Abstract CT248: Design and rationale of a first in human (FIH) phase 1/1b study evaluating KIN-2787, a potent and highly selective pan-RAF inhibitor, in adult patients with BRAF- and NRAS-mutation positive solid tumors
Authors: McKean Meredith , Perez Cesar A. , Kato Shumei , Spira Alexander I. , Xing Yan , Xie Hao , Millward Michael , Olszanski Anthony , Kobayashi Ken , Miller Nichol , Severson Paul , Tam Betty , Unger Caro 
Published: June 2022

Background: BRAFV600 alterations (BRAF Class (Cl) I alterations) encode a highly active monomeric oncogenic kinase that can be targeted by approved RAF kinase inhibitors (RAFi) in patients (pts) with melanoma (MEL), NSCLC, colorectal & anaplastic thyroid cancers. Cl II and III represent molecularly distinct BRAF alterations driving dimer-dependent signaling. Cl II alterations include single nucleotide variants (SNVs), indels and gene fusions that induce BRAF homodimer formation, leading to oncogenic kinase activation. Cl III alterations, typically SNVs, are low activity alterations that promote RAF dimerization and RAS-dependent oncogenic MAPK pathway signaling. Approved BRAFi have limited clinical activity in solid tumors driven by BRAF Cl II or III alterations, highlighting the urgency to develop effective targeted therapies for these patients. Combinations of a RAFi and a MEK inhibitor (MEKi) show promising results in early clinical trials. KIN-2787 is a potent, highly selective type II pan-RAFi designed to target both monomeric & dimeric forms of the altered BRAF kinase and minimize paradoxical activation, a liability often observed with other RAFi that can adversely impact tolerability & require addition of a MEKi to suppress pathway activation. KIN-2787 has favorable pharmaceutical properties, achieves substantial systemic exposures in pre-clinical toxicology studies, & induces regressions in human cancer xenograft models driven by BRAF Cl I, II, or III alterations. Combinations of KIN-2787 with a MEKi show promising activity in preclinical models.

Methods: This is a FIH, multicenter, non-randomized Ph1 study (NCT04913285) of KIN-2787 in adult pts with BRAF mutant advanced & metastatic solid tumors (AMST). KIN-2787 will be given orally bid continuously in 28-day cycles until drug intolerance or disease progression. Planned sample size is approx. 155 pts in 2 parts: Part A is a dose-escalation to MTD open to pts with AMST driven by either BRAF genomic alterations (Cl I, II or III ) or by NRAS. Part A1 assesses single agent KIN-2787; Part A2 assesses KIN-2787 in combination w/binimetinib. Part B will evaluate a selected dose of KIN-2787 in 3 cohorts of pts (MEL, NSCLC, or other AMST), each driven by BRAF Cl II or III alterations. Standard Ph1 enrollment criteria are required (ECOG PS 0-2, normal organ function, prior receipt of standard treatment or medical judgment that such is not appropriate). Pts may have measurable or evaluable disease. Key exclusion criteria include known active brain metastases, prior BRAF-, MEK-, or MAPK inhibitor therapy (unless for FDA approved indications), HBV/HCV seropositivity. Primary endpoints are safety/tolerability (Part A), and preliminary antitumor activity: objective response rate, disease control rate, duration of response, & duration of stable disease (Part B). Secondary objectives include pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments including measures of MAPK signaling inhibition. Enrollment began in August 2022. Trial is open globally.

Citation Format: Meredith McKean, Cesar A. Perez, Shumei Kato, Alexander I. Spira, Yan Xing, Hao Xie, Michael Millward, Anthony Olszanski, Ken Kobayashi, Nichol Miller, Paul Severson, Betty Tam, Caro Unger. Design and rationale of a first in human (FIH) phase 1/1b study evaluating KIN-2787, a potent and highly selective pan-RAF inhibitor, in adult patients with BRAF- and NRAS-mutation positive solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT248.