Andreadis, Charalambos Babis

Patients in the liso-cel plus ibrutinib cohort of the phase 1/2, open-label TRANSCEND CLL 004 study had relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and received liso-cel (50×106 [dose level (DL)1] or 100×106 [DL2] chimeric antigen receptor-positive T cells) with concurrent ibrutinib from enrollment through 90 days after liso-cel infusion or longer per investigator discretion. Primary end point was complete response/remission (CR)/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) by investigator assessment. Among 56 patients who received ibrutinib plus liso-cel (DL1, n=5; DL2, n=51), median (range) age was 64.5 years (44‒77), 98% had high-risk cytogenetics, 55% had progression on Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor and venetoclax failure, and median (range) number of prior therapies was 5 (1‒13). Median (range) follow-up was 24.8 months (3.1‒51.8). At DL2, CR/CRi rate was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31‒60) and overall response rate was 86% (95% CI, 74‒94). Median (95% CI) duration of response was not reached (NR; 28.7‒NR) for patients with CR/CRi and 41.4 months (23.3‒NR) for all responders. Median (95% CI) progression-free survival was 31.4 months (20.1‒NR). In DL1+DL2, most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were neutropenia (52%) and anemia (41%). Cytokine release syndrome was reported in 80% of patients (grade 3, 4%; no grade 4/5), and neurological events in 41% (grade 3/4, 11%; no grade 5). Ibrutinib-related TEAEs were reported in 68% of patients (grade 3/4, 43%; no grade 5). Liso-cel plus ibrutinib demonstrated notable efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL with predictable and manageable safety. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03331198; NCT03435796.

Background and Significance When patients (pts) with follicular lymphoma (FL) present with a high tumor burden, they require systemic treatment with rituximab (R) in combination with chemotherapy (chemo). Given the known cumulative toxicities of chemotherapy and the older age of pts at the time of diagnosis, novel chemo-free treatment approaches are desired by pts as well as physicians. R-lenalidomide (R-Len), a chemo-free alternative to R-based chemoimmunotherapy, has recently been listed as a chemo-free option in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) guidelines. Golcadomide (GOLCA) is a potential first-in-class oral cereblon E3 ligase modulator (CELMoD™) agent purposefully designed for the treatment of lymphoma. GOLCA co-opts cereblon to induce targeted degradation of the transcription factors Ikaros/Aiolos, inducing deep, rapid, and extensive tumor killing, independent of cell of origin, and enhanced immunostimulatory activity. Compared with immunomodulatory (IMiD) agents like lenalidomide, GOLCA more efficiently drives the cereblon complex to the closed active state resulting in more potent degradation (Watson ER et al, Science 2022), which is expected to translate into improved clinical benefit. In addition, the phase 1/2 study CC-99282-NHL-001 showed that GOLCA alone or in combination with R (GOLCA-R) was well tolerated and showed promising activity in pts with heavily pre-treated relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL, including in those with prior Len-based therapies and/or T cell-redirecting therapies (Chavez et al, EHA 2024). Based on this, GOLSEEK-2 (NCT06425302) is a randomized phase 2 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of GOLCA-R as a chemo-free option in pts with newly diagnosed advanced-stage FL. Study Design and Methods After a screening period of ≤ 5 weeks, approximately 90 pts with newly diagnosed advanced-stage FL will be randomized 1:1:1 between GOLCA plus rituximab at a dose of 0.2 mg or 0.4 mg once daily from day 1 to 14 every 28 days for 12 cycles or investigator's choice R-chemo (R-CHOP or R-bendamustine). R maintenance could be considered (as per pt and physician decision) for pts who achieve a partial response or better after completion of initial therapy for up to one year in GOLCA-R arms and up to one and a half years in the R-chemo arm. Pts with histologically confirmed diagnosis of grade 1, 2, 3a FL, or classic FL according to WHO classification would be eligible for the study. Other key inclusion criteria include no prior systemic treatment for FL, stage II-IV disease, the requirement for treatment as per investigator's judgment, and measurable disease as defined by Lugano 2014 criteria. Key exclusion criteria include other lymphoma subtypes, clinical evidence of transformed lymphoma, and documented or suspected central nervous system involvement. The primary endpoint is complete metabolic response (CMR) during the GOLCA plus rituximab combination treatment period, assessed by the investigator and based on Lugano 2014 Response Criteria. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, overall survival, overall response rate, duration of response, complete response rate at 30 months, CMR rate at 6 months and 12 months, and safety outcomes.

