PI is terminating the study due to slow/low accrual

This research study is being offered to those patients who have received radiation therapy and who are receiving long-term hormonal therapy for their prostate cancer and whose PSA remains detectable despite having received at least 6, but no more than 12 months of hormonal therapy.

The name of the study drugs involved in this study is:

• LHRHA (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist)
• Abiraterone Acetate
• Apalutamide
• Prednisone

This research study is a Phase III clinical trial. Phase III clinical trials test the effectiveness of an investigational intervention to learn whether the intervention works in treating a specific disease. "Investigational" means that an intervention is being studied. In this study, the investigational agents are apalutamide and abiraterone acetate. Abiraterone acetate (used in combination with prednisone) is an FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved drug for prostate cancer, but is approved in patients that have prostate cancer spread to other parts of their body and have been previously treated with ADT. Apalutamide has also been approved by the FDA for men whose cancer does not respond to hormone therapy but it is still investigational for this type of cancer.

In this research study, the investigators are looking at two methods of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), also known as hormonal therapy, to determine which method is better for improving long term cure rates. ADT blocks the function of hormones, including testosterone which prostate cancer uses to grow and spread. The first method of ADT includes prednisone, apalutamide, and abiraterone acetate plus standard ADT and the second method of ADT is standard ADT alone for men with this type of prostate cancer. Currently, the best standard treatment for men with this type of prostate cancer includes standard ADT. All participants in this study will receive the main standard form of ADT called a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist (LHRHA).

Inclusion Criteria:

• In order to ensure a homogenous population at study entry, a bone scan and not a PET will be used to ensure M0 high risk prostate cancer. A bone scan is to be done up to 6 months prior to the start of initial ADT therapy or up to one month after initiation of ADT to rule out bony metastatic disease.

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer

• PSA> undetectable (any value at or above the lower limit of detection for the assay used) after radiation and at least 6, but not more than 12 months of conventional ADT (LHRH agonist or antagonist with or without oral anti androgens, excluding abiraterone acetate and apalutamide) in patients with non-metastatic high risk or N1 prostate cancer

  • High risk is defined per the NCCN guidelines - clinical, radiographic, or pathological (biopsy proven) T3 or higher, Gleason 8-10, PSA > 20 ng/mL, the presence of intraductal, ductal, or cribriform features with any Gleason score, and can be N0 or N1
  • A month is defined as 28 days

• Written informed consent and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information prior to registration. NOTE: HIPAA authorization may be included in the informed consent or obtained separately. Subject must have the ability to understand and willingness to sign the written informed consent document.

• Age ≥18 at the time of consent

• ECOG Performance Status ≤ 2 (Appendix A)

• Demonstrate adequate organ function as defined in the table below. All screening labs to be obtained within 3 months of registration.

• System Laboratory Value

• Hematological:

  • Platelet count (plt)1 ≥ 100,000/ µL
  • Hemoglobin (Hgb)1 ≥ 9 g/dL
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1000 cells/µL

• Renal:

  --CrCl2 ≥ 45 mL/min

• Hepatic and Other:

  • Bilirubin3 ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) < 2.5 × ULN
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 2.5 × ULN
  • Serum Albumin > 3.0 g/dL
  • Serum potassium ≥ 3.5 mmol/L

• Coagulation:

  --International Normalized Ratio (INR) or Prothrombin Time (PT)

• Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time

• (aPTT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN (unless on prophylactic or therapeutic dosing with low molecular weight heparin)

  • Independent of transfusion and/or growth factors within 3 months prior to randomization
  • Cockcroft-Gault formula will be used to calculate creatinine clearance
  • In subjects with Gilbert's syndrome, if total bilirubin is >1.5 × ULN, measure direct and indirect bilirubin; if direct bilirubin is ≤1.5 × ULN, subject may be eligible

• Agrees to use a condom (even men with vasectomies) and another effective method of birth control if he is having sex with a woman of childbearing potential OR agrees to use a condom if he is having sex with a woman who is pregnant while on study drug and for 3 months following the last dose of study drug. Must also agree not to donate sperm during the study and for 3 months after receiving the last dose of study drug.

• Ability to understand and comply with study procedures for the entire length of the study as determined by the site investigator or protocol designee

• Medications known to lower the seizure threshold (section 5.4.4) must be discontinued or substituted prior to C1D1 of study treatment for patients on Arm 2

• Able to swallow pills

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior radical prostatectomy (excluding TURP and simple prostatectomy)

• History of any of the following:

  • Seizure or known condition that may predispose to seizure (e.g., prior stroke within 1 year of randomization, brain arteriovenous malformation, Schwannoma, meningioma, or other benign CNS or meningeal disease which may require treatment with surgery or radiation therapy)
  • Severe or unstable angina, myocardial infarction, symptomatic congestive heart failure, arterial or venous thromboembolic events (eg, pulmonary embolism, cerebrovascular accident including transient ischemic attacks), or clinically significant ventricular arrhythmias within 6 months prior to randomization

• Known current evidence of any of the following:

  • Uncontrolled hypertension. Participants with a history of hypertension are allowed provided blood pressure is controlled by anti-hypertensive therapy
  • Gastrointestinal disorder affecting absorption
  • Known history of testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
  • Known active or chronic hepatitis B infection (defined as having a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test at screening). Subject with past or resolved hepatitis B infection (defined as having a negative HBsAg test and positive antibody to hepatitis B core antigen test) are eligible. Hepatitis B viral DNA must be obtained in subjects with positive hepatitis B core antibody prior to first treatment start.
  • Active hepatitis C infection. Subjects positive hepatitis C antibody test are eligible if PCR is negative for hepatitis C viral DNA.
  • Pre-existing condition that warrants long-term corticosteroid use greater than the equivalent of 10 mg prednisone daily. Physiologic replacement is permitted. Topical, intra-articular steroids or inhaled corticosteroids are permitted.
  • Any condition that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would preclude participation in this study
  • Baseline moderate or severe hepatic impairment (ChildPugh Class B or C)

• Patients who are currently receiving treatment with a prohibited medication according to Section 5.4 (Tables 2 and 3), must discontinue that medication prior to starting treatment and must not restart for the duration of the study if randomized to ARM 2.

• Avoid co-administration of abiraterone acetate with CYP2D6 substrates that have a narrow therapeutic index. If an alternative treatment cannot be used, exercise caution and consider a dose reduction of the concomitant CYP2D6 substrate

• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to study drugs

• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

• Individuals with a history of another malignancy are not eligible if the cancer is under active treatment or the cancer can be seen on radiology scans or if they are off cancer treatment but in the opinion of their oncologist have a high risk of relapse within 5 years.

The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to: [contact information for Sponsor-Investigator or designee]. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research

Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication.

Requests may be directed to: [contact information for Sponsor-Investigator or designee].