Abstract CT112: A Phase I multicenter trial of the dual MDM2/MDMX inhibitor ALRN-6924 in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory pediatric cancers
Authors: Shulman David S. , Vo Kieuhoa T. , Fox Elizabeth , Muscal Jodi A. , Walensky Loren D. , Pikman Yana , Stegmaier Kimberly , Church Alanna , Crompton Brian D. , Place Andrew E. , Chi Susan N. , O'Neill Allison F. , Kamihara Junne , Ezrre Suzanne , Carlowicz Cecilia , Pinchasik Dawn , Al-Sayegh Hasan , Ma Clement , London Wendy B. , DuBois Steven G. 
Published: August 2019

BACKGROUND: TP53 mutations are rare across pediatric cancers. Recent work using CRISPR-Cas9 screens has demonstrated that MDM2 and MDMX are strong dependencies in a range of TP53-wildtype pediatric malignancies. Increased expression of MDM2 and MDMX is a common mechanism for suppressing p53 in pediatric malignancies and can occur by copy number gain or amplification, as has been reported in retinoblastoma and hepatoblastoma. In pediatric high-grade gliomas, activating PPM1D mutations drive p53 suppression, likely through MDM2 stabilization.

ALRN-6924 is a novel, first-in-class, cell-permeating stapled peptide that disrupts the inhibitory interactions between MDM2/MDMX(MDM4) and p53. ALRN-6924 has been evaluated in two adult Phase I trials, with good tolerability and evidence of clinical activity across a range of cancer subtypes. Given the oncogenic roles of MDM2 and MDMX in pediatric malignancies, we developed a Phase I clinical trial designed to evaluate the tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic and antitumor activity of ALRN-6924.

METHODS: This is a Phase I, open-label, investigator-initiated multicenter study of ALRN-6924 in children 1-21 years of age with relapsed/refractory cancer (NCT03654716). The primary objectives are to determine the recommended phase 2 dose, and to describe toxicities and pharmacokinetic parameters of ALRN-6924 in this population. The monotherapy arm consists of two cohorts: Cohort A for patients with TP53-wildtype solid tumors and lymphomas; and Cohort B for patients with retinoblastoma, or TP53-wildtype tumors that meet any of the following criteria: hepatoblastoma, malignant rhabdoid tumor, MDM2 or MDMX amplification, TET2 loss, or PPM1D activating mutations. Patients with CNS primary tumors are only eligible for Cohort B. In Cohorts A and B, patients receive ALRN-6924 intravenously on Days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of a 21-day cycle starting at a dose of 2.2 mg/kg. An expansion cohort for patients eligible for Cohort B will open following completion of monotherapy dose escalation. Patients with relapsed/refractory leukemias enroll to Cohort C and receive ALRN-6924 in combination with low-dose cytarabine on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle starting at a dose of 2.7 mg/kg. Pharmacokinetic sampling and pharmacodynamic testing (serum MIC-1 modulation) is required for all patients. Correlative biology studies will include evaluation of circulating tumor DNA for TP53 mutations in patients with solid tumors and serial assessment of leukemic blasts in patients with relapsed leukemia. Enrollment began in October 2018. Up to 69 patients will be enrolled.

Citation Format: David S. Shulman, Kieuhoa T. Vo, Elizabeth Fox, Jodi A. Muscal, Loren D. Walensky, Yana Pikman, Kimberly Stegmaier, Alanna Church, Brian D. Crompton, Andrew E. Place, Susan N. Chi, Allison F. O'Neill, Junne Kamihara, Suzanne Ezrre, Cecilia Carlowicz, Dawn Pinchasik, Hasan Al-Sayegh, Clement Ma, Wendy B. London, Steven G. DuBois. A Phase I multicenter trial of the dual MDM2/MDMX inhibitor ALRN-6924 in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory pediatric cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT112.