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Combination of Letrozole, Everolimus and TRC105 in Postmenopausal Women With Hormone-Receptor Positive and Her2 Negative Breast Cancer

A Phase I/II Study of Preoperative (Neoadjuvant) Combination of Letrozole (Femara), Everolimus (Afinitor), and TRC105 in Postmenopausal Women With Newly Diagnosed Local or Locally Advanced Potentially Resectable Hormone-Receptor Positive and Her2 Negative Breast Cancer

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02520063
Enrollment
15
Registered
2015-08-11
Start date
2015-02-01
Completion date
2022-12-01
Last updated
2026-02-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Keywords

hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, Her2 negative breast cancer, neoadjuvant, everolimus, TRC105, letrozole

Brief summary

This study will test how well a new combination of three drugs (Letrozole, Everolimus, and TRC105) is tolerated and how well it works in Stage 2 and 3 breast cancer when given prior to definitive surgery. Letrozole blocks the estrogen receptor expressed by many breast cancers while everolimus blocks signals that drive cancer cells to grow. TRC105 is an investigational drug that blocks the formation and growth of blood vessels that feed the cancer and promote its growth. The goal of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of this multitargeted approach in breast cancer.

Detailed description

In postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive and Her2 negative non-metastatic breast cancer, downstaging or the achievement of a complete pathologic remission before definitive surgery has been associated with the lowest risk of recurrence of breast cancer. In order to achieve a better response in these patients in the preoperative setting, this study combines 3 potentially synergistic agents. Letrozole blocks the synthesis of estrogens and, in doing so, deprives the tumor from hormones which drive its growth. Everolimus is a drug that blocks growth factor signaling which is essential for tumor cells to maintain their growth and proliferation. Everolimus has already been shown to work very well in this subtype of breast cancer in the recurrent and metastatic setting. TRC105 is an investigational agent that prevents the formation and growth of new blood vessels that support tumors by providing oxygen and nutrients. The study has 2 components. First the investigators will determine the ideal in terms of tolerance combination of doses of the 3 agents. Once the ideal regimen is determined, more patients will be treated with the investigational combination. During this second stage, the investigators will get a preliminary idea of how effective the investigational therapy is. Further studies will need to be done to confirm the efficacy of the investigational combination.

Interventions

DRUGLetrozole

A dose of 2.5 mg of letrozole will be given orally once each day until one day before surgery. This drug is commercially available and is not provided by the study.

DRUGEverolimus

The dose of everolimus will be escalated from 5 mg to 10 mg daily depending upon the cohort in Phase I. It is administered as an oral pill to be taken once daily up until four weeks prior to surgery.

DRUGTRC105

The dose for TRC105 is either 15 or 10 mg/kg to be given intravenously every two weeks and continued until four weeks prior to surgery.

Sponsors

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lead SponsorOTHER
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Tracon Pharmaceuticals Inc.
CollaboratorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
19 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Recent diagnosis of hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative breast cancer. * Stage 2 and 3 hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative breast cancer (stage T2-4 but not inflammatory, N0-2, M0). * Histological grade I, II or III according to the modified Bloom Richardson scale. * No prior treatment specific for breast cancer. * Postmenopausal status as defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. * ECOG performance status \< 2 (Karnofsky \> 60%). * Must have signed study-specific informed consent. * Liver Function Tests \< 2.5 times the upper normal limit (UNL). * ANC ≥ 1,500/mm3, platelets ≥ 100,000/mm3, Hemoglobin ≥ 10g%. * Renal function: serum creatinine \< 1.5 institutional UNL or creatinine clearance \> 40 cc/min.

