Phase II study of durvalumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in combination with R-CHOP or lenalidomide plus R-CHOP in previously untreated, high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
TPS7573 Background: The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is an important immune checkpoint used by tumor cells and may provide an effective target for enhancing anticancer immune response. In DLBCL, high PD-L1 expression has been identified as a negative prognostic factor for overall survival. Durvalumab (MEDI4736) is a high-affinity human IgG1 monoclonal Ab that selectively blocks PD-L1 binding to PD-1 and CD80, and preliminary preclinical and clinical activity support the study of durvalumab in high-risk DLBCL subtypes. The primary study objective is to explore the clinical activity of durvalumab with R-CHOP in non-activated B-cell–like (non-ABC) and durvalumab with lenalidomide + R-CHOP (R2-CHOP) in ABC previously untreated DLBCL; secondary objectives are to evaluate safety and identify biomarkers predictive of clinical response. Methods: This is a phase II, two-arm, open-label, global, multicenter study of durvalumab combinations in patients with previously untreated, high-risk DLBCL (MEDI4736-DLBCL-001; EUDRA CT 2015-005173-20; NCT03003520). High risk was defined as Ann Arbor stage III/IV or II with bulky disease (≥7.0 cm), along with intermediate-high/high IPI ≥3 or NCCN-IPI ≥4; patients must also have CD20+ DLBCL, ECOG PS 0-2, and no prior antilymphoma therapy. All patients receive durvalumab + R-CHOP21 in induction cycle 1 simultaneous to cell-of-origin (COO) analysis by gene expression profiling with NanoString technology. Beginning with cycle 2, Arm A (non-ABC) receives durvalumab 1125 mg IV on day 1 with 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP21; Arm B (ABC) receives the same durvalumab + R-CHOP21 doses with oral lenalidomide 15 mg/day on days 1-14. Both arms receive durvalumab consolidation 1500 mg IV on day 1 q28d for ≤12 months from induction cycle 1, day 1. The primary endpoint is 2-y progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoints include clinical response to treatment in biomarker-defined subpopulations (tumor and peripheral blood) and safety as assessed per NCI CTCAE v4.03 criteria. Exploratory endpoints include PFS at 12 mo, complete response, and PK/PD. Recruitment is ongoing, with a target enrollment of 120 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT03003520.