Feng, Lei

Abstract Polatuzumab vedotin (PV) is an antibody–drug conjugate targeting CD79b that is approved for patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Patients who relapse after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy were not included in the registration study, and reports of PV use after CAR T cells are limited. This multicenter retrospective analysis included patients with LBCL who relapsed or progressed after CAR T-cell therapy and subsequently received PV with or without rituximab and bendamustine between July 2019 and May 2021. Response to treatment and progression were assessed based on the 2014 Lugano criteria. Fifty-seven patients were included in the study: 18 (32%) patients were primary refractory to CAR T-cell therapy, and 34 (60%) patients received PV-based therapy immediately after CAR T-cell therapy. PV was combined with rituximab in 54 (95%) patients and administered with bendamustine in 35 (61%) patients. A response was achieved in 25 (44%) patients, including complete remission in 8 (14%). No significant association between baseline characteristics and response was observed. After a median follow-up of 47 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 40-54), 46 (81%) patients had disease progression or died, and the median progression-free survival was 10 weeks (95% CI, 5-15). On a multivariate analysis, bone marrow involvement (hazard ratio, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.8-15; P = .003) and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels (hazard ratio, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.4-16; P = .01) were associated with shorter progression-free survival. Studies aimed at better characterizing the intrinsic mechanism of resistance and identifying optimal consolidation strategies for these patients are warranted.

Abstract Introduction. About 60% of patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) relapse after standard of care (SOC) anti-CD19 autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, CD19 downregulation representing a major mechanism of resistance. Therefore, agents able to target B-cell antigens other than CD19 could be clinically effective for these patients. Polatuzumab vedotin (PV) is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD79b, and approved by the FDA in combination with bendamustine and rituximab for patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) LBCL. Patients who relapsed after CAR T-cell therapy were not included in the registration study, and reports of PV use after CAR T-cells in real world practice are very limited. Methods. This is a multi-center retrospective analysis of patients with LBCL who relapsed after SOC CAR T-cell therapy and subsequently received SOC PV with or without rituximab and bendamustine between 07/2019 and 04/2021. PV was given at the standard dose of 1.8 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks in all patients (except for one patient, who received 1.4 mg/Kg). Response to treatment and progression were defined according to 2014 Lugano criteria. Survival curves were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates, and were compared between subgroups using the log-rank test. Cox regression was used for multivariate analysis (MVA). Results. Fifty-four patients were included in the study: median age was 59 (range, 22-79 years), 38 (70%) were male, and 30 (56%) had an internal prognostic index score > 3. Median number of systemic therapies before CAR T-cell therapy was 2 (range, 2-6), 16 (30%) patients previously had autologous stem cell transplant (SCT), and 2 (4%) had allogeneic SCT. Sixteen (30%) patients were primary refractory to CAR T-cell therapy, and median time from CAR T-cell therapy to PV was 5 months (range, 1-40 months). CD19 status at time of relapse after CAR T-cell therapy was assessed by immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry in 41 patients, and positive in 34 (83%); CD79b status was assessed in 14 patients, and positive in all cases (100%). Thirty-two (59%) patients received PV-based therapy immediately after CAR T cell therapy, while 22 (41%) had intervening treatments (median 1, range 1-5). At time of PV initiation, median absolute neutrophil count was 2.9 (range 0.5-19 X10 9/L), median platelet count was 87 X10 9/L (range 15-437 X10 9/L), median serum creatinine was 0.9 mg/dL (range 0.4-22 mg/dL), and 44 (81%) patients had elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The median number of PV cycles was 2 (range, 1-16): PV was combined with rituximab in 51 (94%) patients, and administered with bendamustine in 33 (61%). A response was achieved in 24 (45%) patients, including complete remission (CR) in 8 (14%) patients and partial remission in 16 (30%)(Figure A), with a median duration of response of 11 weeks (95%CI, 5-17 weeks). No significant association between baseline characteristics and response was observed. To date, 49 (91%) patients stopped PV: 38 (70%) due to progression, 7 (13%) because of CR/patient decision, 3 (6%) to proceed to allogeneic SCT, and 1 (2%) to proceed to an immunotherapy clinical trial (despite absence of progression). No patients stopped therapy because of toxicity. After a median follow up of 45 weeks (95% CI, 20-70 weeks), 44 (81%) patients progressed/died, and median PFS was 9 weeks (95% CI, 4-14 weeks). To date, 34 (63%) died, and median OS was 16 weeks (95% CI, 13-19 weeks)(Figure B). Causes of death included progression in 31 patients and transplant-related complications in 3. On univariate analysis, a shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) was observed for patients with bone marrow (BM) involvement (3 vs 10 weeks, p=0.002), prior central nervous system involvement (4 vs 10 weeks, p=0.02), and elevated LDH (6 months vs not reached, p=0.004). On MVA, the association was maintained only for BM involvement (hazard ratio [HR] 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-12.5, p=0.004) and elevated LDH (HR 5; 1.4-16.7, p=0.01)(Figure C). Discussion. PV is safe and effective, but has short duration of response in r/r LBCL after anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, except for patients with normal LDH. Studies aimed at better characterizing intrinsic mechanism of resistance, including upregulation of BCL2 family proteins, to favor the development of more effective PV-based combination strategies for these patients, are warranted. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Crombie: Roche: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy. Kamdar: Celgene (BMS): Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; Kite: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Genetech: Other; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; SeaGen: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Other; KaryoPharm: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy. Hess: ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; BMS: Speakers Bureau. Neelapu: Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related to cell therapy: Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Poseida, Cellectis, Celgene, Karus Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics (Cogent Biosciences), Allogene, Precision BioSciences, Acerta and Adicet Bio: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Medica/Kuur, Incyte, Precision Biosciences, Legend Biotech, Adicet Bio, Calibr, Unum Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio: Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene, Kuur, Incyte, Precision BioSciences, Legend, Adicet Bio, Calibr, and Unum Therapeutics: Other: personal fees. Lin: Novartis: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Sorrento: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy. Strati: Astrazeneca-Acerta: Research Funding; Roche-Genentech: Consultancy.

