Phase 2 study of safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab in pediatric patients with progressive diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma Journal Article


Authors: Bartels, U.; Wolff, J.; Gore, L.; Dunkel, I.; Gilheeney, S.; Allen, J.; Goldman, S.; Yalon, M.; Packer, R. J.; Korones, D. N.; Smith, A.; Cohen, K.; Kuttesch, J.; Strother, D.; Baruchel, S.; Gammon, J.; Kowalski, M.; Bouffet, E.
Article Title: Phase 2 study of safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab in pediatric patients with progressive diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
Abstract: METHODS: Patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed, centrally reviewed DIPG, who had failed standard first-line therapy were eligible for this multicenter phase II trial. The anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, nimotuzumab (150 mg/m(2)), was administered intravenously once weekly from weeks 1 to 7 and once every 2 weeks from weeks 8 to 18. Response evaluation was based on clinical and MRI assessments. Patients with partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) were allowed to continue nimotuzumab. RESULTS: Forty-four patients received at least one dose of nimotuzumab (male/female, 20/24; median age, 6.0 years; range, 3.0-17.0 years). All had received prior radiotherapy. Treatment was well tolerated. Eighteen children experienced serious adverse events (SAEs). The majority of SAEs were associated with disease progression. Nineteen patients completed 8 weeks (W8) of treatment: There were 2 PRs, 6 SDs, and 11 progressions. Five patients completed 18 weeks (W18) of treatment: 1 of 2 patients with PR at W8 remained in PR at W18, and 3 of 6 children with SD at W8 maintained SD at W18. Time to progression following initiation of nimotuzumab for the 4 patients with SD or better at W18 was 119, 157, 182 and 335 days, respectively. Median survival time was 3.2 months. Two patients lived 663 and 481 days from the start of nimotuzumab. CONCLUSIONS: Modest activity of nimotuzumab in DIPG, which has been shown previously, was confirmed: A small subset of DIPG patients appeared to benefit from anti-EGFR antibody treatment. BACKGROUND: The prognosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) remains poor, with no drug proven to be effective. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Keywords: adolescent; child; preschool child; child, preschool; survival rate; clinical trial; disease course; mortality; cancer staging; follow up; glioma; follow-up studies; neoplasm staging; phase 2 clinical trial; cohort studies; neoplasm recurrence, local; epidermal growth factor receptor; cohort analysis; pathology; monoclonal antibody; disease progression; multicenter study; safety; children; brain stem neoplasms; phase ii trial; nimotuzumab; diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma; antibodies, monoclonal, humanized; humans; prognosis; human; male; female
Journal Title: Neuro-Oncology
Volume: 16
Issue: 11
ISSN: 1522-8517
Publisher: Oxford University Press  
Date Published: 2014-11-01
Start Page: 1554
End Page: 1559
Language: English
DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nou091
PUBMED: 24847085
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC4201068
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 2 July 2015 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Ira J Dunkel
    375 Dunkel