Back to Authors

Zelenetz, Andrew D.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1403-6883

Mayo Clinic

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Citations 46

Updated results from a Phase II study of minimal residual disease-guided venetoclax + obinutuzumab for the initial treatment of fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Mato, Anthony R. , Coombs, Catherine C. , Islam, Prioty , Palomba, Lia, Kumar, Anita , Stein, Eytan M. , Nogan, Lauren, Kikani, Bejal, Sutterby, Ryan, Nguyen, Thu Quynh , Allen, Alexandra M., Sudhir, Sumathy, Panton, Gail, Duffy, Victoria L., Tyznar, Dianna, Brutus, Jamila, Nyima, Tenzin, Shah, Anmol , Soni, Dhara, Silvestrone, Michael R. , Harris, Miranda , Karnam, Megha, Hutzler, Claire, David, Kevin A. , Fleming, Stephen E., Diaz, Giovanni , Fakhri, Bita , Fakhri, Bita , Thompson, Meghan C , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Park, Jae-Hong , Geyer, Mark Blaine , Derkach, Andriy , Nemirovsky, David , Stephens, Deborah M. , Jensen, Christopher Edward , Falchi, Lorenzo , Salles, Gilles , Lue, Jennifer Kimberly , Kikani, Bejal, Allen, Alexandra, Sudhir, Sumathy, Duffy, Victoria, Brutus, Jamila, Shah, Monica, Harris, Miranda, Goldberg, Aaron D. , Fleming, Stephen, Hamidi, Habib , Roeker, Lindsey E.

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3902-3902

10.1182/blood-2025-3902 Get It

Abstract Background: Undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD) at the end of first-line (1L) treatment (tx) with 12-cycles (C) of venetoclax (ven) + obinutuzumab (obin) is associated with prolonged survival for patients (pts) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, Al Sawaf et al. Blood 2024). We hypothesized that MRD may be used to guide ven tx duration for CLL pts treated with 1L ven + obin. Methods In this ongoing phase II, multicenter investigator-initiated study, pts receive ven + obin for 1L tx of CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (NCT04447768). Eligible pts have a CIRS score of ≤ 6 and require 1L tx per iwCLL 2018 criteria. Pts receive 6 x 28-day C of obin and initiate ven on C1D22. Ven duration is dependent on peripheral blood (PB) MRD status measured by ClonoSeq next generation sequencing. At C7, pts undergo MRD testing. Pts uMRD6 (<10-6 sensitivity) at both C7 and C9 dc ven after 9C and enter treatment free observation (TFO). Pts with detectable MRD6 (dMRD6) at C7 undergo repeat testing at C12; if uMRD5 (<10-5) pts dc ven after 12C. Pts dMRD5 at C12 continue ven for an additional 12C (24C total) prior to TFO. The primary study endpoint is 36-month PFS; the unpromising rate is set at 82% and will be tested by a nonparametric survival estimate (Kaplan-Meier) along with Greenwood's formula. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was performed pre-tx on patient bone marrow (or PB if inaspirable) samples. Unsupervised clustering using machine learning (ML) based on consensus nonnegative matrix factorization was applied to the most variable genes to identify patient clusters. Clusters were then biologically characterized by gene signature scoring using xCell algorithm and assessed for association with uMRD6 at C7 using a Fisher exact test. Results Baseline characteristics of the 100 pts who initiated tx include: median age 58 (range 34-81); 71% male, 90% White, 3% Black and 2% Asian, 5% unknown; 49% IGHV unmutated, 16% TP53 mutation, 8% del17p (previously reported, Roeker et al. ASH 2024). 3 pts stopped tx prior to C7. 51 pts were uMRD6 at C7 and C9 and completed 9C ven. 46 pts were dMRD6 at C7; 6 pts stopped tx outside of meeting protocol requirements and are included in intention-to-treat (IIT) analyses. 32 pts were uMRD5 at C12 and dc ven after 12C. 8 pts were dMRD5 at C12: 5 continued ven per protocol (3 completed 24C ven, 2 ongoing tx as of 15 May 2025 data cut-off), 2 stopped ven outside of protocol requirements (included in ITT analyses), and 1 pt withdrew consent. At a median follow-up of 35 months, the 36-month PFS rate is 90% (95% CI: 84%, 97%). 36-month OS is 94% (95% CI: 89%, 99%). Landmark PFS analyses from EOT were performed for pts who dc ven after 9C due to uMRD6 (24-month PFS 92%, 95% CI: 85, 100%, n=51) and pts who dc ven after 12C due to uMRD5 (24-month PFS 96%, 95% CI: 89%, 100%, n=32). For pts dc ven after 9C due to uMRD6 (n=51), PB MRD at 12C after EOT was: 59% uMRD6, 12% uMRD5, 4% uMRD4, 8% dMRD4 and 18% unknown. For pts dc ven after 12C due to uMRD5 status (n=32), PB MRD at 12C following EOT was: 9% uMRD6, 31% uMRD5, 9% uMRD4, 25% dMRD4 and 25% unknown. Of the 5 pts with PD, 3 pts have had Richter Transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (all uMRD6 at C7 / 9). Two pts with PD have not met iwCLL tx criteria and remain in TFO. Five pts have died (suicide, West Nile encephalitis, COVID-19, complications of glioblastoma and RT DLBCL). Five C12 dMRD5 pts who continued ven have reached C18, with only 1 of 5 converting to uMRD5 in PB. However, all 5 maintained uMRD4 (<10-4). Of 3 pts that completed 24C ven (2 ongoing tx), 1 pt had deepening of response to uMRD5 at C24, and 2 pts had rising MRD on ven (dMRD4 at C24). To investigate patient heterogeneity at baseline and its relationship to uMRD, we clustered patient RNAseq samples into two clusters using artificial intelligence/ML based unsupervised clustering. The clusters associated with uMRD6 at C7 (Fisher exact test p=0.038), and patients in the cluster with significantly higher immunosuppressive cells such as T-regulatory cells and M2 macrophages were less likely to be uMRD6 at C7. Conclusions At a median follow-up of 35 months, the estimated 36-month PFS rate is 90%. RNAseq transcriptomic analyses identified that patients with enriched immunosuppressive cells were less likely to be uMRD6 at C7. Additional follow-up is required to confirm the durability of this MRD-guided ven + obin tx strategy.
Pirtobrutinib in Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL): Final update from the Phase 1/2 BRUIN study
Cohen, Jonathon B. , Shah, Nirav N. , Ujjani, Chaitra S. , Kim, Won Seog , Alencar, Alvaro J. , Lewis, David , Woyach, Jennifer A. , Maddocks, Kami J. , Seymour, John F. , Nagai, Hirokazu, Vose, Julie, Fakhri, Bita , Hoffmann, Marc , Hernandez‐Ilizaliturri, Francisco J. , Kumar, Anita , Munir, Talha, Tsai, Donald E. , Abada, Paolo, Balbas, Minna, Eyre, Toby A. , Fakhri, Bita , Wang, Michael , Jurczak, Wojciech , Zinzani, Pier Luigi , Cheah, Chan Y. , Koh, Youngil , Nasta, Sunita , Flinn, Ian W. , Tessoulin, Benoit , Ma, Shuo , Patel, Krish , Wang, Yucai , Rhodes, Joanna , Tam, Constantine S. , Hoffmann, Marc, Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Li, Jian , Wang, Ying , Roeker, Lindsey E.

