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Drugs Sep 2020A fixed dose oral combination (FDC) of decitabine and cedazuridine (Inqovi), is being developed by Astex Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceuticals) for the... (Review)
Review
A fixed dose oral combination (FDC) of decitabine and cedazuridine (Inqovi), is being developed by Astex Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of various cancers like myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), glioma and solid tumours. Decitabine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor approved for the treatment of MDS and CMML, is degraded by cytidine deaminase in the gastrointestinal tract and liver, thereby limiting oral bioavailability. Cedazuridine is a proprietary, patented cytidine deaminase inhibitor that, when added to decitabine, increases oral bioavailability of the drug. In July 2020, decitabine/cedazuridine received its first approval in the USA and Canada for the treatment of MDS and CMML. In the USA, it is indicated for use in adults with MDS and CMML, including previously treated and untreated, de novo and secondary MDS with the following French-American-British subtypes (refractory anaemia, refractory anaemia with ringed sideroblasts, refractory anaemia with excess blasts and CMML) and intermediate-1, intermediate-2 and high-risk International Prognostic Scoring System groups. Clinical studies for AML, glioma and solid tumours are underway in several countries worldwide. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of decitabine/cedazuridine leading to this first approval for the treatment of MDS and CMML.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Canada; Clinical Trials as Topic; Decitabine; Drug Approval; Drug Combinations; Drug Development; History, 21st Century; Humans; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration; Uridine
PubMed: 32860582
DOI: 10.1007/s40265-020-01389-7 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Apr 2023CD8+ exhausted T cells (Tex) are heterogeneous. PD-1 inhibitors reinvigorate progenitor Tex, which subsequently differentiate into irresponsive terminal Tex. The ability...
CD8+ exhausted T cells (Tex) are heterogeneous. PD-1 inhibitors reinvigorate progenitor Tex, which subsequently differentiate into irresponsive terminal Tex. The ability to maintain a capacity for durable proliferation of progenitor Tex is important, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we showed CD8+ progenitor Tex pretreated with decitabine, a low-dose DNA demethylating agent, had enhanced proliferation and effector function against tumors after anti-PD-1 treatment in vitro. Treatment with decitabine plus anti-PD-1 promoted the activation and expansion of tumor-infiltrated CD8+ progenitor Tex and efficiently suppressed tumor growth in multiple tumor models. Transcriptional and epigenetic profiling of tumor-infiltrated T cells demonstrated that the combination of decitabine plus anti-PD-1 markedly elevated the clonal expansion and cytolytic activity of progenitor Tex compared with anti-PD-1 monotherapy and restrained CD8+ T cell terminal differentiation. Strikingly, decitabine plus anti-PD-1 sustained the expression and activity of the AP-1 transcription factor JunD, which was reduced following PD-1 blockade therapy. Downregulation of JunD repressed T cell proliferation, and activation of JNK/AP-1 signaling in CD8+ T cells enhanced the antitumor capacity of PD-1 inhibitors. Together, epigenetic agents remodel CD8+ progenitor Tex populations and improve responsiveness to anti-PD-1 therapy.
