Nivolumab with or without ipilimumab treatment for metastatic sarcoma (Alliance A091401): two open-label, non-comparative, randomised, phase 2 trials.
Patients with metastatic sarcoma have limited treatment options. Nivolumab and ipilimumab are monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4, respectively. We investigated the activity and safety of nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab in patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic sarcoma.
We did a multicentre, open-label, non-comparative, randomised, phase 2 study that enrolled patients aged 18 years or older and had central pathology confirmation of sarcoma with at least one measurable lesion by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1, evidence of metastatic, locally advanced or unresectable disease, an ECOG performance status of 0-1, and received at least one previous line of systemic therapy. Patients were assigned to treatment in an unblinded manner, as this trial was conducted as two independent, non-comparative phase 2 trials. Enrolled patients were assigned (1:1) via a dynamic allocation algorithm to intravenous nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, or nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses. Thereafter, all patients received nivolumab monotherapy (3 mg/kg) every 2 weeks for up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma achieving a confirmed objective response. Analysis was per protocol. This study is ongoing although enrolment is closed. It is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02500797.
Between Aug 13, 2015, and March 17, 2016, 96 patients from 15 sites in the USA underwent central pathology review for eligibility and 85 eligible patients, including planned over-enrolment, were allocated to receive either nivolumab monotherapy (43 patients) or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (42 patients). The primary endpoint analysis was done according to protocol specifications in the first 76 eligible patients (38 patients per group). The number of confirmed responses was two (5% [92% CI 1-16] of 38 patients) in the nivolumab group and six (16% [7-30] of 38 patients) in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab group. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were anaemia (four [10%] patients), decreased lymphocyte count (three [7%]), and dehydration, increased lipase, pain, pleural effusion, respiratory failure, secondary benign neoplasm, and urinary tract obstruction (two [5%] patients each) among the 42 patients in the nivolumab group and anaemia (eight [19%] patients), hypotension (four [10%] patients), and pain and urinary tract infection (three [7%] patients each) among the 42 patients in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab group. Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in eight (19%) of 42 patients receiving monotherapy and 11 (26%) of 42 patients receiving combination therapy, and included anaemia, anorexia, dehydration, decreased platelet count, diarrhoea, fatigue, fever, increased creatinine, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, hyponatraemia, pain, pleural effusion, and pruritus. There were no treatment-related deaths.
Nivolumab alone does not warrant further study in an unselected sarcoma population given the limited efficacy. Nivolumab combined with ipilimumab demonstrated promising efficacy in certain sarcoma subtypes, with a manageable safety profile comparable to current available treatment options. The combination therapy met its predefined primary study endpoint; further evaluation of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in a randomised study is warranted.
Alliance Clinical Trials in Oncology, National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cycle for Survival.
D'Angelo SP
,Mahoney MR
,Van Tine BA
,Atkins J
,Milhem MM
,Jahagirdar BN
,Antonescu CR
,Horvath E
,Tap WD
,Schwartz GK
,Streicher H
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Efficacy of PD-1-based immunotherapy after radiologic progression on targeted therapy in stage IV melanoma.
Targeted therapy (TT) is an effective treatment for advanced BRAFV600-mutated melanoma, but most patients eventually acquire resistance and progress. Here, we evaluated the outcome of second-line immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) after progression on dual BRAF and MEK inhibition.
Patients with metastatic melanoma progressing on combined BRAF + MEK inhibition and receiving second-line ICB between 2015 and 2019 in 9 tertiary referral centres were enrolled. Demographic and clinical data and blood counts of all patients were collected retrospectively.
We identified 99 patients with stage IV melanoma receiving ICB (nivolumab, pembrolizumab [n = 39] or ipilimumab plus nivolumab [n = 60]) after progression on combined TT. The median progression-free survival was similar in the PD-1 and ipilimumab plus nivolumab group (2.6 months [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.0-3.1] vs. 2.0 [95% CI, 1.4-2.6], p = 0.15). The objective response rate was 18.0% in the PD-1 and 15.0% in the ipilimumab plus nivolumab group (p = 0.70). The disease control rate was 25.7% for monotherapy and 18.3% for combined ICB (p = 0.39). The median overall survival was 8.4 months (95% CI, 5.1-11.7) for patients receiving PD-1 monotherapy and 7.2 months (95% CI, 5.2-9.1) for patients receiving ipilimumab plus nivolumab (p = 0.86). The latter was associated with a higher rate of treatment-related adverse events (AEs). No significant association of laboratory values or clinicopathological characteristics with response to second-line ICB was observed.
PD-1 monotherapy and combined ipilimumab plus nivolumab show similar activity and outcome in patients with melanoma resistant to BRAF + MEK inhibition. However, combined ipilimumab plus nivolumab was associated with a higher rate of treatment-related AEs compared with monotherapy.
Kreft S
,Gesierich A
,Eigentler T
,Franklin C
,Valpione S
,Ugurel S
,Utikal J
,Haferkamp S
,Blank C
,Larkin J
,Garbe C
,Schadendorf D
,Lorigan P
,Schilling B
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Nivolumab and sunitinib combination in advanced soft tissue sarcomas: a multicenter, single-arm, phase Ib/II trial.
Sarcomas exhibit low expression of factors related to immune response, which could explain the modest activity of PD-1 inhibitors. A potential strategy to convert a cold into an inflamed microenvironment lies on a combination therapy. As tumor angiogenesis promotes immunosuppression, we designed a phase Ib/II trial to test the double inhibition of angiogenesis (sunitinib) and PD-1/PD-L1 axis (nivolumab).
This single-arm, phase Ib/II trial enrolled adult patients with selected subtypes of sarcoma. Phase Ib established two dose levels: level 0 with sunitinib 37.5 mg daily from day 1, plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously on day 15, and then every 2 weeks; and level -1 with sunitinib 37.5 mg on the first 14 days (induction) and then 25 mg per day plus nivolumab on the same schedule. The primary endpoint was to determine the recommended dose for phase II (phase I) and the 6-month progression-free survival rate, according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 (phase II).
From May 2017 to April 2019, 68 patients were enrolled: 16 in phase Ib and 52 in phase II. The recommended dose of sunitinib for phase II was 37.5 mg as induction and then 25 mg in combination with nivolumab. After a median follow-up of 17 months (4-26), the 6-month progression-free survival rate was 48% (95% CI 41% to 55%). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events included transaminitis (17.3%) and neutropenia (11.5%).
Sunitinib plus nivolumab is an active scheme with manageable toxicity in the treatment of selected patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, with almost half of patients free of progression at 6 months.Trial registration number NCT03277924.
Martin-Broto J
,Hindi N
,Grignani G
,Martinez-Trufero J
,Redondo A
,Valverde C
,Stacchiotti S
,Lopez-Pousa A
,D'Ambrosio L
,Gutierrez A
,Perez-Vega H
,Encinas-Tobajas V
,de Alava E
,Collini P
,Peña-Chilet M
,Dopazo J
,Carrasco-Garcia I
,Lopez-Alvarez M
,Moura DS
,Lopez-Martin JA
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《Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer》