Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) checkpoint inhibitor resistance definitions: efforts to harmonize terminology and accelerate immuno-oncology drug development

The need for solid clinical definitions of resistance to programmed death 1 or its ligand (PD-(L)1) inhibitors for clinical trial design was identified as a priority by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). Broad consensus efforts have provided definitions for primary and secondary resistance and resistance after stopping therapy for both single-agent PD-(L)1 inhibitors and associated combinations. Validation of SITC's definitions is critical and requires field-wide data sharing and collaboration. Here, in this commentary, we detail current utility and incorporation of SITC's definitions and discuss the next steps both the society and the field must take to further advance immuno-oncology drug development.

Self-Renewing CD8+ T-cell Abundance in Blood Associates with Response to Immunotherapy

Treatment with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) often fails to elicit durable antitumor immunity. Recent studies suggest that ICB does not restore potency to terminally dysfunctional T cells, but instead drives proliferation and differentiation of self-renewing progenitor T cells into fresh, effector-like T cells. Antitumor immunity catalyzed by ICB is characterized by mobilization of antitumor T cells in systemic circulation and tumor. To address whether abundance of self-renewing T cells in blood is associated with immunotherapy response, we used flow cytometry of peripheral blood from a cohort of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICB. At baseline, expression of T-cell factor 1 (TCF1), a marker of self-renewing T cells, was detected at higher frequency in effector-memory (CCR7-) CD8+ T cells from patients who experienced durable clinical benefit compared to those with primary resistance to ICB. On-treatment blood samples from patients benefiting from ICB also exhibited a greater frequency of TCF1+CCR7-CD8+ T cells and higher proportions of TCF1 expression in treatment-expanded PD-1+CCR7-CD8+ T cells. The observed correlation of TCF1 frequency in CCR7-CD8+ T cells and response to ICB suggests that broader examination of self-renewing T-cell abundance in blood will determine its potential as a noninvasive, predictive biomarker of response and resistance to immunotherapy.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals distinct T cell populations in immune-related adverse events of checkpoint inhibitors

PD-1 is an inhibitory receptor in T cells, and antibodies that block its interaction with ligands augment anti-tumor immune responses. The clinical potential of these agents is limited by the fact that half of all patients develop immune-related adverse events (irAEs). To generate insights into the cellular changes that occur during anti-PD-1 treatment, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of circulating T cells collected from patients with cancer. Using the K-nearest-neighbor-based network graph-drawing layout, we show the involvement of distinctive genes and subpopulations of T cells. We identify that at baseline, patients with arthritis have fewer CD8 TCM cells, patients with pneumonitis have more CD4 TH2 cells, and patients with thyroiditis have more CD4 TH17 cells when compared with patients who do not develop irAEs. These data support the hypothesis that different populations of T cells are associated with different irAEs and that characterization of these cells' pre-treatment has the potential to serve as a toxicity-specific predictive biomarker.

Baseline Radiomic Signature to Estimate Overall Survival in Patients With NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to define a baseline radiomic signature associated with overall survival (OS) using baseline computed tomography (CT) images obtained from patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab or chemotherapy.

METHODS

The radiomic signature was developed in patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab in CheckMate-017, -026, and -063. Nivolumab-treated patients were pooled and randomized to training, calibration, or validation sets using a 2:1:1 ratio. From baseline CT images, volume of tumor lesions was semiautomatically segmented, and 38 radiomic variables depicting tumor phenotype were extracted. Association between the radiomic signature and OS was assessed in the nivolumab-treated (validation set) and chemotherapy-treated (test set) patients in these studies.

RESULTS

A baseline radiomic signature was identified using CT images obtained from 758 patients. The radiomic signature used a combination of imaging variables (spatial correlation, tumor volume in the liver, and tumor volume in the mediastinal lymph nodes) to output a continuous value, ranging from 0 to 1 (from most to least favorable estimated OS). Given a threshold of 0.55, the sensitivity and specificity of the radiomic signature for predicting 3-month OS were 86% and 77.8%, respectively. The signature was identified in the training set of patients treated with nivolumab and was significantly associated (p < 0.0001) with OS in patients treated with nivolumab or chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomic signature provides an early readout of the anticipated OS in patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab or chemotherapy. This could provide important prognostic information and may support risk stratification in clinical trials.

NEPTUNE: Phase 3 Study of First-Line Durvalumab Plus Tremelimumab in Patients With Metastatic NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

NEPTUNE, a phase 3, open-label study, evaluated first-line durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus chemotherapy in metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC).

METHODS

Eligible patients with EGFR and ALK wild-type mNSCLC were randomized (1:1) to first-line durvalumab (20 mg/kg every 4 weeks until progression) plus tremelimumab (1 mg/kg every 4 weeks for up to four doses) or standard chemotherapy. Randomization was stratified by tumor programmed death-ligand 1 expression (≥25% versus <25%), tumor histologic type, and smoking history. The amended primary end point was overall survival (OS) in patients with blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) greater than or equal to 20 mutations per megabase (mut/Mb). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with bTMB greater than or equal to 20 mut/Mb and safety and tolerability in all treated patients.

RESULTS

As of June 24, 2019, 823 patients were randomized (intention-to-treat [ITT]); 512 (62%) were bTMB-evaluable, with 129 of 512 (25%) having bTMB greater than or equal to 20 mut/Mb (durvalumab plus tremelimumab [n = 69]; chemotherapy [n = 60]). Baseline characteristics were balanced in the intention-to-treat. Among patients with bTMB greater than or equal to 20 mut/Mb, OS improvement with durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus chemotherapy did not reach statistical significance (hazard ratio 0.71 [95% confidence interval: 0.49-1.05; p = 0.081]; median OS, 11.7 versus 9.1 months); the hazard ratio for PFS was 0.77 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-1.15; median PFS, 4.2 versus 5.1 months). In the overall safety population, incidence of grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events was 20.7% (durvalumab plus tremelimumab) and 33.6% (chemotherapy).

CONCLUSIONS

NEPTUNE did not meet its primary end point of improved OS with durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus chemotherapy in patients with mNSCLC and bTMB greater than or equal to 20 mut/Mb. Despite the amended study design, with a resultant small primary analysis population, therapeutic activity was aligned with expectations based on mechanistic biology and previous studies.

First-in-human study of an OX40 (ivuxolimab) and 4-1BB (utomilumab) agonistic antibody combination in patients with advanced solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Ivuxolimab (PF-04518600) and utomilumab (PF-05082566) are humanized agonistic IgG2 monoclonal antibodies against OX40 and 4-1BB, respectively. This first-in-human, multicenter, open-label, phase I, dose-escalation/dose-expansion study explored safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of ivuxolimab+utomilumab in patients with advanced solid tumors.

METHODS

Dose-escalation: patients with advanced bladder, gastric, or cervical cancer, melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were unresponsive to available therapies, had no standard therapy available or declined standard therapy were enrolled into five dose cohorts: ivuxolimab (0.1-3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W)) intravenously plus utomilumab (20 or 100 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W)) intravenously. Dose-expansion: patients with melanoma (n=10) and NSCLC (n=20) who progressed on prior anti-programmed death receptor 1/programmed death ligand-1 and/or anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (melanoma) received ivuxolimab 30 mg Q2W intravenously plus utomilumab 20 mg Q4W intravenously. Adverse events (AEs) were graded per National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V.4.03 and efficacy was assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) V.1.1 and immune-related RECIST (irRECIST). Paired tumor biopsies and whole blood were collected to assess pharmacodynamic effects and immunophenotyping. Whole blood samples were collected longitudinally for immunophenotyping.

RESULTS

Dose-escalation: 57 patients were enrolled; 2 (3.5%) patients with melanoma (0.3 mg/kg+20 mg and 0.3 mg/kg+100 mg) achieved partial response (PR), 18 (31.6%) patients achieved stable disease (SD); the disease control rate (DCR) was 35.1% across all dose levels. Dose-expansion: 30 patients were enrolled; 1 patient with NSCLC achieved PR lasting &gt;77 weeks. Seven of 10 patients with melanoma (70%) and 7 of 20 patients with NSCLC (35%) achieved SD: median (range) duration of SD was 18.9 (13.9-49.0) weeks for the melanoma cohort versus 24.1 (14.3-77.9+) weeks for the NSCLC cohort; DCR (NSCLC) was 40%. Grade 3-4 treatment-emergent AEs were reported in 28 (49.1%) patients versus 11 (36.7%) patients in dose-escalation and dose-expansion, respectively. There were no grade 5 AEs deemed attributable to treatment. Ivuxolimab area under the concentration-time curve increased in a dose-dependent manner at 0.3-3 mg/kg doses.

CONCLUSIONS

Ivuxolimab+utomilumab was found to be well tolerated and demonstrated preliminary antitumor activity in selected groups of patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02315066.

Safety, tolerability and efficacy of agonist anti-CD27 antibody (varlilumab) administered in combination with anti-PD-1 (nivolumab) in advanced solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Phase 1/2 dose-escalation and expansion study evaluating varlilumab, a fully human agonist anti-CD27 mAb, with nivolumab in anti-PD-1/L1 naïve, refractory solid tumors.

