Therapy In Metastatic Melanoma Patients Research Articles

Discontinuation of anti-PD1 in advanced melanoma: an observational retrospective study from the Italian Melanoma Intergroup

BackgroundImmunotherapy has improved the survival of patients with stage IV melanoma. In responders, clinical benefits may be long-lasting and persist even after treatment discontinuation. The optimal duration of anti-PD1 (anti-Programmed cell death-1) therapy in metastatic melanoma patients remains to be elucidated. Moreover, limited data are available on clinical outcomes of patients that discontinued anti-PD1 immunotherapy in a real-life setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic melanoma who interrupted anti-PD-1 treatment in the in the absence of disease progression. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD1 immunotherapy at 23 Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI) centres. The study investigated the risk of relapse in patients who stopped anti-PD1 therapy due to CR (Complete response), treatment-related toxicity, or by their own choice after a long period of treatment. Clinical and biological factors associated with or without recurrence were evaluated. ResultsThe study population included 237 patients. The median age of patients was 68.9 years (standard deviation: 13; range 33–95). The median time on treatment was 33 months (standard deviation: 18, 7; range 1–98). Among the 237 patients, 128 (54%) interrupted the anti-PD1 for CR, 74 patients (31.2%) for adverse events (37 patients in CR, 27 patients in partial response (PR), ten patients in stable disease (SD), and 35 patients (14.8%) by their own choice (12 patients in CR, 17 patients in PR, and 6 patients in SD). After a mean follow-up of 21 months (range 1–81), PFS after anti-PD1 discontinuation was 85.7%. Thirty-four patients (14.3%) developed disease progression after a median of 12 months (range 1–35): ten patients (29.4%) after discontinuation in CR, 17 patients (50%) after discontinuation for treatment-related toxicity (seven in CR, five in PR, five in SD), and seven (20.6%) after discontinuation due to the patient’s decision (two in CR, four in PR, one in SD). Only 7.8% of patients who interrupted in CR (10/128), along with 23% of patients who interrupted for limiting toxicity (17/74) and 20% of patients who interrupted by their own choice (7/35), developed recurrence. Regarding patients who discontinued therapy because of CR, we observed a negative association between recurrence and site of primary melanoma, especially mucosal sites (p = <0.05, HR (Hazard ratio) 15.57 IC (confidence interval) 95% 2.64–91.73). Moreover, M1b patients who achieved a CR showed a lower number of relapses (p = <0.05, HR 3.84 IC 95% 1.40–8.48). ConclusionsThis study shows in a real-life setting that, with anti-PD-1 therapy, long-lasting responses, can be maintained after anti-PD1 interruption. In 70.6% of cases, recurrences were observed among patients who did not obtain a CR at treatment discontinuation.

268 KVA 12.1 a novel fully human anti-VISTA antibody: clinical trial design in monotherapy and in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody

BackgroundV-domain Ig Suppressor of T cell Activation (VISTA) is an immune-suppressive checkpoint inhibitor of T cell response. VISTA is expressed in the immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment, mostly by cells of the myeloid lineage, and its blockade can restore an efficient antitumor immune response especially in hard-to-treat tumors.1 In addition, an increase in VISTA expression has been described after treatment by the current immune checkpoint inhibitors, anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD1-(L),1 especially in patients refractory to these treatments.2 3 Therefore, VISTA may be involved in a compensatory resistance mechanism to checkpoint inhibitors.MethodsKineta has selected a lead candidate anti-VISTA monoclonal antibody, KVA12.1, after a deep screen of 107 fully human and highly diverse antibodies directed against the extracellular domain of VISTA.ResultsKVA12.1 exhibits high potency and binds to a unique epitope. It restores T cell activation and induces a pro-inflammatory response in in vitro assays. In vivo, in human VISTA knock-in mice, KVA12.1 treatment mediates strong single-agent antitumor activity in multiple syngeneic tumor models and shows enhanced efficacy in combination with either anti-PD-(L)1 or anti-CTLA-4 treatment. Finally, our anti-VISTA antibody was well-tolerated in exploratory toxicology studies in cynomolgus monkey, where hematology and clinical chemistry evaluations as well as clinical observations including monitoring of body weight revealed no indicators of toxicity. Safety endpoints, including the monitoring of cytokine levels related to cytokine release syndrome (CRS), clinical pathology and immunogenicity were evaluated. Cytokine levels associated with CRS (e.g., TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1β) were assessed, and none were elevated to levels associated with CRS. These studies provided drug exposures (AUC) well over the expected exposures required for clinical efficacy, and KVA12.1 exhibits a good half-life consistent with other monoclonal check-point inhibitors. We are currently engaged in pre-IND studies and manufacturing of KVA12.1.ConclusionsHere we are presenting the design of a phase 1/2 multicenter, open label, dose escalation and dose expansion study of intravenous infusion of KVA12.1 as a monotherapy and in combination with a fixed dose of an anti-PD1 antibody in patients with advanced refractory or metastatic solid tumors.ReferencesElTanbouly MA, Schaafsma E, Noelle RJ, Lines JL. VISTA: Coming of age as a multi-lineage immune checkpoint. Clin Exp Immunol 2020;200(2):120–130.Kuklinski LF, Yan S, Li Z, Fisher JL, Cheng C, Noelle RJ, Angeles CV, Turk MJ, Ernstoff MS. VISTA expression on tumor-infiltrating inflammatory cells in primary cutaneous melanoma correlates with poor disease-specific survival. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2018 July;67(7):1113–1121.Kakavand H, Jackett LA, Menzies AM, Gide TN, Carlino MS, Saw RPM, Thompson JF, Wilmott JS, Long GV, Scolyer RA. Negative immune checkpoint regulation by VISTA: a mechanism of acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients. Mod Pathol 2017 December;30(12):1666–1676.

