Addition of apatorsen, an inhibitor of Hsp27, to first-line gemcitabine/carboplatin in advanced squamous cell lung cancer: Design of the Cedar study.

TPS8111 Background: Outcomes remain poor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of squamous origin. There are few established therapeutic targets, and benefits of chemotherapy are frequently short-lived, with rapid development of treatment resistance. More effective therapies are urgently required. Substantial preclinical data demonstrates that heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) affects numerous pathways implicated in cancer progression and treatment resistance. Approximately 70-98% of squamous-cell tumours express Hsp27. Apatorsen (OGX-427) is a second generation antisense oligonucleotide that effectively down-regulates Hsp27 in vitro and in vivo; clinical studies are evaluating apatorsen in lung, bladder, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Methods: The phase 2, UK, investigator led, randomized, open-label trial Cedar trial was initiated in July 2014. Eligible patients have confirmed Stage IIIB/IV squamous cell lung cancer and no prior chemotherapy for advanced disease, with ECOG score of 0-2 and ...