Fruquintinib with gefitinib as first-line therapy in patients carrying EGFR mutations with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a single-arm, phase II study

BACKGROUND: Fruquintinib is an oral vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor. Previous gefitinib studies with anti-angiogenics show promising efficacy. This phase II trial assessed efficacy and safety of fruquintinib in combination with gefitinib, in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Fifty patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC and an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon-19 deletion or exon-21 L858R mutation were enrolled between January 2017 and June 2019. Per protocol (version 1.0), patients received 4 mg fruquintinib once daily (qd) Days 1–21 of Cycle 1, using a 3-week-on/1-week-off schedule, plus continuous gefitinib 250 mg qd. If tolerated, patients proceeded to fruquintinib 5 mg qd (fruquintinib 5 mg group, n=26). Following protocol updates, dose escalation of fruquintinib from 4 mg qd to 5 mg qd was not allowed. The primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate (ORR); secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), time to response, duration of response and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: ORR was 73.5% (95% CI, 58.9–85.1) and DCR was 98.0% (95% CI, 89.2–100.0). Median PFS was 14.7 months for both groups; PFS was highest for patients with exon-19 deletion (16.5 months; 95% CI, 12.9–21.2). Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent AEs occurred in 17 (65.3%; fruquintinib 5 mg,) and 11 patients (45.8%; 4 mg). Serious AEs were recorded for nine patients (fruquintinib 5 mg, six patients; 4 mg, three). CONCLUSIONS: Fruquintinib and gefitinib treatment showed an acceptable safety profile and promising efficacy in patients with NSCLC.