Get your patient on Loqtorzi (Toripalimab-Tpzi)

LOQTORZI is indicated, in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, for the first-line treatment of adults with metastatic or with recurrent, locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

LOQTORZI is indicated, as a single agent, for the treatment of adults with recurrent unresectable or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after a platinum-containing chemotherapy.

The recommended dosages of LOQTORZI are provided in Table 1. Administer as recommended [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) ].

No dose reductions of LOQTORZI are recommended. In general, withhold LOQTORZI for severe (Grade 3) immune-mediated adverse reactions. Permanently discontinue LOQTORZI for life-threatening (Grade 4) immune-mediated adverse reactions, recurrent severe (Grade 3) immune-mediated reactions that require systemic immunosuppressive treatment, or an inability to reduce prednisone to 10 mg per day or less (or equivalent) within 12 weeks of initiating steroids.

Dosage modifications for LOQTORZI for adverse reactions that require management different from these general guidelines are summarized in Table 2.

LOQTORZI can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ].

The safety and effectiveness of LOQTORZI have not been established in pediatric patients [see Indications and Usage (1) ].

Of the 146 patients with NPC who were treated with LOQTORZI in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine 7 (4.8%) were 65 years or older; there were no patients 75 years and older. Clinical studies of LOQTORZI in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine did not include a sufficient number of patients aged 65 years and over with NPC to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients.

Of the 851 patients with tumor types including nasopharyngeal carcinoma or other types of tumors from the safety pool treated with LOQTORZI as a single agent, 171 (20%) patients were 65 years or older and 13 (1.5%) patients were 75 years and older. No overall differences in safety were observed between elderly patients and younger patients [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ].

Of the 190 patients with NPC treated with LOQTORZI as single agent, 10 (5%) patients were 65 years or older; there were no patients 75 years and older. Clinical studies of LOQTORZI did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 years and over with NPC to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients.

LOQTORZI is a monoclonal antibody that belongs to a class of drugs that bind to either the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1), blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, thereby removing inhibition of the immune response, potentially breaking peripheral tolerance and inducing immune-mediated adverse reactions. Important immune-mediated adverse reactions listed under WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS may not include all possible severe and fatal immune-mediated reactions.

Immune-mediated adverse reactions, which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue and can affect more than one body system simultaneously. Immune-mediated adverse reactions can occur at any time after starting PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibody. While immune-mediated adverse reactions usually manifest during treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies, immune-mediated adverse reactions can also manifest after discontinuation of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies.

Early identification and management of immune-mediated adverse reactions are essential to ensure safe use of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Monitor closely for symptoms and signs that may be clinical manifestations of underlying immune-mediated adverse reactions. Evaluate liver enzymes, creatinine, and thyroid function at baseline and periodically during treatment. In cases of suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, initiate appropriate workup to exclude alternative etiologies, including infection. Institute medical management promptly, including specialty consultation as appropriate.

Withhold or permanently discontinue LOQTORZI depending on severity [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) ] . In general, if LOQTORZI requires interruption or discontinuation, administer systemic corticosteroid therapy (1 to 2 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent) until improvement to Grade 1 or less. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Consider administration of other systemic immunosuppressants in patients whose immune-mediated adverse reactions are not controlled with corticosteroid therapy.

Toxicity management guidelines for adverse reactions that do not necessarily require systemic steroids (e.g., endocrinopathies and dermatologic reactions) are discussed below.

LOQTORZI can cause severe or life-threatening infusion-related reactions including hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis.

Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibody. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT.

Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with a PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibody prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT.

Based on its mechanism of action, LOQTORZI can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Animal studies have demonstrated that inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway can lead to increased risk of immune-mediated rejection of the developing fetus resulting in fetal death. Advise women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with LOQTORZI and for 4 months after the last dose [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ] .

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

The data described in the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS section reflect exposure to LOQTORZI at a dose of 240 mg every 3 weeks in combination with up to 6 cycles of cisplatin and gemcitabine, followed by LOQTORZI 240 mg IV every 3 weeks, in 146 patients with NPC enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (JUPITER-02). Among the 146 patients, 73% were exposed to LOQTORZI for 6 months or more and 54% were exposed for 12 months or more. The most common adverse reactions (≥ 20%) were: nausea (71%), vomiting (68%), decreased appetite (55%), constipation (39%), hypothyroidism (38%), rash (36%), pyrexia (32%), diarrhea (31%), peripheral neuropathy (30%), cough (26%), musculoskeletal pain (25%), upper respiratory infection (23%), insomnia (23%), dizziness (21%), and malaise (21%). The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥2%) were: decreased neutrophils (58%), decreased lymphocytes (57%), decreased hemoglobin (50%) decreased platelets (33%), decreased potassium (10%), decreased sodium (9%), increased alanine aminotransferase (6%) increased or decreased magnesium (4.2% each), decreased calcium (3.5%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (2.7%), and bilirubin increased (2.1%).

The data described in the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS section also reflects exposure to LOQTORZI as a single agent at a dose of 3 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks in 851 patients enrolled in 12 trials: one randomized, active-controlled trial and 11 open-label, non-randomized trials. The tumor types included nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n=193) or other types of tumors (n=658). Among the 851 patients treated with LOQTORZI as a single agent, 35% were exposed for 6 months or more and 20% were exposed for 12 months or more. In this pooled safety population, the most common (≥20%) adverse reactions were: fatigue (22%), hypothyroidism (20%), and musculoskeletal pain (20%). The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥2%), were decreased sodium (9%), decreased lymphocytes (8%), decreased hemoglobin (7%), decreased fibrinogen (4.5%), increased lipase (4.0%), increased amylase (2.9%), decreased phosphate (2.8%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (2.6%), increased glucose (2.5%), and increased triglycerides (2.1%).

Binding of the PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, to the PD-1 receptor found on T cells, inhibits T cell proliferation and cytokine production. Upregulation of PD-1 ligands occurs in some tumors and signaling through this pathway can contribute to inhibition of active T-cell immune surveillance of tumors. Toripalimab-tpzi is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2, releasing PD-1 pathway-mediated inhibition of the immune response, including the anti-tumor immune response. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, blocking PD-1 activity resulted in decreased tumor growth.

The toripalimab-tpzi exposure-response relationships and time course of pharmacodynamic response are not fully characterized.

Toripalimab-tpzi pharmacokinetic parameters are presented as geometric mean (coefficient of variation [CV]%) unless otherwise noted. Toripalimab-tpzi concentrations increased in non-linearly over the dose range of 0.3 to 10 mg/kg every two weeks (0.1 to 3.3 times the approved recommended 3 mg/kg dosage in a 64 kg patient). Steady state was reached by Week 7. The mean accumulation ratio was approximately 1.4 for maximum concentration (C _max ) and 1.9 for area under the serum concentration curve (AUC) following multiple doses at the approved recommended dosages of 240 mg Q3W in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine and 3 mg/kg Q2W as monotherapy.

The observed incidence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Differences in assay methods preclude meaningful comparisons of the incidence of ADA in the studies described below with the incidence of ADA in other studies, including those of LOQTORZI or of other toripalimab products.

Of the 146 evaluable patients in JUPITER-02 with nasopharyngeal cancer who received LOQTORZI 240 mg every 3 weeks for a median duration of 15.1 months, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, 3.4% tested positive for treatment-emergent ADA. Of the 190 evaluable patients in study POLARIS-02 with nasopharyngeal cancer who received LOQTORZI 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks for a median duration of 3.3 months, 3.7% of patients developed treatment-emergent ADA. Neutralizing antibodies have not been tested.

Due to the low incidence of ADA, the effect of these antibodies on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, or effectiveness of LOQTORZI is unknown.

No studies have been performed to test the potential of toripalimab-tpzi for carcinogenicity or genotoxicity.

Fertility studies have not been conducted with toripalimab-tpzi. In 4-week and 26-week repeat-dose toxicology studies in sexually mature cynomolgus monkeys, there were no adverse or notable effects in the male and female reproductive organs.

