Phase Ib/II Trial of BEZ235 With Paclitaxel in Patients With HER2 Negative, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

A Dose-finding Phase Ib Study Followed by an Open-label, Randomized Phase II Study of BEZ235 Plus Paclitaxel in Patients With HER2 Negative, Inoperable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

This is a prospective, multi-center, open-label, phase Ib/ II study (two parts) with patients that have locally advanced or metastatic HER2 negative breast cancer. The first part (phase Ib) will investigate the MTD / Recommended Phase 2 Dose (RP2D) of the combination therapy of BEZ235 twice daily (b.i.d.) and weekly paclitaxel using a Bayesian model. When MTD/ RP2D is established the second part (phase II) will start. Phase II will evaluate the efficacy and the safety of weekly paclitaxel alone compared to weekly paclitaxel plus BEZ235 bid.

Inclusion Criteria (phase lb):

• Females with Breast cancer that is histologically or cytologically confirmed, HER2 negative and locally advanced or metastatic as confirmed by radiology
• ECOG performance status 0 and 1
• Adequate bone marrow and organ function

Exclusion Criteria (Phase lb):

• Previous treatment with PI3K and/or mTOR inhibitors
• Symptomatic Central Nervous System (CNS) metastases
• Concurrent malignancy or malignancy in the last 5 years prior to start of study treatment
• Wide field radiotherapy ≤ 28 days or limited field radiation for palliation ≤ 14 days prior to starting study drug
• Active cardiac disease (e.g. LVEF less than institutional lower limit of normal, QTcF > 480 msec, unstable angina pectoris, ventricular, supraventricular or nodal arrhythmias)
• Inadequately controlled hypertension
• Impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of BEZ235 and/or paclitaxel
• Treatment at start of study treatment with drugs with a known risk to induce Torsades de Pointes, moderate and strong inhibitors or inducers of isoenzyme CYP3A4, warfarin and coumadin analogues, LHRH agonists
• Sensitivity to paclitaxel treatment
• Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• Pregnant or nursing (lactating) woman

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply