Nature Communications (Nov 2024)

Camrelizumab plus apatinib for previously treated advanced adrenocortical carcinoma: a single-arm phase 2 trial

  • Yu-Chun Zhu,
  • Zhi-Gong Wei,
  • Jing-Jing Wang,
  • Yi-Yan Pei,
  • Jing Jin,
  • Dong Li,
  • Zhi-Hui Li,
  • Zhe-Ran Liu,
  • Yu Min,
  • Rui-Dan Li,
  • Li Yang,
  • Ji-Yan Liu,
  • Qiang Wei,
  • Xing-Chen Peng

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54661-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Therapeutic options for patients with advanced ACC who have failed standard treatments are limited. Single-agent immunotherapy as a second-line treatment has shown unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. This phase II trial (NCT04318730) evaluated the efficacy and safety of the PD-1 inhibitor camrelizumab combined with the VEGFR inhibitor apatinib in previously treated advanced ACC. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. A total of 21 patients with advanced ACC received at least one dose of camrelizumab and apatinib. The ORR was 52% (95% CI, 30−74%), meeting the primary endpoint, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 95% (95% CI, 76−100%). The median PFS was 13.3 months (95% CI, 8.4−NE), and the median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI, 11.0−NE). The most common grade 3−4 treatment-related adverse events were alanine aminotransferase elevation, aspartate aminotransferase elevation, and lymphopenia. Predefined exploratory analyses indicated that patients with higher peripheral blood CXCR3 + CD8 + T cell abundance, lower immunosuppressive CD4 + T cell abundance, and higher overlap of clonotypes between tumor-infiltrating T cells and circulating T cells, were more likely to respond favorably to the combined therapy.