This trial is testing whether molecularly targeted oral medications called talazoparib and
tazemetostat can be safely combined for the treatment of prostate cancer, and whether the
combination is effective in shrinking or preventing the growth of metastatic prostate cancer.
The names of the study drugs involved in this study are:
- Talazoparib
- Tazemetostat
This is a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and preliminary clinical
activity of the combination of talazoparib with tazemetostat in metastatic
castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved talazoparib or tazemetostat for
metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) but they have been approved for other
uses. Talazoparib has been approved for use in breast cancer, and tazemetostat has been
approved for use in certain types of sarcoma and lymphoma.
Talazoparib is an orally administered molecularly targeted chemotherapy drug called a "PARP
inhibitor", which acts to block the ability of cancer cells to repair certain forms of damage
to their DNA - the accumulation of damaged DNA causes certain cancer cells to die. Other PARP
inhibitors are already approved for use in prostate cancer patients with specific gene
mutations detected in their blood or in their cancer, and talazoparib is currently being
studied for treatment of prostate cancer in other clinical trials.
Tazemetostat is an orally administered molecularly targeted chemotherapy drug called an "EZH2
inhibitor", which acts to block the production of proteins encoded by DNA in the cancer cells
that are important in cancer growth and survival. Tazemetostat is also being studied for the
treatment of prostate cancer in other clinical trials. In the laboratory setting,
tazemetostat causes changes in protein levels in prostate cancer cells that make them
sensitive to dying in the presence of PARP inhibitors.
The research study procedures include screening for eligibility and study treatment including
evaluations and follow up visits.
The study design involves two parts. The first part is called the "dose escalation" to find a
safe dose for the combination of talazoparib and tazemetostat. The second part is called the
"dose expansion" where additional participants are treated at the safe dose identified in the
first part of the study.
Participants will receive study treatment for as long as they do not have serious side
effects and their disease does not get worse. Participants will be followed after completion
of study treatment for up to 24 months.
It is expected that about 38 people will take part in this research study.
Funding for this research is provided by a grant awarded by the non-profit Prostate Cancer
Foundation along with Pfizer, Inc. In addition, Pfizer is supporting the study by providing
the study drug talazoparib. Epizyme, Inc. is supporting the study by providing the study drug
tazemetostat.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participants must have histologically or cytologically confirmed prostate cancer (code
10036910) with progressive disease at the time of study entry by either
- Sequence of at least 2 rising PSA values at a minimum of 1-week intervals
- Radiographic progression per RECIST1.1 for soft tissue and/or per PCWG3 for bone,
with or without PSA progression
- Patients must have metastatic disease by bone scintigraphy or other nodal or visceral
lesions on CT or MRI with a bone or soft tissue lesion amenable to image-guided
percutaneous biopsy, a castrate level of testosterone (<50ng/dL), and evaluable for
disease response by either
- Baseline PSA ≥ 2.0 ng/mL OR
- Measurable disease per RECIST 1.1 NOTE: Subjects must maintain a castrate state.
If they have not had an orchiectomy, they must continue to receive LHRH or GnRH
agonists or antagonists unless intolerant.
- Past progression on at least one novel hormonal therapy (abiraterone, enzalutamide,
apalutamide, darolutamide, galeterone, orteronel, seviteronel or equivalent) in either
the hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant disease setting.
- Not a candidate for docetaxel or cabazitaxel chemotherapy due to:
- progression within 12 months of completion or intolerance to prior taxane OR
- refusal of taxane OR
- contraindication to, or lack of fitness for taxane OR
- investigator assessment that taxane is not clinically indicated or preferred
- Age ≥18 years. Children under 18 are excluded from this study as prostate cancer is a
disease of adults
- ECOG performance status ≤1 (Karnofsky ≥70%, see Appendix A).
- Participants must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:
- leukocytes ≥ 3,000/mcL
- absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/mcL
- hemoglobin ≥9 g/dL (without transfusion or growth factor in prior 28 days)
- platelets ≥ 100,000/mcL (without transfusion of growth factor in prior 28 days)
- total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) unless known or
suspected Gilbert syndrome
- AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤ 3 × institutional ULN
- glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (based on Cockcroft-Gault
formula OR creatinine clearance based on 24 hour urine collection)
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants on effective anti-retroviral
therapy (with no known or predicted drug-drug interactions with talazoparib and/or
tazemetostat) with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this
trial.
- For participants with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV
viral load must be undetectable. If suppressive therapy is indicated, there must be no
known or predicted drug-drug interactions with talazoparib and/or tazemetostat.
- Participants with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been
treated and cured. For participants with HCV infection who are currently on treatment,
they are eligible if there are no known or predicted drug-drug interactions with
talazoparib and/or tazemetostat and they have an undetectable HCV viral load.
- Participants with known history or current symptoms of cardiac disease, or history of
treatment with cardiotoxic agents, should have a clinical risk assessment of cardiac
function using the New York Heart Association Functional Classification. To be
eligible for this trial, participants should be class 2B or better.
- Prior treatment with a PARP inhibitor is allowed.
- Planned to undergo core biopsy of a recurrent/metastatic lesion adequate for next
generation sequencing (NGS) after trial registration but prior to cycle 1 day 1 of
therapy. Confirmation of adequacy of this biopsy material for NGS is NOT required for
initiation of therapy. If elective biopsies are not being performed at the treating
institution due to preparations or precautions related to COVID-19, this requirement
can be waived on discussion with the trial PI.
- Willing to undergo core biopsy of a recurrent/metastatic lesion adequate for next
generation sequencing (NGS) after 8 weeks (+/- 7 days) of study treatment.
- The effects of talazoparib and tazemetostat on the developing human fetus are unknown.
For this reason and because oral chemotherapeutic agents are known to be teratogenic,
men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth
control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation.
Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while her partner is
participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. Men
treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception
prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 6 months after
completion of talazoparib and tazemetostat administration.
- Ability to swallow oral medications.
- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants who have had chemotherapy, intravenous experimental agent,
radiopharmaceutical therapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks prior to planned cycle 1
day 1 of study treatment.
- Participants who have received oral anti-neoplastic intervention such as an oral
hormonal agent, PARP inhibitor, or oral experimental agent within 14 days prior to
planned cycle 1 day 1 of study treatment.
- Participants who have not recovered from clinically significant adverse events due to
prior anti-cancer therapy (i.e., have clinically significant residual toxicities >
Grade 1) except for stable complications of prior procedures (such as urinary
incontinence or erectile dysfunction) or Grade 2 anorexia, alopecia, neuropathy, and
fatigue, for which resolution is not required.
- Participants who are receiving any other investigational agents.
- Participants previously treated with an inhibitor of EZH2.
- Patients with known brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease should be excluded from
this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop
progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic
and other adverse events.
- History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic
composition to talazoparib or tazemetostat.
- Participants receiving the following concurrent medications:
- Participants receiving the P-gp inhibitors amiodarone, carvedilol,
clarithromycin, itraconazole, or verapamil are ineligible. Participants receiving
other P-gp inhibitors are not excluded but should be monitored for potential
increased adverse reactions.
- Participants receiving BCRP inhibitors are not excluded but should be monitored
for potential increased adverse reactions.
- Participants receiving any medications or substances that are strong or moderate
inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4 are ineligible.
- Precaution is warranted with concomitant use of agents with a narrow therapeutic
index that are substrates of CYP3A4 and/or P-gp.
Because the lists of these agents are constantly changing, it is important to regularly
consult a frequently updated medical reference. As part of the enrollment/informed consent
procedures, the participant will be counseled on the risk of interactions with other
agents, and what to do if new medications need to be prescribed or if the participant is
considering a new over-the-counter medicine or herbal product.
- Participants with uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to,
ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina
pectoris, or cardiac arrhythmia.
- Participants with psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance
with study requirements.
- Pregnant and nursing women are excluded from this study because they do not develop
prostate cancer.
- Arterial or venous thromboembolic event within the last 3 months.
- Concurrent active malignancy. Patients with non-melanomatous skin cancer, superficial
bladder cancer, cancer not needing active therapy for at least 2 years, cancer for
which the treating investigator deems the subject to be in remission, or any prior
malignancy that was treated with curative intent (no evidence of disease for at least
3 years) are also permitted to enroll.
