Introduction: Pemetrexed is an established second-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Everolimus has previously been shown to have some clinical activity when used as a single agent in NSCLC. The aim of this phase I study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of combining pemetrexed with everolimus in patients with NSCLC who had disease progression after one previous treatment.
Methods: Patients with stage IIIb/IV NSCLC and one previous chemotherapy regimen were enrolled. A Bayesian dose-escalation model was used to determine the feasible doses of daily or weekly everolimus combined with pemetrexed (500 mg/m q3w). The primary end point was rate of cycle 1 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Secondary end points included safety, relative dose intensity of pemetrexed, pharmacokinetics, and tumor response.
Results: Twenty-four patients received daily everolimus (2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10 mg) and 19 received weekly everolimus (30 or 50 mg) with pemetrexed. Cycle 1 DLTs in the daily regimen included febrile neutropenia, neutropenia, rash/pruritus, and thrombocytopenia; in the weekly regimen, DLTs included neutropenia and stomatitis. The most frequent grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia, dyspnea, and thrombocytopenia. Three partial responses were observed with everolimus 5 mg/d and two with 50 mg/wk. Pharmacokinetics did not suggest an influence of everolimus on pemetrexed parameters; pemetrexed resulted in a minor decrease in everolimus exposure with both daily and weekly regimens.
Conclusions: Everolimus 5 mg/d or 50 mg/wk with the standard regimen of pemetrexed are feasible dosages in patients with stage IIIb/IV NSCLC.