Topics: Humans; Decitabine; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Transcription Factor AP-1; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Neoplasms; Cell Proliferation
PubMed: 36853831
DOI: 10.1172/JCI165673 -
Blood Aug 2020This phase 2 study was designed to compare systemic decitabine exposure, demethylation activity, and safety in the first 2 cycles with cedazuridine 100 mg/decitabine 35... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
This phase 2 study was designed to compare systemic decitabine exposure, demethylation activity, and safety in the first 2 cycles with cedazuridine 100 mg/decitabine 35 mg vs standard decitabine 20 mg/m2 IV. Adults with International Prognostic Scoring System intermediate-1/2- or high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) were randomized 1:1 to receive oral cedazuridine/decitabine or IV decitabine in cycle 1, followed by crossover to the other treatment in cycle 2. All patients received oral cedazuridine/decitabine in subsequent cycles. Cedazuridine and decitabine were given initially as separate capsules in a dose-confirmation stage and then as a single fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet. Primary end points: mean decitabine systemic exposure (geometric least-squares mean [LSM]) of oral/IV 5-day area under curve from time 0 to last measurable concentration (AUClast), percentage long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) DNA demethylation for oral cedazuridine/decitabine vs IV decitabine, and clinical response. Eighty patients were randomized and treated. Oral/IV ratios of geometric LSM 5-day AUClast (80% confidence interval) were 93.5% (82.1-106.5) and 97.6% (80.5-118.3) for the dose-confirmation and FDC stages, respectively. Differences in mean %LINE-1 demethylation between oral and IV were ≤1%. Clinical responses were observed in 48 patients (60%), including 17 (21%) with complete response. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events regardless of causality were neutropenia (46%), thrombocytopenia (38%), and febrile neutropenia (29%). Oral cedazuridine/decitabine (100/35 mg) produced similar systemic decitabine exposure, DNA demethylation, and safety vs decitabine 20 mg/m2 IV in the first 2 cycles, with similar efficacy. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02103478.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Area Under Curve; Capsules; Cross-Over Studies; DNA Methylation; DNA-Cytosine Methylases; Decitabine; Disease Progression; Drug Combinations; Drug Monitoring; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Hematologic Diseases; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Least-Squares Analysis; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic; Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements; Male; Middle Aged; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Neoplasm Proteins; Tablets; Uridine
PubMed: 32285126
DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004143 -
Cancer Oct 2021TP53 mutation (TP53 ) confers an adverse prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Venetoclax with hypomethylating agents is a current standard for older patients;...
BACKGROUND
TP53 mutation (TP53 ) confers an adverse prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Venetoclax with hypomethylating agents is a current standard for older patients; however, recent reports suggest that TP53 confers resistance to venetoclax. The authors investigated the outcomes of patients with TP53 AML who were treated with a 10-day decitabine and venetoclax (DEC10-VEN) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03404193).
METHODS
Patients with newly diagnosed AML received decitabine 20 mg/m for 10 days every 4 to 6 weeks for induction, followed by decitabine for 5 days after response. The venetoclax dose was 400 mg daily. TP53 was identified in bone marrow samples using next-generation sequencing, with sensitivity of 5%. Outcomes were analyzed according to European LeukemiaNet 2017 guidelines.
RESULTS
Among 118 patients (median age, 72 years; age range, 49-89 years), 63 (53%) had secondary AML, 39 (33%) had AML with complex karyotype, and 35 (30%) had TP53 AML. The median TP53 variant allele frequency was 32% (interquartile range, 16%-65%), 8 patients (23%) had only a single TP53 mutation, 15 (43%) had multiple mutations, and 12 (34%) had mutation and deletion. Outcomes were significantly worse in patients who had TP53 AML compared with those who had wild-type TP53 AML, with an overall response rate of 66% vs 89% (P = .002), a complete response/complete response with incomplete hematologic recovery rate of 57% vs 77% (P = .029), and a 60-day mortality of 26% vs 4% (P < .001), respectively. Patients with TP53 versus wild-type TP53 had shorter overall survival at 5.2 versus 19.4 months, respectively (hazard ratio, 4.67; 95% CI, 2.44-8.93; P < .0001), and shorter relapse-free survival at 3.4 versus 18.9 months (hazard ratio, 4.80; 95% CI, 1.97-11.69; P < .0001), respectively. Outcomes with DEC10-VEN in patients with TP53 AML were comparable to historical results with 10-day decitabine alone.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with TP53 AML have lower response rates and shorter survival with DEC10-VEN.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Decitabine; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Middle Aged; Sulfonamides; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
PubMed: 34255353
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33689 -
Blood Advances Apr 2021Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of parenteral decitabine and azacitidine, DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, otherwise referred to as DNA... (Review)
Review
Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of parenteral decitabine and azacitidine, DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, otherwise referred to as DNA hypomethylating agents (HMAs), have been a mainstay in the treatment of higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. The development of oral HMAs has been an area of active interest; however, oral bioavailability has been quite poor due to rapid metabolism by cytidine deaminase (CDA). This led to the development of the novel CDA inhibitor cedazuridine, which was combined with an oral formulation of decitabine. Preclinical work demonstrated a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile approximate to parenteral decitabine, leading to early-phase clinical trials of oral cedazuridine-decitabine (C-DEC) in myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). A combination of oral decitabine 35 mg with oral cedazuridine 100 mg was established as the recommended phase 2 dose. Phase 2 data confirmed bioequivalence of C-DEC when compared with parenteral decitabine, and a larger phase 3 trial has demonstrated similar results, leading to the FDA approval of C-DEC for use in intermediate/high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and CMML. This review will focus upon the current role of HMA therapy in MDS/CMML, preclinical and clinical development of C-DEC, and potential roles of oral HMA therapy in myeloid malignancies moving forward.
