Current systemic therapies for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are associated with poor outcomes with a 5-year overall survival rate under 5%. We aimed to assess the safety and antitumour activity of mitazalimab, a human CD40 agonistic IgG1 antibody, with modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX; fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan), in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

OPTIMIZE-1 was a single-arm, multicentre, phase 1b/2 study which enrolled adults with histologically-confirmed metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and European Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1 in 14 university hospitals in Belgium, France, and Spain. The primary endpoint of phase 1b was to determine the recommended phase 2 dose of intravenous mitazalimab (450 μg/kg or 900 μg/kg) when combined with intravenous mFOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m², leucovorin 400 mg/m², irinotecan 150 mg/m², fluorouracil 2400 mg/m²). In the first 21-day treatment cycle, mitazalimab was administered on days 1 and 10, and mFOLFIRINOX on day 8. In subsequent 14-day cycles mitazalimab was administered 2 days after mFOLFIRINOX. The phase 2 primary endpoint was objective response rate. Activity and safety analyses were conducted on the full analysis set (all patients who received the combination of mitazalimab at the recommended phase 2 dose and mFOLFIRINOX for at least two treatment cycles) and safety set (all patients who received any study treatment), respectively. Enrolment is complete, and data represents a primary analysis of the ongoing trial. The trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04888312).

Between Sept 29, 2021, and March 28, 2023, 88 patients were screened and 70 patients were enrolled (40 [57%] were female and 30 [43%] were male). In phase 1b, 900 μg/kg mitazalimab was determined as the recommended phase 2 dose. Overall, five patients received 450 μg/kg mitazalimab; 65 received 900 μg/kg mitazalimab. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at 450 μg/kg, and one dose-limiting toxicity was observed at 900 μg/kg. 57 patients were evaluated for activity, and all 70 patients were included in the safety set. At data cutoff on Nov 14, 2023, median follow-up was 12·7 months (95% CI 11·1–15·7). Of the 57 patients, 29 (51%) remained on study and 18 (32%) remained on treatment. The primary endpoint (objective response rate >30%) was met (objective response rates in 23 [40%]; one-sided 90% CI ≥32 of 57 patients). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were neutropenia (18 [26%] of 70 patients), hypokalaemia (11 patients [16%]), and anaemia and thrombocytopenia (eight patients [11%]). Serious adverse events were reported in 29 (41%) of 70 patients, the most common being vomiting (five [7%] of 70 patients), decreased appetite (four [6%]), and diarrhoea and cholangitis (three [4%] of 70 patients for each), none considered related to mitazalimab. No treatment-related deaths were reported.

Mitazalimab with mFOLFIRINOX demonstrated manageable safety and encouraging activity, warranting continued development in a phase 3, randomised, controlled trial. The results from OPTIMIZE-1 pave the way for further exploration and confirmation of a novel immunotherapy treatment regimen for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which is a complex and aggressive cancer with very low survival rates and restricted treatment options.

Alligator Bioscience.