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Background ONC201 is a dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) antagonist that penetrates the blood–brain barrier. ONC201 efficacy has been shown in glioblastoma animal models and is inversely correlated with dopamine receptor DRD5 expression. ONC201 is well tolerated in adult recurrent glioblastoma patients with dosing every 3 weeks and has achieved an objective radiographic response in a patient harboring the H3 K27M mutation. Methods In a window-of-opportunity arm, 6 adult subjects initiated ONC201 prior to re-resection of recurrent glioblastoma with intratumoral concentrations as the primary endpoint. An additional 20 adults with recurrent glioblastoma received single agent weekly oral ONC201 at 625 mg, with progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6) by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria as the primary endpoint. Results The window-of-opportunity arm achieved its primary endpoint with intratumoral ONC201 concentrations at ~24 hours following the second weekly dose ranging from 600 nM to 9.3 µM. Intratumoral pharmacodynamics assessed by activating transcriptional factor 4, death receptor 5, and apoptosis induction relative to archival samples were observed with the strongest intensity and uniformity among patients with low DRD5 tumor expression. The primary endpoint of PFS6 by RANO was not achieved at 5% in this molecularly unselected cohort; however, 1 of 3 patients enrolled with the H3 K27M mutation had a complete regression of enhancing multifocal lesions that remained durable for >1.5 years. No treatment modifications or discontinuations due to toxicity were observed, including in those who underwent re-resection. Conclusions Weekly ONC201 is well tolerated, and meaningful intratumoral concentrations were achieved. ONC201 may be biologically active in a subset of adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND The Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT) is a phase II platform trial with Bayesian adaptive randomization and deep genomic profiling to more efficiently test experimental agents in newly diagnosed glioblastoma and to prioritize therapies for late-stage testing. METHODS In the ongoing INSIGhT trial, patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma are randomized to the control arm or one of three experimental therapy arms (CC-115, abemaciclib, and neratinib). The control arm therapy is radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide, and primary endpoint is overall survival. Randomization has been adapted based on Bayesian estimation of biomarker-specific probability of treatment impact on progression-free survival (PFS). All tumors undergo detailed molecular sequencing, and this is facilitated with the companion ALLELE protocol. To evaluate feasibility of this approach, we assessed the status of this ongoing trial. RESULTS Since INSIGhT was activated 4.3 years ago, it has expanded to include 12 sites across the United States. A total of 247 patients have been enrolled. Randomization probabilities have been repeatedly adjusted over time based upon early PFS results to alter the randomization ratio from standard 1:1:1:1 randomization. All three arms have completed accrual and efficacy estimates are available based upon comparison to the common control arm in context of relevant biomarkers. There are 87 patients alive and in follow-up, and there are ongoing plans to add additional arms to evaluate further treatments in the future. CONCLUSION The INSIGhT trial demonstrates that a multi-center Bayesian adaptive platform trial is a feasible and effective approach to help prioritize therapies and biomarkers for newly diagnosed GBM. The trial has maintained robust accrual, and the simultaneous testing of multiple agents, sharing a common control arm and adaptive randomization serve as features to increase trial efficiency relative to traditional clinical trial designs.

PURPOSE: Although uncommon, detection of BRAF V600E mutations in adult patients with glioblastoma has become increasingly relevant given the widespread application of molecular diagnostics and encouraging therapeutic activity of BRAF/MEK inhibitors. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of adult glioblastoma patients treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital or Massachusetts General Hospital from January 2011 to July 2019 with an identified BRAF V600E mutation by either immunohistochemistry or molecular testing. Patient characteristics, molecular genomics, and preoperative MRI were analyzed. RESULTS: Nineteen glioblastoma patients were included, with median age at diagnosis of 41-years-old (range 22–69). Only 1/18 was IDH1/2-mutant; 10/17 had MGMT unmethylated tumors. The most common additional molecular alterations were CDKN2A/2B biallelic loss/loss-of-function (10/13, 76.9%), polysomy 7 (8/12, 66.7%), monosomy 10 (5/12, 41.7%), PTEN biallelic loss/loss-of-function (5/13, 38.5%) and TERT promoter mutations (5/15, 33.3%). Most tumors were well-circumscribed (11/14) and all were contrast-enhancing on MRI. Twelve patients eventually developed subependymal or leptomeningeal dissemination. Six patients were treated with BRAF/MEK inhibition following disease progression after standard of care therapy, with 4/6 patients showing partial response or stable disease as best response. Median time to progression after BRAF/MEK inhibition was 6.0 months (95% CI 1.2–11.8). Grade 1 skin rash was present in 2 patients, but no other adverse events were reported. Median OS for the entire cohort was 24.1 months (95% CI 15.7–38.9). CONCLUSION: Understanding the natural history and features of BRAF V600E glioblastoma may help better identify patients for BRAF/MEK inhibition and select therapeutic strategies.

