Abstract CT046: First-in-human phase 1 study assessing imalumab (BAX69), an anti-oxidized macrophage migration inhibitory factor (oxMIF) antibody in advanced solid tumors
Authors: Mahalingam Devalingam , Patel Manish R. , Sachdev Jasgit C. , Hart Lowell L. , Halama Niels , Ramanathan Ramesh K. , Sarantopoulos John , Liu Xiaochun , Yazji Salim , Jaeger Dirk , Adib Deyaa , Kerschbaumer Randolf , Tsimberidou Apostolia Maria 
Published: July 2016

Background: MIF is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in tumor proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and the proinflammatory microenvironment. oxMIF is the pathogenic form mainly in tumor and its surrounding stroma. Imalumab (BAX69) is a novel recombinant, fully-human, monoclonal antibody that targets oxMIF, inhibiting tumorigenesis. Preclinical data demonstrated that imalumab has antitumor activities and acceptable toxicities.

Methods: The primary endpoint of this dose-escalation study (3+3 design) was to assess maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The secondary endpoints were to assess antitumor activity, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD). Patients (pts) received intravenous (IV) imalumab [28-d cycles; 2 dose schedules (DS)]: biweekly in all solid tumors (DS1); weekly in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), metastatic ovarian cancer (OvCa) and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (DS2).

Results: As of July 1 2015, 48 pts were treated in this study. DS1 = 19 pts in 6 cohorts (1, 3, 10, 25, 37.5, and 50 mg/kg), and DS2 = 29 pts in 2 cohorts (10 and 25 mg/kg) including expansion (10 mg/kg) into mCRC, OvCa and NSCLC. AUC and Cmax increased with dose. Dose escalation was stopped at 50 mg/kg (DS1) and 25mg/kg (DS2). An MTD was not reached for either DS. One pt reported dose-limiting toxicities: hypersensitivity pneumonitis (DS1; 50 mg/kg). There were no other grade 3 and 4 treatment related adverse events (trAEs). Grade 2 trAEs include: fatigue (n = 2), constipation (n = 1), peripheral edema (n = 1), infusion reaction (n = 1), and urticaria (n = 1). Stable disease (SD) ?4 mo was seen in 7 heavily pre-treated pts, including 1 pt with NSCLC who achieved SD for 13.4 mo. In DS2; Pre- and on-therapy tumor biopsies showed satisfactory tissue penetration of imalumab resulting in target saturation in all biopsy evaluable patients in all 3 tumor types. Biopsies revealed regulation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR downstream signaling, TNF-α signaling, anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 and IL-10), and apoptosis. Based on clinical PK and PD study, 10mg/kg weekly was considered a biologically active dose and sufficient to reach ?95% target binding by the end of first cycle.

Conclusions: Imalumab was well tolerated and showed single agent antitumor activity in heavily pretreated pts. An MTD was not reached. Recommended phase II dose (RP2D) is 10 mg/kg IV weekly. NCT01765790

Citation Format: Devalingam Mahalingam, Manish R. Patel, Jasgit C. Sachdev, Lowell L. Hart, Niels Halama, Ramesh K. Ramanathan, John Sarantopoulos, Xiaochun Liu, Salim Yazji, Dirk Jaeger, Deyaa Adib, Randolf Kerschbaumer, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou. First-in-human phase 1 study assessing imalumab (BAX69), an anti-oxidized macrophage migration inhibitory factor (oxMIF) antibody in advanced solid tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr CT046.