A novel oral insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor pathway modulator and its implications for patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma: A phase I clinical trial

Background. A phase Ia/b dose-escalation study was performed to characterize the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties of the oral small molecule insulin-like growth factor-1-receptor pathway modulator AXL1717 in patients with advanced solid tumors.Material and methods. This was a prospective, single-armed, open label, dose-finding phase Ia/b study with the aim of single day dosing (phase Ia) to define the starting dose for multi-day dosing (phase Ib), and phase Ib to define and confirm recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and if possible maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for repeated dosing.Results and Conclusion. Phase Ia enrolled 16 patients and dose escalations up to 2900 mg BID were successfully performed without any dose limiting toxicity (DLT). A total of 39 patients were treated in phase Ib. AXL1717 was well tolerated with neutropenia as the only dose-related, reversible, DLT. RP2D dose was found to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Some patients, mainly with NSCLC, demonstrated signs of clinical benefit, including four partial tumor responses (one according to RECIST and three according to PET). The 15 patients with NSCLC with treatment duration longer than two weeks with single agent AXL1717 in third or fourth line of therapy showed a median progression-free survival of 31 weeks and overall survival of 60 weeks. Down-regulation of IGF-1R on granulocytes and increases of free serum levels of IGF-1 were seen in patients treated with AXL1717. AXL1717 had an acceptable safety profile and demonstrated promising efficacy in this heavily pretreated patient cohort, especially in patients with NSCLC. RP2D was concluded to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Trial number is NCT01062620.