Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Targeting Research Articles

Dose Modifications in the Management of Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Who, What, and When.

With the availability of BCR::ABL1 targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), outcomes for most individuals with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) are outstanding, with life expectancy similar to age-matched peers. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) impair quality of life and many patients struggle with low-level chronic AEs, which for some individuals impact emotional well-being as well as social and work functioning. An emerging body of data supports that many TEAEs are related to therapy dose and can improve with dose reduction. However, it is critical that dose reductions do not alter current outcomes, especially in the rare patients who are at greater risk of losing response or transforming to acute leukemia. Organizations including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network have begun to address when dose reductions may be considered in patients with CP-CML. In this manuscript, we review retrospective and prospective data reporting outcomes in patients after dose reduction and review data supporting lower dose preemptive dosing in first-line and later-line therapy. Switching therapy for intolerance can result in improvements in symptoms and limit toxicity, but other TEAEs may occur. Additionally, emerging therapeutics such as the new class of BCR::ABL1 allosteric inhibitors are under evaluation with a goal of improving tolerability. However, with many TKIs on the cusp of becoming generic, dose reduction becomes an appealing and important cost-effective strategy to minimize TEAEs and improve quality of life while preserving outstanding outcomes in CP-CML.

Serum creatine kinase elevation following tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in cancer patients: Symptoms, mechanism, and clinical management.

Molecular targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have produced unprecedented treatment response in cancer therapy for patients harboring specific oncogenic mutations. While the TKIs are mostly well tolerated, they were reported to increase serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and cause muscle metabolism-related toxicity. CK is an essential enzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism and muscle function. Elevated serum CK levels can arise from both physiological and pathological factors, as well as triggered by specific drug classes. The incidence of serum CK elevation induced by a few approved TKIs (brigatinib, binimetinib, cobimetinib-vemurafenib combination [Food and Drug Administration, United States]; aumolertinib, and sunvozertinib [only approved by National Medical Products Administration, China]) were over 35%. CK elevation-related symptoms include myopathy, myositis, inclusion body myositis (IBM), cardiotoxicity, rhabdomyolysis, rash, and acneiform dermatitis. High-level or severe symptomatic CK elevation may necessitate dose reduction and indirectly dampen TKI efficacy. This review presents an updated summary about the prevalence rate and recent research about mechanisms leading to TKI-induced serum CK elevation in cancer patients. The utility of monitoring serum CK levels for predicting TKI-induced adverse effects and their management will also be discussed.

Structure-Activity Relationship of Substituted Pyrazoline Derivatives as Small Molecule Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target certain cell signalling pathways, and have become a promising class of medications for the treatment of cancer in recent years. Because of their distinct structure and adaptable chemistry, pyrazolines have drawn a lot of interest from organic and medicinal chemists. Their exceptional TKI activity has prompted them to investigate chemotherapy for cancer. We aim to develop agents that inhibit tyrosine kinases highly effective with the least amount of harm possible, perhaps improving the course of cancer treatment. This review compiled current information from recent literature sources, includ-ing in vitro, in vivo, approved medications, active clinical trials, and the structure-activity relationships (SAR) linked to various pyrazoline analogues used as small-molecule Tyro-sine Kinase Inhibitors in cancer treatment. This study focuses on SAR inside the pyrazoline ring and its derivatives as TKIs, and it emphasizes current developments, including patents, authorized medications, and compounds in clinical trials. By enhancing our understanding of these compounds, our goal is to aid in making the roles of pharmacologists, scientists, and researchers who are designing and developing next-generation anticancer drugs with pyrazoline scaffolds easier. The future holds immense potential for the continued evolution of pyrazoline-based therapies, offer-ing renewed hope in the ongoing battle against cancer.

Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy in Retinal Detachment: Perspectives on Building a Digital Twin Model Using Nintedanib.