Exclusion criteria

* Inflammatory breast cancer. * Pre- and peri-menopausal state. * Pregnancy. * Metastatic disease. * HER2 positive breast cancer by immunohistochemistry or FISH. * Triple negative breast cancer (hormone receptor and Her2 negative). * Disease that cannot be followed by imaging studies.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants Who Experienced Dose-limiting Toxicities4 weeksThis outcome will report the number of patients who experienced a dose-limiting Toxicity (DLT) in Phase I Cohort 1, Phase I Cohort 2, and Phase I Cohort -1. A DLT was defined as: 1. A grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicity except anorexia, alopecia, nausea (which is not refractory to antiemetics), fatigue, and fever without neutropenia; 2. Failure to recover to baseline (except alopecia) after delaying the next dose by more than 14 days; 3. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia complicated by fever \>38.5°C or infection, or grade 4 neutropenia of ≥7 days duration; or 4. Grade 4 thrombocytopenia, or grade 3 thrombocytopenia complicated by hemorrhage. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the highest dose at which 0 out of the first 3 or 1 out of a total of 6 patients experience DLT during the first cycle of therapy; this dose level will be the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) in the Phase II Group.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Rates of Pathologic Complete Remission (pCR)24 weeks up to time of surgeryThe 2-dimensional size of the surgically excised residual tumor was measured and compared to the radiographic size of the tumor at baseline. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions and reduction in short axis of any pathological lymph nodes to \<10 mm; Partial Response (PR), \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.
C Max - LetrozoleDay 1 and Day 29Maximum serum concentration of Letrozole.
Tumor Proliferation Changes24 weeks (pretreatment to time of definitive surgery)This outcome will report the change in tumor cell proliferation. This was measured by the change in the percentage of Ki67 positive cells from pretreatment to surgery (up to 24 weeks): (%Ki67(+) cells pretreatment - %Ki67(+) cells posttreatment)/(%Ki67(+) cells pretreatment) \* 100 Ki67 is a protein found in cells that are dividing. The Ki-67 assessment was performed by the clinical histology laboratory using a validated assay. The results were evaluated by a board-certified pathologist, who estimated the proportion of cancer cells stained for Ki-67. The individual tissue sections were analyzed blindly and at the completion of the assay, results were correlated per case as to changes in Ki-67 with the investigational therapy.
T Max - LetrozoleDay 1T Max is the time to the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the T Max of Letrozole at Day 1 in Phase 1 Cohort 1, Phase 1 Cohort 2, and Phase 2. All patients in the trial received the same dose of letrozole.
AUC - LetrozoleDay 1 and Day 29This outcome will report the area under the serum concentration of letrozole versus time curve (AUC-L). AUC-L is the integral of the concentration of letrozole in the blood as a function of time. AUC-L measures how much letrozole reaches the bloodstream in a period of time after a dose is given. This is useful in dose determination and assessing drug interactions. This outcome was assessed on Day 1 and on Day 29 for Phase I Cohort I, Phase I Cohort 2, and Phase 2.
T 1/2 - LetrozoleDay 1T ½ is the half-life of a drug in the blood. This is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the blood to be reduced by half. This outcome will report the T 1/2 of Letrozole.
C Max - EverolimusDay 1 and Day 29Cmax is the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the Cmax of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1 and Phase 1 Cohort 2 combined with Phase 2 (since the dose of everolimus was the same in these cohorts) at Day 1 and Day 29.
T Max EverolimusDay 1T Max is the time to the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the T Max of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1, and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients received the same dose of everolimus) at Day 1.
AUC - EverolimusDay 1 and Day 29This outcome will report the area under the serum concentration everolimus of versus the time curve (AUC-E). AUC-E is the integral of the concentration of everolimus in the blood as a function of time. AUC-E measures how much everolimus reaches the bloodstream in a period of time after a dose is given. This is useful in dose determination and assessing drug interactions. This outcome was assessed on Day 1 and on Day 29 for Phase I Cohort I, and combined Phase I Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients in Phase I cohort 2 and Phase 2 received the same dose of everolimus).
T 1/2 - Everolimusday 1T ½ is the half-life of a drug in the blood. This is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the blood to be reduced by half. This outcome will report the T 1/2 of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1 and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 (since patients in Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 received the same dose of everolimus).

