Repurposing ibrutinib for chemo-immunotherapy in a phase 1b study of ibrutinib with indoximod plus metronomic cyclophosphamide and etoposide for patients with childhood brain cancer.
Authors: Johnson Theodore S. , Pacholczyk Rafal , Satpathy Sarthak , Berrong Zuzana , Creager Julianne , Huang Chenbin , Kennedy Eugene Paul , Ring Eric K. , Sadek Ramses F. , Thomas Beena E. , Bhasin Manoj K. , Munn David H. 
Published: July 2024

TPS2703 Background: In children, brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death. The indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway is a metabolic checkpoint, expressed by host myeloid and dendritic cells, that suppresses anti-tumor immune responses following chemotherapy. We recently published results of a first-in-children phase 1 trial (NCT02502708) that showed the oral IDO-pathway inhibitor indoximod was well tolerated and provided meaningful clinical benefit for many patients with progressive childhood brain tumors, when given in combination with oral chemotherapy regimens (1). Using preclinical models, we have also reported the importance of the Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) pathway as a key upstream driver of IDO during chemotherapy (2). Thus, we hypothesize that adding the BTK-inhibitor ibrutinib to the previously studied regimen of investigational indoximod IDO-inhibitor plus oral metronomic cyclophosphamide and etoposide will synergistically enhance anti-tumor immune responses, leading to improvement in Objective Response Rate (ORR) with manageable overlapping toxicity. Methods: The current study (NCT05106296) is an Investigator-Sponsored, open label, single-arm phase 1b trial comprised of a Dose-escalation Cohort (n=18) using a 3+3 dose escalation design to establish safety and dosing of ibrutinib in the combined regimen; followed by an Expansion Cohort (n=19) at the MTD to evaluate efficacy. Patients are treated with the all-oral 4-drug chemo-immunotherapy regimen in 28-day cycles using: (i) ibrutinib [Study Dose once daily on days 1-21]; (ii) indoximod [38.4 mg/kg/day divided twice daily throughout the cycle]; (iii) cyclophosphamide [2.5 mg/kg/dose, maximum dose 100 mg, once daily on days 1-21]; and (iv) etoposide [50 mg/m2/dose once daily on days 1-21]. Eligible patients are age 12 to 25 years with relapsed or refractory brain cancer, MRI evidence of current active disease not recently treated with radiation/proton therapy, ECOG performance score 0-2, and meet standard organ function requirements. Patients with systemic infection, autoimmune disease, recent live-virus vaccination, comorbid conditions that may overlap with expected regimen toxicities, or chronic treatment with anticoagulants or strong CYP3A inhibitors are excluded. Primary Objectives are to: (i) determine the pediatric recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of ibrutinib for the combined regimen (Dose-escalation Cohort), and (ii) evaluate preliminary evidence of efficacy for the combined regimen in terms of ORR (Expansion Cohort). Exploratory analyses use single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing (scRNAseq/TCRseq) of cryopreserved serial peripheral blood samples to monitor for treatment-expanded TCR clonotypes and study their phenotype. 1. Neuro-Oncology 26:348-361, 2024. 2. Immunity54:2354-2371, 2021. Clinical trial information: NCT05106296 .