Long-Term Follow-up of a Phase III Study of ch14.18 (Dinutuximab) + Cytokine Immunotherapy in Children with High-Risk Neuroblastoma: COG Study ANBL0032

• Published in: Clinical cancer research Vol. 27; no. 8; pp. 2179 - 2189
• Main Authors: Yu, Alice L, Gilman, Andrew L, Ozkaynak, M Fevzi, Naranjo, Arlene, Diccianni, Mitchell B, Gan, Jacek, Hank, Jacquelyn A, Batova, Ayse, London, Wendy B, Tenney, Sheena C, Smith, Malcolm, Shulkin, Barry L, Parisi, Marguerite, Matthay, Katherine K, Cohn, Susan L, Maris, John M, Bagatell, Rochelle, Park, Julie R, Sondel, Paul M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.04.2021
• Subjects: Adolescent; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Child; Child, Preschool; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Interleukin-2 - administration & dosage; Interleukin-2 - adverse effects; Isotretinoin - administration & dosage; Isotretinoin - adverse effects; Male; Neuroblastoma - drug therapy; Neuroblastoma - mortality; Progression-Free Survival; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Recombinant Proteins - adverse effects
• DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-3909
• ISSN: 1078-0432

Previously our randomized phase III trial demonstrated that immunotherapy including dinutuximab, a chimeric anti-GD2 mAb, GM-CSF, and IL2 improved survival for children with high-risk neuroblastoma that had responded to induction and consolidation therapy. These results served as the basis for FDA approval of dinutuximab. We now present long-term follow-up results and evaluation of predictive biomarkers. Patients recieved six cycles of isotretinoin with or without five cycles of immunotherapy which consists of dinutuximab with GM-CSF alternating with IL2. Accrual was discontinued early due to meeting the protocol-defined stopping rule for efficacy, as assessed by 2-year event-free survival (EFS). Plasma levels of dinutuximab, soluble IL2 receptor (sIL2R), and human anti-chimeric antibody (HACA) were assessed by ELISA. Fcγ receptor 2A and 3A genotypes were determined by PCR and direct sequencing. For 226 eligible randomized patients, 5-year EFS was 56.6 ± 4.7% for patients randomized to immunotherapy ( = 114) versus 46.1 ± 5.1% for those randomized to isotretinoin only ( = 112; = 0.042). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 73.2 ± 4.2% versus 56.6 ± 5.1% for immunotherapy and isotretinoin only patients, respectively ( = 0.045). Thirteen of 122 patients receiving dinutuximab developed HACA. Plasma levels of dinutuximab, HACA, and sIL2R did not correlate with EFS/OS, or clinically significant toxicity. Fcγ receptor 2A and 3A genotypes did not correlate with EFS/OS. Immunotherapy with dinutuximab improved outcome for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Early stoppage for efficacy resulted in a smaller sample size than originally planned, yet clinically significant long-term differences in survival were observed.