Abstract 386: Evaluation of CPa9-HNE - a peripheral biomarker based on neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) - for predicting outcome in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 therapy

Abstract Background: Peripheral biomarkers associated with response and resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients represent an unmet medical need. High neutrophil activity is associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor failure, amongst others due to release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that have been shown to protect tumor cells against cytotoxic attacks. Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and calprotectin are the major NETs constituents. We hypothesized that HNE mediated degradation of calprotectin (CPa9-HNE), when measured in serum, has peripheral biomarker potential in metastatic melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy. Methods: A monoclonal antibody was raised against a specific HNE mediated degradation fragment of calprotectin (CPa9-HNE) and used to develop an ELISA for quantifying CPa9-HNE in serum. CPa9-HNE was then measured in pre-treatment serum from metastatic melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy (pembrolizumab) (n=35). The biomarker levels were associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses adjusting for PDL1 expression (≥1%), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), BRAF mutational status, and c-reactive protein (CRP). Results: High pre-treatment CPa9-HNE levels predicted worse PFS (HR=3.32, 95%CI=1.25-8.82, p=0.016) and OS (HR=11.31, 95%CI=2.27-56.33, p=0.003) when compared to low CPa9-HNE levels by univariate Cox regression. By multivariate Cox regression, high CPa9-HNE was found to be independently predictive of poor PFS (HR=8.22, 95%CI=1.30-52.14, p=0.025) and OS (HR=76.87, 95%CI=4.73-1248.57, p=0.002) when adjusted for PDL1 expression, LDH, BRAF mutations, and CRP. Conclusions: A non-invasive biomarker of HNE mediated degradation of calprotectin (CPa9-HNE) was associated with poor PFS and OS in metastatic melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy. These findings support a link between neutrophil activity/NETs and response to anti-PD-1 and indicate promising non-invasive biomarker potential to stratify melanoma patients for anti-PD-1 therapy in future clinical studies. Citation Format: Christina Jensen, Anders Kverneland, Marco Donia, Joachim H. Mortensen, Morten A. Karsdal, Inge Marie Svane, Nicholas Willumsen. Evaluation of CPa9-HNE - a peripheral biomarker based on neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) - for predicting outcome in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 386.

The DANTE trial protocol: a randomised phase III trial to evaluate the Duration of ANti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody Treatment in patients with metastatic mElanoma

BackgroundImmunotherapy is revolutionising the treatment of patients diagnosed with melanoma and other cancers. The first immune checkpoint inhibitor, ipilimumab (targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4)), showed a survival advantage over standard chemotherapy. Subsequently the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibodies, nivolumab and pembrolizumab were shown to be more effective than ipilimumab. Ipilimumab combined with nivolumab gives an incremental gain in overall survival compared with nivolumab alone but increases the risk of severe, potentially life-threatening toxicities. In contrast to ipilimumab monotherapy, anti-PD-1 antibodies are licensed to be continued until disease progression. Follow-up of patients recruited to the first trials evaluating 2 years of pembrolizumab showed that three-quarters of responding patients continue responding after stopping treatment. Suggestive of early response, we hypothesised that continuing anti-PD-1 treatment beyond 1 year in progression-free patients may be unnecessary and so designed the DANTE trial.MethodsDANTE is a multicentre, randomised, phase III, non-inferiority trial to evaluate the duration of anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with metastatic (unresectable stage III and stage IV) melanoma. It uses a two-stage recruitment strategy, registering patients before they complete 1 year of first-line anti-PD-1 +/− CTLA-4 therapy and randomising eligible patients who have received 12 months of treatment and are progression-free at 1 year. At randomisation, 1208 patients are assigned (1:1) to either 1) continue anti-PD-1 treatment until disease progression/ unacceptable toxicity/ for at least 2 years in the absence of disease progression/ unacceptable toxicity or 2) to stop treatment. Randomisation stratifies for baseline prognostic factors. The primary outcome is progression-free survival at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and then, 6-monthly for up to 4-years. Secondary outcomes collected at all timepoints include overall survival, response-rate and duration and safety, with quality of life and cost-effectiveness outcomes collected 3-monthly for up to 18-months. Sub-studies include a qualitative analysis of patient acceptance of randomisation and sample collection to inform future translational studies into response/ toxicity biomarkers.DiscussionDANTE is a unique prospective trial investigating the optimal duration of anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients. Outcomes will inform future use of these high burden drugs.Trial registrationISRCTN15837212, 31 July 2018.

