Brentuximab vedotin combined with ABVD or AVD for patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma: a phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study.


Summary

Background

Roughly 70–80% of patients with advanced stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma are cured with various first-line and second-line treatments, including ABVD, BEACOPP, and stem-cell transplantation. Brentuximab vedotin has shown significant clinical activity, with a manageable safety profile, in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We aimed to assess the safety and early clinical efficacy of this drug as first-line treatment in combination with standard or modified-standard treatment in patients with previously untreated Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Methods

We did a phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation safety study comparing brentuximab vedotin in combination with standard (ABVD) or a modified-standard (AVD) treatment. Patients were enrolled into the groups sequentially. Main entry criteria were newly diagnosed, treatment-naive, CD30-positive patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma who had histologically confirmed stage IIA bulky disease or stage IIB–IV disease and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of two or less. Patients received doses of 0·6, 0·9, or 1·2 mg/kg brentuximab vedotin by intravenous infusion every 2 weeks with either ABVD (25 mg/m2 doxorubicin, 10 units/m2 bleomycin, 6 mg/m2 vinblastine, and 375 mg/m2 dacarbazine) or AVD (ABVD modified regimen without the inclusion of bleomycin) for up to six cycles. Our primary objectives were to assess the safety profile and establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of brentuximab vedotin in combination with ABVD and AVD. The safety profile and MTD was assessed for the safety population. The study has completed and the final analysis is presented. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01060904.

Findings

Between Jan 29, 2010, and Sept 17, 2012, 51 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of brentuximab vedotin. The maximum tolerated dose of brentuximab vedotin when combined with ABVD or AVD was not exceeded at 1·2 mg/kg. 21 (95%) of 22 patients given brentuximab vedotin and ABVD achieved complete remission, as did 24 (96%) of 25 patients given brentuximab vedotin and AVD. Adverse events were generally grade 1 or 2; however, an unacceptable number of patients in the brentuximab vedotin and ABVD groups had pulmonary toxic effects (11 [44%] of 25), which exceeded the historical incidence for ABVD alone. No patients experienced pulmonary toxic effects when treated with brentuximab vedotin plus AVD. The most common grade 3 or worse events were neutropenia (20 [80%] of 25 patients in the brentuximab vedotin and ABVD group vs 20 [77%] of 26 patients in the brentuximab vedotin and AVD group), anaemia (five [20%] vs three [12%]), febrile neutropenia (five [20%] vs two [8%]), pulmonary toxic effects (six [24%] vs 0), syncope (three [12%] vstwo [8%]), dyspnoea (three [12%] vs one [4%]), pulmonary embolism (three [12%] vs 0), fatigue (one [4%] each), and leucopenia (one [4%] each). Serious events occured in 41% of all patients (14 [56%] in the brentuximab vedotin and ABVD group and seven [27%] in the brentuximab vedotin and AVD group). Serious events occurring in 10% of patients or more overall were febrile neutropenia (four [16%] in the brentuximab vedotin and ABVD group vs two [8%] in the brentuximab vedotin and AVD group), and, in the brentuximab vedotin and ABVD group only, pulmonary toxic effects (six [24%]).

Interpretation

Brentuximab vedotin should not be given with bleomycin in general or specifically as first-line therapy for patients with treatment naive, advanced stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 1·2 mg/kg brentuximab vedotin combined with AVD given every 2 weeks was generally well tolerated by patients. At present, a phase 3 trial comparing brentuximab vedotin plus AVD to ABVD alone is ongoing (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01712490) and will formally assess whether brentuximab vedotin plus AVD might redefine therapy in treatment-naive patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Source:http://www.thelancet.com

Trastuzumab emtansine versus taxane use for previously treated HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GATSBY): an international randomised, open-label, adaptive, phase 2/3 study.


Summary

Background

Although trastuzumab plus chemotherapy is the standard of care for first-line treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, there is no established therapy in the second-line setting. In GATSBY, we examined the efficacy and tolerability of trastuzumab emtansine in patients previously treated for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic gastric cancer, including adenocarcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal junction).

Methods

This is the final analysis from GATSBY, a randomised, open-label, adaptive, phase 2/3 study, done at 107 centres (28 countries worldwide). Eligible patients had HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer and progressed during or after first-line therapy. In stage one of the trial, patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups (2:2:1) to receive intravenous trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 2·4 mg/kg weekly) or physician’s choice of a taxane (intravenous docetaxel 75 mg/m2every 3 weeks or intravenous paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 weekly). In stage two, patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups (2:1) to receive the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC)-selected dose of trastuzumab emtansine (2·4 mg/kg weekly) or a taxane (same regimen as above). We used permuted block randomisation, stratified by world region, previous HER2-targeted therapy, and previous gastrectomy. The primary endpoint (overall survival) was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01641939.

Findings

Between Sept 3, 2012, and Oct 14, 2013, 70 patients were assigned to receive trastuzumab emtansine 3·6 mg/kg every 3 weeks, 75 to receive trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly, and 37 to receive a taxane in the stage 1 part of the trial. At the pre-planned interim analysis (Oct 14, 2013), the IDMC selected trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly as the dose to proceed to stage 2. By Feb 9, 2015, a further 153 patients had been randomly assigned to receive trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly and a further 80 to receive a taxane. At data cutoff, median follow-up was 17·5 months (IQR 12·1–23·0) for the trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly group and 15·4 months (9·2–18·1) in the taxane group. Median overall survival was 7·9 months (95% CI 6·7–9·5) with trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly and 8·6 months (7·1–11·2) with taxane treatment (hazard ratio 1·15, 95% CI 0·87–1·51, one-sided p=0·86). The trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg group had lower incidences of grade 3 or more adverse events (134 [60%] of 224 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine vs 78 [70%] of 111 patients treated with a taxane), and similar incidences of adverse events leading to death (eight [4%] vs four [4%]), serious adverse events (65 [29%] vs 31 [28%]), and adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation (31 [14%] vs 15 [14%]) than did taxane treatment. The most common grade 3 or more adverse events in the trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly group were anaemia (59 [26%]) and thrombocytopenia (25 [11%]) compared with neutropenia (43 [39%]), and anaemia (20 [18%]), in the taxane group. The most common serious adverse events were anaemia (eight [4%]), upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (eight [4%]), pneumonia (seven [3%]), gastric haemorrhage (six [3%]), and gastrointestinal haemorrhage (five [2%]) in the trastuzumab emtansine 2·4 mg/kg weekly group compared with pneumonia (four [4%]), febrile neutropenia (four [4%]), anaemia (three [3%]), and neutropenia (three [3%]) in the taxane group.

Interpretation

Trastuzumab emtansine was not superior to taxane in patients with previously treated, HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer. There is still an unmet need in this patient group and therapeutic options remain limited.

Source:http://www.thelancet.com