Safety and Efficacy of Durvalumab (MEDI4736), an Anti-Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Urothelial Bladder Cancer

J Clin Oncol. 2016 Sep 10;34(26):3119-25. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.67.9761. Epub 2016 Jun 6.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of durvalumab, a human monoclonal antibody that binds programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and the role of PD-L1 expression on clinical response in patients with advanced urothelial bladder cancer (UBC).

Methods: A phase 1/2 multicenter, open-label study is being conducted in patients with inoperable or metastatic solid tumors. We report here the results from the UBC expansion cohort. Durvalumab (MEDI4736, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) was administered intravenously for up to 12 months. The primary end point was safety, and objective response rate (ORR, confirmed) was a key secondary end point. An exploratory analysis of pretreatment tumor biopsies led to defining PD-L1-positive as ≥ 25% of tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating immune cells expressing membrane PD-L1.

Results: A total of 61 patients (40 PD-L1-positive, 21 PD-L1-negative), 93.4% of whom received one or more prior therapies for advanced disease, were treated (median duration of follow-up, 4.3 months). The most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade were fatigue (13.1%), diarrhea (9.8%), and decreased appetite (8.2%). Grade 3 treatment-related AEs occurred in three patients (4.9%); there were no treatment-related grade 4 or 5 AEs. One treatment-related AE (acute kidney injury) resulted in treatment discontinuation. The ORR was 31.0% (95% CI, 17.6 to 47.1) in 42 response-evaluable patients, 46.4% (95% CI, 27.5 to 66.1) in the PD-L1-positive subgroup, and 0% (95% CI, 0.0 to 23.2) in the PD-L1-negative subgroup. Responses are ongoing in 12 of 13 responding patients, with median duration of response not yet reached (range, 4.1+ to 49.3+ weeks).

Conclusion: Durvalumab demonstrated a manageable safety profile and evidence of meaningful clinical activity in PD-L1-positive patients with UBC, many of whom were heavily pretreated.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase I
  • Clinical Trial, Phase II
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism
  • Biopsy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / mortality
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / pathology
  • Urothelium / drug effects*
  • Urothelium / metabolism
  • Urothelium / pathology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human
  • durvalumab