Multicenter phase II study of the oral MEK inhibitor, CI-1040, in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung, breast, colon, and pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This multicenter, open-label, phase II study was undertaken to assess the antitumor activity and safety of the oral mitogen-activated extracellular signal regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, CI-1040, in breast cancer, colon cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and pancreatic cancer.


METHODS
Patients with advanced colorectal, NSCLC, breast, or pancreatic cancer received oral CI-1040 continuously at 800 mg bid. All patients had measurable disease at baseline, a performance status of 2 or less, and adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function. Expression of pERK, pAkt, and Ki-67 was assessed in archived tumor specimens by quantitative immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Sixty-seven patients with breast (n = 14), colon (n = 20), NSCLC (n = 18), and pancreatic (n = 15) cancer received a total of 194 courses of treatment (median, 2.0 courses; range, one to 14 courses). No complete or partial responses were observed. Stable disease (SD) lasting a median of 4.4 months (range, 4 to 18 months) was confirmed in eight patients (one breast, two colon, two pancreas, and three NSCLC patients). Treatment was well tolerated, with 81% of patients experiencing toxicities of grade 2 or less severity. Most common toxicities included diarrhea, nausea, asthenia, and rash. A mild association (P < .055) between baseline pERK expression in archived tumor specimens and SD was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
CI-1040 was generally well tolerated but demonstrated insufficient antitumor activity to warrant further development in the four tumors tested. PD 0325901, a second generation MEK inhibitor, has recently entered clinical development and, with significantly improved pharmacologic and pharmaceutical properties compared with CI-1040, it may better test the therapeutic potential of MEK inhibition in cancer.
Rinehart
John
J
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. john.rinehart@ccc.uab.edu
Adjei
Alex A
AA
Lorusso
Patricia M
PM
Waterhouse
David
D
Hecht
J Randolph
JR
Natale
Ronald B
RB
Hamid
Oday
O
Varterasian
Mary
M
Asbury
Peggy
P
Kaldjian
Eric P
EP
Gulyas
Stephen
S
Mitchell
David Y
DY
Herrera
Roman
R
Sebolt-Leopold
Judith S
JS
Meyer
Mark B
MB
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D001549:Benzamides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C120227:2-(2-chloro-4-iodophenylamino)-N-cyclopropylmethoxy-3,4-difluorobenzamide; D001549:Benzamides