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Papers by Giovanni Abbadessa

Journal of Clinical Oncology

TPS4159 Background: Tivantinibis a selective, non-ATP competitive, oral inhibitor of MET, the tyr... more TPS4159 Background: Tivantinibis a selective, non-ATP competitive, oral inhibitor of MET, the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). MET over-expression is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. A phase Ib study (Santoro et al, Br J Cancer, 2013) with tivantinib 360mg BID revealed no worsening of liver function in cirrhotic HCC pts. A randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 study identified HCC patients with high tumor MET expression at immunohistochemistry (IHC) as the target population for tivantinib in second line (overall survival: 7.2 months on tivantinib, 3.8 months on placebo, HR: 0.38, p=0.01), and selected 240mg BID as the appropriate dose for HCC patients (Santoro et al, Lancet Oncol, 2013). Methods: Enrollment forthis phase III clinical trial (ARQ 197-A-U303, NCT01755767) has begun.Eligible pts must present with Child Pugh A; ECOG performance score <1; inoperable RECIST 1.1 measurable disease; adequate bone marrow, liver and kidney functio...

Cells

CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with ectoenzymatic activity involved in regulation of migrat... more CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with ectoenzymatic activity involved in regulation of migration, signal transduction, and receptor-mediated adhesion. CD38 is highly expressed on various malignant cells, including multiple myeloma (MM), and at relatively low levels in other tissues, making it a suitable target for therapeutic antibodies. Several anti-CD38 therapies have been, or are being, developed for the treatment of MM, including daratumumab and isatuximab (SAR650984), respectively. Studies have shown that anti-CD38 therapies are effective in the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM and are well tolerated, with infusion reactions being the most common side effects. They can be used as monotherapy or in combination with immunomodulatory agents, such as pomalidomide, or proteasome inhibitors to potentiate their activity. Here we examine isatuximab and several anti-CD38 agents in development that were generated using new antibody engineering techniques and that may lead to more ...

Haematologica

Tyrosine kinases have been implicated in promoting tumorigenesis of several human cancers. Exploi... more Tyrosine kinases have been implicated in promoting tumorigenesis of several human cancers. Exploiting these vulnerabilities has been shown to be an effective anti-tumor strategy as demonstrated for example by the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, ibrutinib, for treatment of various blood cancers. Here, we characterize a new multiple kinase inhibitor, ARQ531, and evaluate its mechanism of action in preclinical models of acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment with ARQ531, by producing global signaling pathway deregulation, resulted in impaired cell cycle progression and survival in a large panel of leukemia cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells, regardless of the specific genetic background and/or the presence of bone marrow stromal cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ARQ531 constrained tumor cell proliferation and survival through Bruton's tyrosine kinase and transcriptional program dysregulation, with proteasome-mediated MYB degradation and depletion of short-lived...

Blood

Previous studies have identified the Ser/Thr protein kinase, AKT, as a therapeutic target for thr... more Previous studies have identified the Ser/Thr protein kinase, AKT, as a therapeutic target for thromboinflammatory diseases. Recently, we have shown that the basal levels of AKT phosphorylation were significantly increased in neutrophils and platelets isolated from sickle cell disease (SCD) patients compared with those cells from healthy donors and that specific inhibition of AKT2 impaired neutrophil-endothelial cell and neutrophil-platelet interactions in venules of Berkeley (SCD) mice (Li et al. J Clin Invest 2014; Barazia et al. Blood 2015). Although our results suggest that AKT2 inhibition may be a novel therapy to treat a vaso-occlusive crisis in SCD patients, no AKT2 specific inhibitor is available in clinic. Using ARQ 092, an orally-available, allosteric AKT inhibitor that is currently in Phase I clinical trials in oncology indications and AKT-driven overgrowth disease, Proteus syndrome, here we report that specific inhibition of AKT attenuates the adhesive function of neutrop...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

2524 Background: ARQ 092 is an oral, potent AKT inhibitor with single agent antitumor activity. P... more 2524 Background: ARQ 092 is an oral, potent AKT inhibitor with single agent antitumor activity. P or P+C is the standard therapy or the therapy of choice for pts with various solid tumors. ARQ 092 potentiated antitumor activity of P in in vivo xenograft models, providing the rationale for this study. Methods: This is an open-label, phase Ib study of ARQ 092+C+P (CP Arm) or ARQ 092+P (P Arm) in pts with advanced solid tumors to determine safety and tolerability of these 2 combinations. Blood samples are collected for PK. Results: Enrollment into CP Arm has been completed with 13 pts (15% male; median age 62 years, 4 ovarian, 9 others) being treated in 2 dose cohorts (see table and results below). Enrollment into P Arm is ongoing. Data from P Arm (80 mg/m2 weekly) will be presented during the meeting. In CP Arm, 3 DLTs were observed in 2 pts (both received ARQ 092 at 200 mg BID, 1 day/week) including grade (G) 4 neutrophil count decreased, G 4 thrombocytopenia and G 3 diarrhea. ARQ 09...

The American Journal of Pathology

Journal of Clinical Oncology

4000 Background: Tivantinib (T), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival (OS) ... more 4000 Background: Tivantinib (T), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo (P) in a phase II study in MET-High HCC pts. Methods: This randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial (NCT01755767) enrolled pts with: advanced HCC; Child Pugh A; ECOG PS ≤1; adequate bone marrow, liver, kidney functions; no liver transplant; radiographic disease progression (PD) after or intolerance to sorafenib; tumor MET-High (MET ≥2+ in ≥50% of tumor cells) by centralized immunohistochemistry. Pts were randomly assigned 2:1 to oral T or P, stratified by vascular invasion (VI), extrahepatic spread (ES), AFP ( < / > 200ng/mL), treated until PD or unacceptable toxicity. Response (RECIST 1.1) was evaluated by CT / MRI every 8 weeks. Primary endpoint of OS and secondary endpoints including PFS and safety were assessed in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population. Results: From Dec 2012 to Dec 2015, 1209 pts were consented in Australi...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

4017 Background: FGFR genetic aberrations have been implicated in the development and progression... more 4017 Background: FGFR genetic aberrations have been implicated in the development and progression of a number of solid tumor types, including iCCA. Pts with unresectable advanced iCCA who relapse after first-line chemotherapy have limited treatment options with poor prognosis. Recently, FGFR2 fusions, observed in up to 20% of pts, have been recognized as a potential therapeutic target. ARQ 087 is a multi-kinase inhibitor with a potent pan-FGFR activity. Methods: 119 cancer pts were enrolled in the phase 1/2, open-label study of ARQ 087. Study design and results of the phase 1were reported previously. Assessments included response by RECIST v1.1 every 8 wks, safety (physical examination, vital signs, ECOG PS, laboratory tests), plasma concentrations of phosphate and FGF19, 21 and 23 (potential biomarkers). Results: As of 1Feb17, 35 iCCA pts with FGFR2 genetic aberrations were treated with ARQ 087 300 (n = 33) or 400 mg (n = 2) daily. FGFR2 status was identified by FISH or NGS, 29/35 ...

Cancer discovery, Jan 9, 2018

Targeted inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) with the irreversible inhibitor ibrutinib has... more Targeted inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) with the irreversible inhibitor ibrutinib has improved outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we describe preclinical investigations of ARQ 531, a potent, reversible inhibitor of BTK with additional activity against Src family kinases and kinases related to ERK signaling. We hypothesized that targeting additional kinases would improve global inhibition of signaling pathways, producing more robust responses. treatment of patient CLL cells with ARQ 531 decreases BTK-mediated functions including B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, viability, migration, CD40 and CD86 expression, and NF-κB gene transcription. , ARQ 531 was found to increase survival over ibrutinib in a murine Eμ-TCL1 engraftment model of CLL and a murine Eμ-MYC/TCL1 engraftment model resembling Richter transformation. Additionally, ARQ 531 inhibits CLL cell survival and suppresses BCR-mediated activation of ...

Oncotarget, Jan 16, 2018

The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very poor. The AKT path... more The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very poor. The AKT pathway is activated in almost half of HCC cases and in addition, long term exposure to conventional drug treatment of HCC, sorafenib, often results in over-activation of AKT, leading to HCC resistance. Therefore, it is important to assess the safety and the efficacy of selective allosteric AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 (Miransertib) in combination with sorafenib. Here, we demonstrated that the combination of ARQ 092 with sorafenib synergistically suppressed proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and reduced migration. To test the effect of the combination , rats with diethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhosis and fully developed HCC were randomized and treated with vehicle, sorafenib, ARQ 092 or the combination of ARQ 092 with sorafenib; (n=7/group) for 6 weeks. Tumor progression, size of tumors and the mean tumor number were significantly reduced by the combination treatment compared to the control or singl...

