A randomised phase II trial of a trivalent ganglioside vaccine targeting GM2, GD2 and GD3 combined with immunological adjuvant OPT-821 versus OPT-821 alone in metastatic sarcoma patients rendered disease-free by surgery.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence after resection of metastatic sarcoma is common. The gangliosides GM2, GD2 and GD3 are strongly expressed across sarcoma subtypes. We hypothesised that generation of anti-ganglioside antibodies would control micrometastases and improve outcomes in sarcoma patients who were disease-free after metastasectomy. METHODS: We conducted a randomised phase II trial of the immunological adjuvant OPT-821 with a KLH-conjugated ganglioside vaccine targeting GM2, GD2 and GD3, versus OPT-821 alone in patients with metastatic sarcoma following complete metastasectomy. Patients received 10 subcutaneous injections at Weeks 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 28, 40, 52, 68 and 84 and were followed for evidence of recurrent disease. The primary end-point was relapse-free survival. Secondary end-points included overall survival and serologic response. RESULTS: A total of 136 patients were randomised, 68 to each arm. The mean age was 51.2, 52.2% were male, 90.4% had relapsed disease, 86.8% had high-grade tumours and 14% had ≥4 metastases resected. Histologies included leiomyosarcoma (33%), spindle cell sarcoma (14%), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (13%), osteosarcoma (10%), synovial sarcoma (9%), liposarcoma (9%) and others (12%). Most adverse events were Grade ≤2 (83.8% and 70.6% in the vaccine and adjuvant arms, respectively). The most common (≥20% of patients) were injection site reaction (89.7%), fatigue (44.1%) and pyrexia (27.9%) on the vaccine arm, and injection site reaction (69.1%) on the adjuvant only arm. The 1-year relapse-free survival rate (34.5% and 34.8% in the vaccine and OPT-821 monotherapy arm, respectively) did not differ between arms (P = 0.725). One-year overall survival rates were 93.1% and 91.5% in the vaccine and OPT-821 monotherapy arm, respectively (P = 0.578). Serologic responses at week 9 were more frequent on the vaccine arm (96.5% of patients) than in the adjuvant arm (32.8%), and the difference between groups was durable. CONCLUSIONS: A sustained serologic response to vaccination was induced with the vaccine, but no difference in recurrence-free or overall survival was observed between treatment arms. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT01141491.

Agranulocytosis secondary to zinc excess: Clinically relevant observations, including response to G-CSF and oral copper.

Anemia and leukopenia because of copper deficiency can be mistaken for myelodysplasia. Key issues, including response to G-CSF and oral copper, are discussed. This case illustrates a significant deleterious effect of excessive zinc consumption.

Phase 2 study of intraperitoneal topotecan as consolidation chemotherapy in ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous topotecan is approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer (OC). In intraperitoneal (i.p.) topotecan studies, 20 mg/m(2) dosing was tolerable. This study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of i.p. topotecan as consolidation chemotherapy in patients with OC or primary peritoneal cancers (PPCs). METHODS: Patients with stage III/IV ovarian or PPC in clinical complete response after surgical cytoreduction and intravenous carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy who had benign findings or minimal persistent disease (< or = 1 cm diameter) at second-look surgery were eligible. Intraperitoneal topotecan 20 mg/m(2) was infused once every 21 days for 4 to 6 cycles. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled (18 [90%] patients had OC). Sixteen patients received 4 cycles, 3 patients received 6 cycles, and 1 patient withdrew after 1 cycle. The mean delivered dose was 18 mg/m(2). Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia and thrombocytopenia (45% for both). Grade 1/2 abdominal distension and nausea were reported in 60% and 40% of patients, respectively. Median PFS was 24 months from second-look surgery (95% confidence intervals [CI]: +/-10 months). Sixteen patients were alive and median OS was not reached at the time of data analysis. OS estimated at either 30 months from second-look surgery, or 3 years from initial diagnosis, was 84% (95% CI, 68%-100%). CONCLUSIONS: Consolidation i.p. topotecan is a feasible option for women withadvanced ovarian and primary peritoneal cancers. Further investigation of i.p. topotecan is warranted in this patient population.

Phase 1 trial of a novel anti-CD20 fusion protein in pretargeted radioimmunotherapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) has the potential to increase the dose of radionuclide delivered to tumors while limiting radiation to normal tissues. The purpose of this phase 1 trial is to assess safety of this multistep approach using a novel tetrameric single-chain anti-CD20-streptavidin fusion protein (B9E9FP) as the targeting moiety in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and to characterize its pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity. All patients received B9E9FP (160 mg/m(2) or 320 mg/m(2)); either 48 or 72 hours later, a synthetic clearing agent (sCA) was administered (45 mg/m(2)) to remove circulating unbound B9E9FP. (90)Yttrium ((90)Y; 15 mCi/m(2))/(111)In (5 mCi)-DOTA-biotin was injected 24 hours later. There were 15 patients enrolled in the study. B9E9FP had a mean plasma half-life (T(1/2)) of 25 +/- 6 hours with a reduction in plasma level of more than 95% within 6 hours of sCA administration. (90)Y/(111)In-DOTA-biotin infusion resulted in rapid tumor localization and urinary excretion. The ratio of average tumor to whole-body radiation dose was 49:1. No significant hematologic toxicities were noted in 12 patients. There were 2 patients who had hematologic toxicity related to progressive disease. There were 2 complete remissions (90 and 325 days) and one partial response (297 days). B9E9FP performs well as the targeting component of PRIT with encouraging dosimetry, safety, and efficacy. A dose escalation trial of (90)Y-DOTA-biotin in this format is warranted.

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) using an antibody-streptavidin fusion protein in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) decreases the amount of time that radioactivity non-selectively circulates. Our PRIT approach is a multi-step method in which a monoclonal antibody is used to target streptavidin to a tumor-associated antigen and biotin is then used to target 90Y to the streptavidin. A genetically engineered antibody streptavidin fusion construct was used to target tumor in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Impressive localization of 90Y to known and previously unknown areas of adenopathy was observed, thus demonstrating that a genetically engineered fusion protein can selectively target lymphoma cells as part of a clinically meaningful PRIT strategy.