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 665-665

10.1182/blood-2025-665 Get It

Abstract Background: Despite the efficacy of covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKi) in R/R MCL, patients (pts) ultimately discontinue treatment due to intolerance or development of resistance and disease relapse. Pirtobrutinib is a highly selective, non-covalent BTKi that inhibits BTK with low nM potency throughout the daily dosing interval. Pirtobrutinib was safe and effective in the phase 1/2 BRUIN study in pts with R/R B-cell malignancies, including those previously treated with a BTKi. Pirtobrutinib is approved in the EU for adults with R/R MCL after prior treatment with a BTKi (EMA Conditional Approval, Oct 2023), and in the USA for adults with R/R MCL after ≥ 2 lines of systemic therapy, including a BTKi (FDA Accelerated Approval, Jan 2023).Here, we report the final results from the phase 1/2 BRUIN study (NCT03740529), with a follow-up period of up to 5 yrs, focusing on the efficacy and safety of pirtobrutinib in all R/R MCL pts. Methods: Pts with R/R MCL who received ≥1 prior lines of therapy (including BTKi) were eligible for treatment with pirtobrutinib monotherapy. Key endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS), all assessed by independent review committee (IRC) per Lugano 2014 criteria (presented here) and investigator, overall survival (OS), and safety. Pts were included across the range of doses evaluated in dose escalation and expansion (25-300 mg/day). A data cutoff on 27 January 2025 was utilized, with a median study follow-up of 17.5 months (range, 0.5-69.6). Results: Among the 166 pts with R/R MCL, 153 (92%) received the pirtobrutinib approved dose of 200 mg/day, 152 (92%) had received prior cBTKi, of which 128 (84.2%) discontinued any prior cBTKi due to progressive disease (PD), and 15 (9.9%) due to toxicity. The cBTKi-pre-treated pts had a median age of 70 yrs (range, 46-88), 52% had intermediate-risk and 28.3% had high-risk sMIPI scores. The median number of prior lines of therapy was 3 (range 1-9), with most pts having received a prior anti-CD20 antibody (96.7%) and chemotherapy (90.1%). Additional prior therapies included hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (21.7%; 19.7% auto and 4.6% allo), BCL-2 inhibitor (15.8%), CAR-T cell therapy (8.6%). As of the data cutoff, 11 (7.2%) pts who received a prior cBTKi and 6 (42.9%) cBTKi naïve pts remained on treatment. The cBTKi pre-treated pts had an ORR of 49.3% (95% CI, 41.1-57.6), including 15.8% complete responses (CR) (n=24) and 33.6% partial responses (PR) (n=51). The 75 responding pretreated pts had a median DOR of 21.6 months (95% CI, 9.2-27.2) at a median follow-up of 24 months. The ORR among 128 pts who had discontinued any prior cBTKi due to PD and 15 pts who discontinued due to toxicity was 43.0% and 93.3%, respectively. The median PFS and OS for cBTKi pre-treated pts were 5.6 months (95% CI, 5.3-9.2) and 23.9 months (95% CI, 17.3-51.5), respectively. Fourteen pts (9.2%) were censored for PFS due to subsequent anticancer therapy without documented PD, including 8 pts who received CAR-T. The cBTKi naïve pts (n=14) had an ORR of 85.7% (95% CI, 57.2-98.2), including 50.0% CR (n=7) and 35.7% PR (n=5). The 12 responding naïve pts had a median DOR of 42.7 months (95% CI, 25.8-NE) at a median follow-up of 43 months. The median PFS and OS in the cBTKi naïve pts were 44.6 months (95% CI, 16.7-NE) and not reached (95% CI, 33.5-NE), respectively. Among all R/R MCL pts (n=166), the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE), regardless of attribution, were fatigue (31.9%), diarrhea (22.9%), anemia (18.1%), and dyspnea (18.1%). The most common Grade ≥3 TEAE was neutropenia/neutrophil count decreased (13.3%), and the rate of Grade ≥3 infections was 21.1%. Grade ≥3 hemorrhage/hematoma (2.4%) and all-grade atrial fibrillation/flutter (3.6%) were infrequent. In total, 13 (7.8%) pts had a fatal TEAE, with 4 (2.4%) classified as infections. Overall, 8 pts (4.8%) had treatment-related AE leading to dose reductions, and 6 (3.6%) had treatment-related AE leading to pirtobrutinib discontinuation. Conclusion: Pirtobrutinib continues to demonstrate efficacy in pts with heavily pre-treated R/R MCL including both those who previously received a cBTKi and those who were BTKi-naïve. The safety profile of pirtobrutinib remained favorable with a low-rate of dose reductions/discontinuations due to drug-related toxicity. No new safety signals were identified after up to 5 yrs of follow-up.
Consensus recommendations from the 2024 International Follicular Lymphoma Scientific Workshop
Rutherford, Sarah C. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Armand, Philippe , Leonard, John P. , Smith, Sonali M. , Timmerman, John M. , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Gutierrez, Meghan, Béguelin, Wendy , Nadel, Bertrand, Pasqualucci, Laura , LaCasce, Ann S. , Rutherford, Sarah C , Smith, Sonali M , Zelenetz, Andrew D , Béguelin, Wendy , Casulo, Carla , Cerhan, James R , Kridel, Robert , Link, Brian K , Maurer, Matthew , Radtke, Andrea J , Luttwak, Efrat , Salles, Gilles A , Pasqualucci, Laura , LaCasce, Ann Steward , Merryman, Reid W. , Nastoupil, Loretta J. , Casulo, Carla , Cerhan, James R. , Green, Michael Richard , Kahl, Brad S. , Link, Brian K. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Luttwak, Efrat , Salles, Gilles , Sehn, Laurie H.

Blood Advances | December 3, 2025 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 1591-1602

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025018079 Get It

Abstract Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although patients with FL have high response rates to therapy, most develop increasingly resistant disease. In addition, transformation into an aggressive lymphoma is associated with unfavorable outcomes. Many novel agents are under investigation, and early clinical data are encouraging. Aligning treatment with the underlying tumor biology and sequencing of therapies remain key clinical challenges. At the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s biannual 2024 Follicular Lymphoma Scientific Workshop, experts convened to discuss the role of chemotherapy in the context of new therapies, the impact of early progression on treatment sequencing, novel end points in clinical trials, disease biology and the tumor microenvironment, and new treatments on the horizon. This report focuses on updates in FL biology, first-line treatment, the role of progression of disease in 24 months, clinical trial design, and redefining cure in FL.
NCCN Guidelines® Insights: B-Cell Lymphomas 3.2025
Advani, Ranjana H. , Andreadis, B., Chang, Julie , Christian, Beth , deVos, Sven, Fayad, Luis , Hamid, Muhammad Saad , Hernandez‐Ilizaliturri, Francisco J. , Karimi, Yasmin , King, Rebecca L. , Krivacic, Susan, LaCasce, Ann S. , Messmer, Marcus , Rabinovitch, Rachel , Roberts, Kenneth B. , Saito, Naoyuki G. , Smith, Stephen D. , Swinnen, Lode J., Tuscano, Joseph M. , Dwyer, Mary A., Sundar, Hema, Advani, Ranjana H , Karimi, Yasmin H , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Gordon, Leo I. , Abramson, Jeremy S. , Bartlett, Nancy L. , Budde, Lihua E. , Caimi, Paolo F. , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai , Habermann, Thomas M. , Hu, Boyu , Kelsey, Chris R. , Kline, Justin Paul , Landsburg, Daniel J. , Lim, Megan S. , Ramakrishnan, Praveen , Reid, Erin G , Saeed, Hayder , Vose, Julie M.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | October 9, 2025 | Volume: 23 | Issue: 10 | Pages: No page available

