Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced biliary cancer: Results from the KEYNOTE-158 and KEYNOTE-028 studies.

Abstract

We present data from patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) receiving pembrolizumab in the KEYNOTE-158 (NCT02628067; phase 2) and KEYNOTE-028 (NCT02054806; phase 1b) studies. Eligible patients aged ≥18 years from both studies had histologically/cytologically confirmed incurable BTC that progressed after standard treatment regimen(s), measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1, and no prior immunotherapy. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive tumors were required for eligibility in KEYNOTE-028 only. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg every three weeks (KEYNOTE-158) or 10 mg/kg every two weeks (KEYNOTE-028) for ≤2 years. Primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST v1.1. Response assessed by independent central review is reported. KEYNOTE-158 enrolled 104 patients and KEYNOTE-028 enrolled 24 patients. Median (range) follow-up was 7.5 months (0.6-34.3) in KEYNOTE-158 and 5.7 months (0.6-55.4) in KEYNOTE-028. In KEYNOTE-158, ORR was 5.8% (6/104; 95% CI, 2.1%-12.1%); median duration of response (DOR) was not reached (NR) (range, 6.2-26.6+ months). Median (95% CI) OS and PFS were 7.4 (5.5-9.6) and 2.0 (1.9-2.1) months. Among PD-L1-expressers (n = 61) and PD-L1-nonexpressers (n = 34), respectively, ORR was 6.6% (4/61) and 2.9% (1/34). In KEYNOTE-028, ORR was 13.0% (3/23; 95% CI, 2.8%-33.6%); median DOR was NR (range, 21.5-53.2+ months). Median (95% CI) OS and PFS were 5.7 (3.1-9.8) and 1.8 (1.4-3.1) months. Grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 13.5% of patients in KEYNOTE-158 (no grade 4; grade 5 renal failure, n = 1) and 16.7% in KEYNOTE-028 (no grade 4/5). In summary, pembrolizumab provides durable antitumor activity in 6% to 13% of patients with advanced BTC, regardless of PD-L1 expression, and has manageable toxicity.

• Authors: Sarina A Piha-Paul, Do-Youn Oh, Makoto Ueno, David Malka, Hyun Cheol Chung, Adnan Nagrial, Robin K Kelley, Willeke Ros, Antoine Italiano, Kazuhiko Nakagawa, Hope S Rugo, Filippo de Braud, Andrea Iolanda Varga, Aaron Hansen, Hui Wang, Suba Krishnan, Kevin G Norwood, Toshihiko Doi
• Journal: International journal of cancer (Int J Cancer) Vol. 147 Issue 8 Pg. 2190-2198 (10 15 2020) ISSN: 1097-0215 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32359091 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2020 UICC.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
• B7-H1 Antigen
• pembrolizumab

Topics

• Aged
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• B7-H1 Antigen (metabolism)
• Biliary Tract Neoplasms (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors