BevRam-GC01 study protocol: a phase I trial of bevacizumab plus ramucirumab and paclitaxel in advanced gastric cancer

Background: Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) concentrations markedly increased immediately after ramucirumab administration, and the high VEGF-A concentrations were significantly associated with worse outcomes in advanced gastric cancer. In a preclinical study, combination therapy with anti-VEGF-A and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) antibodies showed superior tumor suppression compared with monotherapy, suggesting dual VEGF-A/VEGFR2 blockade may be a promising therapeutic strategy. Design: ) in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to first-line fluoropyrimidine-platinum chemotherapy. The study includes a safety part and an expansion part, in which, after confirming tolerability, patients will be randomized into three arms, including a control group, to obtain proof of concept and determine the optimal BEV-BS dose. Primary endpoints are dose-limiting toxicities in the safety part and adverse events in the expansion part. Key secondary endpoints include objective response rate and day 8 free VEGF-A suppression rate. Biomarker analysis will clarify the synergistic and complementary effects of anti-VEGFR2 and anti-VEGF-A antibodies on tumor biology, including angiogenesis, proliferation, and antitumor immunity, through multi-omics analysis and immune monitoring.