Expanding Role of Data Science and Bioinformatics in Drug Discovery and Development.

Numerous barriers have been identified which detract from successful applications of clinical trial data and platforms. Despite the challenges, opportunities are growing to advance compliance, quality, and practical applications through top-down establishment of guiding principles, coupled with bottom-up approaches to promote data science competencies among data producers. Recent examples of successful applications include modern treatments for hematologic malignancies, developed with support from public-private partnerships, guiding principles for data-sharing, standards for protocol designs and data management, digital technologies, and quality analytics.

Dose selection for the investigational anticancer agent alisertib (MLN8237): Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and exposure-safety relationships.

We report population pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic-safety analyses to support phase II/III dose/regimen selection of alisertib, a selective Aurora A kinase (AAK) inhibitor. Phase I studies in adult cancer patients evaluated dosing on Days 1-7 in 21-day cycles or Days 1-21 in 35-day cycles, with corresponding maximum tolerated doses of 50 mg twice daily (BID) and 50 mg QD, respectively. Population pharmacokinetic analyses supported dose- and time-linear pharmacokinetics without identification of clinically meaningful covariates. Exposure-related increases in skin mitotic index and decreases in chromosomal alignment/spindle bipolarity in tumor mitotic cells confirmed AAK inhibition. Exposures in the 7-day schedule at or near 50 mg BID are expected to result in tumor AAK inhibition based on pharmacodynamic assessment in patient tumors. Exposure-safety analyses of data from patients receiving doses of 5-200 mg/day in the 7-day schedule support a low (∼7%) predicted incidence of dose-limiting toxicity at 50 mg BID. Taken together, these analyses support a pharmacologically active and acceptably tolerated dose range of alisertib for future clinical development.

An exploratory phase 2 study of investigational Aurora A kinase inhibitor alisertib (MLN8237) in acute myelogenous leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Alisertib (MLN8237) is an investigational, oral, selective, Aurora A kinase (AAK) inhibitor. In this phase 2 trial, 57 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-grade myelodysplastic syndrome received alisertib 50 mg BID for 7 days in 21-day cycles. Responses in 6/35 AML patients (17% response rate with an additional 49% stable disease, 34% transfusion independence) included 1 complete response lasting >1 year. No responses were observed in MDS patients. Adverse events >30% included diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, febrile neutropenia, and stomatitis. Results suggest modest activity in AML, supporting further research to better understand how AAK inhibition may induce leukemic cell senescence.

Investigational Aurora A kinase inhibitor alisertib (MLN8237) as an enteric-coated tablet formulation in non-hematologic malignancies: phase 1 dose-escalation study.

BACKGROUND: This phase 1b study evaluated an enteric-coated tablet (ECT) formulation of the investigational Aurora A kinase inhibitor, alisertib (MLN8237). METHODS: Patients with advanced, non-hematologic malignancies received oral alisertib ECT for 7 d BID followed by 14 d treatment-free (21-day cycles; 3 + 3 dose escalation schema). Objectives were to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity, and to define a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of alisertib. RESULTS: 24 patients were treated. Median age was 57 years. Patients received a median of 2 cycles (range 1-12). The RP2D was determined as 50 mg BID for 7 d (21-day cycles). A cycle 1 dose-limiting toxicity of grade 4 febrile neutropenia was observed in 1 of 13 patients at RP2D. The most common drug-related adverse event (AE) was neutropenia (50%). At doses ≥ 40 mg BID, 7 patients had drug-related AEs that were serious but largely reversible/manageable by dose reduction and supportive care, including 3 with febrile neutropenia. Pharmacokinetic data were available in 24 patients. Following administration of alisertib ECT, the plasma peak concentration of alisertib was achieved at ~3 h; systemic exposure increased with increasing dose over 10-60 mg BID. Mean t½ was ~21 h following multiple dosing. Renal clearance was negligible. Nine patients achieved stable disease (3.98*, 5.59, 1.28*, 2.56, 5.45*, 3.48, 3.15, 8.31, and 6.93* months; *censored). CONCLUSIONS: Alisertib ECT was generally well tolerated in adults with advanced, non-hematologic malignancies. The RP2D is 50 mg BID for 7 d and is being evaluated in ongoing phase 2 studies.

