Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetic of MSC2156119J in Asian Participants With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as toxicities at any dose level and judged to be related to the study treatment by investigator and/or the sponsor. DLTs included Grade 4 neutropenia for more than 7 days; Grade greater than or equal to (>=) 3 febrile neutropenia for more than 1 day; Grade 4 thrombocytopenia or Grade 3 thrombocytopenia with non-traumatic bleeding; Grade >= 3 uncontrolled nausea/vomiting and/or diarrhea despite adequate and optimal treatment and Grade >= 3 any non-hematological adverse event (AE), except the aforementioned gastrointestinal events and alopecia. Number of participants who experienced DLT during phase 1b were reported.

An AE was defined as any unfavourable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of study drug, whether or not considered related to the study drug. A serious AE was an AE that resulted in any of the following outcomes: death; life threatening; persistent/significant disability/incapacity; initial or prolonged inpatient hospitalization; congenital anomaly/birth defect or was otherwise considered medically important. Treatment-emergent are events between first dose of study drug and assessed up to 94 weeks. TEAEs include both Serious TEAEs and non-serious TEAEs.

TTP was defined as the time in months from randomization to date of the observation of radiological progressive disease (PD) (based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] v1.1) assessed by an IRC. PD is defined as at least 20 percent (%) increase in sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference as smallest sum on study; and/or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions and/or the presence of new lesions. The sum must demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 millimeter (mm).

Progression-free survival (PFS) time was defined as the time in months from randomization to either first observation of disease progression (based on RECIST v1.1) or occurrence of death due to any cause within 84 days of either randomization or the last tumor assessment. PD is defined as at least a 20 percent (%) increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study; and/or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions and/or the presence of new lesions. The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 millimeter(mm). PFS was measured using Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimates.

Overall survival time was measured as time in months between the date of randomization and the date of death.

TTP was defined as the time in months from randomization to date of the observation of radiological PD (based on RECIST v1.1) assessed by the investigator. PD is defined as at least a 20 percent (%) increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study; and/or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions and/or the presence of new lesions. The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm.

The AUC(0-inf) was estimated by determining the total area under the curve of the concentration versus time curve extrapolated to infinity.

Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve from time zero to the last sampling time t at which the concentration is at or above the lower limit of quantification (LLLQ). AUC(0-t) was calculated according to the mixed log-linear trapezoidal rule.

AUC (0-tau) is the area under the plasma concentration time curve within 1 dosing interval.

Cmax is the maximum observed plasma concentration obtained directly from the concentration versus time curve.

Cmin is minimum observed plasma concentration obtained directly from the concentration versus time curve.

Cavg is the average plasma concentration within 1 dosing interval obtained directly from the concentration versus time curve.

Tmax is time to reach maximum observed plasma concentration obtained directly from the concentration versus time curve.

The Vz/f was defined as the theoretical volume in which the total amount of required to uniformly distribute to produce the desired plasma concentration. Apparent volume of distribution after oral dose (Vz/F) was influenced by the fraction absorbed. The Vz/f was calculated by dividing the dose with area under the concentration time curve from time zero to infinity multiplied with terminal elimination rate constant Lambda(z). Vz/f=Dose/AUC(0-inf)* Lambda(z).

The CL/f is a measure of the rate at which it was metabolized or eliminated by normal biological processes. Clearance obtained after oral dose was influenced by the fraction of the dose absorbed. The CL/F from plasma was calculated using the formula: Dose divided by area under the concentration time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-inf).

Volume of distribution was defined as the theoretical volume in which the total amount of drug would need to be uniformly distributed to produce the desired plasma concentration of a drug. Vss/f after oral dose was influenced by the fraction absorbed.

Lambda(z) was determined from the terminal slope of the log-transformed plasma concentration curve using linear regression method.

Apparent terminal half-life was defined as the time required for the plasma concentration of drug to decrease 50 percent in the final stage of its elimination.

Time-to-symptomatic progression was defined as time (in months) from first study drug administration to the date of deterioration of symptoms assessed by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Hepatobiliary Symptom Index 8 (FHSI-8) (defined as at least a 4-point increase, i.e., higher score, compared with baseline value), or deterioration to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score 4, or death. FHSI-8 assesses hepatobiliary cancer symptoms with total score ranges from 0 to 32 (0 = the best quality of life; 32 = the worst quality of life with severe symptoms). ECOG assess participant's performance status on a scale of 0 to 5, where 0=fully active and 5=dead.

The objective response rate (ORR) was defined as the percentage of participants who had achieved complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) as the best overall response according to radiological assessments as adjudicated by the IRC from randomization until the first occurrence of PD. CR: Complete Response (CR) defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions and any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to < 10 mm. Partial response (PR) defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. PD defined as an increase of at least 20% in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum of the diameters of target lesions recorded since treatment started.

Disease control was defined as CR, PR, or stable disease (SD) as the best overall response according to radiological assessments as adjudicated by the IRC from randomization until the first occurrence of PD. CR defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions and any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to < 10 mm. PR defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. PD was defined as an increase of at least 20% in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum of the diameters of target lesions recorded since treatment started. Percentage of participants with disease control were reported.

Progression-free survival (assessed by the Investigator) time was defined as the time in months from randomization to either first observation of radiologically confirmed progression disease by the investigator or occurrence of death due to any cause within 84 days of either randomization or the last tumor assessment. PD is defined as at least a 20 percent (%) increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study; and/or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions and/or the presence of new lesions. The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. PFS was measured using Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimates.

The objective response rate was defined as the percentage of participants who had achieved CR or PR as the best overall response according to radiological assessments as adjudicated by the investigator from randomization until the first occurrence of PD. CR defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions and any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to < 10 mm. PR defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. PD was defined as an increase of at least 20% in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum of the diameters of target lesions recorded since treatment started.

Disease control was defined as CR, PR, or stable disease (SD) as the best overall response according to radiological assessments as adjudicated by the IRC from randomization until the first occurrence of PD. CR defined as disappearance of all target and non-target lesions and any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to < 10 mm. PR defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. PD was defined as an increase of at least 20% in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum of the diameters of target lesions recorded since treatment started. Percentage of participants with disease control were reported.