Baseline and early functional immune response is associated with subsequent clinical outcomes of PD-1 inhibition therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

BackgroundDespite significant progress with antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy, a substantial fraction of metastatic melanoma patients show upfront therapy resistance. Biomarkers for outcome are missing and the association...

Tumor PD-L1 expression and gene panel mutational profile as outcome predictors of PD-1-based checkpoint inhibition therapy in metastatic melanoma: A prospective multicenter DeCOG study.

9568 Background: PD-1 checkpoint inhibition (CPI) has recently advanced to one of the most effective treatment strategies in melanoma. However, since a considerable proportion of patients shows upfront therapy resistance, baseline predictive biomarkers of therapy outcome are needed. Methods: This prospective multicenter study included metastatic melanoma patients whose formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples taken prior to the start of a systemic non-adjuvant therapy of any line were analyzed for PD-L1 expression on tumor cells by immunohistochemistry (clone 28-8, DAKO) and for COSMIC-annotated oncogenic mutations by 29-gene panel sequencing (MiSeq, Illumina). Clinical baseline and follow-up data were collected within the DeCOG multicenter skin cancer registry ADOREG. Results: From 09/2015 until 10/2020, 706 enrolled patients from 15 centers were evaluable for the endpoints best overall response (BOR), progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Thereof, 540 patients received PD-1-based CPI as first systemic treatment after tumor tissue analysis. 197/540 patients tested positive for PD-L1 (cut-off = 5%) in pre-treatment tumors, and revealed a favourable BOR (objective response 34.4% versus 19.1%; p &lt; 0.0001), PFS (median 10.4 versus 4.2 months; p &lt; 0.0001) and OS (median 45.1 versus 18.8 months; p = 0.001) compared to patients with PD-L1 negative tumors. 47/540 patients presented oncogenic mutations of three or more genes in pre-treatment tumors, and revealed a favourable BOR (objective response 46.8% versus 32.1%; p = 0.041), PFS (median 15.1 versus 6.1 months; p = 0.008) and OS (median not reached versus 25.2 months; p = 0.027) compared to patients whose tumors showed mutations in two or less genes. Multivariable Cox regression including sex, primary site, non-adjuvant systemic pre-treatment, serum LDH, and ECOG performance state demonstrated tumor PD-L1 expression and gene panel mutational profile as independent predictors of survival upon treatment with PD-1-based CPI. In contrast, in 106/706 patients treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors as first systemic treatment after tumor tissue analysis, no association was found between tumor PD-L1 expression or gene panel mutational profile and therapy outcome. Conclusions: PD-L1 expression quantification and gene panel mutational profiling provide useful outcome predictors of PD-1-based CPI therapy in metastatic melanoma patients.

CT texture analysis compared to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and mutational status in resected melanoma metastases

PurposeTo evaluate the potential of CT texture analysis parameters and metabolic characteristics of melanoma metastases in 18F- FDG PET/CT to predict relevant mutations of tumour cells for targeted therapy in metastatic melanoma patients in correlation with histopathologic specimen. Material and methods66 melanoma patients, examined with contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT before scheduled metastasectomy without any prior systemic therapy, were included in this single-centre retrospective analysis under IRB waiver. The largest, resected metastasis in each patient was assessed with CT texture analysis and semiquantitative 18F-FDG PET parameters. Correlation between imaging parameters and histopathological mutations (BRAF- and NRAS- genes) were calculated. ResultsAttenuation standard deviation (SD) within target lesion indicated a weak correlation with its SUVpeak (rho −0.292, p 0.017). However, no correlation between CT texture analysis, metabolic 18F-FDG PET parameters and tumour cell mutation could be established. ConclusionCT texture parameters cannot replace the diagnostic value of 18F- FDG PET/CT for metabolic information in melanoma patients. Discrimination between BRAF- and NRAS mutation status was not feasible with CT texture analysis in this exploratory study.

