The efficacy and safety of Xofigo were evaluated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases. Patients with visceral metastases and malignant lymphadenopathy exceeding 3 cm were excluded. The primary efficacy endpoint was overall survival. A key secondary efficacy endpoint was time to first symptomatic skeletal event (SSE) defined as external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to relieve skeletal symptoms, new symptomatic pathologic bone fracture, occurrence of spinal cord compression, or tumor-related orthopedic surgical intervention. There were no scheduled radiographic assessments performed on study. All patients were to continue androgen deprivation therapy. At the cut-off date of the pre-planned interim analysis, a total of 809 patients had been randomized 2:1 to receive Xofigo 55 kBq (1.49 microcurie)/kg intravenously every 4 weeks for 6 cycles (n = 541) plus best standard of care or matching placebo plus best standard of care (n = 268). Best standard of care included local EBRT, corticosteroids, antiandrogens, estrogens, estramustine or ketoconazole. Therapy was continued until unacceptable toxicity or initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, other systemic radioisotope, hemi-body EBRT or other investigational drug. Patients with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, prior hemibody radiation or untreated imminent spinal cord compression were excluded from the study. In patients with bone fractures, orthopedic stabilization was performed before starting or resuming treatment with Xofigo. 

The following patient demographics and baseline disease characteristics were balanced between the arms. The median age was 71 (range 44-94) with a racial distribution of 94% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 2% Black and <1% Other. Patients were enrolled predominantly from Europe (85%) with 4% of patients enrolled from North America. ECOG performance status was 0-1 in 86% of patients. Eighty-five percent of patients had 6 or more bone scan lesions and of those 40% had > 20 lesions or a superscan. Opiate pain medications were used for cancer-related pain in 54% of patients, non-opiate pain medications in 44% of patients and no pain medications in 2% of patients. Patients were stratified by baseline ALP, bisphosphonate use, and prior docetaxel exposure. Prior bisphosphonates were used by 41% of patients and 58% had received prior docetaxel. During the treatment period, 83% of Xofigo patients and 82% of placebo patients received gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and 21% of Xofigo patients and 34% of placebo patients received concomitant antiandrogens. Use of systemic steroids (41%) and bisphosphonates (40%) was balanced between the arms. 

The pre-specified interim analysis of overall survival revealed a statistically significant improvement in patients receiving XOFIGO plus best standard of care compared with patients receiving placebo plus best standard of care. An exploratory updated overall survival analysis performed before patient crossover with an additional 214 events resulted in findings consistent with the interim analysis (Table 5). 

  
The Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival based on the updated survival results are shown in Figure 1. 

Figure 1: Kaplan-Meier Overall Survival Curves from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial

The survival results were supported by a delay in the time to first SSE favoring the Xofigo arm. The majority of events consisted of external beam radiotherapy to bone metastases.