View Poster: A Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Tolinapant in Subjects with Advanced Solid Tumors and Lymphomas

Abstract:

 Methods: Data from dose-escalation stage (Phase 1) and dose-expansion stage (Phase 2) from clinical study ASTX660-01 were included. Subjects recruited into Phase 1 received tolinapant in either powder (15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 mg; n=16) or capsule formulation (180, 210 and 270 mg; n=27). Subjects in Phase 2 only received capsule formulation (90, 120, 150 or 180 mg). A population PK model was developed with NONMEM v. 7.3 using first-order conditional estimation with eta-epsilon interaction (FOCE-I). Model selection was based on goodness-of-fit plots, objective function values, prediction and variance corrected visual predictive check (pvcVPC), and model plausibility. Confidence intervals (CIs) around the parameters were computed using the sampling importance resampling (SIR) method.^[1]

Results: The data comprised 3427 tolinapant concentration measurements from 163 subjects (Phase 1; n=43, Phase 2; n=120) aged 23 to 84 years. tolinapant PK was best described using a two-compartment nonlinear elimination model with absorption described by a transit compartment model. The rate of absorption was dependent on formulation and was described by separate transit rate constants (KTR) for powder and capsules. Population estimates of Michaelis-Menten constant (Km), maximum elimination rate (Vmax), and apparent central volume of distribution (Vc/F) were 918.3 ng/mL, 72.2 ng/L and 488.6 L, respectively. Between subject variability included on Vmax and Vc/F were 21.3% and 40%, respectively. An additive error model on log transformed data was used to account for the unexplained residual variability. All parameters were estimated with acceptable precision. The predictive performance of the model assessed by the pvcVPC indicated that the data were adequately described by the model.

Conclusion: A population PK model was developed for tolinapant in subjects with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas. This work is the first description of the tolinapant PK, and the next steps are to explore the exposure and efficacy relationships and investigate the anti-tumor activity of tolinapant in one or more selected tumor types.

Reference:

1. Dosne AG, Berstrand M, Harling K, Karlsson MO. Improving the estimation of parameter uncertainty distributions in nonlinear mixed effects models using sampling importance resampling. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn, 43(6):583–596, 2016.

View Presentation:

Trials-In-Progress, A Phase 1-2, Open-Label Study of the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Preliminary Activity of Tolinapant in Combination with Oral Decitabine/Cedazuridine and Oral Decitabine/Cedazuridine Alone in Subjects with Relapsed/Refractory Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma

Rationale

There are limited treatment options for patients with PTCL after front line therapy has failed. Tolinapant (ASTX660) is a novel oral non-peptidomimetic, small-molecule antagonist of cellular/X-linked inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (cIAP1/2 and XIAP), which also induces necroptosis in T-cell lymphoma models (Ferrari et al., Blood Advances, 2021). An ongoing Phase 1/2 study demonstrates an overall response rate (ORR) of >20% in relapsed/refractory PTCL with single agent tolinapant (Michot et al., EHA 2022). While there are limited studies using hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in PTCL, a recent prospective study showed 40% ORR (Wong et al., Leukemia, 2022). Preclinical data demonstrate decitabine treatment leads to re-expression of gene expression critical for necroptosis and synergy between decitabine and tolinapant in T-cell tumor models (Ward et al. ASH 2021; Manavalan et al; EHA abstract 2022). These data suggest that this combination may have synergistic activity in PTCL. There are minimal overlapping toxicities between the study drugs and no expected drug-drug interactions. Oral decitabine and cedazuridine (an inhibitor that enhances the oral bioavailability of decitabine) is an oral fixed dose combination of the two drugs with pharmacokinetic equivalence to IV decitabine. This combination was recently approved in the US, Canada, and Australia for the treatment of intermediate and high-risk MDS and CMML.

Study Design

ASTX660-03 is a Phase 1-2, open-label study investigating the safety and efficacy of combination tolinapant and oral decitabine/cedazuridine treatment in relapsed/refractory PTCL. To be eligible, subjects with ECOG PS ≤2 must have received at least two prior systemic therapies with evidence of documented progressive disease with at least one measurable lesion by CT. Subjects with CD30-positive disease must have received, be ineligible for, or intolerant to brentuximab vedotin. Key exclusion criteria include ejection fraction <50%, QTc >470 msec, and the use of concomitant medications that are either strong or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers.

There is a lead-in phase to confirm tolerability of the MDS-approved regimen of oral decitabine/cedazuridine is tolerated in a PTCL population. Phase 1 is randomized to oral decitabine/cedazuridine alone or in combination with tolinapant. The combination arm will have escalation of tolinapant in dose ranges that have shown efficacy in PTCL. The oral decitabine/cedazuridine only arm will enroll 20-24 subjects. Once the combination arm reaches recommended Phase 2 dose/maximum tolerated dose there will be a dose expansion of 20 subjects in the combination arm prior to the initiation of the combination dosing in Phase 2, with an enrollment goal of 102 subjects. There will be no formal analysis in Phase 1. In Phase 2, there will be efficacy analysis for every 34 subjects, without a pause in enrollment. Anticipated study opening is May 2022.

View poster: 

PHARMACOKINETIC EXPOSURE EQUIVALENCE AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY AND SAFETY FROM A RANDOMIZED CROSSOVER PHASE 3 STUDY OF AN ORAL HYPOMETHYLATING AGENT, ASTX727 (DEC-C), COMPARED TO IV DECITABINE IN AML PATIENTS

Abstract:

Background: Parenterally administered hypomethylating agents (HMAs), decitabine (DEC) and azacitidine (AZA), are approved in Europe for adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are not candidates for standard induction chemotherapy as single agent or in combination with venetoclax. ASTX727 (DEC-C) is a fixed dose combination (FDC) tablet of 35 mg DEC and 100 mg cedazuridine, a novel cytidine deaminase inhibitor (CDAi). In clinical trials with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)/chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients, DEC-C provides DEC exposures that are equivalent to IV DEC at the approved dose of 20 mg/m2 daily×5 and is approved as INQOVI® in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Aims: To demonstrate DEC exposure bioequivalence of oral DEC-C and IV-DEC and generate clinical data using DEC-C in AML patients.

Methods: The ASCERTAIN study was a randomized cross over design. Patients were randomized 1:1 to either Sequence A: DEC-C (35 mg DEC/100 mg cedazuridine) in Cycle 1 followed by IV-DEC at 20 mg/m2 in Cycle 2, or Sequence B: receiving IV-DEC in Cycle 1 followed by DEC-C on Cycle 2 to compare PK [primary endpoint Area Under the Curve (AUC) equivalence over 5 days of dosing]. All patients received DEC-C from Cycle 3 onwards until treatment discontinuation to assess safety and clinical efficacy. Patients were eligible as per the EMA-approved decitabine label (newly diagnosed AML who are not candidates for standard induction chemotherapy). Clinical responses were assessed according to modified International Working Group (IWG) 2003 response criteria.

Results: 89 patients were randomized, of whom 87 were treated. The median age of patients was 78.0 years (range, 61 to 92) with 31 (35.6%) males and 56 (64.4%) females. Cytogenetic risk classification was poor-risk in 33 (37.9%) and intermediate-risk in 45 (51.7%) patients. For the primary endpoint, preliminary PK data was available from 69 patients who successfully completed PK assessments for both IV DEC and DEC-C cycles, and the DEC AUC0-24 (h*ng/mL) 5-Day geometric mean estimate was 904 for DEC-C and 907 for IV-DEC resulting in an oral/IV geometric LSM AUC ratio of 99.64% (90% CI of 91.23-108.8%). Safety findings were consistent with those anticipated for IV-DEC (related Grade ≥ 3 AEs in more than 10% were thrombocytopenia, anemia, febrile neutropenia, neutropenia, and pneumonia). As of the data cutoff date (10 SEP 2021), median follow up was 7.95 months (IQR 6.11-11.86). Of the 77 patients who had ≥6 months of follow up or discontinued treatment, the best response was complete response (CR) in 17 (22.1%, 95% CI: 13.4, 33.0%). In addition, 4 patients (5.2%) had CR with incomplete blood cell count recovery (CRi), with 1 patient (1.3%) who had CR with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp), resulting in composite response rate [CR + CRp] of 23.4% [18/77 patients, 95% CI: 14.5, 34.4%]. These results obtained with DEC-C are consistent with those observed for IV DEC. Based on preliminary and limited study follow-up with ~46% censored observations, the median survival was approximately 7.9 months (95% CI: 5.9, 13.0).

Summary/Conclusion: This randomized phase 3 study in AML patients not candidates for standard induction chemotherapy demonstrates that the oral FDC of DEC-C (35mg/100 mg) resulted in an equivalent DEC AUC exposure to IV-DEC at 20 mg/m2 over 5 days. In addition, safety findings and preliminary clinical activity is also consistent with published data from IV-DEC, suggesting that DEC-C has the potential to be an oral alternative to the standard IV decitabine Daily×5 regimen.

View Poster
COMBINING THE IAP ANTAGONIST, TOLINAPANT, WITH A DNA HYPOMETHYLATING AGENT ENHANCES ANTI-TUMOUR MECHANISMS IN PRECLINICAL MODELS OF T-CELL LYMPHOMA

Abstract:
Background: Tolinapant is a potent, non-peptidomimetic antagonist of cIAP1, cIAP2 and XIAP. In a Phase 2 trial (NCT02503423), tolinapant has shown activity against highly pre-treated peripheral and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (Samaniego et al., Hematological Oncology, 2019). Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) have also shown clinical responses in some subsets of PTCL (Lemonnier et al., Blood, 2019). Both HMAs and IAP antagonists show immunomodulatory anti-cancer potential in preclinical studies.

Aims: Here we have undertaken a biomarker-driven approach to understand the potential for induction of immunogenic forms of cell death, such as necroptosis, by rational combination of our clinical compounds in
preclinical models of TCL.

Methods: On-target effects of decitabine and tolinapant were measured by analysing levels of DNMT1 and cIAP1,respectively, by Western blotting in mouse and human cell lines. Levels of key necroptosis biomarkers (RIPK3, MLKL) were also monitored by Western blotting to provide evidence of lytic cell death contributing to a potential immune response. Karpas-299 cells genetically-manipulated to express RIPK3 were used to demonstrate involvement of necroptosis in drug-induced cell death (Cytotox NIR) in vitro. Cell death was monitored by viability (CellTiterGlo)or real-time microscopy (IncuCyte) assays. Levels of key immunomodulatory mediators or DAMPS were measured in tissue culture supernatants and mouse plasma. Levels of methylation in RIPK3 promoter regions were measured by pyrosequencing after bisulfite conversion. Comparative changes in gene expression were measured by RT-qPCR.

Results:
TCL cell lines treated with tolinapant, decitabine or both led to depletion of cIAP1 and DNMT1 in TCL cell lines,
demonstrating target engagement of both agents. The combination of tolinapant and decitabine synergistically
reduced viability of some human T-cell lymphoma cell lines.
Some cell lines, including Karpas-299, were resistant to tolinapant treatment and showed low expression of RIPK3,
which was found to be due to promoter methylation. Increased expression of RIPK3 in Karpas-299 by genetic
manipulation or by decitabine treatment resulted in enhanced lytic cell death upon tolinapant treatment.
Decitabine and tolinapant treatments resulted in expression of cytokines, chemokines and DAMPs, suggesting
potential for immune activation and the effects were enhanced when combined. Furthermore, normally silenced
cancer/testis antigen expression was increased by decitabine, potentially increasing the immunogenicity of the cells.
Evaluation of the combination of agents in mouse models suggested that increased necroptosis signal and immune-potentiating biomarker modulation can be achieved in vivo.

Summary/Conclusion: These data demonstrate that hypomethylating agents enhance immunogenic cell death induced by tolinapant through the re-expression of genes in the necroptotic pathway. In addition, modulation of cytokine response and cancer/testis antigen expression could enhance anti-tumour response. These findings provide a strong rationale to explore this combination clinically.

View Poster:

Treatment with the dual mechanism ERK inhibitor, ASTX029, alters myeloid cell differentiation

Abstract:

The inhibition of aberrant MAPK pathway activity is a clinically validated approach which has resulted in the approval of agents targeting tumors driven by activating mutations in BRAF and KRAS. Although the overall response rate to MAPK-targeting agents is high, duration of response is often limited by the emergence of acquired resistance. In contrast, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as the anti-PD1 therapy, pembrolizumab, have a lower response rate but induce more durable responses. It has been demonstrated that inhibition of aberrant MAPK pathway activity enhances immune activation. For example, preclinical studies show that treatment with the BRAF^V600E inhibitor dabrafenib or the KRAS^G12C inhibitor sotorasib induces a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME), which is associated with increased anti-tumor immunity. Further, studies using syngeneic, MAPK-activated in vivo models have demonstrated that the combination of MAPK-targeting agents and ICI results in synergistic inhibition of tumor growth.

ASTX029 is a dual-mechanism ERK1/2 (ERK) inhibitor, inhibiting both the catalytic activity and phosphorylation of ERK, which is currently undergoing clinical development as part of a Phase 1/2 trial in advanced solid tumors (NCT03520075). ASTX029 has good oral bioavailability and shows potent inhibition of tumor growth in preclinical models bearing activating mutations in the MAPK pathway.

We have previously investigated the immunomodulatory effects of ASTX029 using an in vivo syngeneic tumor model and observed that treatment with ASTX029 resulted in a pro-inflammatory TME, with increased interferon signaling consistent with published data describing the effects of treatment with dual-mechanism ERK inhibitors (Kidger et al., Mol Cancer Ther, 2020). We also observed an increased expression of antigen presentation genes. Using digital spatial profiling, we evaluated the expression of 31 proteins in immune infiltrates and observed a significant decrease in CD14 and a significant increase in MHC class II in ASTX029-treated tumors compared to untreated tumors. We therefore investigated the immunomodulatory effects of ASTX029 using primary human monocytes under conditions that induce macrophage differentiation and polarisation. Treatment with ASTX029 induced a decrease in CD14 and an increase in MHC class II cell surface expression, consistent with our previous in vivo mouse model data. In addition, we observed changes in cell surface expression of phenotypic markers, such as CD206, following treatment with ASTX029.

These data support our previous observations and demonstrate that ERK inhibition by ASTX029 leads to phenotypic changes during monocyte to macrophage differentiation. Our data provide a strong rationale for the combination of ASTX029 with agents which aim to modulate the myeloid compartment or response to myeloid signaling.