Cilengitide (EMD121974) is a selective inhibitor of integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5. The αvβ3 promotes the proliferation of tumor-associated endothelial cells and potentially the survival of melanoma cells. We conducted a randomized phase II trial in patients with metastatic melanoma to evaluate the clinical efficacy of cilengitide. Patients with stage IV or unresectable stage III melanoma who were either chemo-naïve or who had previously received one systemic therapy were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to either 500 mg or 2,000 mg of cilengitide administered intravenously twice weekly. The primary objective of this study was to determine the progression-free survival rate at 8 weeks. Tumor samples and blood samples were collected for pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies. Twenty-nine patients were enrolled, of whom 26 were treated (14 at 500 mg and 12 at 2,000 mg). Among those treated, only three were progression-free at 8 weeks: two in the 500-mg arm and one in the 2,000-mg arm. One patient in the 2,000-mg arm had a prolonged partial response after an initial 28% enlargement of her target lesions. The treatment was well tolerated without clinically significant adverse events. The sole responder and one of two patients with stable disease had no αvβ3 expression at baseline. Overall, αvβ3 expression was decreased by day 8 of the treatment (P=0.05). Cilengitide was well tolerated by patients in both treatment arms but had minimal clinical efficacy as a single-agent therapy for metastatic melanoma, and the efficacy was not related to baseline αvβ3 expression.

Vincristine sulfate liposomes injection (VSLI) is a liposomal formulation of vincristine encapsulated in sphingosomes composed of sphinogomyelin and cholesterol (58/42; mol/mol). The pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of VSLI were evaluated in 12 patients with metastatic melanoma after single-dose (2.0 mg/m2 every 2 weeks = 1 cycle) and multiple-dose (cycle 3, pharmacokinetics only) administrations (intravenous infusion over 1 hour). After VSLI infusion, total (released and encapsulated) vincristine concentrations in plasma remained relatively constant for 3 to 12 hours and thereafter declined, with interpatient variability seen in the rate of decline resulting in monoexponential or biexponential profiles. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity of total vincristine in plasma ranged from 4933 to 40495 h.ng/mL and total clearance ranged from 131 to 445 mL/h. The volume of distribution at steady state was 2650 +/- 731 mL, indicating VSLI was mainly confined within the plasma. The released vincristine concentrations in plasma were below the level of quantitation in 95% of samples. The pharmacokinetic parameters were similar between cycles 1 and 3, and trough plasma levels of total vincristine were below the level of quantitation of 1 ng/mL. Approximately 8% of the injected dose was excreted in the urine as unchanged vincristine (7%) or N-desformylvincristine (0.8%). Overall, VSLI exhibited a longer circulation half-life and higher area under the plasma concentration-time curve compared to conventional vincristine, whereas its route of elimination remained unchanged.

Background Gefitinib is an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which is frequently expressed on both choroidal and non-choroidal melanoma cells. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of gefitinib in patients with metastatic melanoma. Methods Patients with stage IV or unresectable stage III melanoma and Zubrod performance status ≤2 were eligible. Previous systemic treatment for metastatic disease was required. The dose of oral gefitinib was 250 mg administered daily, and tumor response was evaluated every 6 weeks. Findings Forty-six patients with non-choroidal melanoma and six with choroidal melanoma were treated, and 48 were evaluable for response. The median age was 62.5 years. Forty-one patients (79%) had stage M1c disease. There were no drug-related grade 4 or 5 adverse events, and fatigue was the only grade 3 adverse event that occurred in more than 5% of patients. Two patients (4%) had partial responses and 13 patients (27%) had disease stabilization. The two responders had a median duration of response of 10.9 months. The median progression-free survival overall was 1.4 months and the median overall survival was 9.7 months. Among the patients with sufficient tissues obtained before and 6 weeks after starting gefitinib, there were no notable trends in the changes of the tumoral expression of p-ERK1/2, p-AKT, PAK1 and serum levels of VEGF or IL-8 with treatment. Interpretation Gefitinib was well tolerated but had minimal clinical efficacy as a single-agent therapy for unselected patients with metastatic melanoma.

Vincristine sulfate liposome infusion (VSLI) is a sphingomyelin/cholesterol liposome encapsulated formulation of vincristine that results in an extended drug circulation time and the potential for enhanced malignancy targeting, exposure, and anticancer activity. We assessed the safety and activity of VSLI in patients with metastatic melanoma. VSLI, to provide VCR 2.0 mg/m without dose capping, was infused over 1 h every 2 weeks (one cycle). Safety, tumor response, and survival were determined. Twenty-seven patients with metastatic melanoma of cutaneous (n=19), uveal (n=4), mucosal (n=1), and unknown (n=3) primary were treated. Twenty-five (93%) patients had received one or more prior lines of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy; 14 (48%) had received a vinblastine-containing regimen. Hematologic adverse events (AEs) primarily manifested as grade 1/2 neutropenia. Nonhematologic AEs primarily consisted of gastrointestinal and constitutional symptoms of grade 1/2 severity. Grade 3 AEs included one case of paresthesia and four cases of constipation. The disease control rate in 26 evaluable patients was 31%. One complete (uveal melanoma metastatic to lung) and two partial responses (previously untreated cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the bone, brain, spleen and lung, and another with melanoma of unknown primary involving the lung, liver, and lymph node) were found. Five patients had stable disease. The median time to progression was 1.9 months. The median survival was 9.6 months with 30% of the patients alive at 1 year. VSLI was generally well tolerated and showed promising antitumor activity against metastatic melanoma and uveal melanoma in particular. A phase 2 trial to further elucidate the efficacy and safety of VSLI in metastatic uveal melanoma is ongoing.

Marqibo (vincristine sulfate liposome injection, VSLI) is a novel liposomal formulation of vincristine sulfate (VCR) being developed for the systemic treatment of cancer. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of Marqibo in subjects with melanoma and impaired hepatic function. Calculated PK parameters were similar in subjects with impaired liver function compared with those in subjects with adequate liver function. Subjects with impaired liver function universally had a monoexponential total plasma VCR concentration versus time decline, whereas two thirds of subjects with adequate liver function had a biexponential decline profile. Because one third of subjects with normal hepatic function demonstrated monoexponential disposition, lack of biexponential disposition in the hepatically impaired subjects cannot be clearly attributed to liver impairment. VSLI was generally well tolerated in all subjects.