Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma remain associated with poor prognosis after failure of first-line systemic therapy. Although immune checkpoint inhibitor-based chemoimmunotherapy has become the standard first-line treatment for HER2-negative advanced disease, most patients eventually experience disease progression. Current second-line treatment options provide limited clinical benefit, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in approximately 20-30% of gastric cancers and is associated with aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis. Previous studies evaluating anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies or tyrosine kinase inhibitors in unselected gastric cancer populations failed to demonstrate survival benefit, largely because of the lack of biomarker-based patient selection and the limited efficacy of conventional EGFR-targeted agents. Becotatug vedotin (MRG003), an EGFR-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) carrying monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), exerts potent cytotoxic activity through EGFR-mediated internalization and intracellular payload release. In addition, MMAE-containing ADCs may induce immunogenic cell death and remodel the tumor immune microenvironment, providing a strong biological rationale for combination with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade. Pucotenlimab is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody with demonstrated antitumor activity and favorable safety in multiple solid tumors. This is a prospective, single-center, open-label, single-arm phase II investigator-initiated trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of becotatug vedotin in combination with pucotenlimab as second-line treatment in patients with EGFR-positive unresectable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who have progressed after standard first-line therapy. Approximately 28 patients will be enrolled. Participants will receive becotatug vedotin (2.0 mg/kg, intravenous infusion, every 3 weeks) plus pucotenlimab (200 mg, intravenous infusion, every 3 weeks) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, or investigator decision. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR) assessed according to RECIST version 1.1. Secondary endpoints include disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), duration of response (DoR), time to response (TTR), and safety. Exploratory analyses will evaluate the association between treatment outcomes and biomarkers including EGFR expression, PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability/mismatch repair status, and immune-related biomarkers, aiming to identify patients most likely to benefit from this combination therapy.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
28
Becotatug vedotin (MRG003) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) conjugated with monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). It is administered intravenously at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W).
Pucotenlimab is a humanized anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody administered intravenously at a fixed dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W).
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Objective response rate (ORR) is defined as the proportion of participants who achieve a confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) as their best overall response, as assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 by an Independent Radiologic Review Committee (IRC).
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until disease progression, initiation of new anti-cancer therapy, withdrawal from study, death, or up to approximately 24 months.
Disease control rate (DCR)
Disease control rate (DCR) is defined as the proportion of participants who achieve a confirmed complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) as their best overall response according to RECIST version 1.1, as assessed by an Independent Radiologic Review Committee (IRC).
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until disease progression, initiation of new anti-cancer therapy, withdrawal from study, death, or up to approximately 24 months.
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Progression-free survival (PFS) is defined as the time from the first dose of study treatment to the first documented disease progression according to RECIST version 1.1 or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until documented disease progression, death from any cause, or up to approximately 24 months.
Overall Survival (OS)
Overall survival (OS) is defined as the time from the first dose of study treatment until death from any cause.
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until death from any cause or up to approximately 24 months.
Duration of Response (DoR)
Duration of response (DoR) is defined for participants who achieve a confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), as the time from the first documented objective response until documented disease progression according to RECIST version 1.1 or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: From the first documented objective response until disease progression, death, or up to approximately 24 months.
Time to Response (TTR)
Time to response (TTR) is defined for participants who achieve a confirmed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), as the time from the first dose of study treatment to the first documented objective response according to RECIST version 1.1.
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until the first documented objective response or up to approximately 24 months.
Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs)
Safety will be evaluated by the incidence, severity, and relationship of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), laboratory abnormalities, vital signs, physical examinations, and treatment discontinuations due to adverse events. Adverse events will be graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE), Version 5.0.
Time frame: From the first dose of study treatment until 30 days after the last dose of study treatment.
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