Project description:Chromosomal rearrangements of the gene encoding ROS1 proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) define a distinct molecular subgroup of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that may be susceptible to therapeutic ROS1 kinase inhibition. Crizotinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), ROS1, and another proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase, MET.We enrolled 50 patients with advanced NSCLC who tested positive for ROS1 rearrangement in an expansion cohort of the phase 1 study of crizotinib. Patients were treated with crizotinib at the standard oral dose of 250 mg twice daily and assessed for safety, pharmacokinetics, and response to therapy. ROS1 fusion partners were identified with the use of next-generation sequencing or reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assays.The objective response rate was 72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58 to 84), with 3 complete responses and 33 partial responses. The median duration of response was 17.6 months (95% CI, 14.5 to not reached). Median progression-free survival was 19.2 months (95% CI, 14.4 to not reached), with 25 patients (50%) still in follow-up for progression. Among 30 tumors that were tested, we identified 7 ROS1 fusion partners: 5 known and 2 novel partner genes. No correlation was observed between the type of ROS1 rearrangement and the clinical response to crizotinib. The safety profile of crizotinib was similar to that seen in patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC.In this study, crizotinib showed marked antitumor activity in patients with advanced ROS1-rearranged NSCLC. ROS1 rearrangement defines a second molecular subgroup of NSCLC for which crizotinib is highly active. (Funded by Pfizer and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00585195.).
Project description:C-ros oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) rearrangement has been detected in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) provide a survival benefit for patients with ROS1-rearranged advanced NSCLC, subsequent therapy remains limited. Small cell transformation is an important mechanism of drug resistance in epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant NSCLC. However, its significance in mediating ROS1 resistance has not been determined yet. Here, we present the case of a 63-year-old man with ROS1-rearranged advanced NSCLC who had disease progression with small cell transformation of the mediastinal lymph node after 8 months of treatment with crizotinib. More importantly, fluorescence in situ hybridization of post-progression tumor biopsy demonstrated retention of ROS1 rearrangement. Tissue biopsy remains indispensable for patients who acquire resistance to ROS1 TKIs.
Project description:Despite the advances in new targeted therapies in ALK positive population, most patients progress under ALK inhibitors within first 2 years; being the brain the most frequent site of relapse. ALK mutations, in ~30% of patients, are the main known mechanism of resistance. Classically, second-generation ALK inhibitors have been the standard of care in the crizotinib-resistant population; however, each ALK inhibitor has a different spectrum of sensitivity to ALK mutations, complicating the optimal treatment strategy for the resistant population. Brigatinib (AP26113) is a novel highly selective and potent inhibitor of ALK and ROS1 with a high degree of selectivity. In vitro, brigatinib not only inhibited ALK with 12-fold higher potency compared to crizotinib, but also inhibited IGF-1R, FLT3 and EGFR mutants, with some activity against the EGFRT790M resistance mutation. In xenograft models, brigatinib overcomes resistance to ALK inhibitors, including the ALK G1202R mutation, which is resistant to first- and second-generation inhibitors. The efficacy of brigatinib in crizotinib-resistant, ALK-positive patients has been demonstrated in two early studies, which led to its approval in this setting, and it is currently being investigated as the first-line therapy versus crizotinib in tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve patients. Brigatinib demonstrates not only promising whole-body activity, but also an impressive improvement of intracranial outcomes in terms of both objective response rate and progression-free survival in the crizotinib-resistant population, with optimal efficacy at 180 mg (following a 90 mg run-in for 7 days) and good tolerance. These data confirm brigatinib as an excellent therapeutic strategy after crizotinib failure, particularly in the setting of central nervous system involvement. In this review, we summarize the two main clinical studies reported to date with brigatinib in ALK-positive advanced NSCLC patients, in particular, in the crizotinib-resistant population. We also address the mechanism of action for development of resistance and the challenging issues of optimal implementation for sequences of administration for ALK inhibitors.
