Background:
* Enzalutamide is established as first-line hormonal therapy in participants with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, it is increasingly recognized that acquired resistance to therapy (e.g., androgen receptor (AR) overexpression, androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) could limit the durability of response to therapy
* Upregulation of Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1Alpha) in hypoxic tumor cells provides a mechanism of acquired resistance to current hormonal therapies and chemotherapies. Acquired resistance increases angiogenesis and metastasis, leading to disease progression
* Targeting the hypoxia driven tumor microenvironment (e.g., down-regulation of HIF-1Alpha) in addition to the androgen receptor (e.g., enzalutamide) has synergistic activity against prostate cancer cell line models (e.g., LNCaP, 22Rv1).
* CRLX101 is a nanoparticle drug conjugate composed of 20(S)-camptothecin (a potent and highly selective topoisomerase I inhibitor with anti-HIF-1Alpha properties) conjugated to a linear, cyclodextrin-polyethylene glycol-based polymer
* CRLX101 has been shown to be safe, tolerable, and efficacious in numerous Phase II clinical investigations in a variety of tumor subtypes.
* Preclinical and clinical studies have shown CRLX101 significantly down-regulates HIF-1alpha, impacting tumor-driven angiogenesis.
* The treatment combination of CRLX101 and enzalutamide provides a reasonable approach to re-sensitizing prostate cancer cells to hormonal therapy via synergistic antitumor activity and inhibition of acquired resistance
Objectives:
-Primary Objective: To evaluate the anti-tumor activity of CRLX101 at the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) in combination with enzalutamide with respect to treatment response, defined as greater than or equal to 50% PSA decline or stable disease on imaging following 5 months of treatment.
Eligibility:
* Patients must have progressive mCRPC per Prostate Cancer Working Group 3(PCWG3)
* Patients must be at least 18 years of age and able to give informed consent
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status less than or equal to 2
* Evaluable metastatic disease on bone scan or measurable disease on computed tomography (CT) Scan per PCWG3 and/or Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST)
* Patients must have had disease progression while receiving prior enzalutamide treatment
Design:
* The study will be conducted using an optimal two stage Phase II design (8 participants, expandable to 21 participants total) aimed to determine the percentage of participants with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline of greater than 50% or stable disease at 5 months.
* The first 3 to 6 participants enrolled on study will follow a lead-in dosing scheme to confirm the safety of the combination (CRLX101 12 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks for the first two cycles, followed by CRLX101 15 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks at the start of cycle 3, with enzalutamide 160 mg administered once daily starting on cycle 1 day 2) prior to initiation of the optimal two stage study design.
* For participants enrolled on study following the lead-in, the confirmed tolerable dose of CRLX101 will be administered via intravenous (IV) infusion every 2 weeks. Enzalutamide 160 mg will be administered orally once daily beginning on cycle 1 day 2.
* Blood and urine will be collected at multiple time points for pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD0 analyses.
* Tumor assessments will be made using Technetium-99 (99Tc) bone scintigraphy and/or CT scan (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) at baseline, prior to Cycle 3 and every 3 cycles thereafter.
* The accrual ceiling for the study is set at 30 participants.