Avapritinib for Systemic Mastocytosis

Abstract

Introduction:

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare myeloid neoplasm driven in ≈95% of cases by activating KIT mutations, usually D816V. SM can be indolent (ISM), smoldering (SSM) and advanced (AdvSM), the latter characterized by organ damage resulting from infiltrating neoplastic mast cells. The vast majority of cases are indolent, with near-normal life expectancy, although symptoms can be severe. AdvSM, comprising aggressive SM, SM with an associated hematologic neoplasm and mast cell leukemia, however, carries a poor prognosis. Avapritinib is a highly potent and selective inhibitor of mutant KIT.

Areas Covered:

We provide an overview of SM, including the current therapeutic landscape, and discuss avapritinib in detail: its chemistry and discovery, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data, current approval status and safety and efficacy profiles in both advanced and non-advanced SM.

Expert Opinion:

With a response rate of 75% amongst evaluable patients with AdvSM and marked reductions observed in measures of mast cell and disease burden, avapritinib stands out as a highly effective targeted therapy for this mutant KIT-driven disease. Cognitive impairment may occur, and intracranial hemorrhage has been reported, particularly in association with severe thrombocytopenia. Early results in patients with ISM/SSM are encouraging. Avapritinib is now approved in the US for AdvSM.

1. Introduction

Systemic mastocytosis is a neoplastic proliferation of aberrant mast cells in organs beyond the skin, e.g. bone marrow and/or gastrointestinal tract, that is driven in the overwhelming majority of cases (≈ 95%) by activating mutations in the KIT gene that encode a constitutively active protein capable of ligand-independent signaling [1]. These mutations occur almost always in exon 17 of KIT at position D816, D816V being the most common [2,3]. Diagnostic criteria for SM [4] appear in Table 1. Sensitive techniques such as allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) or digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (PCR), capable of detecting even very low variant allele frequency (VAF) pathogenic KIT mutations (0.01–0.1%) are important to employ as these may be missed by myeloid mutation panels in routine use that utilize next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, the limits of whose sensitivity are in the range of 2–5% (VAF) [5,6]. In general, KIT mutations are easier detected in bone marrow aspirates than in the peripheral blood, and their detection can be difficult when using fluorescence-activated cell sorting in samples not enriched for mast cells [7]. Several groups of investigators have shown that the allele burden of mutant KIT correlates with disease subtype and with survival in SM [8–10]. Also important to realize is that SM is not the only entity that involves clonal proliferation of mast cells; indeed, KIT mutations are detected in many cases of cutaneous mastocytosis, predominantly encountered in children, as well as in monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome (MMAS) [1].

Table 1.

WHO diagnostic criteria for SM (major criterion + 1 minor criterion, or 3 minor criteria required) [4,11].

Major criterion	Multifocal dense infiltrates of mast cells (≥15 mast cells in aggregates) in bone marrow biopsies and/or in sections of other extracutaneous organ(s)
Minor criteria	>25% of all mast cells are immature or atypical on bone marrow aspirate smears or are spindle-shaped or atypical in mast cell infiltrates detected on biopsy sections of bone marrow or other extra-cutaneous organs
	Activating c-KIT point mutation at codon 816 in the bone marrow, blood or another extracutaneous organ
	Mast cells in bone marrow or blood or another extracutaneous organ express CD25 and/or CD2, in addition to normal mast cell markers
	Serum tryptase concentration >20 ng/ml in the absence of an associated myeloid neoplasm

A study from Denmark found the annual incidence of SM to be 0.89 per 100,000 [12]. SM is generally characterized as indolent (<2 B findings), smoldering (≥2 B findings but no C findings) or advanced (≥1 C findings), based on the presence and number of B (for ‘borderline benign’) and C (for ‘consider cytoreduction’) findings (Table 2) [13]. Over 90% of cases are indolent (ISM), with near-normal life expectancy and a very low likelihood of progression to advanced forms of the disease [14,15]. On the other hand, advanced SM (AdvSM), further sub-categorized into aggressive SM (ASM), SM with an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN, the most common subtype of AdvSM) and mast cell leukemia (MCL), is associated with markedly shortened survival [14,16]. The AHN in SM-AHN is usually a myeloid malignancy, most often a myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) overlap syndrome like chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) or MDS/MPN-unclassifiable, but can rarely be lymphoid [17]. The AHN subtype often dictates the clinical course, management and outcome of patients with SM-AHN [18]. A recent study from a single reference center in Germany found the incidence and prevalence of AdvSM to be ‘at least’ 0.8 and 5.2 per million inhabitants, respectively, based on locally diagnosed patients in an area of 2.5 million inhabitants [19]. SM had been ‘missed’ in 20% of patients diagnosed with myeloid neoplasms over a 15-year period (2003–2018). Furthermore, detailed analyses of cases of apparent ‘progression’ of ISM to AdvSM, thought to have occurred in 16% of patients, revealed that distinct clues to a potential diagnosis of AdvSM had been present in virtually all of them, but had been overlooked.

Table 2.

B and C findings (0–1 B findings and no C findings = ISM, ≥2 B findings and no C findings = SSM, ≥1 C finding = AdvSM) [11,13].

Bfindings (high mast cell burden but no organ damage)

>30% infiltration of bone marrow cellularity by mast cells and serum total tryptase >200 ng/mL

Signs of dysplasia or myeloproliferation in non-mast cell lineage(s), but criteria are not met for definitive diagnosis of an associated hematologic neoplasm, with normal or only slightly abnormal blood counts

Hepatomegaly without impairment of liver function

Palpable splenomegaly without hypersplenism

Lymphadenopathy on palpation or imaging

C findings (organ damage caused by mast cell infiltration)

Bone marrow dysfunction caused by neoplastic mast cell infiltration manifested by ≥1 cytopenia: absolute neutrophil count <1.0 × 109/L, hemoglobin level <10 g/dL, and/or platelet count <100 × 109/L

Palpable hepatomegaly with impairment of liver function, ascites, and/or portal hypertension

Skeletal involvement, with large osteolytic lesions with or without pathological fractures (pathological fractures caused by osteoporosis do not qualify as a C finding)

Palpable splenomegaly with hypersplenism

Malabsorption with weight loss due to gastrointestinal mast cell infiltrates

A key concept is that the KIT D816V mutation is not restricted to the neoplastic mast cells, but is also found in other cell types in the bone marrow, e.g. eosinophils, monocytes, thus making it a better indicator of overall disease burden in patients with SM-AHN than traditional measures of mast cell burden, such as serum tryptase levels and the percentage of mast cells in the bone marrow [20–22]. Conversely, several other mutations commonly encountered in myeloid malignancies have been demonstrated in both mast cells and other cell types involved in the AHN in the bone marrow of SM patients [23,24]. Some of these have been found to be prognostically adverse, viz., SRSF2, ASXL1, RUNX1 (the so-called ‘S/A/R’ mutations) [25], EZH2 [26], NRAS [27] and DNMT3A [28]. A number of prognostic models for AdvSM, incorporating just clinical [16] or a combination of clinical and genomic variables [27,29], have recently been published. A recent study by the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis (ECNM) found only age ≥60 years and serum alkaline phosphatase ≥100 U/L to be prognostic for overall survival (OS) in non-advanced SM [16]. Serum beta-2-microglobulin levels have been shown to powerfully predict progression in non-advanced SM [28].

2. Overview of the market

Management of non-advanced SM (ISM and smoldering SM, SSM) is focused on symptom relief (reviewed in ref [30].). Antihistamines (both H1 and H2 blockers), mast cell stabilizers, e.g. cromolyn, ketotifen, and leukotriene antagonists such as monteleukast are frequently used; other agents such as ciproheptadine, aspirin, amitriptyline and prochlorperazine may help in certain situations. The anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab may be beneficial in selected cases, particularly for the prevention of recurrent/unexplained anaphylaxis [31–33]. Immediate access to epinephrine is essential in the event of anaphylaxis, which can be caused by a variety of triggers; patients should carry an epinephrine auto-injector at all times. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common, and bisphosphonates may be required. However, there remains an unmet need for additional agents for optimal symptom control in some patients, particularly drugs that target the neoplastic clone, due to the very large number of mediators involved [34].

Imatinib is indicated for adults with ASM who do not carry the KIT D816V mutation or whose KIT mutational status is unknown, a very small subset of SM patients overall, but somewhat enriched among those with ‘well-differentiated SM (WDSM),’ a rare variant often associated with imatinib-sensitive KIT mutations in exons 8–11 [35,36]. Cladribine is a useful agent for the treatment of AdvSM, particularly when a rapid response is desired. Long-term follow-up of a French study showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 50% among 32 patients with AdvSM, with 37.5% major and 12.5% partial responses (PRs) [37]. Interferon, with or without glucocorticoids, has activity in ASM, with a reported major response (see Table 3 for definition) rate of approximately 21% [38].

Table 3.

Valent response criteria for aggressive systemic mastocytosis and mast cell leukemia [38,43].

Major response (Complete resolution of ≥1 C-finding(s) and no progression in other C-findings)

Complete remission: disappearance of mast cell infiltrates in affected organs, decrease of serum tryptase to <20 ng/mL, and disappearance of systemic mastocytosis-associated organomegaly

Incomplete remission: decrease in mast cell infiltrates in affected organs, and/or substantial decrease of serum tryptase level, and/or visible regression of organomegaly

Pure clinical response: without decrease in mast cell infiltrates, without decrease in tryptase levels, and without regression of organomegaly

Partial response (Incomplete regression of ≥1 C-finding(s), and no progression in other C-findings)

Good partial response: >50% regression

Minor response: <50% regression

No response (C-finding(s) persistent or progressive)

Stable disease: C-finding-parameters show constant range

Progressive disease: one or more C-finding(s) show progression

These criteria were modified for the midostaurin trials [39,41] by the addition of minimum response duration (8 weeks) and definitions of transfusion independence as per the International Working Group response criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) [40].

Until recently, the multi-kinase inhibitor midostaurin was the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agent for the treatment of AdvSM. In a phase 2 trial in 116 patients (89 evaluable), midostaurin yielded an ORR of 60% (45% major responses (MRs) and 15% PRs) [41]. Response rates by AdvSM subtype were 75% for ASM, 58% for SM-AHN and 50% for MCL. Also, 57% and 60% of evaluable patients attained ≥50% reductions in bone marrow mast cell percentage and serum tryptase level, respectively, and 26% achieved a ≥ 35% spleen volume reduction (SVR35). Although midostaurin improved quality of life (QOL) and mediator symptoms, gastrointestinal toxicity was significant [41,42]. Median OS was 28.7 months for all patients, not reached for ASM patients, 20.7 months for SM-AHN patients and 9.4 months for MCL patients. While the aforementioned median survival times were from study entry, data from the ECNM registry show the median OS for patients with ASM, SM-AHN and MCL to be 5.7, 2.9 and 1.9 years, respectively [16]. It is critical to appreciate that responses were adjudicated in this trial using the (modified) Valent criteria (Table 3) [43]; a post-hoc exploratory analysis using the more recent International Working Group for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research and Treatment (IWG-MRT)-ECNM criteria (Table 4)[44] and an algorithmic approach showed an ORR of 28% when counting clinical improvement (CI) as response and 17% when only considering complete responses (CRs) and PRs [17]. In a small, open-label, phase 2 trial in 20 patients with ISM and severe mast cell activation symptoms refractory to anti-histamines, midostaurin led to a statistically significant median 35% reduction in symptom severity (as assessed by the Mastocytosis Symptom Assessment Form, MSAF) [45] after 12 weeks of treatment, resulting in an improvement in symptoms for 15 (75%) of the patients [46]. Disease-specific quality of life (QoL), as assessed by the Mastocytosis QoL Questionnaire (MQLQ) [45], improved by a statistically significant 29% at 24 weeks [46]. The role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in AdvSM is not well-defined and continues to evolve [47]. In a retrospective study of 57 patients, 3-year OS was 57% overall, and 74%, 43% and 17% for patients with SM-AHN, ASM and MCL, respectively. A diagnosis of MCL, receipt of reduced intensity (versus myeloablative) conditioning and progressive disease (as opposed to stable disease or response) predicted inferior OS [48].

Table 4.

International Working Group for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research and Treatment – European Competence Network on Mastocytosis response criteria for advanced systemic mastocytosis (all responses/clinical improvement must last ≥12 weeks) [44].

	Complete response	Partial response	Clinical improvement	Stable disease	Progressive disease
Bone marrowmast cell burden	No compact mast cell aggregates	Reduction by ≥50%	Resolution of ≥1 non-hematologic or hematologic systemic mastocytosis-related organ damage findings in the absence of complete or partial response	Not meeting criteria for complete or partial response, clinical improvement or progressive disease	Worsening of baseline non-hematologic or hematologic systemic mastocytosis-related organ damage, or worsening of baseline splenomegaly
Serum tryptase level	<20 ng/ml	Reduction by ≥50%
Organ damage	Resolution of all C findings	Resolution of ≥1 C findings
Other	Resolution of palpable hepatosplenomegaly, absolute neutrophil count ≥1 × 109/L, hemoglobin ≥11 g/dl, platelets ≥100 × 109/L	Requires all 3 criteria in the absence of both complete response and progressive disease

Definitions of eligible systemic mastocytosis-related organ damage available in publication [44].

3. Introduction to avapritinib

Avapritinib (Ayvakit^™, formerly BLU-285, Blueprint Medicines Corporation, Cambridge, MA) is a type 1 small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that was specifically designed to bind to the active conformations of KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) and inhibit the activation loop mutants D816V (IC₅₀ 0.27 nM) and D842V (IC₅₀ 0.24 nM), respectively [49]. Avapritinib is highly selective for KIT and PDGFRA, with very limited potential for off-target activity. Importantly, avapritinib only weakly inhibits wild-type KIT (IC₅₀ 192 nM). Avapritinib also potently inhibits a range of other clinically relevant KIT mutants, particularly those affecting exon 11. Activity is high against KIT-mutant cell lines, e.g. HMC1.2 (bearing the exon 11/17 double mutant V560G/D816V), the murine KIT D814Y-mutant (equivalent to human D816Y) mastocytoma cell line P815 and the human Kasumi-1 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line. In a subcutaneous allograft mouse model created using the P815 cell line, avapritinib exhibited dose-dependent anti-tumor activity when administered once daily at doses of 0.3–30 mg/kg. Broad dose-dependent in vivo activity of avapritinib against exon 11 KIT mutants, as well as dual exon 11/17 and 11/13 mutants, was also documented in a range of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).

3.1. Pharmacodynamics

Avapritinib markedly reduced the formation of KIT D816V+ colonies in an assay of single cell-derived myeloid progenitor cells using granulocyte-macrophage colony forming units from patients with KIT D816V+ AdvSM, including some that were resistant to midostaurin, both in vitro and in vivo [50]. Interestingly, against KIT N822K+ AML cell lines (SKNO-1-Luc+ and Kasumi-1-luc +), of therapeutic relevance in core binding factor (RUNX1-RUNX1T1-driven) AML, several ‘fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)’ inhibitors, particularly quizartinib, but also sorafenib and crenolanib, were as potent as avapritinib [51]. Although not described in patients, the ‘gatekeeper’ mutation KIT T670I is predicted to indirectly cause resistance to avapritinib by inducing distant conformational changes in the phosphate-binding loop [52]. In patients with advanced PDGFRA-mutated GIST, however, for whom avapritinib is approved [53], kinase domain mutations in exons 13, 14, and 15 conferring secondary resistance have been described [54]. Avapritinib was found to inhibit the drug transporters ABCB1 and ABCG2, restoring chemosensitivity in multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines at nontoxic concentrations [55].

3.2. Pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetics of avapritinib have been reviewed [53]. Briefly, avapritinib is rapidly absorbed after oral administration, with a median time to peak concentration (C_max) of 2–4 hours after single doses in the 30–400 mg range. Dose proportional increases in C_max and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) were observed over the 30–400 mg once daily dose range, with steady state reached by day 15. Food increases the exposure of avapritinib, which should be taken on an empty stomach. Avapritinib is highly (98.8%) protein-bound, with a mean apparent volume of distribution (V_d) of 1200 L. Avapritinib is largely metabolized by CYP3A4 and to some extent by CYP2C9; the concomitant administration of strong or moderate CYP3A4 inducers or inhibitors should be avoided. Avapritinib is mostly eliminated in the stool; the mean plasma elimination half-life after single doses of avapritinib in the 30–400 mg range was 32–57 hours, with a steady state mean apparent oral clearance of 19.5 L/hour.

4. Clinical trial data

4.1. Phase 1 clinical study in AdvSM: EXPLORER

The phase 1 EXPLORER study (NCT02561988) enrolled 86 patients, 32 in the dose escalation part and 54 in the dose expansion part [56]. Avapritinib doses of 30–400 mg daily were explored in the dose escalation part (part 1) of the study, which also permitted enrollment of patients with relapsed/refractory myeloid malignancies [57]. The recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was determined to be 300 mg daily and was initially the starting dose for all patients in the dose expansion part (part 2) of the study; however, ongoing analyses suggested 200 mg/d to have the most favorable efficacy and safety profile and this dose was subsequently adopted as the RP2D. Therefore, an additional cohort at 200 mg daily was launched in part 2 for better characterization of the effects of avapritinib at this dose [58]. Central review of pathology, KIT mutation status (for confirmation of the diagnosis of SM) and imaging, as well as central serum tryptase testing, was implemented after study initiation, for proper classification of SM subtype and adjudication of responses. The latter was performed according to the modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria (see differences from the IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria in Table 5) [59]. A number of patients (19% in the 2019 update of this study) were found on central review to not have C findings, and therefore have ISM or SSM, rather than AdvSM [58]. Similarly, an AHN was discovered upon central pathology review in a substantial proportion of cases (20% in the 2019 update of this study) previously considered to be ASM [58].

Table 5.

Differences between the IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria and the modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria used in the avapritinib trials (in addition to inclusion of CRh in the modified criteria) [56,59,60,63,64].

Parameter	IWG-MRT-ECNM definition	IWG-MRT-ECNM response criteria	Changes in the modified criteria
Splenomegaly	Spleen palpable >5 cm below left costal margin with symptoms of discomfort and/or early satiety	≥50% reduction in palpable spleen length or ≥35% reduction in volume on CT/MRI plus resolution of symptoms lasting ≥12 weeks	Definition: Spleen palpable ≥5 cm below left costal margin regardless of symptoms  Response criteria: ≥35% spleen volume reduction on CT/MRI lasting ≥12 weeks
Weight loss	Not applicable	Not applicable	Definition: Medically documented loss of >10% weight from baseline in preceding 24 (±12) weeks  Response criteria: Reversal of >50% of weight lost in the 24 weeks preceding treatment

CRh requires absolute neutrophil count ≥0.5 × 10⁹/L, hemoglobin ≥8 g/dl and platelets ≥50 × 10⁹/L. CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.

