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M.A. Gubens



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    MO18 - NSCLC - Targeted Therapies IV (ID 116)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Mini Oral Abstract Session
    • Track: Medical Oncology
    • Presentations: 1
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      MO18.02 - Preliminary clinical safety and activity of MK-3475 monotherapy for the treatment of previously treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (ID 2416)

      16:15 - 17:45  |  Author(s): M.A. Gubens

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background
      Currently approved cytotoxic chemotherapies for previously treated patients with NSCLC demonstrate few objective responses, which are generally of short duration, with limited impact on progression-free survival and overall survival. Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is an inhibitory T-cell co-receptor whose activation by interaction with its ligands, PD-L1 or PD-L2, can lead to suppression of antitumor immunity. Preclinical and clinical data indicate that this pathway is important in NSCLC.MK-3475 is a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody against PD-1.

      Methods
      MK-3475 was administered at 10 mg/kg every three weeks to patients with NSCLC previously treated with two systemic regimens. At least one measurable tumor lesion, ECOG performance status of zero or one, and adequate laboratory function were required for eligibility. A new tumor biopsy no earlier than 60 days before the first dose of MK-3475 was required for study entry. Imaging assessments per investigators were performed every nine weeks until confirmed disease progression utilizing the immune-related response criteria (irRC). Independent central review of images was assessed with RECIST v1.1. PD-L1 expression on the pretreatment tumor sample was determined by immunohistochemistry. A cut-point associated with the Youden Index of the receiver-operating characteristic curve for PD-L1 staining was identified.

      Results
      Between April 2012 and September 2012, thirty-eight patients were enrolled. Median age was 63 years (range, 34-85 years), with 42% men and 42% with an ECOG performance status of zero. Previously treated, stable brain metastases were allowed and were present in 10%. Seven patients had an EGFR mutation, eight patients had a KRAS mutation, and one patient had an ALK gene rearrangement in their tumor. Fifty percent of patients experienced drug-related adverse events; the most common were fatigue, rash, and pruritus (16% each). The incidence of diarrhea was 13% (only grade 1 or 2 reported). One case of a drug-related grade 3-4 adverse event (grade 3 pulmonary edema: 3%) was seen. There were no drug-related fatalities. Using investigator-assessed irRC, the objective response rate (ORR; confirmed and unconfirmed) was 24%, including squamous and nonsquamous subtypes. Similar results were obtained using RECIST v1.1, yielding an ORR (confirmed and unconfirmed) of 21%. Most responses by irRC were observed by the time of first planned assessment at Week 9. The median duration of response by irRC has not been reached, with a median duration of follow-up of 9 months (minimum, 6 months). As of June 2013, seven of the nine responding patients by irRC continue on therapy. Pretreatment tumor PD-L1 expression was a statistically significant predictor of response. In patients with evaluable tumor PD-L1 expression, all confirmed responses by RECIST v1.1 (and irRC) occurred in patients with tumors strongly positive for PD-L1.

      Conclusion
      MK-3475 is generally well tolerated in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC and provides durable objective responses. An additional cohort of patients whose tumors express PD-L1 is enrolling; preliminary safety and efficacy data, including PFS and OS, will be reported further at the World Conference on Lung Cancer 2013.

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    P1.24 - Poster Session 1 - Clinical Care (ID 146)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Poster Session
    • Track: Supportive Care
    • Presentations: 1
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      P1.24-048 - Stage 1 results of a 2-stage phase II trial of single agent amrubicin in patients with previously treated thymic malignancies (ID 3175)

      09:30 - 16:30  |  Author(s): M.A. Gubens

      • Abstract

      Background
      There are limited treatment options for patient with advanced thymic malignancies and the utility of many of the available chemotherapies is restricted by cumulative toxicity such as neuropathy (taxanes) and cardiomyopathy (anthracyclines). We designed this study to look at single agent amrubicin, a third generation anthracycline and topoisomerase II inhibitor with minimal cardiac toxicity, in patients with advanced thymic malignancies.

      Methods
      Eligible patients have confirmed thymic malignancy (thymoma (T) or thymic carcinoma (TC)) with progression or relapse after at least 1 prior chemotherapeutic regimen, and adequate organ function including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of >50%. The initial treatment plan consisted of amrubicin at 40 mg/m[2] IV days 1-3 repeated in 3-week cycles. The study is a Simon 2-stage design based on a null hypothesis of a true response rate <5%, with 90% power to detect a 20% true response rate and a plan to accrue 12 evaluable patients in stage 1, then if at least 1 response is seen, to add 25 additional evaluable patients in stage 2 for a total of 39 patients.

      Results
      Enrollment was initiated in July 2011. Here, we report on the first 12 patients, all enrolled at Stanford University over a 19-month period. Of the first 12 patients enrolled, 11 were dosed. All were pre-treated (5 with prior anthracycline). There were 5 women and 7 men; age range of 30-67 years old; 6 were of Asian ethnicity, 5 were non-Hispanic White and 1 was Hispanic. After enrollment of the first 8 patients, of whom 3 were hospitalized with febrile neutropenia (FN) (38%), the study was amended to a starting dose of 35 mg/m[2] days 1-3 repeated in 3-week cycles. Other than FN in the 3 patients mentioned above, G4 thrombocytopenia in 1 patient, and treatment-related G3 fatigue in 2 patients, other toxicities were generally mild and well tolerated. No significant changes in LVEF have been noted on serial echocardiograms. Of the 11 treated patients, there were 3 partial responses (2 T and 1 TC), 7 with stable disease for at least 4 cycles, and 1 with progressive disease (PD) after 2 cycles (TC). Of the 11 treated patients, only 1 patient, with PD after C2, has stopped before completing 6 cycles, and 5 to date have tolerated >10 cycles (with others still on treatment who may receive >10 cycles), with 15 cycles as the highest number to date.

      Conclusion
      Amrubicin, at 35 mg/m[2] IV days 1-3 on a 3-week cycle, shows promise as a single agent in pre-treated patients with thymoma and thymic carcinoma with a 27% RR in the first 11 treated patients. This exceeded the threshold for proceeding to step 2 and the study will now continue to a total of 39 patients and has expanded to other sites including Indiana University.