•Axicabtagene ciloleucel induced long-term survival with no new safety signals in patients with refractory LBCL.•Durable responses were associated with expansion of chimeric antigen receptor T cells ...early after intravenous infusion.
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In phase 2 of ZUMA-1, a single-arm, multicenter, registrational trial, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy demonstrated durable responses at 2 years in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Here, we assessed outcomes in ZUMA-1 after 5 years of follow-up. Eligible adults received lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by axi-cel (2 × 106 cells per kg). Investigator-assessed response, survival, safety, and pharmacokinetics were assessed in patients who had received treatment. The objective response rate in these 101 patients was 83% (58% complete response rate); with a median follow-up of 63.1 months, responses were ongoing in 31% of patients at data cutoff. Median overall survival (OS) was 25.8 months, and the estimated 5-year OS rate was 42.6%. Disease-specific survival (excluding deaths unrelated to disease progression) estimated at 5 years was 51.0%. No new serious adverse events or deaths related to axi-cel were observed after additional follow-up. Peripheral blood B cells were detectable in all evaluable patients at 3 years with polyclonal B-cell recovery in 91% of patients. Ongoing responses at 60 months were associated with early CAR T-cell expansion. In conclusion, this 5-year follow-up analysis of ZUMA-1 demonstrates sustained overall and disease-specific survival, with no new safety signals in patients with refractory LBCL. Protracted B-cell aplasia was not required for durable responses. These findings support the curative potential of axi-cel in a subset of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, as #NCT02348216.
Neelapu et al report on a 5-year follow-up of the ZUMA-1 trial of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and confirm sustained response in those achieving complete response. At 5 years, 31% of treated patients had sustained responses, with an overall 5-year survival of 42.6%, increasing the probability that axi-cel has curative potential for a subset of patients with refractory aggressive LBCL.
Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR‐T) are genetically modified T cells with a chimeric antigen receptor directed against a specific tumor‐associated antigen like CD19 in lymphoma. CAR‐T cells ...have shown encouraging activity against recurrent and refractory diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL). However concurrent use of immunosuppressive agents was prohibited in most CAR‐T trials effectively excluding patients with prior solid organ transplantation (SOT) and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). We report the outcomes for three patients with PTLD refractory to immunochemotherapy 10‐20 years after SOT who received CAR‐T therapy between January 2018 and December 2019. One patient had an orthotopic heart transplant, the second had a deceased donor kidney transplant, and the third had a pancreas after kidney transplant (PAK). All patients developed complications of CAR‐T therapy such as cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell‐associated neurotoxicity syndrome, and acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy in the two out of three patients. All patients expired after withdrawal of care due to lack of response to CAR‐T therapy. In addition, the PAK patient developed acute pancreatitis after CAR‐T therapy. This case series identifies the challenges of using CAR‐T therapy to manage refractory PTLD in SOT recipients and its possible complications.
The authors describe the challenges of using chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy to manage refractory posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease in solid organ transplant recipients.
Universal expression of CD20 by malignant cells in nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) led us to evaluate rituximab (R) as a therapeutic option.
Patients with previously treated ...or newly diagnosed NLPHL were treated with R (375 mg/m(2) once per week for 4 weeks) or, after a protocol amendment, with R plus R maintenance (MR; administered once every 6 months for 2 years). Primary and secondary outcome measures were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR), respectively.
A total of 39 patients were enrolled (R, n = 23; R + MR, n = 16). After four once-per-week treatments, ORR was 100% (complete response, 67%; partial response, 33%). At median follow-ups of 9.8 years for R and 5 years for R + MR, median PFS were 3 and 5.6 years (P = .26), respectively; median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Estimated 5-year PFS and OS for patients treated with R versus R + MR were 39.1% (95% CI, 23.5 to 65.1) and 95.7% (95% CI, 87.7 to 100) versus 58.9% (95% CI, 38.0 to 91.2) and 85.7% (95% CI, 69.2 to 100), respectively. Nine of 23 patients experiencing relapse had evidence of transformation to aggressive B-cell lymphoma; six of these patients had infradiaphragmatic involvement at study entry.
R is an active agent in NLPHL. Although responses are not durable in most patients, a significant minority experience remissions lasting > 5 years. R + MR results in a nonsignificant increase in PFS compared with R. R may be considered in the relapsed setting for NLPHL. The potential for transformation of NLPHL to aggressive B-cell lymphoma underscores the importance of rebiopsy and long-term follow-up.
Several non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), variably express CD30. This phase 2, open-label study evaluated the efficacy of brentuximab vedotin, an ...anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate, in relapsed/refractory CD30+ NHL. This planned subset analysis of B-cell NHLs includes 49 patients with DLBCL and 19 with other B-cell NHLs. Objective response rate was 44% for DLBCL, including 8 (17%) complete remissions (CRs) with a median duration of 16.6 months thus far (range, 2.7 to 22.7+ months). There was no statistical correlation between response and level of CD30 expression; however, all responding patients had quantifiable CD30 by computer-assisted assessment of immunohistochemistry. DLBCL patients were generally refractory to first-line (76%) and most recent therapies (82%), and 44% of these refractory patients responded (15% CRs). Patients with other B-cell lymphomas also responded: 1 CR, 2 partial responses (PRs) of 6 with gray zone, 1 CR of 6 with primary mediastinal B-cell, and 1 CR of 3 with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Adverse events were consistent with known toxicities. The combination of brentuximab vedotin with rituximab was generally well tolerated and had activity similar to brentuximab vedotin alone. Overall, significant activity with brentuximab vedotin was observed in relapsed/refractory DLBCL, and responses occurred across a range of CD30 expression. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01421667.
•Brentuximab vedotin was active in DLBCL across a range of CD30 expression levels, and objective responses occurred in 44% of patients.
This phase 2, open-label, multicenter study evaluated the efficacy and safety of brentuximab vedotin, a CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate, in relapsed/refractory CD30+ non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The ...primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). Key secondary end points included safety, correlation of CD30 expression with response, response duration, and progression-free survival (PFS). Brentuximab vedotin 1.8 mg/kg was administered every 3 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. This planned subset analysis included patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs; n = 35), specifically angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL; n = 13) and PTCL not otherwise specified (n = 22). Median age was 64 years; 63% were refractory to most recent therapy. Of 34 evaluable patients, ORR was 41% (8 complete remissions CRs, 6 partial remissions PRs), and ORR was 54% in AITL (5 CRs, 2 PRs) with median PFS of 6.7 months thus far. No correlation between CD30 expression per central review and response was observed. Safety data were consistent with the known profile of brentuximab vedotin, and included at least grade 3 events of neutropenia (14%), peripheral sensory neuropathy, and hyperkalemia (9% each). In summary, brentuximab vedotin showed antitumor activity in patients with relapsed PTCL particularly AITL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01421667.
•Objective responses observed with brentuximab vedotin in 41% of patients with relapsed T-cell lymphomas, including 54% of AITL patients.•Objective responses observed across a wide range of CD30 expression, including undetectable CD30 expression per central review.
Summary
ZUMA‐1 (NCT02348216) examined the safety and efficacy of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi‐cel), an autologous CD19‐directed chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐T cell therapy, in refractory large ...B‐cell lymphoma. To reduce treatment‐related toxicity, several exploratory safety management cohorts were added to ZUMA‐1. Specifically, cohort 6 investigated management of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) with prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroid and tocilizumab intervention. CRS and NE incidence and severity were primary end‐points. Following leukapheresis, patients could receive optional bridging therapy per investigator discretion. All patients received conditioning chemotherapy (days −5 through −3), 2 × 106 CAR‐T cells/kg (day 0) and once‐daily oral dexamethasone 10 mg, day 0 (before axi‐cel) through day 2. Forty patients received axi‐cel. CRS occurred in 80% of patients (all grade ≤2). Any grade and grade 3 or higher NEs occurred in 58% and 13% of patients respectively. Sixty‐eight per cent of patients did not experience CRS or NEs within 72 h of axi‐cel. With a median follow‐up of 8·9 months, objective and complete response rates were 95% and 80% respectively. Overall, prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroid and/or tocilizumab intervention resulted in no grade 3 or higher CRS, a low rate of grade 3 or higher NEs and high response rates in this study population.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and can be detected by in situ hybridization (ISH) of viral nucleic acid (EBER) in tumor cells. We sought to determine whether plasma ...EBV-DNA could serve as a surrogate for EBER-ISH and to explore its prognostic utility in HL. Specimens from the Cancer Cooperative Intergroup Trial E2496 were used to compare pretreatment plasma EBV-DNA quantification with EBV tumor status by EBER-ISH. A cutoff of >60 viral copies/100 µL plasma yielded 96% concordance with EBER-ISH. Pretreatment and month 6 plasma specimens were designated EBV(-) or EBV(+) by this cutoff. Patients with pretreatment EBV(+) plasma (n = 54) had inferior failure-free survival (FFS) compared with those with pretreatment EBV(-) plasma (n = 274), log-rank P = .009. By contrast, no difference in FFS was observed when patients were stratified by EBER-ISH. Pretreatment plasma EBV positivity was an independent predictor of treatment failure on multivariate analyses. At month 6, plasma EBV(+) patients (n = 7) had inferior FFS compared with plasma EBV(-) patients (n = 125), log-rank P = .007. These results confirm that plasma EBV-DNA is highly concordant with EBER-ISH in HL and suggest that it may have prognostic utility both at baseline and after therapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00003389.