METHODS

Phase 1 evaluated the safety of varlilumab (0.1-10 mg/kg) with nivolumab (3 mg/kg) administered once every 2 weeks. Phase 2 evaluated varlilumab regimens (3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks, 3 mg/kg once every 12 weeks, and 0.3 mg/kg once every 4 weeks) with nivolumab 240 mg once every 2 weeks in tumor-specific cohorts. Primary objective was safety; key clinical endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival rate at 12 months (OS12) (glioblastoma (GBM) only). Exploratory objectives included determination of effects on peripheral blood and intratumoral immune signatures.

RESULTS

175 patients were enrolled (36 in phase 1 and 139 in phase 2). Phase 1 dose-escalation proceeded to the highest varlilumab dose level without determining a maximum tolerated dose. In phase 2, ORR were ovarian 12.5%, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck 12.5%, colorectal cancer 5%, and renal cell carcinoma 0%; GBM OS12 was 40.9%. Increased tumor PD-L1 and intratumoral T cell infiltration were observed in ovarian cancer patients, with increases of ≥5% associated with better progression-free survival. The most common treatment related adverse events were fatigue (18%), pruritus (16%), and rash (15%).

CONCLUSION

Varlilumab and nivolumab were well tolerated, without significant toxicity beyond that expected for each agent alone. Clinical activity was observed in patients that are typically refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy, however, overall was not greater than expected for nivolumab monotherapy. Treatment was associated with proinflammatory changes in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in ovarian cancer where the changes were associated with better clinical outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02335918.

Abstract 1240: Peripherally measured T cell self-renewal capacity associates with response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Recent studies have suggested that ICB does not primarily restore function to terminally exhausted T cells, but instead drives proliferation and differentiation of progenitor T cells into fresh effector cells. T cell factor 1 (TCF1) marks and maintains T cell self-renewal while repressing differentiation and has been associated with increased antitumor activity. These findings suggest ICB may depend on the continued availability of self-renewing TCF1+ progenitor T cells as the source of fresh effector cells. We hypothesized that characterizing the immunophenotype of T cells in the peripheral blood, with a focus on markers of self-renewal, might be predictive of ICB response. Utilizing an institution-wide biospecimen repository, we evaluated peripheral blood samples using multi-parametric flow cytometry from patients with metastatic NSCLC treated with single-agent ICB who experienced durable clinical benefit (DCB; &gt;1 year of treatment and/or clinical response &gt;1 year) or primary resistance (RES; &lt;6 months of treatment with evidence of disease progression). Our analysis focused on a CCR7- T cell subset, which is characterized by lower proportions of TCF1+ cells but increase during active immune responses. We analyzed samples collected from a cohort of 22 patients, 11 of whom had DCB and 11 with RES. In the pre-treatment samples (n=22), we determined that the frequency of TCF1+CCR7- CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients with DCB compared to patients with RES (32.6% v. 19.0%; P = 0.0452). Importantly, the median progression free survival was 17.0 months in patients with TCF1+ frequency above the median compared to 3.0 months in patients with TCF1+ frequency below the median (HR 0.43; P = 0.0185). Among the on-treatment samples (n=19), there was an increased frequency of PD1+ expression within the CCR7- CD8+ T cell subset compared to the paired baseline samples. Examination of those therapy-expanded PD1+ T cells revealed differences in the composition of TCF1+ versus TCF1- fractions in relation to treatment outcome. The mean ratio of TCF1+ to TCF1- amongst PD1+CCR7- T cells on-treatment was found to be significantly higher in the DCB group (1.483 [DCB] v. 0.4791 [RES], P=&lt;0.0001). In this analysis, we identified a pattern of pre-and on-treatment T cell populations that correlates with durable benefit from ICB in patients with NSCLC. We observed that the frequency of TCF1 expression in the more differentiated effector memory T cell subsets prior to treatment correlates with DCB. While on treatment, both groups experienced expansion of PD1+ CD8 T cells, but the presence of greater fractions of TCF1+ T cells in the PD1+ CD8 T cell population correlates with DCB. This finding suggests that persistence and mobilization of self-renewing progenitor T cells is associated with long-lived ICB-induced anti-tumor activity.

Citation Format: Rohan Maniar, Peter H. Wang, Robert S. Washburn, Naiyer A. Rizvi, Steven L. Reiner, Brian S. Henick. Peripherally measured T cell self-renewal capacity associates with response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1240.

Baseline peripheral T-cell composition in relation to radiographic phenotypes of immune-related pneumonitis

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Background: Pneumonitis is one of the most morbid complications from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, but pathogenic mechanisms are unclear and no biomarkers permit pre-treatment risk assessment. We sought to characterize peripheral T cell subsets of pneumonitis patients on the single cell level. Methods: Blood was collected before and during ICI treatment in 24 patients. Cells were processed for single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) employing CITEseq methodology using multiplexed cell surface markers labelled with a cocktail of oligonucleotide-tagged Total-Seq anti-human antibodies against CD4, CD8, CD45RA and CD27 followed by Chromium 10X sequencing. Principal Component Analysis was performed with iCellR, K-nearest-neighbor-based Network graph drawing Layout, and PhenoGraph clustering to assign cell types. CT scans were performed per standard of care and were reviewed by an experienced thoracic radiologist. Results: Seven of 24 patients developed pneumonitis; 9 did not experience an immune-related adverse event, and the remainder experienced arthritis (4), thyroiditis (3), or neurotoxicity (1). Pneumonitis patients had expanded proportions of TH2 TCF7+ T cells at baseline as compared to the other patients. Radiographically, two patients’ pneumonitis manifested as Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (CHP), and four had Organized Pneumonia (OP). At baseline, CHP patients had significantly lower levels of CD8+ TCM cells (CXCR3+), double-positive T cells, gamma-delta T cells, and higher levels of naïve-like CD4+ TN TCF7+LEF1+ and CD4+ TH1/2 CXCR3+GATA3+ cells compared to OP. Gene expression levels also distinguished between these radiographic phenotypes. Conclusions: The peripheral T cell composition of patients who developed pneumonitis was distinct from those who did not in our cohort and unique by radiographic manifestation, suggesting potential pathogenic mechanisms and a prelude to circulating predictive markers of ICI toxicity.

Assessing Pathologic Response in Resected Lung Cancers: Current Standards, Proposal for a Novel Pathologic Response Calculator Tool, and Challenges in Practice

The efficacy of neoadjuvant treatment for NSCLC can be pathologically assessed in resected tissue. Major pathologic response (MPR) and pathologic complete response (pCR), defined as less than or equal to 10% and 0% viable tumor cells, respectively, are increasingly being used in NSCLC clinical trials to establish them as surrogate end points for efficacy to shorten time to outcome. Nevertheless, sampling and MPR calculation methods vary between studies. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer recently published detailed recommendations for pathologic assessment of NSCLC after neoadjuvant treatment, with methodology being critical. To increase methodological rigor further, we developed a novel MPR calculator tool (MPRCT) for standardized, comprehensive collection of percentages of viable tumor, necrosis, and stroma in the tumor bed. In addition, tumor width and length in the tumor bed are measured and unweighted and weighted MPR averages are calculated, the latter to account for the varying proportions of tumor beds on slides. We propose sampling the entire visible tumor bed for tumors having pCR regardless of size, 100% of tumors less than or equal to 3 cm in diameter, and at least 50% of tumors more than 3 cm. We describe the uses of this tool, including potential formal analyses of MPRCT data to determine the optimum sampling strategy that balances sensitivity against excessive use of resources. Solutions to challenging scenarios in pathologic assessment are proposed. This MPRCT will facilitate standardized, systematic, comprehensive collection of pathologic response data with a standardized methodology to validate studies designed to establish MPR and pCR as surrogate end points of neoadjuvant treatment efficacy.

