Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Variation During Carfilzomib Treatment Is Associated to Best Response in Multiple Myeloma.

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which has been shown to be an essential cellular degradative system in myeloma cells, can also regulate bone formation through its effects on osteoblast differentiation. Retrospective analysis of variation of ALP during treatment with bortezomib indicates a close correlation between myeloma response and serum ALP levels which multiple studies have shown to be of bone origin. To determine if this effect is a class effect of proteasome inhibitors (PIs), this retrospective study analyzed variation of ALP in relationship to myeloma response during treatment with carfilzomib, the first in a new class of selective epoxyketone PIs that has demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy in two phase 2 studies of relapsed or refractory myeloma patients.

Retrospective analysis of serum ALP was performed on relapsed or refractory myeloma patients enrolled on two phase 2 studies (PX-171-003 and PX- 171-004) evaluating the safety and efficacy of single agent carfilzomib. We analyzed data from 38 patients in the first cohort of the PX-171-003 study, a relapsed and refractory myeloma trial for patients who have received ≥ 3 prior therapies including bortezomib and an IMiD and 29 patients in PX-171-004, a relapsed or refractory myeloma trial that included bortezomib naïve patients. All patients received 20 mg/m² of carfilzomib on Days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 of a 28-day cycle.

Seventy-seven patients were enrolled. The median age was 63 years with a median time since diagnosis of 4.6 years, 52% were male, 84.% had relapsed after autologous transplants, 82.% were previously exposed to bortezomib, and 92% were previously exposed to an IMiD. Sixty seven patients with ALP data were evaluable for response. In PX-171-003 the ORR (≥PR) was 18% and the clinical benefit response (CBR; ≥MR) was 26%, while in PX-171-004 the ORR was 35.5% overall and 57% in bortezomib naive patients. ALP increment from baseline, which was most evident during the second cycle of treatment, was statistically different in patients who achieved ≥VGPR compared to all others on Days 1 (P=0.0049) and 8 (P=0.006) of Cycle 2. In all patients achieving a VGPR or better, ALP increased more than 15 units per liter at Cycle 2 Day 1 over baseline An ALP increase over the same period of time was seen in 26 %, 13%, and 11% of patients achieving PR, MR, and SD, respectively. None of the patients with progressive disease exhibited a similar increase. Our study indicates that response first assessed on Day 15 of Cycle 1 parallels the ALP elevation which returned to baseline levels at the end of Cycle 3.

This retrospective analysis on a subset of patients in these ongoing phase 2 studies of single agent carfilzomib in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma suggests that elevation in ALP may be associated with best response. Taken with previous publications describing bortezomib treatment, these results suggest that this specific anabolic bone phenomenon could be a class effect of proteasome inhibitors. These phase 2 studies are ongoing with a higher dose of carfilzomib (27 mg/m²) being evaluated. The data from this small subset analysis suggests that further exploration of this relationship is warranted.

Zangari:Milllennium: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; OrthoBiotech: Honoraria; Optum Health: Honoraria; Educational Concepts Group, LLC: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Vij:Proteolix: Consultancy, Research Funding. Jagannath:Millennium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria. Siegel:Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Stewart:Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; Proteolix: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Wang:Proteolix: Honoraria, Research Funding. Belch:Ortho Biotech: Honoraria, Research Funding. Jakubowiak:Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Centocor Ortho Biotech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Exelixis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Trudel:Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Ortho Biotech: Honoraria. Bahlis:Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Ortho Biotech: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Lonial:Celgene: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Gloucester: Research Funding. Singhal:Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Speakers Bureau.