As of the most recent update of this study, 53 patients (from both parts 1 and 2) were reported to be evaluable for response [56]. Median follow-up time was 23 months. The ORR was 75% (40 patients), composed of 8 (15%) complete responses (CRs), 11 (21%) CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh), 18 (34%) PRs and 3 (6%) CI responses. Twelve patients (23%) had stable disease (SD) and one (an SM-AHN patient) could not be evaluated for response, having come off-study too early for response assessment. The ORR was 100% among the 3 evaluable patients with ASM, 76% among 37 with SM-AHN (including this patient) and 69% among 13 patients with MCL. The ORR was 83% in the 36 midostaurin-naïve patients and 59% in the 17 who had received midostaurin as prior therapy. Median OS was 46.9 months for all 53 patients, as well as for the 37 patients with SM-AHN, and had not been reached for the other 2 subtypes. Avapritinib produced robust responses in measures of mast cell/disease burden: in a slightly earlier update, bone marrow mast cell aggregates were found to have been eliminated in 85% of patients and reduced by ≥50% in 93%, serum tryptase normalized in two-thirds of patients and decreased by ≥50% in 99%, SVR35 was attained by 80% of patients, and the allele burden of KIT D816V diminished by ≥50% in 92% of patients, going down to <1% in 68% [60]. Of note, a < 25% reduction in the mutant KIT allele burden predicts a worse outcome in the context of midostaurin therapy, as does the presence of mutations in S/A/R at baseline [61]. Thus far, mutations in these genes have not been shown to affect the likelihood of response to avapritinib. In the 2019 update of the EXPLORER study, the ORR was 77% among 39 evaluable patients, and 73% among the 22 patients bearing the S/A/R genotype [58]. The median time to response was 2 cycles (8 weeks), and responses deepened over time [60]. The AdvSM-symptom assessment form (AdvSM-SAF) is an instrument that evaluates diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain (gastrointestinal domain), itching, flushing, spots (skin domain) and fatigue in patients with AdvSM, with scores from 0 to 10 assigned daily to each of these symptoms. In an earlier analysis from the EXPLORER trial (n = 32), there was a 41% decline in the mean total symptom score (TSS) after 6 cycles, and a 58% decline in the mean most bothersome domain score from baseline [62]. This was accompanied by a significant improvement in the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life (QoL) score, approaching that of healthy, age-matched controls.

Responses in C findings can be challenging to evaluate in clinical practice because of their heterogenous nature, which may preclude some of them from being evaluable at baseline, and may not correlate with clearance of mast cells from the bone marrow or other extra-cutaneous organs. Importantly, upon application of the recently proposed ‘pure pathologic response (PPR)’ criteria (Table 6), which focus on histopathologic and molecular responses in AdvSM patients rather than improvement/resolution in C findings, an additional 11 patients became evaluable, i.e. 64 of the 86 EXPLORER patients [56]. Applying the PPR criteria to the same 53 patients evaluable for response by modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria, the ORR remained relatively unchanged at 77% (41 responders), but the CR rate rose to 23% (n = 12) from 15%, and the CRh rate to 24% (n = 13) from 21%. Furthermore, in landmark analyses starting at the end of cycle 6, response by PPR criteria correlated significantly (p = 0.013) with 2-year OS, while there was only a trend toward statistical significance for response (p = 0.083) by modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria. Similarly, attainment of CR/CRh by PPR criteria was significantly associated with a 2-year OS advantage versus only PR or SD (p = 0.026). In contrast, there was no significant difference between the different response categories (CR/CRh versus PR versus CI versus SD) by modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria in terms of 2-year OS. In terms of actual values, 2-year survival rates using modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria were 100% for CR/CRh, 81% for PR, 86% for CI and 59% for SD [56]. Using PPR criteria, these proportions were 100% for CR/CRh, 81% for PR and 58% for SD.

Table 6.

Pure Pathologic Response criteria for advanced systemic mastocytosis [56].

Response category	Definition
Complete response (CR) or CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh)	Bone marrow mast cell aggregates eliminated and serum tryptase <20 ng/mL
Molecular complete response	KIT D816V mutant allele fraction falls below limit of detection by sensitive assay (allele-specific oligonucleotide or digital droplet polymerase chain reaction)
Partial response (PR)	≥50% reduction in bone marrow mast cells and serum tryptase level
Stable disease (SD)	Not in a CR, PR, or pD
Progressive disease (PD)	Transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or mast cell leukemia (MCL)

CRh requires absolute neutrophil count ≥0.5 × 10⁹/L, hemoglobin ≥8 g/dl and platelets ≥50 × 10⁹/L.

