Purpose: This in vivo study was designed to determine the optimal doses and schedules of vandetanib, a dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in combination with irinotecan in a murine xenograft model of human colon cancer.
Experimental design: HT-29 tumor-bearing nude mice were treated with two doses of vandetanib (12.5 and 25 mg/kg/d) with or without irinotecan (100 mg/kg) using either sequential or concurrent schedules for 30 days. Tumor size was measured using standard variables, whereas the antiangiogenic response was evaluated using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Additionally, effects on EGFR-dependent signal transduction pathways and proliferation were assessed using immunohistochemistry. These pharmacodynamic end points were then evaluated for associations with antitumor efficacy and/or to plasma/tumor concentrations of vandetanib.
Results: The greatest antitumor efficacy was observed in the groups receiving the highest dose of vandetanib given continuously (concurrent schedule), alone or in combination with irinotecan. These dosing schedules resulted in significant effects on tumor vasculature, with decreased volume transfer constants, area under the curve, and permeability surface factor as well as increased gadolinium clearance after 30 days of treatment. In addition, these groups showed the greatest inhibition of EGFR signaling. Interestingly, tumor concentrations of vandetanib were increased by irinotecan in the concurrent schedule, possibly due to decreased tumor perfusion in this group.
Conclusions: These data suggest that higher, sustained concentrations of vandetanib (versus intermittent), alone and in combination with irinotecan, result in optimal antitumor efficacy in this model and may have implications for the design of future clinical studies with this drug.