Publication
Title
Maintenance defactinib versus placebo after first-line chemotherapy in patients with Merlin-stratified pleural mesothelioma : COMMAND-A double-blind, randomized, phase II study
Author
Abstract
PURPOSE- Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase has been shown to selectively kill mesothelioma cells that express low levels of moesin-ezrin-radixin-like protein (merlin). On this basis, we designed a randomized, phase II trial to investigate whether defactinib as maintenance therapy after standard first-line chemotherapy could improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). METHODS This global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in patients with advanced M PM and disease control after at least four cycles of first-line chemotherapy. Patients were stratified for merlin and then randomly assigned (in a 1:1 fashion) to receive either oral defactinib or placebo until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal occurred. The coprimary end points were PFS and overall survival (OS). Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale for Mesothelioma tool. RESULTS Three hundred forty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive either defactinib (n = 173) or placebo (n = 171). The median PFS was 4.1 months (95% CI, 2.9 to 5.6 months) for defactinib versus 4.0 months (95% CI, 2.9 to 4.2 months) for placebo. The median OS was 12.7 months (95% CI, 9.1 to 21 months) for defactinib versus 13.6 months (95% CI, 9.6 to 21.2 months) for placebo (hazard ratio, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7 to 1.4). Although shorter survival for both defactinib- and placebo-treated patients was observed, in the patients who had merlin-low MPM compared with the patients who had merlin-high MPM, there were no statistical differences in response rate, PFS, OS, or QoL between the treatment groups. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. CONCLUSION Neither PFS nor OS was improved by defactinib after first-line chemotherapy in patients with merlin-low MPM. Defactinib cannot be recommended as maintenance therapy for advanced MPM. (C) 2019 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of clinical oncology. - New York
Publication
New York : 2019
ISSN
0732-183X
DOI
10.1200/JCO.2018.79.0543
Volume/pages
37 :10 (2019) , p. 790-798
ISI
000463932000005
Pubmed ID
30785827
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 02.05.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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