Exposure-response modelling of osimertinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Martin Johnson1, Yu-Wei Lin2, Henning Schmidt3

  • 1Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.

Abstract

Insights

Higher osimertinib exposure in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients did not improve efficacy but may increase adverse events like ILD, rash, and diarrhea. Doses of 80mg or higher are unlikely to offer additional benefit.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Osimertinib is an effective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • Understanding the exposure-response relationship is crucial for optimizing treatment and managing adverse events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the relationship between plasma osimertinib levels and its efficacy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
  • To evaluate the association between osimertinib exposure and safety events, including interstitial lung disease (ILD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) events, rash, and diarrhea.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive pharmacokinetic exposure-response (E-R) modeling using steady-state area under the curve (AUCss) data from 1689 patients across various treatment lines.
  • Survival analysis using proportional hazard models.
  • Analysis of ILD and LVEF events using penalized logistic regression and graphical methods.
  • Descriptive analysis for rash and diarrhea events.

Main Results:

  • No clear trend of increased efficacy with higher osimertinib AUCss was observed; efficacy was superior to control across all exposure quartiles.
  • A potential relationship between increased osimertinib exposure and higher probability of ILD events was identified, particularly in Japanese patients.
  • Increased probabilities of rash and diarrhea were associated with higher osimertinib exposure.
  • LVEF event probabilities showed overlapping confidence intervals between osimertinib ≤80mg and control.

Conclusions:

  • Exposure-response modeling indicates that higher osimertinib exposure does not enhance efficacy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
  • Increased osimertinib exposure may be linked to a higher occurrence of adverse events such as ILD, rash, and diarrhea.
  • Long-term treatment with osimertinib doses ≥80mg is unlikely to provide additional therapeutic benefit and may increase risks.

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