Martin, Peter

Abstract Background: Deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) inhibitors are an emerging class of compounds, which are increasingly being regarded for their anti-cancer activity and therapeutic potential. The 19S regulatory particle of the proteasome contains two DUBs, USP14 and UCHL5, which are critical for the proper unfolding and deubiquitination of proteins prior to their entry into the 20S proteasome β-catalytic core. In B/plasma cell malignancies such as Waldenströms macroglobulinemia (WM) and multiple myeloma (MM), protein homeostasis and optimal proteasome functionality are paramount for tumor survival. This is evidenced by the success of 20S proteasome inhibition with bortezomib and carfilzomib, which have demonstrated remarkable clinical benefit in patients with WM or MM. As such, the proteasome degradation pathway represents a highly attractive and clinically validated, yet still largely unexplored therapeutic target. Here, we provide first evidence of the cytotoxic effects and molecular sequelae associated with a novel 19S proteasome DUB inhibitor, VLX1570, which selectively targets USP14 and UCHL5, in preclinical models of B/plasma cell cancers and their drug resistant tumor subclones. Materials: VLX1570 was obtained from Vivolux AB, Sweden. Bortezomib was purchased from Sellekchem, Houston TX. Human myeloma cell lines (OPM2, U266, KMS11), human WM cell lines (BCWM.1, MWCL-1 and RPCI-WM1), their respective bortezomib-resistant (BR) subclones as well as ibrutinib-resistant (IR) derivatives of BCWM.1 and RPCI-WM1 were used in experiments (total n=12). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors were used to assess for cytotoxicity of VLX1570 in non-tumor cells. Results: A 72hr MTS assay first established sensitivity of plasma cell cancer models towards VLX1570, including drug resistant subclones (EC50 range, 20 – 90nM). Next we assessed whether loss of viability was due to apoptosis and observed dose-dependent annexin-V staining in ~50 – 70% of wild-type MM and WM cells, ~45 – 55% in corresponding BR models and ~50% in IR subclones when exposed to VLX1570 (100nm – 500nM) for 24hrs. VLX1570 was tested at similar concentrations in PBMCs and induced minimal cell death. To understand if VLX1570-induced apoptosis was mitochondrial mediated, we assessed mitochondrial outer membrane permeability (MOMP) in all plasma cell cancer models treated with the DUB inhibitor (100 – 500nM) and found a dose-dependent increase in MOMP (p<0.00025 – 0.000001). Activation of the mitochondrial/intrinsic apoptotic pathway was also evidenced by cleavage of caspase-9 and 3 on immunoblot analysis. As inhibition of protein deubiquitination results in accumulation of polyubiquitinated protein conjugates, we examined global ubiquitinated protein levels and found increasing amounts of high molecular weight poly-ubiquitinated protein in VLX1570 treated tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner. This prompted us to further delineate the potential cellular response mechanisms that relay the antitumor activity of VLX1570 in malignant plasma cells. Immunoblot analysis of drug sensitive and (bortezomib or ibrutinib) resistant MM and WM cell lines revealed several changes in ER stress response proteins, notably induction of HSP70 and splicing of XBP1; the latter event which was less prominent in BR cell lines treated with bortezomib. This suggested the ability of VLX1570 to overcome resistance through a rapid and potent proteotoxic effect, which overwhelmed the tumor cells stress response mechanisms beyond its capacity for survival. Finally, as abnormalities in the NFkB signaling pathway are implicated in malignant plasma cell survival, we found markedly decreased nuclear translocation of NFkB (p-P65) protein in tumor cells treated with VLX1570. Conclusions: The DUBs of the 19S proteasome cap offer an attractive target within the proteasome degradation system and whose inhibition by VLX1570 is able to circumvent mechanisms that support resistance to b-catalytic PI (bortezomib) or BTK inhibitor (ibrutinib) therapy. The studies undertaken thus far, coupled with more rigorous mechanistic and in vivo efficacy analyses currently underway, provides rational for the clinical development of DUB inhibitors for use in malignant B/plasma cell malignancies. Disclosures Martin: Janssen: Honoraria.