10.6004/jnccn.2025.0048 Get It

The treatment landscape of B-cell lymphomas has significantly evolved in recent years with approval of novel targeted therapies. CD3 × CD20 bispecific antibodies and CD19-directed monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates have demonstrated efficacy in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor–based regimens are emerging as effective treatment options for patients with TP53-mutated classical mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Results from ongoing clinical trials suggest that the addition of CD3 × CD20 bispecific antibodies to chemoimmunotherapy improves outcomes in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). These NCCN Guideline Insights highlight significant updates to the NCCN Guidelines for B-Cell Lymphomas for the treatment of FL, MCL, and DLBCL.
Treatment and outcomes of progression of disease post–CAR T-cell therapy in mantle cell lymphoma: a multicenter analysis
Epstein‐Peterson, Zachary D. , Lionel, Anath C. , Joseph, Ashlee , Drill, Esther , Atallah‐Yunes, Suheil Albert , Brooks, Taylor , Chong, Elise A. , Chong, Emeline R. , Cruz, Jamie Dela , Frank, Matthew J. , Jacobson, Caron A. , Beyar‐Katz, Ofrat , Maddocks, Kami J. , McLoughlin, Daniel E. , Navalekar, Rohin, Ryan, Christine E. , Sauter, Craig S. , Sharma, Samanvaya , Shukla, Navika , Therwhanger, Dylan , Besien, Herman J. van, Varon, Ben , Yamshon, Samuel , Palomba, M. Lia , Kumar, Anita , Brooks, Taylor R , Kamdar, Manali , Karmali, Reem , Matasar, Matthew , McLoughlin, Daniel , Rhodes, Joanna , Riedell, Peter A , Ryan, Christine E , Salles, Gilles A , Sawalha, Yazeed , Sharma, Samanvaya , Shouval, Roni , Therwhanger, Dylan , van Besien, Herman , Varon, Ben , Wang, Yucai , Yamshon, Samuel , Zelenetz, Andrew D , Jain, Preetesh , Kumar, Anita , Chong, Elise A , Joseph, Ashlee , Atallah-Yunes, Albert , Ip, Andrew , Iqbal, Madiha , Kamdar, Manali , Karmali, Reem , Matasar, Matthew J. , Merryman, Reid W. , Muñoz, Javier , Navalekar, Rohini, Rhodes, Joanna , Riedell, Peter A. , Salles, Gilles , Sawalha, Yazeed , Wang, Yucai , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Jain, Preetesh

Blood Advances | August 5, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 5654-5662

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025016315 Get It

Abstract The treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for patients experiencing progression of disease (POD) following CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are undefined. We identified all patients who received CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for R/R MCL therapy across 15 international centers, and studied those experiencing POD post–CAR T-cell therapy in detail. We extracted clinical/treatment/pathologic variables, and associated these features with survival outcomes. In total, 384 patients received CAR T-cell therapy, and 135 (35%) experienced POD. POD occurred at a median of 6 months following CAR T-cell therapy infusion, and most (64%) patients with POD had complete response as best response to CAR T-cell therapy. Tumor features at POD included blastoid/pleomorphic morphology in 29 of 78 (37%) patients, and TP53 mutation in 21 of 41 (51%) patients. Following POD, 17 patients received no further therapy, 13 underwent local therapy, and 105 received systemic therapy. The most common first-line systemic therapies were chemo(immuno)therapy (22 patients; overall response rate [ORR], 40%), pirtobrutinib (17 patients; ORR, 36%), and bispecific antibodies (13 patients; ORR, 67%). Among patients experiencing POD, the median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 2.5 months and 5.4 months, respectively, from POD. Lack of response to CAR T-cell therapy and short time from CAR T-cell therapy infusion to POD (<3 vs 3-6 vs >6 months), among other factors, were associated with inferior OS after POD. In conclusion, we confirm the challenging prognosis for patients experiencing POD following CD19 CAR T-cell therapy for R/R MCL, and establish a benchmark for future investigations in this patient population.
Treatment Patterns and Outcomes Following Progression of Disease Post-CAR-T Therapy in Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Analysis
Epstein‐Peterson, Zachary D. , Joseph, Ashlee , Drill, Esther , Brooks, Taylor , Chong, Emeline R. , Cruz, Jamie Dela , Frank, Matthew J. , Jacobson, Caron A. , Maddocks, Kami J. , Sauter, Craig S. , Shukla, Navika , Stanisic, Alexander V., Therwhanger, Dylan , Besien, Herman van, Yamshon, Samuel , Palomba, Maria Lia, Kumar, Anita J. , Stanisic, Alexander , Brooks, Taylor R , Stanisic, Alexander V , Lionel, Anath C. , Atallah‐Yunes, Suheil Albert , Chong, Elise A. , Ip, Andrew , Iqbal, Madiha , Kamdar, Manali , Karmali, Reem , Matasar, Matthew J. , Merryman, Reid W. , Muñoz, Javier , Riedell, Peter A. , Ryan, Christine E. , Salles, Gilles , Sawalha, Yazeed , Shouval, Roni , Wang, Yucai , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Palomba, M. Lia , Jain, Preetesh

