A phase I study of PRO131921, a novel anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in patients with relapsed/refractory CD20+ indolent NHL: Correlation between clinical responses and AUC pharmacokinetics

PRO131921 is a third-generation, humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody with increased antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity compared to rituximab. In this phase I study, PRO131921 was administered as a single agent to patients with CD20+, relapsed or refractory, indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who had been treated with a prior rituximab-containing regimen. The primary aim of this study was safety and tolerability of PRO131921. The secondary aim of the study, and focus of this report, was to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) profile of PRO131921 and establish a correlation between drug exposure and clinical efficacy. Patients were treated with PRO131921 by intravenous infusion weekly for 4weeks and the dose was escalated based on safety in a 3+3 design. Twenty-four patients were treated with PRO131921 at doses from 25mg/m² to 800mg/m². Analysis of PK data demonstrated a correlation between higher normalized drug exposure (normalized AUC) and tumor shrinkage (p=0035). Also, normalized AUC levels were higher among responders and subjects displaying tumor shrinkage versus subjects progressing or showing no regression (p=0.030). In conclusion, PRO131921 demonstrated clinical activity in rituximab-relapsed and refractory indolent NHL patients. The observation that higher normalized AUC may be associated with improved clinical responses has potential implications in future trials of monoclonal antibody-based therapies, and emphasizes the importance of early PK studies to optimize antibody efficacy.