Phase II study of alisertib, a selective Aurora A kinase inhibitor, in relapsed and refractory aggressive B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

PURPOSE: Aurora A kinase (AAK) is overexpressed in aggressive lymphomas and can correlate with more histologically aggressive forms of disease. We therefore designed a phase II study of alisertib, a selective AAK inhibitor, in patients with relapsed and refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients age ≥ 18 years were eligible if they had relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL), transformed follicular lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, or noncutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Alisertib was administered orally at 50 mg twice daily for 7 days in 21-day cycles. RESULTS: We enrolled 48 patients. Histologies included DLBCL (n = 21), MCL (n = 13), peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n = 8), transformed follicular lymphoma (n = 5), and Burkitt's (n = 1). Most common grade 3 to 4 adverse events were neutropenia (63%), leukopenia (54%), anemia (35%), thrombocytopenia (33%), stomatitis (15%), febrile neutropenia (13%), and fatigue (6%). Four deaths during the study were attributed to progressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 2), treatment-related sepsis (n = 1), and unknown cause (n = 1). The overall response rate was 27%, including responses in three of 21 patients with DLBCL, three of 13 with MCL, one of one with Burkitt's lymphoma, two of five with transformed follicular lymphoma, and four of eight with noncutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The alisertib steady-state trough concentration (n = 25) revealed the expected pharmacokinetic variability, with a trend for higher incidence of adverse event-related dose reductions at higher trough concentrations. Analysis for AAK gene amplification and total AAK protein revealed no differences between histologies or correlation with clinical response. CONCLUSION: The novel AAK inhibitor alisertib seems clinically active in both B- and T-cell aggressive lymphomas. On the basis of these results, confirmatory single-agent and combination studies have been initiated.

Phase II study of MLN8237 (alisertib), an investigational Aurora A kinase inhibitor, in patients with platinum-resistant or -refractory epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Aurora A kinase (AAK), a key mitotic regulator, is implicated in the pathogenesis of several tumors, including ovarian cancer. This single-arm phase II study assessed single-agent efficacy and safety of the investigational AAK inhibitor MLN8237 (alisertib), in patients with platinum-refractory or -resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma. METHODS: Adult women with malignant, platinum-treated disease received MLN8237 50mg orally twice daily for 7 days plus 14 days' rest (21-day cycles). The primary endpoint was combined objective tumor response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and/or CA-125 criteria. Secondary endpoints included response duration, clinical benefit rate, progression-free survival (PFS), time-to-progression (TTP), and safety. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients with epithelial ovarian (n=25), primary peritoneal (n=5), and fallopian tube carcinomas (n=1) were enrolled. Responses of 6.9-11.1 month duration were observed in 3 (10%) patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Sixteen (52%) patients achieved stable disease with a mean duration of response of 2.86 months and which was durable for ≥3 months in 6 (19%). Median PFS and TTP were 1.9 months. Most common drug-related grade≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (42%), leukopenia (23%), stomatitis, and thrombocytopenia (each 19%); 6% reported febrile neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that MLN8237 has modest single-agent antitumor activity and may produce responses and durable disease control in some patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. MLN8237 is currently undergoing evaluation in a phase I/II trial with paclitaxel in recurrent ovarian cancer.

Phase I pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study of MLN8237, an investigational, oral, selective aurora a kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Aurora A kinase (AAK) is a key regulator of mitosis and a target for anticancer drug development. This phase I study investigated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of MLN8237 (alisertib), an investigational, oral, selective AAK inhibitor, in 59 adults with advanced solid tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients received MLN8237 once daily or twice daily for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days, followed by 14 days recovery, in 21-, 28-, or 35-day cycles. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) and the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) for the 7- and 21-day schedules were determined. Pharmacokinetic parameters were derived from plasma concentration-time profiles. AAK inhibition in skin and tumor biopsies was evaluated and antitumor activity assessed. RESULTS: Neutropenia and stomatitis were the most common DLTs. The MTD for the 7- and 21-day schedules was 50 mg twice daily and 50 mg once daily, respectively. MLN8237 absorption was fast (median time to maximum concentration, 2 hours). Mean terminal half-life was approximately 19 hours. At steady state, pharmacodynamic effects were shown by accumulation of mitotic and apoptotic cells in skin, and exposure-related increases in numbers of mitotic cells with characteristic spindle and chromosomal abnormalities in tumor specimens, supporting AAK inhibition by MLN8237. Stable disease was observed and was durable with repeat treatment cycles, administered over 6 months, in 6 patients, without notable cumulative toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: The recommended phase II dose of MLN8237 is 50 mg twice daily on the 7-day schedule, which is being evaluated further in a variety of malignancies, including in a phase III trial in peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Phase I study of aurora A kinase inhibitor MLN8237 in advanced solid tumors: safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and bioavailability of two oral formulations.

PURPOSE: This phase I study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy of the investigational oral drug MLN8237 (alisertib), a small-molecule Aurora A kinase (AAK) inhibitor, in 87 adult patients with advanced solid tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Sequential cohorts of patients received MLN8237 5 to 150 mg orally once daily or twice daily for 7, 14, or 21 days, followed by 14 days' rest per cycle. MLN8237 pharmacokinetics was characterized, and the relative bioavailability of an enteric-coated tablet (ECT) formulation was evaluated in reference to the original powder-in-capsule (PIC) formulation. Pharmacodynamic effects of MLN8237 on inhibition of AAK activity were evaluated in skin biopsies. Tolerability and response to treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Common toxicities included fatigue, nausea, and neutropenia. Plasma exposures increased dose proportionally (5-150 mg/d), and were similar for PIC and ECT. The terminal half-life was 23 hours. At the maximum tolerated dose of 50 mg twice daily on the 7-day schedule, the mitotic index of the skin basal epithelium was increased within 24 hours after MLN8237 administration on days 1 and 7, a finding consistent with AAK inhibition. One (1%) patient achieved a partial response lasting for more than 1 year and received MLN8237 for 51 cycles; 20 (23%) patients achieved stable disease for ≥3 months. CONCLUSIONS: This first-in-human trial of MLN8237 showed tolerability and favorable pharmacokinetics in this patient population. The recommended phase II dose of MLN8237 is 50 mg twice daily orally for 7 days in 21-day cycles, which is being evaluated further in the treatment of various solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic phase I dose-escalation trial of PF-00562271, an inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase, in advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: PF-00562271 is a novel inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). The objectives of this study were to identify the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and assess safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and antitumor activity of PF-00562271. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Part 1 was a dose escalation without and with food. Part 2 enrolled specific tumor types in an expansion at the RP2D and also assessed the effect of PF-00562271 on single-dose midazolam PK in a subgroup of patients. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients (median age, 60 years; 98% with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1) were treated in 12 fasting and three fed cohorts. The 125-mg twice-per-day fed dose was deemed the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and RP2D. Grade 3 dose-limiting toxicities included headache, nausea/vomiting, dehydration, and edema. Nausea was the most frequently observed toxicity (60% of patients, all grades 1 or 2 at RP2D). PF-00562271 exposure increased with increasing dose; serum concentration-time profiles showed characteristic nonlinear disposition. Steady-state exposures were reached within 1 week. On coadministration, geometric mean values of midazolam maximal observed serum concentration and area under the serum concentration-time curve increased by 60% and more than two-fold, respectively. Of 14 patients evaluable by [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the expansion cohorts, seven metabolic responses were observed. With conventional imaging, 31 patients had stable disease at first restaging scans, and 15 of these remained stable for six or more cycles. CONCLUSION: The MTD and RP2D of PF-00562271 is 125 mg twice per day with food. PF-00562271 displayed time- and dose-dependent nonlinear PK and is likely a potent CYP 3A inhibitor. This first-in-class study supports further investigation of FAK as a promising therapeutic target.

Phase 1 study of MLN8054, a selective inhibitor of Aurora A kinase in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Aurora A kinase is critical in assembly and function of the mitotic spindle. It is overexpressed in various tumor types and implicated in oncogenesis and tumor progression. This trial evaluated the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of MLN8054, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of Aurora A kinase. METHODS: In this first-in-human, dose-escalation study, MLN8054 was given orally for 7, 14, or 21 days followed by a 14-day treatment-free period. Escalating cohorts of 3-6 patients with advanced solid tumors were treated until DLT was seen in ≥2 patients in a cohort. Serial blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetics and skin biopsies were collected for pharmacodynamics. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients received 5, 10, 20, 30, or 40 mg once daily for 7 days; 25, 35, 45, or 55 mg/day in four divided doses (QID) for 7 days; or 55, 60, 70, or 80 mg/day plus methylphenidate or modafinil with daytime doses (QID/M) for 7-21 days. DLTs of reversible grade 3 benzodiazepine-like effects defined the estimated MTD of 60 mg QID/M for 14 days. MLN8054 was absorbed rapidly, exposure was dose proportional, and terminal half-life was 30-40 h. Three patients had stable disease for >6 cycles. CONCLUSIONS: MLN8054 dosing for up to 14 days of a 28-day cycle was feasible. Reversible somnolence was dose limiting and prevented achievement of plasma concentrations predicted necessary for target modulation. A recommended dose for investigation in phase 2 trials was not established. A second-generation Aurora A kinase inhibitor is in development.

Phase I study of the selective Aurora A kinase inhibitor MLN8054 in patients with advanced solid tumors: safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.

This phase I trial examined the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of MLN8054, an oral, selective, small-molecule inhibitor of Aurora A kinase. Patients with advanced solid tumors received increasing doses of MLN8054 in 28-day cycles until dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was seen in ≥2 of 3-6 patients in a cohort. For the 10-mg and 20-mg cohorts, treatment was administered once daily on days 1 to 5 and 8 to 12. Patients in later cohorts (25, 35, 45, 55, 60, 70, and 80 mg/day) were treated four times daily on days 1 to 14, with the largest dose at bedtime (QID-14D) to mitigate benzodiazepine-like effects possibly associated with peak plasma concentrations. Patients (n = 43) received a median of 1 cycle (range, 1-10). DLT of somnolence was first noted in the 20-mg cohort. Two DLTs of somnolence (n = 1) and transaminitis (n = 1) were seen at QID-14D 80 mg. Grade 2 oral mucositis (n = 1), predicted to be a mechanistic effect, was observed only at QID-14D 80 mg. MLN8054 exposure levels were roughly linear with dose; terminal half-life was 30 to 40 hours. Pharmacodynamic analyses of skin and tumor mitotic indices, mitotic cell chromosome alignment, and spindle bipolarity provided evidence of Aurora A inhibition. MLN8054 dosing for 10 to 14 days in 28-day cycles was feasible. Somnolence and transaminitis were DLTs. Pharmacodynamic analyses in mitotic cells of both skin and tumor provided proof of mechanism for Aurora A kinase inhibition. A more potent, selective, second-generation Aurora A kinase inhibitor, MLN8237, is in clinical development.

Assessing proarrhythmic potential of drugs when optimal studies are infeasible.

Assessing the potential for a new drug to cause life-threatening arrhythmias is now an integral component of premarketing safety assessment. International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Guideline (ICH) E14 recommends the "Thorough QT Study" (TQT) to assess clinical QT risk. Such a study calls for careful evaluation of drug effects on the electrocardiographic QT interval at multiples of therapeutic exposure and with a positive control to confirm assay sensitivity. Yet for some drugs and diseases, elements of the TQT Study may be impractical or unethical. In these instances, alternative approaches to QT risk assessment must be considered. This article presents points to consider for evaluation of QT risk when alternative approaches are needed.

Drug-induced QTc interval prolongation: a proposal towards an efficient and safe anticancer drug development.

The goal of drug development is to define potential risks and benefits of new therapies. Assessment of new drugs for their potential to alter cardiac repolarisation, prolong QTc interval and induce potentially fatal proarrhythmias such as 'torsade de pointes' is now one of the major goals during phase I-II studies. The results from these early phase clinical studies can profoundly influence 'go, no-go' decisions as well as decisions on the selection of optimal dose regimen for subsequent development, its delivery and conduct of pivotal clinical studies, including eligibility of patients. Increasingly, anticancer drugs are now also attracting attention with regard to their proarrhythmic safety. Unfortunately, regulatory guidelines focus essentially on non-cytotoxic drugs and there is no clear guidance available for evaluation of the potential of cytotoxic drugs to alter cardiac repolarisation during their development. We propose a strategy to assess the QT-liability of a cytotoxic agent in early phase I-II studies without compromising the objectives of these studies or patient access to potentially beneficial novel agents. A pragmatic and thoughtful strategy for the assessment of this proarrhythmic risk and its management, involving close collaboration between drug developers, regulatory agencies, oncologists and cardiologists, is essential for the development of these oncology agents.

Safety biomarkers and the clinical development of oncology therapeutics: considerations for cardiovascular safety and risk management.

