Relationship Between Cetuximab Target-Mediated Pharmacokinetics and Progression-Free Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background and objective: Cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 antibody, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The influence of target-antigen on cetuximab pharmacokinetics has never been investigated using target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) modelling. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cetuximab concentrations, target kinetics and progression-free survival (PFS).

Methods: In this ancillary study (NCT00559741), 91 patients with mCRC treated with cetuximab were assessed. Influence of target levels on cetuximab pharmacokinetics was described using TMDD modelling. The relationship between cetuximab concentrations, target kinetics and time-to-progression (TTP) was described using a joint pharmacokinetic-TTP model, where unbound target levels were assumed to influence hazard of progression by an E_max model. Mitigation strategies of concentration-response relationship, i.e., time-varying endogenous clearance and mutual influences of clearance and time-to-progression were investigated.

Results: Cetuximab concentration-time data were satisfactorily described using the TMDD model with quasi-steady-state approximation and time-varying endogenous clearance. Estimated target parameters were baseline target levels (R₀ = 43 nM), and complex elimination rate constant (k_int = 0.95 day^-1). Estimated time-varying clearance parameters were time-invariant component of CL (CL₀= 0.38 L/day^-1), time-variant component of CL (CL₁= 0.058 L/day^-1) and first-order rate of CL₁ decreasing over time (k_des = 0.049 day^-1). Part of concentration-TTP was TTP-driven, where clearance and TTP were inversely correlated. In addition, increased target occupancy was associated with increased TTP.

Conclusion: This is the first study describing the complex relationship between cetuximab target-mediated pharmacokinetics and PFS in mCRC patients using a joint PK-time-to-progression model. Further studies are needed to provide a more in-depth description of this relationship.