Background Determining failure to anti-angiogenic therapy in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) (rGBM) remains a challenge. The purpose of the study was to assess treatment response to bevacizumab-based therapy in patients with rGBM using MR spectroscopy (MRS). Methods We performed longitudinal MRI/MRS in 33 patients with rGBM to investigate whether changes in N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Choline (Cho) and Lactate (Lac)/NAA from baseline to subsequent time points after treatment can predict early failures to bevacizumab-based therapies. Results After stratifying based on 9-month survival, longer-term survivors had increased NAA/Cho and decreased Lac/NAA levels compared to shorter-term survivors. ROC analyses for intratumoral NAA/Cho correlated with survival at 1 day, 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. Intratumoral Lac/NAA ROC analyses were predictive of survival at all time points tested. At the 8-week time point, 88% of patients with decreased NAA/Cho did not survive 9 months; furthermore, 90% of individuals with an increased Lac/NAA from baseline did not survive at 9 months. No other metabolic ratios tested significantly predicted survival. Conclusions Changes in metabolic levels of tumoral NAA/Cho and Lac/NAA can serve as early biomarkers for predicting treatment failure to anti-angiogenic therapy as soon as 1 day after bevacizumab-based therapy. The addition of MRS to conventional MR methods can provide better insight into how anti-angiogenic therapy affects tumor microenvironment and predict patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND The cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb pathway is activated in most glioblastomas. Abemaciclib is a potent CDK4/6 inhibitor with good brain penetration approved for ER/PR/HER2- breast cancer. In order to efficiently evaluate the potential impact of abemaciclib on overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma and to simultaneously develop information regarding potential genomic biomarker associations, abemaciclib was included as an arm on the Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT) trial. INSIGhT is a phase II platform trial using response adaptive randomization and deep genomic profiling to more efficiently test experimental agents in MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma and potentially accelerate identification of novel therapies for phase III testing. Initial randomization was equal between abemaciclib, control, and two other experimental arms but subsequent randomization was adapted based on efficacy as determined by progression-free survival (PFS). Ineffective arms were discontinued and new arms added by protocol amendment. We report preliminary results for the abemaciclib arm which has completed accrual. METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma were randomized to receive either radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide at standard doses or standard radiochemotherapy followed by adjuvant abemaciclib (150–200 mg orally BID) without temozolomide. Treatment continued until progression or development of unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint was OS. Association between abemaciclib efficacy and cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb pathway genomic alterations was also investigated. RESULTS There were 123 patients (50 control; 73 treated with abemaciclib). Abemaciclib was generally well-tolerated with no new toxicity signals identified. PFS was significantly longer (p=0.03, logrank test) with abemaciclib (median 6.31 months 95% CI [5.29, 8.18]) compared to the control arm (5.16 months 95% CI [4.37, 6.28]). 28/50 control and 36/73 abemaciclib patients remain alive. CONCLUSION Preliminary analysis suggests that abemaciclib increases PFS compared to control. Updated toxicity, PFS and survival data and potential genomic biomarker associations will be presented.

