title: Long-term survival and biomarker correlates of tasquinimod efficacy in a multicenter randomized study of men with minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tasquinimod (Active Biotech) is an oral immunomodulatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-metastatic agent that delayed metastatic disease progression in a randomized placebo-controlled phase II trial in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, we report long-term survival with biomarker correlates from this trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and one (134 tasquinimod and 67 placebo) men with mCRPC were evaluated. Forty-one men randomized to placebo crossed over to tasquinimod. Survival data were collected with a median follow-up time of 37 months. Exploratory biomarker studies at baseline and over time were collected to evaluate potential mechanism-based correlates with tasquinimod efficacy including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  With 111 mortality events, median OS was 33.4 months for tasquinimod versus 30.4 months for placebo overall, and 34.2 versus 27.1 months in men with bone metastases (n = 136), respectively. Multivariable analysis demonstrated an adjusted HR of 0.52 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.35-0.78; P = 0.001] for PFS and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.42-0.97; P = 0.034) for OS, favoring tasquinimod. Time-to-symptomatic progression was improved with tasquinimod (P = 0.039, HR = 0.42). Toxicities tended to be mild in nature and improved over time. Biomarker analyses suggested a favorable impact on bone alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) over time and a transient induction of inflammatory biomarkers, VEGF-A, and thrombospondin-1 levels with tasquinimod. Baseline levels of thrombospondin-1 less than the median were predictive of treatment benefit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survival observed in this trial of men with minimally symptomatic mCRPC suggests that the prolongation in PFS with tasquinimod may lead to a survival advantage in this setting, particularly among men with skeletal metastases, and has a favorable risk:benefit ratio.
authors.affiliation: Authors' Affiliations: Duke Cancer Institute and the Duke Prostate Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; University Hospital of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden; University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Peachtree Hematology Oncology Consultants, Atlanta, Georgia; Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, San Diego, California; Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Urologic Consultants of SE PA, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; Active Biotech AB, Lund, Sweden; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore Maryland; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Häggman
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gingrich
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Assikis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polikoff
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Damber
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belkoff
authors.forename: Ö
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Nordle
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pili
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000235:genetics; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D064129:Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011804:Quinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015363:Quinolones; D016019:Survival Analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011804:Quinolines; D015363:Quinolones; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C516109:tasquinimod; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase