Devata, Sumana

Abstract In relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R HL), immunotherapies such as the anti-programmed death-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab have demonstrated efficacy as monotherapy and are playing an increasingly prominent role in treatment. The CD30/CD16A-bispecific antibody AFM13 is an innate immune cell engager, a first-in-class, tetravalent antibody, designed to create a bridge between CD30 on HL cells and the CD16A receptor on natural killer cells and macrophages, to induce tumor cell killing. Early studies of AFM13 have demonstrated signs of efficacy as monotherapy for patients with R/R HL and the combination of AFM13 with pembrolizumab represents a rational new treatment modality. Here, we describe a phase 1b, dose-escalation study to assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of AFM13 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with R/R HL. The primary objective was estimating the maximum tolerated dose; the secondary objectives were to assess safety, tolerability, antitumor efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. In this heavily pretreated patient population, treatment with the combination of AFM13 and pembrolizumab was generally well tolerated, with similar safety profiles compared to the known profiles of each agent alone. The combination of AFM13 with pembrolizumab demonstrated an objective response rate of 88% at the highest treatment dose, with an 83% overall response rate for the overall population. Pharmacokinetic assessment of AFM13 in the combination setting revealed a half-life of up to 20.6 hours. This proof-of-concept study holds promise as a novel immunotherapy combination worthy of further investigation. This phase 1b study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02665650.

Background: The DIAL study is testing the efficacy of dual immunomodulation in patients with advanced aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Sponsored by the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), the trial combines the use of a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor (nivolumab) with an agonist of the CD27 receptor (varlilumab) in a randomized phase 2 design. CD27, a co-stimulatory receptor, regulates T cell activation in the context of T cell receptor (TCR) engagement through interaction with CD70. T cell exhaustion plays a major role in immune evasion in B-NHL. Varlilumab is an agonistic IgG1 monoclonal antibody that recognizes CD27 leading to prevention or reversal of exhaustion in pre-clinical models. Varlilumab also demonstrates direct anti-tumoral activity in xenograft models of human lymphoma cell lines via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Phase 1 data supports the safety and tolerability of single-agent varlilumab in advanced hematologic malignancies (NCT01460134). We hypothesize that CD27 activation synergizes with PD-1 inhibition resulting in a superior anti-lymphoma effect compared to PD-1 blockade alone. The study will also evaluate the effect of these agents on tumor and immune cells using immunohistochemistry (IHC), mass cytometry (CyTOF), multiplex ELISA, imaging mass cytometry (IMC), and whole exome sequencing. Methods: The trial is enrolling patients with advanced aggressive B-NHL. Standard inclusion criteria and prior treatment with at least 2 lines of standard therapy are required. Prior autologous stem cell transplant and/or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is allowed. Patients with active CNS disease are excluded. Eligible patients are randomized to treatment with single-agent nivolumab (group 1) or dual immunotherapy with nivolumab and varlilumab. Group 1 is allowed to cross-over at the time of progression. Nivolumab will be administered intravenously (IV) every 2 weeks (240 mg) for 4 months followed by monthly dosing thereafter (480 mg). Varlilumab will be given IV every 4 weeks (3 mg/kg). Response assessment will be done by PET-CT scan every 12 weeks. Primary outcome is overall response rate (ORR) according to the LYRIC criteria. The trial will enroll 48 patients per arm, allowing 80% power to detect at least 20% increase in ORR in the experimental arm (group 2) assuming a 25% ORR in the control arm (group 1). The trial is registered (NCT03038672) and open to participation to members of the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) and Early Drug Development Opportunity Program (EDDOP). Figure Disclosures Tun: BMS: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Mundi-pharma: Research Funding; DTRM Biopharma: Research Funding. Bartlett:Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Immune Design: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Autolus: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding. Kline:Merck: Honoraria; Merck: Research Funding. Awan:Janssen: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Sunesis: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Lazaryan:Kadmon: Consultancy. Ansell:Affimed: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding. Diefenbach:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Denovo: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; MEI: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millenium/Takeda: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding.