Topics: Azacitidine; Decitabine; Humans; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Uridine
PubMed: 33904891
DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002929 -
The Lancet. Haematology Oct 2020Venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents is a new standard of care for newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who are 75 years or older, or...
10-day decitabine with venetoclax for newly diagnosed intensive chemotherapy ineligible, and relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia: a single-centre, phase 2 trial.
BACKGROUND
Venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents is a new standard of care for newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who are 75 years or older, or unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Pharmacodynamic studies have suggested superiority of the longer 10-day regimen of decitabine that has shown promising results in patients with high-risk AML in phase 2 trials. We hypothesised that venetoclax with 10-day decitabine could have improved activity in patients with newly diagnosed AML and those with relapsed or refractory AML, particularly in high-risk subgroups.
METHODS
This single centre, phase 2 trial was done at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA). The study enrolled older patients (aged >60 years) with newly diagnosed AML, not eligible for intensive chemotherapy; secondary AML (progressed after myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia); and relapsed or refractory AML. Patients were required to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 3 or less, white blood cell count less than 10 × 10 per L, and adequate end-organ function. Patients with favourable-risk cytogenetics (eg, t[15;17] or core-binding factor AML) or who had received previous BCL2-inhibitor therapy were excluded. Patients received decitabine 20 mg/m intravenously for 10 days with oral venetoclax 400 mg daily for induction, followed by decitabine for 5 days with daily venetoclax for consolidation. The primary endpoint was overall response rate. The secondary endpoints analysed within this report include safety, overall survival, and duration of response, in keeping with recommendations of European LeukemiaNet 2017 guidelines. All patients who received at least one dose of treatment were eligible for safety and response assessments. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03404193) and continues to accrue patients.
FINDINGS
Between Jan 19, 2018, and Dec 16, 2019, we enrolled 168 patients; 70 (42%) had newly diagnosed AML, 15 (9%) had untreated secondary AML, 28 (17%) had treated secondary AML, and 55 (33%) had relapsed or refractory AML. The median age was 71 years (IQR 65-76) and 30% of patients had ECOG performance status of 2 or higher. The median follow-up for all patients was 16 months (95% CI 12-18; actual follow-up 6·5 months; IQR 3·4-12·4). The overall response rate was 74% (125 of 168 patients; 95% CI 67-80) and in disease subgroups were: 89% in newly diagnosed AML (62 of 70 patients; 79-94), 80% in untreated secondary AML (12 of 15 patients; 55-93), 61% in treated secondary AML (17 of 28 patients; 42-76), and 62% in relapsed or refractory AML (34 of 55 patients; 49-74). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events included infections with grades 3 or 4 neutropenia (n=79, 47%) and febrile neutropenia (n=49, 29%). 139 (83%) of 168 patients had serious adverse events, most frequently neutropenic fever (n=63, 38%), followed by pneumonia (n=17, 10%) and sepsis (n=16, 10%). The 30-day mortality for all patients was 3·6% (n=6, 95% CI 1·7-7·8). The median overall survival was 18·1 months (95% CI 10·0-not reached) in newly diagnosed AML, 7·8 months (2·9-10·7) in untreated secondary AML, 6·0 months (3·4-13·7) in treated secondary AML, and 7·8 months (5·4-13·3) relapsed or refractory AML. The median duration of response was not reached (95% CI 9·0-not reached) in newly diagnosed AML, 5·1 months (95% CI 0·9-not reached) in untreated secondary AML, not reached (95% CI 2·5-not reached) in previously treated secondary AML, and 16·8 months (95% CI 6·6-not reached) in relapsed or refractory AML.