In animal models, inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling increased the severity of some infections and enhanced inflammatory responses. Mycobacterium tuberculosis -infected PD-1 knockout mice exhibit markedly decreased survival compared with wild-type controls, which correlated with increased bacterial proliferation and inflammatory responses in these animals. PD-1 blockade using a primate anti-PD1 antibody was also shown to exacerbate M. tuberculosis infection in rhesus macaques. PD-1 and PD-L1 knockout mice and mice receiving PD-L1 blocking antibody have also shown decreased survival following infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

The efficacy of LOQTORZI in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine was investigated in JUPITER-02 (NCT03581786), a randomized, multicenter, single region, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 289 patients with metastatic or recurrent, locally advanced NPC who had not received previous systemic chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease. Patients with recurrent NPC after treatment with curative intent were required to have an interval of at least 6 months between the last dose of radiotherapy or chemotherapy and recurrence. Patients with autoimmune disease, other than stable hypothyroidism or Type I diabetes, and patients who required systemic immunosuppression were ineligible.

Randomization was stratified according to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) (0 versus 1) and disease stage (recurrent versus metastatic). Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive one of the following treatments:

• LOQTORZI 240 mg intravenously every 3 weeks in combination with cisplatin 80 mg/m ² on Day 1 every 3 weeks gemcitabine 1000 mg/m ² on Days 1 and 8 for up to 6 cycles, followed by LOQTORZI 240 mg once every 3 weeks, or
• Placebo intravenously every 3 weeks in combination with cisplatin 80 mg/m ² on Day 1 every 3 weeks and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m ² on Days 1 and 8 for up to 6 cycles, followed by placebo once every 3 weeks.

Treatment with LOQTORZI or placebo continued until disease progression per RECIST v1.1, unacceptable toxicity, or a maximum of 2 years. Administration of LOQTORZI was permitted beyond radiographic progression if the patient was deriving benefit as assessed by the investigator. Tumor assessments were performed every 6 weeks for the first 12 months and every 9 weeks thereafter. The main efficacy outcome measure was Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC)-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) according to RECIST v1.1. Additional efficacy outcome measures include BIRC-assessed overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS).

The study population characteristics were: median age of 48 years (range: 19 to 72), 4.8% age 65 or older, 83% male, 100% Asian, and 57% had ECOG PS of 0. Eighty-six percent of patients had metastatic disease at study entry. Histological subtypes of NPC included 98% non-keratinizing, 1% keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, and 1% did not have the subtype identified.

Efficacy results of the pre-specified interim analysis of PFS and final analysis of OS are summarized in Table 7 and Figure 1 below. The trial demonstrated statistically significant improvements in BIRC-assessed PFS, ORR and OS for patients randomized to LOQTORZI in combination with cisplatin/gemcitabine compared to cisplatin and gemcitabine with placebo.

Figure 1 Kaplan-Meier Curves of Overall Survival for JUPITER-02

The efficacy of LOQTORZI was investigated in POLARIS-02 (NCT 02915432), an open-label, multicenter, multicohort trial conducted in a single country. The trial included a total of 172 patients with unresectable or metastatic NPC who had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy for treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC or had disease progression within 6 months of completion of platinum-based chemotherapy administered as neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or definitive chemoradiation treatment for locally advanced disease. Key exclusion criteria included previous treatment with an anti-PD-(L)1 antibody; active autoimmune disease or other medical conditions requiring immunosuppressive therapy. Patients received LOQTORZI 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks until disease progression per RECIST v1.1 or unacceptable toxicity. Tumor response assessments were performed every 8 weeks for the first year and every 12 weeks thereafter. The major efficacy outcome measures were confirmed ORR and duration of response (DOR) as assessed by a Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC) using RECIST v1.1.

The median age was 45 years (range: 22 to 68), 4.1% age 65 or older, 83% male, 100% Asian, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) of 0 (37%). Patients had received a median of 2 prior systemic therapies for recurrent/metastatic disease (range: 1-13). Ninety-five percent of patients had metastatic disease, 95% had non-keratinizing NPC, 2.9% had keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma and 1.7% did not have the subtype identified.

Efficacy results for POLARIS-02 are summarized in Table 8 below.