Abstract OT3-06-05: A phase Ib/II trial of coPANlisib in combination with tratuzumab in pretreated recurrent or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer “PantHER”
Authors: Keegan NM , Walshe J , Gullo G , Kennedy J , Bulger K , Kelly CM , Crown J , Toomey S , Egan K , Kerr J , Given M , Hernando A , Teiserskiene A , Grogan L , Breathnach O , Morris PG , Keane M , Hennessy BT 
Published: February 2018

Background

The phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway is important in the oncogenic function of HER2. Aberrent activation of PI3K is implicated in resistance to trastuzumab and other HER2-targeted therapies and is frequent, with up to 22% of HER2 positive breast cancer having a PIK3CA mutation. Copanlisib is a pan-class 1 PI3K inhibitor that shows particular activity against PI3Kα, the isoform encoded by the PIK3CA gene. Copanlisib has been shown to re-sensitise trastuzumab resistant cell lines to trastuzumab with synergism seen in some cell lines between copanlisib and HER2 targeted therapy.

Trial design

The study is a phase Ib/II open label, single arm adaptive, multi-centre trial of copanlisib in combination with trastuzumab. Eligible patients are treated with a dose escalation schedule of copanlisib IV on Days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28 day cycle with trastuzumab 2 mg/kg weekly (loading dose of 4 mg/kg in cycle 1). The phase II dose will be based on the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) established in Phase Ib. Patients are treated until radiologic or symptomatic progression, unacceptable toxicity, consent withdrawal or physician's decision.

Eligibility criteria

Eligible patients must have recurrent incurable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that has progressed on at least one prior line of trastuzumab or T-DM1-based treatment regimen in this setting. Patients with treated and controlled brain metastases are eligible. Participants must have adequate organ function and ECOG PS ≤ 2. Patients recruited for the Phase II part of the study must have a PIK3CA mutation. Patients with uncontrolled arterial hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes or recent clinically serious infections are excluded.

Specific aims

The primary end point for the phase Ib part of this study is to determine the MTD for the combination. For the phase II study is anti-tumour efficacy, measured by Clinical Benefit Rate (CBR).

Secondary end points are evaluation of safety and tolerability, progression-free survival, time to treatment failure, duration of response and overall survival. Incorporated translational endpoints include examination of molecular tumor adaptation in tissue and blood. Given the role of PI3K in cellular glucose metabolism, an additional exploratory objective is to determine if quantitive reduction in metabolic signal on Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) is predictive of benefit from therapy.

Statistical methods

To establish the MTD, we use a modified 3+3 design where 3 additional patients will be accrued even if the first 3 patients accrued experience no dose limiting toxicities (DLT) in sequential cohorts for a planned 12 patients. To determine the CBR, a one sample exact binomial test with a one sided significance level of 5%, 19 evaluable patients will provide &gt;80% power to detect a difference between the null hypothesis proportion of 30% for CBR versus the alternative hypothesis proportion of 65%.

Present accrual and target accrual

There are 9 patients recruited so far to the phase Ib part of this study. Target accrual is 12 and for phase II is 19 patients.

Contact information for people with a specific interest in the trial

Prof Bryan Hennessy, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin Ireland

Funded by Bayer

Citation Format: Keegan NM, Walshe J, Gullo G, Kennedy J, Bulger K, Kelly CM, Crown J, Toomey S, Egan K, Kerr J, Given M, Hernando A, Teiserskiene A, Grogan L, Breathnach O, Morris PG, Keane M, Hennessy BT. A phase Ib/II trial of coPANlisib in combination with tratuzumab in pretreated recurrent or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer “PantHER” [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-06-05.