Temsirolimus and Pemetrexed for Recurrent or Refractory Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

A Phase I/II Trial of Temsirolimus and Pemetrexed in Recurrent/Refractory Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose limiting toxicities (DLT) of the combination of temsirolimus and pemetrexed, as well as the response rate. The starting dose (Dose Level 1) and schedule of pemetrexed will be 500 mg/m^2 given every 3 weeks and the starting dose (Dose Level 1) for temsirolimus will be 15 mg given weekly for 3 weeks, to complete 1 cycle. In subsequent cohorts, dose will be escalated or de-escalated. Enrollment to each cohort is based on toxicity experienced at that dose level.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Pemetrexed; Drug: Temsirolimus

Detailed Description

• To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of temsirolimus that could be administered weekly in combination with pemetrexed.
• To determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of temsirolimus and pemetrexed as well as other toxicities of this combination therapy.
• To describe the response rate of the combination in patients with relapsed/refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• To describe phospho-Akt and phospho-S6 levels in circulating mononuclear cells before and after treatment.
• To determine the response rates in patients with NSCLC when treated with temsirolimus and pemetrexed.
• To evaluate progression-free survival in patients with NSCLC when treated with temsirolimus and pemetrexed.
• To determine the one-year survival rates in patients with NSCLC when treated with temsirolimus and pemetrexed.
• To describe phospho-Akt and phospho-S6 levels in circulating mononuclear cells before and after treatment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Missouri
    • St. Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
      • Washington University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of NSCLC.
• Patients must have non-squamous histology.
• Patients must have measurable disease (by RECIST criteria), defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥20 mm with conventional techniques or as ≥10 mm with spiral CT scan.
• Patients may have failed at least one prior platinum-based therapy for NSCLC or be candidates for first-line therapy for advanced disease deemed ineligible to receive platinum-based chemotherapy in the opinion of the treating physician (e.g., Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 2, age ≥ 70, chronic medical condition).
• Patients must be at least 4 weeks out from chemotherapy, biological therapy, major surgery, or any investigative therapy and must have recovered from any toxicities. Patients must be at least 2 weeks out from prior radiation therapy and must have recovered from any associated toxicities (with the exception of alopecia).
• Patients must be at least 3 weeks out from immunosuppressive therapy (except corticosteroids used as antiemetics).
• Age ≥18 years. Because no dosing or adverse event data are currently available on the use of pemetrexed in combination with temsirolimus in patients <18 years of age, children are excluded from this study.
• ECOG performance status 0-2.

• Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

  • hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL
  • absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/mcL
  • platelets ≥100,000/mcL
  • total bilirubin ≤1.5 mg/dL
  • aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(SGOT)/ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (SGPT) ≤2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal OR ≤5 X institutional upper limit of normal if enzyme abnormalities are due to liver metastases
  • creatinine < 2.0 mg/dL AND/OR
  • creatinine clearance ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
  • serum cholesterol < 350 mg/dL
  • triglycerides < 300 mg/dL
• The effects of pemetrexed and temsirolimus on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown. For this reason and because antifolate antineoplastic agents as well as other therapeutic agents used in this trial are known to be teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
• Ability of the patient (or legally authorized representative if applicable) to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• Both men and women and members of all races and ethnic groups are eligible for this trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have had previous treatment with pemetrexed.
• Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, clinically significant hepatic or renal disease or neuropathy greater than grade 2.
• Symptomatic brain metastases
• Presence of a third-space fluid (pleural effusion, ascites etc.) that is uncontrolled by drainage.
• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to temsirolimus, its metabolites (including sirolimus), its components, and/or polysorbate 80, or to other agents used in the study.
• Known hypersensitivity to macrolide antibiotics.
• Patients with psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements and with premedications of dexamethasone, folic acid and vitamin B12.
• Patients with inability to discontinue all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
• Patients taking anticonvulsant medications (Carbamezapine, phenytoin, fosphenytoin, phenobarbital).
• Patients taking anti-arrhythmic medications (amiodarone, diltiazem and quinidine).
• Patients may not be taking medications known as inhibitors of CYP3A4 (carbamezapine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, rifampin, St. John's wort). Use of inducers of CYP3A4 is discouraged but not specifically prohibited. Dexamethasone as a chronic medication is discouraged.
• Pregnant women are excluded from this study because pemetrexed is an antifolate antineoplastic drug with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with pemetrexed, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with pemetrexed. These potential risks may also apply to other agents used in this study.
• Patients with known concomitant genetic or acquired immunosuppressive diseases are excluded. HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with pemetrexed and temsirolimus. In addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy. Appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Phase I Dose Level 1 (pemetrexed + temsirolimus); -Dose Level 1; Pemetrexed 500mg/m^2 intravenous (IV) on Day 1 of each 21 day cycle; Temsirolimus 15 mg IV on Days 1,8 and 15 of each 21 day cycle	Drug: Pemetrexed; Other Names: Alimta; Drug: Temsirolimus; Other Names: Torisel
EXPERIMENTAL: Phase I Dose Level -1 (pemetrexed + temsirolimus); Pemetrexed (375 mg/m^2) IV on Day 1 of each 21 day cycle; Temsirolimus (15 mg) IV on Days 1,8 and 15 of each 21 day cycle	Drug: Pemetrexed; Other Names: Alimta; Drug: Temsirolimus; Other Names: Torisel
EXPERIMENTAL: Phase 2 (pemetrexed + temsirolimus); Phase 2 dose will be the maximum tolerated dose found in the Phase I portion of the study.; Pemetrexed (375 mg/m^2) IV on Day 1 of each 21 day cycle; Temsirolimus (15 mg) IV on Days 1,8 and 15 of each 21 day cycle	Drug: Pemetrexed; Other Names: Alimta; Drug: Temsirolimus; Other Names: Torisel

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Phase I Only: Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Pemetrexed That Could be Administered Weekly in Combination With Temsirolimus	The starting dose and schedule of pemetrexed will be 500 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks and the starting dose for temsirolimus will be 15 mg given weekly for 3 weeks, to complete 1 cycle. In subsequent cohorts, dose will be escalated or de-escalated. Enrollment to each cohort is based on toxicity experienced at that dose level. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the dose level immediately below the dose level at which 2 patients of a cohort experience dose-limiting toxicity during the first cycle. Six patients will be enrolled at the maximum tolerated dose to ensure that no more than 2 DLTs occur at the MTD. Dose escalations will proceed until the MTD has been reached.	Completion of first cycle by all enrolled patients in Phase I portion of study
Phase I Only: Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Temsirolimus That Could be Administered Weekly in Combination With Pemetrexed	The starting dose and schedule of pemetrexed will be 500 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks and the starting dose for temsirolimus will be 15 mg given weekly for 3 weeks, to complete 1 cycle. In subsequent cohorts, dose will be escalated or de-escalated. Enrollment to each cohort is based on toxicity experienced at that dose level. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the dose level immediately below the dose level at which 2 patients of a cohort experience dose-limiting toxicity during the first cycle. Six patients will be enrolled at the maximum tolerated dose to ensure that no more than 2 DLTs occur at the MTD. Dose escalations will proceed until the MTD has been reached.	Completion of first cycle by all enrolled patients in Phase I portion of study
Phase I Only: Number of Participants Who Experience Dose-limiting Toxicities (DLT) of Temsirolimus and Pemetrexed	DLT will be defined as occurring within the first cycle of Phase I only and will be graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v 3.0 (CTCAE); Any grade 3 or higher hematologic toxicity with the exception of anemia.; Any grade 3 or higher non-hematologic toxicity related to study therapy (except alopecia).; Grade 3 or 4 pneumonitis or esophagitis.; Treatment delay of temsirolimus for more than 14 consecutive days due to study-related toxicity.; Treatment delay of pemetrexed therapy for more than 14 consecutive days because of study-related toxicity.	Completion of first cycle (approximately 21 days)
Phase I and Phase II: Overall Response Rate (Complete Response + Partial Response)	Only those patients who have measurable disease present at baseline, have received at least one cycle of therapy, and have had their disease re-evaluated will be considered evaluable for response.; Complete response (CR)-disappearance of all target lesions and disappearance of all non-target lesions and normalization of tumor marker level.; Partial response (PR)-at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter (LD) of the target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum LD	2 years
Phase I Only: Phospho-Akt Levels in Circulating Mononuclear Cells		Cycle 1 Day 1, one hour post completion of initial temsirolimus dose, and Cycle 1 Day 8
Phase I Only: Phospho-S6 Levels in Circulating Mononuclear Cells		Cycle 1 Day 1, one hour post completion of initial temsirolimus dose, and Cycle 1 Day 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Phase 2 Only: Progression-free Survival (PFS)	PFS is defined as the duration of time from start of treatment to time of progression.	2 years from completion of treatment
Phase 2 Only: Survival Rate		1 year after start of treatment
Phase 2 Only: Phospho-Akt Levels in Circulating Mononuclear Cells		Cycle 1 Day 1, one hour post completion of initial temsirolimus dose, and Cycle 1 Day 8
Phase 2 Only: Phospho-S6 Levels in Circulating Mononuclear Cells Before and After Treatment		Cycle 1 Day 1, one hour post completion of initial temsirolimus dose, and Cycle 1 Day 8