The Lancet. Oncology, Jan 3, 2018

Tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival and progression-... more Tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo in a randomised phase 2 study in patients with high MET expression (MET-high) hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib. The aim of this phase 3 study was to confirm the results of the phase 2 trial. We did a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 90 centres in Australia, the Americas, Europe, and New Zealand. Eligible patients were 18 years or older and had unresectable, histologically confirmed, hepatocellular carcinoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, high MET expression (MET-high; staining intensity score ≥2 in ≥50% of tumour cells), Child-Pugh A cirrhosis, and radiographically-confirmed disease progression after receiving sorafenib-containing systemic therapy. We randomly assigned patients (2:1) in block sizes of three using a computer-generated randomisation sequence to rec...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

197 Background: Tivantinib, an oral MET inhibitor, showed activity in patients (pts) MET-High at ... more 197 Background: Tivantinib, an oral MET inhibitor, showed activity in patients (pts) MET-High at immunohistochemistry (IHC) in randomized, placebo controlled studies in HCC, NSCLC, CRC, and prostate cancer. ARQ 197-215 was a RCT of tivantinib in second-line HCC. The study randomized 107 pts 2:1 to tivantinib capsules or placebo, reached the primary endpoint of time to progression in the intent-to-treat population and the pre-specified secondary efficacy endpoints, including OS, in MET-High pts. Tumor MET was also found to be a strong independent prognostic factor. This analysis aims to study prognostic and predictive value of tumor and circulating biomarkers. Methods: Circulating MET, HGF, and AFP were centrally analyzed by ELISA and median values were used as cut-offs to determine High or Low status except for AFP, where the 75th percentile was also used. Tumor MET was centrally analyzed and considered High if staining was >2+ in >50% of cells at IHC. Results: Circulating MET...

Bone

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being developed for therapy of malignancies caused by oncogenic FG... more Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being developed for therapy of malignancies caused by oncogenic FGFR signaling but little is known about their effect in congenital chondrodysplasias or craniosynostoses that associate with activating FGFR mutations. Here, we investigated the effects of novel FGFR inhibitor, ARQ 087, in experimental models of aberrant FGFR3 signaling in cartilage. In cultured chondrocytes, ARQ 087 efficiently rescued all major effects of pathological FGFR3 activation, i.e. inhibition of chondrocyte proliferation, loss of extracellular matrix and induction of premature senescence. In ex vivo tibia organ cultures, ARQ 087 restored normal growth plate architecture and eliminated the suppressing FGFR3 effect on chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation, suggesting that it targets the FGFR3 pathway specifically, i.e. without interference with other pro-growth pathways. Moreover, ARQ 087 inhibited activity of FGFR1 and FGFR2 mutants associated with Pfeiffer, Apert and Beare-Stevenson craniosynostoses, and rescued FGFR-driven excessive osteogenic differentiation in mouse mesenchymal micromass cultures or in ex vivo calvarial organ cultures. Our data warrant further development of ARQ 087 for clinical use in skeletal disorders caused by activating FGFR mutations.

Oncotarget

The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy ana... more The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy analyses indicated the predictive value of MET expression as a marker of benefit from tivantinib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 98 ARQ 197-215 patients with available absolute neutrophil count and absolute lymphocyte count at baseline. The cutoff value used to define high versus low NLR was 3.0. In univariate analysis, high NLR was associated with hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) of 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01; 2.47; P <0.046], corresponding to median OS of 5.1 months versus 7.8 months in patients with low NLR (P = 0.044). In contrast, time to progression was not significantly affected by NLR (P = 0.20). Multivariable model confirmed that both NLR >3 (P = 0.03) and presence of vascular invasion (P = 0.017) were negatively associated with OS. After adjustment for vascular invasion, NLR independently predicted survival in both the placebo and the tivantinib cohort. For OS, no interaction was detected between NLR status and treatment (P interaction = 0.40). Baseline NLR is an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with HCC and compensated liver function who are candidate for second-line treatments.

Molecular cancer therapeutics, Oct 31, 2017

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldw... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. AKT pathway has been found activated in 50% of HCC cases, making it promising target. Therefore we assess efficacy of the allosteric AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 compared to untreated control and to standard treatment, Sorafenib, in vitro and in vivo <p>ARQ 092 blocked phosphorylation of AKT in vitro and strongly inhibited cell growth with significantly higher potency than Sorafenib. Similarly, apoptosis and cell migration were strongly reduced by ARQ 092 in vitro To mimic human advanced HCC, we used diethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhotic rat model with fully developed HCC. MRI analyses showed that ARQ 092 significantly reduced overall tumor size. Furthermore, number of tumors was decreased by ARQ 092, which was associated with increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation. Tumor contrast enhancement was significantly decreased in the ARQ 092 group. Moreover, on tumor tissue sections...

