Erdafitinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays critical roles in key biological processes ranging from embryogenesis to wound healing and has strong links to several hallmarks of cancer. Genetic alterations in FGF receptor (FGFR) family members are associated with increased tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and decreased survival. JNJ-42756493, erdafitinib, is an orally active small molecule with potent tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity against all four FGFR family members and selectivity versus other highly related kinases. JNJ-42756493 shows rapid uptake into the lysosomal compartment of cells in culture, which is associated with prolonged inhibition of FGFR signaling, possibly due to sustained release of the inhibitor. In xenografts from human tumor cell lines or patient-derived tumor tissue with activating FGFR alterations, JNJ-42756493 administration results in potent and dose-dependent antitumor activity accompanied by pharmacodynamic modulation of phospho-FGFR and phospho-ERK in tumors. The results of the current study provide a strong rationale for the clinical investigation of JNJ-42756493 in patients with tumors harboring FGFR pathway alterations. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1010-20. ©2017 AACR.

A phase II trial of docetaxel was conducted to assess its efficacy and toxicity in patients with advanced transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) who had failed to respond to prior cisplatin-based therapy. Thirty assessable patients who had failed to respond to or relapsed after one prior cisplatin-containing regimen were treated with docetaxel 100 mg/m2 over 1 hour, every 21 days. All patients were premedicated with dexamethasone and diphenhydramine to reduce allergic reactions. Reductions of subsequent doses were made for severe hematologic toxicity. Prophylactic hematopoietic growth factors were not used. Four of 30 patients (13.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8% to 30.7%) demonstrated a partial response (PR), with durations of response ranging from 3 to 8 months. The estimated median survival duration for all patients is 9 months (95% CI, 6 to 12 months) with a median follow-up time of 14 months (range, 1 to 27). Hematologic toxicity included anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia. Nonhematologic toxicity included alopecia and mucositis. Fluid retention was not observed and cutaneous toxicity was mild and infrequent. Dose reductions were necessary for adverse events in 18 patients (60%). Docetaxel is an active single agent in previously treated patients with TCC of the urothelial tract. Therapy was well tolerated in this patient population but myelosuppression was frequent. Further study in previously untreated patients, both alone and in combination, is warranted.

We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of weekly paclitaxel in patients with previously treated advanced urothelial cancer. Patients with urothelial cancer who had received one prior systemic chemotherapy regimen for advanced disease and had evidence of disease progression were eligible for enrollment. Patients received paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) by 1-hour intravenous infusion weekly. A cycle of therapy consisted of four weekly treatments. The study enrolled 31 patients. Mean age was 66 years, and 45% of patients had three or more involved metastatic sites. Only 26% of patients had responded to prior chemotherapy. The median number of cycles delivered was three (range, one to eight) at a mean weekly paclitaxel dose of 79 mg/m(2). Three patients achieved a partial response (10%; 95% confidence interval, 0% to 20%). Median time to progression was 2.2 months, and median overall survival time was 7.2 months. Therapy was well tolerated with minimal hematologic toxicity. Grade 3 nonhematologic toxicities were also uncommon. Although the overall response rate to weekly paclitaxel in patients with previously treated advanced urothelial cancer was modest, the chemotherapy-refractory nature of the study population should be considered.