Smith, Sonali M.

Background. FL is associated with a heterogeneous clinical course, and currently available prognostic indicators are unable to reliably separate patients who exhibit early therapy resistance (POD24, defined as progression within 24 months from diagnosis) from those who achieve “functional cure” following initial therapy. NGS methods developed in recent years enabled quantification of MRD. The ClonoSeq assay (Adaptive Biotechnology, Inc.) has been FDA-cleared to track MRD in several hematologic malignancies. Here we demonstrate that MRD analysis by ClonoSeq assay predicts outcomes in a prospective cohort of patients with advanced stage FL enrolled on SWOG S0016 clinical trial. Methods. SWOG S0016 was a phase III randomized study that compared the safety and efficacy of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) with CHOP-RIT (CHOP + I 133-tositumomab) in patients with FL. Between 2001 and 2008, 531 patients with previously untreated advanced-stage FL (bulky stage II, III-IV) of any pathologic grade were randomly assigned to receive 6 cycles of R-CHOP or CHOP-RIT. We used high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of the IGH and IGK/L loci (ClonoSeq assay) from tumor biopsy specimenstaken prior to treatment to define CDR3 rearrangements that tag the tumor. Subsequently, 1-year bone marrow specimens were screened for residual disease. The baseline dominant clone was defined as ≥10 estimated number of genomes (ENG) and comprised ≥5% of the library. MRD-positive state (MRDp) was defined as a minimum Hamming distance (HD) ≤6 in a patient's post-library (in any clone also detected in a pre-library) and conserved pre-existing SHM (if HD>0). Undetectable MRD (MRDu, at <10 -4) was defined as CRD3 HD>6 in a post-library with a depth >10,000 ENG. Five-year progression-free survival was the primary endpoint (PFS; defined as the time from registration to the first observation of progression or death due to any cause). Landmark analysis was defined at 1 year after registration and used for imputing the 5-year PFS and OS. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from registration to date of death due to any cause or last follow-up. PFS and OS estimates and 95% confidence interval were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared for MRDp and MRDu disease using two-sided log-rank test. HR and 95% CI were calculated using Cox regression model. Results. Tumor biopsy tissue was available for 189 patients. Of these, 24 patients were not evaluable (16 did not consent for banking, 6 were ineligible and 4 had an early event). In 36 patients, pre-libraries did not yield a trackable clone. In total, MRD status could not be ascertained in 47 patients due to absence of a clear trackable clone in either pre- or post-library, contributing to a 28.8% failure rate. Of 116 patients which yielded a trackable clone in both libraries, 83 were MRDu and 33 were MRDp. Baseline characteristics (age, sex, race, β2M, B symptoms, bulky disease, grade 3, stage, and FLIPI risk) were similar between MRDp and MRDu patients; however, MRDp patients were more likely to exhibit morphologic baseline bone marrow involvement by FL (82% vs. 55%, p=0.01). The estimated 5-year PFS was 72% in MRDu patients and 30% in MRD+ patients (Figure); 10-year PFS was 56% and 17%, correspondingly. Meanwhile, 5-year OS was not different (96% for MRDu, 81% for MRD+, p=0.91). Patients with MRDu had a significantly higher best overall response rate than MRDp patients (96% vs 79%, p=0.005), but complete response (CR) rates were similar (41% vs. 30.3%). Patients who received CHOP-RIT had better PFS regardless of MRD status (HR=0.48, p=0.01 for MRDu; HR=0.38, p=0.02 for MRDp), while OS was not statistically different. Five-year PFS was superior in patients who achieved MRDu (75% for CR and 70% for PR) compared with MRDp patients, regardless of response (34%). Patients who had MRDp status had a significantly increased risk of experiencing POD24 relative to MRDu patients (RR=6.5, 95% CI 3.0-14.0; p<0.0001). Conclusion. Here we for the first time demonstrate that MRDu status, as assessed by Clonoseq, predicts improved 5- and 10-year PFS in patients with FL initially treated with chemoimmunotherapy. MRD+ status in the bone marrow at a 1-year timepoint was associated with POD24. Despite a relatively high failure rate to detect trackable sequences using current technology (~29%), MRD assessment by NGS is a promising prognostic tool in FL. *co-senior authors