INTRODUCTION Complete staging via bone marrow assessment is standard of practice for most newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients, though the methods and patterns of bone marrow assessment vary in clinical practice. The 2014 Lugano Classification recommends that in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) alone can designated advanced-stage disease in many, but not all cases. For most other NHL subtypes, obtaining bone marrow biopsy (BMB) remains recommended. We aimed to assess clinical practice patterns of marrow assessment and the performance of PET/CT in the clinical setting. METHODS The Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort is a prospective cohort from 8 academic medical centers. All patients were enrolled in the cohort within 6 months of diagnosis, and prospectively followed. Patients with lymphoma enrolled in the cohort between July 2015 and June 2017 were included for study. Baseline clinical characteristics at diagnosis, whether BMB and/or PET/CT were performed, and the result of these assessments were extracted from the database. Bone marrow involvement on PET/CT was abstracted via review of radiology reports. No central review of images was utilized. RESULTS In total, 3,251 patients were included, consisting of the following subtypes: DLBCL (n=1,098), follicular lymphoma (FL n=730), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL n=302), T-cell lymphoma (TCL n=278), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL n=269), other NHL (n=505) and composite lymphoma (n=69). Other clinical characteristics are shown in table 1. Staging BMB was obtained in 78% of patients, PET/CT was obtained in 56%, both BMB and PET/CT were obtained in 46% while neither were obtained in 9% (table 1). There were significant differences in lymphoma subtype between patients having any bone marrow assessment vs no bone marrow assessment (p<0.0001). MCL (96%) and DLBCL (94%) most frequently had any bone marrow assessment, while MZL was least frequently assessed (84%). Patients undergoing any bone marrow assessment had higher median lactate dehydrogenase (247 U/L vs 206 U/L, p=0.0002). Among the 8 enrolling medical centers, the frequency of bone marrow biopsy at diagnosis ranged from 53% to 86%, and the frequency of PET/CT at diagnosis ranged from 34% to 94% (p<0.0001, table 1). Among patients with DLBCL who had positive bone marrow by either PET/CT or BMB (N=107), 41% (44/107) were positive by BMB only, 19% (20/107) were positive by PET/CT only, and 40% (43/107) were positive by both. Figure 1 shows results of similar analyses for FL, MCL, MZL, and TCL. Using BMB as a gold standard for marrow involvement, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET/CT for marrow assessment in DLBCL is 49%, 90%, 68% and 91%, respectively. Data for other subtypes are shown in table 2. Patients undergoing both PET/CT and BMB had lower median LDH (231 U/L vs 254 U/L, p=0.0032) than those undergoing one or neither assessments. CONCLUSION Overall, 91% of all patients with newly diagnosed NHL had bone marrow assessments via either PET/CT, BMB or both. The significant variation in the frequency of BMB and PET/CT use among the 8 centers reflects a lack of clear consensus on staging practices regarding bone marrow assessment. The sensitivity of PET/CT for detection of marrow involvement was less than 50% across all subtypes. It is possible the sensitivity of PET/CT could be improved via a centralized review process of the images, as is performed in some clinical trials, however practical approaches for implementing such reviews in clinical practice have not been developed. Between 92-100% of all positive bone marrows were detected by BMB, except in cases with DLBCL in which 19% of positive bone marrows were missed by BMB but detected by PET/CT. Thus, in our analysis, BMB more reliably captured marrow involvement that PET/CT in all subtypes in which both assessments were performed. However, neither PET/CT nor BMB alone were able to identify all cases of bone marrow involvement and use of both modalities may be necessary in cases where marrow involvement would have clinically important implications. Disclosures Rutherford: Juno Therapeutics Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen Scientific Affairs: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Heron: Consultancy, Honoraria. Kahl:ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy. Lossos:Janssen Scientific: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; NIH: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Friedberg:Acerta: Other: Data & Safety Monitoring Committee; Bayer: Honoraria, Other: Data & Safety Monitoring Committee. Casulo:Celgene: Research Funding; Roche: Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses; Gilead: Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses. Cohen:Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.: Research Funding; Hutchison: Research Funding; Gilead/Kite: Consultancy; Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; UNUM: Research Funding; Lymphoma Research Foundation: Research Funding; ASH: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding. Nastoupil:TG Therapeutics: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Spectrum: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria. Flowers:Denovo Biopharma: Consultancy; Spectrum: Consultancy; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding; Optimum Rx: Consultancy; Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics/Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; V Foundation: Research Funding; Millenium/Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding. Cerhan:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding. Martin:Sandoz: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Teneobio: Consultancy; I-MAB: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy.

