MPMaria Passhak

Maria Passhak

*This is an algorithmically generated author record based on publicly available information.

Current Organizations / Institutes

The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article


Maria Passhak has a total of 36 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:


Latest Publications

  • Open Access

    From Rapid Progression to Long-Lasting Complete Response: A Wide Range of Ripretinib Activity for Metastatic GIST—A Real-World Cohort

    by Hanna T. Frumin Edri, Walid Shalata, Ilia Berezhnov, Tanzila Tairov, Tatiana Bobrovitsky, Dan Mirelman, Esther Tahover, Ofer Purim, Yuval Dadon, Katerina Shulman, et al.

    Background: Ripretinib, a switch-control kinase inhibitor approved for advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), inhibits primary and secondary KIT and PDGFRA mutations. Real-world data from Western and Middle Eastern populations remain limited. We report outcomes from a molecularly characterized Israeli multicenter cohort. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study across seven university-affiliated medical centers in Israel. Patients with advanced GIST receiving Ripretinib at any treatment line were eligible. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and response was assessed according to modified RECIST v1.1. Results: Sixteen patients were identified (median age, 67.5 years; 75.0% received Ripretinib in the fourth-line setting). KIT exon 11 mutations were present in 62.5% of patients, including five with secondary resistance mutations involving exon 13 or exons 17/18. Median PFS was 7.0 months (95% CI, 2.0–13.0) and median OS was 14.7 months (95% CI, 4.4–NR). Individual outcomes varied substantially, with PFS ranging from 2.0 to 60.2 months and OS from 2.2 to 60.2 months. Three patients achieved complete responses, with PFS of 20.0, 33.6, and 60.2 months. ORR was 56.3% (CR, n = 3; PR, n = 6) and DCR was 81.3%. No dose reductions or treatment discontinuations due to adverse events were documented; however, adverse events were recorded in only 4 of 16 patients. Conclusions: Ripretinib demonstrated clinical activity in this small, heavily pre-treated cohort. The relatively high ORR and wide variability in outcomes should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size, retrospective design, and absence of central radiological review. Durable responses were observed in some patients with KIT exon 11 and secondary exon 17/18 mutations, but this exploratory observation does not establish a predictive molecular subgroup. Larger prospective studies with systematic molecular, radiological, and safety assessment are warranted.

  • Open Access

    Supplementary Figure S1 from A Phase II Trial of an Extended-Release siRNA Implant Targeting KRASG12D/V in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

    by Brinda Alagesan, Anna M. Varghese, Celina Ang, Martin Gutierrez, Moshe Kamar, Maria Passhak, Ravit Geva, Nirit Yarom, Maor Lahav, Rosario Ligresti, et al.

    Supplementary Figure S1 from A Phase II Trial of an Extended-Release siRNA Implant Targeting KRASG12D/V in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

  • Open Access

    Supplementary Table S1 from A Phase II Trial of an Extended-Release siRNA Implant Targeting KRASG12D/V in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

    by Brinda Alagesan, Anna M. Varghese, Celina Ang, Martin Gutierrez, Moshe Kamar, Maria Passhak, Ravit Geva, Nirit Yarom, Maor Lahav, Rosario Ligresti, et al.

    Study Representativeness Table

  • Top Cited Papers

    A Phase II Trial of an Extended-Release siRNA Implant Targeting KRAS G12D/V in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

    by Brinda Alagesan, Anna M. Varghese, Celina Ang, Martin Gutierrez, Moshe Kamar, Maria Passhak, Ravit Geva, Nirit Yarom, Maor Lahav, Rosario Ligresti, et al.

    Purpose: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) accounts for 30% of pancreatic cancers. We assessed the efficacy and safety of a novel extended-release siRNA targeting KRASG12D/V mutations (siG12D-LODER) combined with chemotherapy in LAPC. Patients and Methods: This two-cohort, phase II multicenter, open-label study (NCT01676259) evaluated siG12D-LODER with chemotherapy in patients with LAPC, regardless of KRAS status. In cohort 1, patients were randomized to siG12D-LODER plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (arm 1) or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone (arm 2). In cohort 2, patients with LAPC or borderline resectable disease received siG12D-LODER plus standard chemotherapy (modified FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel) in a single-arm, nonrandomized design. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) for cohort 1 and objective response rate (ORR) for cohort 2. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, duration of response, OS (cohort 2), and ORR (cohort 1). Results: Across two cohorts, 59 patients were enrolled. In cohort 1, the median OS in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population unselected for KRAS status was 22.7 months for siG12D-LODER + gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus 21.9 months for chemotherapy alone (P > 0.05). Among patients with KRASG12D/V mutations, OS was 22.7 versus 13.5 months [HR, 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18–1.96; P = 0.39]. In cohort 2, ORR was 31.6% (95% CI, 0.13–0.57) in the mITT (unselected for KRAS); in the G12D/V subgroup, ORR was 57.1%, similar to 63.6% in cohort 1. Treatment-emergent adverse events were mainly procedure related, including grade 1/2 gastrointestinal events and higher infection rates in the intervention arm. Conclusions: siG12D-LODER plus chemotherapy is safe, tolerable, and warrants further investigation in KRASG12D/V-mutant LAPC.