Machine learning models to predict the response to anti-cancer therapy in metastatic melanoma patients.

e14071 Background: Machine learning methods are new artificial intelligence tools with promising applications in healthcare. We developed and validated 4 machine learning models to predict the response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in stage IIIc or IV melanoma patients. Methods: This work was conducted on data from 10 centers participating in the French network for Research and Clinical Investigation on Melanoma (RIC-Mel), launched in 2012. Thus, 935 patients, corresponding to 1978 systemic treatments have been extracted from RIC-Mel database. The following data were considered: age, sex, Breslow, melanoma type, ulceration, spontaneous regression, mitotic index, number of invaded lymph nodes, extracapsular extension, mutational status, melanoma stage, number of metastasis sites, lines of treatments, and time between first melanoma excision and metastatic relapse. Treatment response: complete response, partial response, stable disease, defined as class 1 and progressive disease as class 2. We split this cohort/database into a training set (80%) and test set (20%). The algorithm performances were evaluated on the test set by the percentage of treatments correctly classified in class 1 or 2. Four machine learning algorithms (linear model, random forest, XGBoost and LightGBM) were compared in terms of performance and interpretation for both types of treatments. Results: The accuracies of the best models for immunotherapy (LightGBM) and targeted therapy (random forest) were respectively 66% and 65%. The most significant variables for building the models were respectively: stage (IIIc or IV), response to previous treatments lines, age, number of metastasis sites and time between first melanoma excision and metastatic relapse. Conclusions: We present here the first machine learning models to predict the response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in stage IIIc or IV melanoma patients. The most predictive variables are coherent with the literature. Future development will include data from 18FDG-PET/CT imaging and other predictive markers recently identified, as circulating DNA to improve the models performance.

Age-associated changes in the immune system may influence the response to anti-PD1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

Anti-PD1 treatment has improved the survival of metastatic melanoma patients, yet it is unknown which patients benefit from the treatment. In this exploratory study, we aimed to understand the effects of anti-PD1 therapy on the patients’ immune system and discover the characteristics that would result in successful treatment. We collected peripheral blood (PB) samples from 17 immuno-oncology-naïve metastatic melanoma patients before and after 1 and 3 months of anti-PD1 therapy. In addition, matching tumor biopsies at the time of diagnosis were collected for tissue microarray. The complete blood counts, PB immunophenotype, serum cytokine profiles, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were analyzed and correlated with the clinical data. Patients were categorized based on their disease control into responders (complete response, partial response, stable disease > 6 months, N = 11) and non-responders (progressive disease, stable disease ≤ 6 months, N = 6). During therapy, the PB natural killer T (NKT) cell frequency, expression of CD25 and CD45RO on cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells, and serum CXC chemokine levels were significantly increased in responders. Furthermore, higher age together with age-associated characteristics from PB, lower frequency of PB-naïve CD8+ T cells, and elevated levels of serum MCP-4 and OPG were discovered as baseline predictors of treatment response. We therefore propose that in addition to T cells, anti-PD1 treatment is associated with NK- and NKT-cell population dynamics, and that the age-associated characteristics from PB together with older age may contribute to prolonged PFS in anti-PD1-treated melanoma patients.

Response to ipilimumab therapy in metastatic melanoma patients: potential relevance of CTLA-4+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and their in situ localization.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including ipilimumab (IPI), achieve a clinical benefit in a small proportion of melanoma patients highlighting the need to investigate predictive biomarkers. In this study, we characterized tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), focusing on the CTLA-4+ subset, and evaluated their possible predictive significance. We characterized TIL density, cell type, and localization in 40 melanoma lesions from 17 patients treated with IPI. Associations of TILs with IPI timing, tissue localization, and response to IPI were estimated using a linear mixed-effects modelling approach. We found that most of TIL subsets increased in situ upon IPI therapy, with particular reference to FoxP3+ cells. TILs and TIL subsets, such as CD3+, CD45RO+, CTLA-4+, CD4+, CD8+ T cells, CD20+ B cells, and NKp46+ NK cells, showed significantly different spatial distributions in the tumor microenvironment being higher at the invasive margin (IM) as compared to the tumor center (TC) (P value < 0.001 for TIL score and P value < 0.05 for all subsets). Remarkably, high TIL score and density of CD3+, CD8+ T cells, and CTLA-4+ immune cells were significantly associated with a better response to IPI (P values = 0.002, 0.023, 0.007, and 0.001, respectively, for responders vs non-responders). In conclusion, we provide a detailed analysis of CTLA-4+ TIL distribution in melanoma tissues taking into account localization, relationship with CD3+/CD8+ TILs, and changes in response to IPI treatment. We identified that CTLA-4+ TILs may represent a marker of IPI response, alone or with CD3+/CD8+ subsets, although this requires confirmation in larger studies.

