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Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.) Sep 2023Afatinib, as the first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), causes severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions that greatly affect patients' quality of...
Afatinib, as the first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), causes severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions that greatly affect patients' quality of life and even potentially result in treatment discontinuation. Multiple dose adjustments and concomitant use of anti-diarrheal medications are commonly employed to manage diarrhea, also allowing for a recovery period between each adjustment. However, these approaches are based on empirical guidance and still have limitations. This study aims to explore reliable approaches to alleviate diarrhea by focusing on two strategies: adjusting the dosing regimen of afatinib itself and implementing combination therapy. In this study, we firstly revealed a dose-dependent relationship between afatinib-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal epithelial damage, resulting in atrophy, reduced expression of tight junction proteins, and increased permeability. We further found that even after discontinuation of the medication, although the severity of diarrhea had improved to baseline, the tight junction proteins and permeability of the intestinal epithelium did not fully recover, and the pharmacokinetics studies showed that drug absorption significantly increased than normal. This indicated the recovery period was longer than expected and may accelerate the occurrence of subsequent episodes of diarrhea. Hence, it would be prudent to consider adjustments to the starting dose or the recovery interval. Furthermore, we initially investigated the relationship between DPP enzyme and afatinib-induced diarrhea and found a significant decrease in plasma DPP enzyme activity following afatinib-induced diarrhea. Subsequently, we conducted continuous treatment with sitagliptin and observed significant improvement in afatinib-induced diarrhea. We observed that sitagliptin can promote the production of anti-inflammatory factors, increase the expression of intestinal epithelial tight junction proteins, and improve intestinal microbiota, further validating the mechanism through the use of GLP-2 as GLP-2 receptor inhibitor. In conclusion, sitagliptin exhibits promising potential as a therapeutic option for managing afatinib-induced diarrhea. Taken together, our study provides valuable insights into alleviating afatinib-induced diarrhea through both afatinib medication adjustment and sitagliptin combination therapy.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Afatinib; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Sitagliptin Phosphate; Quality of Life; ErbB Receptors; Diarrhea
PubMed: 37567055
DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2023.100922 -
Oncotarget Mar 2024Here, I suggest that while first-line osimertinib extends median progression-free survival (PFS) in EGFR-mutant lung cancer compared to first-generation TKIs, it reduces...
Here, I suggest that while first-line osimertinib extends median progression-free survival (PFS) in EGFR-mutant lung cancer compared to first-generation TKIs, it reduces individual PFS in 15-20% of patients compared to first-generation TKIs. Since detecting a single resistant cell before treatment is usually impossible, osimertinib must be used in all patients as a first-line treatment, raising median PFS overall but harming some. The simplest remedy is a preemptive combination (PC) of osimertinib and gefitinib. A comprehensive PC (osimertinib, afatinib/gefitinib, and capmatinib) could dramatically increase PFS for 80% of patients compared to osimertinib alone, without harming anyone. This article also explores PCs for MET-driven lung cancer.
Topics: Humans; Gefitinib; Acrylamides; Afatinib; Lung Neoplasms; Aniline Compounds; Indoles; Pyrimidines
PubMed: 38497774
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28569 -
Clinical Cancer Research : An Official... Apr 2022EGFR pathway inhibition may promote anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) responses in preclinical models, but how EGFR inhibition affects tumor antigen...
PURPOSE
EGFR pathway inhibition may promote anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) responses in preclinical models, but how EGFR inhibition affects tumor antigen presentation during anti-PD-1 monotherapy in humans remain unknown. We hypothesized that afatinib, an irreversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, would improve outcomes in patients treated with pembrolizumab for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by promoting antigen presentation and immune activation in the tumor microenvironment.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
The ALPHA study (NCT03695510) was a single-arm, Phase II study with Simon's 2-stage design. Afatinib and pembrolizumab were administered to patients with platinum-refractory, recurrent, or metastatic HNSCC. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The study applied gene expression analysis using a NanoString PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel and next-generation sequencing using FoundationOne CDx.
RESULTS
From January 2019 to March 2020, the study enrolled 29 eligible patients. Common treatment-related adverse events were skin rash (75.9%), diarrhea (58.6%), and paronychia (44.8%). Twelve patients (41.4%) had an objective partial response to treatment. The median progression-free survival was 4.1 months, and the median overall survival was 8.9 months. In a paired tissue analysis, afatinib-pembrolizumab were found to upregulate genes involved in antigen presentation, immune activation, and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Unaltered methylthioadenosine phosphorylase and EGFR amplification may predict the clinical response to the therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Afatinib may augment pembrolizumab therapy and improve the ORR in patients with HNSCC. Bioinformatics analysis suggested the enhancement of antigen presentation machinery in the tumor microenvironment.
Topics: Afatinib; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; ErbB Receptors; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35046059
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-3025 -
Lung Cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Dec 2021Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard of care for EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However,...
BACKGROUND
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard of care for EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, optimal sequence of treatment has yet to be defined. Overall survival (OS) is influenced by the availability/use of subsequent therapy after first-line treatment. Emergence of T790M is the main mechanism of resistance to afatinib and second-line osimertinib could be a treatment option in this instance.
METHODS
In this non-interventional, global study (NCT04179890), existing medical/electronic records were identified for consecutive EGFR TKI-naïve patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC (Del19 or L858R) treated with first-line afatinib and second-line osimertinib in regular clinical practice (n = 191; all T790M-positive). The primary objective was time to treatment failure (TTF). Key secondary objectives were OS and objective response rate (ORR).
RESULTS
At the start of afatinib treatment, median age (range) was 62 years (34-88). Fifty-five percent of patients were female and 67% were Asian. ECOG PS (0/1/≥2) was 31%/57%/12%. Fourteen percent of patients had brain metastases. At the start of osimertinib treatment, ECOG PS (0/1/≥2) was 25%/61%/14% and 14% had brain metastases (rising to 29% at the end of osimertinib treatment). The source of biopsy material (solid/liquid) was 86%/3% at the start of afatinib and 54%/33% at start of osimertinib. Mutations were mainly detected with PCR methods. Overall, median TTF was 27.7 months (95% CI: 24.0-30.2) and median OS was 36.5 months (95% CI: 32.9-41.8). ORR with afatinib and osimertinib was 74% and 45%. TTF, OS and ORR were generally consistent across subgroups.
CONCLUSION
Sequential afatinib and osimertinib demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC and acquired T790M. Activity was observed across all subgroups, including patients with poor ECOG PS or brain metastases. ECOG PS and incidence of brain metastases remained stable prior to, and after, afatinib treatment.
Topics: Acrylamides; Afatinib; Aniline Compounds; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; ErbB Receptors; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Mutation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors
PubMed: 34649106
DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2021.09.009 -
Integrative Cancer Therapies 2022In epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) leads to disease...
In epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) leads to disease progression. Strategies to overcome the resistance are required in treatment for advanced lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of afatinib and HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) co-administration in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC using HCC827-GR, NSCLC cell line with gefitinib resistance, and the HCC827-GR cell implanted mouse model. HAD-B1 consists of 4 herbs, Radix, , C. A. Mey, and Birdwood, and has been reported to be effective in patients with advanced lung cancer in clinical practice. Our findings demonstrated that HAD-B1 combined with afatinib markedly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis compared to afatinib monotherapy and HAD-B1 monotherapy. Inhibition of HCC827-GR cell proliferation by HAD-B1 occurred through MET amplification and reduced phosphorylation, and the synergistic effect of afatinib and HAD-B1 induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HCC827-GR cells via the downregulation of ERK and mTOR signaling pathways. In hematology and biochemistry tests, HAD-B1 alleviated the toxicity of tumor. In conclusion, HAD-B1 combined with afatinib would be a promising therapeutic strategy for NSCLC with EGFR-TKI resistance.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Afatinib; Gefitinib; Lung Neoplasms; Quinazolines; ErbB Receptors; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Mutation
PubMed: 36565160
DOI: 10.1177/15347354221144311 -
Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice :... Sep 2020Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors represent the standard of care in patients with mutation-positive (m+) non-small cell lung cancer... (Review)
Review
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors represent the standard of care in patients with mutation-positive (m+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The availability of several EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors approved for use in the first-line or later settings in NSCLC warrants an in-depth understanding of the pharmacological properties of, and clinical data supporting, these agents. The second-generation, irreversible ErbB-family blocker, afatinib, has been extensively studied in the context of m+ NSCLC. Results from the LUX-Lung 3 and 6 studies showed that afatinib was more active and better tolerated than chemotherapy in patients with tumors harboring mutations. Subanalysis of these trials, along with real-world data, indicates that afatinib is active in patients with certain uncommon mutations (S768I/G719X/L861Q) as well as common mutations (Del19/L858R), and in patients with active brain metastases. In LUX-Lung 7, a head-to-head phase IIb trial, afatinib improved progression-free survival and time-to-treatment failure versus the first-generation reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, gefitinib, albeit with a higher incidence of serious treatment-related adverse events. Nevertheless, afatinib is generally well tolerated, and adverse events are manageable through supportive care and a well-defined tolerability-guided dose adjustment scheme. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of afatinib, discuss treatment sequencing strategies following emergence of different resistance mechanisms, and shed light on the economic impact of afatinib. We also provide a comparison of afatinib with the available EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and discuss its position within treatment strategies for patients with m+ NSCLC.