Abstract CT163: CD73 inhibitor oleclumab plus osimertinib for advanced EGFRm NSCLC: First report of a Phase 1b/2 study

Background: Patients (pts) with EGFRm T790M-negative NSCLC with progressive disease (PD) on an EGFR TKI have limited therapy options. CD73 may promote immune evasion and is overexpressed in EGFRm NSCLC, suggesting the potential for combining CD73 blockers with EGFR TKIs. Oleclumab (MEDI9447) disrupts immune evasion by binding to CD73. This phase 1b/2, multicenter, dose escalation/expansion study (NCT03381274) evaluates the safety and efficacy of oleclumab plus osimertinib (osi) in locally advanced/metastatic EGFRm NSCLC. Methods: Pts had histologically or cytologically confirmed T790M-negative EGFRm NSCLC by local testing, a TKI-sensitive EGFR mutation (exon 19 del, L858R), ECOG PS 0-1, PD on a 1st or 2nd generation TKI, and no prior osi. Oleclumab 1500 mg (DL1) or 3000 mg (recommended Phase 2 dose, RP2D) IV Q2W + osi 80 mg PO QD were given until PD or intolerable AEs. Primary endpoints included AEs, SAEs and ORR by RECIST v1.1. DLTs were predefined and reviewed by a dose-escalation committee. Secondary endpoints included duration of response, disease control rate, PFS and OS. Results: As of November 9, 2020, 5 pts received DL1 and 21 pts received RP2D. Minimum follow-up was 44 wks. For the 5 pts receiving DL1, safety profile and response rate were generally similar to RP2D and no DLTs occurred. All of the 21 pts receiving RP2D had ≥1 treatment-emergent AE (TEAE), 38.1% had Grade 3/4 TEAEs and 23.8% had SAEs. Treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) occurred in 81.0% (19.0% Grade 3/4); none were SAEs or deaths. The most common TRAEs were rash (33.3%), stomatitis (28.6%), diarrhea (23.8%) and paronychia (23.8%). At data cutoff, 38.1% remained on treatment; 47.6% discontinued due to PD, with death, pt decision and AE (pneumonitis) as other causes. Response and survival for pts receiving RP2D are shown in Table 1. Conclusions: Oleclumab + osi was well tolerated at RP2D. Compared to T790M-negative EGFRm NSCLC pts in a prior study of osi monotherapy, ORR was similar (21% vs 19%) but mPFS was longer (2.8 vs 11.0 mos).

Table 1.Disease response and survivalOutcomeN=21Best overall response, n (%)CR0PR4 (19.0)SD13 (61.9)PD3 (14.3)Not evaluable1 (4.8)ORR, n (%)4 (19)Median duration of response, months (range)Not assessable (9.2-11.1)Disease control rate, n (%)17 (81.0)Median PFS (95% CI), months11 (3.7-not evaluable)6-month PFS rate (95% CI), %63.5 (38.3, 80.7)9-month PFS rate (95% CI), %52.9 (29.0, 72.1)Median OS (95% CI), monthsNot reached (11.7-not evaluable)6-month OS rate (95% CI), %100 (100, 100)9-month OS rate (95%CI), %90.0 (65.6, 97.4)

Citation Format: Dong-Wan Kim, Sang-We Kim, D. Ross Camidge, Naiyer A. Rizvi, Kristen A. Marrone, Xiuning Le, Collin Blakely, Keunchil Park, Gee-Chen Chang, Sandip Pravin Patel, Zachary A. Cooper, Rakesh Kumar, Ramin Samadani, Rebecca McCombs, Michael Pluta, Kevin Yufeng Wu, Suresh Ramalingam. CD73 inhibitor oleclumab plus osimertinib for advanced EGFRm NSCLC: First report of a Phase 1b/2 study [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 CT163.

Network meta-analysis (NMA) of immuno-oncology (IO) monotherapy as first-line (1L) treatments (txs) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with PD-L1 expression ≥50%

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Background: For advanced NSCLC patients (pts) with high (≥50%) PD-L1 expression, effective IO mono options with survival benefits are approved (pembrolizumab mono, current standard of care) and emerging (cemiplimab). In a recent Phase 3 trial, cemiplimab, a high-affinity, highly potent human PD-1 inhibitor approved for tx of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, demonstrated significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) vs chemotherapy (CT) in advanced NSCLC pts with PD-L1 ≥50%. A systematic literature review and NMA were conducted to identify/compare the efficacy/safety from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for cemiplimab vs pembrolizumab or other IO mono published 2010–19. Methods: Relevant RCTs were identified by searching Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and conference proceedings with predefined search strategies according to ISPOR, NICE, and PRISMA guidelines. An NMA with time-varying hazard ratios (HRs) was performed for OS and PFS. Analyses were conducted for objective response rate (ORR), Grade (G) 3–5 all-cause adverse events (AE), G3–5 immune-mediated AE (IMAE) and discontinuation due to AEs (DAE). Fixed-effect models were used due to limited evidence. Results with standard constant HRs and various sensitivity analyses were conducted to account for differences in RCT designs and other txs. Results: The feasibility assessment determined that EMPOWER-Lung 1, KEYNOTE-024, and KEYNOTE-042 trials were eligible. IMpower110 was excluded since an incompatible PD-L1 assay (SP142) was used for pt selection. For 1L advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥50%, cemiplimab was associated with significantly greater PFS and ORR, and comparable OS, G3–5 AEs, IMAEs, and all-cause DAEs vs pembrolizumab (Table). At 2 yrs, numerically more pts receiving cemiplimab vs pembrolizumab were alive (59% vs 49%) and significantly more were alive w/o progression (37% vs 18%). Conclusions: In advanced NSCLC pts with PD-L1 ≥50%, cemiplimab mono demonstrated significant improvements in PFS and ORR, and comparable OS, safety/tolerability vs pembrolizumab.[Table: see text]

Cemiplimab monotherapy as first-line (1L) treatment of patients with brain metastases from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) ≥ 50%: EMPOWER-Lung 1 subgroup analysis

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Background: In the Phase 3, EMPOWER-Lung 1 study, cemiplimab monotherapy provided significant survival benefit and an acceptable safety profile vs chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC and PD-L1 ≥50%. EMPOWER-Lung 1 included patients with brain metastases at baseline who are typically underrepresented in clinical trials. Other published exploratory analyses in single-cohort studies suggest benefit from immunotherapy in this patient population. Here, we present subgroup analysis of patients with brain metastasis from EMPOWER-Lung 1. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to cemiplimab 350 mg IV every 3 weeks or investigator’s choice of chemotherapy (NCT03088540). Patients with treated, clinically stable brain metastases (radiological stability not required) were eligible to enroll and are the focus of this subgroup analysis from the PD-L1 ≥50% population (n=563) of the EMPOWER-Lung 1 study. Results: A total of 68 of 563 (12.1%) cases had treated stable brain metastases at time of randomization. Patients were evenly distributed between cemiplimab (n=34) and chemotherapy (n=34), with similar median duration of follow-up (Table). Baseline characteristics were generally similar; median (range) age: 60.0 (45–76 ) vs 62.0 (48–77); male: 97.1% vs 85.3%; and non-squamous histology: 85.3% vs 76.5%; between cemiplimab vs chemotherapy, respectively. Per independent review committee, median overall survival (OS, 18.7 vs 11.7 months), median progression-free survival (PFS, 10.4 vs 5.3 months), and objective response rate (ORR, 41.2% vs 8.8%) were superior with cemiplimab vs chemotherapy (Table). After baseline, central nervous system (CNS) disease progression occurred in 2 (5.9%) patients with cemiplimab vs 4 (11.8%) patients with chemotherapy; extra-CNS disease progression occurred in 9 (26.5%) patients with cemiplimab vs 15 (44.1%) patients with chemotherapy. Conclusions: 1L cemiplimab monotherapy improved OS, PFS, and ORR vs chemotherapy, in patients with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥50%, and clinically stable brain metastases at baseline. Cemiplimab monotherapy represents a suitable option for this subgroup of patients. Clinical trial information: NCT03088540. [Table: see text]

Durvalumab With or Without Tremelimumab vs Standard Chemotherapy in First-line Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The MYSTIC Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial

Question

Does first-line durvalumab treatment with or without tremelimumab improve survival outcomes vs chemotherapy in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer?

Findings

In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial including 1118 patients with non–small cell lung cancer, although the trial did not meet its primary end points, treatment with durvalumab resulted in a numerically reduced risk of death vs chemotherapy in patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 expression on at least 25% of tumor cells. In exploratory analyses, a blood tumor mutational burden threshold of at least 20 mutations per megabase was identified for optimal clinical benefit with durvalumab plus tremelimumab vs chemotherapy.

Meaning

These findings highlight the need for further investigation and prospective validation of blood tumor mutational burden as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy.

Importance

Checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death 1 or its ligand (PD-L1) as monotherapies or in combination with anti–cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 have shown clinical activity in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.

Objective

To compare durvalumab, with or without tremelimumab, with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This open-label, phase 3 randomized clinical trial (MYSTIC) was conducted at 203 cancer treatment centers in 17 countries. Patients with treatment-naive, metastatic non–small cell lung cancer who had no sensitizing EGFR or ALK genetic alterations were randomized to receive treatment with durvalumab, durvalumab plus tremelimumab, or chemotherapy. Data were collected from July 21, 2015, to October 30, 2018.

Interventions

Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive treatment with durvalumab (20 mg/kg every 4 weeks), durvalumab (20 mg/kg every 4 weeks) plus tremelimumab (1 mg/kg every 4 weeks, up to 4 doses), or platinum-based doublet chemotherapy.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary end points, assessed in patients with ≥25% of tumor cells expressing PD-L1, were overall survival (OS) for durvalumab vs chemotherapy, and OS and progression-free survival (PFS) for durvalumab plus tremelimumab vs chemotherapy. Analysis of blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) was exploratory.