Project description:Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (ALK) rearrangement is sensitive to the ALK inhibitor crizotinib, but resistance invariably develops. Ceritinib (LDK378) is a new ALK inhibitor that has shown greater antitumor potency than crizotinib in preclinical studies.In this phase 1 study, we administered oral ceritinib in doses of 50 to 750 mg once daily to patients with advanced cancers harboring genetic alterations in ALK. In an expansion phase of the study, patients received the maximum tolerated dose. Patients were assessed to determine the safety, pharmacokinetic properties, and antitumor activity of ceritinib. Tumor biopsies were performed before ceritinib treatment to identify resistance mutations in ALK in a group of patients with NSCLC who had had disease progression during treatment with crizotinib.A total of 59 patients were enrolled in the dose-escalation phase. The maximum tolerated dose of ceritinib was 750 mg once daily; dose-limiting toxic events included diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, elevated aminotransferase levels, and hypophosphatemia. This phase was followed by an expansion phase, in which an additional 71 patients were treated, for a total of 130 patients overall. Among 114 patients with NSCLC who received at least 400 mg of ceritinib per day, the overall response rate was 58% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48 to 67). Among 80 patients who had received crizotinib previously, the response rate was 56% (95% CI, 45 to 67). Responses were observed in patients with various resistance mutations in ALK and in patients without detectable mutations. Among patients with NSCLC who received at least 400 mg of ceritinib per day, the median progression-free survival was 7.0 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 9.5).Ceritinib was highly active in patients with advanced, ALK-rearranged NSCLC, including those who had had disease progression during crizotinib treatment, regardless of the presence of resistance mutations in ALK. (Funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01283516.).
Project description:Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both sexes, accounting for over one quarter of cancer deaths. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises 85%-90% of lung cancer diagnoses and despite advances in multimodality therapies, 5-year survival rates remain dismal with a median survival for patients with metastatic disease of 1 year. The positive outcomes of targeted therapies against the kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptor in NSCLC triggered consistent efforts to identify the so-called driver mutations as other potential targets. Anaplastic large-cell kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements were identified and targeted resulting in promising response rates in early studies. Unfortunately, most of the patients treated with crizotinib, the first-generation ALK inhibitor, progressed within 9 months. Ceritinib is a second-generation ALK inhibitor that has demonstrated activity in crizotinib-resistant patients, becoming a promising treatment option in this population. Furthermore, additional novel ALK inhibitors and agents targeting alternative pathways have been recruited to rechallenge this evasive disease post-crizotinib resistance.
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crizotinib for advanced ROS1-rearranged (ROS1+) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients due to a single-arm study PROFILE 1001. However, there is no direct comparison between crizotinib and platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Clinical data of advanced ROS1+NSCLC patients treated with first-line crizotinib or platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy between August 2010 and December 2017 were analyzed. RESULTS:Seventy-seven patients were eligible, including 30 (39.0%) in the crizotinib group and 47 (61.0%) in the platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy group. The median follow-up was 28.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.2-39.0). The objective response rate (ORR) of crizotinib (86.7%, 95% CI: 73.3-96.7) was higher than that of platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy (44.7%, 95% CI: 29.8-57.4, P < .001). The disease control rate (DCR) was 96.7% (95% CI: 90.0-100) in the crizotinib group and 85.1% (95% CI: 74.5-95.7) in the chemotherapy group (P = .140). Significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in the patients treated with crizotinib (18.4 months, 95% CI: 6.4-30.3) versus platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy (8.6 months, 95% CI: 6.9-10.3, P < .001). Overall survival (OS) was also compared between the two groups and no significant difference was seen (Not reach vs 28.4 months [95% CI: 20.7-36.0], P = .176). Notably, a total of 37 patients have treatment crossover after the failure of first-line treatment. Among those patients, difference in OS was not statistically significant between seven patients who have given first-line crizotinib (38.6 months, 95% CI: 0-81.0) and 30 patients who have given platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy initially (32.8 months, 95% CI: 11.9-53.8, P = .805). CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggested that first-line crizotinib had higher ORR and longer PFS than platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy in patients with advanced ROS1+NSCLC, but the differences were not observed for OS.