1184PD - Results of a phase I trial with MART-1 T cell receptor modified T cells in patients with metastatic melanoma

BackgroundAdoptive cell therapy (ACT) with T cell receptor (TCR) gene modified peripheral blood T cells creates large pools of tumor reactive T cells. Based on preclinical validation we have selected a high affinity MART-1-specific TCR for TCR gene therapy in metastatic melanoma (MM). Utilizing a novel GMP production protocol we performed a phase I trial to asses feasibility, safety and efficacy of TCR gene therapy in pts with MM. MethodsHLA-A2*0201+ pts with irresectable stage IIIc/IV melanoma, expressing MART-1 and MHC class I, with no standard treatment options were included. Autologous T cells were isolated via apheresis and transduced with a MP-71 retroviral vector encoding the 1D3HMCys MART-1 TCR and expanded ex vivo in presence of IL-7 and IL-15. Non-myeloablative chemotherapy was given prior to one i.v. infusion of MART-1 TCR transduced T cells in a dose escalating manner after evaluation of adverse events (AEs). Feasibility, safety (CTCAE 4.0) and ORR (RECIST 1.1) were assessed. ResultsTwelve heavily pretreated metastatic cutaneous (n=7) and uveal (n=5) melanoma (mUM) pts were treated with MART-1 TCR transduced T cells across 4 dose cohorts. Transduction efficiency was 42-76%. Viability of the cell product was 92.9-98.5%. Pt 1 received 4.56x109 MART-1 TCR transduced T cells but died 9 days post infusion due to multiple organ failure. Subsequent pts received 5x107 (n=3; cohort (c) 2), 25x107 (n=2; c3) and 10x107 (n=6; c4) cells. On-target AEs were dose-dependent and included dermatitis (10/11) max grade 3, uveitis (3/11) max grade 2 and ototoxicity (4/11) max grade 3, highest in cohort 3. Four pts (n=2 c3; n=2 c4) showed signs of cytokine release syndrome and 3 pts required tocilizumab. Objective PR by RECIST 1.1 was seen in 2 pts (17%), with a DOR of 4.2 (mUM, c4) and 8.4 (c3) months. Persistence of transduced T cells in peripheral blood was correlated with infused cell dose. ConclusionsTreatment with MART-1 TCR transduced peripheral blood T cells expanded in presence of IL-7 and IL-15 led to severe dose-dependent toxicity with a maximum tolerated dose of 10x107 transduced cells. Despite observed responses, toxicity limited further development and use of this MART-1 TCR cellular therapy in MM patients. NCT02654821. Clinical trial identificationNCT02654821. Legal entity responsible for the studyNetherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital (NKI-AVL). FundingKWF Kankerbestrijding. DisclosureJ.H. Beijnen: Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment: Modra Pharmaceuticals BV . J.V. van Thienen: Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer ; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis. C.U. Blank: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: GSK; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: GenMab; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Pierre Fabre ; Research grant / Funding (institution): NanoString. T.N. Schumacher: Advisory / Consultancy: Adaptive Biotechnologies; Advisory / Consultancy, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: AIMM Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Allogene Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Merus; Advisory / Consultancy, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Neon Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy: Scenic Biotech; Advisory / Consultancy: Third Rock Ventures; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck KGaA; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Neogene Therapeutics; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Scenic Biotech. J.B.A.G. Haanen: Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): BMS; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: AZ/MedImmune; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche/Genentech; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Ipsen; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Immunocore; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Seattle Genetics; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Neon Therapeutics; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Celsius Therapeutics; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Gadet ; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: GSK. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

127P - IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio as predictive biomarker for response to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

