Intraperitoneal Aerosolized Nanoliposomal Irinotecan (Nal-IRI) in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis From Gastrointestinal Cancer

Peritoneal metastases (PM) are a common manifestation of gastrointestinal cancer. The prognosis of patients with PM is particularly poor, and response to systemic chemotherapy is worse compared to parenchymal metastatic cancer in the liver or lungs. In addition, patients with PM frequently develop debilitating symptoms such as intractable ascites, bowel obstruction, or ureteric obstruction, resulting in a severely compromised quality of life.

In selected patients with widespread PM, pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) holds considerable promise. Briefly, PIPAC combines laparoscopy with intraperitoneal (IP) administration of chemotherapy as an aerosol, which is generated by a nebulizer. The pharmacokinetic (PK) and clinical advantages of PIPAC may be further enhanced by using nanosized anticancer drugs. Nal-IRI (Onivyde) is a nanoliposomal formulation of irinotecan (Camptothecin-11 (CPT-11)), with a markedly superior efficacy when compared with free CPT-11 in human breast and colon cancer xenograft models.

This is a phase I clinical study with aerosolized IP Nal-IRI in patients with PM from GI cancer. In this phase I study, dose escalation will be combined with pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling which incorporates, in addition to plasma, tumour tissue, and peritoneal drug concentrations, biomarkers of toxicity and efficacy.

Inclusion criteria

• Biopsy proven cancer of the pancreas, gallbladder or biliary tract, stomach, small bowel, colon, rectum, or appendix with extensive or irresectable peritoneal carcinomatosis
• Estimated life expectancy > 6 months; > 3 months if primary cancer is pancreatic
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Adequate performance status (Karnofsky index > 60% and WHO performance status < 2)
• Written informed consent obtained prior any act of the research

Exclusion criteria

• Concomitant systemic (IV) treatment with irinotecan (either as monotherapy or as part of a combination regimen such as FOLFIRI, CAPIRI, or FOLFOXIRI)
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding during the clinical study
• Patients of childbearing age unable or unwilling to provide effective contraception during the study and until the end of relevant exposure (extended by 30 days (female participants) or 120 days (male participants) since the IMP is genotoxic).
• Known allergy or intolerance to irinotecan
• Significant amount of ascites detectable (exceeding 3l in volume)
• Intestinal or urinary tract obstruction
• Extensive hepatic and/or extra-abdominal metastatic disease
• Impaired renal function (serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl or calculated GFR (CKD-EPI) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²
• Impaired liver function (serum total bilirubin > 1.5 mg/dl, except for known Gilbert's disease)
• Platelet count < 100.000/µl
• Hemoglobin < 9g/dl
• Neutrophil granulocytes < 1.500/ml
• Patients known to use:

• CYP3A4 inducers (rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, St John's wort)
• inhibitors of CYP3A4 (clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, lopinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telaprevir, voriconazole) or UGT1A1 (atazanavir, gemfibrozil, indinavir, regorafenib)