ASCO 2023: New drug combination is twice as effective as suboptimal therapy for some ovarian cancer patients

Targeted drug combinations for the following types of patients ovarian cancer Interim results from a phase II trial suggest that suboptimal treatments may be nearly twice as effective.

Researchers hope these result, that have been announced in 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meetingis a new option for patients with advanced low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC), a rare disease with low response rates to current therapies.

international RAMP-201 (ENGOTov60-National Cancer Institute (NCRI)/GOG3052) studyled by researchers in Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Cancer Institute of London, and Sponsored by Verastem Oncology, studied abtometinib alone and in combination with defactinib in 29 patients with LGSOC. Both drugs are designed to block signals that encourage cancer cells to grow.

Approved treatment options available for patients with advanced LGSOC in the UK are currently limited to chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, with response rates typically ranging from 0 to 14 percent. Patients with LGSOC in the UK have access to trametinib, a targeted therapy through the Cancer Care Fund, in addition to standard care, with a response rate of 26 percent.

Tumor shrinks in half of patients

These results show that nearly half (45%) of patients treated with the combination of abtometinib and defactinib experienced significant tumor shrinkage, making the new combination nearly twice as effective as suboptimal therapy. It has been suggested that there is a possibility

Responses to this drug combination were particularly encouraging in patients with mutations in a gene called KRAS, with 6 of 10 (60%) patients experiencing significant tumor shrinkage. However, nearly a third (29%) of patients without mutations also had a promising response, also an improvement over standard therapy.

Patients previously treated with other types of targeted therapies, including MEK inhibitors, were also observed to shrink their tumors after combined treatment.

Avtometinib is a dual RAF and MEK inhibitor and a class of targeted drugs that block specific proteins that help control cancer growth and survival. Studies have shown that the drug may lose its effectiveness over time if the tumor develops resistance to treatment.

However, researchers believe that abtometinib works more effectively when combined with defactinib, which is designed to fight proteins that promote drug resistance. This is confirmed by these results showing that the combination therapy is more than four times more effective than abtometinib alone.

RAMP-201 is Phase 1 FRAME trial, The study, which tested abtometinib (then known as VS-6766) and defactinib in a smaller cohort of patients with advanced LGSOC, was led by investigators from ICR and Royal Marsden. Survival data from RAMP-201 are not yet available, FRAME results indicate a life expectancy of 23 months for this patient group After being treated with this drug combination before the cancer progressed.

LGSOC accounts for approximately 1 in 10 cases of ovarian cancer and approximately 700 women in the UK and 80,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. Compared to other forms of the disease, LGSOC tends to affect young women.

great news

Dr. Susana Banerjee, Global Principal Investigator of the Studysaid Consultant Medical Oncologist, Research Director at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Gynecology Division and Women’s Cancer Team Leader at the Cancer Institute in London.

“These initial results could be great news for women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer, indicating that far more effective options than current treatments may be on the horizon. I’m here.

“It is great to see so many patients experiencing meaningful responses to this innovative combination of drugs. We are very grateful.” These results may represent an important advance in the treatment of low-grade serous ovarian cancer, as it responds poorly to currently approved therapies.

“We hope that this drug combination will one day become the standard of care for women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer.”

“I was relieved, surprised, and very happy.”

After being diagnosed with low-grade serous ovarian cancer in 2009, Coventry resident Christine Kull, 71, learned in 2014 that the disease had returned. She was treated with chemotherapy and hormone therapy at a local hospital, but unfortunately to no avail, and several surgeries. Christine participated in the FRAME clinical trial at Royal Marsden in August 2020, and she has been treated with this drug combination ever since. Her latest scan results showed no evidence of her illness. she said:

“My lowest point throughout this experience was in 2019 when my local hospital told me there was nothing more they could do. I was in total resistance and my team was unable to operate again.

“Fortunately, my doctor referred me to Royal Marsden as a cancer center with the expertise to perform another surgery. started this trial and I was overjoyed to be a part of it.I have scans every three months and each time I see the cancer getting smaller and smaller. After finding out that I am now invisible even in scans, I felt relieved, surprised and very happy to share this good news with my family and friends.

“Royal Marsden is a place that means a lot to me. This hospital gave me and my family hope when we thought we had run out of options. I am able to live with my three children and three grandchildren.”