During the clinical development of oncology therapeutics, new safety biomarkers are being employed with broad applications and implications for risk management and regulatory approval. Clinical laboratory results, used as safety biomarkers, can influence decision making at many levels during the clinical development and regulatory review of investigational cancer therapies, including (1) initial eligibility for protocol therapy; (2) analyses used to estimate and characterize the safety profile; and (3) treatment delivery, based on specific rules to modify or discontinue protocol treatment. With the increasing applications of safety biomarkers in clinical studies, consideration must be given to possible unintended consequences, including (1) restricted access to promising treatments; (2) delays in study completion; and (3) limitations to dose delivery, escalation, and determination of the maximal tolerated dose, the recommended phase 2 dose, and the optimal biologic dose selected for registration studies. This review will compare and contrast 2 biomarkers for cardiac safety that are employed in an increasing number of clinical programs designed for investigational oncology therapeutics: (1) assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction by either echocardiography or multigated acquisition scan; and (2) electrophysiological measurement of QT/QTc duration, assessed by electrocardiogram, for predicting risk of a potentially fatal arrhythmia called torsades de pointes. While these and other new safety biomarkers have major value in the development of oncology therapeutics, their applications require careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences that could negatively affect (1) the care of patients with advanced malignancy and (2) the advancement of promising new agents.

A Phase I pharmacokinetic and biological correlative study of oblimersen sodium (genasense, g3139), an antisense oligonucleotide to the bcl-2 mRNA, and of docetaxel in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of administering oblimersen sodium, a phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide directed to the Bcl-2 mRNA, with docetaxel to patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer; to characterize the pertinent pharmacokinetic parameters, Bcl-2 protein inhibition in peripheral blood mononuclear cell(s) (PBMC) and tumor; and to seek preliminary evidence of antitumor activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients were treated with increasing doses of oblimersen sodium administered by continuous i.v. infusion on days 1 to 6 and docetaxel administered i.v. over 1 h on day 6 every 3 weeks. Plasma was sampled to characterize the pharmacokinetic parameters of both oblimersen and docetaxel, and Bcl-2 protein expression was measured from paired collections of PBMCs pretreatment and post-treatment. RESULTS: Twenty patients received 124 courses of the oblimersen and docetaxel combination at doses ranging from 5 to 7 mg/kg/day oblimersen and 60 to 100 mg/m(2) docetaxel. The rate of severe fatigue accompanied by severe neutropenia was unacceptably high at doses exceeding 7 mg/kg/day oblimersen and 75 mg/m(2) docetaxel. Nausea, vomiting, and fever were common, but rarely severe. Oblimersen mean steady-state concentrations were 3.44 +/- 1.31 and 5.32 +/- 2.34 at the 5- and 7-mg/kg dose levels, respectively. Prostate-specific antigen responses were observed in 7 of 12 taxane-naïve patients, but in taxane-refractory patients no responses were observed. Preliminary evaluation of Bcl-2 expression in diagnostic tumor specimens was not predictive of response to this therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The recommended Phase II doses for oblimersen and docetaxel on this schedule are 7 mg/kg/day continuous i.v. infusion days 1 to 6, and 75 mg/m(2) i.v. day 6, respectively, once every 3 weeks. The absence of severe toxicities at this recommended dose, evidence of Bcl-2 protein inhibition in PBMC and tumor tissue, and encouraging antitumor activity in HPRC patients warrant further clinical evaluation of this combination.

Deamination of glutamine is a prerequisite for optimal asparagine deamination by asparaginases in vivo (CCG-1961).

BACKGROUND: Glutamine (Gln) deamination by asparaginase (ASNase) appears to contribute in the decrease of serum asparagine (Asn) levels and enhance leukemic cell apoptosis. The pharmacodynamic (PD) rationale is based on the role of Gln as the main amino group donor for Asn synthesis from aspartate by the enzyme asparagine synthetase (AS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relationships between ASNase enzymatic activity and Asn or Gln levels were examined in 274 pairs of pre- and post-ASNase serum specimens from 200 high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients from the Children's Cancer Group (CCG-1961). Data were analyzed according to a novel PD model based on previous best-fit projections (NONMEM) from the CCG-1962 standard-risk ALL study. RESULTS: The PD results from high-risk and standard-risk ALL patients were superimposable. The percentages of Asn and Gln deamination were predicted by ASNase activity in patients' sera. Pharmacodynamic analyses strongly suggested that > 90% deamination of Gln must occur before optimal Asn deamination takes place in vivo. Asparaginase activity > or = 0.4 IU/ml yielded mean Gln and Asn % deamination values of 90%. Lower ASNase concentrations yielded lower Gln or Asn % deamination. This ASNase concentration coincides with the in vitro determined IC50 value on CEM/0 human T-lymphoblastic leukemia cells. CONCLUSION: Asparaginase activity of > or = 0.4 IU/ml provided optimal Asn and Gln deamination in high-risk ALL patients. Deamination of Gln correlates with enhanced serum Asn deamination in vivo. Therefore, deamination of Gln may enhance the antileukemic effect of ASNase.