An exploratory analysis indicated that nanvuranlat is warranted to evaluate its long-term clinical benefit in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer. Compared with placebo, nanvuranlat improved PFS in patients with advanced and refractory biliary tract cancer with an acceptable safety profile. Further studies of this promising compound are warranted in the population of patients who are exhausted from treatment options.

Treatment outcomes by stratifying the N-acetyl transferase 2 phenotype in pre-treated patients with advanced refractory biliary tract cancer treated with nanvuranlat, an L-type amino acid transporter inhibitor: An ad-hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study.

483 Background: L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5) is overexpressed in cancer cells, leading to aggressive proliferation and lymphatic metastases. In a placebo-controlled, randomized phase 2 trial involving patients with pre-treated, advanced, refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC), monotherapy with nanvuranlat (JPH203), a selective LAT1 inhibitor, demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival (PFS) as the primary endpoint compared to placebo. The safety profile was comparable between nanvuranlat and placebo treated patients, except for a higher rate of cholangitis in the nanvuranlat group. Nanvuranlat is metabolized to its main inactive, off-target metabolite, Nac-JPH203 by N-acetyl transferase 2 ( NAT2). Since the NAT2 unknown patients mislead the benefit and risk ratio of nanvuranlat treatment, an ad-hoc analysis was conducted in enriched NAT2 non-rapid (NR) phenotype patients who slowly produced Nac-JPH203 in plasma. Methods: Among 104 (full analytical set (FAS) - nanvuranlat:69 & placebo:35) enrolled patients, 25 with unknown NAT2 phenotype were enrolled prior to an amendment to only enroll NAT2-NR phenotype. Subsequently, further analysis was conducted to determine the NAT2 phenotypes of these 25 patients. Results: Among the 25 NAT2 unknown patients, 16 and 9 patients were assigned to nanvuranlat or placebo, respectively. NAT2 ad hoc analysis recorded those 9 patients in nanvuranlat and 5 in placebo as NAT2 NR, and 7 patients in nanvuranlat and 4 in placebo were NAT2 rapid (R). As a result, number of NAT2 NR patients was increased from 81 to 94. Efficacy analysis of this enriched population (FAS-NR-nanvuranlat:63 & placebo:31) revealed a significant improvement in PFS. With respect to cholangitis, 8 all-grade (12.7%) and 7 over grade 3 (11.1%) were documented in the FAS-NR population. In the FAS-R population, 2 all grades (28.5%) and 2 over grade 3 (28.5%) were observed (Table). Conclusions: By classifying BTC patients by NAT2 phenotype in this ad hoc analysis, the LAT1 inhibitor nanvuranlat further improved its clinical efficacy and safety in the NAT2 NR population. Therefore, selecting NAT2 NR for nanvuranlat treatment may improve the risk -benefit ratio. Clinical trial information: UMIN000034080 . [Table: see text]

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 .

Subgroup analysis of double-blind, placebo-controlled Ph. 2 study of nanvuranlat in treatment of pre-treated, advanced, refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC): Patients with high LAT1 expression and response to nanvuranlat.

