Targeted Therapy for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (mUC): Therapeutic Potential of Sacituzumab Govitecan

Abstract Urothelial carcinoma is the second most frequent genitourinary malignancy. Despite the poor prognosis, new treatment options have emerged and have expanded the therapeutic landscape for the disease. Although major improvements have been achieved, many patients experience rapid disease progression and low responses in subsequent lines of therapy. Sacituzumab govitecan is an ADC that targets Trop-2, which is highly expressed in urothelial cancers. Promising results in early clinical trials have led to further drug development which confirmed encouraging efficacy. Sacituzumab govitecan has been given accelerated approval in 2021 for patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer who previously received a platinum containing chemotherapy and either a programmed death receptor-1 or programmed death ligand inhibitor. The results are promising, with encouraging efficacy and safety, however responses are not universal. There is a growing comprehension of mechanisms of resistance and predictive biomarkers that are crucial to improving outcomes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on antibody–drug conjugates and the clinical findings that led to the approval of Sacituzumab govitecan and discuss the therapeutic potential of new combinations, mechanisms of resistance and predictive biomarkers.

[1]  A. Bardia,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan in Hormone Receptor–Positive/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer , 2022, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[2]  N. Agarwal,et al.  TROPHY-U-01 Cohort 3: Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in combination with pembrolizumab (Pembro) in patients (pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) who progressed after platinum (PLT)-based regimens. , 2022, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

[3]  C. Sternberg,et al.  TROPHY-U-01 cohort 4: Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in platinum (PLT)-naïve patients (pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC). , 2022, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

[4]  M. Meng,et al.  TROP2 Expression Across Molecular Subtypes of Urothelial Carcinoma and Enfortumab Vedotin-resistant Cells. , 2022, European urology oncology.

[5]  A. Sartore-Bianchi,et al.  The evolving panorama of HER2-targeted treatments in metastatic urothelial cancer: A systematic review and future perspectives. , 2022, Cancer treatment reviews.

[6]  Craig B. Davis,et al.  Avelumab maintenance in advanced urothelial carcinoma: biomarker analysis of the phase 3 JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial , 2021, Nature Medicine.

[7]  M. Milowsky,et al.  The 2021 Updated European Association of Urology Guidelines on Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. , 2021, European urology.

[8]  A. Patnaik,et al.  555TiP A first-in-human trial of the integrin beta-6-targeted antibody–drug conjugate, SGN-B6A, in patients with advanced solid tumors , 2021, Annals of Oncology.

[9]  N. Agarwal,et al.  700P Efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) by trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop-2) expression in patients (Pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) , 2021, Annals of Oncology.

[10]  Toshio Shimizu,et al.  513O A phase I/II multicenter, first-in-human study of DS-7300 (B7-H3 DXd-ADC) in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors , 2021, Annals of Oncology.

[11]  Y. Cheng,et al.  514O An open-label, global, first-in-human study of SKB264 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors , 2021, Annals of Oncology.

[12]  G. Getz,et al.  Parallel Genomic Alterations of Antigen and Payload Targets Mediate Polyclonal Acquired Clinical Resistance to Sacituzumab Govitecan in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer , 2021, Cancer discovery.

[13]  Sang-Hoon Yeon,et al.  Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma. , 2021, The New England journal of medicine.

[14]  A. Bardia,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan For Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Clinical Overview And Management Of Potential Toxicities. , 2021, The oncologist.

[15]  Z. Gatalica,et al.  Trop-2 protein as a therapeutic target: A focused review on Trop-2-based antibody-drug conjugates and their predictive biomarkers , 2021, Bosnian journal of basic medical sciences.

[16]  Mark Laws,et al.  Antibody–Drug Conjugates—A Tutorial Review , 2021, Molecules.

[17]  N. Agarwal,et al.  TROPHY-U-01: A Phase II Open-Label Study of Sacituzumab Govitecan in Patients With Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Progressing After Platinum-Based Chemotherapy and Checkpoint Inhibitors , 2021, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[18]  M. Piccart,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. , 2021, The New England journal of medicine.

[19]  J. Berlin,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan, a Trop-2-Directed Antibody-Drug Conjugate, for Patients with Epithelial Cancer: Final Safety and Efficacy Results from the Phase 1/2 IMMU-132-01 Basket Trial. , 2021, Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

[20]  C. Sternberg,et al.  TROPiCS-04: Study of sacituzumab govitecan in metastatic or locally advanced unresectable urothelial cancer that has progressed after platinum and checkpoint inhibitor therapy. , 2021 .

[21]  T. Powles,et al.  Enfortumab Vedotin in Previously Treated Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma. , 2021, The New England journal of medicine.

[22]  S. Chandarlapaty,et al.  Unlocking the potential of antibody–drug conjugates for cancer therapy , 2021, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.

[23]  Jiyan Liu,et al.  Open-label, Multicenter, Phase II Study of RC48-ADC, a HER2-Targeting Antibody–Drug Conjugate, in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma , 2020, Clinical Cancer Research.

[24]  A. Scott,et al.  Antibody–Drug Conjugates for Cancer Therapy , 2020, Molecules.

[25]  Kedar S Vaidya,et al.  Targeting Multiple EGFR-expressing Tumors with a Highly Potent Tumor-selective Antibody–Drug Conjugate , 2020, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

[26]  S. Iacobelli,et al.  Antibody-Drug Conjugates: The New Frontier of Chemotherapy , 2020, International journal of molecular sciences.

[27]  Yahiya Y. Syed Sacituzumab Govitecan: First Approval , 2020, Drugs.

