Abstract PO-088: Bintrafusp alfa enhances anti-tumor efficacy in combination with radiation therapy plus the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibitor, M4076
Authors: Lazorchak Adam , Yu Huakui , Qin Guozhong , Qi Jin , Marelli Bo , Lan Yan 
Published: April 2021

Ionizing radiation therapy (RT) is a standard of care for many cancer indications. RT promotes the activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, a pleotropic cytokine that mediates RT-induced fibrosis and suppresses anti-tumor immunity. Additionally, RT induces the expression of the immunosuppressive checkpoint PD-L1 on tumor cells. Bintrafusp alfa (M7824) is a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of the extracellular domain of the TGF-βRII receptor, functioning as a TGF-β “trap”, fused to a human IgG1 antibody blocking PD-L1. Bintrafusp alfa enhances anti-tumor immunity elicited by RT and reverses RT-induced fibrosis in preclinical models. Inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) increases the cancer cell's sensitivity to radiotherapy by blocking cellular pathways which facilitate the response to, and repair of, RT induced DNA double strand breaks. We hypothesize that a combination therapy consisting of bintrafusp alfa, RT and the ATM kinase inhibitor M4076 will show greater anti-tumor efficacy than the respective mono- or dual-combination therapies in immune competent preclinical solid tumor models. The anti-tumor efficacy of bintrafusp alfa, RT, and M4076 triple combination therapy was explored in the immune therapy resistant 4T1 murine syngeneic breast carcinoma model. This triple combination therapy significantly increased anti-tumor efficacy and prolonged overall survival relative to the bintrafusp alfa + RT or M4076 + RT dual combination therapies. The triple combination was further evaluated in the more immunogenic MC38 colon carcinoma model. MC38 tumor bearing mice treated with the triple combination therapy showed a significantly greater tumor growth inhibition and long term tumor free survival when compared with the bintrafusp alfa + RT or M4076 + RT treatment groups. Finally, the bintrafusp alfa + RT + M4076 combination therapy also showed significantly greater tumor growth inhibition and long term tumor free survival when compared to the combination of anti-PD-L1 + RT + M4076. The bintrafusp alfa triple combination resulted in 8 of 10 mice showing long term tumor free survival, whereas the anti-PD-L1 triple combination failed to elicit tumor free survival (0 of 10 mice tumor free). These studies demonstrate the superior anti-tumor efficacy of the Bintrafusp alfa + RT + M4076 triple combination therapy over that of the dual combination therapies of RT + bintrafusp alfa or RT + M4076. These data in the MC38 model also suggest that bintrafusp alfa may promote a superior anti-tumor immune response relative to that of anti-PD-L1 when in combination with RT and M4076. Together, these data support the rational to develop a bintrafusp alfa + RT + M4076 combination therapy for the treatment of solid tumors.

Citation Format: Adam Lazorchak, Huakui Yu, Guozhong Qin, Jin Qi, Bo Marelli, Yan Lan. Bintrafusp alfa enhances anti-tumor efficacy in combination with radiation therapy plus the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibitor, M4076 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Radiation Science and Medicine; 2021 Mar 2-3. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(8_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-088.