Iulia Cirlan

EVOLVE: A Multicenter Open-Label Single-Arm Clinical and Translational Phase II Trial of Cediranib Plus Olaparib for Ovarian Cancer after PARP Inhibition Progression

Abstract Purpose: PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are standard-of-care therapy for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). We investigated combining cediranib (antiangiogenic) with olaparib (PARPi) at emergence of PARPi resistance. Patients and Methods: The proof-of-concept EVOLVE study (NCT02681237) assessed cediranib–olaparib combination therapy after progression on a PARPi. Women with HGSOC and radiographic evidence of disease progression were enrolled into one of three cohorts: platinum sensitive after PARPi; platinum resistant after PARPi; or progression on standard chemotherapy after progression on PARPi (exploratory cohort). Patients received olaparib tablets 300 mg twice daily with cediranib 20 mg once daily until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The coprimary endpoints were objective response rate (RECIST v1.1) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 16 weeks. Archival tissue (PARPi-naïve) and baseline biopsy (post-PARPi) samples were mandatory. Genomic mechanisms of resistance were assessed by whole-exome and RNA sequencing. Results: Among 34 heavily pretreated patients, objective responses were observed in 0 of 11 (0%) platinum-sensitive patients, 2 of 10 (20%) platinum-resistant patients, and 1 of 13 (8%) in the exploratory cohort. Sixteen-week PFS rates were 55%, 50%, and 39%, respectively. The most common grade 3 toxicities were diarrhea (12%) and anemia (9%). Acquired genomic alterations at PARPi progression were reversion mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, or RAD51B (19%); CCNE1 amplification (16%); ABCB1 upregulation (15%); and SLFN11 downregulation (7%). Patients with reversion mutations in homologous recombination genes and/or ABCB1 upregulation had poor outcomes. Conclusions: This is currently the largest post-PARPi study identifying genomic mechanisms of resistance to PARPis. In this setting, the activity of cediranib–olaparib varied according to the PARPi resistance mechanism.

A Study of Cediranib and Olaparib at Disease Worsening in Ovarian Cancer

This is a proof of concept study (a study to initially assess the benefit a new drug indication) of the combination of two investigational drugs cediranib and olaparib in patients with ovarian cancer whose cancer worsened despite previously receiving a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (such as olaparib). The purpose of this study is to find out whether taking cediranib and olaparib at the same time will be able to stop tumors from growing further or shrink it. Cediranib works by blocking (inhibiting) several specific proteins in cancer cells called the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors. These proteins are important in the formation of blood vessels to the tumor. It is believed that many tumors survive because the blood vessels on the tumors bring oxygen and nutrients to the cancer cells which enable them to grow. If the formation of the blood vessels is blocked, the tumor cells may die. Olaparib, works by blocking a protein called poly \[adenosine diphosphate-ribose\] polymerase (PARP). PARP is an important protein which tries to fix damaged deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA, molecules that contain important instructions for the development of cells). Many cancers are thought to develop from damaged DNA. By blocking PARP from fixing damaged DNA, the tumor cells may die. Adding cediranib to olaparib, and therefore blocking several different mechanisms for cancer growth, may stop tumor growth.