Background: In TRANSCEND CLL 004 (NCT03331198),monotherapy with liso-cel, an autologous, CD19-directed CAR T cell product (100 × 106 CAR+ T cells [dose level (DL) 2]), resulted in 43% ORR and 18% CR/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) rate per IRC in pts with third-line or later R/R CLL/SLL who had PD on Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) and failed venetoclax (Siddiqi T, et al. Lancet 2023). Ibr + other CAR T cell therapies has shown high ORR and reduced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) severity in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. In the phase 1 dose-escalation ibr combination cohort, DL2 was the recommended dose of liso-cel for expansion (Wierda WG, et al. Blood 2020). Here, we report results of liso-cel + ibr in pts with R/R CLL/SLL from TRANSCEND CLL 004. Methods: Eligible pts ≥ 18 y of age with CLL/SLL had ≥ 1 of the following: 1) receiving BTKi with PD at entry, 2) high-risk disease and < CR after ≥ 6 mo on BTKi, 3) BTK/PLCγ2 mutation ± ibr PD, 4) prior BTKi with no contraindications to ibr, and 5) (per amendment) PD on BTKi and received prior venetoclax. At enrollment, pts started or continued ibr (420 mg daily or less for toxicity) through leukapheresis and for up to 90 d (or longer per investigator [inv]) after liso-cel (target dose of 50 × 106 CAR+ T cells [DL1] or DL2). Response was per inv by 2018 iwCLL criteria. Primary endpoint was CR/CRi rate at DL2; secondary endpoints included safety, ORR, duration of response (DOR), duration of CR/CRi (DOCR), time to response, time to CR/CRi, PFS, OS, and undetectable MRD (uMRD) rate in blood. Cellular kinetics was exploratory. Efficacy analyses were at DL2 and safety at DL1 + DL2. Treatment-emergent AEs (TEAE) occurred the latter of ≤ 90 days after liso-cel or ≤ 30 days of ibr completion. Liso-cel-treated pts who completed or withdrew from study could enroll in a separate long-term follow-up (LTFU) study (NCT03435796) for safety and OS ≤ 15 y after liso-cel. Results: A total of 65 pts underwent leukapheresis; 56 received ibr + liso-cel (DL1, n = 5; DL2, n = 51). At data cutoff (01/12/2024), 28 of 56 (50%) pts had discontinued the study, 11 (20%) completed the study, and 17 (30%) were ongoing; 5 of 28 (18%) eligible pts enrolled in LTFU. Median (IQR) on-study follow-up (including LTFU) was 24.8 mo (14.2-34.6). Median (range) age was 65 y (44-77); 55 (98%) pts had high-risk cytogenetics, such as del(17p) (n = 25), TP53 mutation (n = 24), and unmutated IGHV (n = 39); 43% had LDH ≥ ULN; and median (range) SPD was 27 cm2 (1-218). Pts had a median (range) of 5 (1-13) prior therapies (≤ 2, n = 13 [23%]). Median (range) time from leukapheresis to liso-cel availability was 25 d (17-79). Median (range) ibr exposure was 34 d (15-188) before and 94.5 d (6-1517) after liso-cel. At DL2, ORR (95% CI) was 86% (73.7-94.3), median (range) time to first response was 1.0 mo (0.9-6.0), and median (95% CI) DOR was 41.4 mo (23.3-not reached [NR]). CR/CRi rate (95% CI; primary endpoint) was 45% (31.1-59.7), median (range) time to first CR/CRi was 3.1 mo (0.9-12.1), and median (95% CI) DOCR was NR (26.6-NR). Median (95% CI) PFS and OS was 31.4 mo (20.1-NR) and NR (27.5-NR), respectively. uMRD rate (95% CI) in blood and marrow was 86% (73.7-94.3) and 84% (71.4-93.0), respectively. Grade (gr) ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 48 (86%) pts (most commonly neutropenia [52%] and anemia [41%]) with no gr 5 TEAEs. Liso-cel-related gr ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 32 (57%) pts and ibr-related gr ≥ 3 TEAEs in 24 (43%) pts including cardiovascular events of hypertension (7%) and atrial fibrillation (2%). Any-gr CRS occurred in 45 (80%) pts (gr ≥ 3, n = 2 [4%]) and any-gr neurological events (NE) in 23 (41%) pts (gr ≥ 3, n = 6 [11%]). Eight (14%) pts had gr ≥ 3 infections and 5 (9%) had second primary malignancies. Twenty-five (45%) pts had prolonged cytopenias (gr ≥ 3 at D30); most recovered to gr ≤ 2 by D90. Sixteen pts died after infusion (PD, n = 6; unknown, n = 6; COVID-19, n = 3; mixed septic/cardiogenic shock, n = 1). Liso-cel showed rapid expansion (median tmax, 10 d) and was detected up to 42 mo after infusion. Conclusions: Combined liso-cel + ibr demonstrated substantial efficacy with deep remissions (86% ORR, 45% CR rate, and 86% blood uMRD rate) and manageable safety in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. Though comparisons should be made with caution and there were differences in disease characteristics between cohorts, liso-cel + ibr showed a numerically higher ORR/CR rate and lower gr ≥ 3 CRS/NE rates vs liso-cel monotherapy, supporting the combination as a promising new therapeutic strategy for pts with R/R CLL/SLL.

Background: The primary analysis of the phase 1/2, single-arm, multicenter TRANSCEND CLL 004 (NCT03331198) study with a median follow-up of 21.1 mo showed that a single administration of liso-cel achieved rapid, deep, and durable responses and a manageable safety profile in pts with heavily pretreated, high-risk R/R CLL/SLL, including those with progression on a previous Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) and venetoclax failure (primary efficacy analysis set [PEAS]; Siddiqi T, et al. Lancet 2023). With 5 mo of additional follow-up (median of 23.5 mo), liso-cel continued to demonstrate durable CR/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) and high undetectable MRD (uMRD; 10−4 by next-generation sequencing) rates with no new safety signals. Median duration of response (DOR) was 35.3 mo (95% CI, 12.4-not reached [NR]), and median OS was 30.3 mo (95% CI, 15.0-NR) (Siddiqi T, et al. Blood 2023). Here, we report updated results from TRANSCEND CLL 004 with 16 mo of additional follow-up since primary analysis and a median on-study follow-up of 23.8 mo (range, 0.4-59.6). Methods: Pts must have received ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy (LOTs), including a BTKi (full population). Eligible pts received liso-cel at a target dose of either 50 × 106 (dose level [DL] 1) or 100 × 106 (DL2) CAR+ T cells after lymphodepleting chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was CR/CRi per independent review committee in the PEAS at DL2. Key secondary endpoints were ORR and blood uMRD rate. All pts who received liso-cel and completed or discontinued early from the study were asked to enroll in a separate long-term follow-up (LTFU) study (NCT03435796) assessing safety and OS for up to 15 y after liso-cel. Results: As of the data cutoff (01/12/2024), 118 of 137 leukapheresed pts received liso-cel (safety set), 97 (DL1, n = 9; DL2, n = 88) were efficacy evaluable, and 54 (DL1, n = 4; DL2, n = 50) were in the PEAS. A total of 22 pts were ongoing in TRANSCEND CLL 004, and 19 of 60 eligible pts enrolled to the LTFU study. In the safety set, pts had a median age of 65 y (range, 49-82), and 83% had high-risk cytogenetic markers (del[17p], 42%; TP53 mutation, 47%; unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene, 47%). Median prior LOTs was 5 (range, 2-14); 86% of pts had prior chemoimmunotherapy. In the PEAS at DL2, CR/CRi rate remained at 20%, ORR at 44%, blood uMRD rate at 64%, and marrow uMRD rate at 60%. Median DOR was NR (95% CI, 12.4-NR), with a median follow-up of 31.7 mo (95% CI, 21.3-35.5). Estimated 36-mo DOR rate was 61% (95% CI, 30-81). Median (95% CI) DOR was NR in pts with CR/CRi. Median (95% CI) PFS was 11.9 mo (5.7-26.2) overall, 26.2 mo (11.9-NR) in pts with blood uMRD, and 2.8 mo (0.8-3.2) in pts with detectable blood MRD. Median OS, including 19 pts in the LTFU, was 43.2 mo (95% CI, 14.5-NR). Efficacy outcomes were similar in the full population at DL2. A subgroup of 23 pts who had only prior BTKi exposure and were venetoclax naïve was less heavily pretreated, with a median of 3 prior LOTs (range, 2-11); all pts had prior chemoimmunotherapy. In the efficacy-evaluable pts of this subgroup at DL2 (n = 18), the CR/CRi rate was 22%; ORR was 61%; and median (95% CI) DOR was NR (17.1-NR), PFS was NR (18.0-NR), and OS was 52.2 mo (26.9-NR). In the safety set, rates of any-grade/grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (85%/8%), any-grade/grade ≥ 3 neurological events (45%/19%), prolonged cytopenia (grade ≥ 3 at Day 30 after liso-cel infusion [54%]), grade ≥ 3 infections (18%), and second primary malignancy (9%) remained the same as previously reported (Siddiqi T, et al. Blood 2023); most pts with prolonged cytopenia had resolution to grade ≤ 2 by Month 3. Forty-six (34%) of 137 leukapheresed pts died after CAR T cell infusion, including 1 additional pt since the previous report with an unknown cause of death at ~14.5 mo after infusion. Persistence of the liso-cel transgene was detected up to 48 months after liso-cel infusion (2/5 evaluable pts at DL2 at Month 48). Conclusions: In this updated follow-up, liso-cel continued to demonstrate durable responses with an extended median OS of 43.2 mo in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. The safety results were similar to those previously reported with no new safety signals. These data confirm the sustained clinical benefit and favorable benefit-to-risk profile of a single treatment of liso-cel in pts with R/R CLL/SLL.