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a pathological process characterized by the formation of fibrotic membranes that contract and lead to recurrent retinal detachment. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is the primary treatment, but recurrence rates remain high, as surgery does not address the underlying molecular mechanisms driving fibrosis. Despite several proposed pharmacological interventions, no approved therapies exist, partly due to challenges in conducting preclinical and in vivo studies for ethical and safety reasons. This review explores the potential of computational models and Digital Twins, which are increasingly gaining attention in medicine. These tools could enable the development of progressively complex PVR models, from basic simulations to patient-specific Digital Twins. Nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting PDGFR, VEGFR, and FGFR, is presented as a prototype for computational models to simulate its effects on fibrotic pathways in virtual patient cohorts. Although still in its early stages, the integration of computational models and Digital Twins offers promising avenues for improving PVR management through more personalized therapeutic strategies.

Histology-specific clinical trial of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab in patients with sarcoma.

Survival of patients with metastatic sarcoma remains poor, and there is pressing need for new therapies. Most sarcoma subtypes are not responsive to immune checkpoint inhibition alone. Lenvatinib, a multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting tumor vasculature, has immunomodulatory activity that contributes to its antitumor effects. Therefore we hypothesized that combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab would lead to improved clinical outcomes in patients with sarcoma. This was an open-label, single-arm study of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab in the following cohorts A: leiomyosarcoma, B: undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), C: vascular sarcomas (angiosarcoma and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma), D: synovial sarcoma or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), and E: bone sarcomas (osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma). The primary endpoint was best overall response (BOR) rate documented by RECIST v1.1 by 27 weeks in each cohort, with a threshold of ≥2 responses among 10 patients. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, duration of response and safety. Forty-six patients were evaluable for the primary endpoint which was met in the UPS and MPNST/synovial cohorts (BOR rates by 27 weeks of 25% and 30%,respectively). There were 7 partial responses overall with additional responses noted in angiosarcoma and osteosarcoma. Treatment-related adverse events of any grade, and Grade 3 or higher, occurred in 50/51 (98%) and 29/51 (57%) of patients respectively. We observed durable responses in MPNST, synovial sarcoma and osteosarcoma. Patients with UPS and angiosarcoma also responded. Further exploration of this approach is warranted to confirm activity and determine optimal dosing schedules.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) is a devastating complication of advanced cancers, such as lung cancer and breast cancer, which is usually indicative of a poor prognosis. The current treatments for LMC include palliative care, with others aiming to prolong survival and relieve neurological symptoms. Traditional treatments for LMC include radiotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and intrathecal injection. Furthermore, the application of molecularly targeted agents, such as antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR), antihuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (anti-HER2), and anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, have prolonged the survival of LMC patients. Targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has also been proven to be an effective treatment. Tyrosine kinases can be overactive or expressed at high levels in some cancer cells; therefore, the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors may prevent the activation of tumor-related pathways, preventing cancer cell growth. The EGFR family are cell surface receptors directly related to tumor occurrence with tyrosine kinase activity; it is the most widely used target for tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of LMC. In this review, we introduced the clinical manifestation and diagnostic criteria of LMC, clarified the treatment mechanism of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for LMC with mutations in EGFR, HER2, or anaplastic lymphoma kinase, reviewed the current application of various generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with LMC, and discussed new clinical trials and the future directions of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

Cabozantinib prevents the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cell and macrophage and attenuating angiogenic activity