4.2. Phase 2 clinical study in AdvSM: PATHFINDER

Avapritinib has also been studied in the phase 2, pivotal, open-label, PATHFINDER clinical trial (NCT03580655), now fully accrued. Results from a pre-specified interim analysis of this study, conducted once 32 response-evaluable patients had sufficient follow-up, i.e. had been on study for ≥6 months with ≥2 bone marrow assessments, were recently presented [63,64]. Of 62 enrolled patients, 52 were evaluable for response by modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria (cohort 1), while the other 10 were not (cohort 2). As noted above, the efficacy population for the interim analysis consisted of 32 of the 52 patients in cohort 1. Twenty-six of these patients (81%) had SM-AHN, while only 2 (6%) and 4 (13%) had ASM and MCL, respectively. S/A/R mutations were present in 53%, and 72% had received prior anti-neoplastic therapy (53% midostaurin, 13% cladribine). The starting dose of avapritinib was 200 mg daily in all but one of the 32 patients. Twenty four patients responded, for an ORR of 75%, as in the EXPLORER study. None of these were CRs, although six patients (19%) achieved CRh. Also, 31% and 25% of patients, respectively, attained PRs and CI, respectively, while four patients (13%) had SD. One patient (3%) had progressive disease, while three (9%) could not be evaluated for response, having come off-study for adverse events (AEs) prior to 13 weeks. ORRs were 81% among the 26 patients with SM-AHN, 100% in the 2 with ASM, and 25% among the 4 with MCL. Of the 6 patients who achieved CRh, 5 had SM-AHN and one, ASM. ORRs were similar in patients with (74%) or without (78%) prior anti-neoplastic therapy. At a median follow-up of 10.4 months, all responses were ongoing. Like in EXPLORER, median time to response was 2 months, and responses improved over time: median time to CRh was 5.6 months. Bone marrow mast cell aggregates were eliminated in 60% of patients and reduced by ≥50% in 88% (n = 50), serum tryptase was reduced below 20 ng/ml in 43% of patients and by ≥50% in 93% (n = 58), 66% of patients achieved SVR35 (n = 47), and the KIT D816V VAF in the peripheral blood reached <1% in 35% of patients, going down by ≥50% in 60% (n = 55). Eighty percent of patients with SM-CMML (n = 20) achieved ≥50% reduction in absolute monocyte count, while 88% of those with SM and eosinophilia or chronic eosinophilic leukemia (n = 16) achieved ≥50% reduction in absolute eosinophil count, possibly reflective of activity of avapritinib against the AHN component [64]. The mean baseline AdvSM SAF TSS was 18.3, and had declined by 9.8 points by cycle 11. Mean symptom scores for the individual symptoms declined as well. These symptom improvements were accompanied by improvements in the EORTC QoL questionnaire C30 score and in all its constituent domains: physical, role, emotional, cognitive and social functioning.

4.3. Phase 2 clinical study in ISM and SSM: PIONEER

PIONEER (NCT03731260) is an ongoing, pivotal, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 2 trial of avapritinib in patients with ISM or SSM whose symptoms are not optimally controlled on best supportive care (BSC). Patients must have moderate to severe symptoms despite ≥2 BSC medications. For eligibility, BSC medications must first be optimized, and then the TSS calculated daily over a 14-day eligibility screening period. BSC medications continue on study. Thirty-nine patients with ISM (diagnoses confirmed by central review of bone marrow biopsy and B and C findings) were enrolled to part 1 of this study and randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive 25, 50 or 100 mg daily of avapritinib, or placebo [65]. Avapritinib was generally well-tolerated across all doses; in particular, there were no grade 3 AEs or dose modifications in the 25 mg daily cohort (n = 10). Similar temporal improvements in all individual symptoms that comprised the ISM-SAF TSS (fatigue, brain fog, flushing, spots, bone pain, itching, headache, abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea and diarrhea) were achieved across the three avapritinib dosing cohorts, leading to 25 mg daily being selected as the RP2D. Avapritinib (all cohorts combined) led to an approximately 30% mean reduction in the ISM-SAF TSS by week 16 versus placebo (p 0.001). Avapritinib at the 25 mg/d dose improved the most bothersome symptom domains and QoL by week 16, versus placebo. Even at this dose, objective measures of disease burden, i.e. serum tryptase, bone marrow mast cell percentage and the VAF of KIT D816V in the blood (assessments performed centrally for each) were all reduced by avapritinib compared with placebo. Two hundred and four patients are expected to be enrolled across ≈50 sites in Europe and North America in part 2 (avapritinib, 25 mg/d, versus placebo, randomized 1:1) of the PIONEER trial. The primary endpoint, a ≥ 30% improvement in the ISM-SAF TSS, will be assessed at 24 weeks, after which all patients may roll over to receive open-label avapritinib at a dose of 25 mg daily plus BSC.

