Phase Ib Study of Ribociclib plus Fulvestrant and Ribociclib plus Fulvestrant plus PI3K Inhibitor (Alpelisib or Buparlisib) for HR+ Advanced Breast Cancer

Purpose: Resistance to treatment with endocrine therapy in patients with HR+, HER2(-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) is common and dual inhibition of CDK4/6 and PI3K pathways may delay the development of resistance. This phase Ib trial evaluates the safety and tolerability of triple and double regimens containing the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib. Patients and Methods: In this open-label, multicenter, phase Ib study, 70 postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2(-) ABC were enrolled into one of four treatment combinations: ribociclib (once daily, 3 weeks on, 1 week off) plus fulvestrant; ribociclib (continuous dosing) plus fulvestrant; ribociclib plus alpelisib plus fulvestrant; or ribociclib plus buparlisib plus fulvestrant. Results: The recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of ribociclib was confirmed to be 600 mg (3 weeks on, 1 week off) and 400 mg (continuous dosing) plus fulvestrant 500 mg. For the triple combination with buparlisib, the RP2D was ribociclib 400 mg plus buparlisib 30 mg plus fulvestrant 500 mg. Enrollment for the triple combinations was stopped due to unexpected toxicity. No RP2D was determined for the alpelisib combination. The safety profiles of the ribociclib plus fulvestrant combinations were consistent with those in previous studies. There was no marked difference in ribociclib exposure in the presence of triple-combination partners. The highest overall response rate was seen in the buparlisib triple combination (25.0%; 95% confidence interval, 9.8-46.7). Conclusions: Ribociclib plus fulvestrant demonstrated safety in the treatment of patients with HR+, HER2(-) ABC. Triple combinations with alpelisib or buparlisib plus fulvestrant are not recommended for phase II investigation.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the safety and tolerability of dual inhibition of the CDK4/6 and PI3K pathways in patients with HR+, HER2(-) ABC, showing that the combination of ribociclib and fulvestrant is safe for treatment. However, triple combinations with alpelisib or buparlisib plus fulvestrant are not recommended for further investigation.