On June 24, 2017 Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSTM), focused on discovering and developing drugs to improve the survival and quality of life of cancer patients, reported the presentation of long-term follow-up data from the DYNAMO study, which met its primary endpoint of Overall Response Rate (ORR; p=0.0001) at the final analysis, at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper), being held June 22-25, 2017 in Madrid, Spain (Press release, Verastem, JUN 24, 2017, View Source [SID1234519675]). DYNAMO is a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating duvelisib, the Company’s investigational oral monotherapy, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) whose disease is refractory to both rituximab and chemotherapy or radioimmunotherapy. The presentations focus on the subsets of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who were enrolled in DYNAMO. Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo! Oral Duvelisib in Patients with Double-Refractory FL
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With 18 months of follow-up, the data continues to be consistent with the primary analysis. Of the 83 patients with double-refractory FL enrolled in DYNAMO (median 3 prior anticancer regimens [range 1-10]), 36 responded, which included 1 (1%) complete response (CR) and 35 (42%) partial responses (PR), for an ORR of 43% as determined by an independent review committee. Responses generally occurred shortly after the start of treatment (median 2 months). Notably, 83% of evaluable patients with FL treated with duvelisib had a reduction in the size of their target lymph nodes. Median duration of response was 7.9 months, median progression-free survival was 8.3 months, and median overall survival was 27.8 months.
The safety profile of duvelisib monotherapy remains consistent with what has been previously reported in iNHL and other advanced hematologic malignancies. In these double-refractory FL patients, the most common Grade ≥3 hematologic adverse events were neutropenia (22%), anemia (13%) and thrombocytopenia (9%). Diarrhea was the most frequently reported nonhematologic adverse event (47%; 16% Grade ≥ 3). As expected in a heavily pretreated and refractory patient population, severe infections were observed (20%). Pneumonitis and colitis remained relatively uncommon (each 5%). Treatment discontinuations attributed to severe adverse events were infrequent, suggesting that these events were generally manageable.
Oral Duvelisib in Patients with Double-Refractory SLL
Of the 28 patients with double-refractory SLL enrolled in DYNAMO (median 3 prior anticancer regimens [range 1-18]), 19 responded, all of which were PRs, for an ORR of 68% as determined by an independent review committee. Responses generally occurred shortly after the start of treatment (median 2 months). Importantly, 100% of evaluable patients with double-refractory SLL treated with duvelisib had a reduction in the size of their target lymph nodes. With a median time on duvelisib of 12 months, median duration of response was 10.1 months, median progression-free survival was 11.7 months, and median overall survival was 28.9 months.
In these double-refractory SLL patients, the most common Grade ≥3 hematologic adverse events were neutropenia (32%), thrombocytopenia (21%) and anemia (21%). The most frequently reported Grade ≥3 nonhematologic adverse events were pneumonia (14%), increases in alanine aminotransferase (7%) and aspartate aminotransferase (11%), and diarrhea (11%). As expected in a heavily pretreated and refractory patient population, severe infections were observed (36%). Colitis occurred in 3 (11%) SLL patients. No double-refractory SLL patients experienced pneumonitis. Treatment discontinuations attributed to the most common adverse events were infrequent, suggesting that these events were generally manageable.
"We believe that oral duvelisib has the potential to be an important new treatment option for lymphoma patients," commented Pier Luigi Zinzani, MD, PhD, of the University of Bologna Institute of Hematology and an Investigator participating in the study. "What I find particularly encouraging are the responses we saw in patients with double-refractory disease, a population with few treatment options left. The data we are presenting at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) continue to demonstrate that duvelisib monotherapy can achieve meaningful and durable responses."
Hagop Youssoufian, MSc, MD, Head of Hematology and Oncology Development at Verastem, stated, "The data from DYNAMO remain positive, and reporting the results from long-term follow-up is important for the medical community and for the overall development of duvelisib. Oral duvelisib monotherapy has demonstrated clinical activity across a number of hematologic cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, iNHL, and T-cell lymphoma. Based on the results we have seen thus far, we remain fully committed to exploring duvelisib’s potential across a wide range of lymphoid malignancies."
Details for the presentations at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2017 are:
Oral Presentation
Title: DYNAMO: A Phase 2 Study Demonstrating the Clinical Activity of Duvelisib in Patients with Double-Refractory Follicular Lymphoma
Abstract code: S777
Topic: Indolent Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – Clinical
Session title: Follicular lymphoma – Clinical
Location: Hall C
Date and time: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 8:45 – 9:00 CET
A copy of the oral presentation slides will be available here following the conclusion of the oral presentation.
E-Poster Presentation
Title: DYNAMO: The Clinical Activity of Duvelisib in Patients with Double-Refractory Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma in a Phase 2 Study
Abstract code: E1130
Topic: Indolent Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – Clinical
Location: e-poster screens
Date and time: Friday, June 23, 2017 from 9:30 CET to Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 19:00 CET
A copy of the e-poster presentation will be available here following the conclusion of the meeting.
More About the Phase 2 DYNAMO Study
DYNAMO is a Phase 2, single-arm study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of duvelisib 25 mg twice daily as monotherapy in 129 iNHL patients, including follicular lymphoma (n=83), small lymphocytic lymphoma (n=28), and marginal zone lymphoma (n=18) whose disease has progressed and are refractory to rituximab and to either chemotherapy or radioimmunotherapy. The primary endpoint of the study was ORR as assessed by an independent review committee. DYNAMO met its primary ORR endpoint (p=0.0001) at the final analysis.
About the Tumor Microenvironment
The tumor microenvironment encompasses multiple tumor and non-tumor cell populations and an extracellular matrix that support cancer cell survival. This includes immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumor-associated macrophages, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix proteins that can hamper the entry and therapeutic benefit of cytotoxic T-cells and anti-cancer drugs. In addition to targeting the proliferative and survival signaling of cancer cells, Verastem’s product candidates, including duvelisib and defactinib, also target the tumor microenvironment to potentially improve response to therapy.
About Duvelisib
Duvelisib is an investigational, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, two enzymes known to help support the growth and survival of malignant B-cells and T-cells. PI3K signaling may lead to the proliferation of malignant B-cells and is thought to play a role in the formation and maintenance of the supportive tumor microenvironment.1,2,3 Duvelisib is currently being evaluated in late- and mid-stage clinical trials, including DUO, a randomized, Phase 3 monotherapy study in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL,4 and DYNAMO, a single-arm, Phase 2 monotherapy study in patients with refractory iNHL that achieved its primary endpoint of ORR.5 Duvelisib is also being evaluated for the treatment of hematologic malignancies through investigator-sponsored studies, including T-cell lymphoma.6 Information about duvelisib clinical trials can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov.