A Phase II/III Study of High-dose, Intermittent Sunitinib in Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme (STELLAR)

A Phase II/III Study of High-dose, Intermittent Sunitinib in Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme: the STELLAR Study

In this study the investigators will evaluate the effect of high-dose, intermittent sunitinib versus treatment with lomustine in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. The investigators hypothesize that sunitinib, when given in a high-dose, intermittent schedule, will achieve adequate concentration levels in the tumor and will, besides its anti-angiogenic properties, inhibit gliomagenesis by inhibition of multiple kinases.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Glioblastoma; Glioblastoma Multiforme; GBM; Glioblastoma, Adult; Recurrent Brain Tumor
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Sunitinib; Drug: Lomustine

Detailed Description

Study design: Multicenter, phase II/III, randomized clinical trial with high-dose sunitinib versus lomustine (CCNU) in patients with recurrent GBM.

Hypothesis: Sunitinib, when given in a high-dose, intermittent schedule, may exhibit improved efficacy in patients with recurrent GBM with an acceptable toxicity profile, compared to lomustine.

Study population: Adult patients with recurrent GBM.

Primary objective:

- To determine the effect of high-dose sunitinib versus lomustine on six-month progression-free survival (PFS6) in patients with recurrent GBM, using the RANO criteria.

Secondary objectives:

• To determine the effect of high-dose sunitinib on overall survival (OS 9, OS 12) in patients with recurrent GBM.
• To assess the objective radiological response rate, using the RANO criteria.
• To assess toxicity, using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0.
• To assess patient-oriented criteria: steroid use and health-related quality of life (reported by patients and caregivers/relatives).
• To explore the potential value of blood markers for molecular diagnostics, disease and response monitoring.
• To explore if MGMT promoter methylation status modulates the response to sunitinib.

Treatment: After randomization, 100 patients will be divided equally over two treatment groups and will receive:

• Group 1 (experimental arm): Sunitinib, 700 mg administered orally every 2 weeks.
• Group 2 (control arm): Lomustine 110 mg/m2, taken orally on day 1 every 6 weeks.

Disease will be assessed by MRI according to an uniform neuro-oncology protocol every 6 weeks for the first 6 months and every 12 weeks until documented progression. Safety profile of both treatment strategies will be assessed separately for each cycle of therapy and every 12 weeks after the end of treatment if adverse effects have not resolved or are newly emerging. Furthermore, quality of life assessment takes place every 6 weeks using questionnaires.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 100
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Myra E Van Linde, MD; Phone Number: +31 20 444 4321; Email: trialoffice-onc@vumc.nl
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Jorien Janssen, MD; Email: jorien.janssen@radboudumc.nl; trialoffice-onc@vumc.nl

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • VU University Medical Center
    • Contact: Jorien Janssen, MD; Email: jorien.janssen@radboudumc.nl
    • Principal Investigator: Myra E Van Linde, MD
    • Sub-Investigator: Jorien Janssen, MD
  • Groningen, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • University Medical Center Groningen
    • Sub-Investigator: Jorien Janssen, MD
    • Contact: Jorien Janssen, MD
    • Principal Investigator: Annemiek ME Walenkamp, MD PhD
  • Nijmegen, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Radboud UMC
    • Sub-Investigator: Jorien Janssen, MD
    • Contact: Jorien Janssen, MD
    • Principal Investigator: Chantal Driessen, MD, PhD

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:

1. Signed (by the patient or legally acceptable representative) and dated Informed Consent Form
2. Histologically confirmed de novo or secondary glioblastoma with unequivocal first progression, at least 3 months off radiotherapy.
3. No more than one line of chemotherapy (concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide based chemotherapy including in combination with another investigational agent is considered one line of chemotherapy). Chemotherapy must have been completed at least 4 weeks prior to randomization.
4. Patients may have undergone surgery for recurrence. If operated, residual and measurable disease after surgery is not required but surgery must have confirmed the recurrence.
5. No radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery or brachytherapy as treatment for recurrence.
6. Patients must have a Karnofsky Performance Score ≥ 70%

7. Patients need to have adequate hematological, renal and hepatic function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements to be conducted within seven days prior to start study treatment:

   1. Hemoglobin ≥ 7.0 mmol/L
   2. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 109/L
   3. Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L
   4. ALAT and ASAT ≤ 2.5 x ULN
   5. Serum creatinine eGFR ≥ 50 ml/min
   6. Albumin ≥ 25 g/L
8. Age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Evidence of a significant uncontrolled concomitant disease, such as cardiovascular disease (including stroke, New York Heart Association Class III or IV cardiac disease or myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to screening, unstable arrhythmia, clinically significant valvular heart disease and unstable angina); nervous system, pulmonary (including obstructive pulmonary disease and history of symptomatic bronchospasm), renal, hepatic, endocrine, or gastrointestinal disorders; or a serious non-healing wound or fracture.
2. Patients with a prior (< 5 years) or concomitant second malignancy.
3. Prior radiotherapy in the abdomen or in the lungs or in more than 3 vertebrae in the spine (Less than 3 vertebrae are considered a small radiation field and eligibility will be decided on an individual basis from the PI).
4. Poorly controlled hypertension despite adequate blood pressure medication. Blood pressure must be ≤ 160/95 mmHg at the time of screening on a stable antihypertensive regimen. Blood pressure must be stable on at least 2 separate measurements.
5. Known active bacterial, viral, fungal, mycobacterial, or other infection (including HIV and atypical mycobacterial disease, but excluding fungal infection of the nail beds.)
6. Initial MR-scan of the brain showing intratumoral hemorrhage, except for stable post-operative grade 1 hemorrhage.
7. Known hypersensitivity to sunitinib or to its excipients.
8. Presence of any significant central nervous system or psychiatric disorder(s) that would interfere with the patient's compliance.
9. Use of full-dose oral or parenteral anticoagulants or thrombolytic agent for therapeutic (as opposed to prophylactic) purposes.
10. Use of strong hepatic enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs, such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin. If a patient uses one or more of these specific antiepileptic drugs, they must switch to an antiepileptic drug that does not interact with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) liver enzymes, such as levetiracetam, prior to the start of study treatment.
11. Drug or alcohol abuse.
12. Females who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
13. Any evidence of a disease or condition that might affect compliance with the protocol or interpretation of the study results or render the patient at high risk from treatment complications.
14. Unwillingness or inability to comply with study and follow-up procedures.
15. Clinically significant history of liver disease, including viral or other hepatitis, current alcohol abuse, or cirrhosis.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sunitinib; Patients in this experimental arm will receive sunitinib in a high-dose, intermittent schedule.	Drug: Sunitinib; Sunitinib, 300 mg administered orally in a weekly schedule.; Other Names: Sutent
Active Comparator: Lomustine; Patients in this control arm will receive lomustine, currently used as second-line treatment in the case of recurrence.	Drug: Lomustine; Lomustine 110 mg/m2, taken orally on day 1 every 6 weeks.; Other Names: CCNU

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Six-month progression-free survival (PFS-6)	From the date of randomization up to the date of first progression or death (any cause) whichever comes first, assessed up to 36 months (End of Study).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Overall survival (OS)		From the date of randomization up to the date of death, assessed up to 36 months. If study medication is discontinued for any reason, survival follow-up takes place every 12 weeks, also assessed up to 36 months (End of Study).
Objective radiological response rate	Response will be assessed according to the RANO criteria.	Disease will be assessed by MRI every 6 weeks for the first 6 months and every 12 weeks until documented progression, assessed up to 36 months (End of Study).
Adverse events (AEs)	At the end of the study, after 36 months, the number of participants with adverse events that are related to both treatments will be assessed and compared.	AEs will be monitored at every visit during study treatment or after discontinuation of study treatment in the case adverse events have not subsided, assessed up to 36 months (End of Study).
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL)	Steroid use will be documented at every treatment cycle as an objective parameter for HRQoL. Furthermore, HRQoL will also be measured via EORTC questionnaires, which will be filled in by the participants every 6 weeks BEFORE their MRI.	HRQoL assessments will be performed at baseline and every 6 weeks until documented progression, assessed up to 36 months (End of Study).
Blood markers (TEP: tumor educated platelets, and miRNA)	The five specific time points during study treatment are: (1) at baseline; (2) at the first outpatient visit; (3) after two weeks of treatment; (4) at the first response evaluation (first MRI); and (5) at the time of progression.	Blood samples for RNA profiling will be drawn simultaneously with regular blood samples on five specific time points during study treatment and will be assessed after 36 months (End of Study).
MGMT promoter methylation status	Previously obtained resection or biopsy material from the first-line treatment of these participants will be requested at the time of inclusion and used to determine the MGMT methylation status. After the End of Study (after 36 months) the MGMT promoter methylation status will be correlated with the response to treatment.	At the end of the study (after 36 months), the treatment outcomes of all patients will be correlated with the MGMT promoter methylation status.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Myra E Van Linde, MD, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 31, 2018
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): January 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): January 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2017
• First Posted (Estimate): January 20, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 19, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 14, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: High-dose; Sunitinib; Lomustine; Intermittent
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Disease Attributes; Astrocytoma; Glioma; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Nervous System Neoplasms; Glioblastoma; Recurrence; Brain Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Alkylating Agents; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Angiogenesis Modulating Agents; Growth Substances; Growth Inhibitors; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Sunitinib; Lomustine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2016.221

Drug and device information, study documents

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