•Plasma EBV-DNA is highly concordant with EBV tumor status in Hodgkin lymphoma.•Plasma EBV-DNA has prognostic significance in Hodgkin lymphoma, both before therapy and at month 6 of follow-up.
Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma curable with dose-intensive chemotherapy derived from pediatric leukemia regimens. Treatment is acutely toxic with late sequelae. We hypothesized ...that dose-adjusted etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) may obviate the need for highly dose-intensive chemotherapy in adults with Burkitt lymphoma.
We conducted a multicenter risk-adapted study of DA-EPOCH-R in untreated adult Burkitt lymphoma. Low-risk patients received three cycles without CNS prophylaxis, and high-risk patients received six cycles with intrathecal CNS prophylaxis or extended intrathecal treatment if leptomeninges were involved. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS), and secondary endpoints were toxicity and predictors of EFS and overall survival (OS).
Between 2010 and 2017, 113 patients were enrolled across 22 centers, and 98 (87%) were high risk. The median age was 49 (range, 18-86) years, and 62% were ≥ 40 years. Bone marrow and/or CSF was involved in 29 (26%) of patients, and 28 (25%) were HIV positive. At a median follow-up of 58.7 months, EFS and OS were 84.5% and 87.0%, respectively, and EFS was 100% and 82.1% in low- and high-risk patients. Therapy was equally effective across age groups, HIV status, and International Prognostic Index risk groups. Involvement of the CSF identified the group at greatest risk for early toxicity-related death or treatment failure. Five treatment-related deaths (4%) occurred during therapy. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 16% of cycles, and tumor lysis syndrome was rare.
Risk-adapted DA-EPOCH-R therapy is effective in adult Burkitt lymphoma regardless of age or HIV status and was well tolerated. Improved therapeutic strategies for adults with CSF involvement are needed (funded by the National Cancer Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01092182).
Summary
SGN‐30, a chimeric anti‐CD30 monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated potent preclinical antitumour activity in both Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). We conducted ...an open‐label, Phase II study to determine the safety and objective response rate of SGN‐30 in 79 patients with refractory/recurrent HL (n = 38) or systemic ALCL (n = 41). Each course of SGN‐30 comprised 6 weekly intravenous infusions, followed by a 2‐week treatment‐free period. Patients had received a median of 3 (range 1–5) prior regimens of chemotherapy or systemic therapy. The initial 40 patients received 6 mg/kg weekly; the latter 39 patients received 12 mg/kg weekly. In the ALCL group, two patients achieved a complete response and five additional patients achieved a partial response, with response durations ranging from 27 to 1460+ d. No objective responses were observed in the HL group; however, 11 patients (29%) had stable disease (duration 62–242 days). Although adverse events were common, most were mild or moderate, and no specific pattern of adverse events was observed in either disease group. These results demonstrate that weekly administration of SGN‐30 is safe, with modest clinical activity in patients with ALCL.
The safety and efficacy of brentuximab vedotin (BV), an antibody-drug conjugate directed to the CD30 antigen, has been assessed in several trials in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), ...cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), or B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The objective of this research was to examine the relationship between CD30 expression level and clinical response to BV.
We analyzed response in patients treated with BV monotherapy in 5 prospective clinical studies in relapsed or refractory PTCL, CTCL, or B-cell NHL. CD30 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the Ber H2 antibody for 275 patients.
Across all 5 studies, 140 (50.9%) patients had tumors with CD30 expression <10%, including 60 (21.8%) with undetectable CD30 by IHC. No significant differences were observed for any study in overall response rates between patients with CD30 expression ≥10% or <10%. Median duration of response was also similar in the CD30 ≥10% and <10% groups for all studies.
In this analysis of studies across a range of CD30-expressing lymphomas, CD30 expression alone, as measured by standard IHC, does not predict clinical benefit from BV, making the determination of a threshold level of expression uncertain.
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