Summary
Richter Syndrome, an aggressive lymphoma occurring in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), has a generally poor prognosis and anthracycline‐based chemoimmunotherapy regimens ...designed to treat de novo diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma achieve modest clinical benefit. R‐EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin) has demonstrated greater activity against aggressive B‐cell histologies but has not been studied in Richter Syndrome. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 46 Richter Syndrome patients treated with first‐line R‐EPOCH at our institution between 1 January 2006 and 31 May 2014. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 3·5 months 95% confidence interval (CI): 2·0–7·6 and median overall survival (OS) was 5·9 months (95% CI: 3·2–10·3). Toxicity was high and 30% of patients died without progression or response. Patients with a complex CLL karyotype had significantly shorter PFS and OS (P = 0·005 and P = 0·002, respectively). Multivariable analysis identified complex CLL karyotype as the most significant predictor of decreased survival Hazard ratio (HR) 2·72, 95% CI: 1·14–6·52, P = 0·025, adjusting for number of prior CLL treatments (P = 0·036). Richter Syndrome patients with complex CLL karyotype experience poor survival with R‐EPOCH treatment and novel approaches are needed for these patients. In contrast, survival of patients without a complex CLL karyotype was similar to patients with de novo diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma.
Acalabrutinib, a selective Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, was granted accelerated approval by the FDA on 31 October 2017 for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who ...have received at least one prior therapy. Areas covered: This narrative review provides an overview of acalabrutinib, its use in clinical practice and potential future developments. Expert commentary: BTK inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. To prepare patients for therapy, all preexisting infections should be diagnosed and treated, and infection prophylaxis undertaken. Serious adverse reactions are rare with acalabrutinib; however, patients should be made aware of common adverse events such as headaches, which usually resolve within one month without medical treatment. Interaction with other drugs appears to be less of an issue with acalabrutinib than with ibrutinib; however, patients receiving acalabrutinib therapy must be advised not to take any additional medications without first consulting with their treating physician. A key unmet medical need is treatment options for patients in whom BTK inhibitors are discontinued, because of either intolerance or refractory disease. Patients not tolerating ibrutinib could be switched to acalabrutinib, which has improved selectivity and increased tolerability. First-line treatment with acalabrutinib is being investigated.
Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma arising from thymic B-cells having clinicopathologic features distinct from systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ...(DLBCL). PMBCL comprises 2% to 4% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), 7% of DLBCL and seen predominantly in young females with a median age of 35 years at diagnosis. The annual incidence of PMBCL is 0.4 per million with a 5-year survival rate exceeding 70% with improving supportive care and genetic characterization of the disease. Pathogenesis involves dysregulation of Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) pathways and amplification of the 9p24.1 region of chromosome 9. PMBCL patients have a prolonged life expectancy necessitating the need for treatment approaches that are based on maximizing cure with minimal long-term toxicity. Due to rarity and its recognition as a distinct entity, therapeutic decisions are guided by clinical presentation, clinician and center experience, and analysis of patients with PMBCL within DLBCL registries. Historically R-CHOP has been the usual first line treatment for PMBCL followed by involved site radiotherapy (ISRT), however clinical practice varies across centers with emerging consensus to avoid upfront RT by utilizing dose intense regimens (DA-EPOCH-R) in younger and fit patients. Prognosis of relapsed refractory PMBCL not responding to salvage chemotherapy is dismal, however there are many emerging options including Brentuximab Vedotin, immune check point inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. In this article, we focus on the pathogenesis, current and evolving treatments, and provide recommendations for optimal management of patients with PMBCL.
This phase I expansion-cohort study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of the pan-PI3K inhibitor pilaralisib (SAR245408/XL147) in patients with chronic ...lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or relapsed or refractory lymphoma.
Patients were treated with the maximum tolerated dose of pilaralisib previously determined in patients with solid tumors (600 mg capsules once daily). Adverse events (AE) and response were evaluated. Plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects on cytokines and chemokines were also assessed.
Twenty-five patients were included in the study: 10 with CLL and 15 with lymphoma. The most frequent AEs of any grade were diarrhea (92.0%), pyrexia (52.0%), and fatigue (44.0%). The most frequent grade ≥3 AEs were neutropenia (32.0%), diarrhea (20.0%), and anemia (16.0%). Pilaralisib exposure on cycle 1 day 28 was similar to exposure in patients with solid tumors. In patients with CLL, pilaralisib significantly reduced plasma levels of several cytokines and chemokines involved in B-cell trafficking. Five patients (50.0%) with CLL and 3 patients (20.0%) with lymphoma had a partial response. Six patients (60.0%) with CLL had nodal shrinkage ≥50%. Overall, 14 patients (56.0%; 7 patients with CLL and 7 patients with lymphoma) had progression-free survival ≥6 months.
Pilaralisib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile in patients with CLL and lymphoma, generally consistent with findings in patients with solid tumors. Single-agent pilaralisib showed preliminary clinical activity in patients with CLL and lymphoma, supporting further development.
