A Phase II Study Comparing The Efficacy Of Venetoclax + Fulvestrant Vs. Fulvestrant In Women With Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Her2-Negative Locally Advanced Or Metastatic Breast Cancer Who Experienced Disease Recurrence Or Progression During Or After CDK4/6 Inhibitor Therapy (Veronica)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03584009 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : July 12, 2018
Last Update Posted : November 12, 2020
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Estrogen Receptor-positive (ER+)/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER2)-Negative Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer | Drug: Venetoclax Drug: Fulvestrant | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 103 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase II, Multicenter, Randomized Study To Compare The Efficacy Of Venetoclax Plus Fulvestrant Versus Fulvestrant In Women With Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Her2-Negative Locally Advanced Or Metastatic Breast Cancer Who Experienced Disease Recurrence Or Progression During Or After CDK4/6 Inhibitor Therapy |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 6, 2018 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | August 5, 2020 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | February 5, 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Venetoclax + Fulvestrant
As of 9th October 2020, Participants in the Venetoclax + Fulvestrant arm, have all discontinued Venetoclax treatment and have continued on Fulvestrant treatment alone. Fulvestrant study treatment will continue until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, death, or predefined end of the study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) which ever occur first.
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Drug: Venetoclax
Venetoclax will be administered orally, 800-mg tablet beginning on Cycle 1 Day 1 until the 9th October 2020. Drug: Fulvestrant Fulvestrant will be administered orally, 500 mg administered as two 250-mg intramuscular (IM) injections on Cycle 1 Days 1 and 15 and on Day 1 of each subsequent 28-day cycle |
Active Comparator: Fulvestrant
Participants will receive fulvestrant administered as IM (intramuscular) injections. No crossover to the venetoclax arm is permitted. Study treatment will continue until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, death, or predefined end of the study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) which ever occur first.
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Drug: Fulvestrant
Fulvestrant will be administered orally, 500 mg administered as two 250-mg intramuscular (IM) injections on Cycle 1 Days 1 and 15 and on Day 1 of each subsequent 28-day cycle |
- Clinical benefit defined as Complete Response (CR), Partial Response (PR) or Stable Disease (SD) lasting >= 24 weeks, as determined by the Investigator according to RECIST v1.1 [ Time Frame: Randomization in participants with measurable disease at baseline through the end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]
- Progression Free Survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Randomization to the first occurrence of disease progression as determined by the investigator according to (RECIST v1.1 ) or death from any cause, until the end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ](RECIST v1.1 ) Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1
- Objective Response (OR) [ Time Frame: Objective Response defined as Complete Response (CR) or Partial response (PR), as determined by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1 from Randomization of participant until end of the study (2 years after the last participant enrolled) ]
- Duration of Response (DOR) [ Time Frame: Time from first occurrence of a documented Objective response to the time of the first documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first, until end of the study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ](as determined by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1)
- Overall Survival (OS) [ Time Frame: Randomization to death from any cause, through the end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]
- Percentage of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs) [ Time Frame: Baseline to end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]
- Plasma concentration of Venetoclax and fulvestrant [ Time Frame: At pre-defined intervals from Cycle 1, Day 1, through end of treatment (2 years after the last participant is enrolled). ]
- Mean changes from baseline scores in functional disease/treatment-related symptoms and global health status health-related quality of life (GHS/HRQoL) by cycle [ Time Frame: Baseline, cycle 1 day 1, and all subsequent cycles through at the end of treatment/discontinuation visit (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]Mean and mean changes will be assessed by the scales of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)
- Change in baseline pain score as assessed by the pain scale of EORTC QLQ-C30 [ Time Frame: Baseline through end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]
- Baseline BCL-2 protein levels as measured by International Council for Harmonisation (IHC) correlating with clinical response measures [ Time Frame: Baseline through the end of study (2 years after the last participant is enrolled) ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Female |
Gender Based Eligibility: | Yes |
Gender Eligibility Description: | Female and >= 18 years of age at time of signing Informed Consent Form |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Histological or cytological confirmation of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) invasive carcinoma of the breast. ER+, HER2- negative invasive carcinoma of the breast with evaluable sample for BCL-2 IHC value at the time of screening. Participants who were originally diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer that converted to HER2-negative MBC are not eligible.
- Evidence of metastatic or locally advanced disease not amenable to surgical or local therapy with curative intent.
- Be postmenopausal or pre- or perimenopausal women amenable to being treated with the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist goserelin.
- Participants must not have received more than two prior lines of hormonal therapy in the locally advanced or metastatic setting. In addition, at least one line of treatment must be a CDK4/6i AND participants must have experienced disease recurrence or progression during or after CDK4/6i therapy, which must have been administered for a minimum of 8 weeks prior to progression.
- Participants for whom endocrine therapy (e.g., fulvestrant) is recommended and treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy is not indicated at the time of entry into the study, as per national or local treatment guidelines.
- Women of childbearing potential (i.e., not postmenopausal for at least 12 months or surgically sterile) must have a negative serum pregnancy test result at screening, within 14 days prior to the first study drug administration.
- For women of childbearing potential: agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use non-hormonal contraceptive methods with a failure rate of <1% per year during the treatment period and for up to 2 years after the last dose of study drug (or based on the local prescribing information for fulvestrant). Women must refrain from donating eggs during this same period.
- Willing to provide tumor biopsy sample.
- Have at least one measurable lesion via RECIST v1.1.
- Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Score of 0-1.
- Have adequate organ and marrow function.
- Have a life expectancy > 3 months.
- To full fill the coagulation requirements for patient with or without therapeutic anticoagulation.
Exclusion criteria:
- Prior treatment with fulvestrant or other selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), venetoclax, or any agent whose mechanism of action is to inhibit BCL-2.
- Pregnant, lactating, or intending to become pregnant during the study.
- Known untreated or active Central Nervous System (CNS) metastases (progressing or requiring anticonvulsants or corticosteroids for symptomatic control.
- Prior chemotherapy in the locally advanced or metastatic setting regardless of the duration of the treatment.
- Any anti-cancer therapy received within 21 days of the first dose of study drug, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, antineoplastic vaccines, or other investigational therapy. (Radiotherapy with palliative intent to non-target sites is allowed).
- Concurrent radiotherapy to any site or prior radiotherapy within 21 days of Cycle 1 Day 1 or previous radiotherapy to the target lesion sites (the sites that are to be followed for determination of a response) or prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow.
- Current severe, uncontrolled, systemic disease (e.g., clinically significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic or infectious disease.
- Any major surgery within 28 days of the first dose of study drug or anticipation of the need for major surgery during the course of study treatment.
- Consumption of one or more of the following within 3 days prior to the first dose of study drug: Grapefruit or grapefruit products; Seville oranges including marmalade containing Seville oranges; Star fruit (carambola).
- Administration within 7 days prior first dose of study treatment of Steroid therapy for anti-neoplastic intent, Strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors or Strong or moderate CYP3A inducers.
- Need for current chronic corticosteroid therapy (> 10 mg of prednisone per day or an equivalent dose of other anti-inflammatory corticosteroids).
- Known infection with (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV or human T-cell leukemia virus 1.
- Known active bacterial, viral, fungal, mycobacterial, parasitic, or other infection (excluding fungal infections of nail beds) at study enrollment, or any major episode of infection requiring treatment with IV antibiotics or hospitalization (relating to the completion of the course of antibiotics) within 4 weeks prior to Cycle 1 Day).
- Positive test results for hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody at screening. Participants who are positive for HCV antibody must be negative for HCV by PCR to be eligible for study participation. Participants with a past or resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (defined as having a positive total HBcAb and negative hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg]) may be included if HBV DNA is undetectable. These participants must be willing to undergo monthly DNA testing.
- Participants who have a positive HCV antibody test are eligible for the study if a PCR assay is negative for HCV RNA.
- History of other malignancies within the past 5 years except for treated skin basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, non-malignant melanoma <= 1.0 mm without ulceration, localized thyroid cancer, or cervical carcinoma in-situ.
- Administration of a live, attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to initiation of study treatment or anticipation of need for such a vaccine during the study.
- Cardiopulmonary dysfunction.
- Other medical or psychiatric conditions that, in the opinion of the investigatory, may interfere with the participant's participation in the study.
- Inability or unwillingness to swallow pills or receive intramuscular (IM) injections.
- History of malabsorption syndrome or other condition that would interfere with enteral absorption.
- History of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or active bowel inflammation (e.g., diverticulitis).
- Concurrent hormone replacement therapy.
- Inability to comply with study and follow-up procedures.
- History or active cardiopulmonary dysfunction.
- Known hypersensitivity to any of the study medications (fulvestrant, venetoclax) or to any of the excipients.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03584009

Study Director: | Clinical Trials | Hoffmann-La Roche |
Responsible Party: | Hoffmann-La Roche |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03584009 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
WO40181 2017-005118-74 ( EudraCT Number ) |
First Posted: | July 12, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 12, 2020 |
Last Verified: | November 2020 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Breast Neoplasms Recurrence Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Disease Attributes Pathologic Processes Fulvestrant |
Venetoclax Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal Antineoplastic Agents Estrogen Receptor Antagonists Estrogen Antagonists Hormone Antagonists Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Physiological Effects of Drugs |