4011 Background: L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5) is overexpressed in cancer cells leading to aggressive proliferation and lymphatic metastases. LAT1 sustains energy resources by supplying essential amino acids to the TCA cycle in chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells. LAT1 is a documented marker of poor prognosis. In a placebo-controlled, randomized trial involving patients with pre-treated, advanced, refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC), monotherapy with nanvuranlat (JPH203), a selective LAT1 inhibitor, demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival (PFS) compared to placebo. Subgroup analysis was conducted to determine whether the level of expression of LAT1 affects nanvuranlat efficacy. Methods: Patients with four different subtypes of advanced BTC were enrolled: intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder and ampulla of Vater cancers. All were refractory to or intolerant of standard chemotherapy and other investigational medicines. Our analysis compared efficacy and safety in the subgroup with high LAT1 expression and all patients group. LAT1 expression was immunohistochemically evaluated in tumor specimens of BTC patients at baseline, as defined by Yanagisawa N, et al. (Cancer Med 2014). Results: At data cut-off (Feb 28, 2022), 211 BTC patients consented at 14 centers in Japan, and 104 patients were randomized (2:1) to nanvuranlat (n = 69) or placebo (n = 35) as the full analysis set (FAS) population. Among the samples immunohistochemically evaluable for LAT1, 62.5% had high LAT1 expression. There was no significant difference in background demography between all patient group and the high-LAT1 subgroup. Nanvuranlat met its primary endpoint (FAS by the blinded independent central review (BICR)), demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in PFS by BICR in comparison with the placebo group. The hazard ratios were further improved with nanvuranlat versus placebo, on analysis of the high-LAT1 subgroup of patients in both PFS and OS. Safety was comparable between nanvuranlat and placebo, on analysis of the high-LAT1 subgroup. Conclusions: This subgroup analysis indicates that the efficacy of nanvuranlat in PFS and OS is enhanced in BTC patients with high LAT1 expression, when compared with placebo. Safety profiles were similar for nanvuranlat- and placebo-treated patients in this subgroup analysis. Clinical trial information: UMIN000034080 . [Table: see text]

Nanvuranlat Improves PFS in Advanced Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

Nanvuranlat Improves PFS in Advanced Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

Nanvuranlat, an L-type amino acid transporter (LAT1) inhibitor for patients with pretreated advanced refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC): Primary endpoint results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study.

494 Background: LAT1 is a transporter ( SLC7A5) of L-type amino acid. Overexpression in cancer cells supports aggressive proliferation. High expression of LAT1 in tumor specimens has been identified as a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with various cancer types, including BTC. The efficacy and safety of nanvuranlat (JPH203), a first-in-class, single agent that selectively inhibits LAT1, was evaluated in patients with pretreated, advanced, refractory BTC in a placebo-controlled randomized trial. Methods: Patients with four different subtypes of advanced BTC were enrolled: intrahepatic (IHC), extrahepatic (EHC), gallbladder (GBC) and ampulla of Vater (AVC). All were refractory to or intolerant of standard chemotherapy and other investigational medicines. Patients were pre-classified as non-rapid acetylators via N-acetyltransferase 2 ( NAT2), to maximize efficacy/safety by minimizing the metabolism of nanvuranlat. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), assessed by blinded independent center review (BICR), using RECIST 1.1. Results: At data cut-off (February 28, 2022), 211 BTC patients were consented at 14 centers in Japan. Using NAT2 testing for classification, a total of 106 patients were randomized (2:1) to nanvuranlat (n = 70) or placebo (n = 36). Nanvuranlat met its primary endpoint and demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in PFS by BICR in comparison with the placebo group (Hazard Ratio = 0.557; 95% CI, 0.3435 – 0.9029; one-sided p = 0.0164). The disease control rate (DCR) in the nanvuranlat group was approximately 25% (average = 24.6%) across all BTC subtypes, while it was 11.4% in the placebo group. Grade 3 adverse events were reported in 30.0% for nanvuranlat vs 22.9% for placebo. Treatment-related adverse event rates were respectively 41.4% and 57.1% in the nanvuranlat and placebo groups. No patient had adverse events leading to nanvuranlat treatment discontinuation, dose reduction, or death. Conclusions: The study met the primary endpoint. LAT1 inhibitor monotherapy with nanvuranlat demonstrated useful clinical efficacy in patients with four different subtypes of pre-treated, advanced, refractory BTC. Safe and highly tolerated profile was also documented. Clinical trial information: UMIN000034080 .