Results

Between July 21, 2015, and June 8, 2016, 1118 patients were randomized. Baseline demographic and disease characteristics were balanced between treatment groups. Among 488 patients with ≥25% of tumor cells expressing PD-L1, median OS was 16.3 months (95% CI, 12.2-20.8) with durvalumab vs 12.9 months (95% CI, 10.5-15.0) with chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76; 97.54% CI, 0.56-1.02; P = .04 [nonsignificant]). Median OS was 11.9 months (95% CI, 9.0-17.7) with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (HR vs chemotherapy, 0.85; 98.77% CI, 0.61-1.17; P = .20). Median PFS was 3.9 months (95% CI, 2.8-5.0) with durvalumab plus tremelimumab vs 5.4 months (95% CI, 4.6-5.8) with chemotherapy (HR, 1.05; 99.5% CI, 0.72-1.53; P = .71). Among 809 patients with evaluable bTMB, those with a bTMB ≥20 mutations per megabase showed improved OS for durvalumab plus tremelimumab vs chemotherapy (median OS, 21.9 months [95% CI, 11.4-32.8] vs 10.0 months [95% CI, 8.1-11.7]; HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32-0.74). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 55 (14.9%) of 369 patients who received treatment with durvalumab, 85 (22.9%) of 371 patients who received treatment with durvalumab plus tremelimumab, and 119 (33.8%) of 352 patients who received treatment with chemotherapy. These adverse events led to death in 2 (0.5%), 6 (1.6%), and 3 (0.9%) patients, respectively.

Conclusions and Relevance

The phase 3 MYSTIC study did not meet its primary end points of improved OS with durvalumab vs chemotherapy or improved OS or PFS with durvalumab plus tremelimumab vs chemotherapy in patients with ≥25% of tumor cells expressing PD-L1. Exploratory analyses identified a bTMB threshold of ≥20 mutations per megabase for optimal OS benefit with durvalumab plus tremelimumab.

Trial Registration

ClinicalT rials.gov Identifier: NCT02453282

A Blood-based Assay for Assessment of Tumor Mutational Burden in First-line Metastatic NSCLC Treatment: Results from the MYSTIC Study

PURPOSE

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) has been shown to be predictive of survival benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Measuring TMB in the blood (bTMB) using circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers practical advantages compared with TMB measurement in tissue (tTMB); however, there is a need for validated assays and identification of optimal cutoffs. We describe the analytic validation of a new bTMB algorithm and its clinical utility using data from the phase III MYSTIC trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The dataset used for the clinical validation was from MYSTIC, which evaluated first-line durvalumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) ± tremelimumab (anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 antibody) or chemotherapy for metastatic NSCLC. bTMB and tTMB were evaluated using the GuardantOMNI and FoundationOne CDx assays, respectively. A Cox proportional hazards model and minimal P value cross-validation approach were used to identify the optimal bTMB cutoff.

RESULTS

In MYSTIC, somatic mutations could be detected in ctDNA extracted from plasma samples in a majority of patients, allowing subsequent calculation of bTMB. The success rate for obtaining valid TMB scores was higher for bTMB (809/1,001; 81%) than for tTMB (460/735; 63%). Minimal P value cross-validation analysis confirmed the selection of bTMB ≥20 mutations per megabase (mut/Mb) as the optimal cutoff for clinical benefit with durvalumab + tremelimumab.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates the feasibility, accuracy, and reproducibility of the GuardantOMNI ctDNA platform for quantifying bTMB from plasma samples. Using the new bTMB algorithm and an optimal bTMB cutoff of ≥20 mut/Mb, high bTMB was predictive of clinical benefit with durvalumab + tremelimumab versus chemotherapy.

Beyond Tumor PD-L1: Emerging Genomic Biomarkers for Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy

Despite the success of immune checkpoint blockade as a strategy for activating an antitumor immune response and promoting cancer regression, only a subset of patients have durable clinical benefit. Efforts are ongoing to identify robust biomarkers that can effectively predict treatment response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although PD-L1 expression is useful for stratifying patients, it is an imperfect tool. Comprehensive next-generation sequencing platforms that are readily used in clinical practice to identify a tumor's potentially actionable genetic alterations also reveal tumor genomic features, including tumor mutation burden (TMB), that may impact the response to ICIs. High TMB enhances tumor immunogenicity through increased numbers of tumor neoantigens that may promote an immune response. Defective DNA repair, leading to microsatellite instability, is an endogenous mechanism for increased tumor TMB that augments response to anti-PD-1 blockade. Alternatively, DNA damage from exogenous factors is responsible for high TMB seen in melanoma, lung cancer, and urothelial carcinoma, among tumor subtypes with higher response rates to ICIs. In this review, we summarize data supporting the use of TMB as a biomarker as well as its known limitations. We also highlight specific tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes that are under investigation as biomarkers for ICI response and resistance. Efforts are ongoing to delineate which genomic tumor characteristics can eventually be utilized in clinical practice to ascertain the benefit of ICIs for an individual patient.

Somatic HLA Class I Loss Is a Widespread Mechanism of Immune Evasion Which Refines the Use of Tumor Mutational Burden as a Biomarker of Checkpoint Inhibitor Response

Neoantigen presentation arises as a result of tumor-specific mutations and is a critical component of immune surveillance that can be abrogated by somatic LOH of the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) locus. To understand the role of HLA-I LOH in oncogenesis and treatment, we utilized a pan-cancer genomic dataset of 83,644 patient samples, a small subset of which had treatment outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). HLA-I LOH was common (17%) and unexpectedly had a nonlinear relationship with tumor mutational burden (TMB). HLA-I LOH was frequent at intermediate TMB, yet prevalence decreased above 30 mutations/megabase, suggesting highly mutated tumors require alternate immune evasion mechanisms. In ICI-treated patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer, HLA-I LOH was a significant negative predictor of overall survival. Survival prediction improved when combined with TMB, suggesting TMB with HLA-I LOH may better identify patients likely to benefit from ICIs. SIGNIFICANCE: This work shows the pan-cancer landscape of HLA-I LOH, revealing an unexpected "Goldilocks" relationship between HLA-I LOH and TMB, and demonstrates HLA-I LOH as a significant negative predictor of outcomes after ICI treatment. These data informed a combined predictor of outcomes after ICI and have implications for tumor vaccine development.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 211.

Safety and Clinical Activity of MEDI1873, a Novel GITR Agonist, in Advanced Solid Tumors

PURPOSE

The safety and preliminary efficacy of MEDI1873, an agonistic IgG1 fusion protein targeting glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor-related protein (GITR), were evaluated in an open-label, first-in-human, phase I, dose escalation study in previously treated patients with advanced solid tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two single-patient cohorts at 1.5 and 3 mg i.v. were followed by 3+3 dose escalation in six cohorts at 7.5, 25, 75, 250, 500, and 750 mg, all every 2 weeks, for up to 52 weeks. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), and MTD. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics.

RESULTS

Forty patients received MEDI1873. Three experienced DLTs: grade 3 worsening tumor pain (250 mg); grade 3 nausea, vomiting, and headache (500 mg); and grade 3 non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (750 mg). An MTD was not reached and treatment was well tolerated up to 500 mg. Most common treatment-related adverse events were headache (25%), infusion-related reaction (17.5%), and decreased appetite (17.5%). MEDI1873 exposure was dose proportional. Antidrug-antibody incidence was low. MEDI1873 increased peripheral CD4⁺ effector memory T-cell proliferation as well as cytokines associated with effector T-cell activation at dose levels ≥75 mg. The best response was stable disease (SD) in 17 patients (42.5%), including 1 unconfirmed partial response. Eight patients (20.0%) had SD ≥24 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

MEDI1873 showed acceptable safety up to 500 mg i.v. every 2 weeks with pharmacodynamics activity, and prolonged SD in some patients. However, further development is not planned because of lack of demonstrated tumor response.

STK11 (LKB1) mutations in metastatic NSCLC: Prognostic value in the real world

BACKGROUND

Mutations in STK11 (STK11m) and frequently co-occurring KRAS mutations (KRASm/STK11m) are associated with poor survival in metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC) immuno-oncology trials. There are limited data regarding the prognostic significance of these mutations in a real-world setting.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed de-identified electronic medical records from the Flatiron Clinico-Genomic database to identify patients with mNSCLC who had initiated first-line immunotherapy (IO; alone or in combination) or chemotherapy under routine care between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2017. The primary objectives were to assess the prevalence of STK11m and KRASm/STK11m and to determine associations of these mutations with overall and progression-free survival (OS, PFS).

RESULTS

Of 2407 patients with mNSCLC, STK11m and KRASm/STK11m were present in 13.6% and 6.5% of patients, respectively. Worse OS outcomes were observed in patients with STK11m versus STK11wt mNSCLC receiving IO (first-line, HR [95% CI], 1.4 [0.9-2.3; p = 0.1]; second-line [subset of first-line cohort], HR, 1.6 [1.3-2.0; p = 0.0002]) or chemotherapy (first-line, HR, 1.4 [1.2-1.6; p < 0.0001]); PFS outcomes showed similar trends. KRASm/STK11m double mutations were associated with worse OS and PFS outcomes versus KRASwt/STK11wt with IO and chemotherapy, similar to the single mutation (STK11m vs STK11wt) findings.

