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Olaratumab plus anthracyline in advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma

Data of real-world utilization in Austria

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Summary

Background

Olaratumab is a humanized monoclonal antiplatelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha antibody that has been approved in combination with doxorubicin for the treatment of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the clinical efficacy in STS patients treated with olaratumab in a real-world setting in Austria.

Methods

Retrospectively collected longitudinal data from patients treated between November 2016 and September 2018 at 9 Austrian centers were obtained from the respective medical charts. All patients who received at least one dose of olaratumab were eligible. Parameters of most interest were response rates, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Altogether 55 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 58 years. In total, 65.5% (n = 36), 21.8% (n = 12) and 12.7% (n = 7) received olaratumab as first, second or ≥third line treatment, respectively. Olaratumab was administered either in combination with doxorubicin (81.8%, n = 45) or liposomal doxorubicin (16.4%, n = 9); one patient received olaratumab as upfront monotherapy. The median PFS and OS were 2.6 and 11.4 months, respectively. The objective response rate was 11.4% and the disease control rate was 40.9%.

Conclusion

In this real-world analysis the outcome was less pronounced compared to the results of both the phase Ib/II approval trial and the confirmatory phase III trial. The latter failed to show an improvement in OS and PFS for the doxorubicin/olaratumab combination. As such, olaratumab should not be used anymore in patients with STS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine V: Hematology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Andreas Seeber MD PhD & Florian Kocher

  2. IIIrd Medical Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology, Hemostaseology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Salzburg Cancer Research Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria

    Lukas Weiss & Richard Greil

  3. Internal Medicine I: Department of Medical Oncology, Haematology and Gastroenterology, Hospital Barmherzige Schwestern Linz, Linz, Austria

    Franz Romeder

  4. Division of Clinical Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Joanna Szkandera

  5. Department of Internal Medicine IV, Hospital Wels-Grieskirchen, Wels, Austria

    Thomas Kuehr

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Schwaz, Schwaz, Austria

    Susanne Kostner

  7. Department of Internal Medicine I, Hospital of St. Poelten, St. Poelten, Austria

    Petra Pichler

  8. Internal Medicine II: Medical Oncology, Hematology, Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria

    Thomas Jaeger

  9. Department of Internal Medicine I/Clinical Division of Medical Oncology, Medical University Vienna—General Hospital, Vienna, Austria

    Thomas Brodowicz

Authors
  1. Andreas Seeber MD PhD
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  2. Lukas Weiss
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  3. Franz Romeder
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  4. Joanna Szkandera
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  5. Thomas Kuehr
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  6. Susanne Kostner
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  7. Petra Pichler
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  8. Thomas Jaeger
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  9. Florian Kocher
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  10. Richard Greil
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  11. Thomas Brodowicz
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Contributions

A. Seeber and T. Brodowicz were involved in the design of the study and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. Statistical analyses were done by F. Kocher and L. Weiss. All authors contributed to data collection, interpretation of results and were involved in the writing of subsequent drafts. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Seeber MD PhD.

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Conflict of interest

A. Seeber, L. Weiss, F. Romeder, J. Szkandera, T. Kuehr, S. Kostner, P. Pichler, T. Jaeger, F. Kocher, R. Greil, and T. Brodowicz declare that they have no competing interests.

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Seeber, A., Weiss, L., Romeder, F. et al. Olaratumab plus anthracyline in advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. Wien Klin Wochenschr 133, 21–25 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01556-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01556-1

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