Abstract Background: Bendamustine and rituximab (BR) is a commonly chosen frontline treatment for grade 1-2 (G 1-2) follicular lymphoma (FL). This regimen resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and less toxicity compared to R-CHOP in the STiL trial [Rummel et al., 2013] and similar results were observed when comparing BR vs. R-CHOP/R-CVP in the confirmatory BRIGHT trial [Flinn et al., 2014, updated ASCO 2017]. Importantly, patients (pts) with grade 3A (G 3A) FL were excluded from these studies, yet the conclusions are often extrapolated to the treatment of G 3A pts. Notably, G 3A pts were included in the GALLIUM trial which used both bendamustine as well as CHOP backbones. Several retrospective studies of FL pts treated with frontline R-CHOP have demonstrated equivalent or improved overall survival (OS) for G 3A relative to G 1-2 FL (Koch et al., 2016, Mustafa et al., 2017, Yuan et al., 2017, Maeshima et al., 2013). Early disease progression after diagnosis and treatment with frontline R-CHOP has been identified as a strong predictor of poor OS in FL pts [Casulo et al. 2015], but has not been assessed in pts treated with frontline BR. We retrospectively evaluated outcomes of a large cohort of FL pts treated with frontline BR and stratified the results based on histologic grade and early vs. late progression. Methods: We reviewed medical records of adult (age >18) pts with FL treated with frontline BR at 18 US cancer centers. There was no central pathology review; each academic institution confirmed the diagnosis and grade of FL. Pts with unknown grade, grade 3B, or cutaneous FL were excluded. Baseline characteristics between grades were evaluated with the Chi-Square test for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney U for continuous variables. Outcomes were calculated from time of initiation of BR. Patients were grouped according to whether or not they had progression of disease within 24 months of BR initiation (POD24). OS and PFS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Results: 687 pts were included (616 G 1-2, 71 G 3A). Median age at diagnosis was 60 years (range 21-94) with 53% men. The median time from diagnosis to treatment with BR was 1 month (range 0-139). The median duration of follow up for the entire cohort was 39 months. Characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, ECOG, stage, LDH, and FLIPI are shown in the Table, and did not significantly differ between G 1-2 and G 3A pts. Rates of complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) to BR were similar between G 1-2 and G 3A (72%/22% vs. 66%/21%, respectively, p=0.114) but progressive disease (PD) was higher in G 3A pts (11.9%) relative to G 1-2 (4.8%, p=0.025). As shown in the Figure (A and B), 3-year PFS and OS was significantly longer for G 1-2 vs. G 3A pts (75% vs. 65%, log rank p= 0.035 and 90% vs. 86%, log rank p=0.007, respectively). Seventy-six (12.3%) of the 616 G 1-2 pts and 13 (18.3%) of the 71 G 3A pts experienced POD24 (p=0.19). For pts with both G 1-2 and G 3A FL, POD24 was associated with inferior OS (3-year OS 95% vs. 57% for G 1-2 pts, log rank p<0.0001 and 3-year OS 93% vs. 37% for G 3A pts, log rank p<0.0001) compared to patients without POD24. Conclusions: G 3A FL pts have an inferior OS and are significantly more likely to have PD to frontline BR compared to G 1-2, which differs from the published experience with R-CHOP. Similar to outcomes after frontline treatment with R-CHOP, POD24 after frontline BR for FL is associated with very poor OS. Future studies are needed to address optimal frontline management of pts with G3A as well as for pts with any grade FL with POD24 after frontline BR. Disclosures Nastoupil: Novartis: Honoraria; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; TG Therappeutics: Research Funding; Karus: Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Spectrum: Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Juno: Honoraria. Cerhan:Jannsen: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Celgene: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding. Maurer:Celgene: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding. Smith:Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Research Funding; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma BV: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Lossos:Affimed: Research Funding. Portell:TG therapeutics: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy; Kite: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Infinity: Research Funding. Calzada:Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Cohen:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millennium: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Millennium: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BioInvent: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; BioInvent: Consultancy. Ghosh:Spectrum: Consultancy; SGN: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics, an Abbvie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; TG Therapeutics: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Research Funding; F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; PCYC: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Forty seven Inc: Research Funding. Barta:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck, Takeda, Celgene, Seattle Genetics, Bayer: Research Funding. Caimi:Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory Board Participation; Genentech: Other: Advisory Board PArticipation, Research Funding; Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory Board Participation. Danilov:Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Research Funding; Aptose Biosciences: Research Funding; Bayer Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding. Martin:AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Kamdar:Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Consultancy. Kahl:AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Acerta: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; CTI: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy. Hill:Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract Background: To address the current and long-term unmet health needs of the growing population of patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and NHL survivors, we established the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort study (NCT02736357; https://leocohort.org/) with recruitment at eight centers (Cornell University, Emory University, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, University of Iowa, University of Miami, University of Rochester, and Washington University). Here we report on the first two years of enrollment. Methods: All patients ≥18 years with NHL (exclusive of chronic lymphocytic leukemia) newly diagnosed within 183 days of enrollment are eligible. LEO reviews all pathology diagnoses; annotates and harmonizes all cases with clinical, epidemiologic, pathology and treatment data; builds a NHL tumor bank that includes an H&E slide, a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sample and extracted tumor DNA and RNA; collects peripheral blood and banks DNA, serum, plasma and buffy coat in a central biorepository; and prospectively follows patients regularly to ascertain disease progression/relapse, retreatment, transformation, second cancers, survival, updated exposures, and patient-reported outcomes. We examined the demographics, clinical characteristics, and NHL subtypes for patients enrolled in the first two years (2015-2017) in LEO Cohort and compared these characteristics to population-based registry data from the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program for 2011-2015. We also examined baseline body mass index (BMI), comorbidities and quality of life (QOL) measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) scores (0-100 scale) overall and by NHL subtype that were collected in LEO but not available in SEER or any other large, prospective US NHL cohort. Results: From 2015-2017, LEO enrolled 3244 NHL patients across 47 states (Figure) with a median age at diagnosis of 62 years (range, 18-94 years) and 55.9% male. Based on self-identified race/ethnicity, 85% of the participants were White, 7.4% were Black/African American, 2.6% were Asian, and 3.5% other or more than one race; 9.9% were Hispanic (regardless of race). The most common subtypes were diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL, 33.9%), follicular (FL, 22.2%), mantle cell (MCL, 9.3%), marginal zone (MZL, 8.3%), T-cell (TCL, 10.9%), and all other NHL subtypes (other NHL, 15.3%). These distributions were all within 5% of SEER data, except that 6.8% of participant in LEO were in the age 80+ years group compared to 18.5% in SEER (Table). The overall prevalence of self-reported comorbidities at enrollment was 13.5% for heart disease (range, 12.1% for FL to 16.6% for MCL), 8.8% for diabetes (range, 7.1% for FL to 9.8% for DLBCL), 4.6% for osteoporosis (range, 3.0% for MCL to 6.3% for MZL), and 5.9% for autoimmune disease (range, 2.0% for MCL to 12.6% for MZL). The median BMI was 27.9 kg/m2 (range, 26.7 kg/m2 for TCL to 28.3 kg/m2 for MZL). A total of 2151 participants completed the FACT-G with a median score of 78.7 (range, 75.9 for TCL to 83.3 for MZL). Complete IPI data were available on 2296 participants: 40.4% IPI 0-1, 32.7% IPI 2, 18.3% IPI 3, 