Introduction Blood transfusion is still common in patients undergoing major cancer surgery. Blood transfusion can be associated with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. Perioperative Care in the Cancer Patient -1 (ARCA-1) aims to assess in a large cohort of patients the current incidence, pattern of practice and associations between perioperative blood transfusions and 1-year survival in patients undergoing major cancer surgery. Methods and analysis ARCA-1 is a prospective international multicentre observational study that will include adult patients scheduled to have major cancer surgical procedures with the intention to cure, and an overnight planned hospital admission. The study will be opened for 1 year for enrolment (7 January 2020–7 February 2021). Each centre will enrol patients for 30 days. The primary endpoint of this study is all-cause mortality 1 year after major cancer surgery. Secondary endpoints are rate of perioperative blood product use, cancer-specific mortality at 1 year and PFSs and 30-day morbidity and mortality. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at The University of Texas—MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at international conferences. Trial registration number NCT04491409 .

PURPOSE Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) on the basis of the single-arm phase II ZUMA-1 trial, which showed best overall and complete response rates in infused patients of 83% and 58%, respectively. We report clinical outcomes with axi-cel in the standard-of-care (SOC) setting for the approved indication. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data were collected retrospectively from all patients with relapsed/refractory LBCL who underwent leukapheresis as of September 30, 2018, at 17 US institutions with the intent to receive SOC axi-cel. Toxicities were graded and managed according to each institution’s guidelines. Responses were assessed as per Lugano 2014 classification. RESULTS Of 298 patients who underwent leukapheresis, 275 (92%) received axi-cel therapy. Compared with the registrational ZUMA-1 trial, 129 patients (43%) in this SOC study would not have met ZUMA-1 eligibility criteria because of comorbidities at the time of leukapheresis. Among the axi-cel–treated patients, grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity occurred in 7% and 31%, respectively. Nonrelapse mortality was 4.4%. Best overall and complete response rates in infused patients were 82% (95% CI, 77% to 86%) and 64% (95% CI, 58% to 69%), respectively. At a median follow-up of 12.9 months from the time of CAR T-cell infusion, median progression-free survival was 8.3 months (95% CI, 6.0 to15.1 months), and median overall survival was not reached. Patients with poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2-4 and elevated lactate dehydrogenase had shorter progression-free and overall survival on univariable and multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION The safety and efficacy of axi-cel in the SOC setting in patients with relapsed/refractory LBCL was comparable to the registrational ZUMA-1 trial.

Key Points SCHOLAR-1 is the first patient-level analysis of outcomes of refractory DLBCL from 2 large randomized trials and 2 academic databases. SCHOLAR-1 demonstrated poor outcomes in patients with refractory DLBCL, supporting a need for more effective therapies for these patients.