PloS one, 2017

Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines (NSML, formerly LEOPARD syndrome) is an autosomal domina... more Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines (NSML, formerly LEOPARD syndrome) is an autosomal dominant "RASopathy" disorder manifesting in congenital heart disease. Most cases of NSML are caused by catalytically inactivating mutations in the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP), non-receptor type 11 (PTPN11), encoding the SH2 domain-containing PTP-2 (SHP2) protein. We previously generated knock-in mice harboring the PTPN11 mutation Y279C, one of the most common NSML alleles; these now-termed SHP2Y279C/+ mice recapitulate the human disorder and develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by 12 weeks of age. Functionally, heart and/or cardiomyocyte lysates from SHP2Y279C/+ mice exhibit increased basal and agonist-induced AKT and mTOR activities. Here, we sought to determine whether we could reverse the hypertrophy in SHP2Y279C/+ mice using ARQ 092, an oral and selective allosteric AKT inhibitor currently in clinical trials for patients with PI3K/AKT-driven tumors or Proteus syndrom...

World journal of gastroenterology, Jan 7, 2017

Tumor biopsies may help to reliably distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other tumors,... more Tumor biopsies may help to reliably distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other tumors, mostly cholangiocarcinoma as well as to identify the patient populations who most benefit from target-driven HCC treatments, in order to improve the success rate of experimental therapies. Clarifying tumor biology may also lead to identify biomarkers with prognostic role and/or enabling to predict response or resistance to therapies. Recently, clinical trials have more efficiently included biomarker endpoints and increasingly collected tumor tissue from enrolled patients. Due to their frail status and sometimes fast-progressing disease, the performance status of patients with HCC progressing on first-line therapy can deteriorate quickly, preventing their enrollment in clinical trials. However, the challenge of identifying the proper patient at the proper time can be overcome by periodic inter-department meetings involving the key specialists taking care of HCC patients, and solid networ...

Anti-cancer drugs, Jun 24, 2017

The PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the initiation and progression of cancer, and the... more The PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the initiation and progression of cancer, and the drug development efforts targeting this pathway with therapeutic interventions have been advanced by academic and industrial groups. However, the clinical outcome is moderate. Combination of inhibition of PI3K/AKT and other targeted agents became a feasible approach. In this study we assessed the combined effect of ARQ 092, a pan-AKT inhibitor, and ARQ 087, a pan-FGFR inhibitor, in vitro and in vivo. In a panel of 45 cancer cell lines, on 24% (11 out of 45) the compounds showed synergistic effect, on 62% (28 out of 45) additive, and on 13% (6 out of 45) antagonistic. The highest percentage of synergism was found on endometrial and ovarian cancer cell lines. Mutational analysis revealed that PIK3CA/PIK3R1 mutations and aberrant activation of FGFR2 predicted synergism, whereas Ras mutations showed a reverse correlation. Pathway analysis revealed that a combination of ARQ 092 and ARQ 087 e...

Oncotarget, Jan 22, 2017

The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy ana... more The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy analyses indicated the predictive value of MET expression as a marker of benefit from tivantinib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 98 ARQ 197-215 patients with available absolute neutrophil count and absolute lymphocyte count at baseline. The cut-off value used to define high versus low NLR was 3.0. In univariate analysis, high NLR was associated with hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) of 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01; 2.47; P <0.046], corresponding to median OS of 5.1 months versus 7.8 months in patients with low NLR (P = 0.044). In contrast, time to progression was not significantly affected by NLR (P = 0.20). Multivariable model confirmed that both NLR >3 (P = 0.03) and presence of vascular invasion (P = 0.017) were negatively associated with OS. After adjustment for vascular invasion, NLR independe...

Translational Oncology, 2017

ARQ 087 is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent activity against the FGFR receptor famil... more ARQ 087 is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent activity against the FGFR receptor family, currently in Phase I clinical studies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The compound has a very safe profile and induces tumor regressions in FGFR-driven models. The feasibility of combining ARQ 087 with chemotherapy was investigated in FGFR deregulated human xenografts. Nude mice were transplanted subcutaneously with H1581, and when tumor masses reached 150 mg, were randomized to receive vehicle, ARQ 087, paclitaxel, carboplatin as single agents or in combination. Similar experimental conditions were applied in nude mice bearing SNU16 and MFE296 xenografts, with the inclusion of capecitabine in the former xenograft model. In the different xenograft models, the drugs given as single agents ranged from very active to partially active. The double combinations were more active than the single ones, but the triple combinations were the most active. In particular, the combination of ARQ 087 + paclitaxel + carboplatin in H1581 bearing mice was able to induce tumor regression in all the mice, with 6/8 mice tumor free at day 140 after tumor transplant. Of note, no toxic deaths nor premature stopping or delaying of drug administration were observed. The data herein reported demonstrated the feasibility of using xenografts models for poli-chemotherapeutic trials mimicking the best standard of care in treatment of specific tumor type and that ARQ 087, a new pan-FGFR inhibitor, can be safely combined with standard cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs with apparently no sign of cumulative toxicity and an associated increased antitumor effect.

