Background: Avelumab is a human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody that has shown antitumor activity in several advanced cancers. We report results from JAVELIN Solid Tumor JPN, a phase 1 trial of avelumab in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors with expansion in patients with advanced gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer.
Methods: In the dose-escalation part, eligible patients had various previously treated metastatic or advanced solid tumors. In the dose-expansion part, patients had stage IV gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma and disease progression after prior therapy that included a platinum and fluoropyrimidine agent. Patients received avelumab every 2 weeks intravenously at 3, 10, or 20 mg/kg during dose escalation and 10 mg/kg during dose expansion.
Results: Among 17 patients who received avelumab in the dose-escalation part, no dose-limiting toxicities occurred, and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. 40 patients were enrolled in the dose-expansion part, of whom 21 (52.5%) had received ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy for advanced disease. In these patients, the objective response rate was 10.0% (95% CI, 2.8-23.7%) and median overall survival was 9.1 months (95% CI, 7.2-11.2 months). Three of 40 patients (7.5%) had a grade 3 treatment-related adverse event (alanine aminotransferase increase, anemia, and hyponatremia), and no grade ≥ 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred. Five patients (12.5%) had an immune-related adverse event (all grade 1/2).
Conclusions: Avelumab showed acceptable safety in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors and clinical activity in patients with advanced gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer and disease progression after chemotherapy.
Keywords: Avelumab; Gastric cancer; Japan; PD-L1; Phase 1.