BACKGROUND CC-115 is an oral, CNS-penetrant, selective inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin kinase (mTOR) and deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Both targets are important in glioblastoma; PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling is hyperactive in most glioblastomas, and DNA-PK is integral to repair of radiotherapy-mediated DNA damage. To investigate CC-115 in newly diagnosed glioblastoma and explore potential genomic biomarker associations, CC-115 was evaluated in the Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT) trial, an adaptive platform trial designed to efficiently test experimental agents. METHODS Adults with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma, with genomic data available, are eligible for this ongoing trial. Patients are adaptively randomized to one of several experimental arms or the control arm: standard radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS). Patients randomized to CC-115 (10mg po BID) received it concurrently with radiotherapy and as adjuvant monotherapy. As the first in-human use of CC-115 with radiation, a safety lead-in 3 + 3 design was used. RESULTS Twelve patients were randomized to CC-115; seven patients had possible treatment-related CTCAE grade > 3 toxicity, including four pre-specified dose-limiting toxicities: liver function abnormality (n=1), hyperlipidemia (n=1), lipase elevation (n=1) and cerebral edema (n=1). There was no significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS, median 4.2 months [CC-115] vs. 5.2 months, p=0.9) or OS (median 10.1 months [CC-115] vs. 14.5 months, p=0.9) compared to the 50 patients randomized to the control arm. Based on early PFS results, randomization probability to CC-115 decreased from 25% to < 10% at time of the trial arm closure. CONCLUSION Concurrent and adjuvant CC-115 was associated with toxicity and failed to improve PFS or OS. The INSIGhT trial design allowed for more efficient testing of CC-115, decreasing patients and resources allocated to a therapy that was discontinued due to concerns about toxicity and unfavorable risk-to-benefit ratio.

PURPOSE Despite the high frequency of EGFR genetic alterations in glioblastoma (GBM), EGFR-targeted therapies have not had success in this disease. To improve the likelihood of efficacy, we targeted adult patients with recurrent GBM enriched for EGFR gene amplification, which occurs in approximately half of GBM, with dacomitinib, a second-generation, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor that penetrates the blood-brain barrier, in a multicenter phase II trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively explored whether previously described EGFR extracellular domain (ECD)–sensitizing mutations in the context of EGFR gene amplification could predict response to dacomitinib, and in a predefined subset of patients, we measured post-treatment intratumoral dacomitinib levels to verify tumor penetration. RESULTS We found that dacomitinib effectively penetrates contrast-enhancing GBM tumors. Among all 56 treated patients, 8 (14.3%) had a clinical benefit as defined by a duration of treatment of at least 6 months, of whom 5 (8.9%) remained progression free for at least 1 year. Presence of EGFRvIII or EGFR ECD missense mutation was not associated with clinical benefit. We evaluated the pretreatment transcriptome in circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) by RNA sequencing in a subset of patients and identified a signature that distinguished patients who had durable benefit versus those with rapid progression. CONCLUSION While dacomitinib was not effective in most patients with EGFR-amplified GBM, a subset experienced a durable, clinically meaningful benefit. Moreover, EGFRvIII and EGFR ECD mutation status in archival tumors did not predict clinical benefit. RNA signatures in circulating EVs may warrant investigation as biomarkers of dacomitinib efficacy in GBM.

// Isabel Arrillaga-Romany 1 , Andrew S. Chi 3 , Joshua E. Allen 4 , Wolfgang Oster 4 , Patrick Y. Wen 2 and Tracy T. Batchelor 1 1 Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA 2 Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA 3 Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA 4 Oncoceutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA Correspondence to: Isabel Arrillaga-Romany, email: // Keywords : ONC201, Imipridone, GPCR, glioblastoma, glioma Received : April 25, 2017 Accepted : April 28, 2017 Published : May 12, 2017 Abstract ONC201 is an oral, small molecule selective antagonist of the G protein-coupled receptor DRD2 that causes p53-independent apoptosis in tumor cells via integrated stress response activation and Akt/ERK inactivation. We performed a Phase II study that enrolled 17 patients with recurrent, bevacizumab-naive, IDH1/2 WT glioblastoma who received 625mg ONC201 every three weeks. Median OS was 41.6 weeks with OS6 of 71% and OS9 of 53%. Seven of 17 patients are alive. PFS6 was 11.8% with two patients remaining on study who continue to receive ONC201 for >12 months. One of these patients had a durable objective response with a secondary glioblastoma possessing a H3.3 K27M mutation, exhibiting regression by 85% in one lesion and 76% in the second lesion. The second patient who continues to receive ONC201 for >12 months remains disease-free after enrolling on this trial following a re-resection. No drug-related SAEs or treatment discontinuation due to toxicity occurred. Plasma PK at 2 hours post-dose was 2.6 ug/mL, serum prolactin induction was observed as a surrogate marker of target engagement, and DRD2 was expressed in all evaluated archival tumor specimens. In summary, ONC201 is well tolerated and may have single agent activity in recurrent glioblastoma patients.

