ticagrelor and Neoplasms

The role of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents in tumour growth and prognosis is not new, and currently under intense investigation. Some randomised data strongly suggest that this association exists, but it is complex, and not necessarily pointed at the same direction. The potential mechanisms responsible for such harmful association include a direct hazard of novel antithrombotics on cancer, indirect promotion of tumour growth, easier metastatic dissemination due to instability of platelet-tumour cell aggregates, or/and inability to keep cancer cells locally in situ are considered. The latest randomised evidence ultimately rejected the drug-specific cancer risks, clearly indicating the class-effect. In lay terms "cancers follow bleeding", which seems to be true for antithrombotic agents in general. Significant excess of solid cancers which was similar after prasugrel in TRITON, and with vorapaxar in TRACER trials was confirmed by the FDA reviews. Later, extra cancer deaths reported following clopidogrel and prasugrel in DAPT, and after ticagrelor in PEGASUS are also of concern. However, there are remaining controversies with regard to published cancer risks after ticagrelor (PLATO), or another vorapaxar trial (TRA2P), while full disclosure of separate clopidogrel and prasugrel cancer data in DAPT is still lacking. In short, if we apply moderate antiplatelet strategies for over two years, or aggressive regimens including triple therapy for much less than one year, the solid cancer risks emerge. Currently, more delicate platelet inhibition, and shorter exposure to dual oral antiplatelet agents should prevail.

Topics: Adenosine; Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Aspirin; Blood Platelets; Carcinogenicity Tests; Clopidogrel; Colonic Neoplasms; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Lactones; Male; Mice; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Experimental; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Prasugrel Hydrochloride; Pyridines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rivaroxaban; Sex Factors; Species Specificity; Ticagrelor; Ticlopidine; Time Factors

Early benefit assessment aims to prove a benefit of a new pharmaceutical over the appropriate comparator based on patient-relevant endpoints. In addition to mortality and morbidity, quality of life is a patient-relevant endpoint. Thus, phase III clinical trials are the basis of evidence. But HTA and health authorities attach different importance to quality of life. Using the example of oncology, the challenges with study design and analysis will be discussed. A particular challenge to the analysis of quality-of-life data is varying observation times in treatment arms with different effectiveness. Based on the example of Crizotinib possible solutions will be presented.

Topics: Adenosine; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Crizotinib; Drug Approval; Endpoint Determination; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Neoplasms; Patient Outcome Assessment; Patient Satisfaction; Prescription Drugs; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrazoles; Pyridines; Quality of Life; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Risk Assessment; Ticagrelor

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint protein that suppresses cytotoxic T lymphocytes and is often overexpressed in cancers. Due to favorable clinical trial results, immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is part of Food and Drug Administration approved immuno-oncology therapies; however, not all patients benefit from ICI therapy. High blood platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio has been associated with failure of ICI treatment, but whether platelets have a role in hindering ICI response is unclear. Here, we report that coculturing platelets with cancer cell lines increased protein and gene expression of tumor cell PD-L1, which was reduced by antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin and ticagrelor. Platelet cytokine arrays revealed that the well-established cytokines, including interferon-γ, were not the main regulators of platelet-mediated PD-L1 upregulation. Instead, the high molecular weight epidermal growth factor (EGF) is abundant in platelets, which caused an upregulation of tumor cell PD-L1. Both an EGF-neutralizing antibody and cetuximab (EGF receptor [EGFR] monoclonal antibody) inhibited platelet-induced increases in tumor cell PD-L1, suggesting that platelets induce tumor cell PD-L1 in an EGFR-dependent manner. Our data reveal a novel mechanism for platelets in tumor immune escape and warrant further investigation to determine if targeting platelets improves ICI therapeutic responses.

Topics: Antibodies, Neutralizing; Aspirin; B7-H1 Antigen; Blood Platelets; Cetuximab; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Humans; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Immune Checkpoint Proteins; Interferon-gamma; Neoplasms; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Ticagrelor; United States

Topics: Adenosine; Blood Platelets; Humans; Neoplasms; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists; Ticagrelor

After the successful PLATO, failed both PHILO and ATLANTIC, PEGASUS trial assessed efficacy and safety of ticagrelor (120 mg/day and 180 mg/day) on top of aspirin versus aspirin alone beyond 1 year in patients with stable coronary disease. Similar to PLATO, PEGASUS revealed reduction of composite primary endpoint after ticagrelor at expense of extra bleeding. However, there were major fundamental differences between the trial outcomes. Hence, the shift of evidence with ticagrelor from PLATO to PEGASUS trials has been comprehended. In contrast to PLATO, in PEGASUS there were more premature permanent ticagrelor discontinuations (PPTD): RR=1.35; 95%CI 1.29-1.42, p<0.0001; significant excess of cancer deaths (RR=1.46; 95%CI 1.02-2.06,p=0.034), trend to more sepsis deaths (RR=1.29; 95%CI 0.76-2.20), and most importantly identical all-cause mortality (RR=1.00; 95%CI 0.86-1.16, p=0.99) versus placebo. Applied conservative TIMI bleeding classification in PEGASUS did not correspond with PPTD rate, with potential heavy underreporting of hemorrhagic events. Finally, unexplained late addition of 198 primary events in PEGASUS is concerning. PEGASUS failed to confirm ticagrelor mortality benefit reported in PLATO, but rather discover additional shortcomings.

Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Adenosine; Aspirin; Clopidogrel; Follow-Up Studies; Hemorrhage; Humans; Mortality; Neoplasms; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sepsis; Ticagrelor; Ticlopidine