Biomarker analysis from a phase II multi-institutional study of nivolumab in patients with advanced refractory biliary tract cancer

BackgroundOur previous phase II study demonstrated that nivolumab provides modest but durable clinical efficacy in patients with refractory biliary tract cancer, suggesting the significant clinical benefit of nivolumab in selected patients and the necessity of predictive biomarkers. We evaluated clinicopathological characteristics and tumour microenvironment of the patients who were enrolled the trial to identify potential biomarkers. MethodsBaseline clinicopathological characteristics and pretreatment tumour samples were collected. The obtained tumour samples were assessed for whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. Their correlations with clinical outcome were analysed. ResultsPretreatment tumour evaluation revealed PD-L1 expression on tumour, CD8 T cell infiltration and high ratio of CD8 T cell/regulatory T cell in tumour microenvironment were significantly associated with prolonged progression-free survival (PFS), while PD-1 expression on lymphocytes and CD68 macrophages infiltration in tumour microenvironment had no predictive role. Asian patients (N = 3) had improved PFS and disease control rate compared with non-Asian (N = 54). A six-gene predictive model was constructed by evaluation of total 23,550 candidate genes from RNA sequencing of baseline tumour samples using LASSO-Cox regression analysis, and high score of the six-gene prediction model was associated with prolonged PFS. ConclusionThis study suggests that PD-L1 expression on tumour, CD8 T cell infiltration and high ratio of CD8/regulatory T cells and six-gene expression profile in tumour microenvironment may be potential predictive biomarkers of nivolumab in biliary tract cancers. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Results of biomarker analysis from phase II trial of nivolumab in refractory biliary tract cancer.

338 Background: Our previous phase II study demonstrated that nivolumab provides modest but durable clinical efficacy in patients (pts) with refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC), suggesting the significant clinical benefit of nivolumab in selected pts and identification of potential predictive biomarkers. Here, we report outcomes from the biomarker analysis. Methods: Pre-treatment tumor samples were obtained and assessed for immunohistochemistry (IHC) with PD-1 and PDL-1 antibodies, mRNA sequencing (RNAseq), and whole exome sequencing (WES). Clinical efficacy was correlated with the molecular analysis. Prior cisplatin exposure was reviewed to evaluate the impact of cisplatin on the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and clinical outcome. Results: Among 46 pts who had tumor response evaluation, 31 pts received cisplatin prior to nivolumab, and 15 were cisplatin-naive. Pre-treatment tumor samples were assessed for IHC (n = 42), RNAseq (n = 11), and WES (n = 11) based on tissue availability. There was no statistically significant correlation between prior cisplatin exposure and clinical outcome. Among 42 available tumor samples, 18 (43%) expressed PD-L1 positivity ( > 1%), which was associated with a statistically significant prolonged progression free survival (PFS). Median PFS was 10.4 months for PD-L1 positive vs 2.4 months for PD-L1 negative (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10-0.51; P < 0.001), while there was no statistically significant correlation between PD-1 expressing tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and clinical outcome. There was also no statistically significant difference in TMB of cisplatin-exposed (n = 8) vs. cisplatin-naïve tumor samples (n = 3) (9162, SD = 150 vs. 8898, SD = 806, p = 0.62). In comparing the group with prolonged disease control of at least 16 weeks (n = 4) to those with rapid disease progression (n = 7) who had mRNA sequencing performed, levels of AC005609.1, FAT3, TMEM151A, ADARB2, FAM153A were all significantly upregulated (p < 0.01), while levels of CLCA1, MUC2, IGHV3-43, SWORA6, and CRISP3 were all significantly downregulated (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Prior cisplatin exposure did not lead to statistically significant differences in clinical outcome or TMB in advanced BTC pts treated with nivolumab. However, PD-L1 expression > 1% correlated with improved PFS, and variations in level of certain mRNA sequences were noted when comparing pts who had rapid disease progression vs. prolonged disease control with nivolumab. This suggests that BTC pts with positive PD-L1 expression and a particular mRNA profile may have a favorable response to nivolumab. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Clinical trial information: NCT02829918.

Anlotinib plus TQB2450 in patients with advanced refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC): An open-label, dose-escalating, and dose-expansion cohort of phase Ib trial.

292 Background: Anti-angiogenic agents have been clinically investigated in combination with anti-PD-1/L1 mAbs due to their immuno-modulatory effects. Anlotinib (A), a potent oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has anti-angiogenic properties and anti-tumor efficacy with a favorable toxicity profile. The combination of A and TQB2450 (T), an anti-PD-L1 mAb, exhibited superior tumor growth suppression compared to either monotherapy in murine models. This ongoing phase 1b study cohort is aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of A+T in pts with advanced BTC. Methods: In this study cohort, patients (pts) with previously treated, advanced BTC were enrolled. A 3+3 dose escalation was used to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) in a dose-escalating stage. Additional pts were enrolled in a dose-expansion stage to further establish the safety and determine the preliminary efficacy. Oral A of 10 and 12 mg was administered once daily for 14 days on / 7 days off with intravenous T of 1200 mg every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) during first cycle (first 3 weeks) to estimate the MTD, RP2D and overall response rate (ORR). Tumor response was assessed according to RECIST version 1.1 and iRECIST. The Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) and safety. Results:25 pts were enrolled (8 with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [IHCC]; 8 with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [EHCC]; 9 with gall bladder cancer [GBC]) until August 2020. Median number of prior lines of therapy was 1 (range 1-5). During dose-escalation, no DLT was observed and 12 mg anlotinib was determined as RP2D for expansion. Among 24 evaluable pts (with at least once tumor assessment), 3 had achieved complete response (CR) and 7 had partial response (PR), which were all treated by 12 mg anlotinib plus TQB2450, 8 had stable disease (SD) and 6 had progression disease (PD). ORR was 41.67% and DCR was 75%. 10 pts were still on treatment. The median PFS was 240 days (95% CI, 83~NR).Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 83.3% of pts (G3/4 in 16.7% [4/24], and leading to treatment discontinuation in 4.2% [1/24]). The most common TRAEs were hypertension (33.3%), decreased white blood cell counts (25.0%), increased TBIL (20.8%), decreased neutrophil counts (20.8%), increased DBIL (12.5%), and increased IBIL (12.5%). Conclusions: A+T had a manageable safety profile and encouraging antitumor efficacy in pts with previously treated, advanced BTC. No unexpected AEs were identified beyond the established safety profile for each agent. Clinical trial information: NCT03996408.

Co-mutations of KRAS/BRAF and TP53 or the high tumor mutation burden to predict survival in patients with biliary tract carcinoma.

e16650 Background: Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC), including cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma, is the second most common type of hepatobiliary cancer. Patients with BTC always show poor prognosis, here we revealed the molecular landscape of BTC in the Chinese population and evaluated the role of different mutations in informing prognosis. Methods: Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) or freshly-sampled tumor tissues from 59 BTC patients were conducted next-generation sequencing of 620 genes related to oncogenesis. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) value represents the number of non-synonymous mutations per mega base pairs in each sample. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and compared using the log-rank test. Results: Altogether, 59 patients have mutations mainly in TP53, Ras/Raf, PI3K, CDK signaling pathways and SWI/SNF complex. The most frequently mutated gene was TP53(53%), followed by KRAS(23%), ARID1A(17%), ATM(12%), CDKN2A(10%), SMAD4(8%), BRCA2(8%), STK11(7%), BRAF(5%), IDH1(5%) and FGFR3 (3%). Noticeably, only one patient with FGFR2 fusion was detected. The Median TMB of these patients is 2.80 Muts/Mbp (0-36.52 Muts/Mbp). Existing data showed that KRAS/BRAF alterations were associated with a worse overall survival (OS) (median OS 166d vs. 294d, p= 0.063). Further analysis indicated that RAS/BRAF mutations were often co-current with TP53 alternations. And patients with coaltered RAS/BRAF and TP53 demonstrated the worst prognosis (media OS 123d vs. 294d, p= 0.087). In addition, a higher TMB ( > 2.80 Muts/Mb) was also associated with a worse survival (median OS 174d vs. 355d, p= 0.085). Conclusions: We identified KRAS/BRAF, or co-mutations with TP53 and high TMB could predict poor prognosis in BTC patients. These findings will be useful for clinical decision making in patients with refractory biliary tract cancer and for risk stratification of patients in future clinical studies.

