MEK Inhibitor MEK162 in Combination With Leucovorin Calcium, Fluorouracil, and Oxaliplatin in Treating Patients With Advanced Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with pathologically confirmed colon or rectal cancer who have received and progressed or failed following a fluoropyrimidine, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin based chemotherapy regimens will be eligible for this study; patients who have a known Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS)/v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) wild type tumor should have progressed or failed following cetuximab or panitumumab based chemotherapy; prior bevacizumab or regorafenib exposure is not mandated on this study as some patients are deemed poor candidates for anti-angiogenesis therapy and never receive these agents
Patients should have measurable disease defined as a minimum of one tumor measuring >= 10 mm on computed tomography (CT) scans
Signed written informed consent
Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1.5 x 10^9/L
Hemoglobin (Hgb) >= 9 g/dL without transfusions
Platelets (PLT) >= 100 x 10^9/L without transfusions
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 2.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN); patient with liver metastases =< 5 ×ULN
Total bilirubin =< ULN
Creatinine =< 1.5 mg/dL
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >= 50% as determined by a multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan or echocardiogram
Corrected QT (QTc) interval =< 480 ms
Able to take oral medications
Patient is deemed by the investigator to have the initiative and means to be compliant with the protocol (treatment and follow-up)
Negative serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test (female patient of childbearing potential only) performed locally within 72 hrs prior to first dose
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 1

Exclusion Criteria:

History or current evidence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) or current risk factors for RVO (e.g. uncontrolled glaucoma or ocular hypertension, history of hyperviscosity or hypercoagulability syndromes)
Patients who have had chemotherapy, biologic, targeted, or radiotherapy within 4 weeks prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from grade 2 and above adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier (with the exception of alopecia or neuropathy)
History of retinal degenerative disease
History of Gilbert's syndrome

Previous or concurrent malignancy with the following exceptions:

Adequately treated skin basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma (adequate wound healing is required prior to study entry)
In situ carcinoma of the cervix, treated curatively and without evidence of recurrence
A primary malignancy which has been completely resected and in complete remission for >= 1 years
Prior therapy with a MEK- inhibitor
History of acute coronary syndromes (including myocardial infarction, unstable angina, coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], coronary angioplasty, or stenting) < 6 months prior to screening
Impaired cardiovascular function or clinically significant cardiovascular diseases, including any of the following: symptomatic chronic heart failure; evidence of clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias and/or conduction abnormalities < 6 months prior to screening except atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Uncontrolled arterial hypertension despite appropriate medical therapy (defined as systolic blood pressure > 160 or diastolic blood pressure > 100)
Known positive serology for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), active hepatitis B, and/or active hepatitis C infection
Patients who have neuromuscular disorders that are associated with elevated creatine kinase (CK) (e.g., inflammatory myopathies, muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy)
Patients who are planning on embarking on a new strenuous exercise regimen after first dose of study treatment; NB: muscular activities, such as strenuous exercise, that can result in significant increases in plasma CK levels should be avoided while on MEK162 treatment
Impairment of gastrointestinal function or gastrointestinal disease (e.g., active ulcerative disease, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, small bowel resection)
Any other condition that would, in the investigator's judgment, contraindicate the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns or compliance with clinical study procedures, e.g., infection/inflammation, intestinal obstruction, unable to swallow medication, social/ psychological issues, etc.
Patients who have undergone major surgery =< 3 weeks prior to starting study drug or who have not recovered from side effects of such procedure
Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women confirmed by a positive hCG laboratory test
Women of child-bearing potential unless they are using highly effective methods of contraception throughout the study and for 60 days after study drug discontinuation
Sexually active males unless they use a condom during intercourse while taking the drug and for 60 days after stopping treatment and should not father a child in this period; a condom is required to be used also by vasectomized men
Medical, psychiatric, cognitive or other conditions that may compromise the patient's ability to understand the patient information, give informed consent, comply with the study protocol or complete the study
Current grade 3 or higher neuropathy
Use of other investigational drugs
Known hypersensitivity to any components of the study drugs
Prior intolerance to fluorouracil (5-FU) or oxaliplatin, excluding severe neuropathy that reversed to grade 2 or less