Fitness, a UK Myeloma Research Alliance (UK-MRA) Frailty-Adjusted Therapy Study, Supports the Feasibility of Recruiting Frail Newly Diagnosed Myeloma Patients to Large Clinical Trials
Authors: Cook Gordon , Pawlyn Charlotte , Royle Kara-Louise , Coulson Amy Beth , Bird Jennifer , Bowcock Stella , Jenner Matthew W , Kishore Bhuvan , Parrish Christopher , Rabin Neil K , Best Phillip , Gillson Sharon , Henderson Rowena , Olivier Catherine , Kaiser Martin F. , de Tute Ruth M. , Owen Roger G , Drayson Mark T , Jones John R , Dawkins Bryony , Meads David , Cairns David , Jackson Graham 
Published: November 2021

Background

Although the median age of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) is 70-74 years, recruitment of frail older patients to clinical trials is poor. The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) frailty score predicts survival, adverse events and treatment tolerability using age, the Katz Activity of Daily Living, the Lawton Instrumental Activity of Daily Living, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index, rather than age alone. Despite IMWG score prognostic biomarker capability, to date no evidence exists of its predictive biomarker potential. The UK-MRA Myeloma Risk Profile (MRP) has also been shown in both clinical trial and real-world populations to be a prognostic biomarker in transplant ineligible patients but prospective comparisons of the two scores have not been previously conducted.

Study Design/Methods

The FiTNEss trial (Myeloma XIV, NCT03720041, Figure 1A) is a UK-MRA phase III, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial for newly diagnosed MM patients not suitable for stem cell transplant. The primary objectives are

1) to compare early treatment cessation (&lt;60 days from randomisation) between patients randomised to standard (reactive) and frailty-adjusted (adaptive, based on IMWG score) induction therapy delivery with the triplet ixazomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (IRd)

2) to compare progression free survival for maintenance lenalidomide plus placebo (R) and lenalidomide plus ixazomib (IR).

The FiTNEss trial is designed as an all-comers study with few exclusion criteria other than necessary for safety including some haematological and biochemical parameters, but there is no exclusion based on renal function. Patients with grade 2 or greater baseline peripheral neuropathy, current systemic infection or recent surgery or other cancer are excluded. Here we report the demographics for the first patients recruited, including IMWG frailty assessments and MRP to demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting frail patients to randomised phase III clinical trials.

Results

The FiTNEss trial opened on 04/08/2020 during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. At the time of data cut off (14/07/2021) recruitment is active at 84 sites, with 180 patients randomised.

Baseline characteristics for the randomised patients are shown in Figure 1B. The median age of patients is 77 years (range 64, 93) with 36.1% aged 76-80 and 26.1% over 80. In keeping with the older patient population 26.6% have an ECOG performance status of 2 or 3 and 31.7% ISS stage III. The IMWG frailty classification at baseline is FIT 43/180 (23.9%), UNFIT 53/180 (29.4%) and FRAIL 84/180 (46.7%).

The effect of using age groups on the definition of patient frailty was explored. The IMWG frailty score defines all patients over 80 as FRAIL whilst an age of 76-80 contributes one point to the score. An analysis of patients' frailty was repeated with the contribution of age removed. For those aged over 80 years (n=47, 100% FRAIL) we found that 20 (42.6%) would have been re-classified as FIT and 18 (38.3%) as UNFIT, with only 9 (19.2%) retaining the FRAIL category. For those aged 76-80 (n=65, 53.8% UNFIT, 46.2% FRAIL) all 35 patients previously classified as UNFIT became FIT (53.8%) whilst 19 (29.2%) classed as FRAIL became UNFIT with 11 (16.9%) remaining FRAIL.

The MRP classification, using age as a continuous variable, was Low-risk 45/180 (25.0%), Medium-risk 46/180 (25.6%), High-risk 75/180 (41.7%) and not available for 14/180 (7.8%) patients. Concordance between the IMWG frailty score and the MRP occurred in 48.9% of patients (88/180). 37.2% of FIT patients were classified as MRP Low-risk, 32.1% of UNFIT patients as MRP Medium-risk and 65.5% of FRAIL patients as MRP High-risk.

Discussion

The FiTNEss trial demonstrates the feasibility of recruiting older, less fit patients to clinical trials. Recruitment of patients classified as FRAIL was very high despite the COVID pandemic, likely due to the all-oral nature of the regimen under investigation enabling patients to avoid attendance at hospital day units for treatment and associated exposure risk. In the population recruited to date we found age to be a key contributor to the FRAIL category of the IMWG frailty score. Concordance between IMWG frailty score and MRP was highest in FRAIL/High-risk patients. The first interim analysis of the primary objectives is planned when 50% of required participants for R1 have reached 60 days post R1, which is anticipated in Q2 of 2022.

Figure 1 Figure 1.

Disclosures

Cook: Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Pawlyn: Sanofi: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene / BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria. Royle: BMS: Research Funding; Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Coulson: BMS / Celgene: Honoraria; Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Jenner: BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Kishore: Sanofi: Other: Attending fees; Celgene: Other: Attending fees; Takeda: Other: Attending fees; Jannsen: Other: Attending fees. Rabin: BMS / Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support for meetings; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support for meetings; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support for meetings. Best: BMS/Celgene: Research Funding; Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Gillson: BMS / Celgene: Research Funding; Meck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Henderson: Takeda: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; BMS / Celgene: Research Funding. Olivier: Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Celgene / BMS: Research Funding. Kaiser: AbbVie: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Other: Educational support; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Educational support, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Drayson: Abingdon Health: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Jones: Janssen: Honoraria; BMS/Celgene: Other: Conference fees. Cairns: Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene / BMS: Other: travel support, Research Funding. Jackson: celgene BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; J and J: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; oncopeptides: Consultancy; Sanofi: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau.

OffLabel Disclosure:

Frailty-score adapted dosing strategies