First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with two cycles of chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a subanalysis of Asian patients in CheckMate 9LA.

BACKGROUND: CheckMate 9LA, a phase 3, randomized, open-label study in first-line advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), showed significantly improved overall survival (OS) with nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with 2 cycles of chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone (4 cycles). We present results for the Asian subpopulation enrolled in Japan and China. METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with treatment-naive, histologically confirmed stage IV or recurrent NSCLC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 and no sensitizing EGFR/ALK mutations were randomized 1:1 to nivolumab [360 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W)] plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg Q6W) combined with chemotherapy (Q3W for 2 cycles), or chemotherapy alone (Q3W for 4 cycles). Primary endpoint was OS; secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients received nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with chemotherapy and 30 received chemotherapy. At a minimum follow-up of 12.7 months, median OS was not reached with nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with chemotherapy versus 13.3 months with chemotherapy [hazard ratio (HR) 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-0.80]. Median PFS was 8.4 versus 5.4 months (HR 0.47; 95% CI 0.24-0.92) and ORR was 57% versus 23%, respectively. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were observed in 57% versus 60% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Consistent with results in the all randomized population, nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with chemotherapy improved efficacy in the Asian subpopulation versus chemotherapy alone and had a manageable safety profile, supporting its use as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC in Asian patients.

First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab in unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (CheckMate 743): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Approved systemic treatments for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have been limited to chemotherapy regimens that have moderate survival benefit with poor outcomes. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab has shown clinical benefit in other tumour types, including first-line non-small-cell lung cancer. We hypothesised that this regimen would improve overall survival in MPM. METHODS: This open-label, randomised, phase 3 study (CheckMate 743) was run at 103 hospitals across 21 countries. Eligible individuals were aged 18 years and older, with previously untreated, histologically confirmed unresectable MPM, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to nivolumab (3 mg/kg intravenously once every 2 weeks) plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg intravenously once every 6 weeks) for up to 2 years, or platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy (pemetrexed [500 mg/m2 intravenously] plus cisplatin [75 mg/m2 intravenously] or carboplatin [area under the concentration-time curve 5 mg/mL per min intravenously]) once every 3 weeks for up to six cycles. The primary endpoint was overall survival among all participants randomly assigned to treatment, and safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study treatment. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02899299, and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Nov 29, 2016, and April 28, 2018, 713 patients were enrolled, of whom 605 were randomly assigned to either nivolumab plus ipilimumab (n=303) or chemotherapy (n=302). 467 (77%) of 605 participants were male and median age was 69 years (IQR 64-75). At the prespecified interim analysis (database lock April 3, 2020; median follow-up of 29·7 months [IQR 26·7-32·9]), nivolumab plus ipilimumab significantly extended overall survival versus chemotherapy (median overall survival 18·1 months [95% CI 16·8-21·4] vs 14·1 months [12·4-16·2]; hazard ratio 0·74 [96·6% CI 0·60-0·91]; p=0·0020). 2-year overall survival rates were 41% (95% CI 35·1-46·5) in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab group and 27% (21·9-32·4) in the chemotherapy group. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 91 (30%) of 300 patients treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab and 91 (32%) of 284 treated with chemotherapy. Three (1%) treatment-related deaths occurred in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab group (pneumonitis, encephalitis, and heart failure) and one (<1%) in the chemotherapy group (myelosuppression). INTERPRETATION: Nivolumab plus ipilimumab provided significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall survival versus standard-of-care chemotherapy, supporting the use of this first-in-class regimen that has been approved in the USA as of October, 2020, for previously untreated unresectable MPM. FUNDING: Bristol Myers Squibb.

First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with two cycles of chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (CheckMate 9LA): an international, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab has shown improved overall survival in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate whether the addition of a limited course (two cycles) of chemotherapy to this combination would further enhance the clinical benefit. METHODS: This randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial was done at 103 hospitals in 19 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with treatment-naive, histologically confirmed stage IV or recurrent NSCLC, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by an interactive web response system via permuted blocks (block size of four) to nivolumab (360 mg intravenously every 3 weeks) plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg intravenously every 6 weeks) combined with histology-based, platinum doublet chemotherapy (intravenously every 3 weeks for two cycles; experimental group), or chemotherapy alone (every 3 weeks for four cycles; control group). Randomisation was stratified by tumour histology, sex, and PD-L1 expression. The primary endpoint was overall survival in all randomly assigned patients. Safety was analysed in all treated patients. Results reported here are from a pre-planned interim analysis (when the study met its primary endpoint) and an exploratory longer-term follow-up analysis. This study is active but no longer recruiting patients, and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03215706. FINDINGS: Between Aug 24, 2017, and Jan 30, 2019, 1150 patients were enrolled and 719 (62·5%) randomly assigned to nivolumab plus ipilimumab with two cycles of chemotherapy (n=361 [50%]) or four cycles of chemotherapy alone (n=358 [50%]). At the pre-planned interim analysis (median follow-up 9·7 months [IQR 6·4-12·8]), overall survival in all randomly assigned patients was significantly longer in the experimental group than in the control group (median 14·1 months [95% CI 13·2-16·2] vs 10·7 months [9·5-12·4]; hazard ratio [HR] 0·69 [96·71% CI 0·55-0·87]; p=0·00065). With 3·5 months longer median follow-up (median 13·2 months [IQR 6·4-17·0]), median overall survival was 15·6 months (95% CI 13·9-20·0) in the experimental group versus 10·9 months (9·5-12·6) in the control group (HR 0·66 [95% CI 0·55-0·80]). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (in 24 [7%] patients in the experimental group vs 32 [9%] in the control group), anaemia (21 [6%] vs 50 [14%]), diarrhoea (14 [4%] vs two [1%]), increased lipase (22 [6%] vs three [1%]), and asthenia (tjree [1%] vs eight [2%]). Serious treatment-related adverse events of any grade occurred in 106 (30%) patients in the experimental group and 62 (18%) in the control group. Seven (2%) deaths in the experimental group (acute kidney failure, diarrhoea, hepatotoxicity, hepatitis, pneumonitis, sepsis with acute renal insufficiency, and thrombocytopenia; one patient each) and six (2%) deaths in the control group (anaemia, febrile neutropenia, pancytopenia, pulmonary sepsis, respiratory failure, and sepsis; one patient each) were treatment related. INTERPRETATION: Nivolumab plus ipilimumab with two cycles of chemotherapy provided a significant improvement in overall survival versus chemotherapy alone and had a favourable risk-benefit profile. These data support this regimen as a new first-line treatment option for patients with advanced NSCLC. FUNDING: Bristol Myers Squibb.