CONCLUSIONS

This large observational genomic study among patients receiving routine care highlights the negative prognostic impact of STK11m in patients with mNSCLC treated with IO or chemotherapy. These results complement previous clinical trial data and provide further evidence in the real world of a patient population that would benefit from new treatment options.

Abstract 5671: Alignment of TMB measured on clinical samples: Phase IIB of the Friends of Cancer Research TMB Harmonization Project

Introduction:

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is the number of somatic mutations per megabase in a tumor's genome and has shown promise as a predictive biomarker of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors across several cancers. TMB is typically measured by whole exome sequencing (WES TMB) or by targeted next-generation sequencing gene panels (panel TMB). As more assays are developed to estimate TMB, harmonization is emerging as an unmet need and is a key goal of the Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) TMB Harmonization Project. Phase I of the Harmonization Project demonstrated correlation between panel TMB and WES TMB using TCGA data and defined theoretical sources of variability across panels. In phase IIA, sustainable TMB reference standard materials generated from human derived cell lines were used to characterize variability in TMB measurements across panels and assessed for utility in TMB alignment. Phase IIB aims to characterize variability in TMB measurements in clinical samples and to establish best practices for estimating and aligning TMB in order to improve consistency across panels.

Methods:

Fifteen laboratories (16 targeted gene panels) at different stages of development participated in phase IIB. Thirty formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples with &gt;30% tumor content were acquired; tumor DNA was isolated by a single reference lab. TMB values were calculated for DNA extracted from lung (N=10), bladder (N=10), and gastric tumors (N=10) using WES and a uniform bioinformatics pipeline agreed upon by all Consortium members. DNA samples were also sent to all laboratories, and each used their own sequencing and bioinformatics pipelines to estimate TMB from the genes represented in their respective panels. For each tumor sample, a median across panel TMB estimates was calculated; individual panel TMB estimates were translated to fold-changes relative to the sample median to quantify variability. Association between WES TMB (reference) and panel TMB will be assessed by regression analysis; dependence of association on cancer type was investigated.

Results:

A subset of tumor samples (9 bladder, 7 lung, and 5 gastric) was analyzed using 11 panels at the time of abstract submission. Median panel TMB values ranged 0.60 - 40.26 across samples, with median of median values of 5.35. Fold-change from sample-level medians ranged 0x - 6.67x. Assessment of these clinical samples by WES and all 16 gene panels, as well as regression analysis results, are forthcoming.

Conclusions:

The Friends TMB Harmonization Project has made substantial progress in characterization of TMB measurement variability and association between WES TMB and panel TMB. These are important steps toward alignment of TMB estimates generated by different gene panels which may improve the interpretation of findings within clinical development programs and ultimately enhance the usefulness of this predictive biomarker in clinical decision making.

Citation Format: Diana M. MERINO, Laura M. Yee, Lisa M. McShane, P. Mickey Williams, Tomas Vilimas, Rajesh Patidar, J. Carl Barrett, Shu-Jen Chen, Jen-Hao Cheng, Jeffrey M. Conroy, Dinesh Cyanam, Kenneth R. Eyring, David A. Fabrizio, Vincent Funari, Elizabeth P. Garcia, Sean T. Glenn, Christopher D. Gocke, Vikas Gupta, Lisa M. Haley, Matthew D. Hellmann, Laurel Keefer, Lauryn R. Keeler, Brett Kennedy, Alexander J. Lazar, Laura E. MacConaill, Kristen L. Meier, Arnaud Papin, Naiyer A. Rizvi, Ethan Sokol, Phillip Stafford, John F. Thompson, Warren Tom, Victor J. Weigman, Mingchao Xie, Chen Zhao, Mark D. Stewart, Jeff Allen. Alignment of TMB measured on clinical samples: Phase IIB of the Friends of Cancer Research TMB Harmonization Project [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5671.

Abstract 2047: Association of retinoblastoma function with response to immuno-oncology treatment in patients with small cell lung cancer

Background: Anti–programmed death-1/programmed death ligand 1 inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as a single disease entity. However, efforts to detect and characterize biologically distinct subtypes of SCLC based on gene expression profiling (GEP) have identified multiple subtypes of SCLC, with potential therapeutic implications. These SCLC subtypes can be characterized as neuroendocrine (NE) or non-NE by GEP. Mutation in the retinoblastoma (Rb) transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) gene occurs in 65–85% of patients with SCLC, and RB1 mutation may be associated with improved survival with chemotherapy. In this retrospective, exploratory analysis, we investigated the association of genomic and transcriptional biomarkers, including RB1 mutation, with response to immuno-oncology (I-O) in patients with SCLC.

Methods: Biomarker evaluation was performed in baseline samples from patients with SCLC who received second-line or later nivolumab ± ipilimumab (NIVO±IPI) in CheckMate 032 (NCT01928394). RB1 wild type (RB1WT) or mutant (RB1MUT) status and tumor mutational burden (TMB) were determined by whole exome sequencing (WES). Gene expression signatures for SCLC transcriptional subtype (6 genes), Rb protein loss of function (LOF; 87 genes), and inflammation (4 genes) were determined using RNA sequencing.

Results: Of 460 total samples from patients with SCLC, WES and GEP data were available for 279 and 286 samples, respectively. 166 patients (59%) carried frameshift, in-frame insertions or deletions, truncations, or stop-gained mutations in RB1. No differences in RB1 mutation frequency were observed between treatment arms. Overall survival (OS) with NIVO was lower in RB1MUT patients compared with RB1WT (HR = 1.46 [1.02–2.1]). RB1 mutation status was not associated with OS in patients receiving NIVO+IPI. Similar trends were observed for objective response rates. Moreover, stratifying patients based on an Rb protein LOF gene expression signature showed an association between Rb protein loss and lower OS with NIVO (HR = 1.3 [1.05–1.65]) and NIVO+IPI (HR = 1.2 [0.95–1.49]). RB1 mutation status also associated with NE transcriptional subtype (P &lt; 0.0001). Stratification of patients into NE/non-NE subtypes was not associated with OS. TMB and inflammation signatures did not differ between NE and non-NE SCLC subtype or RB1 mutation status.

Conclusion: This analysis of SCLC samples suggests that transcriptionally subtyping SCLC has limited clinical utility. Rb protein function, inflammatory gene signatures, and TMB may represent independent biomarkers of response to I-O in patients with SCLC, warranting further investigation to determine the predictive value of these biomarkers, alone and in combination.

Citation Format: David Balli, Xuya Wang, Naiyer A. Rizvi, Timothy A. Chan, Afshin Dowlati, Parul Doshi, Han Chang. Association of retinoblastoma function with response to immuno-oncology treatment in patients with small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2047.

Safety and Clinical Activity of MEDI0562, a Humanized OX40 Agonist Monoclonal Antibody, in Adult Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

PURPOSE

Immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated clinical benefits across multiple solid tumor types; however, resistance and relapse often occur. New immunomodulatory targets, which are highly expressed in activated immune cells, are needed. MEDI0562, an agonistic humanized mAb, specifically binds to the costimulatory molecule OX40. This first-in-human study evaluated MEDI0562 in adults with advanced solid tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this phase I, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation (3+3 design) study, patients received 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 10 mg/kg MEDI0562 through intravenous infusion every 2 weeks, until confirmed disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective evaluated safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics.

RESULTS

In total, 55 patients received ≥1 dose of MEDI0562 and were included in the analysis. The most common tumor type was squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (47%). Median duration of treatment was 10 weeks (range, 2-48 weeks). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 67% of patients, most commonly fatigue (31%) and infusion-related reactions (14%). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 14% of patients with no apparent dose relationship; no TRAEs resulted in death. Two patients had immune-related partial responses per protocol and 44% had stable disease. MEDI0562 induced increased Ki67⁺ CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ memory T-cell proliferation in the periphery and decreased intratumoral OX40⁺ FOXP3⁺ cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MEDI0562 was safely administered at doses up to 10 mg/kg in heavily pretreated patients. On-target pharmacodynamic effects were suggested in this setting. Further evaluation with immune checkpoint inhibitors is ongoing.

Characteristics and outcomes of lung cancer in solid organ transplant recipients

OBJECTIVES

Lung cancer is the third most common malignancy that develops in patients following solid organ transplantation and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the general population. The aims of this study are to examine the characteristics of patients who developed lung cancer following solid organ transplantation at our institution and to compare their outcomes to those of lung cancer patients without a history of transplant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a single-institution retrospective study of 44 solid organ transplant recipients who developed lung cancer and compared their characteristics to a cohort of 74 lung cancer patients without a history of transplant. We performed propensity score weighted analyses to compare outcomes between the two groups, including a cox proportional hazards model of overall survival.

