Abstract 4181: The XPO1 inhibitior, eltanexor, exhibits potent in vivo activity against a broad range of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes
Authors: Lock Richard B. , Evans Kathryn , Jones Connor D. , Erickson Stephen W. , Teicher Beverly A. , Unger TJ , Landesman Yosef , Smith Malcolm A. 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Exportin 1 (XPO1/CRM1) plays a central role in the export of proteins from the nucleus including those with tumor suppressor and growth regulatory activity. Eltanexor (KPT-8602) is a second-generation Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) that specifically blocks XPO1 cargo interactions and is under clinical evaluation for adults with cancer (NCT02649790). In previous Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium (PPTC) studies, eltanexor showed potent in vivo activity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). In an effort to understand whether eltanexor exhibited subtype-specific activity in pediatric ALL we carried out a single-mouse trial (SMT) against an intended 90 pediatric ALL PDXs.

Methods: Pediatric ALL PDXs, an orthotopic model of the disease, were inoculated into NSG mice in an SMT format (a single mouse inoculated with a single PDX was treated with a single drug). Engraftment and drug responses were assessed by weekly enumeration of the % human leukemic blasts in the peripheral blood (%huCD45+/HLA-ABC+). Treatment commenced when the median %huCD45+/HLA-ABC+ exceeded 1%, and mice received eltanexor at 12.5 mg/kg per oral daily x 5 for 4 weeks. The baseline level of the %huCD45+/HLA-ABC+ in each mouse served as its own control. PDX responses to treatment were assessed by time to event, the maximum decrease in %huCD45+/ABC+ at any point after treatment initiation, and by stringent Objective Response Measures (ORMs) modeled after the clinical setting (Houghton et al, Pediatr Blood Cancer, 2007, 49:928-40).

Results: Eltanexor was well tolerated with a mean maximum weight loss of 5.5% across all mice. SMT testing was successful in all 90 pediatric ALL PDXs representative of B-ALL (typical B-ALL, Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL [Ph+-ALL] and Ph-like ALL), T-ALL (typical T-ALL and early T-cell precursor ALL [ETP-ALL]), and MLL-rearranged ALL (MLLr-ALL). Event-free survival (EFS) of mice ranged from 2.6-137 days, and 61 (68%) of mice experienced EFS that extended beyond the treatment window. Regressions of ≥50% from baseline were observed in 56 (62%) of mice, and these were most pronounced in T-ALL (14/18, 78%) and Ph-like ALL (11/19, 58%). ORMs classified as Complete Response (CR) or Maintained CR (MCR) were elicited in 43 (48%) of PDXs, and again these were more common in T-ALL (12/18, 67%). The ALL subtypes that exhibited the poorest responses to eltanexor were Ph+-ALL and ETP-ALL, although with relatively small sample size (n=3 and 6, respectively). ORMs in the SMT correlated highly with historical conventional drug testing (R=0.94, P&lt;0.001, n=12).

Conclusions: Eltanexor exhibits potent single-agent in vivo activity against PDXs derived from a broad range of ALL subtypes including T-ALL and Ph-like ALL and warrants further investigation in pediatric ALL. (Supported by NCI Grants CA199222 & CA199000)

Citation Format: Richard B. Lock, Kathryn Evans, Connor D. Jones, Stephen W. Erickson, Beverly A. Teicher, TJ Unger, Yosef Landesman, Malcolm A. Smith. The XPO1 inhibitior, eltanexor, exhibits potent in vivo activity against a broad range of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4181.