Randomized phase 2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of inupadenant in combination with chemotherapy in adults with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who progressed on immunotherapy

TPS9158 Background: In cancer, the accumulation of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediates immune suppression mainly via the high affinity A2A receptor (A2AR), causing dysregulation of innate and adaptative immune cell subsets and dampening the antitumor immune response. This results in increased tumor cell survival and immune escape (Blay 1997; Merighi 2003; Muller-Haegele 2014). Therefore, inhibiting A2AR could reverse immunosuppression and re-establish immune surveillance in the tumor microenvironment. Inupadenant is an antagonist of the A2AR with potent inhibition of A2AR even at the high concentrations of adenosine present in the tumor microenvironment. Ongoing clinical studies have established inupadenant as a molecule with a favorable safety profile with preliminary evidence of clinical activity in multiple tumor types, including durable PRs in patients who have exhausted standard treatment options (Buisseret 2021). The standard treatment for patients without a driving mutation who progress on first-line IO is a platinum-based doublet chemotherapy regimen. Carboplatin plus Pemetrexed (C+P) is the preferred chemotherapy in nonsquamous mNSCLC. Study A2A-005 will evaluate the efficacy of inupadenant in combination with C+P as a second-line therapy in adult patients with nonsquamous mNSCLC (post-IO). A successful outcome from study A2A-005 will help address a high unmet need for this patient population and could lead to new therapeutic options. Methods: This is a 2-part study. The first part is an open label dose-finding part to determine the safety and recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of inupadenant in combination with C+P (N = 40). In Part 2, 150 patients will be randomized 1:1 to inupadenant or placebo, both in combination with C+P. Tumor response will be determined according to RECIST 1.1 criteria and safety findings will be reviewed by the Safety Review Committee (for Part 1) and the Data Monitoring Committee (for Part 2). Key eligibility criteria include 1) mNSCLC of nonsquamous pathology, 2) have received only 1 line of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy in the metastatic setting, without concomitant chemotherapy, and have progressed (IO/IO combination therapy is allowed), 3) have measurable disease as defined by RECIST v1.1 criteria and 4) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status ≤1. Primary endpoints are RP2D (for Part 1) and PFS (for Part 2). Secondary endpoints include change in tumor size, ORR, OS, and adverse events. Correlative aims include assessing blood and tissue biomarkers for association with clinical benefit. The study will be conducted in approximately 11 countries in North America and Europe. Clinical trial information: EudraCT 2021-005487-22.