Cabozantinib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting AXL, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and MET, is used clinically to treat certain cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to assess the impact of cabozantinib on liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis in a rat model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). MASH-based liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis were induced in rats by feeding them a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) for eight and 16 weeks, respectively. Cabozantinib (1 or 2 mg/kg, daily) was administered concurrently with the diet in the fibrosis model and after eight weeks in the carcinogenesis model. Treatment with cabozantinib significantly attenuated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis without affecting hepatocyte steatosis and ballooning in CDAHFD-fed rats. Cabozantinib-treated rats exhibited a marked reduction in α-smooth muscle actin+ activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC) expansion, CD68+ macrophage infiltration, and CD34+ pathological angiogenesis, along with reduced hepatic AXL, VEGF, and VEGFR2 expression. Consistently, cabozantinib downregulated the hepatic expression of profibrogenic markers (Acta2, Col1a1, Tgfb1), inflammatory cytokines (Tnfa, Il1b, Il6), and proangiogenic markers (Vegfa, Vwf, Ang2). In a cell-based assay of human activated HSCs, cabozantinib inhibited Akt activation induced by GAS6, a ligand of AXL, leading to reduced cell proliferation and profibrogenic activity. Cabozantinib also suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory responses in human macrophages, VEGFA-induced collagen expression and proliferation in activated HSCs, and VEGFA-stimulated proliferation in vascular endothelial cells. Meanwhile, administration of cabozantinib did not affect Ki67+ hepatocyte proliferation or serum albumin levels, indicating no negative impact on regenerative capacity. Treatment with cabozantinib also reduced the placental glutathione transferase+ preneoplastic lesions in CDAHFD-fed rats. In conclusion, cabozantinib shows promise as a novel option for preventing MASH progression.

Therapeutic, Clinicopathological, and Molecular Correlates of PRKACA Expression in Gastrointestinal Cancers.

PRKACA alterations have clear diagnostic and biological roles in the fibrolamellar variant of hepatocellular carcinoma and a potential predictive role in that cancer type. However, the roles of PRKACA have not been comprehensively examined in gastric and colorectal cancers (GC and CRC). This study, therefore, sought to investigate the roles of PRKACA expression in GC and CRC. The clinico-genomic data of 441 GC and 629 CRC cases were analyzed for therapeutic, clinicopathological, and biological correlates using appropriate bioinformatics and statistical tools. Furthermore, the deregulation of PRKACA expression in GC and CRC was investigated using correlative and regression analyses. The results showed that PRKACA expression subsets were enriched for gene targets of chemotherapeutics, tyrosine kinase, and β-adrenergic inhibitors. Moreover, high PRKACA expression was associated with adverse clinicopathological and genomic features of GC and CRC. Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis also showed that PRKACA-high subsets of the GI cancers were enriched for the biological and molecular functions that are associated with cell motility, invasion, and metastasis but not cell proliferation. Finally, multiple regression analyses identified multiple methylation loci, transcription factors, miRNA species, and PRKACA copy number changes that deregulated PRKACA expression in GC and CRC. This study has identified potential predictive and clinicopathological roles for PRKACA expression in GI cancers and has added to the growing body of knowledge on the deregulation of PRKACA in cancer.

Structure optimization, synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of novel BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting T315I mutation

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a malignant hematologic tumor caused by BCR-ABL fusion protein that binds with ATP to exert tyrosinase activity and persistently activates downstream phosphorylation pathways. The tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) represented by Imatinib are the key clinical therapy to the CML. While the mutations on the target lead to the serious drug resistance problems, especially the T315I mutation remains an unresolved challenge, and the cardiotoxicity has limited the clinical application of the third generation TKI Ponatinib despite its favorable efficacy against the T315I mutation. Even though, structural optimization of Ponatinib remains a potential strategy to overcome the resistance imposed by the mutation. Herein, we present a series of novel BCR-ABL/T315I tyrosine kinase inhibitors obtained by virtual screening using ZINC21710815, a BCR-ABL/T315I inhibitor reported earlier by our team, as a lead compound, and structural optimization of lead compounds against the T315I mutation, as well as screening of two novel compounds by activity evaluation and mechanistic studies, W4 and W8. W4 and W8 have better cell death-inducing effects and special selectivity against BaF3/T315I, which are worthy of further in-depth study to obtain more desirable anti-CML drugs as lead compounds.

