Phase 1/2 study of epacadostat in combination with ipilimumab in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
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2019-03
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BACKGROUND:Epacadostat is a potent inhibitor of the immunosuppressive indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) enzyme. We present phase 1 results from a phase 1/2 clinical study of epacadostat in combination with ipilimumab, an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 antibody, in advanced melanoma (NCT01604889). METHODS:Only the phase 1, open-label portion of the study was conducted, per the sponsor's decision to terminate the study early based on the changing melanoma treatment landscape favoring exploration of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 inhibitor-based combination strategies. Such decision was not related to the safety of epacadostat plus ipilimumab. Patients received oral epacadostat (25, 50, 100, or 300 mg twice daily [BID]; 75 mg daily [50 mg AM, 25 mg PM]; or 50 mg BID intermittent [2 weeks on/1 week off]) plus intravenous ipilimumab 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks. RESULTS:Fifty patients received ≥1 dose of epacadostat. As of January 20, 2017, 2 patients completed treatment and 48 discontinued, primarily because of adverse events (AEs) and disease progression (n = 20 each). Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in 11 patients (n = 1 each with epacadostat 25 mg BID, 50 mg BID intermittent, 75 mg daily; n = 4 each with epacadostat 50 mg BID, 300 mg BID). The most common immune-related treatment-emergent AEs included rash (50%), alanine aminotransferase elevation (28%), pruritus (28%), aspartate aminotransferase elevation (24%), and hypothyroidism (10%). Among immunotherapy-naive patients (n = 39), the objective response rate was 26% by immune-related response criteria and 23% by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. No objective response was seen in the 11 patients who received prior immunotherapy. Epacadostat exposure was dose proportional, with clinically significant IDO1 inhibition at doses ≥25 mg BID. CONCLUSIONS:When combined with ipilimumab, epacadostat ≤50 mg BID demonstrated clinical and pharmacologic activity and was generally well tolerated in patients with advanced melanoma. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01604889 . Registration date, May 9, 2012, retrospectively registered.
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Gibney, Geoffrey T, Omid Hamid, Jose Lutzky, Anthony J Olszanski, Tara C Mitchell, Thomas F Gajewski, Bartosz Chmielowski, Brent A Hanks, et al. (2019). Phase 1/2 study of epacadostat in combination with ipilimumab in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 7(1). p. 80. 10.1186/s40425-019-0562-8 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/26408.
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Scholars@Duke

Brent A. Hanks
We are interested in understanding the mechanisms that cancers have evolved to suppress the generation of tumor antigen-specific immune responses and how this knowledge can be exploited for the development of novel and more effective cancer immunotherapy strategies. This work involves the utilization of both autochthonous transgenic tumor model systems as well as clinical specimens to develop novel strategies to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies while also developing predictive biomarkers to better guide the management of cancer patients with these agents. We strive to translate our understanding of the fundamental biochemical and metabolic pathways within the tumor microenvironment that are critical for driving immune evasion and resistance into early phase clinical trial testing.
Our work utilizes a variety of techniques and methodologies that span the breadth of basic biological research. This work integrates studies based on both 1) transgenic mouse tumor models that are monitored using bioluminescence and micro-CT imaging and 2) a variety of clinical specimens.
Our current areas of focus include:
- Investigating mechanisms of adaptive or acquired immunotherapy resistance in cancer
- Studying the relationship between EMT pathways and immunotherapy resistance.
- Elucidating mechanisms of dendritic cell tolerization in the tumor microenvironment and how these processes may contribute to immunotherapy resistance
- Development of novel pharmacologic and genetic strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance
- Investigating mechanisms contributing to select immunotherapy-associated toxicities
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