Abstract
Background
Targeting RAS mutant (MT) colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a difficult challenge, mainly due to the pervasiveness of RAS/MEK-mediated feedback loops. Preclinical studies identified MET/STAT3 as an important mediator of resistance to KRAS-MEK1/2 blockade in RASMT CRC. This dose escalation/expansion study assessed safety and initial efficacy of the MEK1/2 inhibitor binimetinib with MET inhibitor crizotinib in RASMT advanced CRC patients.
Methods
In the dose escalation phase, patients with advanced solid tumours received binimetinib with crizotinib, using a rolling- 6 design to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) and safety/tolerability. A subsequent dose expansion in RASMT CRC patients assessed treatment response. Blood samples for pharmacokinetics, MET biomarker and ctDNA analyses, and skin/tumour biopsies for pharmacodynamics, c-MET immunohistochemistry (IHC), MET in situ hybridisation (ISH) and MET DNA-ISH analyses were collected.
Results
Twenty patients were recruited in 3 cohorts in the dose escalation. The MTD was binimetinib 30 mg B.D, days 1–21 every 28 days, with crizotinib 250 mg O.D continuously. Dose-limiting toxicities included grade ≥ 3 transaminitis, creatinine phosphokinase increases and fatigue. Thirty-six RASMT metastatic CRC patients were enrolled in the dose expansion. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters showed evidence of target engagement. Across the entire study, the most frequent treatment-related adverse events (TR-AE) were rash (80.4%), fatigue (53.4%) and diarrhoea (51.8%) with grade ≥ 3 TR-AE occurring in 44.6%. Best clinical response within the RASMT CRC cohort was stable disease in seven patients (24%). Tumour MET super-expression (IHC H-score > 180 and MET ISH + 3) was observed in 7 patients (24.1%), with MET-amplification only present in 1 of these patients. This patient discontinued treatment early during cycle 1 due to toxicity. Patients with high baseline RASMT allele frequency had a significant shorter median overall survival compared with that seen for patients with low baseline KRASMT allele frequency.
Conclusions
Combination binimetinib/crizotinib showed a poor tolerability with no objective responses observed in RASMT advanced CRC patients.EudraCT-Number: 2014–000463 - 40 (20/06/2014: A Sequential Phase I study of MEK1/2 inhibitors PD- 0325901 or Binimetinib combined with cMET inhibitor Crizotinib in RAS Mutant and RAS Wild Type with aberrant c-MET).
Targeting RAS mutant (MT) colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a difficult challenge, mainly due to the pervasiveness of RAS/MEK-mediated feedback loops. Preclinical studies identified MET/STAT3 as an important mediator of resistance to KRAS-MEK1/2 blockade in RASMT CRC. This dose escalation/expansion study assessed safety and initial efficacy of the MEK1/2 inhibitor binimetinib with MET inhibitor crizotinib in RASMT advanced CRC patients.
Methods
In the dose escalation phase, patients with advanced solid tumours received binimetinib with crizotinib, using a rolling- 6 design to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) and safety/tolerability. A subsequent dose expansion in RASMT CRC patients assessed treatment response. Blood samples for pharmacokinetics, MET biomarker and ctDNA analyses, and skin/tumour biopsies for pharmacodynamics, c-MET immunohistochemistry (IHC), MET in situ hybridisation (ISH) and MET DNA-ISH analyses were collected.
Results
Twenty patients were recruited in 3 cohorts in the dose escalation. The MTD was binimetinib 30 mg B.D, days 1–21 every 28 days, with crizotinib 250 mg O.D continuously. Dose-limiting toxicities included grade ≥ 3 transaminitis, creatinine phosphokinase increases and fatigue. Thirty-six RASMT metastatic CRC patients were enrolled in the dose expansion. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters showed evidence of target engagement. Across the entire study, the most frequent treatment-related adverse events (TR-AE) were rash (80.4%), fatigue (53.4%) and diarrhoea (51.8%) with grade ≥ 3 TR-AE occurring in 44.6%. Best clinical response within the RASMT CRC cohort was stable disease in seven patients (24%). Tumour MET super-expression (IHC H-score > 180 and MET ISH + 3) was observed in 7 patients (24.1%), with MET-amplification only present in 1 of these patients. This patient discontinued treatment early during cycle 1 due to toxicity. Patients with high baseline RASMT allele frequency had a significant shorter median overall survival compared with that seen for patients with low baseline KRASMT allele frequency.
Conclusions
Combination binimetinib/crizotinib showed a poor tolerability with no objective responses observed in RASMT advanced CRC patients.EudraCT-Number: 2014–000463 - 40 (20/06/2014: A Sequential Phase I study of MEK1/2 inhibitors PD- 0325901 or Binimetinib combined with cMET inhibitor Crizotinib in RAS Mutant and RAS Wild Type with aberrant c-MET).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 658 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | BMC Cancer |
| Volume | 25 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Apr 2025 |
Keywords
- humans
- colorectal neoplasms
- Benzimidazoles/administration & dosage
- male
- female
- crizotinib
- middle aged
- aged
- mutation
- proto-oncogene proteins c-met/antagonists & inhibitors
- antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols
- adult
- MAP kinase kinase 1
- protein kinase inhibitors
- MAP kinase kinase 2
- maximum tolerated dose
- ras proteins/genetics
- drug therapy
- administration & dosage
- therapeutic use
- antagonists & inhibitors
Access to Document
- A Phase Ia/b study of MEK1/2 inhibitor binimetinib with MET inhibitor crizotinib in patients with RAS mutant advanced colorectal cancer (MErCuRIC)
Copyright 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.