SAFFRON-104: a phase Ib/II study of sitravatinib alone or with tislelizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer

BackgroundSitravatinib is a spectrum-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MER), VEGFR-2, KIT, and MET. SAFFRON-104 (NCT03941873) was a multicohort phase Ib/II study investigating sitravatinib with/without tislelizumab, an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC).MethodsEligible patients had histologically/cytologically confirmed advanced HCC or GC/GEJC. Phase I determined the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of sitravatinib with/without tislelizumab. Phase II evaluated sitravatinib monotherapy in patients with pretreated HCC, and sitravatinib plus tislelizumab in anti-PD-(L)1–naïve or –treated HCC and anti-PD-(L)1–naïve GC/GEJC. Primary endpoints were safety/tolerability (phase I) and objective response rate (ORR) (phase II).ResultsAt data cutoff (March 31, 2023), 111 patients were enrolled; 102 were efficacy-evaluable (median study follow-up 9.1 months [range: 0.7–36.9]). The RP2D of sitravatinib was determined as 120 mg orally once daily. In patients receiving sitravatinib monotherapy and sitravatinib in combination with tislelizumab, grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 14 (51.9%) and 42 (50.0%) patients, respectively. The ORR was 25% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.7–49.1) in patients with pretreated HCC receiving sitravatinib monotherapy. In patients receiving sitravatinib with tislelizumab, the ORR was 11.5% (95% CI 2.4–30.2) with anti-PD-(L)1–naïve HCC, 9.5% (95% CI 1.2–30.4) with anti-PD-(L)1–treated HCC, and 16.1% (95% CI 5.5–33.7) in patients with anti-PD-(L)1–naïve GC/GEJC.ConclusionsSitravatinib with/without tislelizumab was generally well tolerated and showed preliminary antitumor activity in patients with advanced HCC and GC/GEJC.

Lipopolymer/siRNA complexes engineered for optimal molecular and functional response with chemotherapy in FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia

Approximately 25% of newly diagnosed AML patients display an internal tandem duplication (ITD) in the fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene. Although both multi-targeted and FLT3 specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are being utilized for clinical therapy, drug resistance, short remission periods, and high relapse rates are challenges that still need to be tackled. RNA interference (RNAi), mediated by short interfering RNA (siRNA), presents a mechanistically distinct therapeutic platform with the potential of personalization due to its gene sequence-driven mechanism of action. This study explored the use of a non-viral approach for delivery of FLT3 siRNA (siFLT3) in FLT3-ITD positive AML cell lines and primary cells as well as the feasibility of combining this treatment with drugs currently used in the clinic. Treatment of AML cell lines with FLT3 siRNA nanocomplexes resulted in prominent reduction in cell proliferation rates and induction of apoptosis. Quantitative analysis of relative mRNA transcript levels revealed downregulation of the FLT3 gene, which was accompanied by a similar decline in FLT3 protein levels. Moreover, an impact on leukemic stem cells was observed in a small pool of primary AML samples through significantly reduced colony numbers. An absence of a molecular response post-treatment with lipopolymer/siFLT3 complexes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, obtained from healthy individuals, denoted a passive selectivity of the complexes towards malignant cells. The effect of combining lipopolymer/siFLT3 complexes with daunorubucin and FLT3 targeting TKI gilteritinib led to a significant augmentation of anti-leukemic activity. These findings demonstrate the promising potential of RNAi implemented with lipopolymer complexes for AML molecular therapy. The study prospectively supports the addition of RNAi therapy to current treatment modalities available to target the heterogeneity prevalent in AML. Statement of significanceWe show that a clinically validated target, the FLT3 gene, can be eradicated in leukemia cells using non-viral RNAi. We validated these lipopolymers as effective vehicles to deliver nucleic acids to leukemic cells. The potency of the lipopolymers was superior to that of the ‘gold-standard’ delivery agent, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are not effective in leukemia cells at clinically relevant doses. Mechanistic studies were undertaken to probe structure-function relationships for effective biomaterial formulations. Cellular and molecular responses to siRNA treatment have been characterized in cell models, including leukemia patient-derived cells. The use of the siRNA therapy with clinically used chemotherapy was demonstrated.

