Second-Line Tisagenlecleucel or Standard Care in Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma

New England Journal of Medicine · 2021 · 509 citations

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Mathematics

BACKGROUND: Patient outcomes are poor for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas not responding to or progressing within 12 months after first-line therapy. Tisagenlecleucel is an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy approved for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after at least two treatment lines. METHODS: We conducted an international phase 3 trial involving patients with aggressive lymphoma that was refractory to or progressing within 12 months after first-line therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive tisagenlecleucel with optional bridging therapy (tisagenlecleucel group) or salvage chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) (standard-care group). The primary end point was event-free survival, defined as the time from randomization to stable or progressive disease at or after the week 12 assessment or death. Crossover to receive tisagenlecleucel was allowed if a defined event occurred at or after the week 12 assessment. Other end points included response and safety. RESULTS: A total of 322 patients underwent randomization. At baseline, the percentage of patients with high-grade lymphomas was higher in the tisagenlecleucel group than in the standard-care group (24.1% vs. 16.9%), as was the percentage with an International Prognostic Index score (range, 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating a worse prognosis) of 2 or higher (65.4% vs. 57.5%). A total of 95.7% of the patients in the tisagenlecleucel group received tisagenlecleucel; 32.5% of the patients in the standard-care group received autologous HSCT. The median time from leukapheresis to tisagenlecleucel infusion was 52 days. A total of 25.9% of the patients in the tisagenlecleucel group had lymphoma progression at week 6, as compared with 13.8% of those in the standard-care group. The median event-free survival in both groups was 3.0 months (hazard ratio for event or death in the tisagenlecleucel group, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.40; P = 0.61). A response occurred in 46.3% of the patients in the tisagenlecleucel group and in 42.5% in the standard-care group. Ten patients in the tisagenlecleucel group and 13 in the standard-care group died from adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Tisagenlecleucel was not superior to standard salvage therapy in this trial. Additional studies are needed to assess which patients may obtain the most benefit from each approach. (Funded by Novartis; BELINDA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03570892.).

Safety and Preliminary Efficacy in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma Receiving Lisocabtagene Maraleucel in Transcend NHL 001