BackgroundAnti-PD-1 antibodies represent nowadays a first-choice therapy for metastatic melanoma patients. Despite impressive results in terms of PFS and OS, a proportion of patients does not respond to anti-PD-1 therapy with an overall poor prognosis. Identification of predictive biomarkers is considered an important unmet clinical need to avoid expensive and potentially harmful drugs in patients who will not respond to them. In the last years, many studies have evaluated the role of cytokines on both blood and tissue samples as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy, with encouraging results. MethodsBlood samples from 18 patients with metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies as first line therapy were collected at baseline. 8 patients were classified as non-responders (best response: PD excluding pseudo-progression with median PFS of 2 months) and 10 patients as responders (best response: PR or CR, with median PFS of 17 months). mRNA expression levels of the main pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by Real time quantitative PCR in PBMCs obtained from baseline blood samples. Unpaired two-tailed t-test was used for statistical analysis. ResultsIFN-γ mRNA expression levels were higher in responder patients (p<0.01) whereas IL-10 levels tended to be higher in non-responders (p>0.05). Combining data for each patient, we noticed a correlation between higher levels of IFN-γ and lower levels of IL-10 for responders and vice versa. Starting from these findings, we observed that the IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio was higher (median: 43,3 vs 5,2) in responders (p<0.01), with high negative and positive predictive value (NPV:100% and PPV:91% using a threshold of 18). The main lymphocyte subpopulations producing these cytokines were also identified. ConclusionsOur data suggest an interesting correlation between IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio and response to anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma patients. This correlation seems to be stronger than using IFN-γ expression levels alone probably because of the influence of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Since this is an exploratory and retrospective analysis of 18 patients, a larger population should be tested to validate our results. Legal entity responsible for the studyDipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. FundingHas not received any funding. DisclosureF. Ciardiello: Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy: Merck; Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Servier; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Cellgene; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Takeda. T. Troiani: Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Sanofi; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Servier; Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Serum protein predictors of long term survival from combined ipilimumab and nivolumab therapy in metastatic melanoma patients.

e21513Background: Combined ipilimumab (IPI) and nivolumab (NIVO) is the most advanced immune therapy for metastatic melanoma patients. However, high response rates can be achieved at the price of i...

Use of extracranial radiation therapy in metastatic melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy

PurposeExplore the patterns of use of extracranial radiation therapy (RT) in metastatic melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy, its potential association with OS, the impact of the site and timing of RT on clinical outcomes when combined with immunotherapy. Materials and methodsPatients with extracranial metastatic melanoma who received immunotherapy with or without extracranial RT from 2004 to 2013 were obtained from the National Cancer Database. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with overall survival (OS). Subset analyses comparing outcomes in patients receiving RT to bone metastases versus soft tissue metastases were also performed. OS was compared using the Kaplan–Meier and log-rank statistics. ResultsA total of 1675 patients were identified: 1387 received immunotherapy alone and 288 received immunotherapy plus RT. An increase in the utilization of RT as well as SBRT was noted over time. The rate of RT use was 11.5% (0% with SBRT) in 2004 and gradually rose to 19.8% (27.0% with SBRT) in 2013 (P = 0.04). The median OS was 15.4 vs. 19.4 months in the immunotherapy plus RT and immunotherapy alone groups, respectively (P = 0.02). However, on multivariable analysis, RT was not associated with worse OS. The poor OS in the RT group was confined to the patients who received RT to bone metastases, but not in patients who received RT to soft tissue metastases. In subset analyses of patients irradiated to soft tissue, RT administered at least 30 days before immunotherapy was associated with a higher OS than RT administered within 30 days or 30 days after immunotherapy: median 26.1 months vs. 16.0 months (P = 0.009) vs. 15.4 months (P = 0.004), respectively. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that extracranial RT plays an increasing role in the management of metastatic melanoma patients in the era of immunotherapy. The site and the timing of RT may have important interaction with immunotherapy, and need to be carefully considered in future clinical trials.

116P - A targeted genomic analysis uncovered a large spectrum of acquired resistance mechanisms to BRAF inhibitor therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

116P - A targeted genomic analysis uncovered a large spectrum of acquired resistance mechanisms to BRAF inhibitor therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

Negative immune checkpoint regulation by VISTA: a mechanism of acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

Understanding the mechanisms of acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 will allow development of better treatment strategies for cancer patients. This study evaluated potential mechanisms of acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 in longitudinally collected metastatic melanoma patient biopsies. Thirty-four metastatic melanoma biopsies were collected from 16 patients who had initially responded to either anti-PD-1 (n=13) alone or combination of anti-PD-1 and ipilimumab (n=3) and then progressed. Biopsies were taken prior to treatment (PRE, n=12) and following progression of disease (PROG, n=22). Immunohistochemistry was performed on all biopsies to detect CD8, FOXP3, PD-1 and VISTA expression on T-cells and PTEN, β-catenin, PD-L1, HLA-A, and HLA-DPB1 expression in the tumor. The majority of patients showed significantly increased density of VISTA+ lymphocytes from PRE to PROG (12/18) (P=0.009) and increased expression of tumor PD-L1 from PRE to PROG (11/18). Intratumoral expression of FOXP3+ lymphocytes significantly increased (P=0.018) from PRE to PROG (10/18). Loss of tumor PTEN and downregulation of tumor HLA-A from PRE to PROG were each identified in 5/18 and 4/18 PROG biopsies, respectively. Downregulation of HLA-DPB1 from PRE to PROG was present in 3/18 PROG biopsies, whereas nuclear β-catenin activation was only identified in 2/18 PROG biopsies. Negative immune checkpoint regulation by VISTA represents an important potential mechanism of acquired resistance in melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1. Downregulation of HLA-associated antigen presentation also occurs with acquired resistance. Augmentation of the VISTA immune checkpoint pathway may hold promise as a therapeutic strategy in metastatic melanoma patients, particularly those failing anti-PD-1 therapy, and warrants assessment in clinical trials.

