Zavidij, Oksana

Abstract Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is characterized by progressive bone marrow (BM) fibrosis resulting from aberrant megakaryopoiesis and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These processes, heavily influenced by bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) protein-mediated gene regulation, lead to myeloproliferation and cytopenias. There is a high unmet need for a treatment that can potentially delay or reverse BM fibrosis in patients (pts) with MF. Pelabresib (CPI-0610) is a potent, first-in-class, selective, oral small-molecule BET inhibitor, which is able to modify the expression of genes involved in nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling in pts with MF. Pelabresib is currently being investigated as a monotherapy and in combination with the JAK inhibitor (JAKi) ruxolitinib (RUX), in the ongoing MANIFEST Phase 2 study (NCT02158858). Methods: In arm 1 of MANIFEST, pelabresib is administered as monotherapy to pts with MF who are intolerant/refractory to, or ineligible for RUX; in arm 2, as an 'add-on' to RUX in pts with MF who have suboptimal/lost response; and in arm 3 as combination therapy with RUX in JAKi treatment-naïve pts with MF. To evaluate the effects of pelabresib on BM biology, analyses were conducted using BM biopsy samples obtained pre-treatment and at 24 weeks post-treatment during the MANIFEST trial. Central pathology review of reticulin staining was conducted to evaluate BM fibrosis (BMF) grading and immunohistochemistry staining for changes in erythroids (ERY) and megakaryocytes (MK), respectively. Independent digital images of stained BM slides were also evaluated with a semi-quantitative cell-specific detection algorithm for reticulin density, percentage CD71+ ERY, mean number of CD61+ MK and mean distance between nuclei for CD61+ MK. Results: Exploratory analyses across the three treatment arms showed BM improvements after 24 weeks of treatment. Paired comparison by digital analysis of baseline and 24-week treatment BM biopsies from 29 pts showed reduction (range 67%-15.5%) in reticulin intersections per field in 45% (13/29) pts. Furthermore, digital analysis of CD71+ ERY and CD61+ MK from paired biopsies showed increased ERY progenitors in 50% (16/32) pts, decreased MK density in 57% (15/26) pts and decreased MK clustering in 46% (12/26) pts at 24 weeks. Decreased MK clustering correlated with decreased density of CD61+ MK in 75% pts (9/12). Correlative analysis between observed clinical responses and bone marrow improvements are ongoing and will be available for presentation at the conference. We previously reported (Talpaz M, et al. ASH 2020; Abstract 2163) that in pts with MF, pelabresib can reduce spleen volume, improve symptoms, improve bone marrow fibrosis, demonstrate increase in hemoglobin levels, and reduce transfusion burden. Updated 24-week data reflecting a higher number of evaluable pts and new long-term data at 48 weeks across the MANIFEST trial, will be presented. Conclusions: Treatment with pelabresib as monotherapy or in combination with RUX, in both RUX treatment-naïve and -experienced pts with MF, resulted in increased ERY progenitors, decreased MK density and reduction of BM fibrosis, as assessed by digital pathology. These data suggest possible disease-modifying potential for pelabresib by improving BM histology and function, leading to potential clinical benefits. Disclosures Verstovsek: Roche: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines Corp: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Protagonist Therapeutics: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Ital Pharma: Research Funding; PharmaEssentia: Research Funding; NS Pharma: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Constellation: Consultancy; Pragmatist: Consultancy. Salama: Mayo Clinic: Current Employment, Other: Mayo Clinic had the contractual work for the central pathology review for this study and I was one of the reviewing pathologists; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mascarenhas: AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Kartos: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Constellation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Geron: Consultancy, Research Funding; Prelude: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PharmaEssentia: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Galecto: Consultancy; Promedior: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merus: Research Funding; Forbius: Research Funding; CTI Biopharm: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Geron: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Talpaz: Celgene: Consultancy; Imago: Consultancy; Takeda: Other: Grant/research support ; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Constellation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Mesa: La Jolla Pharma: Consultancy; Samus: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharma: Consultancy; CTI: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; CTI: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; AOP: Consultancy. Vannucchi: Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Rampal: Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmaessentia: Consultancy; Blueprint: Consultancy; Disc Medicine: Consultancy; Stemline: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy; CTI: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Constellation: Research Funding; Memorial Sloan Kettering: Current Employment; Kartos: Consultancy. Oh: Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Blueprint