PURPOSE Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy that is approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Little is known about the long-term survivorship after CAR T-cell therapy. METHODS We previously reported the results of 298 patients who were leukapheresed with the intent to receive standard-of-care axi-cel (n = 275 infused) after two or more previous lines of therapy at a median follow-up of 12.9 months. Here, we report extended follow-up of this cohort to a median of 58 months, with a focus on late survivorship events. RESULTS Among axi-cel–infused patients, progression-free survival at 5 years was 29% and overall survival (OS) at 5 years was 40%. The 5-year lymphoma-specific survival was 53% with infrequent late relapses. However, the 5-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was 16.2%, with over half of NRM events occurring beyond 2 years. Patients who were 60 years and older had a lower risk of relapse ( P = .02), but a higher risk of NRM compared with patients younger than 60 years (NRM odds ratio, 4.5 [95% CI, 2.1 to 10.8]; P < .001). Late NRM was mainly due to infections and subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). In total, SMNs occurred in 24 patients (9%), including therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (n = 15), solid tumors (n = 7), and unrelated lymphoid malignancies (n = 2). CONCLUSION In the standard-of-care setting, axi-cel exhibits outcomes consistent with those reported in clinical trials, with sustained, durable responses observed at the 5-year time point. However, late infections and the development of SMN are key survivorship issues that reduce long-term survival after CAR T-cell therapy, particularly in the elderly.

Abstract During the manufacturing period of autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, patients may experience a decline in their condition due to cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the impact of bridging therapy (BT) on the outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma who received antilymphoma treatment between leukapheresis and axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) infusion. We conducted our analysis using data from the multicenter US Lymphoma CAR-T Consortium, with a median follow-up of 33 months (range, 4.3-42.1). Out of the 298 patients who underwent leukapheresis, 275 patients received axi-cel. A total 52% of patients (n = 143) who received BT had a higher baseline risk profile than patients who did not receive BT, and these patients, as a group, had inferior outcomes compared with those who did not receive BT. However, after propensity score matching between the 2 groups, there were no statistically significant differences in overall response rate (77% vs 87%; P = .13), complete response rate (58% vs 70%; P = .1), progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; P = .23), and overall survival (HR, 1.39; P=.09) between the BT group and the no-BT group, respectively. Analyzing the effects of BT in the whole cohort that underwent leukapheresis regardless of receiving axi-cel (intention-to-treat analysis) showed similar results. Radiation BT resulted in outcomes similar to those observed with nonradiation BT. Our findings suggest that BT may be safe without a significant impact on long-term survival for patients who require disease stabilization during the manufacturing period. Moreover, our results suggest that there is no clear advantage to using radiation-based BT over nonradiation-based BT.