Blood | December 5, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 238-238

10.1182/blood-2024-192995 Get It

Background: CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is an established treatment with high efficacy in treating relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, with CAR-T therapy, refractory disease occurs and a continuous pattern of relapse over time has been observed. Limited data exist about post-CAR-T progression of disease (POD) management and outcomes in MCL. Such data would meaningfully inform practice and set a critical benchmark for future studies in the post-CAR-T setting. We characterized treatment patterns and outcomes for pts with POD after CD19 CAR-T therapy for R/R MCL. Methods: We queried institutional databases to identify pts with R/R MCL who received CD19-directed CAR-T therapy. Treatment may have occurred as standard-of-care or in a clinical trial. We performed chart review to extract variables and categorized therapies by mechanism(s) of action. We used descriptive statistics to characterize patient/disease characteristics and treatment patterns, the reverse Kaplan-Meier method to calculate follow-up, the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate survival, and Cox proportional hazards to associate clinical and disease features with survival outcomes. Results: Across 9 sites, we identified 306 pts who received CD19 CAR-T for R/R MCL, of which 104 (34%) experienced POD and were investigated in detail: pts with POD were mostly men (73%), had a median age of 67 yrs (range 36-86) at infusion, and had received a median of 3 lines of therapy pre-leukapheresis, including a BTK inhibitor (BTKi) in 97% of patients; 36% of BTKi-exposed patients had BTKi-unresponsive disease. High-risk tumor features were common pre-CAR-T: 47/68 (69%) with a TP53 mutation, 66/93 (71%) with Ki67 ≥50%, and 47/102 (46%) with blastoid/pleomorphic MCL. Most pts (75%) received bridging therapy. Pts received brexucabtagene autoleucel (88%) or lisocabtagene maraleucel (12%). Regarding best CAR-T response for pts with POD, 71% had a complete response (CR), 13% partial response (PR), and 15% had no response. The median time from CAR-T infusion to POD was 6 months (IQR 3-12). At time of POD, high-risk MCL features were again common: 55% blastoid/pleomorphic, 42/56 (75%) Ki67 ≥50%, 51/83 (61%) MIPIb high-risk, and 21/35 (60%) TP53-mutated MCL. Among 69 pts with CD19 assessed on a post-POD biopsy, 8 (12%) had CD19-negative disease. 30% of pts had an ECOG performance status of ≥2 at time of POD. After POD occurred, 15 pts received no anti-lymphoma therapy (Tx), 11 pts underwent excision or radiation, and 78 pts received systemic therapy. The most commonly used first-line systemic Tx post-CAR-T progression included: pirtobrutinib in 13 pts [overall response rate (ORR) 31%], chemoimmunotherapy in 12 pts (ORR 25%), venetoclax in 10 patients (ORR 20%), bispecific antibodies (BsAb) in 10 pts (ORR 60%), and small molecule combinations (at least 2 of BTK inhibitor, BCL2 inhibitor, and lenalidomide) in 8 patients with ORR 50%. The ORR to all first systemic Tx post-POD was 42%. The median follow-up from POD is 15.2 months among survivors. The median progression-free and overall survival (OS) from time of POD were 2.3 (95% CI 1.9-3.4) and 5.4 months (95% CI 4.5-9.4), respectively, and 1-year OS rate was 33%. TP53 mutations predicted inferior OS (HR 2.83, 95% CI 1.08-7.43, P = 0.026) as did age ≥65 years at time of POD (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.07-3.15, P = 0.023), MIPIb high-risk (HR 3.56, 95% CI 1.08-11.7, P = 0.042), and non-response to CAR-T (HR 3.55, 95% CI 1.93-6.53, P < 0.001). Discussion: Our data, the largest reported cohort of pts with POD post-CAR-T with R/R MCL, confirm the poor prognosis in this patient population, with a median OS of 5.4 months. BsAbs showed promise with an overall response rate of 60%. The presence of a TP53 mutation significantly predicted inferior OS, corroborating the prognostic importance of this finding in the post-CAR-T context. Data from pts treated at additional sites and updated analyses will be presented at the meeting.
Rituximab +/- Ibrutinib As First Line Therapy for Marginal Zone Lymphoma
Thet, Win Su, Vemuri, Shreya, Seshan, Venkatraman , Batlevi, Connie Lee , Epstein‐Peterson, Zachary D. , Palomba, Maria Lia, Noy, Ariela , Thet, Win Su, Falchi, Lorenzo , Ghione, Paola , Habermann, Thomas M. , Hamlin, Paul A , Joffe, Erel , Lue, Jennifer Kimberly , Matasar, Matthew J. , Palomba, M. Lia , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Salles, Gilles

Blood | December 5, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 6352-6352