Efficacy and safety of pralsetinib in patients with RET fusion positive non–small cell lung cancer: An observational real world study

BackgroundPralsetinib, a selective RET targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has been approved for treating locally advanced or metastatic RET fusion-positive NSCLC in adults who have previously received platinum-based chemotherapy in China. MethodsIn this retrospective analysis conducted at Hunan Cancer Hospital in China, we examined 36 patients with advanced NSCLC with RET fusion, who were treated with pralsetinib between January 2021 and December 2023. The study focused on assessing the efficacy (Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)) and safety profile of pralsetinib in these patients. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. ResultsThe results revealed that pralsetinib exhibited significant activity in this patient cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated a median PFS of 10.7 months and a median OS of 21.2 months. The overall response rate(ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) was 55.6 % and 72.2 %, respectively. Pralsetinib was generally well tolerated, with most adverse events being mild to moderate (grades 1–2). The most common serious adverse events (≥grade 3) observed were lymphopenia (13.9 %), hypertension (11.1 %), leukopenia (8.3 %), neutropenia (8.3 %), and creatine kinase elevation (8.3 %). ConclusionPralsetinib demonstrated promising activity in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring RET fusion with a favorable safety profile.

PrPC controls epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in EGFR-mutated NSCLC: implications for TKI resistance and patient follow-up

Patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) benefit from treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting EGFR. Despite improvements in patient care, especially with the 3rd generation TKI osimertinib, disease relapse is observed in all patients. Among the various processes involved in TKI resistance, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is far from being fully characterized. We hypothesized that the cellular prion protein PrPC could be involved in EMT and EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC. Using 5 independent lung adenocarcinoma datasets, including our own cohort, we document that the expression of the PRNP gene encoding PrPC is associated with EMT. By manipulating the levels of PrPC in different EGFR-mutated NSCLC cell lines, we firmly establish that the expression of PrPC is mandatory for cells to maintain or acquire a mesenchymal phenotype. Mechanistically, we show that PrPC operates through an ILK-RBPJ cascade, which also controls the expression of EGFR. Our data further demonstrate that PrPC levels are elevated in EGFR-mutated versus wild-type tumours or upon EGFR activation in vitro. In addition, we provide evidence that PRNP levels increase with TKI resistance and that reducing PRNP expression sensitizes cells to osimertinib. Finally, we found that plasma PrPC levels are increased in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients from 2 independent cohorts and that their longitudinal evolution mirrors that of disease. Altogether, these findings define PrPC as a candidate driver of EMT-dependent resistance to EGFR-TKI in NSCLC. They further suggest that monitoring plasma PrPC levels may represent a valuable non-invasive strategy for patient follow-up and warrant considering PrPC-targeted therapies for EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with TKI failure.

36 Real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients post immune-oncology (IO) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) receptor targeted therapies