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORErica Stringer-Reasor, M.D.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORErica Stringer-Reasor, MD

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Phase I Cohort 1
Letrozole 2.5 mg PO daily until surgery, everolimus 5 mg PO daily for 24 weeks, and TRC105 15 mg/kg IV q 2 weeks for 24 weeks Letrozole: A dose of 2.5 mg of letrozole will be given orally once each day until one day before surgery. This drug is commercially available and is not provided by the study. Everolimus: The dose of everolimus will be escalated from 5 mg to 10 mg daily depending upon the cohort in Phase I. It is administered as an oral pill to be taken once daily up until four weeks prior to surgery. TRC105: The dose for TRC105 is either 15 or 10 mg/kg to be given intravenously every two weeks and continued until four weeks prior to surgery.
6
Phase I Cohort 2
Letrozole 2.5 mg PO daily until surgery, everolimus 10 mg PO daily for 24 weeks, and TRC105 15 mg/kg IV q 2 weeks for 24 weeks Letrozole: A dose of 2.5 mg of letrozole will be given orally once each day until one day before surgery. This drug is commercially available and is not provided by the study. Everolimus: The dose of everolimus will be escalated from 5 mg to 10 mg daily depending upon the cohort in Phase I. It is administered as an oral pill to be taken once daily up until four weeks prior to surgery. TRC105: The dose for TRC105 is either 15 or 10 mg/kg to be given intravenously every two weeks and continued until four weeks prior to surgery.
4
Phase I Cohort -1
Letrozole 2.5 mg PO daily until surgery, everolimus 5 mg PO daily for 24 weeks, and TRC105 10 mg/kg IV q 2 weeks for 24 weeks Letrozole: A dose of 2.5 mg of letrozole will be given orally once each day until one day before surgery. This drug is commercially available and is not provided by the study. Everolimus: The dose of everolimus will be escalated from 5 mg to 10 mg daily depending upon the cohort in Phase I. It is administered as an oral pill to be taken once daily up until four weeks prior to surgery. TRC105: The dose for TRC105 is either 15 or 10 mg/kg to be given intravenously every two weeks and continued until four weeks prior to surgery.
0
Phase II
Letrozole 2.5 mg PO daily until surgery, everolimus 5 or 10 mg PO daily for 24 weeks, and TRC105 15 or 10 mg/kg IV q 2 weeks for 24 weeks. Dose and regimen to be determined based on data from the phase I component. Letrozole: A dose of 2.5 mg of letrozole will be given orally once each day until one day before surgery. This drug is commercially available and is not provided by the study. Everolimus: The dose of everolimus will be escalated from 5 mg to 10 mg daily depending upon the cohort in Phase I. It is administered as an oral pill to be taken once daily up until four weeks prior to surgery. TRC105: The dose for TRC105 is either 15 or 10 mg/kg to be given intravenously every two weeks and continued until four weeks prior to surgery.
5
Total15

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPhase I Cohort 1Phase I Cohort 2Phase I Cohort -1Phase IITotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
6 Participants4 Participants0 Participants3 Participants13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Black
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants3 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
White
5 Participants4 Participants0 Participants4 Participants13 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
6 Participants4 Participants0 Participants5 Participants15 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
EG003
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 60 / 40 / 00 / 5
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 64 / 40 / 00 / 5
serious
Total, serious adverse events
1 / 60 / 40 / 00 / 5

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants Who Experienced Dose-limiting Toxicities

This outcome will report the number of patients who experienced a dose-limiting Toxicity (DLT) in Phase I Cohort 1, Phase I Cohort 2, and Phase I Cohort -1. A DLT was defined as: 1. A grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicity except anorexia, alopecia, nausea (which is not refractory to antiemetics), fatigue, and fever without neutropenia; 2. Failure to recover to baseline (except alopecia) after delaying the next dose by more than 14 days; 3. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia complicated by fever \>38.5°C or infection, or grade 4 neutropenia of ≥7 days duration; or 4. Grade 4 thrombocytopenia, or grade 3 thrombocytopenia complicated by hemorrhage. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the highest dose at which 0 out of the first 3 or 1 out of a total of 6 patients experience DLT during the first cycle of therapy; this dose level will be the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) in the Phase II Group.