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Russo F, Bearz A, Pampaloni G; Investigators of Italian Pemetrexed Monotherapy of NSCLC Group. Pemetrexed single agent chemotherapy in previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. BMC Cancer. 2008 Jul 31;8:216. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-8-216.
• Pal SK, Figlin RA, Reckamp KL. The role of targeting mammalian target of rapamycin in lung cancer. Clin Lung Cancer. 2008 Nov;9(6):340-5. doi: 10.3816/CLC.2008.n.049.
• Atkins MB, Hidalgo M, Stadler WM, Logan TF, Dutcher JP, Hudes GR, Park Y, Liou SH, Marshall B, Boni JP, Dukart G, Sherman ML. Randomized phase II study of multiple dose levels of CCI-779, a novel mammalian target of rapamycin kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced refractory renal cell carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Mar 1;22(5):909-18. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.08.185.
• Rini BI. Temsirolimus, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin. Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Mar 1;14(5):1286-90. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-07-4719. No abstract available.
• Duran I, Kortmansky J, Singh D, Hirte H, Kocha W, Goss G, Le L, Oza A, Nicklee T, Ho J, Birle D, Pond GR, Arboine D, Dancey J, Aviel-Ronen S, Tsao MS, Hedley D, Siu LL. A phase II clinical and pharmacodynamic study of temsirolimus in advanced neuroendocrine carcinomas. Br J Cancer. 2006 Nov 6;95(9):1148-54. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6603419. Epub 2006 Oct 10.
• Peralba JM, DeGraffenried L, Friedrichs W, Fulcher L, Grunwald V, Weiss G, Hidalgo M. Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of CCI-779, an Inhibitor of mTOR, in Cancer Patients. Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Aug 1;9(8):2887-92.

Helpful Links

• Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): January 1, 2013
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): April 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 15, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 15, 2009
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): June 16, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): December 13, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 19, 2016
• Last Verified: October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Temsirolimus and pemetrexed for recurrent or refractory NSCLC
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Diseases; Neoplasms; Lung Diseases; Neoplasms by Site; Respiratory Tract Neoplasms; Thoracic Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic; Bronchial Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Anti-Infective Agents; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antifungal Agents; Folic Acid Antagonists; Pemetrexed; Sirolimus
• Other Study ID Numbers: 09-0668 / 201105207