Abstract Background The metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatment landscape has rapidly evolved with approval of newer IO agents and VEGF targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes data for mRCC in post IO and TKI setting is limited. The objective of this study is to describe real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of mRCC patients with a prior receipt of IO and TKI therapies in community oncology settings. Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data from The US Oncology Network (iKnowMed) electronic health record database. The study cohort included adult mRCC patients receiving subsequent line of therapy (LOT; index date) post IO and TKI in combination or sequence between January-18’ and March-23’. All patients were followed from the index date until June-23’ to examine treatment pattern and estimate overall survival (OS), real-world time on treatment (rwToT), and real-world time to next treatment (rwTTNT) by line of therapy (LOT) and individual index regimen (with sample size ≥10). LOT was assigned based on patient’s absolute order of treatment regimen using start and stop dates. OS was defined as the time between Index date and the date of death due to any cause. Descriptive analyses were used to describe patient characteristics and treatment pattern. Time-to-event outcomes (OS, rwToT, and rwTTNT) from index date were summarized using Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test by individual regimens. A multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model was performed to assess the association of index regimens with clinical outcomes after controlling for patient characteristics. Results The study cohort included 820 patients. The median age was 66 (range: 58, 72) years, 72.6% were male and 77.1% were Caucasian. Moreover, 60.0% had an Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1 and 74.5% had intermediate/poor IMDC risk score. Overall, 253 (30.9%) received index treatment in LOT2, 509 (62.1%) in LOT3 and 58 (7.1%) in LOT4+. The most common treatments post IO and TKI settings were cabozantinib (35.6%), everolimus plus lenvatinib (9.5%), ipilimumab plus nivolumab (7.4%), and axitinib (7.2%). The median OS for LOT2, LOT3, and LOT4 was (18.0, 17.8, and 28.6 months, respectively). The median rwTOT for LOT2 was 2.5 months, LOT3 was 3.5 months, and LOT4 was 6.2 months. The median rwTTNT for LOT2, LOT3, and LOT4 was 6.4, 7.7, and 11.5 months, respectively. Statistically significant difference across individual regimens was observed for OS, rwToT, and rwTTNT (Table). Conclusions This study presents one of the most comprehensive analysis of treatment patterns and clinical outcomes among mRCC patients in the post IO and TKI settings. TKI-with or without IO-based treatments were the most preferred treatments and associated with improved survival. Overall, clinical outcomes in the post IO and VEGF/TKI setting are limited, and novel treatments are needed in this patient population.

37 Cost-effectiveness of treatment sequences with front-line nivolumab+ipilimumab therapy vs immuno-oncology+tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies in intermediate/poor-risk metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Immuno-oncology (IO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combinations have transformed the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the most cost-effective sequencing of these systemic therapies. This study aimed to assess the expected health and economic outcomes of various treatment sequences for newly diagnosed patients with intermediate/poor-risk RCC from a US payer perspective. Methods We developed a model using a continuous time micro-simulation framework. First-line treatment options included: nivolumab+ipilimumab, nivolumab+cabozantinib, pembrolizumab+lenvatinib, and pembrolizumab+axitinib. Second-line treatment options included: cabozantinib and everolimus+lenvatinib. In both lines, the source data for the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) distributions were obtained from the registrational randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of each therapy. The analysis included costs associated with drug acquisition in the US wholesale setting, drug administration and monitoring, management of treatment-related adverse events, disease management, and terminal care. Treatment duration for all first-line IO and TKI therapies was capped at 2 years. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated by multiplying time in each phase of the disease by phase-specific utility values estimated from the CheckMate 214 trial data using US tariffs. The analysis was run 1000 times for cohorts of 100 patients over a 20-year time horizon. All costs and health outcomes were discounted annually at a 3% rate. Results Average per-patient QALYs were estimated for each sequence of interest: nivolumab+ipilimumab followed by cabozantinib (3.59), nivolumab+ipilimumab followed by lenvatinib+everolimus (3.26), pembrolizumab+axitinib followed by cabozantinib (3.14), pembrolizumab+axitinib followed by lenvatinib+everolimus (2.97), pembrolizumab+lenvatinib followed by cabozantinib (3.51), and nivolumab+cabozantinib followed by lenvatinib+everolimus (2.99). Average per-patient costs were estimated for each sequence of interest: nivolumab+ipilimumab followed by cabozantinib ($468,856), nivolumab+ipilimumab followed by lenvatinib+everolimus ($491,259), pembrolizumab+axitinib followed by cabozantinib ($675,714), pembrolizumab+axitinib followed by lenvatinib+everolimus ($700,411), pembrolizumab+lenvatinib followed by cabozantinib ($837,888), nivolumab+cabozantinib followed by lenvatinib+everolimus ($873,377). First-line drug acquisition costs accounted for the majority of costs for all sequences. Conclusions Based upon our model using data from registrational RCTs, first-line nivolumab+ipilimumab followed by cabozantinib represents the dominant treatment strategy for intermediate/poor-risk mRCC patients in the US, offering estimated cost savings of up to 45% when compared to IO+TKI options. Additional studies are needed to elucidate whether these cost savings translate to the real-world setting.