8.7% IPI 4-5. Overall, 73.7% of participants were initially treated with systemic therapy (range, 40.0% for MZL and 91.8% for DLBCL); 14.5% were initially managed with observation (range, 1.4% DLBCL and 31.8% for FL); and 2.0% were initially manage with radiotherapy (range, 0.2% for MCL and 3.8% for DLBCL). Outcomes are being prospectively collected. Conclusions: LEO is a large and diverse cohort of newly diagnosed NHL patients and the first two years of enrollment reflects the broader United States NHL population. Enrollment is ongoing. This unique resource will enable examination of the interactions among a broad array of clinical and molecular factors and their impact on multiple outcomes, to improve prognostication, identify new approaches to improve outcomes and survivorship, and facilitate clinical trials using this infrastructure. Disclosures Flowers: Acerta: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics/ Janssen: Consultancy; OptumRx: Consultancy; Janssen Pharmaceutical: Research Funding; V Foundation: Research Funding; Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Research Funding; Spectrum: Consultancy; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy; Millennium/Takeda: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy; BeiGene: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Denovo Biopharma: Consultancy; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy; Gilead: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding. Nastoupil:TG Therappeutics: Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Spectrum: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karus: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Juno: Honoraria. Kahl:Acerta: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; CTI: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy. Casulo:Celgene: Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria. Friedberg:Bayer: Honoraria. Lossos:Affimed: Research Funding. Martin:Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy. Leonard:Bayer: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Biotest: Consultancy; United Therapeutics: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Sutro: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Bernal-Mizrachi:Kodikaz Therapeutic Solutions: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company: Research Funding. Maurer:Morphosys: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Cerhan:Nanostring: Research Funding; Jannsen: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Celgene: Research Funding.

Background The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) maintains homeostasis in eukaryotic cells by degrading and recycling proteins associated with DNA transcription and cell cycle regulation. In tumor cells with a high protein turnover rate, particularly in immunoglobulin secreting cancers such as Waldenströms Macroglobulinemia (WM), proteasomes are critical for sustained cell proliferation. Proteasome inhibitors (PI) such as bortezomib and carfilzomib target the B5 subunit of the proteasome catalytic core and disrupt its activity leading to accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Although highly effective in WM, persistent use of bortezomib eventually leads to emergence of a bortezomib resistant (BR) subclone. Point mutation in the PSMB5 gene (encoding the B5 subunit) leading to altered binding kinetics is identified as a potential underlying mechanism of PI resistance. Despite these adaptive modifications that support resistance to PI resistance, the UPS as a whole remains a relevant target with vulnerable sites that can be therapeutically exploited. The 19S cap of the proteasome contains deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBS) that function to deubiquitinate proteins prior to their entry into the proteasomal core. Using a novel DUB-inhibitor b-AP15, which blocks the UCHL5 and USP14 DUBS, D’Arcy et al demonstrated that disruption of these DUBS does not alter proteasomal activity yet induces robust tumor cell death in various cancers. Aim Investigation of b-AP15 in preclinical models of BR WM and characterization of associated downstream signaling interactions. Methods For these studies, we developed and used BR variants of the most commonly used WM cell lines (variants termed BCWM.1/BR, RPCI-WM1/BR and MWCL-1/BR). Proteasomal activity was measured in these cells using synthetic fluorogenic peptide substrates and apoptosis was measured by annexin-v/PI staining. For gene expression profiling (GEP), the Nanostring nCounter mRNA quantification assay was utilized. Results We treated all BR WM clones with either single agent bortezomib (10nM), carfilzomib (10nM), b-AP15 (100nM) or