Phase 3 study of disitamab vedotin with pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that expresses HER2 (DV-001).
Authors: Galsky Matt D. , Grande Enrique , Necchi Andrea , Drakaki Alexandra , Loriot Yohann , Franco Sonia , Ichimaru Mari , Zhang Wei , Powles Thomas 
Published: June 2024

TPS4616 Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy (chemo) has been the standard first-line (1L) therapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC). Recently, enfortumab vedotin, a nectin-4-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with a monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload, plus pembrolizumab (pembro) showed improved survival over chemo. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 1+-3+) has been reported in approximately half of all patients (pts) across tumor types, including UC, and is a biomarker that may be associated with poor outcomes. Disitamab vedotin (DV; RC48-ADC) is an investigational ADC comprising a fully humanized HER2-directed monoclonal antibody, disitamab, conjugated to MMAE via a protease-cleavable mc-vc linker. DV elicits antitumor activity through multimodal mechanisms of action, including MMAE-mediated direct cytotoxicity, bystander effect, and immunogenic cell death. DV has shown encouraging activity with a manageable safety profile in pts with la/mUC—as a single agent in a HER2-expressing post-platinum setting (IHC 3+/2+; ORR, 50.5%; median [m]PFS, 5.9 months; mOS, 14.2 months) and in combination with a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor in all comers (ORR, 76.0% in treatment-naive pts; 83.3%, 64.3%, and 33.3% in HER2 IHC 3+/2+, IHC 1+, and IHC 0 subgroups, respectively). Improved outcomes observed with an MMAE payload plus PD-1 inhibition across the ADC landscape, along with DV data, provide a robust rationale for this phase 3 trial of DV with pembro in the 1L setting for HER2-expressing la/mUC. Methods: DV-001 (NCT05911295) is an open-label, randomized, multicenter, controlled phase 3 trial evaluating DV with pembro vs chemo in pts with previously untreated HER2-expressing la/mUC. Pts will be randomized 1:1 to Arm A or B. Pts in Arm A will receive DV IV every 2 weeks and pembro IV every 6 weeks. Treatment will continue until disease progression or intolerable toxicity; pembro will be administered for a maximum of 18 6-weekly infusions (approximately 2 years). Pts in Arm B will receive platinum-based chemo with gemcitabine IV on Days 1 and 8 of every 3-week cycle, and either cisplatin or carboplatin on Day 1 of every 3-week cycle for 4-6 cycles. Maintenance therapy with avelumab after completion of chemo may be given to eligible pts where approved and available. Pts must have previously untreated la/mUC, measurable disease per RECIST v1.1, ECOG PS of 0-2 and must be eligible for platinum-based chemo. HER2 expression must be determined using the VENTANA 4B5 HER2 IHC Assay centrally and using the most recent archival or fresh tumor sample. Primary endpoints include PFS per blinded independent central review and OS. Enrollment is ongoing in the US, Canada, and Australia and is planned globally. Clinical trial information: NCT05911295 .