Casadebaig, Marie‐Laure

AbstractBackgroundStudies suggest that immune checkpoint inhibitors may represent a promising strategy for boosting immune responses and improving the antitumor activity of standard therapies in patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies.AimsPhase 1/2 FUSION NHL 001 was designed to determine the safety and efficacy of durvalumab, an anti‐programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) antibody, combined with standard‐of‐care therapies for lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).Methods and ResultsThe primary endpoints were to determine the recommended phase 2 dose of the drugs used in combination with durvalumab (durvalumab was administered at the previously recommended dose of 1500 mg every 4 weeks) and to assess safety and tolerability. Patients were enrolled into one of four arms: durvalumab monotherapy (Arm D) or durvalumab in combination with lenalidomide ± rituximab (Arm A), ibrutinib (Arm B), or rituximab ± bendamustine (Arm C). A total of 106 patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma were enrolled. All but two patients experienced at least one treatment‐emergent adverse event (TEAE); those not experiencing a TEAE were in Arm C (diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) and Arm D (DLBCL during the durvalumab monotherapy treatment period). No new safety signals were identified, and TEAEs were consistent with the respective safety profiles for each study treatment. Across the study, patients with follicular lymphoma (FL; n = 23) had an overall response rate (ORR) of 59%; ORR among DLBCL patients (n = 37) was 18%. Exploratory biomarker analysis showed that response to durvalumab monotherapy or combination therapy was associated with higher interferon‐γ signature scores in patients with FL (p = .02).ConclusionDurvalumab as monotherapy or in combination is tolerable but requires close monitoring. The high rate of TEAEs during this study may reflect on the difficulty in combining durvalumab with full doses of other agents. Durvalumab alone or in combination appeared to add limited benefit to therapy.

7520 Background: We report results of a phase 2, open-label study of durvalumab (durva) in combination with R-CHOP or R2-CHOP (R-CHOP + lenalidomide) in previously untreated, high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: Subjects (≥18 y; ECOG 0–2) with previously untreated, high/high-intermediate risk DLBCL (IPI ≥3/NCCN-IPI ≥4) were stratified to durva + R-CHOP (Arm A, GCB DLBCL) or R2-CHOP for 6–8 cycles (Arm B, ABC DLBCL) based on cell of origin identified by gene expression followed by durva consolidation up to month 12 from start of induction. After FDA placed clinical holds on trials including combination therapy with checkpoint inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents, the study was revised to include both ABC and GCB in Arm A (durva + R-CHOP). The primary endpoint was complete response rate (CRR) at end of induction; secondary endpoints were rate of subjects continuing to consolidation, safety, and response in biological. Results: A total of 46 subjects were treated (safety; A/B, n=43/3); median age, 62/66 y; male, 61%/67%; ECOG 2, 19%/33%; Ann Arbor stage IV, 79%/33%; bulky disease: 49%/67%; double/triple-hit lymphoma, 30%/33%. As of Aug 2, 2018, 30/3 (A/B) had completed induction therapy, and 19 subjects (A) were ongoing. CRR (95% confidence interval) at end of induction was (A) 54% (37%-71%) and (B) 67% (9%-99%); 68%/67% (A/B) continued to consolidation therapy and were progression free at month 12. Safety profile was as expected for the components of the combination regimen with no new safety signal identified. Frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; ≥25%; A+B) included fatigue (61%), neutropenia (52%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (50%), nausea (46%), diarrhea (28%); constipation, decreased appetite, insomnia, pyrexia (24% each); and alopecia, dizziness, dyspnea, headache, stomatitis (22% each). Grade 3/4 TEAEs occurred in 84%/100% of subjects (A/B), and 3 subjects (2/1) died with no death related to study treatment. Follow-up for efficacy and safety is ongoing. Conclusions: Durva + R-CHOP combination therapy is safe and demonstrates encouraging response rates in subjects with high-risk DLBCL including double-hit lymphoma. Clinical trial information: NCT03003520.