A Study Of Avelumab In Combination With Axitinib In Advanced HCC (VEGF Liver 100)

AN OPEN LABEL, SINGLE ARM PHASE 1B STUDY OF AVELUMAB PLUS AXITINIB AS FIRST LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

To evaluate the safety, efficacy and PK of avelumab in combination with axitinib as first line treatment in patients with advanced HCC

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Avelumab (MSB0010718C); Drug: Axitinib (AG-013736)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Japan
  • Fukuoka, Japan, 810-8563
    • National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center
  • Aichi
    • Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, 464-8681
      • Aichi Cancer Center Hospital
  • Fukuoka
    • Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan, 820-8505
      • Iizuka Hospital
  • Osaka
    • Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan, 589-8511
      • Kindai University Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
  • Tokyo
    • Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 104-0045
      • National Cancer Center Hospital
    • Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan, 181-8611
      • Kyorin University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology
    • Musashino, Tokyo, Japan, 180-8610
      • Japanese Red Cross Musashino Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of locally advanced or metastatic HCC, obtained by histology/cytology (on a prior tumor biopsy) or by imaging with serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥400 ng/mL.
• All patients must provide at least 1 archival tumor specimen. If archival tumor specimen is no longer available, de novo tumor biopsy will be required during screening.
• HCC not amenable to local therapy.
• Measurable disease according to RECIST v. 1.1.
• Child Pugh Class A disease.
• BCLC stage B or C disease.
• No evidence of uncontrolled hypertension as documented by 2 baseline blood pressure readings taken at least 1 hour apart.
• ECOG performance status 0 or 1.
• Adequate bone marrow function, renal and liver functions
• Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ lower limit of normal (LLN) as assessed by multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan or echocardiogram (ECHO).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior systemic treatment for advanced HCC, including prior treatment with approved or investigational drugs.
• Any prior locoregional therapy within 4 weeks and radiotherapy or surgical procedure within 2 weeks (4 weeks for major surgery) of enrollment.
• Patients with known symptomatic brain metastases requiring steroids.
• Presence of hepatic encephalopathy (ie, Child Pugh score of 2 or 3) and/or clinically relevant ascites (ie, Child Pugh score of 3).
• Presence of main portal vein invasion by HCC.
• Any of the following within the 12 months prior to enrollment: myocardial infarction, severe/unstable angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, LVEF less than LLN, clinically significant pericardial effusion, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack.
• Active infection requiring systemic therapy except for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental 1; Avelumab (MSB0010718C) in combination with axitinib (AG-013736)	Drug: Avelumab (MSB0010718C); Patients will receive avelumab 10 mg/kg Q2W in combination with axitinib 5 mg BID.; Drug: Axitinib (AG-013736); Patients will receive avelumab 10 mg/kg Q2W in combination with axitinib 5 mg BID.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) by Severity as Graded by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version (v.) 4.03	An adverse event (AE) was any untoward medical occurrence in a participant who received study drug without regard to possibility of causal relationship. AEs were graded by investigator according to NCI CTCAE v.4.03 as follows: Grade 1: mild AE, Grade 2: moderate AE, Grade 3: severe AE, Grade 4: life-threatening consequences and urgent intervention indicated, Grade 5: death related to AE.	From first dose of study drug up to 30 days after last dose of study drug or initiation of new anti-cancer drug therapy, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 21 months)
Number of Participants With Abnormal Laboratory Parameter Values (Hematology) as Graded by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) Version 4.03	As per NCI-CTCAE v 4.03, anemia Grade 1= Less than (<) lower limit of normal (LLN) to 100 gram per liter (g/L),Grade 2= <100 to 80 g/L; hemoglobin increased: Grade 1= increase of greater than (>) 0 to 2 gram per deciliter(g/dL) above upper limit of normal [ULN]; lymphocyte count decreased: Grade 1= <LLN to 0.8*10^9/L, Grade 2= <0.8*10^9/L to 0.5*10^9/L, Grade 3= <0.5*10^9/L to 0.2*10^9/L ; lymphocyte count increased: Grade 2= >4*10^9/L to 20*10^9/L; neutrophil count decreased: Grade 1= <LLN to 1.5*10^9/L ,Grade 2= <1.5*10^9/L to 1.0*10^9/L; platelet count decreased: Grade 1= <LLN to 75.0*10^9/L, Grade 2= <75.0*10^9/L to 50.0*10^9/L; white blood cell decreased: Grade 1= <LLN to 3*10^9/L, Grade 2= <3*10^9/L to 2*10^9/L.	From first dose of study drug up to 30 days after last dose of study drug or initiation of new anti-cancer drug therapy, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 21 months)