10.1182/blood-2024-211730 Get It

Background: Disseminated marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is an indolent disease often observable at diagnosis with treatment indications similar to other indolent lymphomas. First-line therapy is typically rituximab alone or in combination with chemotherapy (e.g. bendamustine). Due to the long-life expectancy, avoiding alkylating agents to reduce bone marrow damage could be beneficial. In addition, a “chemotherapy free” option could have fewer and less severe complications. Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) are active and approved or NCCN-recommended beyond first line therapy in MZL. Moreover, BTKi are approved for first line therapy in Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a disease with both diagnostic and pathophysiologic overlap with MZL. We conducted a multicenter randomized trial of rituximab induction plus ibrutinib/placebo (RI vs RP) for patients with MZL in need of first line systemic therapy. Complete response (CR) rate at 30 months was the primary endpoint and progression free survival (PFS) was secondary. The target sample size was 63 in each arm. The study was closed after 22 eligible patients enrolled due to low accrual. Methods: Patients (pts) with either nodal, splenic or extranodal MZL were eligible. Prior surgery, radiation, antibiotic or antiviral therapy for MZL were allowed if followed by disease progression requiring treatment. Documented evidence of need for treatment included, but was not limited to, threatened end-organ function, bulky disease (>5 cm), symptoms, requirement for transfusion or growth factor support, or significant need for intervention. Transformation to DLBCL was excluded prior to entry including bone marrow assessment. Randomization occurred prior to rituximab weekly x 4 to either daily placebo (RP) or ibrutinib (RI) 560 mg starting on day 1 and continued until disease progression (PD), intolerance or CR at 30 months. Those with partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) at 30 months could continue placebo or ibrutinib. CR assessment required both a negative FDG-PET and bone marrow biopsy. RESULTS: 22 pts enrolled (Feb 2020-March 2023) with baseline characteristics including: median age 67 years (35-78) and White race 17. Stage II (3), III/IV (17). Subtype: splenic 16, nodal 4, extranodal 2. Prior therapy: splenectomy 1, radiation 0, other surgery 0, antiviral/antibiotic 0. Median maximal tumor dimension was 3.7 cm (range 1.6-23.6); with >5 cm in 9 pts. Median time from diagnosis to treatment was 32 days (5-4712 with only 3 > 1 year). 11 pts were randomized to each arm. Responses: RP: 3 CR, 4 PR, 3 SD, 1 inevaluable; RI: 7 CR, 4 PR. No patient achieved CR30, but 3 had CR at 29 months: 2 RP, 1 RI. With a median follow up of 35 months (13-50), the median PFS by Log Rank was 14 mo (RP) vs 29 (RI), though this difference was not statistically significant in the setting of small numbers. Treatment was well tolerated. Only 1 pt experienced grade 3 events at least possibly related: hypoxia and dyspnea. This was attributed to COVID-19 and occurred on the RP arm. 1 CR patient with baseline clonal hematopoiesis developed myelodysplasia. Treatment improved baseline activities in 4/5 pts (1 RP, 3 RI). Baseline pain improved in 8 pt: 4 RP, 4 RI. All pts were alive at the data cuff off. Conclusions: This study is a chemotherapy free frontline trial in MZL and the first to utilize ibrutinib in frontline MZL. All pts received rituximab induction and were randomized at entry to RP vs RI. The COVID-19 pandemic affected site activation and accrual, ultimately contributing to low accrual and early study termination. Nonetheless, the results suggest a marked difference in median PFS favoring the RI arm, although small numbers preclude a statistically significant result. Notably, our results are qualitatively similar to those of Dimopoulos (NEJM, 2018) in Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a disease with similar characteristics to MZL. In that study, the median PFS by Log Rank was 20 months (RP) vs not reached (RI); and 30-month PFS 28% (RP) vs 82% (RI). (Hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.20; P<0.001). Further, our trial supports pursing a chemotherapy free first line approach in MZL.
Matched control analysis suggests that R-CHOP followed by (R)-ICE may improve outcome in non-GCB DLBCL compared with R-CHOP
Bantilan, Kurt S. , Smith, Alexandra N., Maurer, Matthew J. , Teruya‐Feldstein, Julie , Matasar, Matthew J. , Moskowitz, Alison J. , Straus, David J. , Noy, Ariela , Palomba, M. Lia , Horwitz, Steven M. , Portlock, Carol S., Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Moskowitz, Craig H. , Hamlin, Paul A , Cerhan, James R , Salles, Gilles A , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S , Zelenetz, Andrew D , Maurer, Matthew , Horwitz, Steven M , Matasar, Matthew , Noy, Ariela , Cerhan, James R. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Salles, Gilles , Zelenetz, Andrew D.

Blood Advances | January 25, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 2172-2181