Project description:BACKGROUND:In the ongoing phase I PROFILE 1001 study, crizotinib showed antitumor activity in patients with ROS1-rearranged advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we present updated antitumor activity, overall survival (OS) and safety data (additional 46.2?months follow-up) for patients with ROS1-rearranged advanced NSCLC from PROFILE 1001. PATIENTS AND METHODS:ROS1 status was determined by FISH or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. All patients received crizotinib at a starting dose of 250?mg twice daily. RESULTS:Fifty-three patients received crizotinib, with a median duration of treatment of 22.4?months. At data cut-off, treatment was ongoing in 12 patients (23%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 72% [95% confidence interval (CI), 58% to 83%], including six confirmed complete responses and 32 confirmed partial responses; 10 patients had stable disease. Responses were durable (median duration of response 24.7?months; 95% CI, 15.2-45.3). ORRs were consistent across different patient subgroups. Median progression-free survival was 19.3?months (95% CI, 15.2-39.1). A total of 26 deaths (49%) occurred (median follow-up period of 62.6?months), and of the remaining 27 patients (51%), 14 (26%) were in follow-up at data cut-off. Median OS was 51.4?months (95% CI, 29.3 to not reached) and survival probabilities at 12, 24, 36, and 48?months were 79%, 67%, 53%, and 51%, respectively. No correlation was observed between OS and specific ROS1 fusion partner. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were mainly grade 1 or 2, per CTCAE v3.0. There were no grade ?4 TRAEs and no TRAEs associated with permanent discontinuation. No new safety signals were reported with long-term crizotinib treatment. CONCLUSIONS:These findings serve as a new benchmark for OS in ROS1-rearranged advanced NSCLC, and continue to show the clinically meaningful benefit and safety of crizotinib in this molecular subgroup. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00585195.
Project description:Crizotinib has been approved for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma harboring rearrangements of the c-ROS-1 (ROS1) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genes. We report a patient with ROS1-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma who developed a crizotinib-induced mixed/cholestatic type of liver injury. The patient discontinued crizotinib after 34 days due to liver toxicity. Twenty-four days later, when transaminases and C reactive protein (CRP) were normalized, crizotinib was resumed using an oral desensitization method. The patient was successfully treated for manageable recurrence of liver injury and has been able to continue the treatment.
Project description:Entrectinib is a pan-tyrosine-kinase inhibitor that targets oncogenic rearrangements in NTRK, ROS1 and ALK. The combined results of two clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of entrectinib in ROS1-rearranged NSCLC. Because the development of drug resistance is inevitable, it would be helpful to determine the mechanisms of entrectinib resistance in a ROS1-rearranged tumor model so that future therapeutic strategies can be developed. Here, we characterized the molecular basis of resistance in entrectinib-resistant ROS1-rearranged HCC78 cells (HCC78ER cells). These cells were analyzed by next-generation sequencing and genetic profiling, which revealed the acquisition of KRAS G12C and the amplification of KRAS and FGF3. However, there were no secondary mutations in the ROS1 kinase domain. We also found that sustained ERK activation was involved in entrectinib resistance, and that combined treatment with selumetinib resensitized HCC78ER cells to entrectinib in cell viability and colony formation assays. Our data suggest that activation of the RAS signaling pathway can cause entrectinib resistance in ROS1-rearranged NSCLC, and is unlikely to be overcome by sequential single agent ROS1-targeting strategies against such tumors. Instead, co-targeting ROS1 and MEK may be an effective strategy for overcoming entrectinib resistance in ROS1-rearranged NSCLC.