Topics: Afatinib; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; ErbB Receptors; Gefitinib; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Mutation; Progression-Free Survival; Protein Kinase Inhibitors
PubMed: 32567494
DOI: 10.1177/1078155220931926 -
Clinical Cancer Research : An Official... Jun 2020Fanconi anemia rare disease is characterized by bone marrow failure and a high predisposition to solid tumors, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)....
PURPOSE
Fanconi anemia rare disease is characterized by bone marrow failure and a high predisposition to solid tumors, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients with Fanconi anemia with HNSCC are not eligible for conventional therapies due to high toxicity in healthy cells, predominantly hematotoxicity, and the only treatment currently available is surgical resection. In this work, we searched and validated two already approved drugs as new potential therapies for HNSCC in patients with Fanconi anemia.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
We conducted a high-content screening of 3,802 drugs in a FANCA-deficient tumor cell line to identify nongenotoxic drugs with cytotoxic/cytostatic activity. The best candidates were further studied and for efficacy and safety.
RESULTS
Several FDA/European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved anticancer drugs showed cancer-specific lethality or cell growth inhibition in Fanconi anemia HNSCC cell lines. The two best candidates, gefitinib and afatinib, EGFR inhibitors approved for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), displayed nontumor/tumor IC ratios of approximately 400 and approximately 100 times, respectively. Neither gefitinib nor afatinib activated the Fanconi anemia signaling pathway or induced chromosomal fragility in Fanconi anemia cell lines. Importantly, both drugs inhibited tumor growth in xenograft experiments in immunodeficient mice using two Fanconi anemia patient-derived HNSCCs. Finally, toxicity studies in -deficient mice showed that administration of gefitinib or afatinib was well-tolerated, displayed manageable side effects, no toxicity to bone marrow progenitors, and did not alter any hematologic parameters.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data present a complete preclinical analysis and promising therapeutic line of the first FDA/EMA-approved anticancer drugs exerting cancer-specific toxicity for HNSCC in patients with Fanconi anemia.
Topics: Afatinib; Animals; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; Fanconi Anemia; Female; Gefitinib; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred NOD; Mice, SCID; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 32005748
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-1625 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2023There is no strong and reliable predictive biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for EGFR inhibitors. We aimed to identify predictive and... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
There is no strong and reliable predictive biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for EGFR inhibitors. We aimed to identify predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of efficacy of afatinib, a pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in a window-of-opportunity trial (NCT01415674). Multi-omics analyses were carried out on pre-treatment biopsy and surgical specimen for biological assessment of afatinib activity. Sixty-one treatment-naïve and operable HNSCC patients were randomised to afatinib 40 mg/day for 21-28 days versus no treatment. Afatinib produced a high rate of metabolic response. Responders had a higher expression of pERK1/2 (P = 0.02) and lower expressions of pHER4 (P = 0.03) and pRB1 (P = 0.002) in pre-treatment biopsy compared to non-responders. At the cellular level, responders displayed an enrichment of tumor-infiltrating B cells under afatinib (P = 0.02). At the molecular level, NF-kappa B signaling was over-represented among upregulated genes in non-responders (P < 0.001; FDR = 0.01). Although exploratory, phosphoproteomics-based biomarkers deserve further investigations as predictors of afatinib efficacy.
