Second-line ramucirumab therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (REACH): an East Asian and non-East Asian subgroup analysis

PURPOSE: REACH investigated second-line ramucirumab therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. RESULTS: Median overall survival was 8.2 months for ramucirumab and 6.9 months for placebo (HR, 0.835; 95% CI, 0.634–1.100; p = 0.2046) for East Asians, and 10.1 months for ramucirumab and 8.0 months for placebo (HR, 0.895; 95% CI, 0.690–1.161; p = 0.4023) for non-East Asians. Median overall survival in patients with baseline alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/mL was 7.8 months for ramucirumab and 4.2 months for placebo (HR, 0.749; 95% CI, 0.519–1.082; p = 0.1213) for East Asians (n = 139), and 8.2 months for ramucirumab and 4.5 months for placebo (HR, 0.579; 95% CI, 0.371–0.904; p = 0.0149) for non-East Asians (n = 111). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events in East Asians and non-East Asians included hypertension and malignant neoplasm progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of East Asians (N = 252) and non-East Asians (N = 313) in the intent-to-treat population was performed. CONCLUSIONS: In East Asians and non-East Asians, ramucirumab did not significantly prolong overall survival. In patients with baseline alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/mL, a potentially larger survival benefit was observed in both subgroups. Safety for East Asians was similar to non-East Asians.