Vandetanib to Treat Children and Adolescents With Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Phase I/II Trial of Vandetanib (ZD6474, ZACTIMA) in Children and Adolescents With Hereditary Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Background:

• Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is common in people with a genetic disorder called multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN).
• Vandetanib is an experimental drug that blocks a defective protein receptor (rearranged during transfection (RET) receptor) found on the surface of cancer cells in people with MEN. It is thought that this protein is a primary cause of MTC in people with MEN.

Objectives:

• To study the activity of Vandetanib in children and adolescents with MEN-related MTC by measuring the change in tumor size, in blood levels of proteins produced the tumor (calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and in tumor-related diarrhea.
• To determine the safety and tolerability of Vandetanib in children and adolescents.
• To study how the body handles Vandetanib in children and adolescents.
• To determine the effect of Vandetanib on the survival of children and adolescents with MTC.

Eligibility:

-Children and adolescents 5 to 18 years of age with MTC whose tumor cannot be surgically removed or has grown back after treatment or has metastasized (spread beyond the thyroid gland).

Design:

• Patients take Vandetanib once a day in 28-day cycles. The first patients enrolled in the study are started on a low dose of Vandetanib to determine tolerability.
• Patients have periodic blood tests, electrocardiograms, and blood pressure measurements to look for side effects of Vandetanib.
• Blood tests and imaging scans (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), bone and octreoscan) are done every 8 weeks for the first 32 weeks of treatment and then every 16 weeks for the duration of the treatment period.
• Patients who have tumor-related diarrhea keep a daily record of the number and consistency of bowel movements.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2A; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2B; Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Vandetanib

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), which is a rare calcitonin-producing tumor arising from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid, is often a manifestation of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) types 2A and 2B and can be detected in children as young as five years in MEN 2A and one year in those with MEN 2B

MEN results from an activating mutation in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene resulting in a constitutively activated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)

Vandetanib is an orally bioavailable multi-RTK inhibitor that blocks the mutant RET gene product and has anti-tumor activity in adults with hereditary MTC

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the activity of vandetanib in children and adolescents with hereditary MTC using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) (primary endpoint), tumor biomarkers and tumor-related diarrhea

To assess the safety and tolerance of vandetanib in children and adolescents at a dose equivalent to the recommended dose in adults

To assess the pharmacokinetics of vandetanib at steady state in children and adolescents

Secondary objectives include monitoring progression-free and overall survival, assessing RET, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR) and somatostatin receptor expression in archival tumor tissue, assessing changes in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mutations in RET in tumor tissue vs germ line in PBMC and after treatment; assessing gene expression and gains/losses of DNA in tumor tissue at baseline, during treatment and at the time of progression; establishment of pediatric MTC cell lines sensitive and resistant cells lines in vitro

ELIGIBILITY:

Children and adolescents 5 to 18 years of age (inclusive) with unresectable, recurrent or metastatic hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma

Measurable disease by RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors)

DESIGN:

Vandetanib will be administered as a once daily dose, continuously (1 cycle equals 28 days) at a dose of 150 mg,m(2), per day

To ensure the safety of the adult dose in children and adolescents, a limited intra-patient dose escalation will be performed in the initial cohort of patients, with older patients (13 to18 yrs) being studied before younger patients (5 to12 yrs)

Patients wil be enrolled at a dose of 100mg, m(2), per day (180 mg per day in adults) for two 28 day cycles and escalated to 150 mg, m(2), per day (270 mg, per day in adults) on cycle 3, if dose limiting toxicity was not observed at the lower dose. If the 150mg, m(2), per day dose level is tolerable on cycles 3 and 4, all subsequent patients will be enrolled at this dose level

Pharmacokinetics of vandetanib will be studied at steady state at the end of cycle 2 and trough levels will be obtained prior to the second dose on cycle 1, and on day 1 of cycles 2-5.

Responsible of measurable tumors will be assessed by RECIST. Biomarker and clinical response will also be monitored. Twenty one patients will be studied to determine if the response rate in children and adolescents with hereditary MTC is consistent with the 28 percent objective response rate in adults

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 17
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Age: Participants must be 5 to 18 years of age, inclusive. The first cohort of 3 to 6 participants enrolled on the trial will be at least 13 years of age.

Diagnosis: Hereditary (Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) or Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2B (MEN 2B) medullary thyroid carcinoma (histologically confirmed) that is unresectable, recurrent or metastatic. Participants must have previously had a characteristic germline mutation in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene documented. Results of the germline mutation testing will be obtained from the referring institution.

Participants must have measurable disease as defined in Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) as the presence of at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension with longest diameter of at least 20 mm using conventional techniques or at least 10 mm with spiral computed tomography (CT) scan. Superficial (easily palpable) lymph nodes will be considered measurable.

Participants must be able to take one of the oral formulations of vandetanib.

Prior therapy: There are no standard chemotherapy regimens known to be effective for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Therefore, previously untreated participants are eligible if their tumor(s) are not surgically resectable.

Participants must be at least 4 weeks from prior surgical procedures and surgical incisions must be healed.

Participants must have had their last fraction of external beam radiation therapy at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

Participants must have had their last dose of cytotoxic chemotherapy at least 28 days prior to enrollment, their last dose of biological therapy, such as biological response modifiers (e.g., cytokines), immunomodulatory agents, vaccines, differentiating agents, used to treat their cancer at least 7 days prior to enrollment, their last dose of a monoclonal antibody at least 30 days prior to enrollment, and their last dose of any investigational agent at least 30 days prior to enrollment.

Participants must have received their last dose of short acting colony stimulating factor, such as filgrastim or sargramostim at least 72 hours prior to enrollment and their last dose of long-acting colony stimulating factors, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG)-filgrastim at least 7 days prior to enrollment.

Participants must have recovered from the acute toxic effects of prior therapy to a grade 1 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.3.0) level prior to enrollment.

Performance Status: Lansky (for participants 10 years of age or younger) or Karnofsky (for participants older than 10 years) performance score greater than 50

Concomitant Medications:

Participants who have previously had a thyroidectomy should be on thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

Hematological Function: The peripheral absolute neutrophil count must be at least 1,500 micro liters and the platelet count must be at least 100,000 micro liters within 72 hours prior to enrollment.

Coagulation: Prothrombin Time (PT) and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) must not be more than 1.5 x ULN within 72 hours prior to enrollment. PT and PTT should drawn by venipuncture, rather than from a central venous catheter when feasible.

Hepatic Function:

Bilirubin must not be more than 1.5 x ULN and the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) must not be more than 2.5 x ULN within 72 hours prior to enrollment. AST and ALT may be up to 5 x ULN within 72 hours prior to enrollment in participants with hepatic metastases.

Renal Function: Participants must have an age-adjusted normal serum creatinine or a creatinine clearance of at least 60 ml/min/1.73 m^2.

Birth Control: Participants of child-bearing or child-fathering potential must be willing to use a medically effective form of birth control, which includes abstinence, while taking vandetanib and for 2 months after the last dose.

Negative pregnancy test for women of childbearing potential.

Informed Consent: Participants who are 18 years of age or legal guardians of participants who are younger than 18 years must sign an informed consent for the Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB) Screening Protocol prior to participating in studies required to determine eligibility for this trial. After confirmation of eligibility, participants or legal guardians of minor participants must sign an informed consent document for this trial, indicating that they are aware of the investigational nature of the proposed treatment, the risks and benefits of participating and the alternatives to participating.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Pregnant or breast feeding females because the anti-angiogenic properties of vandetanib may be harmful to the developing fetus or nursing infant.

Participants with pheochromocytoma as evidenced by elevated plasma free metanephrines.

Electrolytes: Participants with a serum potassium less than 3.5 mmol/L or a serum calcium or magnesium below the lower limits of normal. Correction of these electrolyte abnormalities with supplements is allowed.

Cardiac:

Participants with a history of arrhythmia (multifocal premature ventricular contractions, bigeminy, trigeminy, ventricular tachycardia, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation, left bundle branch block) that is symptomatic or requires treatment (except for controlled atrial fibrillation)

Participants with a history of congenitally prolonged Corrected QT Interval (QTc), a first degree relative with unexplained sudden death under 40 years of age, or a measured QTc (Bazett's correction) longer than 480 msec on electrocardiogram (ECG). ECGs should be performed after correction of electrolyte abnormalities. Participants with a prolonged QTc should have a repeat ECG at least 24 hour after the first, and the mean of the 2 QTcs should not exceed 480 msec.

Participants who experienced QTc prolongation with other medications requiring discontinuation of that medication.

Participants receiving a medication that has a known risk of QTc prolongation within 14 days (28 days for levomethadyl) of enrollment.

Hypertension: Diastolic blood pressure above the 95% for age on at least 2 of 3 measurements with an appropriate-size cuff or patients who are currently taking anti-hypertensive therapy.

Other clinically severe or uncontrolled systemic illness that could compromise the participants ability to tolerate vandetanib or could compromise study procedures or endpoints.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Vandetanib; Vandetanib administered as a once daily dose, continuously (1 cycle = 28 days) at a dose of 150 mg/m^2/day.	Drug: Vandetanib; once daily continuously (28 day cycles); Other Names: Caprelsa

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD)	The MTD is the highest dose of Vandetanib tolerated at which a participant experienced a dose limiting toxicity (DLT) during the first two cycles of drug.	During Cycle 1 and Cycle 2, approximately 56 days
Overall Percentage of Participants With an Objective Response Defined as a Complete Response (CR) or Partial Response (PR)	Response was assessed by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Complete Response is disappearance of all target lesions. Partial Response is at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter (LD) of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum LD. Stable Disease is neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum LD since the treatment started. Progressive Disease is at least a 20% increase in the sum of the LD of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum LD recorded since the treatment started or the appearance of one or more new lesions.	Patients were evaluated for response after every 2 cycles x 4 (prior to cycles 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) and then after every 4 cycles X 1 (prior to cycle 13) and then every 6 cycles (prior to cycle 19, 25, 31, etc). Response was followed for an median of 59 mon

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With an Increase or Decrease in Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Biomarker Response	Blood was collected from participants and measured with an Axsym Analyzer then Immulite CEA method and assessed by the following response criteria. Partial Response (PR) is a ≥50% decrease in the CEA level relative to the baseline level, confirmed with a repeat CEA level at least 4 weeks apart. Progression (P) is a ≥50% increase in the CEA relative to the prior value on 2 consecutive measurements at least 4 weeks apart. The patient must have been taking vandetanib for 4 weeks prior to the first measurements and must have continued to take the drug through the time that the second measurement was drawn. Stable (S) is a <50% increase or decrease in CEA level relative to the baseline level.	Every 2 cycles x 4 (prior to cycles 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9), prior to cycle 13, and then every 6 cycles (prior to cycle 19, 25, 31, etc). Patients were followed for response for a median of 59 months.
Percent Change in Calcitonin (CTN) Biomarker Response After Cycle 1	Blood was collected from participants and measured with an Chemiluminescence immunoassay. Calcitonin upper limit of normal is <10 pg/mL. A decline in CTN is defined as a ≥50% increase (e.g. tumor growth or progression) in the CTN level after treatment in cycle 1.	Cycle 1 (28 days)
Area Under the Concentration Time Curve (AUC 0-24h)	The AUC is a measure of the serum concentration of the drug over time. It is used to characterize drug absorption.	Cycle 1, Pre-dose and then 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 24 hour post dose.
Number of Participants With Serious and Non-serious Adverse Events Assessed by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v3.0)	Here is the number of participants with serious and non-serious adverse events assessed by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v3.0). A non-serious adverse event is any untoward medical occurrence. A serious adverse event is an adverse event or suspected adverse reaction that results in death, a life-threatening adverse drug experience, hospitalization, disruption of the ability to conduct normal life functions, congenital anomaly/birth defect or important medical events that jeopardize the patient or subject and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of the previous outcomes mentioned.	Date treatment consent signed to date off study, approximately 142 months and 8 days.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With a Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT)	Hematologic Dose-Limiting Toxicity (H-DLT) is: Neutrophil count below 1,000/μL (grade 3) on 2 consecutive measurements drawn at least 72 hours apart OR a single neutrophil count below 500/μL (grade 4); Platelet count below 50,000/μL (grade 3) on 2 consecutive measurements drawn at least 72 hours apart OR a single platelet count below 25,000/μL (grade 4); A platelet transfusion administered when platelet count is below 50,000/μL is dose limiting thrombocytopenia, unless the transfusion is being administered for perioperative coverage; Grade 3 or 4 decrease in hemoglobin that can be corrected to at least 8.0 g/dl (grade 2) by transfusion of red blood cells is not a dose-limiting toxicity. Grade 3 or 4 hemolysis is a dose-limiting toxicity if it is judged to be vandetanib-related. Non-Hematologic Dose-Limiting Toxicity is any grade 3 or higher non-hematologic toxicity, with some exceptions such as Grade 3 nausea that is controlled by symptomatic treatment with anti-emetics.	up to Cycle 3 (each Cycle is 28 days)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Holden SN, Eckhardt SG, Basser R, de Boer R, Rischin D, Green M, Rosenthal MA, Wheeler C, Barge A, Hurwitz HI. Clinical evaluation of ZD6474, an orally active inhibitor of VEGF and EGF receptor signaling, in patients with solid, malignant tumors. Ann Oncol. 2005 Aug;16(8):1391-7. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdi247. Epub 2005 May 19.
• Marsh DJ, Learoyd DL, Robinson BG. Medullary thyroid carcinoma: recent advances and management update. Thyroid. 1995 Oct;5(5):407-24. doi: 10.1089/thy.1995.5.407.
• Fox E, Widemann BC, Chuk MK, Marcus L, Aikin A, Whitcomb PO, Merino MJ, Lodish M, Dombi E, Steinberg SM, Wells SA, Balis FM. Vandetanib in children and adolescents with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B associated medullary thyroid carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Aug 1;19(15):4239-48. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-0071. Epub 2013 Jun 13.
• Kraft IL, Akshintala S, Zhu Y, Lei H, Derse-Anthony C, Dombi E, Steinberg SM, Lodish M, Waguespack SG, Kapustina O, Fox E, Balis FM, Merino MJ, Meltzer PS, Glod JW, Shern JF, Widemann BC. Outcomes of Children and Adolescents with Advanced Hereditary Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Treated with Vandetanib. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Feb 15;24(4):753-765. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-2101. Epub 2017 Nov 29.
• Allen, T., Bedoya, S.Z., Glod, J., Widemann, B., Wiener, L. Baseline Characteristics of Adolescents and Young Adults with Medullary Thyroid Cancer and MEN-2B: Data from the Rare Tumor Initiative at the National Cancer Institute. International Psycho-Oncology Society's 21st World Congress, Banff, Canada, September, 2019, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice, 1(1): 5.
• Lodish M, Gkourogianni A, Bornstein E, Sinaii N, Fox E, Chuk M, Marcus L, Akshintala S, Balis F, Widemann B, Stratakis CA. Patterns of thyroid hormone levels in pediatric medullary thyroid carcinoma patients on vandetanib therapy. Int J Pediatr Endocrinol. 2015;2015(1):3. doi: 10.1186/1687-9856-2015-3. Epub 2015 Feb 16.
• Nella AA, Lodish MB, Fox E, Balis FM, Quezado MM, Whitcomb PO, Derdak J, Kebebew E, Widemann BC, Stratakis CA. Vandetanib successfully controls medullary thyroid cancer-related Cushing syndrome in an adolescent patient. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Sep;99(9):3055-9. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-4340. Epub 2014 Mar 11.

Helpful Links

• NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 20, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 10, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): August 9, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 22, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pediatric; Pharmacokinetics; Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia; Molecularly-Targeted Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms by Site; Adenocarcinoma; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Endocrine System Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b
• Other Study ID Numbers: 070189; 07-C-0189

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: We wish to share IPD via two citations.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Indefinitely.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No