Number of Participants With Abnormal Laboratory Parameter Values (Chemistry) as Graded by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) Version (v) 4.03	ALT,ALP,AST increased grades(g):g1>ULN-3.0*ULN,g2>3.0-5.0*ULN,g3>5.0-20.0*ULN; blood bilirubin increased:g1>ULN-1.5*ULN, g2>1.5-3.0*ULN, g3>3.0-10.0*ULN; [cholesterol high:g1>ULN-7.75, g2 >7.75-10.34,g4 >12.92]millimoles per liter(mmol/L);creatine phosphokinase, gamma-glutamyl transferase(ggt) increased g1>ULN-2.5*ULN, g2>2.5*ULN-5*ULN; Ggt increased g3 >5.0-20.0*ULN; Creatinine increased: g1>ULN-1.5*ULN; [hypoalbuminemia:g1<LLN-30,g2<30-20] grams per liter(g/L);[hyperglycemia:g1> ULN-8.9,g2> 8.9-13.9,g3> 13.9-27.8;hypermagnesemia:g1>ULN-1.23;hypercalcemia:g1>ULN -2.9;hyperkalemia:g1>ULN-5.5,hypernatremia:g1>ULN-150;hypertriglyceridemia g1:1.71-3.42,g2 >3.42-5.7;hypocalcemia:g1<LLN-2.0,hypoglycemia:g1<LLN-3.0, g2<3.0-2.2;hypokalemia:g2<LLN-3.0,g4<2.5,hypomagnesemia:g1<LLN-0.5,hyponatremia:g1<LLN-130, g3<130-120,hypophosphatemia:g1<LLN-0.8,g2<0.8-0.6]mmol/L;lipase increased:g1>ULN-1.5*ULN,g3 >2.0-5.0*ULN;serum amylase increased:g1>ULN-1.5*ULN, g2>1.5-2.0*ULN,g3>2.0-5.0*ULN.	From first dose of study drug up to 30 days after last dose of study drug or initiation of new anti-cancer drug therapy, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 21 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Time to Disease Progression (TTP)	TTP as assessed by investigator according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, was define as time (in months) from date of first dose of study drug to date of first documentation of progressive disease (PD) or data censoring date, whichever occurred first. PD was defined as greater than or equal to (>=) 20 percent (%) increase in sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as a reference smallest sum on study treatment (this included baseline sum if that was smallest on study treatment), with a minimum absolute increase of at least 5 millimeter (mm), or appearance of >=1 new lesions. TTP was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. TTP data was censored on the date the last adequate tumor assessment for participants without PD, for participants who start new anti-cancer treatment prior to PD, for participants who died without PD, or for participants with PD after >=2 missing tumor assessments.	From first dose of study drug until first documentation of progressive disease or data censoring date, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 20 months)
Progression Free Survival (PFS)	PFS as assessed by investigator per RECIST v1.1, was defined as time (in months) from date of first dose of study drug to date of first documentation of PD or death due to any cause or data censoring date, whichever occurred first. PD: >= 20% increase in sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as a reference smallest sum on study treatment (this included baseline sum if that was smallest on study treatment). The sum must also demonstrate absolute increase of >=5 mm, or appearance of >=1 new lesions. PFS was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. PFS data was censored on the date the last adequate tumor assessment for participants without an event (PD or death), for participants who started new anti-cancer treatment prior to PFS event, for participants with a PFS event after >=2 missing tumor assessments.	From first dose of study drug until first documentation of PD or death due to any cause or data censoring date, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 20 months)
Percentage of Participants With Objective Response (OR)	OR as assessed by investigator per RECIST v.1.1, was defined as participants with confirmed best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), were recorded from first dose of study drug until disease progression or death due to any cause. CR was defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions, and sustained for at least 4 weeks. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to less than (<) 10 mm. PR was defined as >=30% decrease in sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.	From first dose of study drug until disease progression or death due to any cause (maximum up to 20 months)
Percentage of Participants With Disease Control (DC)	Disease control as assessed by investigator according to RECIST v1.1, was defined as participants with CR, PR, stable disease (SD), or non-CR/non-PD. CR: disappearance of all target and non-target lesions and sustained for 4 weeks. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to <10 mm. PR: >= 30% decrease in sum of diameters of target lesions taking as reference baseline sum diameters. SD: neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum diameters while on study. PD: at least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm or appearance of >=1 new lesions. Non-CR/non-PD: Persistence of any non-target lesions and/or tumor marker level above the normal limit at >=8 weeks after date of first dose of study treatment.	From first dose of study drug until first documentation of CR or PR or SD or till non-CR/non-PD (maximum up to 20 months)
Time to Tumor Response (TTR)	TTR as assessed by investigator according to RECIST v1.1 was defined as the time (in months) from the date of first dose of study drug to the first documentation of objective response (CR or PR) that was subsequently confirmed. CR was defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions, and sustained for at least 4 weeks. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to <10 mm. PR: >= 30% decrease in sum of diameter of target lesions taking as reference baseline sum diameters.	From first dose of study drug until first documentation of CR or PR (maximum up to 20 months)
Duration of Response (DR)	DR as assessed by investigator according to RECIST v1.1, was defined as the time from date of first documentation of objective response (CR or PR) to date of PD or death due to any cause, or data censoring date, whichever occurred first. CR: disappearance of all target and non-target lesions, and sustained for at least 4 weeks. Any pathological lymph nodes (target or non-target) reduced in short axis to <10 mm. PR: >= 30% decrease in sum of diameter of target lesions taking as reference baseline sum diameters. PD: at least a 20% increase in sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study treatment, with absolute increase of at least 5 mm or appearance of >=1 new lesions. DR data was censored on the date of last adequate tumor assessment for participants without an event (CR, PR, PD or death), for participants who start new anti-cancer treatment prior to DR assessment, for participants with DR assessment after >=2 missing tumor assessments.	From first documentation of CR or PR until first documentation of tumor progression or death due to any cause or data censoring date, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 20 months)
Overall Survival (OS)	OS was defined as the time (in months) from the date of first dose of study drug to the date of death due to any cause or data censoring date, whichever occurred first. Participants last known to be alive were censored at the date of last contact. OS was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method.	From first dose of study drug to date of death from any cause or data censoring date, whichever occurred first (maximum up to 21 months)
Maximum Observed Serum Concentration of Avelumab		Pre-dose, at the end of avelumab infusion on Day 1 of Cycle 2, 3, 4 (Duration of each cycle=14 days)
Maximum Observed Plasma Concentration of Axitinib		Pre-dose, 2 hours post dose Axitinib administration on Day 1 of Cycle 2, 3 (Duration of each cycle=14 days)
Pre-dose Serum Concentration of Avelumab		Pre-dose on Day 1 of Cycle 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 (Duration of each cycle=14 days)
Pre-dose Plasma Concentration of Axitinib		Pre-dose on Day 1 of Cycle 2 and 3 (Duration of each cycle=14 days)
Number of Participants With Their Target Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Status	PD-L1 status was defined as positive when PD-L1 staining of any intensity was observed in tumor-associated immune cells covering >= 1% of the tumor area. PD-L1 status was defined as negative when PD-L1 staining of any intensity was observed in tumor-associated immune cells covering < 1% of the tumor area.	Baseline (Day 1)
Mean Percentage of CD8+ Cells in Per Unit Area of Invasive Margin, Center of Tumor Cells and Total Area of Tumor Cells	CD8+ cells are the type of T-lymphocytes. Invasive margin is defined as the region on each side of the border between tumor cells. Expression of CD8+ cells in invasive margin, center of tumor cells, total area of tumor cells has been reported as mean percentage of CD8+cells per unit area. Area was measured in millimeter square (mm^2).	From first dose of study drug up to end of treatment (maximum up to 20 months)
Summary of Cluster of Differentiation 8 (CD8+) Cells Expression: Total Area Covered by CD8+ Cells in Center of Tumor Cells	CD8+ cells are the type of T-lymphocytes.	From first dose of study drug up to end of treatment (up to 20 months)
Number of Participants With Positive Anti-Drug Antibodies (ADAs) and Positive Neutralizing Antibodies (nAbs)	ADA positive was defined as presence of at least one positive ADA sample. nAb positive was defined as presence of at least one positive nAb sample.	From first dose of study drug until 30 days after the last dose of study drug (maximum up to 21 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Pfizer

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• To obtain contact information for a study center near you, click here.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 8, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 27, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): October 25, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 19, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): September 21, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 4, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 1, 2020
• Last Verified: August 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cancer; Avelumab; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver disease; Axitinib
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Adenocarcinoma; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Digestive System Neoplasms; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Avelumab; Axitinib
• Other Study ID Numbers: B9991024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Pfizer will provide access to individual de-identified participant data and related study documents (e.g. protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP), Clinical Study Report (CSR)) upon request from qualified researchers, and subject to certain criteria, conditions, and exceptions. Further details on Pfizer's data sharing criteria and process for requesting access can be found at: https://www.pfizer.com/science/clinical_trials/trial_data_and_results/data_requests.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No