Time frame: 4 weeks

Population: There were no patients enrolled in the phase 1 cohort -1 portion of the protocol due to lack of toxicities in phase 1 cohort 1 and 2.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Phase I Cohort 2Number of Participants Who Experienced Dose-limiting Toxicities0 participants
Phase I Cohort 1Number of Participants Who Experienced Dose-limiting Toxicities1 participants
Secondary

AUC - Everolimus

This outcome will report the area under the serum concentration everolimus of versus the time curve (AUC-E). AUC-E is the integral of the concentration of everolimus in the blood as a function of time. AUC-E measures how much everolimus reaches the bloodstream in a period of time after a dose is given. This is useful in dose determination and assessing drug interactions. This outcome was assessed on Day 1 and on Day 29 for Phase I Cohort I, and combined Phase I Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients in Phase I cohort 2 and Phase 2 received the same dose of everolimus).

Time frame: Day 1 and Day 29

Population: Phase I Cohort I, and combined Phase I Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients in Phase I cohort 2 and Phase 2 received the same dose of everolimus)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2AUC - EverolimusDay 115.4 ng*hrs/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 41.9
Phase I Cohort 2AUC - EverolimusDay 2922.5 ng*hrs/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 39.3
Phase I Cohort 1AUC - EverolimusDay 120.9 ng*hrs/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 50.4
Phase I Cohort 1AUC - EverolimusDay 2932.1 ng*hrs/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 153
Secondary

AUC - Letrozole

This outcome will report the area under the serum concentration of letrozole versus time curve (AUC-L). AUC-L is the integral of the concentration of letrozole in the blood as a function of time. AUC-L measures how much letrozole reaches the bloodstream in a period of time after a dose is given. This is useful in dose determination and assessing drug interactions. This outcome was assessed on Day 1 and on Day 29 for Phase I Cohort I, Phase I Cohort 2, and Phase 2.

Time frame: Day 1 and Day 29

ArmMeasureGroupValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2AUC - LetrozoleDay 1639 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 34
Phase I Cohort 2AUC - LetrozoleDay 293500 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 41.7
Phase I Cohort 1AUC - LetrozoleDay 1532 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 17.1
Phase I Cohort 1AUC - LetrozoleDay 292500 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 205
Phase I Cohort -1AUC - LetrozoleDay 1408 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 28.5
Phase I Cohort -1AUC - LetrozoleDay 291400 ng*hrs/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 195
Secondary

C Max - Everolimus

Cmax is the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the Cmax of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1 and Phase 1 Cohort 2 combined with Phase 2 (since the dose of everolimus was the same in these cohorts) at Day 1 and Day 29.

Time frame: Day 1 and Day 29

Population: Phase 1 Cohort 1 and Phase 1 Cohort 2 combined with Phase 2 (since the dose of everolimus was the same in these cohorts) at Day 1 and Day 29.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2C Max - Everolimusday 11.56 ng/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 51.5
Phase I Cohort 2C Max - Everolimusday 292.63 ng/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 27.9
Phase I Cohort 1C Max - Everolimusday 13.7 ng/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 55.5
Phase I Cohort 1C Max - Everolimusday 295.38 ng/mLGeometric Coefficient of Variation 86.7
Secondary

C Max - Letrozole

Maximum serum concentration of Letrozole.

Time frame: Day 1 and Day 29

ArmMeasureGroupValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2C Max - LetrozoleDay 145.3 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 31.5
Phase I Cohort 2C Max - LetrozoleDay 29211 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 32.7
Phase I Cohort 1C Max - LetrozoleDay 141.2 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 28.6
Phase I Cohort 1C Max - LetrozoleDay 29292 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 53.1
Phase I Cohort -1C Max - LetrozoleDay 133.3 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 43.8
Phase I Cohort -1C Max - LetrozoleDay 29168 ng/mlGeometric Coefficient of Variation 73.5
Secondary

Rates of Pathologic Complete Remission (pCR)

The 2-dimensional size of the surgically excised residual tumor was measured and compared to the radiographic size of the tumor at baseline. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions and reduction in short axis of any pathological lymph nodes to \<10 mm; Partial Response (PR), \>=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.

