Phase I study of the taxane BMS-188797 in combination with carboplatin administered every 3 weeks in patients with solid malignancies.

Rationale: BMS-188797 is one of several novel taxanes in ongoing clinical development. It has superior activity in experimental tumor models when compared with paclitaxel. BMS-188797 has a single C-4 modification, a 4-desacetyl-4-methylcarbonate, compared with paclitaxel.

Methods: We did a phase I study, in which a fixed dose of carboplatin was combined with a dose escalation schedule of BMS-188797, both administered once every 3 weeks, in patients with advanced solid malignancies.

Results: Thirty patients were treated, 11 at the proposed recommended phase II dose. The dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression. There was a linear relationship between administered dose of BMS-188797 and the measured area under the curve (AUC). There was significant interpatient variability of BMS-188797 AUC at the maximum tolerated dose. Two radiographic partial responses were observed: one patient with duodenal adenocarcinoma and one patient with esophageal adenocarcinoma (time on study, 19 and 30 weeks, respectively).

Conclusion: The recommended phase II dose for BMS-188797 and carboplatin administered on a once-every-3 week schedule is carboplatin AUC = 5 mg min/mL and BMS-188797 at a dose of 135 mg/m(2).