Perioperative Therapy With Durvalumab Plus Tremelimumab for Patients With Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) - A Phase II Trial (NEOTOMA)
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of death from cancer world wide and the incidence is rising globally. Despite surgical resection in appropriate patients, many patients recur. The results of the IMbrave150 study have established PD-L1 inhibition in combination with VEGF inhibition as a new standard of care highlighting the role of immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced HCC. In addition, the combination of Tremelimumab and Durvalumab has demonstrated efficacy in advanced HCC; the HIMALAYA trial has now completed accrual in treatment naïve patients with advanced HCC. Furthermore the earlier use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this disease are being explored with adjuvant combination strategies, including the EMERALD-2 trial (NCT03847428). Neoadjuvant treatment in HCC allows for delivery of treatment pre surgery and may enhance pathological responses and improve outcomes. The delivery of combination CTLA-4 and PD-L1 inhibition has demonstrated efficacy in other tumour types in the neoadjuvant setting where the impact on the tumour microenvironment has also been evaluated. The safety and feasibility of Durvalumab and Tremelimumab in resectable HCC has yet to be established. Hypotheses Pre-operative (pre-op) Durvalumab and Tremelimumab treatment is safe and feasible in pre surgical setting for upfront resectable HCC The combination of Durvalumab and Tremelimumab pre-op will result in changes in immune and molecular characteristics within the tumour microenvironment. Overall Study Design This is a phase II, open-label multi-centre study to assess safety of Durvalumab and Tremelimumab treatment in pre-op setting for upfront resectable HCC, followed by adjuvant Durvalumab. 28 patients are expected to enrol at three sites. Patients will receive pre-op: 1 dose Tremelimumab (300mg) (T300) with Durvalumab (1500mg) at cycle 1 and 1 further cycle of Durvalumab (1500mg) only. Post-surgical resection, adjuvant therapy will consist of Durvalumab Q4W for up to a maximum of 12 months in total or 13 cycles of Durvalumab (11 cycles post op). All participants will be treated until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity or withdrawal of consent or another discontinuation criterion is met. All participants will be followed for survival until the end of study. No dose reductions of Tremelimumab and Durvalumab will be allowed. Statistics The primary objective of this study is to assess safety of pre-op treatment with Durvalumab and Tremelimumab. For safety, with the null proportion of patients who discontinue treatment due to AEs, imAEs or SAE is 30% versus the alternative proportion is 10% or less than 10%, a sample size of 28 provides 80% power to detect the proportion difference with a two-sided alpha level of 0.1. The sample size estimate is based on the two-sided exact test for binomial proportion considering Binomial Enumeration method.
• For inclusion in the study, patients should fulfil the following criteria at time of study enrolment or when indicated:
• Patient must be capable of providing written informed consent.
• Age \>18 years at time of study entry
• Histologically proven resectable HCC (early and intermediate stage HCC)\*
• Must consent to provide biopsy sample prior to treatment
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0 or 1
• Childs Pugh score of 5 or 6
• ALBI grade 1†
• Patients with HBV infection, which is characterized by positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBcAb) with detectable HBV DNA (≥10 IU/ml or above the limit of detection per local lab standard), must be treated with antiviral therapy, as per institutional practice, to ensure adequate viral suppression (HBV DNA ≤2000 IU/mL) prior to study entry. Patients must remain on antiviral therapy for the study duration and for 6 months after the last dose of study medication. Patients who test positive for anti-hepatitis B core (HBc) with undetectable HBV DNA (\<10 IU/ml or under limit of detection per local lab standard) do not require anti-viral therapy prior to study entry. These subjects will be tested at every cycle to monitor HBV DNA levels and initiate antiviral therapy if HBV DNA is detected (≥10 IU/ml or above the limit of detection per local lab standard). HBV DNA detectable subjects must initiate and remain on antiviral therapy for the study duration and for 6 months after the last dose of study medication.
• Patients with HCV infection must have management of this disease per local institutional practice throughout the study. HCV diagnosis is characterized by the presence of detectable HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) or anti-HCV antibody upon enrollment.
⁃ Evidence of post-menopausal status or negative serum pregnancy test for female pre-menopausal patients.
⁃ Female of childbearing potential and non-sterilized male partners of a female patient of childbearing potential must agree to use effective method of contraception from the time of screening throughout the total duration of the drug treatment and 6 months after the last dose of study treatment. (See exclusion #22 for definition of effective method of contraception).
⁃ Adequate normal organ and marrow function as defined below within screening period:
∙ Haemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL
‣ Absolute neutrophil count (ANC ≥1.0 × 109 /L)
‣ Platelet count ≥65 × 109/L
‣ Serum bilirubin ≤1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN). \<\<This will not apply to patients with confirmed Gilbert's syndrome (persistent or recurrent hyperbilirubinemia that is predominantly unconjugated in the absence of hemolysis or hepatic pathology), who will be allowed only in consultation with their physician.
‣ AST (SGOT)/ALT (SGPT) ≤2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
‣ Measured creatinine clearance (CL) \>40 mL/min or Calculated creatinine clearance CL\>40 mL/min by the Cockcroft-Gault formula (Cockcroft and Gault 1976) or by 24-hour urine collection for determination of creatinine clearance:
⁃ Males:
⁃ Creatinine CL (mL/min) = Weight (kg) x (140 - Age) / 72 x serum creatinine (mg/dL)
⁃ Females:
⁃ Creatinine CL (mL/min) = Weight (kg) x (140 - Age) x 0.85 / 72 x serum creatinine (mg/dL)
⁃ \- Albumin ≥2.8g/dl
⁃ \- International normalized ratio ≤1. (for patients receiving Warfarin, please consult with the study physician)
⁃ Patient is willing and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study including undergoing treatment and scheduled visits and examinations including follow up.
⁃ Body weight \> 30kg