Lost sponsorship for study drug

This research is being done to find out how safe and how well the combination of lapatinib and vorinostat works against advanced cancers.

Lapatinib is an anti-cancer drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2 is a protein involved in the growth of some cancer cells. In lab tests and small clinical studies, lapatinib is also found to kill other types of cancer that have another related protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). For participants who have other cancers, the use of lapatinib in this study is investigational. This means the drug is not FDA approved for this use.

Vorinostat is only FDA approved for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (a type of cancer). Vorinostat is not currently FDA approved for breast cancer or any other type of cancer. The use of vorinostat in this study is investigational.

Cancer cells can travel through the blood stream and spread to other organs. This process is called metastasis. Lab tests and small clinical trials have shown that vorinostat kills some cancer cells and prevents these cancer cells from traveling through the blood stream. These trials have shown that vorinostat improves how well lapatinib kills cancer cells.

Newer studies have also shown that a subset of cells, called "cancer stem cells," can come back, spread, and become resistant to the usual chemotherapy. In laboratory tests, we found that vorinostat and lapatinib can reduce the number of cancer stem cells. We are looking at combining vorinostat and lapatinib in the hope that we can reduce the number of cancer stem cells and cancer cells traveling through the blood stream.

There are two parts to this study.

First part- We want to learn more about the best dose of vorinostat to be given with lapatinib. We want to learn about how much vorinostat and lapatinib goes into the blood during treatment. We also want to learn the side effects (safety) of the combination of vorinostat and lapatinib. All patients will receive the FDA-approved dose of lapatinib. The first group of patients will get a slightly lower dose of vorinostat than is given normally. If the side effects are not too serious, the next group of patients will get the dose of vorinostat that is given normally.

Second part- We will find out how well the combination of vorinostat and lapatinib works in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age greater than or equal to 18 years.

• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status less than or equal to 2.

• Consent for peripheral blood sampling for analysis of circulating tumor cells.

• Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined by the protocol.

• Female patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast with recurrent local-regional disease, or metastatic disease that have progressed after treatment with regimens that include an anthracycline, a taxane, or trastuzumab.

• Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) positive in the primary or secondary tumor tissue as defined by:

  • Grade 3plus staining intensity (on a scale of 0 to 3) by means of Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis OR
  • Gene amplification on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) greater than or equal to 2.2.

• Patients must have measurable disease by the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST)criteria at the time of enrollment.

• Prior trastuzumab therapy is allowed. Trastuzumab should be stopped at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients receiving any other investigational agents.
• Prior exposure to lapatinib, vorinostat, or other Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Prior valproic acid exposure is allowed providing this is a greater than or equal to 30 days wash-out period.
• History of allergic reactions or hypersensitivity to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to vorinostat or lapatinib.
• Patients with history of clinically significant or uncontrolled cardiac disease, as defined by the protocol, or any significant cardiac condition that in the judgment of the investigator is unsuitable.
• Significant chronic or recent (less than 30 days) acute gastrointestinal disorder with diarrhea as a major symptom (e.g. Crohn's disease, malabsorption, or Grade 2 or greater diarrhea of any etiology at baseline).
• Prior exposure to more than 360 mg/m2 doxorubicin or liposomal doxorubicin, more than 120 mg/m2 mitoxantrone, or more than 90 mg/m2 idarubicin, or elevated baseline cardiac troponin T (more than upper limit of normal).
• Patients with active Central Nervous System (CNS) metastasis and/or carcinomatous meningitis are excluded. Patients with CNS metastasis who have completed a course of therapy would be eligible for the study provided they are clinically stable for 3 weeks prior to entry as defined as: (1) no evidence of new or enlarging CNS metastasis and (2) off steroids and/or anticonvulsants, for at least 4 weeks before an enrollment.
• Female patient that is pregnant or breastfeeding or expecting to conceive during the study. Women able to have children must have a negative pregnancy test prior to enrollment. All patients must use two effective methods of contraception (including a barrier method) during treatment and for 12 weeks after stopping treatment.
• The patient is known to be Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C-positive (test results are not required in order to participate).
• Patients with current active hepatic or biliary disease (with exception of patients with Gilbert's syndrome, asymptomatic gallstones, liver metastases or stable chronic liver disease per investigator assessment)
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirement.
• Previous or current systemic malignancy within the past 3 years other than the following: Female- breast cancer or adequately treated carcinoma in-situ of the cervix, or Female and Male- basal/squamous carcinoma of the skin.

The most important limitation of this study is that the Phase II efficacy portion was terminated early by the sponsor.