INTERPRETATION
Venetoclax with 10-day decitabine has a manageable safety profile and showed high activity in newly diagnosed AML and molecularly defined subsets of relapsed or refractory AML. Future larger and randomised studies are needed to clarify activity in high-risk subsets.
FUNDING
US National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute.
Topics: Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Decitabine; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Sulfonamides; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32896301
DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3026(20)30210-6 -
American Journal of Hematology Feb 2021This analysis represents the longest-term follow-up for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with 400 mg of venetoclax plus azacitidine or decitabine.... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Randomized Controlled Trial
This analysis represents the longest-term follow-up for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with 400 mg of venetoclax plus azacitidine or decitabine. Adults with newly diagnosed AML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy were enrolled in an open-label, non-randomized, multicenter phase 1b trial of venetoclax with azacitidine (AZA; 75 mg/m ; days 1-7) or decitabine (DEC; 20 mg/m ; days 1-5). Endpoints included safety, response rates (complete remission [CR], CR with incomplete blood count recovery [CRi]), response duration and overall survival (OS). The median follow-up time was 29 and 40 months for patients treated with venetoclax plus AZA and DEC combinations, respectively. Key Grade ≥ 3 AEs (AZA and DEC) were febrile neutropenia (39% and 65%), anemia (30% and 26%), thrombocytopenia (25% and 23%), and neutropenia (20% and 10%). The CR/CRi rate was 71% for venetoclax plus AZA and 74% for venetoclax plus DEC. The median duration of CR/CRi was 21.9 months and 15.0 months, and the median OS was 16.4 months and 16.2 months, for venetoclax plus AZA and DEC, respectively. These results support venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents as highly effective frontline AML therapies for patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Azacitidine; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Decitabine; Febrile Neutropenia; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Middle Aged; Sulfonamides; Thrombocytopenia
PubMed: 33119898
DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26039 -
Blood Oct 2023
Topics: Adult; Humans; Decitabine; Azacitidine; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Sulfonamides
PubMed: 37478399
DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023020102 -
American Journal of Health-system... Oct 2020
Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents; Cytidine Deaminase; DNA Methylation; DNA Modification Methylases; Decitabine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Combinations; Drug Interactions; Drug Labeling; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Uridine
PubMed: 32945859
DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxaa276 -
Blood Apr 2023The challenge of eradicating leukemia in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after initial cytoreduction has motivated modern efforts to combine synergistic...
The challenge of eradicating leukemia in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after initial cytoreduction has motivated modern efforts to combine synergistic active modalities including immunotherapy. Recently, the ETCTN/CTEP 10026 study tested the combination of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine together with the immune checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab for AML/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) either after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or in the HSCT-naïve setting. Integrative transcriptome-based analysis of 304 961 individual marrow-infiltrating cells for 18 of 48 subjects treated on study revealed the strong association of response with a high baseline ratio of T to AML cells. Clinical responses were predominantly driven by decitabine-induced cytoreduction. Evidence of immune activation was only apparent after ipilimumab exposure, which altered CD4+ T-cell gene expression, in line with ongoing T-cell differentiation and increased frequency of marrow-infiltrating regulatory T cells. For post-HSCT samples, relapse could be attributed to insufficient clearing of malignant clones in progenitor cell populations. In contrast to AML/MDS bone marrow, the transcriptomes of leukemia cutis samples from patients with durable remission after ipilimumab monotherapy showed evidence of increased infiltration with antigen-experienced resident memory T cells and higher expression of CTLA-4 and FOXP3. Altogether, activity of combined decitabine and ipilimumab is impacted by cellular expression states within the microenvironmental niche of leukemic cells. The inadequate elimination of leukemic progenitors mandates urgent development of novel approaches for targeting these cell populations to generate long-lasting responses. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02890329.
Topics: Humans; Ipilimumab; Decitabine; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Recurrence; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
PubMed: 36706355
DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022018246