Riedell, Peter A.

Background: Axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, is approved for treatment of adult pts with R/R LBCL after ≥ 2 lines of systemic therapy. In the pivotal ZUMA-1 study, axi-cel demonstrated durable responses and a largely manageable safety profile (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). ZUMA-9 (NCT03153462), a multicenter, open-label study, provided pts with R/R LBCL with expanded access to axi-cel until commercial availability (Cohort 1 [C1]) and later, if commercially manufactured product did not meet commercial release specification(s) (Cohort 2 [C2]). Safety and efficacy of axi-cel (C1 and C2) and translational analyses (C2) are presented. Methods: Eligible adults had histologically confirmed R/R LBCL, ECOG ≤ 1, and received prior CD20-targeting and an anthracycline-containing regimen. C2 pts must have had commercial OOS product. Pts underwent leukaphersis and conditioning chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2/day and fludarabine 30 mg/m2/day) for 3 days followed by a single axi-cel infusion (target dose, 2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg). C1 and C2 pts with high disease burden could receive bridging therapy before conditioning at investigator's discretion. Endpoints included frequency of adverse events (AEs), objective response rate (ORR) per standard-of-care imaging assessment, overall survival (OS) for C1 and C2, and blood CAR T cells levels and serum cytokines for C2 only. Outcomes were contextualized with the primary analysis of ZUMA-1 C1+2 (n = 101; ≥ 6 mo of follow-up; Neelapu SS, et al. NEJM. 2017). Results: As of 11/29/2019 (C1) and 3/15/2020 (C2), 25 C1 pts and 36 C2 pts received axi-cel with a median follow-up of 27.1 mo (range, 23.6 - 29.6) and 13.2 mo (range, 0.4 - 25.7), respectively. In C1, median age was 56 y (range, 28 - 76), 60% were male, 80% had DLBCL, 48%/0% had ECOG1/≥2, 44% had IPI ≥3, and 64% had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. In C2, median age was 61 y (range, 24 - 81), 75% were male, 78% had DLBCL, 58%/17% had ECOG 1/≥2, 56% had IPI ≥3, and 69% had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. In C2, 50% of pts had OOS product with low viability, 28% had high IFN-γ, 14% had low IFN-γ, 14% received a low dose, and 6% had high transduction ratio. The ORR was 76% (64% complete response [CR]) for C1, 53% (36% CR) for C2, and 82% (54% CR) for ZUMA-1 C1+2. Median OS was 23.8 mo (95% CI, 13.5 - NE) for C1 and not reached (95% CI, 3.4 - NE) for C2, respectively. ORR and OS were consistent in C2 OOS subgroups (Table). Grade ≥ 3 AEs were reported in 88% and 89% of C1 and C2 pts, respectively. Grade ≥ 3 CRS (Lee et al, Blood. 2014) was not observed in C1 but was reported in 3% of C2 pts (13% in ZUMA-1 C1+2). Grade ≥ 3 neurologic events (NEs) occurred in 36% and 19% of pts in C1 and C2, respectively, and 28% of pts in ZUMA-1 C1+2. No Grade 5 CRS or NEs occurred in C1 or C2. All CRS and NEs resolved in C1, and most CRS (29/30) and NEs (19/24) resolved in C2 as of the data cutoff. Of 3 Grade 5 AEs in C1, 2 were unrelated to axi-cel (clostridial sepsis [on Day (D) 6] and respiratory failure [on D212]) and 1 was related to conditioning (myelodysplastic syndrome [on D563]). Of 3 Grade 5 AEs in C2, 2 were unrelated to axi-cel (multiple organ dysfunction syndrome [on D6] and cardiac arrest [on D482]) and 1 was related to axi-cel (systemic mycosis [on D30]). Median peak CAR T cell levels and median CAR T cell expansion (area under the curve in the first 28 days) were lower in ZUMA-9 C2 (n = 32/36; 12 cells/µL [range, 0 - 442] and 112 cells/µL × days [range, 0 - 3413]) vs ZUMA-1 C1+2 (n = 96/101; 42 cells/µL [range, 1 - 1514] and 462 cells/µL × days [range, 5 - 14,329]). Serum IFN-γ levels peaked within 8 days after axi-cel infusion (median, 170 pg/mL [range, 8 - 1876]) and were lower vs ZUMA-1 C1+2 (median, 477 pg/mL [range, 8 - 8209]). Axi-cel in ZUMA-9 C2 contained fewer, less differentiated CCR7+ naïve and central memory T cells, and a greater proportion of more differentiated CCR7- effector memory and effector T cells vs ZUMA-1 C1+2. No cases of replication-competent retroviruses were reported in C1 or C2. Conclusion: Axi-cel treatment demonstrated a manageable safety profile and meaningful clinical benefit in this expanded access and OOS product study. While CAR T cell therapy showed clinical benefit in C2 (OOS product), the lower CR rate was corroborated by lower CAR T cell expansion and a more differentiated product vs ZUMA-1 C1+2, warranting further investigation. ZUMA-9 C2 is enrolling pts and evaluation is ongoing. Disclosures Jacobson: Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; AXIS: Speakers Bureau; Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Research Funding; Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support. Locke:Calibr: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Wugen: Consultancy; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Other: Consultancy with grant options; Allogene: Consultancy. Miklos:Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Vose:Incyte: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Allogene: Honoraria; Loxo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Epizyme: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria; Wugen: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Roche/Genetech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other. Lin:Sorrento: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy; Gamida Cells: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Legend BioTech: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Budde:Roche: Consultancy; Merck: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Mustang Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding. Maloney:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; A2 Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: Patents are pending, but not issued, licensed, no royalties, no licensees., Research Funding; Bioline Rx: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jaglowski:Juno: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; CRISPR: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Riedell:MorphoSys: Research Funding; Kite/Gilead: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Perales:Celgene: Honoraria; MolMed: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Omeros: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bellicum: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite/Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria; Nektar Therapeutics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Cidara Therapeutics: Other; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; Medigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; NexImmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding. Kim:Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Kawashima:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Other: stock or other ownership . Yang:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Rossi:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Goyal:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Neelapu:Legend Biotech: Other; Allogene Therapeutics: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Cell Medica/Kuur: Other: personal fees; Incyte: Other: personal fees; Unum Therapeutics: Other, Research Funding; Adicet Bio: Other; Novartis: Other: personal fees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Calibr: Other; Acerta: Research Funding; Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties; Celgene: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Other: personal fees; Karus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; N/A: Other.

TPS7574 Background: Pts with LBCL who have persistent disease assessed by dynamic PET after rituximab-based induction therapy have an increased risk of death (Casasnovas, et al. Blood. 2017). Axi-cel is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for the treatment of pts with relapsed/refractory LBCL with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. In ZUMA-1, the registrational study of axi-cel in pts with refractory LBCL, the objective response rate (ORR) was 91% (70% complete response [CR] rate) in pts with double-expressor or high-grade LBCL with ongoing responses in 48% after a median follow-up of 27.1 mos (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol 2019). Furthermore, pts with fewer prior lines of therapy and lower tumor burden had higher rates of ongoing responses and manageable safety (Locke et al. ASCO 2018. 3039). ZUMA-12 will investigate the efficacy and safety of axi-cel as a first-line therapy in newly diagnosed pts with high-risk LBCL who have PET-positive disease after 2 cycles of induction therapy. Methods: This Phase 2 study has a planned enrollment of ≈40 pts aged ≥ 18 y with high-risk LBCL, defined by the presence of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 translocations by FISH or an IPI score ≥ 3 any time before enrollment, and an ECOG performance status of 0 – 1. Before enrollment, pts must have a Deauville score of 4 – 5 (Barrington SF et al. J Clin Oncol. 2014) after 2 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy that includes an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and anthracycline. After leukapheresis, pts with bulky or rapidly progressing disease may receive optional non-chemotherapy bridging therapy. Following conditioning therapy with cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) and fludarabine (30 mg/m2) for 3 days, pts will receive a single infusion of axi-cel at a target dose of 2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg. The primary endpoint is investigator-assessed CR rate per the Lugano classification (Cheson et al. J Clin Oncol. 2014). Key secondary endpoints include ORR, duration of response, event-free survival, progression-free survival, overall response, safety, relapse with CNS disease and levels of blood CAR T cells and serum cytokines over time. Accrual is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03761056.

