Adjustment for imbalances in baseline characteristics in the MAGNITUDE phase 3 study confirms the clinical benefit of niraparib in combination with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in patients with metastatic prostate cancer

Eur J Cancer. 2024 Sep:209:114183. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114183. Epub 2024 Jun 17.

Abstract

Background: MAGNITUDE (NCT03748641) demonstrated favourable outcomes with niraparib plus abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (+AAP) versus placebo+AAP in patients with BRCA1/2-altered metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Imbalances in prognostic variables were reported between arms, which impacts estimation of both the clinical benefit and cost‑effectiveness of niraparib+AAP for healthcare systems. A pre-specified multivariable analysis (MVA) demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) with niraparib+AAP. Here, we used an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) model to adjust for covariate imbalances and assess time-to-event outcomes.

Methods: IPTW analysis of time-to-event outcomes was conducted using data from patients with BRCA1/2-altered mCRPC (N = 225) in MAGNITUDE. Patients received niraparib+AAP or placebo+AAP. OS, radiographic progression-free survival, time to symptomatic progression, time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy and time to prostate-specific antigen progression were assessed. Weighted Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for each endpoint, and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were obtained from a weighted Cox model.

Results: Improvements in survival outcomes were estimated for niraparib+AAP versus placebo+AAP: unadjusted median OS was 30.4 months versus 28.6 months, respectively (HR: 0.79; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.55, 1.12; p = 0.183). Following IPTW, median OS increased to 34.1 months with niraparib+AAP versus a decrease to 27.4 with placebo (HR: 0.65; 95 % CI: 0.46, 0.93; p = 0.017). Similar improvements were observed for other time-to-event endpoints.

Conclusions: IPTW adjustment provided a more precise estimate of the clinical benefit of niraparib+AAP versus placebo+AAP in patients with BRCA1/2-altered mCRPC. Results were consistent with the pre-specified MVA, and further demonstrated the value of adjusting for baseline imbalances, particularly in smaller studies.

Trial registration: NCT03748641 (MAGNITUDE).

Keywords: BRCA; Inverse probability of treatment weighting; Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; Propensity-matched analysis; Prostate cancer; Radiographic progression-free survival.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Abiraterone Acetate* / administration & dosage
  • Abiraterone Acetate* / therapeutic use
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols* / therapeutic use
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Humans
  • Indazoles* / administration & dosage
  • Indazoles* / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Piperidines* / administration & dosage
  • Piperidines* / therapeutic use
  • Prednisone* / administration & dosage
  • Prednisone* / therapeutic use
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / pathology

Substances

  • niraparib
  • Indazoles
  • Prednisone
  • Piperidines
  • Abiraterone Acetate

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03748641