10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011408 Get It

Abstract Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is considered the standard-of-care for patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), despite findings that patients with nongerminal center B-cell like (non-GCB) have significantly worse outcome with this regimen. We evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline risk factors, including cell of origin (COO) classified by the Hans algorithm, within an alternative chemoimmunotherapy program. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), 151 patients with DLBCL received sequential R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE (rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) consolidation. Outcome analysis based on COO was validated with a propensity score–matched cohort treated with R-CHOP from the Mayo Clinic component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER). Among the patients with GCB (n = 69) and non-GCB (n = 69) at MSK, event-free survival (EFS) of non-GCB was superior to that of GCB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.98). Overall survival (OS) demonstrated an association in the same direction but was not statistically significant (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.33-1.42). Propensity score–matched patients from MSK (n = 108) demonstrated a small attenuation in the HRs for EFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.27-1.18) and OS (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.33-1.79) and were no longer statistically significant. In contrast, the matched MER cohort (n = 108) demonstrated an EFS association (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.70-1.95) and OS association (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.64-2.00) in the opposite direction, but were also not statistically significant. R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE consolidation may overcome the negative prognostic impact of the non-GCB phenotype, per the Hans algorithm, and can be preferentially selected for this population. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT00039195 and #NCT00712582.
Pirtobrutinib in Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Patients with Prior cBTKi: Safety and Efficacy Including High-Risk Subgroup Analyses from the Phase 1/2 BRUIN Study
Cohen, Jonathon B. , Shah, Nirav N. , Eyre, Toby A. , Ujjani, Chaitra S. , Kim, Won Seog , Alencar, Alvaro J. , Lewis, David , Woyach, Jennifer A. , Maddocks, Kami J. , Seymour, John F. , Nagai, Hirokazu, Fakhri, Bita , Hernandez‐Ilizaliturri, Francisco J. , Kumar, Anita , Munir, Talha, Tsai, Donald E. , Balbas, Minna, Liu, Bin , Ruppert, Amy S. , Nguyen, Bastien , Wang, Michael , Fakhri, Bita , Jurczak, Wojciech , Zinzani, Pier Luigi , Cheah, Chan Y. , Koh, Youngil , Nasta, Sunita , Flinn, Ian W. , Tessoulin, Benoit , Ma, Shuo , Patel, Krish , Wang, Yucai , Rhodes, Joanna , Tam, Constantine S. , Vose, Julie M. , Hoffmann, Marc Steven , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Roeker, Lindsey E.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 981-981

10.1182/blood-2023-181627 Get It

Background: Despite the efficacy of covalent (c) Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) in R/R MCL, disease relapse arises through evolution of resistance mechanisms or development of cBTKi intolerance. Pirtobrutinib, a highly selective, non-covalent (reversible) BTKi has favorable oral pharmacology that enables continuous BTK inhibition throughout the daily dosing interval regardless of the intrinsic rate of BTK turnover. Pirtobrutinib is the first BTKi to demonstrate durable efficacy following prior cBTKi therapy in heavily pre-treated R/R MCL and was well-tolerated with a low frequency of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity (Wang et al., JCO, 2023). Pirtobrutinib is approved in the USA to treat relapsed or refractory MCL after at least two lines of systemic therapy including a prior cBTKi. Here, we report updated results of pirtobrutinib therapy in all patients (pts), including those with biologically high-risk R/R MCL with a median survival follow-up of 24.2 months (range, 18.2-29.8). Methods: Pts with R/R MCL received pirtobrutinib monotherapy in the multicenter Phase 1/2 BRUIN trial (NCT03740529). Efficacy was assessed in all cBTKi pre-treated pts, as well as in cBTKi treatment-naïve pts. Key endpoints included overall response rate (ORR) as assessed by independent review committee per Lugano 2014 criteria, duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Pts were included across the dose escalation range and expansion (25-300 mg/day) with 93% (n=141) receiving at least one dose of 200 mg/day, the FDA-approved dose. A data cut of 05 May 2023 was utilized. Results: Among all 152 pts with R/R MCL who received a prior cBTKi, the median age was 70 years (range, 46-88), and 52% had intermediate-risk and 28.3% had high-risk sMIPI scores. Median prior lines of therapy were 3 (range, 1-9), including an anti-CD20 antibody (96.7%), chemotherapy (90.1%), immunomodulator (17.1%), stem cell transplant (21.7%), BCL-2 inhibitor (15.8%), CAR-T cell therapy (8.6%), and PI3K inhibitor (3.9%). Among pts with high-risk biomarker data available, 30/60 (50%) had TP53 mutations and 45/63 (71%) had a Ki-67 index of ≥30%. The ORR for cBTKi pre-treated pts was 49.3% (95% CI, 41.1-57.6), including 15.8% complete responses (n=24) and 33.6% partial responses (n=51), whilst cBTKi naïve pts (n=14) had an ORR of 85.7% (95% CI, 57.2-98.2). The ORR among 128 pts who had discontinued a prior cBTKi due to PD and 21 pts who had discontinued for toxicity/other reasons was 43.0% and 90.5%, respectively. Among the 75 responding cBTKi pre-treated pts, the median DOR was 21.6 months (95% CI, 9.2-27.2) at a median follow-up of 24 months. The 18- and 24-month DOR rates were 51.9% (95% CI, 37-64.8) and 38.9% (95% CI, 22.7-54.8), respectively. ORR and DOR by high-risk subgroups (including blastoid/pleomorphic variants, Ki-67 index ≥30%, and TP53 mutations) are shown in Table 1. The 18- and 24-month DOR rates among 12 responding cBTKi naïve pts were both 90.0% (95% CI, 47.3-98.5). The median PFS and OS for cBTKi pre-treated pts was 5.6 months (95% CI, 5.3-9.2), and 23.5 months (95% CI, 17.1-NE), respectively. In the MCL cohort (n=166), the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were fatigue (31.9%), diarrhea (22.3%), and dyspnea (17.5%). The most common Grade ≥3 TEAE was neutropenia/neutrophil count decreased (13.3%) and the rate of Grade ≥3 infections was (19.9%). Grade ≥3 hemorrhage/hematoma (2.4%) and all-grade atrial fibrillation/flutter (3.6%) were infrequent. Overall, 8 pts (5%) had treatment-related AEs leading to dose reductions and 5 (3%) had treatment-related AEs leading to pirtobrutinib discontinuation. Conclusion: Pirtobrutinib continues to demonstrate durable efficacy and a favorable safety profile in heavily pre-treated R/R MCL pts with prior cBTKi therapy. High ORRs were observed in pts who had PD on a prior cBTKi, and in pts with high-risk disease features including blastoid/pleomorphic variants, elevated Ki-67 index, and TP53 mutations.
Outcomes in Mantle Cell Lymphoma with Central Nervous System Involvement - a Dual Center Study
McLaughlin, N , Joseph, Ashlee , Pederson, Levi , Geyer, Susan M. , Villasboas, J. C. C, Scordo, Michael , Thanarajasingam, Gita , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Porrata, Luis F. , Thompson, Carrie A. , Micallef, Ivana N. , Johnston, Patrick B. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Kumar, Anita , Wang, Yucai , Witzig, Thomas E. , Zelenetz, Andrew D. , Hamlin, Paul A , Bennani, N. Nora , Noy, Ariela , Habermann, Thomas M. , Paludo, Jonas

