Patients with advanced squamous-cell non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have disease progression during or after first-line chemotherapy have limited treatment options. This randomized, open-label, international, phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab, a fully human IgG4 programmed death 1 (PD-1) immune-checkpoint–inhibitor antibody, as compared with docetaxel in this patient population. We randomly assigned 272 patients to receive nivolumab, at a dose of 3 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 weeks, or docetaxel, at a dose of 75 mg per square meter of body-surface area every 3 weeks. The primary end point was overall survival. The median overall survival was 9.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.3 to 13.3) with nivolumab versus 6.0 months (95% CI, 5.1 to 7.3) with docetaxel. The risk of death was 41% lower with nivolumab than with docetaxel (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.79; P<0.001). At 1 year, the overall survival rate was 42% (95% CI, 34 to 50) with nivolumab versus 24% (95% CI, 17 to 31) with docetaxel. The response rate was 20% with nivolumab versus 9% with docetaxel (P=0.008). The median progression-free survival was 3.5 months with nivolumab versus 2.8 months with docetaxel (hazard ratio for death or disease progression, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.81; P<0.001). The expression of the PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) was neither prognostic nor predictive of benefit. Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or 4 were reported in 7% of the patients in the nivolumab group as compared with 55% of those in the docetaxel group. Among patients with advanced, previously treated squamous-cell NSCLC, overall survival, response rate, and progression-free survival were significantly better with nivolumab than with docetaxel, regardless of PD-L1 expression level. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb; CheckMate 017 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01642004.)

PURPOSE: Non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) exon 20 insertion (Exon20ins) mutations exhibits inherent resistance to approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Amivantamab, an EGFR-MET bispecific antibody with immune cell–directing activity, binds to each receptor's extracellular domain, bypassing resistance at the tyrosine kinase inhibitor binding site. METHODS: CHRYSALIS is a phase I, open-label, dose-escalation, and dose-expansion study, which included a population with EGFR Exon20ins NSCLC. The primary end points were dose-limiting toxicity and overall response rate. We report findings from the postplatinum EGFR Exon20ins NSCLC population treated at the recommended phase II dose of 1,050 mg amivantamab (1,400 mg, ≥ 80 kg) given once weekly for the first 4 weeks and then once every 2 weeks starting at week 5. RESULTS: In the efficacy population (n = 81), the median age was 62 years (range, 42-84 years); 40 patients (49%) were Asian, and the median number of previous lines of therapy was two (range, 1-7). The overall response rate was 40% (95% CI, 29 to 51), including three complete responses, with a median duration of response of 11.1 months (95% CI, 6.9 to not reached). The median progression-free survival was 8.3 months (95% CI, 6.5 to 10.9). In the safety population (n = 114), the most common adverse events were rash in 98 patients (86%), infusion-related reactions in 75 (66%), and paronychia in 51 (45%). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were hypokalemia in six patients (5%) and rash, pulmonary embolism, diarrhea, and neutropenia in four (4%) each. Treatment-related dose reductions and discontinuations were reported in 13% and 4% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Amivantamab, via its novel mechanism of action, yielded robust and durable responses with tolerable safety in patients with EGFR Exon20ins mutations after progression on platinum-based chemotherapy.

Purpose: Complete and timely tissue genotyping is challenging, leading to significant numbers of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) being undergenotyped for all eight genomic biomarkers recommended by professional guidelines. We aimed to demonstrate non-inferiority of comprehensive cell-free DNA (cfDNA) relative to physician discretion standard-of-care (SOC) tissue genotyping to identify guideline-recommended biomarkers in patients with mNSCLC. Experimental Design: Prospectively enrolled patients with previously untreated mNSCLC undergoing physician discretion SOC tissue genotyping submitted a pre-treatment blood sample for comprehensive cfDNA analysis (Guardant360^Ò). Results: Among 282 patients, physician discretion SOC tissue genotyping identified a guideline-recommended biomarker in 60 patients versus 77 cfDNA identified patients (21.3% vs 27.3%; p98.2% with 100% positive predictive value for cfDNA versus tissue (34/34 EGFR, ALK, or BRAF positive patients). Utilizing cfDNA in addition to tissue increased detection by 48%, from 60 to 89 patients, including those with negative, not assessed, or insufficient tissue results. cfDNA median turnaround time was significantly faster than tissue (9 vs 15 days; p<0.0001). Guideline-complete genotyping was significantly more likely (268 vs. 51; p<0.0001). Conclusions: In the largest cfDNA study in previously untreated mNSCLC, a validated comprehensive cfDNA test identifies guideline-recommended biomarkers at a rate at least as high as SOC tissue genotyping, with high tissue concordance, more rapidly and completely than tissue-based genotyping.

Naturally occurring CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells (T reg) are pivotal in suppressing immune responses and maintaining tolerance. The identification of molecules controlling T reg differentiation and function is important in understanding host immune responses in malignancy and autoimmunity. In this study we show that PGE₂ enhances the in vitro inhibitory function of human purified CD4⁺CD25⁺ T reg cells. Moreover, PGE₂ induces a regulatory phenotype in CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells. PGE₂-treated T cell-mediated inhibition of anti-CD3-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation did not require cell contact. Phenotypic analysis revealed that PGE₂ diminished CD25 expression in both CD4⁺CD25^dim T cells and CD4⁺CD25^bright T reg cells. PGE₂ exposure induced the T reg cell-specific transcription factor forkhead/winged helix transcription factor gene (FOXP3) in CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells and significantly up-regulated its expression in CD4⁺CD25⁺ T reg cells. Similarly, 24-h incubation with supernatants from cyclooxygenase-2-overexpressing lung cancer cells that secrete high levels of PGE₂ significantly induced FOXP3 in CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells. Finally, PGE₂ up-regulated FOXP3 at both mRNA and protein levels and enhanced FOXP3 promoter activity. This is the first report indicating that PGE₂ can modulate FOXP3 expression and T reg function in human lymphocytes.

Amivantamab plus carboplatin-pemetrexed (chemotherapy) with and without lazertinib demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with refractory EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in phase 1 studies. These combinations were evaluated in a global phase 3 trial. A total of 657 patients with EGFR-mutated (exon 19 deletions or L858R) locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after disease progression on osimertinib were randomized 2:2:1 to receive amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy, chemotherapy, or amivantamab-chemotherapy. The dual primary endpoints were progression-free survival of amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy versus chemotherapy. During the study, hematologic toxicities observed in the amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy arm necessitated a regimen change to start lazertinib after carboplatin completion. All baseline characteristics were well balanced across the 3 arms, including by history of brain metastases and prior brain radiation. Progression-free survival was significantly longer for amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (hazard ratio for disease progression or death [HR], 0.48 and 0.44, respectively; P<0.001 for both; median of 6.3 and 8.3 versus 4.2 months, respectively). Consistent PFS results were seen by investigator assessment (HR, 0.41 and 0.38 for amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy, respectively; P<0.001 for both; median of 8.2 and 8.3 versus 4.2 months, respectively). Objective response rate was significantly higher for amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (64% and 63% versus 36%, respectively; P<0.001 for both). Median intracranial progression-free survival was 12.5 and 12.8 versus 8.3 months for amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (hazard ratio for intracranial disease progression or death, 0.55 and 0.58, respectively). Predominant adverse events in the amivantamab-containing regimens were hematologic, EGFR, and MET-related toxicities. Amivantamab-chemotherapy had lower rates of hematologic adverse events than amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy. Amivantamab-chemotherapy and amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy improved progression-free survival and intracranial progression-free survival versus chemotherapy in a population with limited options after disease progression on osimertinib. Longer follow-up is needed for the modified amivantamab-lazertinib-chemotherapy regimen.

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and its product prostaglandin (PG) E₂ underlie an immunosuppressive network that is important in the pathogenesis of non–small cell lung cancer. CD4⁺CD25⁺ T regulatory (Treg) cells play an important role in maintenance of immunologic self-tolerance. CD4⁺CD25⁺ Treg cell activities increase in lung cancer and appear to play a role in suppressing antitumor immune responses. Definition of the pathways controlling Treg cell activities will enhance our understanding of limitation of the host antitumor immune responses. Tumor-derived COX-2/PGE₂ induced expression of the Treg cell-specific transcription factor, Foxp3, and increased Treg cell activity. Assessment of E-prostanoid (EP) receptor requirements revealed that PGE₂-mediated induction of Treg cell Foxp3 gene expression was significantly reduced in the absence of the EP4 receptor and ablated in the absence of the EP2 receptor expression. In vivo, COX-2 inhibition reduced Treg cell frequency and activity, attenuated Foxp3 expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and decreased tumor burden. Transfer of Treg cells or administration of PGE₂ to mice receiving COX-2 inhibitors reversed these effects. We conclude that inhibition of COX-2/PGE₂ suppresses Treg cell activity and enhances antitumor responses.