Introduction: AutoHCT is an effective therapy for patients (pts) with DLBCL who are refractory or relapse following first-line chemotherapy, but long term outcomes remain suboptimal. The BTK inhibitor ibrutinib has shown promising activity in pts with ABC-DLBCL (Wilson et al, Nat Med 2015). In 2016 we launched a randomized phase III clinical trial to evaluate the addition of ibrutinib to AutoHCT as part of conditioning and as consolidation therapy for pts with relapsed/refractory ABC-DLBCL. Patients and Methods: Following assessment of open-label treatment in a safety cohort of 6 pts, we randomly assigned pts with chemotherapy-sensitive persistent or relapsed ABC-DLBCL to receive ibrutinib 560 mg [Arm A] or placebo [Arm B] concurrently with conditioning on days -6 to -1 of AutoHCT (Cycle 1). Following count recovery and resolution of acute toxicities, pts continued ibrutinib 560 mg in Arm A or placebo in Arm B for 12 additional 28-day cycles. Crossover to Arm A using single agent ibrutinib was allowed for pts progressing on Arm B. Central pathology review was performed for disease confirmation and subtype assignment. Initially, ABC subtype assignment was performed using the Nanostring Lymphoma Subtyping Test (LST) but the study was amended to use the IHC-based Hans classifier for non-GCB on 8/15/19. Other key eligibility criteria included receipt of no more than 3 prior regimens, no active CNS involvement, no need for long-term anticoagulation, and no prior progression on Ibrutinib. Pts were stratified by time to relapse (&lt;=12 mos vs &gt;12 mos), type of conditioning (BEAM or CBV) and prior ibrutinib use. The original design required 296 patients with 82% power to detect a difference in 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 67% vs. 50% with a two-sided alpha of 0.05. A revised statistical design allowed an interim futility analysis to be conducted after 40 pts were enrolled and followed for 2 years. Even though the study met criteria to continue accrual to a target of 160 pts, we decided to close it early due to declining accrual on 12/20/2022. We hereby present the primary analysis of the evaluable patients enrolled (data as of 07/17/2023). Results: Between 2/6/17 and 8/24/18, we screened 255 pts but enrolled only 34 (13%) largely due to long assay turnaround times and performance characteristics with the LST. Following the switch to the IHC-based Hans classifier (after 8/15/19), 60 out of 110 pts screened were enrolled (54%) in line with our a priori expectation. In total, 45 pts were randomized to Arm A vs. 43 to Arm B, with 39 and 38, respectively, being evaluable for the primary endpoint at this time. Median age was 61 years (range 20-75 years), median number of prior lines of therapy was 2, 46% of the pts were female, 21% were refractory or had early relapse, 94% were planned to receive BEAM conditioning. Overall, 87% of pts in Arm A and 88% in Arm B underwent conditioning while 70% and 67% respectively, started maintenance therapy. The median number of cycles received was 6 in Arm A vs. 5 in Arm B. The primary endpoint of 2-year PFS was 57.6% (95% CI: 42.1%, 78.8%) in Arm A vs. 40.8% (95% CI: 26.5, 62.8%) in Arm B (HR=0.54; 95% CI: 0.26, 1.10; log-rank p = 0.087). Median PFS was 26.5 months (95% CI: 10.2, not reached [NR]) in Arm A vs. 8.1 months (95% CI: 5.4, NR) in Arm B. Only one pt crossed over to Arm A after progression on Arm B. The most common grade 3-4 AEs in each of the arms were: neutropenia (A: 14%, B: 14%), febrile neutropenia (A: 11%, B: 9%), and thrombocytopenia (A: 11%, B: 7%). Rates of any grade atrial fibrillation were similar between arms (12.8% in Arm A vs. 10.5% in Arm B); one patient had grade 3 and one patient had grade 4 atrial fibrillation, both in Arm B. Six pts had reported grade 5 events (Arm A: 2 sepsis, 1 COVID-19, 1 respiratory failure and 1 disease progression and Arm B: 1 disease progression) but only one grade 5 event (sepsis, Arm A) was deemed probably related to treatment. Conclusions: Despite an early high rate of screen failures and declining accruals due to competition with CAR-T cell therapy, the primary analysis suggests that ibrutinib with and following AutoHCT in relapsed/refractory ABC-DLBCL is well-tolerated and may improve PFS in this high-risk patient population. This trial was supported by: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, U24CA196171; U10CA180820, UG1CA233234 (ECOG-ACRIN); U10CA180868 (NRG); U10CA180888 (SWOG) ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02443077 https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org

