Initial results of the COMPETE phase 3 clinical trial—the first study to compare targeted radioligand therapy with molecular targeted therapy in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs)—show that treatment with radiopharmaceutical agent [177Lu]Lu-edotreotide demonstrated statistically significant clinical benefit compared with protein kinase inhibitor everolimus in patients with grade 1 or 2 metastatic GEP-NETs.
These results were presented today by Jaume Capdevila, Medical Oncologist at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and Senior Investigator of VHIO’s Upper Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Tumors Group, at the 22nd Annual Conference of the European Neuroendocrine Tumors Society (ENETS), 5-7 March, Kraków, Poland.
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a group of cancers that develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system and in different parts of the body, such as the stomach, bowel, pancreas or lungs. Although these tumors are typically slow growing, some NETs progress rapidly, associate with a poor prognosis, and in many cases, are diagnosed at late stage. While these heterogeneous cancers are relatively rare, their incidence has increased by more than 500% over the last three decades. There is an urgent need to develop additional, more effective treatment options for newly diagnosed patients presenting with advanced or inoperable disease.
“NETs originating in the gastroenteropancreatic tract are a group of complex neoplasms that have late diagnoses and are particularly difficult to treat. Patients with metastatic GET-NET currently have few treatment options available. To help address this unmet clinical need, innovative radioligand therapy is being evaluated in patients as a potential new therapeutic avenue,” said Jaume Capdevila, Principal Investigator of the COMPETE study.
Lutetium [177Lu]Lu-edotreotide is a targeted radiopharmaceutical that targets specific receptors on tumor cells, delivering radiation directly to cancerous tissues. This relatively novel class of cancer treatment is a type of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) designed to destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
A total of 309 patients with grade 1 o 2 inoperable, progressive, somatostatin receptor-positive GEP-NET were randomized (2:1) to receive either radioligand therapy with [177Lu]Lu-edotreotide or molecular targeted therapy with everolimus.
First results of COMPETE demonstrate a median progression-free survival of 23.9 months in patients assigned to [177Lu]Lu-edotreotide compared with 14.1 months in patients who received everolimus.
“Our initial data point to the promise of this radioligand therapy as a potential new treatment option for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors,” concluded Capdevila.