Impact of elotuzumab treatment on pain and health-related quality of life in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: results from the ELOQUENT-2 study.

Treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) aims to prolong survival while maintaining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by managing disease-related symptoms and complications-one of the most frequent and debilitating being bone pain. In the ELOQUENT-2 study (NCT01239797), which evaluated the addition of elotuzumab to lenalidomide plus dexamethasone versus lenalidomide plus dexamethasone, pain and HRQoL were assessed in patients with relapsed/refractory disease using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 module (QLQ-C30) and myeloma-specific module (QLQ-MY20). Mean baseline pain scores were low and remained so throughout treatment with both regimens; mean HRQoL scores did not change substantially from baseline. A significantly higher proportion of patients with objective response than without had clinically meaningful improvements in worst pain over two consecutive treatment cycles (29 versus 12%; p < 0.001). Patients with very good partial response (VGPR) or better reported reduced scores for pain severity and worst pain; those with progressive disease reported increased scores for these domains and pain interference. These findings show that previously reported improvements in progression-free survival and response rate with elotuzumab are achieved without detriment to HRQoL, which is maintained over time.

Safety profile of nivolumab administered as 30-min infusion: analysis of data from CheckMate 153.

PURPOSE: Nivolumab has been administered using a 60-min infusion time. Reducing this time to 30 min would benefit both patients and infusion facilities. This analysis compared the safety of 30- and 60-min infusions of nivolumab in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: CheckMate 153 is an open-label, phase 3b/4, predominantly community-based study ongoing in the United States and Canada. Patients with stage IIIB/IV disease with progression/recurrence after at least one prior systemic therapy received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks over 30 or 60 min for 1 year or until disease progression. The primary outcome overall was to estimate the incidence of grade 3-5 treatment-related select adverse events; a retrospective objective was to estimate the incidence of hypersensitivity/infusion-related reactions (IRRs) with the 30-min infusion. Exploratory pharmacokinetic analyses were performed using a population pharmacokinetics model. RESULTS: Of 1420 patients enrolled, 369 received only 30-min infusions and 368 received only 60-min infusions. Similar frequencies of hypersensitivity/IRRs were noted in patients receiving 30-min [2% (n = 8)] and 60-min [2% (n = 7)] infusions. Grade 3-4 treatment-related hypersensitivity/IRRs led to treatment discontinuation in < 1% of patients in each group; < 1% of patients in each group received systemic corticosteroids. Hypersensitivity/IRRs were managed by dosing interruptions, with minimal impact on total dose received. Nivolumab pharmacokinetics were predicted to be similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab infused over 30 min had a comparable safety profile to the 60-min infusion, including a low incidence of IRRs.

Management of chronic myeloid leukaemia in clinical practice in France: results of the French subset of patients from the UNIC study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess real-life treatment practices with imatinib for chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CP-CML) in France. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In the observational 'Unmet Needs in CML' (UNIC) study of CML management in Europe, case report forms were completed retrospectively for eligible patients (> or =18 years of age, currently treated for CML) during enrolment (September 2006-March 2007). Results from the subset of patients from France are presented. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary objectives were to estimate from the collected data the proportions of patients ever treated with imatinib and those experiencing imatinib resistance and/or intolerance as determined by physicians' diagnoses of resistance/intolerance leading to a change in imatinib use. Collected data were analysed descriptively. Secondary descriptive measures included imatinib dose modifications and methods for treatment response monitoring. RESULTS: Of the 654 French CP-CML patients, 95.9% had received imatinib. Of these, 15% were judged by physicians as imatinib-resistant and 31% as imatinib-intolerant (not mutually exclusive) during treatment, 44% required dose modification and 23% discontinued imatinib. In the 12 months preceding the last observation, 65% had a cytogenetic features analysis and 93% had a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assessment of molecular response. Importantly, and contrasting with European recommendations, 46% of imatinib-resistant patients had never been assessed for BCR-ABL mutations. LIMITATIONS: The observational study design limits data collection and interpretation. The findings are specific to the French healthcare system and may not apply to other countries. CONCLUSION: This observational study of CP-CML management in France confirmed that most patients are treated with imatinib, a treatment widely recognised as efficacious. The study highlights opportunities for optimising CML management, as a proportion of patients may require alternative treatment strategies due to imatinib resistance/intolerance. Response monitoring rates differ from recommendations, representing another opportunity for improving care for CP-CML patients through early identification of patients failing current therapy.