[28]  M. Milowsky,et al.  Study EV-103: Durability results of enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. , 2020 .

[29]  David C. Smith,et al.  EV-101: A Phase I Study of Single-Agent Enfortumab Vedotin in Patients With Nectin-4–Positive Solid Tumors, Including Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma , 2020, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[30]  V. Miller,et al.  Urothelial cancer harbours EGFR and HER2 amplifications and exon 20 insertions , 2020, BJU international.

[31]  Juan Zhang,et al.  Antibody–Drug Conjugates: A Comprehensive Review , 2019, Molecular Cancer Research.

[32]  M. Galsky,et al.  Pivotal Trial of Enfortumab Vedotin in Urothelial Carcinoma After Platinum and Anti-Programmed Death 1/Programmed Death Ligand 1 Therapy , 2019, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[33]  R. Huddart,et al.  Erdafitinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. , 2019, The New England journal of medicine.

[34]  D. Goldenberg,et al.  Antibody-drug conjugates targeting TROP-2 and incorporating SN-38: A case study of anti-TROP-2 sacituzumab govitecan , 2019, mAbs.

[35]  Li Zhou,et al.  A phase II study of RC48-ADC in HER2-negative patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. , 2019 .

[36]  J. Hajdenberg,et al.  Sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132) in patients with previously treated metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC): Results from a phase I/II study. , 2019, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

[37]  Kendra S. Carmon,et al.  Application of Immuno-PET in Antibody–Drug Conjugate Development , 2018, Molecular imaging.

[38]  P. Dong,et al.  B7H3 As a Promoter of Metastasis and Promising Therapeutic Target , 2018, Front. Oncol..

[39]  D. Goldenberg,et al.  The emergence of trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP-2) as a novel cancer target , 2018, Oncotarget.

[40]  D. Lamm,et al.  LBA27 PHASE 3 STUDY OF VICINIUM IN BCG-UNRESPONSIVE NON-MUSCLE INVASIVE BLADDER CANCER: INITIAL RESULTS , 2018 .

[41]  Z. Dai,et al.  Prognostic role and clinical significance of trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 in various carcinomas , 2017, Cancer management and research.

[42]  T. Powles,et al.  First-line pembrolizumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer (KEYNOTE-052): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 study. , 2017, The Lancet. Oncology.

[43]  A. Bardia,et al.  Sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU‐132), an anti‐Trop‐2‐SN‐38 antibody‐drug conjugate for the treatment of diverse epithelial cancers: Safety and pharmacokinetics , 2017, Cancer.

[44]  S. Alberti,et al.  The trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 and miR-125b axis in urothelial bladder cancer , 2017, Oncotarget.

[45]  R. Bourgon,et al.  Atezolizumab as first-line treatment in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial , 2017, The Lancet.

[46]  G. Sonpavde,et al.  Interim analysis of a phase I dose escalation trial of the antibody drug conjugate (ADC) AGS15E (ASG-15ME) in patients (Pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) , 2016 .

[47]  de Goeij,et al.  Antibody-drug conjugates in cancer , 2016 .

[48]  D. Stover,et al.  Development of ASG-15ME, a Novel Antibody–Drug Conjugate Targeting SLITRK6, a New Urothelial Cancer Biomarker , 2016, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

[49]  J. Hajdenberg,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan, a Novel Antibody--Drug Conjugate, in Patients With Metastatic Platinum-Resistant Urothelial Carcinoma. , 2016, Clinical genitourinary cancer.

[50]  Nikolaos Diamantis,et al.  Antibody-drug conjugates—an emerging class of cancer treatment , 2016, British Journal of Cancer.

[51]  Paul Polakis,et al.  Antibody Drug Conjugates for Cancer Therapy , 2016, Pharmacological Reviews.

[52]  Edmund A. Rossi,et al.  Trop-2 is a novel target for solid cancer therapy with sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) , 2015, Oncotarget.

[53]  A. Nademanee,et al.  Brentuximab vedotin as consolidation therapy after autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma at risk of relapse or progression (AETHERA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial , 2015, The Lancet.

[54]  D. Goldenberg,et al.  Sacituzumab Govitecan (IMMU-132), an Anti-Trop-2/SN-38 Antibody-Drug Conjugate: Characterization and Efficacy in Pancreatic, Gastric, and Other Cancers. , 2015, Bioconjugate chemistry.

[55]  R. Tripaldi,et al.  The Trop-2 signalling network in cancer growth , 2013, Oncogene.

[56]  J. Baselga,et al.  Trastuzumab emtansine for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. , 2012, The New England journal of medicine.

[57]  M. Jewett,et al.  A phase II study of oportuzumab monatox: an immunotoxin therapy for patients with noninvasive urothelial carcinoma in situ previously treated with bacillus Calmette-Guérin. , 2012, The Journal of urology.

[58]  Sheng Zhang,et al.  Trop2 expression contributes to tumor pathogenesis by activating the ERK MAPK pathway , 2010, Molecular Cancer.

[59]  M. Moasser The oncogene HER2: its signaling and transforming functions and its role in human cancer pathogenesis , 2007, Oncogene.

[60]  A. Tzankov,et al.  EpCAM is predominantly expressed in high grade and advanced stage urothelial carcinoma of the bladder , 2007, Journal of Clinical Pathology.

[61]  K. Grigor,et al.  HER2/neu overexpression in the development of muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder , 2003, British Journal of Cancer.

[62]  L. Kiemeney,et al.  Epidemiology of Bladder Cancer , 1999, European Urology.