Medicines: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Constellation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CTI Biopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Disc Medicine: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Geron: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kartos Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PharamaEssentia: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sierra Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Taverna: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Cui: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Zavidij: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Chen: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Colak: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Efuni: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Keller: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Trojer: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Harrison: Galacteo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte Corporation: Speakers Bureau; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Honoraria; CTI BioPharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Geron: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Keros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Promedior: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is characterized by progressive bone marrow (BM) fibrosis resulting from aberrant megakaryopoeisis and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These two processes, heavily influenced by bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET)-mediated gene regulation, lead to myeloproliferation and cytopenias. CPI-0610 is a potent, selective and unique BET inhibitor under investigation in MF patients as monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib in the MANIFEST trial (NCT02158858). In ruxolitinib naïve and experienced MF patients, treatment with CPI-0610 monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib not only reduced spleen volume and symptoms, but also improved hemoglobin levels and overcame transfusion dependency in a subset of patients. To evaluate the effects of CPI-0610 on BM biology, correlative analyses were conducted using patient samples collected from the MANIFEST trial. Pre-treatment and post-treatment BM biopsy samples were available from 78 evaluable patients, with reticulin staining conducted and evaluated by local pathologists available for 34 pre-treatment and 24-week post-treatment pairs of BM biopsy samples. Improvement in reticulin staining of at least one grade was observed in 32% (11/34) of patients. Central pathology review of reticulin staining is ongoing and will be presented. Additional bone marrow biopsy pairs collected pre-treatment and 24-week post-treatment for exploratory histopathological assessments were available from a total of 23 unselected MANIFEST patients at the time of the abstract submission. To assess changes in erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages, H&E and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of CD71 and CD61 were conducted centrally. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed an overt increase in erythroid lineage formation in 61% (14/23) of patients. Patients with CD71 improvement in BM IHC generally showed a greater increase in median hemoglobin levels than those without improvement. Tight clusters of megakaryocytes (MK), characteristic in MF BM, were observed at baseline in all cases and were decreased/absent after treatment in 52% (12/23) patients. In addition, decreased MK number to <5/high powered field was also observed in 39% (9/23) of patients. Overall improvement in MK histotopography was observed in 65% of patients (15/23). Central histopathology review with IHC staining, including reticulin staining, will be conducted on additional samples and will be available for presentation at the conference. To further dissect the underlying mechanism of these relative improvements in bone marrow composition and histotopography induced by CPI-0610, CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells were isolated from peripheral blood collected from multiple MF patients at baseline to evaluate the impact of CPI-0610 on MK and erythroid differentiation in vitro. When CD34+ cells from MF patients were treated with CPI-0610 in erythroid differentiation conditions in the presence of SCF, IL3 and EPO, a dose-dependent increase in more mature erythroid cell populations was observed. However, under the same conditions, ruxolitinib suppressed erythroid differentiation, which is consistent with ruxolitinib inhibition of EPO signaling and the anemia caused by ruxolitinib treatment in MF patients. Suppressive effects of ruxolitinib on erythroid differentiation were partially rescued by CPI-0610 in a dose-dependent manner. CPI-0610 treatment of CD34+ cells from MF patients in MK differentiating conditions in the presence of SCF, IL6, IL9 and TPO resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in proliferation of CD34+ cells and an increase in the ratio of late MK (CD34-/CD41a+/CD42b+) and early MK (CD34+/CD41a+/CD42b+). This CPI-0610-induced dose-dependent maturation of aberrant immature MK cells may play a role in reducing MF disease manifestations. Molecular studies to further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of CPI-0610 treatment are ongoing. Taken together, these paired BM biopsy and in vitro myeloid maturation results demonstrated an effect of CPI-0610 in promoting erythroid and MK differentiation. These results may partially explain CPI-0610's clinical effects in MF