This is a run-in, randomized, non-comparative, phase II study designed according to a two stages optimal design by Simon. This phase II design will be preceded by a safety evaluation after the first cohort of 6 patients to preserve a high-grade of overlapping and/or unexpected toxicity rate. The study will assess the immune-objective response rate (iORR) (assessed using iRECIST criteria) of nivolumab combined with ipilimumab and guadecitabine or nivolumab combined with ipilimumab, in Melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients resistant to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Immune biologic correlates to treatment will be assessed as exploratory endpoints.
Epigenetic alterations play a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. Pharmacologic reversion of such alterations is feasible, second generation "epigenetic drugs" are in development and have demonstrated to possess significant immunomodulatory properties. This knowledge, together with the availability of new and highly effective immuno-therapeutic agents including immune check-point(s) blocking monoclonal antibodies, allows the investigators to plan for highly innovative proof-of-principle combination studies that will likely open the path to more effective anti-cancer therapies. Targeting immune check-point(s) with immunomodulatory monoclonal-antibodies is a novel and rapidly evolving strategy to treat cancer, that is rapidly spreading to different tumor histologies. The prototype approach of this therapeutic modality relies on the inhibition of negative signals delivered by CTLA-4 expressed on T lymphocytes. CTLA-4 blockade has profoundly changed the therapeutic landscape of melanoma, significantly improving the survival of patients; however, objective clinical responses are limited, and only a minority of patients achieves long-term disease control. Therefore, several combination approaches are being explored to improve the efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade. The anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, have significantly increased the survival of melanoma and NSCLC patients. Despite this unprecedented efficacy, a significant proportion of melanoma and NSCLC patients fails to respond (primary resistance) or develops secondary resistance to anti-PD-1 treatment over time. Therefore, identifying new mechanism(s) underlying treatment failure(s), and designing novel combination/sequencing therapeutic approaches to overcome primary/secondary resistance is mandatory to improve the overall efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. The investigators have first demonstrated that epigenetic immune-modeling of cancer cells represents a key hallmark of cancer, as it impairs functional host's immune recognition of malignant cells; on the other hand, the investigators have shown the potential of epigenetic drugs, including DNA hypomethylating agents (DHA), to sensitize tumor cells to emerging immunotherapies. Based on these pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo findings, the investigators have most recently promoted the clinical translation of the immunomodulatory potential of epigenetic drugs through highly-innovative, hypothesis-driven, clinical trials. Along this line, the ongoing, exploratory, Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) phase Ib NIBIT-M4 study, has evaluated safety and immunobiologic activities of the epigenetic priming with the next generation DHA guadecitabine followed by CTLA-4 blockade in MM patients (NCT02608437). The results of NIBIT-M4 study support the notion that DHA represent ideal "partner drugs" to improve the therapeutic efficacy of immune-checkpoint blockade, including the foreseeable role in reverting resistance to treatment. The NIBIT-ML1 study will assess the therapeutic efficacy of nivolumab combined with ipilimumab and guadecitabine or nivolumab combined with ipilimumab, in metastatic melanoma and NSCLC patient with primary resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Exploratory translational objectives will extensively investigate, on neoplastic cells, tumor microenveroinment and peripheral blood, immune-biologic correlates to treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
184
Cohort A Melanoma ARM A Guadecitabine: 30-45 mg/m2 s.c./day 1-5 q21 x 4 cycles and from W13 q28 x 6 cycles Ipilimumab: 3 mg/Kg i.v. plus nivolumab 1 mg/Kg i.v. on W1, 4, 7 and 10 and from W14 nivolumab 480 mg i.v. q4 wks for 2 years Cohort B NSCLC ARM A Guadecitabine: 30-45 mg/m2 s.c./day 1-5 q21 x 4 cycles and from W13 q28 x 6 cycles Ipilimumab: 1 mg/Kg i.v.q 6wks plus nivolumab 3 mg/Kg i.v. q2 wks until W13, then ipilimumab: 1 mg/Kg i.v. q 6wks plus nivolumab 480mg i.v. q4wks for 2 years
Cohort A Melanoma ARM B Ipilimumab: 3 mg/Kg i.v. plus nivolumab 1 mg/Kg i.v. on W1, 4, 7 and 10 and from W14 nivolumab 480 mg i.v. q4 wks for 2 years Cohort B NSCLC ARM B Ipilimumab: 1 mg/Kg i.v. q 6wks plus nivolumab 3 mg/Kg i.v. q2 wks until W13, then ipilimumab: 1 mg/Kg i.v. q6 wks plus nivolumab 480mg i.v. q4wks for 2 years.
Center for Immuno-Oncology, University Hospital of Siena
Siena, Italy
Immune-related Objective Response Rate (iORR)
Immune-related Objective Response Rate (iORR) is the proportion of treated subjects with an iBOR of confirmed iCR or confirmed iPR.
Time frame: 24 weeks
Safety of guadecitabine in combination with ipilimumab and nivolumab
Reporting of safety, extent of exposure, concomitant medications and discontinuation of study therapy will be based on all treated subjects; for on-study laboratory test results, all treated subjects with at least one on-study laboratory measurement available will be included in the analysis. The reporting period for safety data will be from the date of first dose received on this study to 100 days after the last dose is received. Serious adverse events are reported from the time of consent forward for all subjects. All subjects who received at least one dose of study treatment will be evaluated for safety parameters
Time frame: 2 years
Obiective Response Rate (ORR)
Objective Response Rate (ORR) is the proportion of treated subjects with a BOR of CR or PR per RECIST 1.1.
Time frame: 24 weeks
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
Disease Control Rate (DCR) is the proportion of treated subjects with a BOR of confirmed CR, confirmed PR or SD, based on RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST.
Time frame: 24 weeks
Duration of response (DoR)
Duration of Response (DoR) for the subjects whose BOR is CR or PR will be defined as the time between the date of response of confirmed CR or confirmed PR (whichever occurs first) and the date of PD or death (whichever occurs first), based on RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST.
Time frame: 2 years
Time to response (TTR)
Time to Response (TTR) is defined as the time from first dosing date until the measurement criteria are first met for overall response of PR or CR (whichever status comes first, and provided it is subsequently confirmed), , based on RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST.
Time frame: 24 weeks
Progression Free Survival (PFS)
Progression free survival (PFS) per RECIST 1.1 and iRECISTwill be defined as the time between the date of randomization and the date of progression and or confirmed PD (according to RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST) or death, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: 2 years
Overall Survival (OS)
Overall Survival (OS) is defined as the time from randomization until the date of death. For those subjects who have not died, OS will be censored at the recorded last date of subject contact, and for subjects with a missing recorded last date of contact, OS will be censored at the last date the subject was known to be alive. Any efforts will be made to know the date of death.
Time frame: 2 years
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.