RESULTS

52 % of post-transplant patients who developed lung cancer were diagnosed with stage III or IV disease. In the propensity score weighted analysis that accounted for age at diagnosis, sex, lung cancer stage at diagnosis, Charlson comorbidity index score, and ECOG performance score, post-transplant patients were more likely to have squamous cell histology (p < 0.01) and had worse overall survival compared to the non-transplant cohort (HR = 1.88, 95 % CI 1.13-3.12, p = 0.02). The difference in survival remained significant after accounting for differences in lung cancer histology and treatment (HR = 2.40, 95 % CI 1.27-3.78, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

When compared to non-transplant patients with lung cancer, post-transplant patients have worse overall survival after accounting for differences in age, sex, lung cancer stage, comorbidities, and performance status. This survival difference is not solely attributable to differences in tumor histology and treatments received. This may suggest that post-transplant malignancies are more aggressive and difficult to treat.

Synchronous Pulmonary Adenocarcinomas

OBJECTIVES

To determine concordance/discordance between morphology and molecular testing (MT) among synchronous pulmonary carcinomas using targeted next generation sequencing (NGS), with and without comprehensive molecular review (CMR), vs analyses of multiple singe genes (non-NGS).

METHODS

Results of morphologic and MT assessment were classified as concordant, discordant, or indeterminate. For discordant cases, comprehensive histologic assessment (CHA) was performed.

RESULTS

Forty-seven cases with 108 synchronous tumors were identified and underwent MT (NGS, n = 23 and non-NGS, n = 24). Histology and MT were concordant, discordant, and indeterminate in 53% (25/47), 21% (10/47), and 26% (12/47) of cases, respectively. CHA of the 10 discordant cases revised results of three cases.

CONCLUSIONS

There is discordance between histology and MT in a subset of cases and MT provides an objective surrogate for staging synchronous tumors. A limited gene panel is sufficient for objectively assessing a relationship if the driver mutations are distinct. Relatedness of mutations require CMR with a larger NGS panel (eg, 50 genes).

A phase II randomized study of telaglenastat, a glutaminase (GLS) inhibitor, versus placebo, in combination with pembrolizumab (Pembro) and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for KEAP1/NRF2-mutated non-squamous metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC)

TPS9627

Background: Mutational activation of the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway occurs in >20% of NSCLC patients (pts). KEAP1/NRF2 activation protects tumor cells from diverse forms of oxidative stress and promotes tumor growth and survival. In pts w/ advanced NSCLC, mutation of the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway is associated w/ dramatically reduced survival and poor outcomes following standard-of-care therapy. These tumors have increased dependence on GLS-mediated conversion of glutamine to glutamate due to upregulation of NRF2 target genes involved in glutamine metabolism. Telaglenastat (CB-839), an investigational, first-in-class, potent, oral GLS inhibitor, has demonstrated preclinical activity in KEAP1/NRF2-mutated NSCLC cell lines and xenograft models. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of telaglenastat + standard-of-care pembro and chemotherapy as 1L therapy for KEAP1/NRF2-mutated non-squamous mNSCLC (NCT04265534). Methods: This phase II, randomized, multicenter, double-blind study will enroll ~120 pts with histologically or cytologically documented stage IV non-squamous NSCLC w/ KEAP1 or NRF2 mutation, no prior systemic therapy for mNSCLC, measurable disease (RECIST v1.1), ECOG PS 0-1, and no EGFR, ALK, ROS, or other actionable mutation w/ available approved therapy in 1L setting. KEAP1 or NRF2 mutations will be determined by next generation sequencing (NGS), and study-provided liquid biopsy NGS will be available. Pts will be randomized 1:1 to receive telaglenastat (800 mg BID PO) or placebo, in combination with pembro, carboplatin, and pemetrexed at standard doses on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. Pts will be stratified by STK11/LKB1 mutational status and M stage of cancer (M1a-b vs M1c). The study will include an initial safety run-in period (n=12; 1 cycle). Co-primary endpoints are safety and investigator-assessed progression-free survival (RECIST v1.1). Secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration of response, overall survival, and efficacy analysis in the subgroup of pts w/ biochemical confirmation of KEAP1/NRF2 pathway activation. Findings of this novel NGS biomarker-selected study will inform the efficacy and safety profile of telaglenastat + standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy for 1L treatment of KEAP1/NRF2-mutated, non-squamous mNSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT04265534 .

SWOG S1400F (NCT03373760): A phase II study of durvalumab plus tremelimumab for previously treated patients with acquired resistance to PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy and stage IV squamous cell lung cancer (Lung-MAP Sub-study)

9623

Background: The Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) is designed to evaluate novel targeted therapies in patients with advanced squamous lung carcinoma. In the S1400F sub-study (non-match), we tested whether combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibition with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (D+T) could overcome primary or acquired resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. Response, progression-free (PFS) and overall survival, and safety in the acquired resistance cohort are reported herein. Methods: Patients with previously treated squamous lung carcinoma, performance status (PS) 0-1, and adequate organ function that developed disease progression after ≥24 weeks of anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy were eligible. Prior severe immune-related toxicities, intervening systemic therapy and combination chemo-immunotherapy were not permitted. Patients received D1500 mg + T75 mg IV q28 days for 4 cycles then D maintenance until disease progression. The primary endpoint was best objective response (RECIST 1.1). Interim analysis for futility was planned after 20 patients evaluable for response were enrolled. If no responses were observed, the cohort would stop enrolment. Results: 30 eligible patients were accrued to the acquired resistance cohort. Median age was 68 years, 60% of patients were male, 33% PS 0 and had received a median of 2 prior lines of therapy (maximum 4). Best response to prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy was CR/PR/SD in 3/7/20 patients, with a median duration of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy of 8.6 months (5.2-30.4). No objective responses were seen with D+T; 47% had SD as best response. Median PFS was 2.0 months (95% CI 1.6-2.9) and survival 7.5 months (95% CI 5.3-8.7). Among the 14 patients with SD as best response, the median PFS calculated from first disease assessment is 2.8 months (95% CI: 1.4-3.9). Grade≥3 adverse events at least possibly related to protocol therapy were seen in 10/30 patients. These include 1 treatment-related death due to pneumonitis and 1 death not otherwise specified. Other adverse events include grade 3 confusion (1), dehydration (2), diarrhea (3), encephalopathy (1), weakness (1), hyperglycemia (1), hypoxia (1), lymphopenia (1), nausea, (1), neutropenia (1), thrombocytopenia (1), rash (1), vomiting (1), grade 4 dyspnea (1), leucopenia (1) and lymphopenia (1). Conclusions: D+T did not demonstrate activity in patients with acquired resistance to PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors and pretreated advanced squamous lung carcinoma. Clinical trial information: NCT03373760 .

Evolutionary divergence of HLA class I genotype impacts efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

Functional diversity of the highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) genes underlies successful immunologic control of both infectious disease and cancer. The divergent allele advantage hypothesis dictates that an HLA-I genotype with two alleles with sequences that are more divergent enables presentation of more diverse immunopeptidomes^1-3. However, the effect of sequence divergence between HLA-I alleles-a quantifiable measure of HLA-I evolution-on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment for cancer remains unknown. In the present study the germline HLA-I evolutionary divergence (HED) of patients with cancer treated with ICIs was determined by quantifying the physiochemical sequence divergence between HLA-I alleles of each patient's genotype. HED was a strong determinant of survival after treatment with ICIs. Even among patients fully heterozygous at HLA-I, patients with an HED in the upper quartile respond better to ICIs than patients with a low HED. Furthermore, HED strongly impacts the diversity of tumor, viral and self-immunopeptidomes and intratumoral T cell receptor clonality. Similar to tumor mutation burden, HED is a fundamental metric of diversity at the major histocompatibility complex-peptide complex, which dictates ICI efficacy. The data link divergent HLA allele advantage to immunotherapy efficacy and unveil how ICI response relies on the evolved efficiency of HLA-mediated immunity.

Treatment Outcomes of Immune-Related Cutaneous Adverse Events

PURPOSE

The aim of the current study was to report the efficacy of topical and systemic treatments for immune-related cutaneous adverse events (ircAEs) attributed to checkpoint inhibitors in an uncontrolled cohort of patients referred to oncodermatology clinics.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients with ircAEs evaluated by dermatologists from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017, at three tertiary care hospitals and cancer centers were identified through electronic medical records. Clinicopathologic characteristics, dermatologic therapy outcome, and laboratory data were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 285 patients (median age, 65 years [range, 17 to 89 years]) with 427 ircAEs were included: pruritus (n = 138; 32%), maculopapular rash (n = 120; 28%), psoriasiform rash (n = 22; 5%), and others (n = 147; 34%). Immune checkpoint inhibitor class was associated with ircAE phenotype (P = .007), where maculopapular rash was predominant in patients who received combination therapy. Severity of ircAEs was significantly reduced (mean Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade: 1.74 v 0.71; P < .001) with dermatologic interventions, including topical corticosteroids, oral antipruritics, and systemic immunomodulators. A total of 88 ircAEs (20%) were managed with systemic immunomodulators. Of these, 22 (25%) of 88 persisted or worsened. In seven patients with corticosteroid-refractory ircAEs, improvement resulted from targeted biologic immunomodulatory therapies that included rituximab and dupilumab. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) was elevated in 34 (52%) of 65 patients; grade 3 or greater ircAEs were associated with increased absolute eosinophils (odds ratio, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.3 to 13.4) and IL-10 (odds ratio, 23.8; 95% CI, 2.1 to 262.5); mean immunoglobulin E serum levels were greater in higher-grade ircAEs: 1,093 kU/L (grade 3), 245 kU/L (grade 2), and 112 kU/L (grade 1; P = .043).