BACKGROUND Like most proliferating tumors, GBM relies heavily on accurate DNA repair for maintenance of genome stability. Dysfunction in repair of both single and double strand DNA breaks by PARP inhibition and impairment of homologous recombination, respectively, would be synthetically lethal. In this study we combined the PARP inhibitor olaparib with cediranib, a pan VEGF receptor inhibitor. Cediranib may mediate disruption in the homologous recombination pathway through its antiangiogenic properties. METHODS Through the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network, we performed an open-label randomized phase II study of bevacizumab (BEV)- naive adult patients with first or second recurrence of glioblastoma after radiation and temozolomide. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either olaparib 200 mg by mouth twice daily with cediranib 30 mg by mouth daily or BEV 10 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6). Secondary endpoints included safety and overall survival. Exploratory objectives included blood, tissue and imaging-based biomarkers of response to treatment. RESULTS Seventy patients were enrolled. Median age was 60.5 years (range: 19–79), 39% females, median KPS was 90 (range: 60–100). Baseline characteristics were well balanced. With a data cut-off of 5/2/2019, PFS6 was 14% [95% CI 4–30%] in the cediranib/olaparib arm vs 30.9% [95% CI 12.7–51.2%] in the BEV arm. Median OS was 247 days in the cediranib/olaparib arm vs 201 days in the BEV arm, HR 0.816, 95% CI (0.431, 1.546). Related grade 3, 4 or 5 toxicity was experienced in 29% vs 12% of patients for the cediranib/olaparib vs BEV arm. CONCLUSION Treatment with cediranib/olaparib failed to increase PFS and OS in patients with recurrent GBM. Blood, tissue and imaging correlates will be presented to help understand why this treatment combination was unsuccessful.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and is associated with poor survival. The Ivy Foundation Early Phase Clinical Trials Consortium conducted a randomized, multi-institution clinical trial to evaluate immune responses and survival following neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab in 35 patients with recurrent, surgically resectable glioblastoma. Patients who were randomized to receive neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, with continued adjuvant therapy following surgery, had significantly extended overall survival compared to patients that were randomized to receive adjuvant, post-surgical programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade alone. Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade was associated with upregulation of T cell- and interferon-γ-related gene expression, but downregulation of cell-cycle-related gene expression within the tumor, which was not seen in patients that received adjuvant therapy alone. Focal induction of programmed death-ligand 1 in the tumor microenvironment, enhanced clonal expansion of T cells, decreased PD-1 expression on peripheral blood T cells and a decreasing monocytic population was observed more frequently in the neoadjuvant group than in patients treated only in the adjuvant setting. These findings suggest that the neoadjuvant administration of PD-1 blockade enhances both the local and systemic antitumor immune response and may represent a more efficacious approach to the treatment of this uniformly lethal brain tumor.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have emerged as a promising class of cell-based immunotherapy in refractory malignancies. Neurotoxicity represents a common and potentially life-threatening adverse effect of CAR T cells, and clinical experience is limited. Here, we describe the clinical presentation and management of 25 adult patients who presented with neurotoxic syndromes after CAR T-cell therapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital. This cohort includes 24 patients treated with CD19-directed CAR T cells for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 23) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 1), and 1 patient treated with α-fetoprotein–directed CAR T cells for hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 1). Twelve of the 25 patients (48%) developed grade 1-2 neurotoxicity and 13 patients (52%) presented with grade 3-4 neurotoxicity. We found that lower platelet counts at time of CAR T-cell infusion were associated with more severe neurotoxicity (P = .030). Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 24 of 25 patients (96%). Serum levels of ferritin peaked with onset of neurologic symptoms, and higher ferritin levels were associated with higher neurotoxicity grade. Grade 3-4 neurotoxicity correlated negatively with overall survival (OS) (P = .013). Median OS of the entire cohort was 54.7 weeks. Eight patients (32%) with grade 3-4 neurotoxicity were deceased at database closure, whereas none died with neurotoxicity grade 1-2. High pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase was frequently encountered in lymphoma patients with grade 3-4 neurotoxicity and correlated negatively with progression-free survival (P = .048). We did not find evidence that steroid use ≥7 days altered the patient’s outcome when compared with