Background: Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for the treatment of adult patients who have relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) and have had ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. In ZUMA-1, the registrational study of axi-cel in patients with refractory LBCL, the objective response rate was 83% (complete response rate, 58%), with ongoing responses in 39% after a median follow-up of 27.1 months (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Despite the success of axi-cel, approximately 60% of patients have no response or relapse after treatment, indicating that additional strategies are needed for patients with relapsed/refractory LBCL. Preclinical murine studies have shown that rituximab augmented the tumor-suppressing effects of anti-CD19 CAR T cells, and the combination led to higher rates of tumor reduction (Mihara K, et al. Br J Haematol. 2010; Rufener GA, et al. Cancer Immunol Res. 2016). The IMiD® immunomodulatory agent lenalidomide has shown activity in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma and has also been shown to enhance the antitumor functions of anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 CAR T cells in mice (Otahal P, et al. Oncoimmunology. 2016). In ZUMA-14, the aim is to investigate the efficacy and safety of axi-cel in combination with rituximab or lenalidomide in adult patients with refractory LBCL. Methods: This Phase 2 study (NCT04002401) has a planned enrollment of approximately 60 patients aged ≥ 18 years with refractory LBCL, defined as a response of either progressive disease or stable disease to previous chemotherapy or progressive disease or relapse ≤ 12 months after an autologous stem cell transplant. Patients with prior IMiD® treatment, including lenalidomide, prior CAR T cell therapy, and/or prior CD19-targeted therapy are excluded. After leukapheresis, patients will be assigned 1:1 to receive axi-cel with either rituximab (Cohort 1) or lenalidomide (Cohort 2). Patients will receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy of fludarabine (30 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) on days -5 to -3 before axi-cel infusion (2 × 106 cells/kg) on Day 0. Cohort 1 will receive rituximab (375 mg/m2) every 28 days starting on Day -5 for a total of 6 doses. Cohort 2 will receive lenalidomide (10 mg) daily starting 7 days after leukapheresis through Day 3 and for 5 additional cycles (20 mg, first 21 days of each 28-day cycle) beginning after axi-cel infusion starting on Day 21. Patients may not receive any therapy other than conditioning therapy and rituximab or lenalidomide, as specified by cohort, between leukapheresis and axi-cel infusion. The primary endpoint is investigator-assessed complete response rate per the Lugano classification (Cheson BD, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2014). Key secondary endpoints include safety, objective response rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and pharmacokinetics (levels of blood CAR T cells over time). Exploratory endpoints for both cohorts include pharmacodynamic assessment of cytokine profiles and the rate of CD19-negative relapses. An additional exploratory endpoint for Cohort 2 is to investigate immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment, including the number and activation of T cells and natural killer cells. Enrollment is expected to start in September 2019. Disclosures Neelapu: Cell Medica: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; BMS: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Acerta: Research Funding; Karus: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Allogene: Consultancy; Poseida: Research Funding. Kharfan-Dabaja:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Oluwole:Pfizer: Consultancy; Spectrum: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Krish:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Genetech: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Research Funding; Xencor: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sunesis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Reshef:BMS: Consultancy; Shire: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Atara: Consultancy, Research Funding; Magenta: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Riedell:Bayer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Kite/Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding. Stiff:Amgen: Research Funding; Gamida-Cell: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Cellectar: Research Funding; Unum: Research Funding; Gilead/Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Goyal:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Kawashima:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment, Equity Ownership. Milletti:Roche: Employment, Equity Ownership, Other: Travel Expenses, Patents & Royalties; Gilead: Employment, Equity Ownership, Other: Travel Expenses, Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Oliva:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Sun:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Munoz:Pharmacyclics /Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Merck: Consultancy; Kyowa: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene/Juno: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Alexion: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Fosunkite: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Portola: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: ZUMA-14 is a clinical trial evaluating the investigational combination of axicabtagene ciloleucel with either rituximab or lenalidomide in refractory large B cell lymphoma