A phase I study of bortezomib, etoposide and carboplatin in patients with advanced solid tumors refractory to standard therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the toxicity, pharmacological, and biological properties of the combination of bortezomib, etoposide, and carboplatin in adults with advanced solid malignancies. Patients and methods: Patients received escalating doses of bortezomib, etoposide, and carboplatin every 21 days. Surrogate markers of angiogenesis were evaluated. Results: Twenty-four patients received 64 courses of therapy. The most common treatment-related adverse events were myelosuppression. Dose-limiting grade 3 and 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed when bortezomib was given on days 1, 4, 8, 11. With revised dosing, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of bortezomib 0.75 mg/m(2) (days 1, 8), etoposide 75 mg/m(2) (days 1-3), and carboplatin AUC 5 (day 1) was well tolerated, and are the recommended doses for further studies with this combination. No objective responses were observed, however stable disease was noted for greater or equal to four cycles in nine highly refractory patients

A phase I open-label trial evaluating the cardiovascular safety of regorafenib in patients with advanced cancer

To characterize the cardiovascular safety profile of regorafenib in patients with advanced cancer. Patients received regorafenib 160 mg/day for 21 days followed by a 7-day break. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in QTcF at the regorafenib t(max) (Day 21, Cycle 1 or 2) and changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline on Cycle 2, Day 21. Secondary objectives were pharmacokinetics, safety, anti-tumor activity and effects on electrocardiogram intervals. QT intervals were corrected using the methods of Fridericia (QTcF) and Bazett (QTcB). LVEF was assessed by multigated acquisition scanning. Fifty-three patients were enrolled, and all received at least one dose of regorafenib 160 mg. Twenty-five patients received regorafenib for 21 days without dose reduction. The mean change from baseline in QTcF at t(max) was (-)2 ms (90 % CI -8, 3). No patient experienced a change from baseline in QTcF > 60 ms, and two had QTcF changes between 30 and 60 ms. No patient had a QTcF or QTcB > 480 ms. In 27 patients who received at least 80 mg of regorafenib, the mean change from baseline in LVEF% ± SD was 1.7 ± 7.8. In 14 patients without a dose reduction, the mean change from baseline in LVEF% was (-)0.1 ± 8.6 at Cycle 2, Day 21. Four patients experienced a LVEF decrease between 10 and 20 %. The effects of regorafenib on the QT/QTc interval and LVEF were modest and unlikely to be of clinical significance in the setting of advanced cancer therapy

A phase I biological and pharmacologic study of the heparanase inhibitor PI-88 in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose: PI-88 is a mixture of highly sulfated oligosaccharides that inhibits heparanase, an extracellular matrix endoglycosidase, and the binding of angiogenic growth factors to heparan sulfate. This agent showed potent inhibition of placental blood vessel angiogenesis as well as growth inhibition in multiple xenograft models, thus forming the basis for this study. Experimental Design: This study evaluated the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of PI-88 (80-315 mg) when administered s.c. daily for 4 consecutive days bimonthly (part 1) or weekly (part 2). Results: Forty-two patients [median age, 53 years (range, 19-78 years); median performance status, 1] with a range of advanced solid tumors received a total of 232 courses. The maximum tolerated dose was 250 mg/d. Dose-limiting toxicity consisted of thrombocytopenia and pulmonary embolism. Other toxicity was generally mild and included prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time and injection site echymosis. The pharmacokinetics were linear with dose. Intrapatient variability was low and interpatient variability was moderate. Both AUC and C-max correlated with the percent increase in activated partial thromboplastin time, showing that this pharmacodynamic end point can be used as a surrogate for drug exposure, No association between PI-88 administration and vascular endothelial growth factor or basic fibroblast growth factor levels was observed. One patient with melanoma had a partial response, which was maintained for >50 months, and 9 patients had stable disease for >= 6 months. Conclusion: The recommended dose of PI-88 administered for 4 consecutive days bimonthly or weekly is 250 mg/d. PI-88 was generally well tolerated. Evidence of efficacy in melanoma supports further evaluation of PI-88 in phase II trials