Time frame: 24 weeks up to time of surgery

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Phase I Cohort 2Rates of Pathologic Complete Remission (pCR)0 Participants
Phase I Cohort 1Rates of Pathologic Complete Remission (pCR)0 Participants
Phase I Cohort -1Rates of Pathologic Complete Remission (pCR)0 Participants
Secondary

T 1/2 - Everolimus

T ½ is the half-life of a drug in the blood. This is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the blood to be reduced by half. This outcome will report the T 1/2 of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1 and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 (since patients in Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 received the same dose of everolimus).

Time frame: day 1

Population: Phase 1 Cohort 1 and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 (since patients in Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 at Day 1 received the same dose of everolimus).

ArmMeasureValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2T 1/2 - Everolimus13.4 hoursGeometric Coefficient of Variation 1.64
Phase I Cohort 1T 1/2 - Everolimus11.8 hoursGeometric Coefficient of Variation 7.86
Secondary

T 1/2 - Letrozole

T ½ is the half-life of a drug in the blood. This is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the blood to be reduced by half. This outcome will report the T 1/2 of Letrozole.

Time frame: Day 1

ArmMeasureValue (GEOMETRIC_MEAN)Dispersion
Phase I Cohort 2T 1/2 - Letrozole15.5 HoursGeometric Coefficient of Variation 4.26
Phase I Cohort 1T 1/2 - Letrozole24.7 HoursGeometric Coefficient of Variation 2.34
Phase I Cohort -1T 1/2 - Letrozole31.7 HoursGeometric Coefficient of Variation 11.4
Secondary

T Max Everolimus

T Max is the time to the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the T Max of Everolimus in Phase 1 Cohort 1, and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients received the same dose of everolimus) at Day 1.

Time frame: Day 1

Population: Phase 1 Cohort 1, and combined Phase 1 Cohort 2 and Phase 2 (since patients received the same dose of everolimus) at Day 1

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Phase I Cohort 2T Max Everolimus2 hours
Phase I Cohort 1T Max Everolimus1 hours
Secondary

T Max - Letrozole

T Max is the time to the maximum serum concentration of a drug in the blood. This outcome will report the T Max of Letrozole at Day 1 in Phase 1 Cohort 1, Phase 1 Cohort 2, and Phase 2. All patients in the trial received the same dose of letrozole.

Time frame: Day 1

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Phase I Cohort 2T Max - Letrozole3 Hours
Phase I Cohort 1T Max - Letrozole1.5 Hours
Phase I Cohort -1T Max - Letrozole2 Hours
Secondary

Tumor Proliferation Changes

This outcome will report the change in tumor cell proliferation. This was measured by the change in the percentage of Ki67 positive cells from pretreatment to surgery (up to 24 weeks): (%Ki67(+) cells pretreatment - %Ki67(+) cells posttreatment)/(%Ki67(+) cells pretreatment) \* 100 Ki67 is a protein found in cells that are dividing. The Ki-67 assessment was performed by the clinical histology laboratory using a validated assay. The results were evaluated by a board-certified pathologist, who estimated the proportion of cancer cells stained for Ki-67. The individual tissue sections were analyzed blindly and at the completion of the assay, results were correlated per case as to changes in Ki-67 with the investigational therapy.

Time frame: 24 weeks (pretreatment to time of definitive surgery)

Population: There were no patients enrolled in Phase 1 Cohort -1 due to the lack of toxicities in Phase 1 Cohort 1 and Phase I Cohort 2. Additionally, one patient in Phase 1 Cohort 1, one patient in Phase 1 cohort 2, and two patients in Phase 2 were not evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Phase I Cohort 2Tumor Proliferation Changes-96.7 percent change in the of Ki67(+) cells
Phase I Cohort 1Tumor Proliferation Changes14 percent change in the of Ki67(+) cells
Phase I Cohort -1Tumor Proliferation Changes-77.8 percent change in the of Ki67(+) cells

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 10, 2026