patients, including rising hemoglobin, reduced transfusion dependency and reduction in spleen volume and symptoms. Disclosures Mertz: Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Keller:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Meyer:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zavidij:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Cui:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Verstovsek:Roche: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Protagonist Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines Corp: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; CTI Biopharma Corp: Research Funding; PharmaEssentia: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; ItalPharma: Research Funding; NS Pharma: Research Funding. Gupta:Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol MyersSquibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy; Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Talpaz:IMAGO: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Research Funding. Harrison:Promedior: Honoraria; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Incyte Corporation: Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; CTI Biopharma Corp: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sierra Oncology: Honoraria. Mead:CTI: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy. Mesa:Novartis: Consultancy; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; LaJolla Pharmaceutical Company: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding. Mascarenhas:Celgene, Prelude, Galecto, Promedior, Geron, Constellation, and Incyte: Consultancy; Incyte, Kartos, Roche, Promedior, Merck, Merus, Arog, CTI Biopharma, Janssen, and PharmaEssentia: Other: Research funding (institution). Senderowicz:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months; Puma Biotechnology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Colak:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shao:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Luptakova:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Humphrey:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wang:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Trojer:Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

Abstract In multiple myeloma (MM), despite well-characterized precursor states such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), there is a lack of sufficient biomarkers to predict disease progression. Most genomic analyses have studied the malignant plasma cells, however, cancers form a complex ecosystem with the immune and stromal microenvironment. To characterize the cellular composition and transcriptional programs of each component of the tumor and microenvironment at different stages of MM progression, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing on 48K plasma and 40.8K immune microenvironmental cells from a cohort of 22 patients with varying stages of disease progression and 9 healthy donors. Expression profiles of plasma cells revealed clear tumor-specific differences in known oncogenic drivers in MM (MMSET/FGFR3, CCND1 and MAFB) as well as other clonally expressed genes (LAMP5, HIST1H1C, and AREG), distinguishing them from healthy plasma cells. We identified a subset of cycling plasma cells in malignant samples, observing a range of proliferative capacity across disease stages. Furthermore, our approach allowed a unique head-to-head comparison of gene expression changes in normal and malignant plasma cells from the same individual, revealing early alterations in genes related to immune modulation (NKBIA) or controlling transcription and differentiation (EID1). Some alterations were patient-specific, while others, such as MHC I overexpression and CD27 loss, were recurrently observed across subsets of the cohort. Analysis of the BM microenvironment demonstrated significant infiltration of natural killer cells, non-classical monocytes/macrophages, and T cells, even in the earliest stages of the disease. Further investigation revealed upregulation of MHC II expression at the mRNA level in CD14+ monocytes/macrophages and yet, intriguingly, analysis by CyTOF and immunohistochemistry revealed a shift towards intracellular localization of MHC II in these cells. Co-culture with MM cell lines was sufficient to induce the decrease of extracellular MHC II, providing strong evidence for MM-induced compromised antigen presentation by macrophages, and hinting at a mechanism of immune evasion. Together, our results provide a comprehensive view at the complex interplay of the immune and malignant cells in different stages of the disease. We demonstrate the immune response beginning in premalignant conditions to be heterogeneous, including compromised antigen presentation as well as alterations in cellular composition and signaling. Consideration of the type of immunological response may prove valuable in determination of progression risk, as well as open up potential strategies for therapy. Citation Format: Nicholas J. Haradhvala, Oksana Zavidij, Tarek H. Mouhieddine, Romanos Sklavenitis-Pistofidis, Jihye Park, Mairead Reidy, Abdallah Flaifel, Benjamin Ferland, Salomon Manier, Mark Bustoros, Daisy Huynh, Marzia Capelletti, Brianna Berrios, Mahshid Rahmat, Chia-Jen Liu, Meng Xiao He, Esteban Braggio, Rafael Fonseca, Yosef Maruvka, Jennifer Guerriero, Melissa Goldman, Eliezer Van Allen, Steven McCarroll, Jamil Azzi, Gad Getz, Irene M. Ghobrial. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals compromised immune microenvironment in precursor stages of multiple myeloma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 139.