Abstract P1-19-09: Updated subgroup tumor response of abemaciclib plus aromatase inhibitor for hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative advanced breast cancer (MONARCH 3)
Authors: O’Shaughnessy Joyce , Johnston Stephen , Martin Miguel , Huober Jens , Toi Masakazu , Andre Valerie AnneMarie , Martin Holly Rene , Hardebeck Molly Catherine , Di Leo Angelo , Goetz Matthew Philip 
Published: March 2020

Background: Abemaciclib plus nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors (AI) demonstrated efficacy with a tolerable safety profile as initial treatment for postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2− advanced breast cancer in the MONARCH 3 trial. In the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, the updated progression-free survival (PFS) with 12 months of additional follow-up was 28.2 versus 14.8 months (HR [95% CI]: 0.525 [0.415, 0.665]; p&lt;.0001) in the abemaciclib plus AI versus placebo plus AI arms, respectively. Here we report data from the additional 12 months of follow-up on tumor response for the ITT population and exploratory subgroups previously identified as significantly prognostic (Di Leo et al. 2018).

Methods: In MONARCH 3, a randomized, double-blind, phase III trial, 493 postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2− advanced breast cancer and no prior systemic therapy in the advanced setting, received an AI (anastrozole or letrozole) plus abemaciclib or placebo. From the October 31, 2018 cutoff, secondary endpoints including objective response rate ([ORR], complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]), time to response (TTR), and duration of response ([DoR], time from a confirmed CR or PR until disease progression or death) were assessed in the ITT population and exploratory subgroups previously reported as significantly prognostic. Waterfall plots will be used to illustrate the magnitude of change in tumor size for each subgroup (to be presented).

Results: In patients with measurable disease, the ORR was 62.5% (95% CI: 56.7, 68.2) in the abemaciclib plus AI arm and 44.7% (95% CI: 36.2, 53.2) in the placebo plus AI arm (p≤.001). Additional follow-up confirmed that all prognostic subgroups received benefit from the addition of abemaciclib to AI, consistent with the ITT population, as evidenced by change in ORR, with the largest effects observed in subgroups of patients with liver metastases, progesterone receptor-negative tumors, high grade tumors, or treatment-free interval of &lt;36 months (Table). Median TTR was similar between the two treatment arms (abemaciclib plus AI: 3.62 months; placebo plus AI: 3.65 months), and this was generally consistent across subgroups. Responses were more durable in the abemaciclib plus AI arm (median DoR: 32.71 months; 95% CI: 25.74, -) versus the placebo plus AI arm (median DoR: 17.49 months; 95% CI: 11.61, 22.19), including in poor prognostic subgroups.

Conclusions: Extended follow-up in the MONARCH 3 trial further confirmed that the addition of abemaciclib to AI is associated with durable tumor responses, including those in patients with clinically poor prognostic characteristics.

References: Di Leo A et al. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2018;4:41.

Clinical trial information: NCT02246621

This study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company

Table: Objective Response RateAbemaciclib + AIPlacebo + AIORR ChangeNn (%)Nn (%)%Measurable disease population269168 (62.5)13259 (44.7)17.8Liver metastasesYes4727 (57.45)306 (20.00)37.45No222141 (63.51)10253 (51.96)11.55Progesterone receptor statusNegative6137 (60.66)298 (27.59)33.07Positive206130 (63.11)10351 (49.51)13.60Treatment-free interval&lt;36 months3117 (54.84)225 (22.73)32.11≥36 months7442 (56.76)3216 (50.00)6.76Tumor gradeHigh5739 (68.42)2811 (39.29)29.13Intermediate/ Low13992 (66.19)7535 (46.67)19.52ECOG PS111275 (66.96)5022 (44.00)22.96015793 (59.24)8237 (45.12)14.12Bone-only diseaseNo256162 (63.28)12253 (43.44)19.84YesNA*NA*NA*NA*NA*N= total number of patients in each subgroup; n= number of responder patients; NA=not applicable*Response rate not reported for bone-only disease because majority of lesions were not measurable

Citation Format: Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Stephen Johnston, Miguel Martin, Jens Huober, Masakazu Toi, Valerie AnneMarie Andre, Holly Rene Martin, Molly Catherine Hardebeck, Angelo Di Leo, Matthew Philip Goetz. Updated subgroup tumor response of abemaciclib plus aromatase inhibitor for hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative advanced breast cancer (MONARCH 3) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-19-09.