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 1670-1670

10.1182/blood-2023-174701 Get It

Background Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is a rare complication (<5% of cases) of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and is associated with poor outcomes, highlighting the need for novel treatment approaches. We report the outcomes of a large cohort of patients (pts) with CNS MCL from Mayo Clinic and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Methods MCL pts with CNS involvement seen at Mayo Clinic and MSKCC between 1/2000-1/2021 were included. CNS involvement was defined by histologically confirmed CNS MCL, CSF analysis demonstrating lymphoma cells, and/or neuroimaging findings compatible with CNS lymphoma. Medical records were reviewed for baseline characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. First-line MCL chemotherapy was categorized into higher intensity chemotherapy (i.e., anthracycline-based +/- high-dose cytarabine), moderate intensity chemotherapy (i.e., bendamustine-based regimens or single agent chemotherapy), and other. CNS treatment regimens were categorized as intrathecal (IT) therapy alone, systemic therapy (with CNS penetration such as IV cytarabine or IV methotrexate) with/without IT therapy, regimens with Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi), chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, or radiation alone. Kaplan-Meier method was used for time to event analysis. Forest plots were developed using univariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results Seventy patients were included in the cohort, 34 from MSKCC and 36 from Mayo Clinic. Median age at MCL diagnosis was 65 years (range 56-72) and 52 were male (74%). MIPI score was available in 60 pts: low (n=10, 17%), intermediate (n=20, 33%), and high (n=30, 50%) risk. First line therapy included: higher intensity chemotherapy (n=42, 60%), moderate intensity chemotherapy (n=25, 36%) and other (n=3, 4%). Twenty-five (36%) pts underwent autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in CR1. Median time from initial MCL diagnosis to CNS involvement was 24 months (m) (range 0-167). Four (6%) pts had CNS involvement at initial diagnosis. Abnormal CNS imaging was reported in 53 (76%) pts: leptomeningeal (n=37), leptomeningeal and parenchymal (n=4), parenchymal (n=8), orbital (n=4). The most common regimen following CNS diagnosis was systemic therapy with or without IT therapy (n=34, 54%) followed by treatment including BTKi (n=13, 21%), IT alone (n=10, 16%), radiation alone (n=3, 5%), and treatment including CAR-T (n=3, 5%). Three patients elected hospice care and four patients had missing/unknown CNS treatment. The overall CNS response to therapy was available in 54 patients: CR in 22 (41%) pts, PR in 8 (15%), SD in 11 (20%), and PD in 13 (24%) pts. Of the 70 patients, 63 died. Median follow up was 6.9 years (range: 1.6-11.2) from initial MCL diagnosis and 2.1 years from CNS diagnosis (range: 0.4-7.9). Median OS from MCL diagnosis was 3.4 years (95% CI: 2.4-4.6). In univariable Cox models, sex, stage, performance status, Ki67, or first line systemic chemotherapy type were not significantly associated with OS from MCL diagnosis. Low risk MIPI score (score < 5.7) was associated with favorable OS (HR 0.31, 94% CI: 0.12-0.77; p value 0.01) compared to high risk. First-line treatment and treatment intensity were not associated with a significant difference in OS. Median PFS for the first CNS-directed therapy was 2.4 m (95% CI: 1.7-4.3). Cause of death was disease-related in a majority (n=49, 78%) of pts and therapy-related in 10% (n=6). The remaining 8 deaths had cause of death reported as missing or other (13%). Median OS from CNS involvement was 5.1 m (95% CI: 3.3-10.0) (Figure 1). When assessing OS from time of CNS diagnosis, treatment regimens incorporating BTK inhibitors were associated with a more favorable OS compared to systemic therapy +/- IT therapy (HR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.16-0.89, p value=0.03) (Figure 2). Conclusions Our dual center series confirms patients with CNS involvement by MCL have poor outcomes. When evaluating OS from the time of CNS diagnosis, novel therapies, including BTKi and CAR-T, may be more effective than CNS-penetrant chemotherapy for treatment of CNS relapse suggesting newer therapeutic approaches are required to improve outcomes.