Abstract 2672: Response to anti-PD-1 based therapy in metastatic melanoma patients is associated with the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome

Abstract Background: Melanoma therapy has benefitted greatly from immune checkpoint blockade, although responses are variable and not always durable. There is a growing appreciation of the role of the microbiome in cancer-related outcomes and recent evidence in murine models suggests that modulation of the gut microbiome may enhance responses to immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma. However this has not been investigated in patients. Here, we demonstrate that differential bacterial “signatures” exist in the gut microbiome of responders (R) and non-responders (NR) to anti-PD-1 therapy, and that insights gained could be used to derive actionable strategies to enhance responses. Methods: We collected buccal (n=105) and stool (n=53) samples from a cohort of anti-PD-1 treated metastatic melanoma patients (n=110). Patients were classified as either R or NR based on RECIST criteria, and 16S rDNA, and whole-genome shotgun sequencing was performed to characterize the diversity, composition and functional capabilities of the microbiomes. Immune profiling (via 7-marker IHC panel of CD3, CD8, PD-1, PD-L1, Granzyme B, RORγT and FoxP3) and cytokine analyses were also performed on available tumors and serum samples at baseline. Results: In these studies, we observed significant differences in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome in R versus NR to PD-1 blockade at baseline, but no clear differences in buccal microbiomes. Specifically, R had a significantly higher alpha diversity compared to NR (p=0.017), and the Ruminococcaceae family of the Clostridiales order was enriched in R whereas Prevotellaceae family of the Bacteroidales order was enriched in NR. Immune profiling demonstrated significantly increased immune infiltrates in baseline tumor samples of R, with a positive correlation between CD8, CD3, PD-1 and FoxP3 T-cell density and abundance of specific bacteria enriched in R (e.g. Faecalibacterium). Low diversity was also associated with elevated levels of chronic inflammation markers in the serum at baseline. Lastly, we saw differentially abundant metabolic pathways in the gut microbiomes of R (pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, shikimate pathway) vs NR (Tricarboxylic acid cycle, assimilatory sulphate and nitrate reduction, tryptophan biosynthesis). Conclusion: Differences exist in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome in R vs NR to anti-PD-1 therapy and these microbiota could bridge the gap between host metabolism and anti-tumor immunity. These results have far-reaching implications and suggest that modifications to the gut microbiome could potentially enhance therapeutic responses to immune checkpoint blockade. Citation Format: Vancheswaran Gopalakrishnan, Christine Spencer, Alexandre Reuben, Peter Prieto, Diego Vicente, Tatiana V. Karpinets, Courtney W. Hudgens, Diane S. Hutchinson, Michael Tetzlaff, Alexander Lazar, Michael A. Davies, Jeffrey E. Gershenwald, Robert Jenq, Patrick Hwu, Padmanee Sharma, James Allison, Andrew Futreal, Nadim Ajami, Joseph Petrosino, Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, Jennifer A. Wargo. Response to anti-PD-1 based therapy in metastatic melanoma patients is associated with the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2672. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2672

Prognostic relevance of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) before anti-PD1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients.