Abstract Background AFM13 is a bispecific, tetravalent NK cell-engaging antibody construct binding to CD30 on CD30+ tumor cells and CD16A on NK cells. By engaging CD16A-positive NK cells, AFM13 leads to NK cell-mediated killing of CD30-positive lymphoma cells (Reusch et al., 2014) making it an attractive agent to target classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Pembrolizumab is a PD-1 blocking antibody which has shown high single-agent response rates in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory HL (RRHL; Armand et al., 2016, Chen et al., 2017). AFM13 has shown clinical activity in RRHL as a single agent in a preceding Phase 1 study (Rothe et al., 2015). Preclinical in vivo data of the combination of AFM13 with PD-1 blockade showed synergistic activity and the potential for induction of cross-talk between innate and adaptive immunity (Zhao et al., 2016). We hypothesize that the combination of the two agents could improve outcomes in pts with RRHL. Methods This Phase 1b study is evaluating the safety and tolerability of the combination of AFM13 with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as salvage therapy after failure of standard therapies including brentuximab vedotin (BV) in HL (NCT02665650). Pts receive escalating doses of AFM13 in combination with pembrolizumab at a dose of 200 mg flat administered every 3 weeks following a classical 3+3 design, followed by enrollment into an extension cohort at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/maximum administered dose (MAD). Response assessment is performed every 12 weeks by PET/CT according to the Lugano Classification (Cheson et al., 2014). The main objectives of the study is to ascertain the MTD/MAD along with the preliminary efficacy of the combination. Results As of June 29, 2018, 30 pts have been enrolled into the study. The median age is 34 years (range, 18-73), with a median of 4 (range 3-7) prior lines of therapy. All pts had relapsed or refractory disease (43% relapsed, 57% refractory) and had failed standard treatments including BV and 43% of pts (13/30) had BV as their latest therapy. Thirty seven percent (11/30) had undergone prior autologous stem cell transplantation. All 30 pts have completed the 6-week dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation period. Twelve pts were enrolled into the dose escalation cohorts (Cohorts 1 (n=3), 2 (n=3), and 3 (n=6)) and 18 into the Extension Cohort, with a total of 24 patients treated at the MAD (dose level 3). One DLT was observed in Cohort 3 (missing ≥25% of AFM13 during the DLT period) and another observed in the Extension Cohort (G4 infusion-related reaction; IRR). The most common related adverse events (AEs) were IRRs (80%), rash (30%), pyrexia (23%), nausea (23%), diarrhea (20%), fatigue (17%), headache (17%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (13%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (10%). Treatment related G3/4 AEs included IRRs (13%), elevated AST (3%), gastritis (3%), hypotension (3%), nausea (3%), neutropenia (3%), and vomiting (3%). The majority of IRRs were manageable with standard of care measures and did not lead to treatment discontinuations. Included in the efficacy analysis were the best response from 29 evaluable pts who had at least one post-baseline disease assessment as of the data cutoff on June 29, 2018. The overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) rate for evaluable pts treated at the dose and schedule chosen for expansion (n=23; Cohort 3 and Extension Cohort) were 87% and 35% by the investigator-confirmed assessment, respectively. Independent assessment resulted in an ORR of 87% and CR rate of 39% for these pts. Updated data for all 30 patients will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions The combination of AFM13 and pembrolizumab is a well-tolerated salvage therapy in pts with RRHL. IRRs were the most frequently observed adverse events; however, most of these events were of mild or moderate severity and manageable. Both the ORR and CR rate compare favorably to monotherapy pembrolizumab in a similar RRHL population (Chen et al., 2017). The combination of AFM13 and pembrolizumab could be a potential new therapeutic option for HL patients. Disclosures Bartlett: Immune Design: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Meyers Squibb: Research Funding; Merck & Co: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; ImaginAB: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; KITE: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Acerta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Chen:Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech Inc.: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Merck & Co., Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Millennium Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Domingo-Domenech:Affimed: Research Funding. Forero-Torres:Affimed: Research Funding. Garcia-Sanz:Affimed: Research Funding. Devata:Affimed: Research Funding. Rodriguez Izquierdo:Affimed: Research Funding. Lossos:Affimed: Research Funding. Reeder:Affimed: Research Funding. Sher:Affimed: Research Funding. Choe-Juliak:Affimed: Employment. Prier:Affimed: Research Funding. Schwarz:Affimed: Employment. Strassz:Affimed: Employment. Alland:Affimed: Employment. Ansell:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celldex: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Merck & Co: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding.