Cerdulatinib pharmacodynamics and relationships to tumor response following oral dosing in patients with relapsed/refractory b-cell malignancies

Greg P. Coffey*, Jiajia Feng, Andreas Betz, Anjali Pandey, Matt Birrell, Janet M. Leeds, Kenneth Der, Sabah Kadri, Pin Lu, Jeremy Segal, Y. Lynn Wang, Glenn Michelson, John T. Curnutte, Pamela B. Conley

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Preclinical studies suggest SYK and JAK contribute to tumor-intrinsic and microenvironment-derived survival signals. The pharmacodynamics of cerdulatinib, a dual SYK/JAK inhibitor, and associations with tumor response were investigated. Patients and Methods: In a phase I dose-escalation study in adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies, cerdulatinib was administered orally to sequential dose-escalation cohorts using once-daily or twice-daily schedules. The study enrolled 8 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/ small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), 13 with follicular lymphoma, 16 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and 6 with mantle cell lymphoma. Correlation of tumor response with pharmacodynamic markers was determined in patients with meaningful clinical responses. Results: Following cerdulatinib administration, complete SYK and JAK pathway inhibition was achieved in whole blood of patients at tolerated exposures. Target inhibition correlated with serum cerdulatinib concentration, and IC 50 values against B-cell antigen receptor (BCR), IL2, IL4, and IL6 signaling pathways were 0.27 to 1.11 mmol/L, depending on the phosphorylation event. Significant correlations were observed between SYK and JAK pathway inhibition and tumor response. Serum inflammation markers were reduced by cerdulatinib, and several significantly correlated with tumor response. Diminished expression of CD69 and CD86 (B-cell activation markers), CD5 (negative regulator of BCR signaling), and enhanced expression of CXCR4 were observed in 2 patients with CLL, consistent with BCR and IL4 suppression and loss of proliferative capacity. Conclusions: Cerdulatinib potently and selectively inhibited SYK/JAK signaling at tolerated exposures in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies. The extent of target inhibition in whole-blood assays and suppression of inflammation correlated with tumor response. (ClinicalTrials.gov

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1174-1184
Number of pages11
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume25
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 15 2019

Funding

This study was sponsored and financially supported by Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. We thank the patients who participated in this study, as well as their families and the research staff at each site. Preparation of the manuscript was supported by Iwona Bucior, PhD, of Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Editorial support was provided by Kimberly Brooks, PhD, CMPP, of SciFluent Communications.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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