Phase II study of PKC-alpha antisense oligonucleotide aprinocarsen in combination with gemcitabine and carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

The antisense oligonucleotide aprinocarsen specifically inhibits the transcription of protein kinase C-alpha. This study evaluated the response rate of the combination therapy of aprinocarsen, gemcitabine, and carboplatin in previously untreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Secondary objectives included the measurement of time-to-event efficacy parameters and toxicity. Patients with stage IV or stage IIIB disease (N(3) and/or pleural/pericardial effusion) were treated with gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 and carboplatin AUC 5 on day 1 every 21 days. Aprinocarsen was administered as 2mg/kg/day continuous iv infusion on the first 14 days of each cycle, following the carboplatin treatment. A total of 36 patients received a median of 3 treatment cycles, with 10 patients completing 6 cycles. No complete response was observed, while partial response was seen in 25% of patients. Stable disease and progressive disease was observed in 36.1% and 22.2% of patients. The median overall survival was 8.3 months, and the median duration of progression-free survival was 5.7 months (95% CI, 3.2-7.1 months). Thrombocytopenia (78%) and neutropenia (50%) were the major grade 3/4 toxicities. Enrollment for this study was stopped and the study was terminated in March 2003 due to the results of a large phase III study, which suggested that aprinocarsen did not improve response or add survival benefit to chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC. The addition of aprinocarsen to gemcitabine+carboplatin therapy in patients with NSCLC showed moderate activity. However, this combination resulted in severe thrombocytopenia in the majority of patients.

A phase I evaluation of oral CI-1033 in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: In the United States, lung cancer represents the third most common cancer, causing the most cancer-related deaths, with treatment advances minimally affecting 5-year survivals. Erb-B family receptor elevations are found in many non-small cell lung cancer tumors, making this receptor family a drug target with potential for improving survival. DESIGN: Chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled who had at least one elevated tumor-expressed member of the erb-B family receptors. This dose-finding, multicenter, open-label, phase I study combined chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin, adding the tyrosine kinase inhibitor CI-1033. Patients were evaluated for toxicity, response, survival, and pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: All 39 patients enrolled were assessable for safety and efficacy. Dose-limiting toxicities (diarrhea, rash, asthenia, and hypotension) occurred at the 200- and 150-mg dose levels of CI-1033; the maximum tolerated dose was 100 mg. Most toxicities were mild to moderate. Pharmacokinetics studies showed that paclitaxel levels were unaffected by CI-1033 and that CI-1033 plasma concentrations were consistent with historical controls. Ten patients (25.6%) achieved partial responses and another 11 (28.2%) had stable disease. In the recommended phase II dose cohort (n = 23), six patients (26%) had partial responses and six (26%) had stable disease. Median survival time was 12.4 months; median progression-free survival was 5.1 months. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel-carboplatin, combined with CI-1033 at 100 mg/day, was safe and well tolerated. Efficacy and survival results were comparable to those of similar studies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer and therefore warrant additional phase II testing.