Genomics and translational precision oncology for 803 patients with biliary tract cancer.

4589 Background: Both incidence and mortality of biliary tract cancer (BTC) are increasing, and BTCs are characterized by poor prognosis and limited antitumoral treatments. There is no well-received regimen as the non-first-line treatment in patients with advanced BTCs, leading to the urgency of umbrella-setting personalized therapies according to genomic alterations. Methods: We performed genomic sequencing in a total of 803 BTCs, including 160 patients with whole-exome sequencing and 643 patients with hybrid capture–based comprehensive genomic profiling. Our molecular tumor board developed precise targeted therapies for patients with actionable targets. Results: Overall, the median tumor mutation burden was 3.0 (IQR: 0.8-6.1) Mut/Mb, with 10.5% patients of hypermutated BTCs. The most frequently mutated genes included TP53 (51%), KRAS (23%), ARID1A (16%) and SMAD4 (11%). The most common genes with significantly amplified oncogenes were CCND1 (6.97%), MET (6.72%) and MDM2 (6.6%), while the frequently deleted tumor-suppressor genes are CDKN2A (5.73%) and CDKN2B (5.35%). The mutational map of BTCs highlighted pathways of receptor-tyrosine kinase (RTK)/RAS and p53 signaling were frequently altered. Somatic truncating mutations of mismatch repair genes were identified in 6.1% (49/803) of patients, and germline pathogenic mutations in DNA damage response genes occurred in 8% (64/803) of BTCs. In addition, we demonstrate the amplified chromosomal focal at 7q31.2 was an oncogenic factor and it independently predicts both disease-free survival and overall survival of BTC patients. When molecular screening was linked to targeted therapies, 25.4% (204/803) of patients could match biomarker-assigned drug treatment (BADT). The frequent actionable biomarkers included amplifications of ERBB2 and MET, FGFR2/3 fusions and IDH1 mutations. For 46 patients with refractory BTCs received BADT, the objective response rate was 26.1%, with a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 5.0 (95%CI: 3.5-6.5) months, and 56.8% patients achieved a ≥1.3 ratio of PFS2/PFS1. 4 of 6 (67%) patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) BTCs had a responsive status after immunotherapy of PD1 inhibitor, confirming that MSI-H status was a robust biomarker of anti-PD1 treatments. Conclusions: Our study established the largest cohort in Chinese BTC patients to investigate the tumor mutational profiling and its translational clinical applications. Clinical trial information: NCT02715089 .

A Phase 2 Multi-institutional Study of Nivolumab for Patients With Advanced Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

Currently, there is no established second-line systemic treatment for biliary tract cancer (BTC). Preclinical data have demonstrated that the presence of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1-expressing tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment of BTC supports the rationale of using programmed cell death 1 protein blockade immunotherapy in BTC. To evaluate anticancer activity of nivolumab in patients with advanced refractory BTC. In this single-group, multicenter phase 2 study of nivolumab, 54 patients with histologically confirmed BTC whose disease progressed while undergoing treatment with at least 1 line but no more than 3 lines of systemic therapy were enrolled between October 5, 2016, and December 26, 2018. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. Nivolumab, 240 mg, was delivered intravenously every 2 weeks for 16 weeks, and then 480 mg was delivered intravenously every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects occurred. The primary end point was investigator-assessed objective response rate, and the secondary end points were progression-free survival, overall survival, and incidence of adverse events. A total of 54 patients (27 men and 27 women; median age, 65 years [range, 28-86 years]) enrolled, and 46 (22 men and 24 women; median age, 65 years [range, 28-86 years]) were examined for objective response with radiologic imaging. The investigator-assessed objective response rate was 22% (10 of 46), including 1 unconfirmed partial response, with a disease control rate of 59% (27 of 46). Central independent review found an objective response rate of 11% (5 of 46), including 1 unconfirmed partial response, with a disease control rate of 50% (23 of 46). All patients who responded to treated (hereafter referred to as responders) had mismatch repair protein-proficient tumors. The median duration of investigator-assessed response was not reached, with a median follow-up of 12.4 months. Among the intention-to-treat population, median progression-free survival was 3.68 months (95% CI, 2.30-5.69 months) and median overall survival was 14.24 months (95% CI, 5.98 months to not reached). Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 expression in tumors was associated with prolonged progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10-0.51; P < .001). The most common treatment-related grade 3 or 4 toxic effects were hyponatremia (3 of 54 [6%]) and increased alkaline phosphatase (2 of 54 [4%]). This study found that nivolumab was well tolerated and showed modest efficacy with durable response in patients with refractory BTC. Further studies are warranted to verify the findings and evaluate biomarkers for improved treatment selection for patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02829918.