e21045 Background: Biomarkers to select the patients most likely to benefit from checkpoint inhibitors are urged. NLR is a simple way of measuring systemic inflammation and is an independent predictor of survival before Anti-CTLA4 therapy. We hypothesized if NLR is also a predictor of survival before Anti-PD1 therapy. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of all consecutive metastatic melanoma patients who received Nivolumab treatment from January/2014 – February/2017, including 53 patients prospectively collected from an Expanded Access Program. Of 86 patients, 83 patients were included for demographic and efficacy analysis, and 74 had information about baseline pre-treatment NLR. We analyzed NLR as a continuous variable and categorised ≥ 5 vs. &lt; 5. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Long-rank test compared categories and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the prognostic significance of baseline NLR in univariate and multivariable analysis. Results: Median PFS for the entire population was 6,407 months (3,28 – 9,52) and median OS was not reached (NR) with a median FU of 10,74 months. The median NLR ratio was 3,11 (0,87 – 19). 18 patients (24,3%) had a ≥ 5 NLR vs. 56 (75,7%) &lt; 5. Median PFS for NLR ≥ 5 was: 2,3 (1,75 – 2,84) vs. 12,02 (5,11 – 18,93) for &lt; 5 (HR = 3,11; IC95% 1,52 – 6,27; p = 0,001). Median OS ≥ 5: 3,05 (2,06 – 4,04) vs. NR for &lt; 5 (HR = 5,88; IC95% 2,60 – 13,29; p = 0,001). NLR categorised remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis for PFS and NLR as a continuous variable remained statistically significant for both PFS and OS in multivariate analysis (Table 1). Conclusions: Baseline NLR is a rapid, simple, and cost-free predictor of survival before Anti-PD1 therapy. These results should be validated in a larger cohort of patients. [Table: see text]

Bim and PD-1 identify effector CD8 T cells responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

Although PD-1 blockade therapy demonstrates promising therapeutic effects in a portion of metastatic melanoma patients, clinical outcomes remain variable, with some patients achieving durable responses, others experiencing early disease worsening followed by later tumor reduction, while some show no benefit. Thus, it is critical to identify patients with melanoma who are most likely to benefit from continued anti-PD-1 therapy, therefore increasing drug efficacy and decrease toxicity through a personalized approach to treatment. Since anti-PD-1 blockade therapy aims to block the interaction of PD-1 and its ligands (i.e. B7-H1/PD-L1), measurement of PD-1 downstream signaling molecule may enable us to monitor or predict T cell responses to anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma patients. In this report, we established that CD8 T cells expressing high levels of Bim (a pro-apoptosis molecule) and PD-1 are effector cells that are responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy. Among tumor-related CD11a high CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of metastatic melanoma patients, Bim expression was significantly associated with expressions of PD-1 and effector cell markers (T-bet and granzym B). In human tumor tissues, Bim expression was strongly correlated with B7-H1 and PD-1 expression. Genetic absence of PD-1 prevented Bim up-regulation in tumor-related CD8 T cells in tumor tissues. B7-H1 fusion protein or B7-H1-expssred by tumor cells directly induced Bim protein up-regulation in pre-activated CD8 T cells via regulation of AKT activation and phosphorylation of Bim. Bim up-relation was coincident with T cell apoptosis induced by B7-H1. In metastatic melanoma patients, the frequency of Bim+ PD-1+ CD8 T cells significantly increased in the peripheral blood compared to healthy donors. Importantly, the baseline frequency of Bim+ per PD-1+ CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of melanoma patients was higher in responders to anti-PD-1 therapy than in non-responders. After four cycles of anti-PD-1 treatment, the frequency of Bim+ per PD-1+ CD8 T cells dramatically decreased in the peripheral blood of responders than in non-responders. Our results indicate that Bim is a downstream signaling molecule of PD-1, which reflects the degree of PD-1 interaction with its ligand (B7-H1) in effector CD8 T cells. Measurement of the frequency of Bim in tumor-related PD-1+ CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of metastatic melanoma patients may provide a less invasive method to monitor or predict responses to anti-PD-1 therapy.

Relevance of MIA and S100 serum tumor markers to monitor BRAF inhibitor therapy in metastatic melanoma patients

BRAF V600 mutation has been reported in more than 50% of melanoma cases and its presence predicts clinical activity of BRAF inhibitors (iBRAF). We evaluated the role of MIA, S100 and LDH to monitor iBRAF efficiency in advanced melanoma patients presenting BRAF V600 mutations. This was a prospective study of melanoma patients harboring the BRAF V600 mutation and treated with iBRAF within a clinical trial (dabrafenib) or as part of an expanded access program (vemurafenib). MIA, S100 and LDH were analyzed in serum at baseline, and every 4–6weeks during treatment. Eighteen patients with melanoma stages IIIc–IV were enrolled with 88.8% of response rate to iBRAF. Baseline concentrations of all the tumor markers correlated with tumor burden. MIA and S100 concentrations decreased significantly one month after the beginning of treatment and, upon progression, their concentrations increased significantly above the minimum levels previously achieved. MIA levels lower than 9μg/L one month after the beginning of treatment and S100 concentrations lower than 0.1μg/L at the moment of best response were associated with improved progression-free survival. In conclusion, MIA and S100 are useful to monitor response in melanoma patients treated with iBRAF.