CONCLUSION

Most ircAEs responded to symptom- and phenotype-directed dermatologic therapies, whereas biologic therapies were effective in patients with corticosteroid-refractory disease. Increased eosinophils, IL-6, IL-10, and immunoglobulin E were associated with ircAEs, and they may represent actionable therapeutic targets for immune-related skin toxicities.

Five-Year Overall Survival for Patients With Advanced Non‒Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Pembrolizumab: Results From the Phase I KEYNOTE-001 Study

PURPOSE

Pembrolizumab monotherapy has demonstrated durable antitumor activity in advanced programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–expressing non‒small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We report 5-year outcomes from the phase Ib KEYNOTE-001 study. These data provide the longest efficacy and safety follow-up for patients with NSCLC treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients had confirmed locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC and provided a contemporaneous tumor sample for PD-L1 evaluation by immunohistochemistry using the 22C3 antibody. Patients received intravenous pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 2 or 3 weeks. Investigators assessed response per immune-related response criteria. The primary efficacy end point was objective response rate. Overall survival (OS) and duration of response were secondary end points.

RESULTS

We enrolled 101 treatment-naive and 449 previously treated patients. Median follow-up was 60.6 months (range, 51.8 to 77.9 months). At data cutoff—November 5, 2018—450 patients (82%) had died. Median OS was 22.3 months (95% CI, 17.1 to 32.3 months) in treatment-naive patients and 10.5 months (95% CI, 8.6 to 13.2 months) in previously treated patients. Estimated 5-year OS was 23.2% for treatment-naive patients and 15.5% for previously treated patients. In patients with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score of 50% or greater, 5-year OS was 29.6% and 25.0% in treatment-naive and previously treated patients, respectively. Compared with analysis at 3 years, only three new-onset treatment-related grade 3 adverse events occurred (hypertension, glucose intolerance, and hypersensitivity reaction, all resolved). No late-onset grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events occurred.

CONCLUSION

Pembrolizumab monotherapy provided durable antitumor activity and high 5-year OS rates in patients with treatment-naive or previously treated advanced NSCLC. Of note, the 5-year OS rate exceeded 25% among patients with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score of 50% or greater. Pembrolizumab had a tolerable long-term safety profile with little evidence of late-onset or new toxicity.

Blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) and tumor PD-L1 as predictive biomarkers of survival in MYSTIC: First-line durvalumab (D) ± tremelimumab (T) versus chemotherapy (CT) in metastatic (m) NSCLC

9016

Background: MYSTIC, an open-label, Ph3 trial of first-line D (anti-PD-L1) ± T (anti-CTLA-4) vs platinum-based CT, showed an improvement in OS with D vs CT in pts with tumor cell PD-L1 expression ≥25% (PD-L1 TC ≥25%; HR 0.76 [97.54% CI 0.56–1.02], p = 0.036). Exploratory analyses showed bTMB was a predictive biomarker for OS with D±T vs CT. We report further exploratory analyses of OS according to PD-L1 and bTMB. Methods: Immunotherapy/CT-naïve pts with mNSCLC were randomized (1:1:1) to D, D+T or CT. bTMB levels (mut/Mb) were evaluated with the GuardantOMNI platform (Guardant Health), and PD-L1 TC expression with the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) IHC assay. Results: D improved OS vs CT in pts with PD-L1 TC ≥25% across bTMB levels (PD-L1 TC ≥25%/bTMB≥20 HR 0.79 [95% CI 0.45, 1.39]; PD-L1 TC ≥25%/bTMB < 20 HR 0.64 [95% CI 0.45, 0.90]). In contrast, D+T improved OS vs CT in pts with bTMB≥20 across different PD-L1 TC expression levels (Table; PD-L1 TC ≥25%/bTMB≥20 HR 0.44 [95% CI 0.23, 0.84]; PD-L1 TC < 1%/bTMB≥20 HR 0.42 [95% CI 0.17, 0.97]). Additional cutoffs and outcomes in subgroups defined by both biomarkers will be presented. Conclusions: These exploratory analyses from MYSTIC support PD-L1 TC expression as an appropriate predictive biomarker for OS with D vs CT, while suggesting bTMB as a predictive biomarker for OS with D+T in mNSCLC. These biomarkers appear to be independent and both may be important for mNSCLC treatment decisions. Interpretation of these data may be limited by small sample sizes; further investigations are warranted. Clinical trial information: NCT02453282. [Table: see text]

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with first-line durvalumab (D) ± tremelimumab (T) versus chemotherapy (CT) in metastatic NSCLC: Results from MYSTIC

9048

Background: MYSTIC, an open-label, Phase 3 trial of first-line D (anti-PD-L1) ± T (anti-CTLA-4) vs platinum CT in mNSCLC, showed an improvement in overall survival (OS) with D vs CT in pts with tumor cell PD-L1 expression ≥25% (TC ≥25% [primary analysis population]; D vs CT, HR 0.76 [97.54% CI 0.56–1.02], p = 0.036; D+T vs CT, HR 0.85 [98.77% CI 0.61–1.17], p = 0.202). Here we summarize PROs from MYSTIC. Methods: Immunotherapy/CT-naïve mNSCLC pts were randomized (1:1:1) to D, D+T, or CT. Symptoms, function, and global health status/quality of life (QoL) were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 v3 questionnaire and its lung cancer module, QLQ-LC13. A change in score from baseline ≥10 points was predefined as clinically meaningful (CM). Mean changes from baseline (over 12 mos) for prespecified symptoms were analyzed using a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM). Time from randomization to the first CM deterioration (TTD) was analyzed. Results: Among pts with PD-L1 TC ≥25% (n = 488), there were no differences between arms in symptoms, function, or global health status/QoL at baseline. Compliance with completing the questionnaires was ≥60% to wk 120 in the D±T arms, and to wk 40 (C30) and wk 44 (LC13) in the CT arm. MMRM analysis showed significant between-arm differences in changes from baseline in favor of D for fatigue (difference vs CT −9.5) and appetite loss (−11.9; CM), and D+T for fatigue (−11.7; CM). Significantly longer TTD (median, mos) was seen with D and D+T vs CT for appetite loss (12.8 and 5.6 vs 4.5), constipation (14.6 and 9.0 vs 5.5), nausea/vomiting (16.7 and 9.7 vs 4.5), and dyspnea (10.6 and 7.4 vs 5.6); D vs CT for diarrhea (16.3 vs 9.0), insomnia (9.3 vs 6.2), and hemoptysis (not reached vs 10.3); and D+T vs CT for fatigue (5.6 vs 2.0). Significantly longer TTD (median, mos) was also seen with D and D+T vs CT for function (cognitive [9.1 and 6.6 vs 5.2], physical [9.0 and 7.4 vs 4.2], role [D vs CT only; 7.3 vs 3.7], social [12.9 and 5.4 vs 5.2]), and global health status/QoL (5.9 and 6.8 vs 5.5). Conclusions: Pts with PD-L1 TC ≥25% treated with D±T had a reduced symptom burden over time and longer TTD for symptoms, function, and global health status/QoL compared to pts receiving CT. Clinical trial information: NCT02453282.

Impact of Patient Characteristics, Prior Therapy, and Sample Type on Tumor Cell Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Expression in Patients with Advanced NSCLC Screened for the ATLANTIC Study

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated the impact of patient characteristics, sample types, and prior non-immunotherapy treatment on tumor cell (TC) programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression using samples from patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

Patients (N = 1590) screened for the ATLANTIC study submitted a recently acquired (≤3 months) or archival (>3 months to >3 years old) tumor sample for PD-L1 assessment using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay with a cutoff of ≥25% of TCs expressing PD-L1 (TC ≥25%). Samples were acquired either before or after the two or more treatment regimens required for study entry and sample age varied among patients. A subset of patients (n = 123) provided both recent and archival samples.

RESULTS

A total of 517 of 1590 (32.5%) patients had TC greater than or equal to 25%: prevalence was greater in smokers versus nonsmokers (p = 0.0005) and those with EGFR- versus EGFR+ tumors (p = 0.0002); these effects were independent. Prevalence of TC greater than or equal to 25% was increased in recent metastatic versus primary (p = 0.005) and recent versus archival (p = 0.039) samples. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but not tyrosine kinase inhibition, before sampling was associated with significantly increased PD-L1 prevalence. PD-L1 status (TC ≥25% cutoff) remained unchanged in 74.0% of patients with recent and archival samples; where PD-L1 status changed, it was more likely to increase than decrease over time or with intervening treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Several factors potentially impact PD-L1 TC greater than or equal to 25% prevalence in advanced NSCLC; however, no characteristic can be considered a surrogate for PD-L1 expression. Fresh biopsy may provide more accurate assessment of current tumoral PD-L1 expression where a low/negative result is seen in an archival sample, especially if the patient has received intervening therapy.

Tumor mutational load predicts survival after immunotherapy across multiple cancer types

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments benefit some patients with metastatic cancers, but predictive biomarkers are needed. Findings in selected cancer types suggest that tumor mutational burden (TMB) may predict clinical response to ICI. To examine this association more broadly, we analyzed the clinical and genomic data of 1,662 advanced cancer patients treated with ICI, and 5,371 non-ICI-treated patients, whose tumors underwent targeted next-generation sequencing (MSK-IMPACT). Among all patients, higher somatic TMB (highest 20% in each histology) was associated with better overall survival. For most cancer histologies, an association between higher TMB and improved survival was observed. The TMB cutpoints associated with improved survival varied markedly between cancer types. These data indicate that TMB is associated with improved survival in patients receiving ICI across a wide variety of cancer types, but that there may not be one universal definition of high TMB.

Deep learning using tumor HLA peptide mass spectrometry datasets improves neoantigen identification

Neoantigens, which are expressed on tumor cells, are one of the main targets of an effective antitumor T-cell response. Cancer immunotherapies to target neoantigens are of growing interest and are in early human trials, but methods to identify neoantigens either require invasive or difficult-to-obtain clinical specimens, require the screening of hundreds to thousands of synthetic peptides or tandem minigenes, or are only relevant to specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. We apply deep learning to a large (N = 74 patients) HLA peptide and genomic dataset from various human tumors to create a computational model of antigen presentation for neoantigen prediction. We show that our model, named EDGE, increases the positive predictive value of HLA antigen prediction by up to ninefold. We apply EDGE to enable identification of neoantigens and neoantigen-reactive T cells using routine clinical specimens and small numbers of synthetic peptides for most common HLA alleles. EDGE could enable an improved ability to develop neoantigen-targeted immunotherapies for cancer patients.

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 85% of all cases. Until recently, chemotherapy – characterized by some benefit but only rare durable responses – was the only treatment option for patients with NSCLC whose tumors lacked targetable mutations. By contrast, immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated distinctly durable responses and represent the advent of a new treatment approach for patients with NSCLC. Three immune checkpoint inhibitors, pembrolizumab, nivolumab and atezolizumab, are now approved for use in first- and/or second-line settings for selected patients with advanced NSCLC, with promising benefit also seen in patients with stage III NSCLC. Additionally, durvalumab following chemoradiation has been approved for use in patients with locally advanced disease. Due to the distinct features of cancer immunotherapy, and rapid progress in the field, clinical guidance is needed on the use of these agents, including appropriate patient selection, sequencing of therapies, response monitoring, adverse event management, and biomarker testing. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened an expert Task Force charged with developing consensus recommendations on these key issues. Following a systematic process as outlined by the National Academy of Medicine, a literature search and panel voting were used to rate the strength of evidence for each recommendation. This consensus statement provides evidence-based recommendations to help clinicians integrate immune checkpoint inhibitors into the treatment plan for patients with NSCLC. This guidance will be updated following relevant advances in the field.

Tumor Mutational Burden and Efficacy of Nivolumab Monotherapy and in Combination with Ipilimumab in Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Durable responses and encouraging survival have been demonstrated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), but predictive markers are unknown. We used whole exome sequencing to evaluate the impact of tumor mutational burden on efficacy of nivolumab monotherapy or combined with ipilimumab in patients with SCLC from the nonrandomized or randomized cohorts of CheckMate 032. Patients received nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg plus 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four cycles, followed by nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks). Efficacy of nivolumab ± ipilimumab was enhanced in patients with high tumor mutational burden. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab appeared to provide a greater clinical benefit than nivolumab monotherapy in the high tumor mutational burden tertile.

Durvalumab as third-line or later treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (ATLANTIC): an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a new standard of care for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without EGFR tyrosine kinase or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genetic aberrations (EGFR-/ALK-), but clinical benefit in patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements (EGFR+/ALK+) has not been shown. We assessed the effect of durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) treatment in three cohorts of patients with NSCLC defined by EGFR/ALK status and tumour expression of PD-L1.

METHODS

ATLANTIC is a phase 2, open-label, single-arm trial at 139 study centres in Asia, Europe, and North America. Eligible patients had advanced NSCLC with disease progression following at least two previous systemic regimens, including platinum-based chemotherapy (and tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy if indicated); were aged 18 years or older; had a WHO performance status score of 0 or 1; and measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. Key exclusion criteria included mixed small-cell lung cancer and NSCLC histology; previous exposure to any anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody; and any previous grade 3 or worse immune-related adverse event while receiving any immunotherapy agent. Patients in cohort 1 had EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC with at least 25%, or less than 25%, of tumour cells with PD-L1 expression. Patients in cohorts 2 and 3 had EGFR-/ALK- NSCLC; cohort 2 included patients with at least 25%, or less than 25%, of tumour cells with PD-L1 expression, and cohort 3 included patients with at least 90% of tumour cells with PD-L1 expression. Patients received durvalumab (10 mg/kg) every 2 weeks, via intravenous infusion, for up to 12 months. Retreatment was allowed for patients who benefited but then progressed after completing 12 months. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with increased tumour expression of PD-L1 (defined as ≥25% of tumour cells in cohorts 1 and 2, and ≥90% of tumour cells in cohort 3) who achieved an objective response, assessed in patients who were evaluable for response per independent central review according to RECIST version 1.1. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of durvalumab and for whom any post-dose data were available. The trial is ongoing, but is no longer open to accrual, and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02087423.

FINDINGS

Between Feb 25, 2014, and Dec 28, 2015, 444 patients were enrolled and received durvalumab: 111 in cohort 1, 265 in cohort 2, and 68 in cohort 3. Among patients with at least 25% of tumour cells expressing PD-L1 who were evaluable for objective response per independent central review, an objective response was achieved in 9 (12·2%, 95% CI 5·7-21·8) of 74 patients in cohort 1 and 24 (16·4%, 10·8-23·5) of 146 patients in cohort 2. In cohort 3, 21 (30·9%, 20·2-43·3) of 68 patients achieved an objective response. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 40 (9%) of 444 patients overall: six (5%) of 111 patients in cohort 1, 22 (8%) of 265 in cohort 2, and 12 (18%) of 68 in cohort 3. The most common treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were pneumonitis (four patients [1%]), elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase (four [1%]), diarrhoea (three [1%]), infusion-related reaction (three [1%]), elevated aspartate aminotransferase (two [<1%]), elevated transaminases (two [<1%]), vomiting (two [<1%]), and fatigue (two [<1%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 27 (6%) of 444 patients overall: five (5%) of 111 patients in cohort 1, 14 (5%) of 265 in cohort 2, and eight (12%) of 68 in cohort 3. The most common serious adverse events overall were pneumonitis (five patients [1%]), fatigue (three [1%]), and infusion-related reaction (three [1%]). Immune-mediated events were manageable with standard treatment guidelines.

INTERPRETATION

In patients with advanced and heavily pretreated NSCLC, the clinical activity and safety profile of durvalumab was consistent with that of other anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 agents. Responses were recorded in all cohorts; the proportion of patients with EGFR-/ALK- NSCLC (cohorts 2 and 3) achieving a response was higher than the proportion with EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC (cohort 1) achieving a response. The clinical activity of durvalumab in patients with EGFR+ NSCLC with ≥25% of tumour cells expressing PD-L1 was encouraging, and further investigation of durvalumab in patients with EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC is warranted.

FUNDING

AstraZeneca.

Genomics of NSCLC patients both affirm PD-L1 expression and predict their clinical responses to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy

Background

Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a co-stimulatory and immune checkpoint protein. PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) is a hallmark of adaptive resistance and its expression is often used to predict the outcome of Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) and PD-L1 immunotherapy treatments. However, clinical benefits do not occur in all patients and new approaches are needed to assist in selecting patients for PD-1 or PD-L1 immunotherapies. Here, we hypothesized that patient tumor cell genomics influenced cell signaling and expression of PD-L1, chemokines, and immunosuppressive molecules and these profiles could be used to predict patient clinical responses.

Methods

We used a recent dataset from NSCLC patients treated with pembrolizumab. Deleterious gene mutational profiles in patient exomes were identified and annotated into a cancer network to create NSCLC patient-specific predictive computational simulation models. Validation checks were performed on the cancer network, simulation model predictions, and PD-1 match rates between patient-specific predicted and clinical responses.

Results

Expression profiles of these 24 chemokines and immunosuppressive molecules were used to identify patients who would or would not respond to PD-1 immunotherapy. PD-L1 expression alone was not sufficient to predict which patients would or would not respond to PD-1 immunotherapy. Adding chemokine and immunosuppressive molecule expression profiles allowed patient models to achieve a greater than 85.0% predictive correlation among predicted and reported patient clinical responses.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that chemokine and immunosuppressive molecule expression profiles can be used to accurately predict clinical responses thus differentiating among patients who would and would not benefit from PD-1 or PD-L1 immunotherapies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4134-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.