ESMO Asia 2023 is on the horizon, and prominent pharmaceutical companies Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, and Rain Oncology and others are poised for the conference in order to present and discuss the most recent scientific and clinical discoveries in oncology, both globally and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Solid tumors consist of diverse cell types, comprising cancer cells, cancer stem cells, connective-tissue cells, and immune cells, forming heterotypic aggregates. These cells engage in communication through distinct junctions, such as tight and gap junctions, which play a crucial role in maintaining and regulating an optimal tumor microenvironment.

Solid Tumors Highlights

• Abstract Number – 74MO
• Abstract Type – Proffered Paper Session

• Indication – HER2-expressing Solid Tumors

 

Title: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) for pretreated patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors: Primary analysis from the DESTINY-PanTumor02 (DP-02) study

Executive Summary: ENHERTU (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has demonstrated notable survival advantages for patients with HER2-expressing breast and gastric cancers. Preliminary data from the DP-02 study indicates a favorable objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DOR) in tumors expressing HER2.

Main Content: ENHERTU is an approved antibody drug conjugate designed for HER2-targeted treatment in breast and gastric cancers expressing HER2. The prevalence of HER2 expression extends to various other solid tumors. Current treatments, including those directed at HER2, exhibit limited efficacy in these patient populations, underscoring a notable gap in medical care.

As of the data cutoff in June 2023, 267 patients were diagnosed with various cancers, including biliary tract, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, or other tumors, had received systemic treatment. With a median follow-up of 12.75 months, 72.3% of these patients had undergone at least two prior lines of therapy. Across the entire patient cohort, the investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) was 37.1%, accompanied by a median duration of response (mDOR) of 11.3 months, a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 6.9 months, and a median overall survival (mOS) of 13.4 months. Further results are anticipated in the upcoming ESMO Asia 2023 conference.

 

• Abstract Number – 76MO
• Abstract Type – Proffered Paper Session
• Indication – Dedifferentiated Liposarcomas

 

Title: Efficacy and safety findings from MANTRA: A global, randomized, multicenter, Phase III study of the MDM2 inhibitor milademetan vs. trabectedin in patients with dedifferentiated liposarcomas

Executive Summary: The Phase III trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of milademetan compared to trabectedin in patients with unresectable or metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcomas has been terminated by the company as the trial failed to meet the primary endpoint.

Main Content: In the quest for improved treatments for advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma, characterized by MDM2 gene amplification, there is a need for novel therapeutic approaches. Milademetan, a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor, targets the MDM2-p53 interaction, thereby reactivating p53 and inducing apoptosis in malignant cells with wild-type TP53. The MANTRA study (RAIN-3201; NCT04979442) is a Phase III trial comparing milademetan with trabectedin in patients with previously treated unresectable/metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

In May 2023, Rain Oncology reported significant findings from the Phase III MANTRA trial evaluating milademetan for dedifferentiated liposarcoma treatment. Despite a comprehensive assessment of efficacy, safety, and tolerability, the trial fell short of achieving its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) based on blinded independent central review, in comparison to the standard treatment, trabectedin. The median PFS for milademetan was 3.6 months, as opposed to 2.2 months for trabectedin. Notably, the milademetan group experienced common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) such as nausea, thrombocytopenia, anemia, vomiting, and neutropenia. The forthcoming ESMO Asia 2023 conference is expected to reveal how the company will address these discouraging results.

List of Abstracts to be presented at ESMO Asia 2023