Immunohistochemistry Screening of Different Tyrosine Kinase Receptors in Canine Solid Tumors-Part I: Proposal of a Receptor Panel to Predict Therapies.

The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has been growing in veterinary oncology and in the past few years several TKI have been tested in dogs. However, different from human medicine, we lack strategies to select patients to be treated with each TKI. Therefore, this study aimed to screen different tumor subtypes regarding TKI target immunoexpression as a predictor strategy to personalize the canine cancer treatment. It included 18 prostatic carcinomas, 36 soft tissue sarcomas, 20 mammary gland tumors, 6 urothelial bladder carcinomas, and 7 tumors from the endocrine system. A total of 87 patients with paraffin blocks were used to perform immunohistochemistry (IHC) of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), epidermal growth factor receptors 1 (EGFR1), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), platelet derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-β), c-KIT, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/ERK2). The immunohistochemical screening revealed a heterogeneous protein expression among histological types with mesenchymal tumors showing the lowest expression level and carcinomas the highest expression. We have demonstrated by IHC screening that HER2, EGFR1, VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β and ERK1/ERK2 are commonly overexpressed in dogs with different carcinomas, and KIT expression is considered relatively low in the analyzed samples.

A pilot study of nintedanib in molecularly selected patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Nintedanib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the response rate for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations in TP53, VEGFR1-3, PDGFR-A, PDGFR-B, and FGFR1-3 treated with nintedanib as part of an open-label, single-arm pilot study. Patients with advanced NSCLC previously treated with platinum-doublet chemotherapy with the above mutations were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included necrotic tumors with invasion of blood vessels, history of recent thromboembolic events, increased risk of bleeding or thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and weight loss >10% within past 6 months. Nintedanib was administered at a dose of 200 mg orally twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and correlating outcomes with specific mutations. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02299141. Between 2015 and 2019, 20 patients were enrolled with a median age was 66 years, 15 (75%) were females, 15 (75%) had adenocarcinoma, and 17 patients had a TP53 mutation (85%). Seventeen (85%) had received prior immunotherapy and 11 (55%) had received at least three prior lines of systemic therapy. The ORR was 15% with three partial responses (PR), while 12 patients had stable disease (SD), with disease control rate (DCR) consisting of a PR and SD greater than or equal to 16 weeks of 65% (n=13). Median PFS was 4.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-7.9] and median overall survival (OS) was 11.3 months (95% CI: 3.5-44.2). Three patients experienced prolonged clinical benefit from nintedanib, remaining on treatment for over 1 year and all three had a TP53 mutation and received prior immunotherapy. The most common adverse events of any grade included nausea (80%), fatigue (70%), diarrhea (60%), and anorexia (60%). In this pilot study in heavily pretreated and molecularly selected patients with metastatic NSCLC, nintedanib showed modest activity.

Discovery of 1H-benzo[d]imidazole-(halogenated) Benzylidenebenzohydrazide Hybrids as Potential Multi-Kinase Inhibitors.

In an effort to develop improved and effective targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a series of twelve novel compounds with the structural motif "(E)-4-(((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl)amino)-N'-(halogenated)benzylidenebenzohydrazide" were successfully synthesized in three steps, yielding high product yields (53-97%). Among this new class of compounds, 6c and 6h-j exhibited excellent cytotoxic effects against four different cancer cell lines, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 7.82 to 21.48 μM. Notably, compounds 6h and 6i emerged as the most potent inhibitors, demonstrating significant activity against key kinases such as EGFR, HER2, and CDK2. Furthermore, compound 6h displayed potent inhibitory activity against AURKC, while 6i showed potent inhibitory effects against the mTOR enzyme, with excellent IC50 values comparable with well-established TKIs. The mechanistic study of lead compound 6i revealed its ability to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 liver cancer cells. This was accompanied by upregulation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and Bax and downregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Additionally, molecular docking studies indicated that the binding interactions of compounds 6h and 6i with the target enzymes give multiple interactions. These results underscore the ability of compound 6i as a compelling lead candidate warranting further optimization and development as a potent multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, which could have significant implications for the treatment of various cancers. The detailed structural optimization, mechanism of action, and in vivo evaluation of this class of compounds warrant further investigation to assess their therapeutic potential.

NFS-11. PHASE II STUDY OF AXITINIB IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROFIBROMATOSIS TYPE 2-RELATED SCHWANNOMATOSIS AND PROGRESSIVE VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMAS

Abstract BACKGROUND Axitinib is an oral multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), and c-KIT. These represent a clinically and/or preclinically validated molecular targets in vestibular schwannoma (VS). METHODS Eligible participants were age &amp;gt;5 years with a clinical diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN) and at least one volumetrically measurable, progressive VS. Axitinib was given continuously in 28-day cycles for up to of 12 cycles. Primary endpoint was objective volumetric response rate to axitinib, hearing response was a secondary endpoint, along with validated quality of life assessments (NFTI-QOL). RESULTS Twelve participants were enrolled and eight completed 12 cycles, including two pediatric patients. Two patients were non-evaluable due to coming off study prior to the first scheduled response evaluation: one withdrew from the study for personal reasons and one for non-compliance. Due to slowing accrual, the study closed prior to meeting planned enrollment of 17 evaluable patients. Ten patients were evaluable for the primary endpoint, defined as ≥20% decrease in VS volume, with two volumetric responses observed; both were reached after three cycles and sustained during treatment. Best volumetric response was −53.9% after nine cycles. Hearing response was evaluable in nine participants, with three hearing responses observed, one of which was sustained during treatment. All participants experienced drug-related toxicities, the most common were diarrhea, hematuria and skin toxicity, not exceeding grade 2, as well as hypertension, not exceeding grade 3. NFTI-QOL scores remained stable or improved during treatment in all participants. CONCLUSIONS Axitinib therapy targeting VEGFR, PDGFR and c-KIT is feasible in this population and associated with volumetric and hearing responses in a subset of patients. The convenience of oral administration appears to be offset, however, by increased toxicity and lower response rates compared to VEGF-A targeted therapy with bevacizumab.

Anti-PD-1/L1 antibody plus anti-VEGF antibody vs. plus VEGFR-targeted TKI as first-line therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a network meta-analysis.

This article is based on our previous research, which was presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting I and published in Journal of Clinical Oncology as Conference Abstract (JCO. 2023;41:e16148. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e16148). Both anti-programmed death 1/ligand-1 (PD-1/L1) antibody + anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody (A + A) and anti-PD-1/L1 antibody + VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (A + T) are effective first-line therapies for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there lacks evidence from head-to-head comparisons between these two treatments. We conducted a network meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of them. After a rigorous literature research, 6 phase III trials were identified for the final analysis, including IMbrave150, ORIENT-32, COSMIC-312, CARES-310, LEAP-002, and REFLECT. The experiments were classified into three groups: A + A, A + T, and intermediate reference group. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for OS and PFS, odds ratio (OR) for ORR, and relative risk (RR) for all grade and grade ≥3 TRAEs were calculated. Under Bayesian framework, the meta-analysis was conducted using sorafenib as intermediate reference. With the rank probability of 96%, A + A showed the greatest reduction in the risk of death, without significant difference from A + T (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.65-1.04). A + T showed the greatest effect in prolonging PFS and improving ORR with the rank probability of 77%, but there were no statistical differences with A + A. A + A was safer than A + T in terms of all grade of TRAEs (RR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.82-1.00) and particularly in those grade ≥3 (RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54-0.77). A + A had the greatest probability of delivering the longest OS, while A + T was correlated with larger PFS benefits at the cost of a lower safety rate.