Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel is a standard regimen (NCCN, Category 1) for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, further improvement in treatment is needed. Increasingly, the nature of the immune infiltrate in PDAC appears to be tumor promoting. In preclinical studies, ibrutinib treatment, presumably by reprogramming B cells, results in increased CD8+ T cells to assist in tumor control. Preclinical studies of ibrutinib plus gemcitabine show superior antitumor effects compared to gemcitabine alone in both orthotopic murine pancreatic cancer cell line grafts and in genetically engineered mouse models. Thus, the investigators propose a clinical trial of ibrutinib plus the standard gemcitabine based regimen of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, evaluating safety, then efficacy and including correlative studies.
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, with an estimated 39,950 deaths attributable to PDAC in 2014 (http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/pancreas.html). Over 90% of patients have inoperable disease at presentation, at which point systemic therapy becomes the primary form of treatment. Treating PDAC has been challenging and few approved drugs are available. Recently, however, some breakthroughs have occurred, raising hope that this aggressive disease can be better controlled. FOLFIRINOX, a combination of 5FU, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan, has been found to be substantially superior to treatment of gemcitabine alone in patients with metastatic disease and good performance status. Similarly, gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, a regimen with less non-hematologic toxicity, demonstrated improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared to gemcitabine alone. Both of these combinations or modifications of these combinations are now front line options for patients with good performance status. Furthermore, these improvements in survival, however incremental, now afford patients with pancreatic cancer time to participate in and possibly benefit from clinical trials of novel therapeutics.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
18
560, 840, 420, or 280mg, orally once per day - 4 week cycle
125mg/m2 IV Day 1, 8, and 15 - 4 week cycle
1000mg/m2 IV Day 1, 8, and 15 - 4 week cycle
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, Oregon, United States
Number of Patients Who Experienced a Dose-Limiting Toxicity (DLT)
DLTs will be based on the first course of treatment and defined as any unexpected grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity not reversible to grade 2 or less within 96 hours, or any grade 4 toxicity. Grade 4 hematological toxicities will not be considered dose limiting in this trial since a significant fraction of patients who are treated with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel are expected to experience these toxicities. Grade 3 peripheral neuropathy, a common and expected toxicity of treatment with nabpaclitaxel, will not be considered a DLT.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD)
The dose level at which fewer than 2 of 6 patients experience a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) will be designated as the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD)
Time frame: Up to 2 years
CA19-9 Clinical Response Rate
The CA19-9 Response Rate is calculated using CA 19-9 treated patients who had a baseline CA19-9 \> 75 units who have confirmed CA19-9 reduction of 75% from baseline value. Patients who have missing CA19-9 measurements will be treated as non-responders, i.e., they will be included in the denominator when calculating the percentage. The CA19-9 Response Rate, along with exact 95% confidence intervals, will be reported for the study.
Time frame: 12 months
Median Time-to-progression (TTP)
Time to Progression is defined as the time from date of first dose of protocol therapy to time of documented radiographic and/or clinical disease progression or death from any cause. Kaplan-Meier methods will be used to summarize median TTP with 95% confidence intervals.
Time frame: 10 months
Median Overall Survival (OS)
Median OS for all enrolled patients will be calculated from date of first dose of protocol therapy until date of death, using chart review and/or follow up phone calls to determine date of death in patients after removal from study. The survival of patients still alive after 2 years of follow up post study discontinuation will be censored. Alive patients are censored at the date last known alive. Kaplan-Meier methods will be used to summarize median OS with 95% confidence intervals.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Median Progression-free Survival (PFS)
PFS is defined as the duration of time from date of first dose of protocol therapy to time of documented radiographic and/or clinical disease progression or death from any cause. Eligible patients are evaluable for PFS who are response-evaluable and who are removed from study for radiographic or clinical progression and/or who experience death from any cause during study follow up. Patients who have not progressed or died are censored at the date last known to be progression-free. Kaplan-Meier methods will be used to summarize median PFS with 95% confidence intervals. The proportion of patients with PFS equal to or exceeding 6 months will also be calculated and reported along with 95% confidence intervals.
Time frame: 10 months
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