Abstract GS4-07: Results from a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial evaluating exemestane ± enzalutamide in patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer
Authors: Krop I , Abramson V , Colleoni M , Traina T , Holmes F , Estevez L , Hart L , Awada A , Zamagni C , Morris P , Schwartzberg L , Chan S , Wheatley D , Gucalp A , Biganzoli L , Steinberg J , Gianni L , Trudeau M , Tudor IC , Markova D , Barry E , Tarazi J , Stewart R , Winer E , Yardley DA 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Background: The androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in &gt;75% of hormone receptor (HR)+ tumors. AR signaling has been associated with resistance to endocrine therapy (ET). Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) divert estrogen precursors to androgens; in preclinical models enzalutamide (ENZA) blocked both estrogen- and androgen-mediated growth of HR+ cells. In a phase 1 study of ET+ENZA in breast cancer, doubling the dose of exemestane (EXE) to 50 mg was necessary to restore exposure observed with 25 mg.1
Methods: This placebo (PBO)–controlled phase 2 trial randomized patients (pts) with HR+/HER2-normal advanced/metastatic breast cancer (MBC) to either 25 mg EXE+PBO or 50 mg EXE+160 mg ENZA daily (NCT02007512). Two parallel cohorts enrolled pts who had no prior ET (C1) or who had received 1 prior ET for MBC (C2). Randomization was stratified on resistance to prior ET and prior exposure to AI. Tissue samples for biomarker development were mandatory. Brain metastases or a history of seizure was exclusionary. One prior chemotherapy regimen for MBC was permitted. Response was assessed every 8 weeks for 48 weeks, then every 12 weeks. Crossover to ENZA+EXE was allowed at disease progression. A gene signature–based biomarker (Bmkr) indicating AR signaling predictive of response to ENZA was developed using a training set of RNAseq data from 2/3 of randomized pts and validated using a test set of data from the remaining 1/3 of pts. Progression-free survival (PFS) according to RECIST v1.1 was the primary endpoint in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and in the Bmkr+ subgroup of each cohort. Secondary endpoints included clinical benefit rate at 24 weeks (CBR24), best overall response, and safety.
Results: A total of 247 pts were randomized (C1, n=127; C2, n=120). In C1, 50 pts (39.4%) were Bmkr+; in C2, 35 pts (29.2%) were Bmkr+. Statistically significant improvements in median PFS and CBR24 were observed only in the Bmkr+ population with no prior ET (Table). The most common adverse events (AEs) reported in the ENZA+EXE arms were nausea (39%) in C1 and fatigue (37%) in C2. In C1, 9 pts (15%) and 10 pts (16%) discontinued the study due to AEs in the ENZA+EXE and PBO+EXE arms, respectively. In C2, 11 pts (18%) and 5 pts (8%) discontinued due to AEs in the ENZA+EXE and PBO+EXE arms, respectively.
Conclusions: In the first reported randomized trial of ENZA in HR+ MBC, ENZA+EXE was well tolerated with no new safety signals. The study met its primary endpoint in pts with Bmkr+ MBC with no prior ET.
1. Schwartzberg et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Mar 9 [Epub ahead of print].
C1: No Prior ETC2: 1 Prior ET ITTBmkr+ITTBmkr+EXE+ENZA | PBOENZA | PBOENZA | PBOENZA | PBO n=63 | n=64n=24 | n=26n=60 | n=60n=15 | n=20Primary endpointPFS, median, months11.8 | 5.816.5 | 4.33.6 | 3.96.0 | 5.3(95% CI)(7.3, 15.9) | (3.5, 10.9)(11.0, NR) | (1.9, 10.9)(1.9, 5.5) | (2.6, 5.4)(2.3, 26.7) | (1.8, 6.7)Hazard ratio0.820.441.020.55(95% CI)(0.54, 1.26)(0.21, 0.96)(0.66, 1.59)(0.23, 1.36)P value0.36310.03350.92120.1936Secondary endpointCBR24, n (%)39 (62) | 29 (45)20 (83) | 10 (38)12 (20) | 19 (32)6 (40) | 6 (30)(95% CI)(49, 74) | (33, 58)(63, 95) | (20, 59)(11, 32) | (20, 45)(16, 68) | (12, 54)P value0.06090.00120.14430.5374
Citation Format: Krop I, Abramson V, Colleoni M, Traina T, Holmes F, Estevez L, Hart L, Awada A, Zamagni C, Morris P, Schwartzberg L, Chan S, Wheatley D, Gucalp A, Biganzoli L, Steinberg J, Gianni L, Trudeau M, Tudor IC, Markova D, Barry E, Tarazi J, Stewart R, Winer E, Yardley DA. Results from a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial evaluating exemestane ± enzalutamide in patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer [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 GS4-07.