2014 Background: The cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb pathway is activated in most glioblastomas. Abemaciclib is a potent CDK4/6 inhibitor with good brain penetration approved for HR+/HER2- breast cancer. In order to efficiently evaluate the potential impact of abemaciclib on overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma and to simultaneously develop information regarding potential genomic biomarker associations, abemaciclib was included as an arm on the Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT) trial. INSIGhT is a phase II platform trial using response adaptive randomization and deep genomic profiling to more efficiently test experimental agents in MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma and potentially accelerate identification of novel therapies for phase III testing. Initial randomization was equal between abemaciclib, control, and two other experimental arms but subsequent randomization was adapted based on efficacy as determined by progression-free survival (PFS). Ineffective arms were discontinued and new arms added by protocol amendment. We report preliminary results for the abemaciclib arm which has completed accrual. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma were randomized to receive either radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide at standard doses or standard radiochemotherapy followed by adjuvant abemaciclib (150-200 mg orally BID). Treatment continued until progression or development of unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint was OS which was assessed using the log-rank test estimated via the Kaplan Meier method using a type I error of 5%. The hazard ratio (HR) was estimated using a cox proportional hazards model. Association between abemaciclib efficacy and cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb pathway genomic alterations was also investigated. Results: There were 142 patients (69 control; 73 treated with abemaciclib). Abemaciclib was generally well-tolerated with no new toxicity signals identified. PFS was significantly longer (HR 0.67; p = 0.03, logrank test) with abemaciclib (median 6.54 months) compared to the control arm (median 5.88 months). For patients with activation of the CDK4 pathway the PFS HR was 0.64 (p-value = 0.04). However, there was no significant improvement in overall survival (HR 0.9; p-value > 0.05) between abemaciclib (median 15.5) compared to the control arm (median 15.5). Conclusions: Abemaciclib was well-tolerated and prolonged PFS but there is no evidence of an overall survival improvement compared to standard radiochemotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT02977780.

BACKGROUND Low-grade gliomas (LGGs; WHO grade II) are incurable and ultimately progress to high-grade gliomas. The current treatment options are surgery followed by observation (“watch and wait”) for patients with lower risk for disease progression or postoperative chemoradiotherapy (high-risk population). There are no approved targeted therapies. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations (mIDH1/2) occur in approximately 80% and 4% of LGGs, respectively, and promote tumorigenesis via neomorphic production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate. Vorasidenib, an oral, potent, reversible, brain-penetrant pan-inhibitor of mIDH1/2, was evaluated in 76 patients with glioma in two phase 1 studies (dose escalation and perioperative) and was associated with a favorable safety profile at daily doses below 100 mg. Preliminary clinical activity was observed in non-enhancing glioma patients in both studies, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 18.2% and median progression-free survival of 31.4 months in the dose escalation study. METHODS Approximately 366 patients will be randomized 1:1 to vorasidenib (50 mg QD) or matched placebo and stratified by 1p19q status (intact vs co-deleted). Key eligibility criteria: age ≥ 12 years; grade II oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma (per WHO 2016 criteria) not in need of immediate treatment and without high-risk features; centrally confirmed mIDH1/2 status; ≥ 1 surgery for glioma with most recent ≥ 1 year but ≤ 5 years before randomization, and no other anticancer therapy; Karnofsky performance status ≥ 80%; and centrally confirmed measurable, non-enhancing disease evaluable by magnetic resonance imaging. Crossover from placebo to the vorasidenib arm is permitted upon centrally confirmed radiographic progression per RANO-LGG criteria. Primary endpoint: progression-free survival assessed by independent review. Secondary endpoints: safety and tolerability, tumor growth rate assessed by volume, ORR, overall survival, and quality of life. Clinical data will be reviewed regularly by an independent data monitoring committee. The study is currently enrolling patients in the US, with additional countries planned (NCT04164901).

