A First-in-Human Phase I Study of the Anticancer Stem Cell Agent Ipafricept (OMP-54F28), a Decoy Receptor for Wnt

Antonio Jimeno1, Michael Gordon2, Rashmi Chugh3

  • 1University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado. antonio.jimeno@ucdenver.edu.

Insights

Ipafricept, a Wnt signaling inhibitor, showed good tolerability in solid tumor patients. The recommended dose was 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks, with some patients achieving prolonged stable disease.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Wnt signaling plays a crucial role in tumor cell dedifferentiation and cancer stem cell biology.
  • Ipafricept (OMP-54F28) is a novel recombinant fusion protein designed to inhibit Wnt ligands.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and preliminary efficacy of ipafricept in patients with solid tumors.
  • To determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and establish the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for ipafricept.

Main Methods:

  • A Phase 1 dose-escalation study using a 3+3 design.
  • Ipafricept administered intravenously every 3 weeks across seven dose cohorts (0.5 to 20 mg/kg).
  • Assessment of safety, PK, immunogenicity, PD markers (Wnt pathway gene modulation), and clinical activity.

Main Results:

  • Ipafricept was generally well-tolerated up to 15 mg/kg; fragility fractures occurred at 20 mg/kg.
  • Common adverse events included dysgeusia, decreased appetite, fatigue, and muscle spasms; Grade 3 events were infrequent (hypophosphatemia, weight decrease).
  • Pharmacokinetic modeling suggested target dose at 10 mg/kg; PD modulation of Wnt pathway genes observed at ≥2.5 mg/kg. Prolonged stable disease (>6 months) in two desmoid tumor and one germ cell cancer patient.

Conclusions:

  • Ipafricept demonstrated an acceptable safety profile with a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 15 mg/kg Q3W.
  • The drug showed potential for prolonged stable disease in specific tumor types, warranting further investigation.