VERONICA: Randomized phase II study of fulvestrant and venetoclax in ER-positive metastatic breast cancer post-CDK4/6 inhibitors - efficacy, safety, and biomarker results

Lindeman, GJ; Fernando, TM; Bowen, R; Jerzak, KJ; Song, X; DECKER, T; Boyle, F; McCune, S; Armstrong, A; Shannon, C; Bertelli, G; Chang, CW; Desai, R; Gupta, K; Wilson, TR; Flechais, A; Bardia, A

Author(s): Lindeman, GJ; Fernando, TM; Bowen, R; Jerzak, KJ; Song, X; DECKER, T; Boyle, F; McCune, S; Armstrong, A; Shannon, C; Bertelli, G; Chang, CW; Desai, R; Gupta, K; Wilson, TR; Flechais, A; Bardia, A;
Details: Publication Year 2022-08-02,Volume 28,Issue #15,Page 3256-3267
Journal Title: Clinical Cancer Research
Abstract: PURPOSE: Despite promising activity in hematopoietic malignancies, efficacy of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) inhibitor venetoclax in solid tumors is unknown. We report the prespecified VERONICA primary results, a randomized phase II clinical trial evaluating venetoclax and fulvestrant in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, post-cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pre-/postmenopausal females ≥18 years were randomized 1:1 to venetoclax (800 mg orally daily) plus fulvestrant (500 mg intramuscular; cycle 1: days 1 and 15; subsequent 28-day cycles: day 1) or fulvestrant alone. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate (CBR); secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and safety. Exploratory biomarker analyses included BCL2 and BCL extra-large (BCLXL) tumor expression, and PIK3CA circulating tumor DNA mutational status. RESULTS: At primary analysis (cutoff: August 5, 2020; n = 103), venetoclax did not significantly improve CBR [venetoclax plus fulvestrant: 11.8% (n = 6/51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.44-23.87); fulvestrant: 13.7% (7/51; 5.70-26.26); risk difference -1.96% (95% CI, -16.86 to 12.94)]. Median PFS was 2.69 months (95% CI, 1.94-3.71) with venetoclax plus fulvestrant versus 1.94 months (1.84-3.55) with fulvestrant (stratified HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.61-1.45; P = 0.7853). Overall survival data were not mature. A nonsignificant improvement of CBR and PFS was observed in patients whose tumors had strong BCL2 expression (IHC 3+), a BCL2/BCLXL Histoscore ratio ≥1, or PIK3CA-wild-type status. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not indicate clinical utility for venetoclax plus fulvestrant in endocrine therapy-resistant, CDK4/6 inhibitor-refractory metastatic breast tumors, but suggest possible increased dependence on BCLXL in this setting.
Publisher: AACR
Keywords: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects; *Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy/genetics/pathology; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; Female; Fulvestrant/therapeutic use; Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism; Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism; Sulfonamides; *Veronica/metabolism
Research Division(s): Cancer Biology And Stem Cells
PubMed ID: 35583555
Publisher's Version: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.Ccr-21-3811
Open Access at Publisher's Site: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-3811
Terms of Use/Rights Notice: Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Documents: Lindeman GJ et al_Clinical Cancer Research_2022.pdf - (0.42MB, application/pdf)

Creation Date: 2022-08-08 09:15:53

Last Modified: 2022-08-08 09:48:34