Blood · 2020 · 65 citations

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Oncology

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Most patients with MCL relapse after first-line immunochemotherapy, with poor responses to salvage therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) NHL. We report the results of the dose-finding and dose-expansion parts of the ongoing phase 1 TRANSCEND NHL 001 study (NCT02631044) in patients with R/R MCL (MCL cohort) who received lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), an investigational, CD19-directed, defined composition, 4-1BB CAR T cell product administered at equal target doses of CD8+ and CD4+ CAR+ T cells. Methods: Eligible patients had confirmed MCL (cyclin D1 expression, t[11;14]) with R/R disease after ≥1 prior line of therapy. After lymphodepleting chemotherapy, patients received liso-cel infusion at 1 of 2 dose levels (DLs): DL1 (50 × 106 CAR+ T cells) or DL2 (100 × 106 CAR+ T cells). Bridging therapy was allowed between leukapheresis and initiation of lymphodepleting chemotherapy. Primary endpoints were safety and objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included complete response (CR) rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and pharmacokinetics (PK). Results: At data cutoff, 41 patients had undergone leukapheresis and 32 had received liso-cel (DL1, n = 6; DL2, n = 26). Among the 32 patients who received liso-cel, the median (range) age was 67 (36‒80) years and 27 patients (84%) were male. Twelve patients (37.5%) had blastoid morphology, 23 (72%) had documented Ki67 ≥30%, 7 (22%) had a TP53 mutation, and 11 (34%) had a complex karyotype. Patients had a median (range) sum of the product of perpendicular diameters before lymphodepleting chemotherapy of 28.7 (0-209.6) cm2 and median lactate dehydrogenase of 251.5 (117-811) U/L. Patients had received a median (range) of 3 (1-7) prior systemic therapies, and most (72%) were refractory to their last prior therapy. Of 28 patients (87.5%) who had received a prior Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, 11 (34%) were refractory to the therapy. Seventeen patients (53%) received bridging therapy. Eighteen patients (56%) had serious treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and 27 (84%) had grade ≥3 TEAEs, primarily neutropenia (41%), anemia (34%), and thrombocytopenia (31%). Grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia was more frequent at DL2 (n = 9/26 [35%]) than at DL1 (n = 1/6 [17%]). Prolonged grade ≥3 cytopenias (present at study Day 29) occurred in 11 patients (34%). Sixteen patients (50%; DL1, n = 2/6 [33%]; DL2, n = 14/26 [54%]) had cytokine release syndrome (CRS), including 1 grade 4 event at DL2. There were no grade 3 or 5 CRS events. Median (range) time to CRS onset and resolution was 6 (2‒10) days and 4 (2‒9) days, respectively. Nine patients (28%) had neurological events (NEs), all at DL2, including 3 grade 3 NEs. No grade 4 or 5 NEs were reported. Median (range) time to NE onset and resolution was 8 (2‒25) days and 3 (1‒51) days, respectively. Ten patients (31%) received tocilizumab and/or corticosteroids for treatment of CRS and/or NEs. Grade 5 TEAEs occurred in 2 patients (at DL2): one patient with high tumor burden had tumor lysis syndrome and 1 patient had cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. DL2 was selected for dose expansion. Of 32 patients, 27 responded to liso-cel (ORR, 84%: DL1, n = 4/6 [67%]; DL2, n = 23/26 [88%]), and 19 (59%) achieved a CR (DL1, n = 2/6 [33%]; DL2, n = 17/26 [65%]). Among the 12 patients with blastoid morphology, 9 patients had a response (ORR, 75%), including 7 (58%) who achieved a CR. Overall, the median (range) time to first CR was 1 (1-6) month. At data cutoff, 20 (74%) of 27 responders were censored with an ongoing response or had completed the study. Median (range) follow-up duration was 10.9 (1.2-24.8) months for DL1 and 3.1 (0.4-23.0) months for DL2. Preliminary PK analysis indicated that median maximum expansion was higher among patients at DL2 than at DL1. Conclusions: In this phase 1 study of patients with R/R MCL, treatment with liso-cel was associated with a low incidence of grade ≥3 CRS and NEs, late onset of CRS/NEs, and promising clinical activity. Dose confirmation is ongoing at DL2 in the MCL cohort. Disclosures Palomba: Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Juno: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Regeneron: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding. Gordon:Zylem Biosciences: Patents & Royalties: Patents, No Royalties. Siddiqi:Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BeiGene: Other: DMC member; Juno Therapeutics, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Kite Pharma, and BeiGene: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Seattle Genetics, Janssen, and AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Juno Therapeutics, KITE Pharma, AstraZeneca, TG Therapeutics, Celgene, Oncternal, and BeiGene: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses; Astrazenca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PCYC: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Abramson:Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Juno Therapeutics: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; AbbVie: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; EMD Serono: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Genentech/Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Janssen: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Karyopharm: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Gilead: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Verastem: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bayer: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Merck: Other; KIte Pharma: Other; Novartis: Other; Amgen: Other; Seattle Genetics: Other; Allogene: Other; Morphosys: Other; C4 Therapeutics: Other; BeiGene: Other; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria. Kamdar:Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Lunning:Acrotech: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Legend: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Aeratech: Consultancy, Honoraria. Maloney:Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; A2 Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: Patents are pending, but not issued, licensed, no royalties, no licensees., Research Funding; Bioline Rx: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Andreadis:Genentech: Other: Spouse Employee (salary and stock); Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene/Juno: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Gilead/Kite: Other: Advisor; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisor; Astellas: Other: Advisor; Seattle Genetics: Other: Advisor; Karyopharm: Other: Advisor; Incyte: Other. Arnason:Regeneron: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy. Ghosh:Forty Seven Inc: Consultancy, Other: Research Bureau, Research Funding; Genmab: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Juno/Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Roche/Genentech: Research Funding; SGN: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Mehta:Innate Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Kite/Gilead: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Gelgene/BMS: Research Funding; Oncotartis: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Juno Parmaceuticals/BMS: Research Funding; fortyseven Inc/Gilead: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Roche-Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Affimed: Research Funding. Farazi:Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Garcia:Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Dehner:Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ogasawara:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Current Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Gao:B