TPS2574 Background: Low-grade gliomas (LGGs; WHO grade II) are incurable and ultimately progress to high-grade gliomas. The current treatment options consist of surgery followed by observation (“watch and wait”) for pts with lower risk for disease progression or post-operative chemo-radiotherapy (high-risk population). There are no approved targeted therapies. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations (m IDH1/2) occur in approximately 70% and 4% of LGGs, respectively, and promote tumorigenesis via neomorphic production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). VOR, an oral, potent, reversible, brain-penetrant inhibitor of mIDH1/2, was evaluated in 76 pts with glioma in two phase 1 studies (dose escalation and perioperative) and was associated with a favorable safety profile at doses of < 100 mg daily. Preliminary clinical activity was observed in non-enhancing glioma pts in both studies, most recently with an objective response rate (ORR) of 30.8% at 50 mg QD in the perioperative study and > 90% 2-HG suppression at this dose level relative to untreated control samples (Mellinghoff et al., J Clin Oncol 2019). Methods: Approximately 366 pts will be randomized 1:1 to VOR (50 mg QD) or matched placebo and stratified by 1p19q status (intact vs co-deleted). Key eligibility criteria include: age ≥12 years; grade 2 oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma (per WHO 2016 criteria) not in need of immediate treatment and without high-risk features; centrally confirmed m IDH1/2 status; ≥1 prior surgery for glioma within the previous 5 years but no other anticancer therapy; Karnofsky performance status ≥80%; and centrally confirmed measurable, non-enhancing disease evaluable by magnetic resonance imaging. Crossover from placebo to the VOR arm is permitted upon centrally confirmed radiographic progression per RANO-LGG criteria. Primary endpoint is progression-free survival assessed by independent review. Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability, tumor growth rate assessed by volume, time to next intervention, ORR, overall survival, quality of life assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Brain questionnaire, and plasma pharmacokinetics. Exploratory endpoints include seizure activity and neuro-cognitive function. Clinical data will be reviewed regularly throughout the study by an independent data monitoring committee. The study is currently enrolling pts in the US, with additional countries planned (NCT04164901). Clinical trial information: NCT04164901 .

BACKGROUND: Advances in genomic profiling, together with a better understanding of cancer genetic drivers have generated opportunities for precision medicine trials in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). ALLELE is a consortium to create independent infrastructure for prospective genomics and functional diagnostics to support biomarker-driven trials in GBM. METHODS: Multi-center prospective study of molecular profiling in newly diagnosed GBM. Clinical (CLIA) tumor/normal whole exome sequencing (WES) and genome-wide copy number array (CNA) were performed. Primary objective: to evaluate the feasibility of genotyping tumors with a turnaround time allowing prospective data use in prospective trials. Secondary objectives included developing infrastructure for novel functional biomarker assays and investigating the clinical yield of tumor/normal WES and CNA in GBM. RESULTS: As of 5/1/18, 65 patients with GBM enrolled among 7 sites. Median age was 59. WES and CMA were completed in 60 patients, with a median time between tissue submission and reporting of 22 days (range 15–35). 33 patients were enrolled in INSIGhT, a randomized platform adaptive trial comparing standard of care versus adjuvant CC-115, neratinib or abemaciclib in MGMT unmethylated newly diagnosed GBM (NCT02977780). In each arm, pre-defined biomarkers (EGFR, PI3K and CDK) will be evaluated for their ability to predict outcome. Potentially actionable findings were identified in 30 patients, and included EGFR amplification, mutations of BRAF, FGFR1, IDH1/2 or FGFR3 or MET fusion. Four tumors were reclassified based on genomics. Functional biomarker assays were developed for real-time evaluation of pharmacodynamic responses in ex vivo models. Updated results of exploratory biomarker analyses will be presented at the conference. CONCLUSIONS: Real-time WES, copy number arrays and functional diagnostics are feasible in newly diagnosed glioblastoma, and can support a variety of biomarker-driven trials. Genomic analyses conducted in a prospective manner can inform subsequent clinical trial analysis aiming at matching outcome with tumor genotyping.

BackgroundIn the current study, we pooled imaging data in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients from international multicenter clinical trials, single institution databases, and multicenter clinical trial consortiums to identify the relationship between postoperative residual enhancing tumor volume and overall survival (OS).MethodsData from 1511 newly diagnosed GBM patients from 5 data sources were included in the current study: (i) a single institution database from UCLA (N = 398; Discovery); (ii) patients from the Ben and Cathy Ivy Foundation for Early Phase Clinical Trials Network Radiogenomics Database (N = 262 from 8 centers; Confirmation); (iii) the chemoradiation placebo arm from an international phase III trial (AVAglio; N = 394 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Validation); (iv) the experimental arm from AVAglio examining chemoradiation plus bevacizumab (N = 404 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Exploratory Set 1); and (v) an Alliance (N0874) phase I/II trial of vorinostat plus chemoradiation (N = 53; Exploratory Set 2). Postsurgical, residual enhancing disease was quantified using T1 subtraction maps. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to determine influence of clinical variables, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status, and residual tumor volume on OS.ResultsA log-linear relationship was observed between postoperative, residual enhancing tumor volume and OS in newly diagnosed GBM treated with standard chemoradiation. Postoperative tumor volume is a prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.01), regardless of therapy, age, and MGMT promoter methylation status.ConclusionPostsurgical, residual contrast-enhancing disease significantly negatively influences survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM treated with chemoradiation with or without concomitant experimental therapy.

The imipridone ONC201 is the first selective antagonist of the G protein-coupled receptor DRD2 for clinical oncology. ONC201 induces p53-independent apoptosis in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. We performed a Phase II clinical trial that enrolled an initial cohort of 17 patients with recurrent, bevacizumab-naïve, IDH1/2 WT glioblastoma who received 625mg ONC201 every three weeks. One patient continues to have a durable objective response that has deepened over time, exhibiting an 92% regression by 92% after 15 months of therapy. Another patient remains disease-free 14 months after enrolling on this trial following a re-resection. Median OS was 41.6 weeks with an OS12 of 35%. No drug-related SAEs or treatment discontinuation due to toxicity occurred. Plasma PK at 2 hours post-dose was 2.6 ug/mL and serum prolactin induction was observed as a surrogate marker of target engagement. In addition to cytotoxic effects in tumor cells, DRD2 antagonism can induce the activation of NK and other immune cells. We found that immune effector levels in the serum correlated with the kinetics of the objective response. Preclinical studies have identified a DRD2+DRD5- tumor biomarker signature that is predictive of innate sensitivity to ONC201. Among the 15 available archival tumor tissue specimens, all had expression of DRD2 and 8/17 patients had low expression of DRD5. Patients with PFS>5 month had no detectable expression of DRD5 unlike those with PFS57 weeks and 0/7 DRD2+DRD5+ patients remain alive. In summary, ONC201 is a well tolerated novel therapy with potential anti-glioblastoma activity that may be associated with a predictive biomarker signature and immune activation. The pharmacodynamic activity and clinical efficacy of ONC201 continues to be explored in additional cohorts of glioblastoma patients at first recurrence (NCT02525692).

Cancer therapy can cause several neurotoxic syndromes that are associated with distinct findings on cranial imaging. With the use of more aggressive and combined treatment modalities in oncology and prolonged overall patient survival, neurotoxicity has been reported with increasing frequency in patients with brain cancer and malignancies outside the nervous system. Both cranial irradiation and chemotherapy can be harmful to the nervous system, and be associated with acute and chronic nervous system toxicity. Here we discuss features and imaging characteristics of common neurotoxic syndromes, such as cerebrovascular complications, reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome, progressive white matter injury, and diffuse brain atrophy. Neurologist and oncologists need to be familiar with the pattern, time course, and evolution of both acute and long-term neurologic complications of cancer therapy. Identification of causative agents and appropriate distinction between treatment-related toxicity and tumor-associated complications are critical steps to improve treatment monitoring and overall patient care.

