Preliminary Efficacy and Safety of MK-1026, a Non-Covalent Inhibitor of Wild-Type and C481S Mutated Bruton Tyrosine Kinase, in B-Cell Malignancies: A Phase 2 Dose Expansion Study
Authors: Woyach Jennifer A. , Flinn Ian W. , Awan Farrukh T. , Eradat Herbert , Brander Danielle M. , Tees Michael , Parikh Sameer A. , Phillips Tycel , Wang Wayne , Reddy Nishitha M. , Farooqui Mohammed Z.H. , Byrd John C. , Stephens Deborah M. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Introduction: Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and certain B-cell neoplasms. However, resistance to BTKi develops primarily through mutations at the cysteine binding site (C481) or PLCγ2 mutations. MK-1026 (formerly ARQ-531) is a non-covalent, potent inhibitor of both wild type and C481- mutated BTK. In the phase 1/2 dose escalation and dose expansion study NCT03162536, the preliminary recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of MK-1026 was determined to be 65 mg once daily. The efficacy and safety of MK-1026 in participants with CLL/SLL and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were also evaluated at a higher dose during the dose expansion phase.
Methods: In this open-label, single-arm phase 2 study, 9 expansion cohorts were initiated following determination of preliminary MK-1026 RP2D. Approximately 10-25 eligible participants were enrolled into Cohort A (relapsed/refractory (r/r) CLL/SLL, with ≥2 prior therapies including covalent BTKi, with documented C481 mutation), Cohort B (r/r CLL/SLL progressed on/intolerant to a BTKi, with ≥2 prior therapies without C481 mutation), Cohort C (participants with Richter transformation [RT] with ≥1 prior therapy), Cohort D-H (participants with follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), high-grade B cell lymphoma (BCL) with known MYC, BCL-2 or BCL-6 translocations, and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), respectively, who received ≥2 prior therapies), Cohort I (food effect cohort including participants with B-cell NHL, CLL/SLL, and WM). Treatment continued until unacceptable toxicity, clinical or radiological progression, participant/physician withdrawal. Primary endpoint was overall response rate (per iwCLL criteria, by investigator) for participants with CLL/SLL. Secondary endpoints included duration of response and safety and tolerability. The data cut-off date for this analysis was April 7, 2021.
Results: Among 118 participants enrolled, 44 had B-cell NHL (including 6 with DLBCL,
11 with FL, 3 with high-grade BCL, 6 with MCL, 2 with MZL, 16 with RT), 68 CLL/SLL, and 4 WM. Of these, 94 (79.6%) were treated at the preliminary RP2D, including 51 (54.3%) participants with CLL/SLL. Participants with CLL/SLL had a median (range) number of prior therapies of 4 (1-18), 43 (84%) had prior BTKi therapy, 12 (23%) had del17p, 26 (51%) had IGHV unmutated status, and 32 (63%) had C481S BTK mutation. At data cut-off, median (range) follow-up was 4.56 months (0.1-26.7) for all treated participants. ORR was 57.9% (N = 22 of 38; 1 CR, 21 PR/PRL) per iwCLL criteria in the efficacy evaluable population of participants with CLL/SLL treated at preliminary RP2D. The median duration of response in these participants was not estimable [NE] (range, 8.3 months-NE). At data cut-off, the median duration of treatment exposure was 3.2 months (range, 0-35.9). Among all treated participants, 114 (97%) had a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE), with 78 (66%) having a drug-related TEAE, and 9 (8%) having a drug-related TEAE that led to discontinuation. Common TEAEs (≥ 20%) included fatigue (33%), constipation (31%), dysgeusia (28%), cough (25%), nausea (25%), pyrexia (25%), dizziness (23%), hypertension (23%), peripheral edema (22%), arthralgia (20%), and diarrhea (21%). Grade ≥3 TEAEs occurred in 80 (68%) participants. Grade 5 TEAEs occurred in 7 (6%) participants and included death following disease progression in 3 (3%), sepsis 1 (1%), dyspnea 1 (1%), and respiratory failure 2 (2%) participants. Common drug-related TEAEs (≥10%) included dysgeusia (15%), nausea (11%), fatigue (11%), and decreased neutrophil count (10%). Grade 3-4 drug-related TEAEs occurred in 31 (26%) participants. No drug-related TEAEs led to death.
Conclusion: MK-1026 has promising antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in participants with CLL/SLL exposed to multiple lines of therapy, including in those who had progression of disease on prior covalent BTKi. Further evaluation of MK-1026 in B-cell malignancies is ongoing.

Disclosures
Woyach: AbbVie Inc, ArQule Inc, Janssen Biotech Inc, AstraZeneca, Beigene: Other: Advisory Committee; AbbVie Inc, ArQule Inc, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Janssen Biotech Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company,: Consultancy; AbbVie Inc, Loxo Oncology Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly & Company: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences Inc: Other: Data & Safety. Flinn: Verastem: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; IGM Biosciences: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Yingli Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Loxo: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Other: All Consultancy and Research Funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Great Point Partners: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Iksuda Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; BeiGene: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Forty Seven: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Calithera Biosciences: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Merck: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Teva: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Seagen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Celgene: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Incyte: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Agios: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Curis: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; ArQule: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Pfizer: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Nurix Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Triphase Research & Development Corp.: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Century Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Hutchison MediPharma: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Vincerx Pharma: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Sarah Cannon Research Institute: Current Employment; Servier Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Yingli Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Seagen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Servier Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Awan: Verastem: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Dava Oncology: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Johnson and Johnson: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Kite pharma: Consultancy; Gilead sciences: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Cardinal Health: Consultancy; ADCT therapeutics: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Astrazeneca: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy. Eradat: AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Beigene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Incyte: Speakers Bureau; Juno: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding. Brander: Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: Biosimilars outcomes research panel; Juno Therapeutics/Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; ArQule: Research Funding; Ascentage: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; DTRM: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; LOXO: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy; ArQule/Merck: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; NCCN: Other: panel member; AbbVie: Consultancy, Other: informCLL registry steering committee, Research Funding. Parikh: Pharmacyclics, MorphoSys, Janssen, AstraZeneca, TG Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, AbbVie, and Ascentage Pharma: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Verastem Oncology, and AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Phillips: BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy, Other: received travel expenses from Incyte, Research Funding; Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; ADCT, BeiGene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, Incyte, Karyopharm, Morphosys, Pharmacyclics, Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding. Reddy: Merck & Co., Inc.: Current Employment. Farooqui: Merck & Co., Inc.: Current Employment, Other: Current Stockholder. Byrd: Vincerx Pharmaceuticals: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis, Trillium, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Pharmacyclics, Syndax: Consultancy, Honoraria; Newave: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stephens: CSL Behring: Consultancy; Innate Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Epizyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Arqule: Research Funding; Mingsight: Research Funding; JUNO: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.