Journal of Clinical Oncology

TPS4159 Background: Tivantinibis a selective, non-ATP competitive, oral inhibitor of MET, the tyr... more TPS4159 Background: Tivantinibis a selective, non-ATP competitive, oral inhibitor of MET, the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). MET over-expression is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. A phase Ib study (Santoro et al, Br J Cancer, 2013) with tivantinib 360mg BID revealed no worsening of liver function in cirrhotic HCC pts. A randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 study identified HCC patients with high tumor MET expression at immunohistochemistry (IHC) as the target population for tivantinib in second line (overall survival: 7.2 months on tivantinib, 3.8 months on placebo, HR: 0.38, p=0.01), and selected 240mg BID as the appropriate dose for HCC patients (Santoro et al, Lancet Oncol, 2013). Methods: Enrollment forthis phase III clinical trial (ARQ 197-A-U303, NCT01755767) has begun.Eligible pts must present with Child Pugh A; ECOG performance score <1; inoperable RECIST 1.1 measurable disease; adequate bone marrow, liver and kidney functio...

Cells

CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with ectoenzymatic activity involved in regulation of migrat... more CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with ectoenzymatic activity involved in regulation of migration, signal transduction, and receptor-mediated adhesion. CD38 is highly expressed on various malignant cells, including multiple myeloma (MM), and at relatively low levels in other tissues, making it a suitable target for therapeutic antibodies. Several anti-CD38 therapies have been, or are being, developed for the treatment of MM, including daratumumab and isatuximab (SAR650984), respectively. Studies have shown that anti-CD38 therapies are effective in the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM and are well tolerated, with infusion reactions being the most common side effects. They can be used as monotherapy or in combination with immunomodulatory agents, such as pomalidomide, or proteasome inhibitors to potentiate their activity. Here we examine isatuximab and several anti-CD38 agents in development that were generated using new antibody engineering techniques and that may lead to more ...

Haematologica

Tyrosine kinases have been implicated in promoting tumorigenesis of several human cancers. Exploi... more Tyrosine kinases have been implicated in promoting tumorigenesis of several human cancers. Exploiting these vulnerabilities has been shown to be an effective anti-tumor strategy as demonstrated for example by the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, ibrutinib, for treatment of various blood cancers. Here, we characterize a new multiple kinase inhibitor, ARQ531, and evaluate its mechanism of action in preclinical models of acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment with ARQ531, by producing global signaling pathway deregulation, resulted in impaired cell cycle progression and survival in a large panel of leukemia cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells, regardless of the specific genetic background and/or the presence of bone marrow stromal cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ARQ531 constrained tumor cell proliferation and survival through Bruton's tyrosine kinase and transcriptional program dysregulation, with proteasome-mediated MYB degradation and depletion of short-lived...

Blood

Previous studies have identified the Ser/Thr protein kinase, AKT, as a therapeutic target for thr... more Previous studies have identified the Ser/Thr protein kinase, AKT, as a therapeutic target for thromboinflammatory diseases. Recently, we have shown that the basal levels of AKT phosphorylation were significantly increased in neutrophils and platelets isolated from sickle cell disease (SCD) patients compared with those cells from healthy donors and that specific inhibition of AKT2 impaired neutrophil-endothelial cell and neutrophil-platelet interactions in venules of Berkeley (SCD) mice (Li et al. J Clin Invest 2014; Barazia et al. Blood 2015). Although our results suggest that AKT2 inhibition may be a novel therapy to treat a vaso-occlusive crisis in SCD patients, no AKT2 specific inhibitor is available in clinic. Using ARQ 092, an orally-available, allosteric AKT inhibitor that is currently in Phase I clinical trials in oncology indications and AKT-driven overgrowth disease, Proteus syndrome, here we report that specific inhibition of AKT attenuates the adhesive function of neutrop...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

2524 Background: ARQ 092 is an oral, potent AKT inhibitor with single agent antitumor activity. P... more 2524 Background: ARQ 092 is an oral, potent AKT inhibitor with single agent antitumor activity. P or P+C is the standard therapy or the therapy of choice for pts with various solid tumors. ARQ 092 potentiated antitumor activity of P in in vivo xenograft models, providing the rationale for this study. Methods: This is an open-label, phase Ib study of ARQ 092+C+P (CP Arm) or ARQ 092+P (P Arm) in pts with advanced solid tumors to determine safety and tolerability of these 2 combinations. Blood samples are collected for PK. Results: Enrollment into CP Arm has been completed with 13 pts (15% male; median age 62 years, 4 ovarian, 9 others) being treated in 2 dose cohorts (see table and results below). Enrollment into P Arm is ongoing. Data from P Arm (80 mg/m2 weekly) will be presented during the meeting. In CP Arm, 3 DLTs were observed in 2 pts (both received ARQ 092 at 200 mg BID, 1 day/week) including grade (G) 4 neutrophil count decreased, G 4 thrombocytopenia and G 3 diarrhea. ARQ 09...