BACKGROUND: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant tumors represent a distinct subtype among diffuse gliomas, with improved prognosis compared to grade-matched IDH wild-type tumors. As a basis for clinical trial design of IDH-targeting drugs, we sought to describe outcomes exclusively within the glioma subgroup defined by IDH1 mutation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 275 IDH mutant glioma patients (48.7% grade II and 51.3% grade III tumors; 65.5% astrocytic and 34.5% oligodendroglial tumors) treated at our institution. We calculated progression and survival statistics, including median time to second progression event following first episode of recurrence, using the method of Kaplan-Meier. Estimated survival proportions were correlated with molecular, histologic and clinical factors. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 6.4 years, 44 deaths (7.6%) and 149 first progression events (54.1%) were observed, with estimated median PFS of 5.7 years (95% CI 4.7–6.4) and median OS of 18.7 years (95% CI 12.2 years - not reached). We validated the effect of grade, molecular diagnosis and treatment paradigms on PFS in our cohort and found results consistent with existing literature. Following the first episode of progressive disease, 79 second progression events occurred during a median follow-up period of 4.1 years. The estimated PFS following first progressive event (PFS-2nd) is 3.0 years (95% CI 2.1–4.1). CONCLUSION: This well-characterized cohort of IDH mutant glioma patients demonstrate progression and survival outcomes reflecting published literature and serves as a reasonable historical control population. Notably, the PFS interval accelerates during disease course, with interval between first to second recurrence (3.0 years) shorter than time from diagnosis to first recurrence (5.7 years). The novel survival statistic PFS-2nd offers an accurate and relevant surrogate outcome for the design of clinical trials investigating experimental drug efficacy at recurrence. These findings highlight that inappropriate comparison to historical baseline PFS may result in prematurely abandoning promising agents.

The prognostic significance of residual contrast enhancing tumor volume after initial surgery to predict OS in newly diagnosed GBM remains poorly understood and not controlled for in prospective clinical trials. In the current study we pooled imaging data in >1,400 newly diagnosed GBM patients from international multicenter clinical trials, single institution databases, and multicenter clinical trial consortiums identify relationships between clinical parameters, MGMT methylation status, treatment, and residual enhancing tumor volume on OS.

The prognostic significance of tumor location in newly diagnosed GBM (NDGBM) remains provocative and poorly understood. In this study we pooled imaging data in >1,400 NDGBM patients from international multicenter clinical trials, single institution databases, and multicenter clinical trial consortiums to identify relationships between tumor location on OS, independent of clinical and genetic or molecular characteristics.

SUMMARY Glioblastoma is the most prevalent malignant primary brain tumor in adults and to date effective durable treatments are lacking. Preclinical studies underscore the importance of neovascularization for tumor survival, making angiogenesis an important treatment target. Early clinical experience in recurrent glioblastoma suggested that antiangiogenic agents may provide clinical benefit by prolonging progression-free survival, improving quality of life and decreasing peritumoral edema. Two recent Phase III randomized trials of antiangiogenic therapy at initial diagnosis suggested improvement in progression-free survival, but failed to show an overall survival benefit. Ongoing preclinical research focuses on mechanisms of resistance and potential predictive biomarkers. Identification of targets to resistance pathways and of predictive biomarkers will hopefully improve efficacy of antiangiogenic therapies.

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, lacks effective long-term treatment. The tumor is dependent on neovascularization for survival, making angiogenesis an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. The exact mechanism underlying the effects of antiangiogenic agents on GBM remains debatable, although it likely involves vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and other proangiogenic growth factors. Early studies in the recurrent GBM setting were promising and prompted two multinational randomized phase three trials (AVAglio and RTOG 0825) investigating the effect of bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, in newly diagnosed GBM.In this article, the authors discuss the basic mechanisms of angiogenesis and antiangiogenic resistance. The authors additionally summarize the current state of clinical research and how it will impact both future research and the development antiangiogenic therapies.The ultimate utility of antiangiogenic therapy in the management of GBM remains unclear. In an effort to improve outcomes, there remains an urgent need to better understand the biology underlying angiogenesis and tumor survival, as well as mechanisms of antiangiogeneic resistance. Ultimately, combinatorial approaches using antiangiogenic agents, targeted molecular therapy, immunotherapy or cytotoxics may be needed to improve treatment outcomes.