Introduction Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy that induces durable responses in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. At a median of 63.1 months follow-up on the ZUMA-1 trial, median overall survival (OS) was 25.8 months with 5-year OS and PFS (progression-free survival) estimates of 42.6% (95% CI, 32.8-51.9) and 31.8% (95% CI, 22.9-41.1), respectively (Neelapu, Blood 2023). We previously reported outcomes of axi-cel patients treated with standard of care therapy, including 42% who did not meet eligibility criteria for ZUMA-1 based on co-morbidities (Nastoupil, JCO 2020). Here we report results from this cohort at a median follow up of 58 months, as well as late outcomes of interest. Results The US Lymphoma CAR-T Consortium is comprised of 17 US academic centers who contributed data independent of the manufacturer. Two hundred and ninety-eight patients underwent leukapheresis with intent to manufacture standard of care axi-cel (n=298) as of September 30, 2018. In infused patients (n=275), OS and PFS were calculated from date of infusion. After a median follow-up of 58 months, median OS was 34.9 months (95% CI 23.4 - 44.8) with the OS at 3, 4, and 5 years of 49.1% (95% CI 42.9 - 54.9%), 43% (95% CI 36.8 - 48.9%), and 40.3% (95% CI 34.2 - 46.4%), respectively. The median PFS was 8.7 months (95% CI 5.87 - 16.6) and the 3-,4-, and 5- year PFS were 36.1% (95% CI 30.4 - 41.8%), 30.7 (95% CI 25.2 - 36.4%), and 28.5% (95% CI 23 - 34.2%), respectively. Results of multi-variable modeling were similar to our prior analysis: male sex (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.08 - 2.27, p =0.02); LDH above the upper limit of normal (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.12 - 2.30, p = 0.01); ECOG status of 2-4 (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.33 - 3.07, p = &lt;0.001); and elevated bilirubin &gt; 1.5 (HR 5.68, 95% CI 2.21 - 14.6, p = &lt;0.001) were associated with decreased OS. Factors associated with decreased PFS included male sex (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.20 - 2.37, p = 0.003), LDH above the upper limit of normal (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.31 - 2.53, p = &lt;0.001), ECOG status of 2-4 (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.30 - 2.86, p = 0.001), elevated bilirubin (HR 3.68, 95% CI 1.45 - 9.37, p = 0.006) and receipt of 3 or more prior lines of therapy (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.03 - 2.13, p = 0.032). We also assessed events of interest including late PFS events and causes of non-relapse mortality (NRM). One hundred and ninety-one PFS events occurred after axi-cel infusion during the follow-up period, 151 due to lymphoma progression and 40 NRM. In the first 12 months post infusion, 131 progression events occurred,13 between 1 and 2 years post infusion, and 7 relapses after 2 years with the latest occurring 46.4 months after infusion. Thirteen NRM events occurred in the 1st year post infusion, 6 between 1- and 2-years post infusion and 21 occurring later than 2 years after infusion. Of the 40 NRM events, 21 were secondary to infection including fungal infections (n = 3, 2 candidemia, 1 candidemia and pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia), JC encephalitis (n=1) and COVID-19 (n = 2). Nine deaths were attributed to secondary malignancy. Other causes of NRM included cerebral edema (n=1), HLH (n=1), intracranial hemorrhage (n=1), suicide (n=1), and unknown (n=6). The 5-year cumulative risk of relapse was 55.2% and the 5-year risk of non-relapse mortality was 16.2%. Excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, twenty-three of 275 (8%) patients were diagnosed with subsequent malignancy after axi-cel treatment: 14/275 (5%) patients were diagnosed with myeloid malignancies (MDS (n=11), AML (n=2), CMML (n=1)); other malignancies included anal squamous cell carcinoma (ca) (n=1); histiocytic sarcoma (n=1); prostate ca (n=1); endometrial ca (n=1); lung ca (n=1); merkel cell ca (n = 1), mesothelioma (n=1), B-ALL (n = 1), and AITL (n=1). Conclusion This multi-center retrospective study showed similar 5-year results to the ZUMA-1 trial with a 5-year PFS and OS of 28.5% and 40.3%, despite including patients who did not meet ZUMA-1 eligibility criteria based on comorbidities. Non-relapse mortality was primarily due to infection and secondary malignancy. This report supports the curative potential of axi-cel but highlights the competing risk of NRM in this high-risk patient population.