Topics: Humans; Afatinib; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Quinazolines; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Biomarkers; Protein Kinase Inhibitors
PubMed: 38110561
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49887-4 -
Annals of Oncology : Official Journal... Jan 2017Analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is under intensive investigation for its potential to identify tumor somatic mutations. We have now explored the usefulness...
Monitoring of somatic mutations in circulating cell-free DNA by digital PCR and next-generation sequencing during afatinib treatment in patients with lung adenocarcinoma positive for EGFR activating mutations.
BACKGROUND
Analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is under intensive investigation for its potential to identify tumor somatic mutations. We have now explored the usefulness of such liquid biopsy testing with both the digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) during treatment of patients with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor afatinib.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Eligible patients had advanced lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR activating mutations and were treated with afatinib. Plasma samples were collected before and during (4 and 24 weeks) afatinib treatment as well as at disease progression. Tumor and plasma DNA were analyzed by dPCR and NGS.
RESULTS
Thirty-five patients were enrolled. The objective response rate and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 77.1% and 13.8 months, respectively. Tumor and plasma DNA were available for 32 patients. dPCR and NGS detected EGFR activating mutations in 81.3% and 71.9% of baseline cfDNA samples, respectively. In 19 patients treated with afatinib for ≥24 weeks, the number of EGFR mutant alleles detected in cfDNA by dPCR declined rapidly and markedly after treatment onset, becoming undetectable or detectable at only a low copy number (<10 copies per milliliter) at 4 weeks. Median PFS was slightly longer for patients with undetectable EGFR mutant alleles in cfDNA at 4 weeks than for those in whom such alleles were detectable (14.3 versus 10.0 months). A total of 45 somatic mutations was identified in baseline tumor DNA, and 30 (66.7%) of these mutations were identified in cfDNA by NGS. Allele frequency for somatic mutations in cfDNA determined by NGS changed concordantly during afatinib treatment with the number of EGFR mutant alleles determined by dPCR.
CONCLUSIONS
Monitoring of cfDNA by dPCR is informative for prediction of afatinib efficacy, whereas that by NGS is reliable and has the potential to identify mechanisms of treatment resistance.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma of Lung; Afatinib; Circulating Tumor DNA; ErbB Receptors; Female; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Mutation; Neoplasm Staging; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prospective Studies; Quinazolines
PubMed: 28177428
DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw531 -
Journal of the Formosan Medical... Dec 2022The prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is worse and a major proportion of TNBC expresses epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Afatinib can inhibit...
BACKGROUND
The prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is worse and a major proportion of TNBC expresses epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Afatinib can inhibit EGFR signal pathway; however, its treatment effect for TNBC is unknown. Thus, we aimed to assess the efficacy and biomarkers of afatinib in combination with paclitaxel in a neoadjuvant setting.
METHODS
Patients with stage II to III TNBC were enrolled. They received 40 mg of afatinib daily for 14 days, followed by daily afatinib and weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m) every 21 days for four to six cycles. To explore the mechanisms of responsiveness and non-responsiveness, 409 cancer-associated genes were sequenced.
RESULTS
Twenty-one patients were enrolled and one patient achieved a complete clinical response; however, a 2 mm residual tumor was noted in the surgical specimen. Overall, 33.0% patients were responders. Fifteen patients received molecular testing. No activated mutation of EGFR or Her2 were found. Activated PI3K or JAK2 pathway were trended to associate with non-responder (p = 0.057). Mutation of homologous recombination (HR) genes were correlated with non-responsiveness (p = 0.005). Seven patients did not have altered PI3K, JAK2 or HR pathway; six (85.7%) of them were responder. Patients with the amplified DAXX gene was associated with a favorable trend of response (p = 0.109).
CONCLUSION
Adding afatinib to neoadjuvant paclitaxel generated a modest effect in TNBC. Exploratory molecular analysis suggested that activated PI3K, JAK2 pathways and mutation of HR genes were associated with therapeutic non-responsiveness, and amplification of DAXX genes was associated with responsiveness to afatinib in combination with paclitaxel.
Topics: Humans; Female; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Paclitaxel; Afatinib; Breast Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35752529
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2022.05.015