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A Phase I and Pharmacokinetic Study of Exisulind and Docetaxel in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

¹ University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado; and ² OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Melville, New York

Purpose: Exisulind (sulindac sulfone, FGN-1, Aptosyn) is a sulindac metabolite that induces apoptosis via inhibition of cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase. This agent demonstrated tumor growth inhibition in rodent models of colon, breast, prostate, and lung carcinogenesis. In an orthotopic model of human non–small-cell lung cancer, the combination of exisulind and docetaxel prolonged survival in athymic nude rats, forming the basis of this phase I combination study.

Experimental Design: This study evaluated the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of combining exisulind (150–250 mg) given orally twice daily and docetaxel (30–36 mg/m²) administered intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 4-week cycle.

Results: Twenty patients with a range of advanced solid tumors (median age, 59 years; age range, 35–77 years; median performance status, 1) received a total of 70 courses. Observed adverse events were mild to moderate, and there was no dose-limiting toxicity at any level. Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicities were present in 10 of the 70 cycles (10%) and included nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, and elevated alkaline phosphatase. Neutropenia was present in four cycles in patients treated with a docetaxel dose of 36 mg/m². Pharmacokinetic analysis did not demonstrate a clear effect of exisulind on docetaxel pharmacokinetics and vice versa. Relationships were evident between the plasma concentration of exisulind and the development of grade 2 or greater toxicities. One third of patients maintained stable disease for 3 to 12 cycles, but no objective responses were observed.

Conclusions: The combination of docetaxel (36 mg/m², weekly) and exisulind (500 mg/d) was reasonably well tolerated, and it is undergoing phase II testing in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer.

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