The American Journal of Pathology

Journal of Clinical Oncology

4000 Background: Tivantinib (T), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival (OS) ... more 4000 Background: Tivantinib (T), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo (P) in a phase II study in MET-High HCC pts. Methods: This randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial (NCT01755767) enrolled pts with: advanced HCC; Child Pugh A; ECOG PS ≤1; adequate bone marrow, liver, kidney functions; no liver transplant; radiographic disease progression (PD) after or intolerance to sorafenib; tumor MET-High (MET ≥2+ in ≥50% of tumor cells) by centralized immunohistochemistry. Pts were randomly assigned 2:1 to oral T or P, stratified by vascular invasion (VI), extrahepatic spread (ES), AFP ( < / > 200ng/mL), treated until PD or unacceptable toxicity. Response (RECIST 1.1) was evaluated by CT / MRI every 8 weeks. Primary endpoint of OS and secondary endpoints including PFS and safety were assessed in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population. Results: From Dec 2012 to Dec 2015, 1209 pts were consented in Australi...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

4017 Background: FGFR genetic aberrations have been implicated in the development and progression... more 4017 Background: FGFR genetic aberrations have been implicated in the development and progression of a number of solid tumor types, including iCCA. Pts with unresectable advanced iCCA who relapse after first-line chemotherapy have limited treatment options with poor prognosis. Recently, FGFR2 fusions, observed in up to 20% of pts, have been recognized as a potential therapeutic target. ARQ 087 is a multi-kinase inhibitor with a potent pan-FGFR activity. Methods: 119 cancer pts were enrolled in the phase 1/2, open-label study of ARQ 087. Study design and results of the phase 1were reported previously. Assessments included response by RECIST v1.1 every 8 wks, safety (physical examination, vital signs, ECOG PS, laboratory tests), plasma concentrations of phosphate and FGF19, 21 and 23 (potential biomarkers). Results: As of 1Feb17, 35 iCCA pts with FGFR2 genetic aberrations were treated with ARQ 087 300 (n = 33) or 400 mg (n = 2) daily. FGFR2 status was identified by FISH or NGS, 29/35 ...

Cancer discovery, Jan 9, 2018

Targeted inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) with the irreversible inhibitor ibrutinib has... more Targeted inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) with the irreversible inhibitor ibrutinib has improved outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we describe preclinical investigations of ARQ 531, a potent, reversible inhibitor of BTK with additional activity against Src family kinases and kinases related to ERK signaling. We hypothesized that targeting additional kinases would improve global inhibition of signaling pathways, producing more robust responses. treatment of patient CLL cells with ARQ 531 decreases BTK-mediated functions including B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, viability, migration, CD40 and CD86 expression, and NF-κB gene transcription. , ARQ 531 was found to increase survival over ibrutinib in a murine Eμ-TCL1 engraftment model of CLL and a murine Eμ-MYC/TCL1 engraftment model resembling Richter transformation. Additionally, ARQ 531 inhibits CLL cell survival and suppresses BCR-mediated activation of ...

Oncotarget, Jan 16, 2018

The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very poor. The AKT path... more The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very poor. The AKT pathway is activated in almost half of HCC cases and in addition, long term exposure to conventional drug treatment of HCC, sorafenib, often results in over-activation of AKT, leading to HCC resistance. Therefore, it is important to assess the safety and the efficacy of selective allosteric AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 (Miransertib) in combination with sorafenib. Here, we demonstrated that the combination of ARQ 092 with sorafenib synergistically suppressed proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and reduced migration. To test the effect of the combination , rats with diethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhosis and fully developed HCC were randomized and treated with vehicle, sorafenib, ARQ 092 or the combination of ARQ 092 with sorafenib; (n=7/group) for 6 weeks. Tumor progression, size of tumors and the mean tumor number were significantly reduced by the combination treatment compared to the control or singl...

