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A phase II study of the gamma secretase inhibitor RO4929097 in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma

  • PHASE II STUDIES
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Summary

Purpose The notch pathway is overexpressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. RO4929097, an oral inhibitor of the γ-secretase enzyme has been safely given as a single agent in patients with advanced solid tumors. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of RO4929097 in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDA). Methods A two-stage, single-arm Phase II trial was conducted in patients with previously treated metastatic PDA. RO4929097 was administered at a dose of 20 mg daily on days 1–3, 8–10 and 15–17 of 21-day cycles. The primary endpoint was survival at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), response rate, toxicities, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses. Results Eighteen patients were recruited, 17 in the first stage and one in the 2nd stage. It was decided to stop further enrollment after RO4929097 was discontinued by the sponsor and was no longer a development candidate. Three (25 %) of 12 evaluable patients achieved stable disease. The 6-month survival rate was 27.8 % (95 % CI 9.7–53.5). The median OS was 4.1 months (95 % CI 2.7–5.8 months) and median progression-free survival was 1.5 months (95 % CI 1.3–1.6 months). Pharmacokinetic properties of RO4929097 in patients (n = 5) with PDA was similar to that previously reported in other patient populations. There was a trend towards a decrease in HeyL (p = 0.08) gene expression in three patients following study drug administration. Conclusions RO4929097 was well-tolerated in patients with previously treated PDA. Development of RO4929097 has been discontinued, but development of other notch-targeting agents in pancreatic cancer is continuing.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ping He, Teresia Wanjiku, and Ming Zhao for technical support for the pharmacokinetic data; and Linping Xu for her quality assurance of the pharmacokinetic data. The authors would also like to thank the patients and their families for participating in the study.

Funding

This research was supported by the Lustgarten Foundation Correlative Study Grant Application (WAM, AM, MAR); NIH/NCI grant U01 CA070095 (MAR); Analytical Pharmacology Core of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins (NIH grants P30 CA006973 and UL1 RR025005; Shared Instrument Grant (1S10RR026824-01); and the Genomics Core at the University of Colorado Cancer Center (P30-CA046934). This publication was made possible in part by Grant Number UL1RR025005 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

WM: clinical research support, Roche

JA: laboratory research support, Roche

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1650 Orleans St. CRB1-4M08, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Ana De Jesus-Acosta, Daniel Laheru & Michelle A. Rudek

  2. Department of Pathology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Anirban Maitra

  3. University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO, USA

    John Arcaroli, Patrick J. Blatchford, Kevin Quackenbush & Wells Messersmith

  4. Department of Pathology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Anirban Maitra & Arvind Dasari

  5. Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Anirban Maitra & Arvind Dasari

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  1. Ana De Jesus-Acosta
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Correspondence to Ana De Jesus-Acosta.

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De Jesus-Acosta, A., Laheru, D., Maitra, A. et al. A phase II study of the gamma secretase inhibitor RO4929097 in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Invest New Drugs 32, 739–745 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10637-014-0083-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10637-014-0083-8

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