Abstract Although TP53 is commonly mutated in transformed follicular lymphoma, mutations are reported in <5% of pretreatment follicular lymphoma (FL) specimens. We assayed archival follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma specimens from a completed clinical trial, Southwest Oncology Group S0016, a phase 3 randomized intergroup trial of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin, and prednisone) chemotherapy plus R-CHOP (rituximab-CHOP) compared with CHOP chemotherapy plus 131-iodine tositumomab (radioimmunotherapy [RIT]-CHOP). Subclonal TP53 mutations (median allele frequency 0.02) were found in 25% of diagnostic FL specimens and in 27% of a separate validation cohort. In the R-CHOP arm, pathogenic TP53 mutations were not associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (10-year PFS 43% vs 44%). In contrast, among patients with no detectable pathogenic TP53 mutation, RIT-CHOP was associated with a longer PFS than with R-CHOP (10-year PFS 67% vs 44%; hazard ratio = 0.49; P = .008). No relationship was detected between PFS and the extent of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA)–mediated heterogeneity. In summary, subclonal TP53 mutations are common in FL and are a distinct phenomenon from AICDA-mediated genetic heterogeneity. The absence of a detectable subclonal mutation in TP53 defined a population that particularly benefited from RIT.

Abstract In the following brief report, we highlight the advances in the neuro-oncology space from the ASCO 2022 Annual Meeting. We put into context the phase 2 and 3 trials and how these may alter the standard of care going forward. In addition, we highlight some other earlier work that will lead to future and potentially practice-changing trials.

Abstract The ELARA trial indicates tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) is an effective anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (r/r FL). As ELARA is a single-arm trial, this study compares tisa-cel outcomes from the ELARA trial with usual care from a real-world cohort. ELARA enrolled 98 patients as of 29 March 2021 (median follow-up: 15 months from enrollment). Usual care data were obtained from ReCORD-FL, a global retrospective study of patients with r/r FL, who met similar eligibility criteria to ELARA. With a data cutoff date of 31 December 2020, 187 patients with ≥2 preceding treatment lines were included in the ReCORD-FL (median follow-up: 57 months from third-line) study. An indirect treatment comparison was performed for 97 patients from the ELARA trial and 143 patients from the ReCORD-FL study with no missing data on baseline factors. The line of therapy for which outcomes were assessed was selected or matched between cohorts using propensity score modeling. After baseline factor adjustment via weighting by odds, complete response rate (CRR; 95% confidence interval) was 69.1% (59.8%-78.3%) for tisa-cel vs. 37.3% (26.4%-48.3%) for usual care; overall response rate was 85.6% (78.7%-92.5%) vs. 63.6% (52.5%-74.7%). Kaplan-Meier probability of being progression/event-free at 12 months was 70.5% (61.4%-79.7%) for tisa-cel vs. 51.9% (40.6%-63.3%) for usual care, with hazard ratio (HR)=0.60 (0.34-0.86); 12-month overall survival was 96.6% (92.9%-100%) vs. 71.7% (61.2%-82.2%), with HR=0.2 (0.02-0.38). In conclusion, tisa-cel was associated with a 1.9-fold higher complete response rate and a 1.4-fold higher rate of being progression or event free at 12 months vs usual care, as well as a death risk reduction of 80%. The findings provide additional evidence on the benefit of tisa-cel in patients with r/r FL after ≥2 treatment lines. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03568461