The Lancet. Oncology, Jan 3, 2018

Tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival and progression-... more Tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective, oral MET inhibitor, improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo in a randomised phase 2 study in patients with high MET expression (MET-high) hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib. The aim of this phase 3 study was to confirm the results of the phase 2 trial. We did a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 90 centres in Australia, the Americas, Europe, and New Zealand. Eligible patients were 18 years or older and had unresectable, histologically confirmed, hepatocellular carcinoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, high MET expression (MET-high; staining intensity score ≥2 in ≥50% of tumour cells), Child-Pugh A cirrhosis, and radiographically-confirmed disease progression after receiving sorafenib-containing systemic therapy. We randomly assigned patients (2:1) in block sizes of three using a computer-generated randomisation sequence to rec...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

197 Background: Tivantinib, an oral MET inhibitor, showed activity in patients (pts) MET-High at ... more 197 Background: Tivantinib, an oral MET inhibitor, showed activity in patients (pts) MET-High at immunohistochemistry (IHC) in randomized, placebo controlled studies in HCC, NSCLC, CRC, and prostate cancer. ARQ 197-215 was a RCT of tivantinib in second-line HCC. The study randomized 107 pts 2:1 to tivantinib capsules or placebo, reached the primary endpoint of time to progression in the intent-to-treat population and the pre-specified secondary efficacy endpoints, including OS, in MET-High pts. Tumor MET was also found to be a strong independent prognostic factor. This analysis aims to study prognostic and predictive value of tumor and circulating biomarkers. Methods: Circulating MET, HGF, and AFP were centrally analyzed by ELISA and median values were used as cut-offs to determine High or Low status except for AFP, where the 75th percentile was also used. Tumor MET was centrally analyzed and considered High if staining was >2+ in >50% of cells at IHC. Results: Circulating MET...

Bone

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being developed for therapy of malignancies caused by oncogenic FG... more Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being developed for therapy of malignancies caused by oncogenic FGFR signaling but little is known about their effect in congenital chondrodysplasias or craniosynostoses that associate with activating FGFR mutations. Here, we investigated the effects of novel FGFR inhibitor, ARQ 087, in experimental models of aberrant FGFR3 signaling in cartilage. In cultured chondrocytes, ARQ 087 efficiently rescued all major effects of pathological FGFR3 activation, i.e. inhibition of chondrocyte proliferation, loss of extracellular matrix and induction of premature senescence. In ex vivo tibia organ cultures, ARQ 087 restored normal growth plate architecture and eliminated the suppressing FGFR3 effect on chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation, suggesting that it targets the FGFR3 pathway specifically, i.e. without interference with other pro-growth pathways. Moreover, ARQ 087 inhibited activity of FGFR1 and FGFR2 mutants associated with Pfeiffer, Apert and Beare-Stevenson craniosynostoses, and rescued FGFR-driven excessive osteogenic differentiation in mouse mesenchymal micromass cultures or in ex vivo calvarial organ cultures. Our data warrant further development of ARQ 087 for clinical use in skeletal disorders caused by activating FGFR mutations.

Oncotarget

The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy ana... more The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy analyses indicated the predictive value of MET expression as a marker of benefit from tivantinib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 98 ARQ 197-215 patients with available absolute neutrophil count and absolute lymphocyte count at baseline. The cutoff value used to define high versus low NLR was 3.0. In univariate analysis, high NLR was associated with hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) of 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01; 2.47; P <0.046], corresponding to median OS of 5.1 months versus 7.8 months in patients with low NLR (P = 0.044). In contrast, time to progression was not significantly affected by NLR (P = 0.20). Multivariable model confirmed that both NLR >3 (P = 0.03) and presence of vascular invasion (P = 0.017) were negatively associated with OS. After adjustment for vascular invasion, NLR independently predicted survival in both the placebo and the tivantinib cohort. For OS, no interaction was detected between NLR status and treatment (P interaction = 0.40). Baseline NLR is an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with HCC and compensated liver function who are candidate for second-line treatments.

Molecular cancer therapeutics, Oct 31, 2017

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldw... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. AKT pathway has been found activated in 50% of HCC cases, making it promising target. Therefore we assess efficacy of the allosteric AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 compared to untreated control and to standard treatment, Sorafenib, in vitro and in vivo <p>ARQ 092 blocked phosphorylation of AKT in vitro and strongly inhibited cell growth with significantly higher potency than Sorafenib. Similarly, apoptosis and cell migration were strongly reduced by ARQ 092 in vitro To mimic human advanced HCC, we used diethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhotic rat model with fully developed HCC. MRI analyses showed that ARQ 092 significantly reduced overall tumor size. Furthermore, number of tumors was decreased by ARQ 092, which was associated with increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation. Tumor contrast enhancement was significantly decreased in the ARQ 092 group. Moreover, on tumor tissue sections...