5. Safety and tolerability

In the EXPLORER trial (n = 80), the most common AEs (all grades, reported by ≥30% of patients) were peri-orbital edema (71%), anemia (55%), diarrhea (41%), fatigue (40%), peripheral edema (40%), nausea (39%), thrombocytopenia (39%), vomiting (34%) and cognitive effects (34%) [60]. Grade ≥3 anemia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 29% and 26% of patients, respectively. Four percent of patients each experienced grade ≥3 nausea, vomiting, per-orbital edema and cognitive effects. Six of 80 patients (8%) discontinued avapritinib because of AEs. There were six cases (8%) of non-traumatic intra-cranial hemorrhage. Four of these cases occurred among nine patients with baseline severe thrombocytopenia (platelets <50 × 10⁹/L), for an incidence of 44% in this population. Following these observations, the EXPLORER and PATHFINDER studies were amended to exclude patients with severe thrombocytopenia at baseline, and a number of risk mitigation measures (frequent monitoring of platelet counts, with guidelines for platelet support and dose interruption and adjustment of avapritinib, where appropriate) were implemented. In the PATHFINDER trial (n = 62), in which the starting dose of avapritinib was 200 mg daily in the vast majority of patients, the most common AEs (all grades) were peri-orbital edema (50%), peripheral edema (48%), thrombocytopenia (45%), anemia (32%), neutropenia (24%, all grade ≥3), diarrhea (23%), nausea (18%), vomiting (18%), and fatigue (15%) [63]. Anemia and thrombocytopenia were each grade ≥3 in 16% of patients. Five percent of patients discontinued avapritinib due to AEs, and 68% of patients required dose reductions, most frequently due to cytopenias. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Cognitive effects were grades 1 (n = 6) or 2 (n = 1). One patient (1.6%) with baseline platelets <50 × 10⁹/L developed a grade 4 intra-cranial hemorrhage. In PIONEER (part 1), as noted above, no grade ≥3 AEs were noted at the 25 mg/d dose (n = 10) [65]. Fatigue was reported by 40% of patients receiving this dose, and headache and dizziness each by 30%, while arthralgia, nausea, face and peripheral (but not peri-orbital) edema each occurred in 10% of patients. Grade 3 AEs were reported in this ISM population at the 50 and 100 mg/d doses of avapritinib; specifically, grade 3 nausea, headache and diarrhea each occurred in 10% of patients in the 50 mg/d cohort (n = 10), and grade 3 headache and diarrhea each occurred in 10% of patients in the 100 mg/d cohort (n = 10). No grade 4 or 5 AEs were reported in part 1 of the PIONEER study.

6. Regulatory affairs

Avapritinib (Ayvakit^™), at a dose of 300 mg daily, is currently approved in the US for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic GIST harboring a PDGFRA exon 18 mutation, including D842V, and in the European Union for this specific mutation [53]. Approval was based on the findings of the phase 1 NAVIGATOR trial, in which the ORR in the KIT D842V-mutant population, one with no other available effective therapies, was 88% [66]. On 16 June 2021, the US FDA approved avapritinib for the treatment of AdvSM (ASM, SM-AHN and MCL) in adult patients without severe thrombocytopenia (platelets <50 × 10⁹/L), based on data from the EXPLORER and PATHFINDER trials.

7. Conclusions

In summary, avapritinib, which has recently been approved by the FDA for AdvSM and been granted breakthrough therapy designation for moderate to severe ISM, is an exciting new targeted treatment for patients with these rare conditions. As discussed above, avapritinib led to profound reductions in mast cell burden and mutant KIT allele fraction, and high response rates in the EXPLORER and PATHFINDER trials in AdvSM, and was generally well-tolerated. Early results in ISM, where symptom reduction is of paramount importance, have been encouraging as well, and the selection of a low dose going forward is rational with regards to safety in these individuals with near-normal life expectancy.

8. Expert opinion

SM remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge because of its rarity, the heterogeneity of its clinical presentation, the difficulty of accurately classifying patients as having ISM, SSM or AdvSM (this is particularly true of SM-AHN, where attribution of organ damage to the SM component or the AHN can be tricky), and before avapritinib, the unavailability of highly effective targeted therapy. Midostaurin, until recently the only approved therapy for the vast majority of patients with AdvSM, is a relatively nonspecific TKI with toxicities, particularly gastrointestinal, that can overlap with symptoms of SM and make it a complicated drug to administer [67]. Other important toxicities of midostaurin include myelosuppression, which can be problematic, especially in patients with SM-AHN and disease-related cytopenias, hyperlipasemia, hyperglycemia, QT prolongation, interstitial lung disease, rash and photosensitivity. Furthermore, as noted above, the ORR to midostaurin in AdvSM in the pivotal trial using the more recent IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria was only 28% [17], in contrast to 60% by the modified Valent criteria [41]. There is no specific therapy approved for patients with ISM and SSM, who are managed with a variety of symptom-directed medications; however, symptom control is suboptimal in many patients [68]. Finally, the survival of patients with ISM may not be ‘normal’ as previously believed [14], and was recently shown to be clearly inferior to that of patients with cutaneous mastocytosis (CM, i.e. without systemic involvement) [15]. These patients could thus benefit from a targeted therapeutic that addresses the underlying biological driver of their disease.

The field of drug development for SM has had its share of failures. Although active in vitro against KIT D816V, clinical responses to dasatinib have been modest [69]. The same is true of nilotinib [70]. Masitinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of KIT and LYN kinases, did not receive regulatory approval despite significantly improving symptoms in a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in severely symptomatic patients with ISM or SSM [71]. Furthermore, in preclinical studies, KIT D816V is resistant to masitinib [72], like it is to imatinib [73]. The results of antibody-based approaches targeting CD30 [74], CD123 [75] and CD25 [76] have been disappointing. In this context, the 75% ORR (by modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria) to avapritinib in both the EXPLORER [56] and PATHFINDER [63,64] trials in AdvSM, accompanied by profound reductions in both traditional measures of mast cell burden and mutant KIT VAF, is highly encouraging. Furthermore, responses have been robust in midostaurin-exposed patients, appear unaffected by S/A/R mutations, and appear to translate into an OS benefit, acknowledging the caveats of cross-trial comparisons. A case of prompt resolution of anaphylaxis with the introduction of avapritinib in a patient with SM-AHN and recurrent anaphylactic episodes has been published, suggesting potential for this agent in this difficult therapeutic scenario [77].

The reports of intra-cranial hemorrhage and cognitive AEs on avapritinib are of some concern; however, the mitigation of the former by the exclusion of patients with baseline severe thrombocytopenia (platelets <50 × 10⁹/L) and close monitoring and support of platelet counts, along with dose holds and adjustments of avapritinib as appropriate, is reassuring. Avapritinib does cross the blood–brain barrier; this, together with its inhibition of PDGFRA, may contribute to the occurrence of intra-cranial hemorrhage. To date, most cognitive effects have been grades 1/2 and dose-dependent, but these deserve careful follow-up. Of note, Blueprint Medicines has developed a successor molecule, BLU-263, that is equipotent in terms of KIT D816V inhibition to avapritinib in vitro, but has minimal central nervous system penetration [78]. There are plans to study this next-generation agent in HARBOR, a phase 2/3 clinical trial in patients with non-advanced SM. Although only early (part 1) results of PIONEER are available to date [65], intra-cranial hemorrhage and cognitive effects would not be expected in this population of patients with ISM/SSM (i.e. without baseline thrombocytopenia) receiving a low dose (25 mg/d) of avapritinib. Other challenges include how best to combine avapritinib with treatments for the AHN in patients with SM-AHN, given that the latter, e.g. hypomethylating agents, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, etc., are usually also myelosuppressive. Finally, as with all targeted therapies, characterization of the mechanisms of primary and secondary resistance to avapritinib in patients with SM will be important.

The PDGFRA D842V mutation in GIST that avapritinib targets with high efficacy [66] was previously considered ‘undruggable.’ The approval of avapritinib has ushered in a new era for patients with this challenging spectrum of diseases. Other novel KIT inhibitors are in clinical development for AdvSM. Ripretinib (QINLOCK^™) is a type 2, ‘switch control pocket’ inhibitor (avapritinib is a type 1 inhibitor, i.e. binds to the active conformation of the kinase) that was recently FDA-approved for patients with advanced GIST who have previously been treated with ≥3 kinase inhibitors [79]. This drug has been studied in patients with AdvSM (NCT02571036), although no results are available in the public domain at this time.

Article highlights.

• Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare myeloid neoplasm driven in the vast majority of cases by activating mutations in the KIT gene, most commonly D816V.

• Approximately 90% of cases of SM are indolent (ISM) and characterized by near-normal life expectancy and a low likelihood of progression to more advanced forms; symptom control is the principal goal of therapy.

• Advanced SM (AdvSM), which comprises aggressive SM (ASM), SM with an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN) and mast cell leukemia (MCL), is defined by the presence of one or more C-findings, reflective of organ damage from neoplastic mast cell infiltration.

• Avapritinib, a potent and selective inhibitor of mutant KIT, has been approved in the USA for the treatment of AdvSM; in 85 evaluable patients across the phase 1 and 2 trials, avapritinib elicited an overall response rate of 75% per modified IWG-MRT-ECNM criteria.

• Responses to avapritinib were rapid, durable and deepened over time; median survival was 46.9 months in the phase 1 trial and has not been reached in the phase 2 trial.

• Avapritinib has been associated with intracranial hemorrhages and is not recommended to be used in patients with baseline platelets <50 × 10⁹/L; peri-orbital and peripheral edema were common, and cognitive impairment, generally grades 1–2, was observed in the trials.