This study (ReCORD-FL) sought to construct a historical control cohort to augment single-arm trials in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (r/r FL). A retrospective study in 10 centers across North America and Europe was conducted. Adults with grade 1–3A FL were required to be r/r after ≥2 therapy lines including an anti-CD20 and an alkylator. After first becoming r/r, patients were required to initiate ≥1 additional therapy line, which defined the study index date. Endpoints were observed from start of each therapy line (including index line) until death, last follow-up, or December 31, 2020. Endpoints were complete response (CR) rate, overall response rate (ORR), time to next treatment or death (TNT-D), event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS). One hundred eighty-seven patients were identified. Most patients’ (80.2%) index therapy occurred in third line (3L) (range, 3L–6L). Median follow-up from FL diagnosis was 9 years (range, 1–21 years). CR and ORR to the index therapy were 39.0% and 70.6%, respectively. Median (95% confidence interval) EFS from index was 14.6 (11.0-18.0) months; median OS from index was 10.6 years. Outcomes worsened across successive treatment lines and for patients who were double refractory (r/r to both an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and an alkylator) or POD24 (progressed ≤24 months after front-line anti-CD20) at index. Findings demonstrate the unmet need of FL patients with multiply relapsed, double refractory, or POD24 disease. Based on robustness of the historical data collected and comparability with a previous study (SCHOLAR-5), ReCORD-FL presents a valuable source of control data for comparative studies in r/r FL.

Abstract Since the publication of the Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms in 1994, subsequent updates of the classification of lymphoid neoplasms have been generated through iterative international efforts to achieve broad consensus among hematopathologists, geneticists, molecular scientists, and clinicians. Significant progress has recently been made in the characterization of malignancies of the immune system, with many new insights provided by genomic studies. They have led to this proposal. We have followed the same process that was successfully used for the third and fourth editions of the World Health Organization Classification of Hematologic Neoplasms. The definition, recommended studies, and criteria for the diagnosis of many entities have been extensively refined. Some categories considered provisional have now been upgraded to definite entities. Terminology for some diseases has been revised to adapt nomenclature to the current knowledge of their biology, but these modifications have been restricted to well-justified situations. Major findings from recent genomic studies have impacted the conceptual framework and diagnostic criteria for many disease entities. These changes will have an impact on optimal clinical management. The conclusions of this work are summarized in this report as the proposed International Consensus Classification of mature lymphoid, histiocytic, and dendritic cell tumors.

Abstract Background: In the ELARA (E2202) trial (NCT03568461), tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) demonstrated high response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (r/r FL), including those with high-risk disease, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 86% and complete response rate (CRR) of 66%. As ELARA did not include a comparator arm, an adjusted indirect treatment comparison (ITC) using patient-level data from a global retrospective cohort study was conducted. This study aimed to provide comparative, contextual evidence to the efficacy outcomes of tisa-cel from ELARA relative to standard of care (SOC) in routine practice. Methods: ELARA is an ongoing, single-arm, global, multicenter, phase II trial which evaluates the efficacy and safety of tisa-cel in adult patients with r/r FL. As of March 29, 2021, 98 patients were enrolled with a median follow-up of 15 months. SOC data were obtained from ReCORD-FL, a global retrospective cohort study of clinical outcomes in patients with r/r FL meeting the ELARA eligibility criteria who were treated per routine practice at 10 academic centers across North America and Europe; 7 ReCORD-FL sites are also participating in ELARA, but no patients are enrolled in both studies. In ReCORD-FL, with a data cutoff date of December 31, 2020, a total of 187 patients with ≥2 lines of previous treatment were identified for inclusion, with a median follow-up from third-line of 57 months. A complete-case comparison analysis was performed for 97 ELARA apheresed patients and 143 ReCORD-FL patients with complete data on all baseline variables and prognostic factors used for adjustment. For the comparative analysis, one line of therapy (LoT) per patient was selected using a propensity score model to identify the LoT which had the highest chance of being enrolled in ELARA conditional on baseline characteristics and prognostic factors available at the start of the LoT (i.e., the selected LoT was the one with the highest propensity score to be in ELARA). After selection of LoT, an adjusted ITC was performed to assess the effect of tisa-cel versus SOC by measuring CRR, ORR, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and time to next treatment (TTNT). A subgroup analysis of SOC patients with ≥1 eligible LoT initiated from 2014 on (coinciding with the introduction of the Lugano response criteria as well as regulatory approval of idelalisib) was performed for all endpoints. Results: Baseline characteristics for the tisa-cel and SOC cohorts are described in Table 1; after weighting, baseline variables, including number of previous lines of systemic therapy (median: 4 lines) were well balanced between the tisa-cel and SOC cohorts. Treatment regimens observed for ReCORD-FL patients at LoT selection were: anti-CD20 antibody plus alkylator (31.5% of patients), anti-CD20 antibody without alkylator (25.9%), alkylator without anti-CD20 antibody (17.5%), and regimens other than anti-CD20 antibody and alkylator (25.2%). After LoT selection and adjusting for differences in baseline variables, tisa-cel was associated with improvement over SOC in CRR (69.1% vs. 37.3%), ORR (85.6% vs. 63.6%), as well as PFS, TTNT and OS (Table 2, Figures 1-2), with a numerically higher 6-month PFS rate vs. SOC (85.3% vs. 66.5%), as well as higher 24-month OS rate (87.8% vs. 64.8%). Further, there was an estimated 80% reduction in death risk in favor of tisa-cel over SOC, a 40% reduction in risk of progression in favor of tisa-cel over SOC and a 69% reduction in risk of death or requiring a new anticancer therapy (Table 1). In the sub-analysis of SOC patients with lines of therapy initiated in or after 2014, the superiority of tisa-cel over SOC was confirmed in all the efficacy outcomes (CRR: 69.1% vs. 30.5%; ORR: 85.6% vs. 58.8%; hazard ratios substantially < 1 for OS, PFS, TTNT). Conclusion: The ITC results suggest that tisa-cel has superior efficacy over SOC in r/r FL for all evaluated endpoints. A key limitation of this study is that response assessment criteria and schedule was more heterogeneous in ReCORD-FL than in ELARA. However, the sub-analysis on SOC patients assessed with a LoT selected in 2014 or later (when more patients could have been assessed using the Lugano response criteria) showed similar favorability for tisa-cel over SOC in all the efficacy outcomes. Moreover, outcome parameters independent of response criteria, namely OS and TTNT, were also significantly better for tisa-cel vs. SOC. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Salles: Abbvie, Epizyme, Morphosys, Regeneron: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria; Beigene, BMS/Celgene, Debiopharm, Genentech/Roche, Genmab, Incyte, Ipsen, anssen, Novartis. Kite/Gilead, Loxo, Miltneiy, Rapt, TAKEDA, Velosbio, Allogene: Consultancy. Schuster: Acerta Pharma/AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Alimera Sciences: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Juno Theraputics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy; Tessa Theraputics: Consultancy; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; TG Theraputics: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Nordic Nanovector: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Dreyling: BeiGene: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Speakers Bureau; Genmab: Consultancy; Gilead/Kite: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Kuruvilla: AbbVie: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Antengene: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Honoraria, Other: Data and Safety Monitoring Board; Novartis: Honoraria; Medison Ventures: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; TG Therapeutics: Honoraria. Patten: ROCHE: Research Funding; GILEAD SCIENCES: Honoraria, Research Funding; ABBVIE: Honoraria; NOVARTIS: Honoraria; ASTRA ZENECA: Honoraria; JANSSEN: Honoraria. Von Tresckow: AbbVie: Other: Congress and travel support; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Other: Congress and travel support; BMS-Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Congress and travel support; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; MSD: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Congress and travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Congress and travel support, Research Funding; Pentixafarm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other, Research Funding. Smith: Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease: Other: Study investigator; Celgene, Genetech, AbbVie: Consultancy. Davis: Novartis, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Eisai, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca: Research Funding. Anjos: Novartis: Current Employment. Chu: Novartis: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zhang: Novartis: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lobetti Bodoni: Spouse: Harlcok Healthcare: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Spouse: Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Spouse: Celgene: Honoraria; Spouse: Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Spouse: Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Spouse: Sanofi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Spouse: NHS: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Spouse: F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Gilead: Other: Travel sponsorship in June 2019; Novartis: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Thieblemont: Kyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses , Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Hospira: Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses . Fowler: BostonGene, Corp: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Bristol Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, TG Therapeutics and Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Dickinson: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; MSD: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Martinez-Lopez: Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Wang: Eli Lilly: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; InnoCare: Research Funding; LOXO Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Link: Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; MEI: Consultancy; Novartis, Jannsen: Research Funding.