Entospletinib (GS-9973), an oral, selective inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), was evaluated as monotherapy in this multicenter, phase 2 study (NCT01799889) of 49 patients with relapsed or ...refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including those with Richter's transformation (RT), who had received prior therapy with a B-cell receptor (BCR) inhibitor. Patients were treated with entospletinib 400 mg BID as the starting dose. Sixteen patients achieved partial response and 21 had stable disease. The overall response rate was 32.7% (95% confidence interval CI: 21.7-45.3%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 (95% CI: 3.7-8.3) months. Twenty-one (of 43) patients (48.8%) experienced nodal response. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in all patients; most commonly fatigue, diarrhea, and anemia. Entospletinib monotherapy has clinical activity for patients with CLL and RT who have relapsed following therapy with BCR inhibitors.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported in up to 16% of patients taking ibrutinib. Data regarding the management of AF in this patient population are limited, and stroke prevention poses a ...challenge because of increased risk of bleeding with ibrutinib treatment. Our study sought to describe the incidence of AF in adult patients treated with ibrutinib for a hematologic malignancy, assess management strategies, evaluate stroke and bleeding outcomes, and identify risk factors for occurrence. Of 582 patients treated with ibrutinib, 76 developed AF. With a median follow-up of 32 months, the estimated cumulative incidence at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years was 5.9% (95% confidence interval CI: 4.2-8.0), 7.5% (95% CI: 5.5-9.9), and 10.3% (95% CI: 8.0-13.0), respectively. Median time to onset of AF was 7.6 months. History of AF and Framingham Heart Study (FHS) AF risk score were found to be significant risk factors for development of AF. Most patients were treated with rate control–only strategies (61.8%), and concomitant aspirin or anticoagulant therapy with ibrutinib was used in 52.6% and 28.9% of patients, respectively. One patient on aspirin developed symptoms consistent with stroke. Nine major bleeds were noted in 7 patients, and 34 clinically relevant nonmajor bleeds were noted in 24 patients. Twenty-one bleeds (4 major bleeds) occurred in 18 patients on aspirin, and 10 bleeds (all clinically relevant nonmajor bleeds) occurred in 6 patients with anticoagulant therapy. These results provide risk factor assessment, impact of management strategies, and outcomes of patients with AF on ibrutinib and serve as basis for formal guidelines.
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•Ibrutinib increases the incidence of AF in patients with hematologic malignancies treated on or off a clinical trial.•Patients with a history of AF and those with a high FHS-AF risk score are at highest risk for developing AF while on ibrutinib.
Natural killer (NK)-cell count is predictive of chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) disease progression and their dysfunction is well documented, but the etiology of this is currently lacking. CLL cells ...have been shown to over-express HLA-E, the natural ligand for NKG2A expressed on NK-cells that generates a distinct negative signal relative to direct NK-cell cytotoxicity in other disease models. Utilizing a novel anti-NKG2A monoclonal blocking antibody (mAb), monalizumab, we explored the in vitro preclinical activity of targeting the NKG2A receptor, and the NKG2A/HLA-E interaction as a mechanism of tumor evasion in CLL patients. Our work confirmed overexpression of HLA-E on CLL B-cells and demonstrated NKG2A expression on CD56+/16+ NK-cells from CLL patients. We also demonstrate that blocking NKG2A on CLL NK-cells was sufficient to restore direct cytotoxicity ability of NK-cells against HLA-E-expressing targets without impacting NK-cell mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Additionally, we proved the specificity of monalizumab in blocking NKG2A through Fc-blocking mechanisms. This paper provides justification for the potential clinical utility of monalizumab in the treatment of patients with CLL.
This phase Ib, dose‐escalation study investigated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended phase II dose (RP2D), safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and preliminary efficacy of the pan‐class I ...phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor voxtalisib 30 or 50 mg twice daily (BID), in combination with rituximab (voxtalisib+rituximab) or rituximab plus bendamustine (voxtalisib+rituximab+bendamustine), in relapsed or refractory indolent B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). MTD and RP2D of voxtalisib were determined using a 3 + 3 dose‐escalation design. Adverse events (AEs), plasma PK and disease response were recorded. Thirty‐seven patients were enrolled. The RP2D of voxtalisib in combination with rituximab or rituximab+bendamustine was 50 mg BID. Four patients experienced a total of five dose‐limiting toxicities. The most frequent AEs were nausea (45·9%), fatigue (37·8%) headache (32·4%) and pyrexia (32·4%). The most frequent grade ≥3 AEs were neutropenia (27·0%), thrombocytopenia (24·3%), anaemia (16·2%) and febrile neutropenia (10·8%). Voxtalisib PK parameters were not affected by co‐administration with rituximab or rituximab+bendamustine. Of 35 efficacy‐evaluable patients, four (11·4%) achieved complete response and 13 (37·1%) achieved partial response. Voxtalisib, in combination with rituximab or rituximab+bendamustine, demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and encouraging anti‐tumour activity in relapsed or refractory B‐cell malignancies.
Otlertuzumab is a novel humanized anti-CD37 protein therapeutic. This study evaluated the safety of otlertuzumab administered intravenously to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). ...Otlertuzumab was administered weekly for up to 8 weeks followed by 1 dose per month for 4 months ranging from 0.03 to 20 mg/kg in the dose-escalation phase and 10 to 30 mg/kg in the dose-expansion phase. Responses were determined by using the 1996 National Cancer Institute (NCI-96) and 2008 International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (IWCLL) criteria. Fifty-seven patients were treated in the dose-escalation phase and 26 in the dose-expansion phase. A maximum-tolerated dose was not identified. Response occurred in 19 (23%) of 83 treated patients by NCI-96 criteria. All responses were partial and occurred more commonly in patients with symptomatic untreated CLL (6/7) or 1 to 2 prior therapies (12/28) vs 3 or more therapies (1/48). Twenty percent (12/61) with serial computed tomography scan assessment had a response per IWCLL criteria. The most frequent adverse events were infusion reactions, fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea and were not dose related. Otlertuzumab was well tolerated, and modest clinical activity was observed. Otlertuzumab warrants further evaluation in combination with other agents for the treatment of CLL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00614042.
•Otlertuzumab (formerly TRU-016) has modest single-agent activity in symptomatic treated and untreated CLL.•Otlertuzumab demonstrates an acceptable safety profile, providing rationale for combination with other effective CLL therapies.
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