Phase II trial of trifluridine/tipiracil and irinotecan for the treatment of advanced refractory biliary tract cancer.

TPS594 Background: Effective treatment options are very limited for patients with advanced refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC). Fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy regimen such as 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan are frequently utilized for these patients after first-line therapy despite lack of FDA approval. Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) is a novel oral nucleoside with antitumor activity in both fluoropyrimidine sensitive and resistant tumors due to its unique mechanisms of action. Given early toxicity and efficacy data from our previous study on single-agent trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) in advanced BTC, the clinical evaluation of its combination with irinotecan represents a rational approach for the treatment of advanced refractory BTC. Methods: This is a single-arm phase II trial with a two-stage design to assess the efficacy of trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) and irinotecan in advanced refractory BTC. Key eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed advanced, unresectable BTC who have progressed on at least one line of systemic therapy and have measurable disease per RECIST v1.1. Target accrual is 25. Treatment includes trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) 25 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and irinotecan 180 mg/m2 on day 1 in 14-day cycles. Patients will be evaluated for response every 4 cycles and in the absence of disease progression, therapy may be given up to 2 years. The primary end point is the progression-free survival rate at 16 weeks. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate, disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and incidence of adverse events. Correlative biomarker studies include evaluations of circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells at baseline, after 4 cycles and at progression; and development of patient-derived tumor organoids from pre-treatment biopsies for parallel treatments. This study was approved and funded in part by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Research Program from general research support provided by Taiho Oncology, Inc. Clinical trial information: NCT 04072445.

Experience With Anti-PD-1 Antibody, Camrelizumab, Monotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer Patients and Literature Review

Background:Novel immunotherapy is one of the options for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients who are traditionally intolerant to chemotherapy. However, clinical evidence for single immunotherapy with pembrolizumab or nivolumab is limited. The present study assessed the safety and efficiency of the anti-PD-1 antibody, camrelizumab, as monotherapy in patients with unresectable or recurrent BTC.Methods:A retrospective evaluation was conducted among 4 patients with BTC, including 2 with intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (ICC), one with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, and one with gallbladder cancer. The patients with unresectable or recurrent BTC were refractory or intolerant to gemcitabine plus cisplatin treatment regimens and received at least one intravenous dose (3 mg/kg) of camrelizumab monotherapy every 3 weeks. Gene sequencing analysis was also performed for biomarker screening. Patient reaction was evaluated according to modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumor (RECIST) version 1.1, progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity.Results:In this cohort, 1 patient with recurrent ICC had a positive response to treatment, with a substantial tumor size reduction in liver and lung metastases verified using a radiological test after receiving 3 cycles of camrelizumab. The PFS was 4.9 months. The remaining 3 patients showed no response to treatment and experienced disease progression. RNA sequence analysis didn’t found high expression on genes that related to PD-L1, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, and DNA mismatch repair in these patients. Grade 3 treatment-related adverse event was observed in 1 patient.Conclusions:Anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab had a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced BTC. This initial assessment of camrelizumab monotherapy provides effective evidence for patients with refractory BTC in biomarker-unselected patients.