PloS one, 2017

Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines (NSML, formerly LEOPARD syndrome) is an autosomal domina... more Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines (NSML, formerly LEOPARD syndrome) is an autosomal dominant "RASopathy" disorder manifesting in congenital heart disease. Most cases of NSML are caused by catalytically inactivating mutations in the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP), non-receptor type 11 (PTPN11), encoding the SH2 domain-containing PTP-2 (SHP2) protein. We previously generated knock-in mice harboring the PTPN11 mutation Y279C, one of the most common NSML alleles; these now-termed SHP2Y279C/+ mice recapitulate the human disorder and develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by 12 weeks of age. Functionally, heart and/or cardiomyocyte lysates from SHP2Y279C/+ mice exhibit increased basal and agonist-induced AKT and mTOR activities. Here, we sought to determine whether we could reverse the hypertrophy in SHP2Y279C/+ mice using ARQ 092, an oral and selective allosteric AKT inhibitor currently in clinical trials for patients with PI3K/AKT-driven tumors or Proteus syndrom...

World journal of gastroenterology, Jan 7, 2017

Tumor biopsies may help to reliably distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other tumors,... more Tumor biopsies may help to reliably distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other tumors, mostly cholangiocarcinoma as well as to identify the patient populations who most benefit from target-driven HCC treatments, in order to improve the success rate of experimental therapies. Clarifying tumor biology may also lead to identify biomarkers with prognostic role and/or enabling to predict response or resistance to therapies. Recently, clinical trials have more efficiently included biomarker endpoints and increasingly collected tumor tissue from enrolled patients. Due to their frail status and sometimes fast-progressing disease, the performance status of patients with HCC progressing on first-line therapy can deteriorate quickly, preventing their enrollment in clinical trials. However, the challenge of identifying the proper patient at the proper time can be overcome by periodic inter-department meetings involving the key specialists taking care of HCC patients, and solid networ...

Anti-cancer drugs, Jun 24, 2017

The PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the initiation and progression of cancer, and the... more The PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the initiation and progression of cancer, and the drug development efforts targeting this pathway with therapeutic interventions have been advanced by academic and industrial groups. However, the clinical outcome is moderate. Combination of inhibition of PI3K/AKT and other targeted agents became a feasible approach. In this study we assessed the combined effect of ARQ 092, a pan-AKT inhibitor, and ARQ 087, a pan-FGFR inhibitor, in vitro and in vivo. In a panel of 45 cancer cell lines, on 24% (11 out of 45) the compounds showed synergistic effect, on 62% (28 out of 45) additive, and on 13% (6 out of 45) antagonistic. The highest percentage of synergism was found on endometrial and ovarian cancer cell lines. Mutational analysis revealed that PIK3CA/PIK3R1 mutations and aberrant activation of FGFR2 predicted synergism, whereas Ras mutations showed a reverse correlation. Pathway analysis revealed that a combination of ARQ 092 and ARQ 087 e...

Oncotarget, Jan 22, 2017

The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy ana... more The ARQ 197-215 study randomized patients to tivantinib or placebo and pre-specified efficacy analyses indicated the predictive value of MET expression as a marker of benefit from tivantinib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 98 ARQ 197-215 patients with available absolute neutrophil count and absolute lymphocyte count at baseline. The cut-off value used to define high versus low NLR was 3.0. In univariate analysis, high NLR was associated with hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) of 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01; 2.47; P <0.046], corresponding to median OS of 5.1 months versus 7.8 months in patients with low NLR (P = 0.044). In contrast, time to progression was not significantly affected by NLR (P = 0.20). Multivariable model confirmed that both NLR >3 (P = 0.03) and presence of vascular invasion (P = 0.017) were negatively associated with OS. After adjustment for vascular invasion, NLR independe...

Translational Oncology, 2017

ARQ 087 is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent activity against the FGFR receptor famil... more ARQ 087 is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent activity against the FGFR receptor family, currently in Phase I clinical studies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The compound has a very safe profile and induces tumor regressions in FGFR-driven models. The feasibility of combining ARQ 087 with chemotherapy was investigated in FGFR deregulated human xenografts. Nude mice were transplanted subcutaneously with H1581, and when tumor masses reached 150 mg, were randomized to receive vehicle, ARQ 087, paclitaxel, carboplatin as single agents or in combination. Similar experimental conditions were applied in nude mice bearing SNU16 and MFE296 xenografts, with the inclusion of capecitabine in the former xenograft model. In the different xenograft models, the drugs given as single agents ranged from very active to partially active. The double combinations were more active than the single ones, but the triple combinations were the most active. In particular, the combination of ARQ 087 + paclitaxel + carboplatin in H1581 bearing mice was able to induce tumor regression in all the mice, with 6/8 mice tumor free at day 140 after tumor transplant. Of note, no toxic deaths nor premature stopping or delaying of drug administration were observed. The data herein reported demonstrated the feasibility of using xenografts models for poli-chemotherapeutic trials mimicking the best standard of care in treatment of specific tumor type and that ARQ 087, a new pan-FGFR inhibitor, can be safely combined with standard cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs with apparently no sign of cumulative toxicity and an associated increased antitumor effect.