737P - Multicenter phase II trial of axitinib monotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer refractory to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy

737P - Multicenter phase II trial of axitinib monotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer refractory to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy

730P - Phase II trial of trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) in patients with advanced refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC)

BackgroundAdvanced BTC is an aggressive neoplasm with median overall survival (OS) of less than a year with current therapy. There is no approved second line therapy. TAS-102, a combination of the thymidine analog trifluridine, and tipiracil an inhibitor of trifluridine degradation, has shown activity in both fluoropyrimidine sensitive and resistant tumours. We conducted a single arm phase 2 trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of TAS-102 in pts with advanced, refractory BTC. MethodsPts of advanced BTC with ECOG PS 0-1 and adequate major organ function, who had progressed on at least one gemcitabine based chemotherapy, were enrolled and treated with TAS-102 at a dose of 35mg/m2 BID on days 1-5 and 8-12 of a 28-day cycle until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was 16-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate, defined as number of pts who are progression-free and alive at 16 weeks since registration (success) divided by the number of evaluable pts. Using a single stage binomial design, this study required 25 evaluable pts to compare a PFS rate at 16 weeks of 10% (null) versus 30% (alternative) with one-sided alpha of 0.05 and 80% power. Among the first 25 evaluable pts, 6 or more successes were needed for the regimen to be considered for further investigation. Secondary objectives included assessment of safety and tolerability, OS, response rate, and PFS. ResultsFrom 10/2017 to 8/2018, 28 pts were enrolled, of which 53.6 % pts were male and median age was 61.5 years (range: 46-77). 27 pts were evaluable for endpoint (1 patient did not start any treatment). PFS rate at 16 weeks was 9/27 [33.3%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 16.5-54.0 %]. Median (95% CI) PFS and OS were 3.9 (2.0 – 6.7) and 6.8 (5.8 – 12.3) months, respectively. The median number of treatment cycles was 3 (range: 1-8). Best response seen in this cohort was stable disease (13/27 pts). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (44.4%), anemia (22.2%), alkaline phosphate increased (22.2%), blood bilirubin increased (18.5%), and white blood cell decreased (18.5%) without any unexpected safety signals. ConclusionsTreatment of advanced refractory BTC pts with TAS-102 demonstrated antitumor activity with acceptable toxicity. Clinical trial identificationNCT03278106. Legal entity responsible for the studyAmit Mahipal. FundingEisai. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Trifluridine/Tipiracil and Irinotecan for the Treatment of Advanced Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

Trifluridine/Tipiracil and Irinotecan for the Treatment of Advanced Refractory Biliary Tract Cancer

A retrospective cohort study of anti-PD-1 therapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

e14100 Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is highly aggressive with poor prognosis and few treatment options following progression on gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Disappointing results from clinical trials for refractory BTC highlight the need for more effective therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has been hailed as a major breakthrough for cancer treatment. However, evidence for the efficacy of immunotherapy in biliary tract cancer (BTC) is limited and unsatisfactory. KEYNOTE-158 trial has merely shown a 5.8% of overall response rate with pembrolizumab monotherapy in advanced BTCs. Thus, combining other therapies with ICIs is becoming the researching focus. Herein, we constructed a cohort to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ICIs combined with chemotherapy in advanced BTCs. Methods: Chinese BTC patients receiving PD-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy, PD-1 inhibitors monotherapy or chemotherapy alone were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The key secondary outcome were progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. Patients previously treated with any agent targeting T-cell co-stimulation or immune checkpoints were excluded. Results: The study included 77 patients (PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, n = 38; PD-1 inhibitors monotherapy, n = 20; chemotherapy, n = 19). Median OS was 14.9 months with PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, 4.1 months with PD-1 inhibitors and 6.0 months with chemotherapy, with significantly longer for anti-PD-1 combination therapy than monotherapy (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.80, P= 0.001) or chemotherapy (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42-0.94, P= 0.011). Median PFS was 5.1 months with PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, 2.2 months with PD-1 inhibitors and 2.4 months with chemotherapy, with significant difference for anti-PD-1 combination therapy versus anti-PD-1 monotherapy (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.31-1.10, P= 0.014) or chemotherapy (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.45-0.83, P= 0.003). Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were similar between anti-PD-1 combination group and chemotherapy group (34.2% and 36.8%). Conclusions: PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy is effective and tolerable for advanced BTC.

Tremelimumab in combination with microwave ablation in patients with refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC).

365 Background: Treatment option for patients with advanced BTC is limited and prognosis is poor with a median survival of less than 1 year in the locally advanced or metastatic setting. It has been shown deregulation of the immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of BTC. This study aimed to investigate whether tremelimumab (Treme), anti-CTLA4, could be combined safely and feasibly with microwave ablation therapy to enhance the effect of anti-CTLA4 treatment in patients with advanced BTC. Methods: Patients with refractory BTC were enrolled in a study of monthly Treme (10mg/kg, IV, 6 doses), followed by 3-monthly infusions until off-treatment criteria were met. On day 36, patients underwent subtotal microwave ablation. Staging image was performed every 8 weeks. Adverse events (AEs) were collected and managed. Tumor samples and peripheral blood samples were collected to perform immune monitoring. Results: Twenty patients with refractory BTC were enrolled. Male: female ratio was 10:10 with median age 56.5 years (range 37-67). Six patients had extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC), two patients had gallbladder cancer, whereas the remaining 12 patients had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered. The common AEs included lymphocytopenia, colitis, adrenal insufficiency, anemia, and elevated transaminases. The most common clinical toxicity was diarrhea. Sixteen patients were evaluable for response analysis, one (6%) patient achieved a confirmed partial response (lasting for 8 months), 6 (37.5%) achieved stable disease with the longest lasting for 9.2 months. Among all 20 patients, median progression free survival, time to progression, and overall survival were 3.4 months (95% CI 2.5-5.2 months), 3.3 months (95% CI: 2.5-4.6 months) and 6.0 months (95% CI 3.8-8.8 months) respectively in this small pilot cohort. T cell receptor (TCR) b screening showed Treme expanded TCR repertoire though non-significantly. RNA seq is ongoing and will be presented. Conclusions: Treme in combination with tumor ablation is a potential new treatment for patients with advanced BTC. TCR repertoire expansion induced by Treme may contribute to treatment benefit. Clinical trial information: NCT01853618.

A retrospective study of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy as second-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer.

258 Background: The data of second-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer is still limited. We have previously reported feasibility study of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy for refractory biliary tract cancer (Sasaki T et al, Invest New Drugs 2011). In this feasibility study, only 20 pts were enrolled, and both second-line and third-line treatments were involved. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy as second-line treatment to clarify the treatment outcome of this combination therapy. Methods: Pts with advanced biliary tract cancer who were refractory to gemcitabine containing regimen were enrolled in this study. Gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 25 mg/m2were administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 repeated every 3 weeks. Results: Fifty-nine pts were enrolled in this study. Patient characteristics were: median age 68 (range 25-84); male/female 32/27; performance status 0/1/2 (15/38/6). The primary tumor site was; 24 pts in gallbladders, 18 pts in intrahepatic bile ducts, 15 pts in extrahepatic bile ducts, and 2 pts in ampulla of Vater. The numbers of the pts with locally advanced, metastatic, and recurrent cases were 8, 44, and 7, respectively. Four pts received gemcitabine monotherapy and 55 pts received gemcitabine and S-1 combination therapy as first-line treatment. Response rate and disease control rate were 1.7% and 56.0%, respectively. The median time-to-progression and median overall survival were 3.9 months (95%CI, 2.6 – 5.0 months) and 6.4 months (95%CI, 4.9 – 8.0 months), respectively. Conclusions: Gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy showed a moderate efficacy for the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer as second-line treatment.