all three agents in combination and assessed their effect on chymotrypsin-like, caspase-like and trypsin-like proteasomal activity. b-AP15, either alone or in combination with the other PI, did not alter proteasomal activity, nor did it abrogate the inhibition of chymotrypsin-like activity of other PI. Although proteasomal activity was not disrupted, we observed an increase in high molecular weight ubiquitinated proteins on immunoblot analysis. We hypothesized that despite the BR cells resistance to B5-targeting PI, they would remain sensitive to UPS inhibition if targeted through DUB inhibition. We treated BR cells with b-AP15 at concentrations ranging from 50nM - 1.25uM and observed that b-AP15 induced robust WM cell death in a dose and time dependent manner. Apoptosis was more pronounced in MWCL-1/BR cells and optimal cell death (55%) was observed at 500nM; however a commitment towards cellular demise was evident by PARP-1 and caspase cleavage as early as 3 hrs. Use of a pan-caspase inhibitor resulted in rescuing of the BR WM cells from b-AP15 mediated death and demonstrated a caspase-dependent death process. In order to gain further mechanistic insight into the processes that regulates response to b-AP15, we performed GEP and immunoblot of BR WM cells treated with 50nM of b-AP15. We observed an increase in phospho-p38 protein, which belongs to the MAPK family and regulates IL8 secretion. When BR WM cells were treated with a p38 inhibitor in combination with b-AP15, a significant decrease in cell viability was noted relative to b-AP15 (100nM) alone. Furthermore, GEP and network analysis identified key regulator genes associated with p53, cell cycle and MAPK signaling. Summary We provide first evidence that inhibition of the DUBS, UCHL5 and USP14 with b-AP15 results in caspase-dependent apoptosis of BR WM cells. Our investigation uncovers important molecular interactions that may dictate the BR cells responsiveness to DUB-inhibition by b-AP15. These observations validate the pervasive role of the UPS and confirm alternate therapeutics targets using our unique BR WM models. We are grateful to the Waterfall Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Research Fund, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the International Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Foundation for their continued support. Disclosures: Martin: Teva: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.

Abstract PURPOSE Urgency to initiate therapy has to be weighed against the time required for screening and consenting to enroll a patient onto a clinical trial. Exclusion of patients with rapidly progressive or symptomatic disease may lead to selection of patients with less aggressive disease. We recently identified that a short diagnosis to treatment interval (DTI) is associated with adverse clinical factors and inferior outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (Maurer et al, JCO 2018); shorter time to treatment was also found to be associated with outcome in other aggressive lymphomas, including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), in the National Cancer Database (Olszewski et al, BJH 2018). Here we assess the association of DTI with clinical variables and outcome in MCL from an observational cohort with validation in patients enrolled on an NCTN clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Newly diagnosed patients with MCL were prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER), now a subcohort of the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study. Patients initially managed with observation were excluded. DTI was defined as the time in days from date of first lymphoma-containing biopsy to the initiation of therapy. Associations of DTI with clinical factors and outcome were examined using a 14 day split based on the previous MER study of DTI in DLBCL. Odds ratios (OR) and Cox model hazard ratios (HR) are reported. Outcome was assessed using event-free survival (EFS) where events were defined as progression/relapse, initiation of new anti-lymphoma therapy, or death due to any cause. A validation cohort was assembled from patients enrolled in CALGB (Alliance) clinical trial 50403. Protocol therapy was high dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) consolidation and post-ASCT rituximab followed by bortezomib as either consolidation or maintenance. DTI was defined as time from diagnosis to study registration and outcome was assessed using progression-free survival (PFS) as defined on the clinical trial. RESULTS 271 patients with MCL enrolled in the MER from 2002-2015 and initiated treatment within 100 days of diagnosis. Median age at diagnosis was 64 years (range 36-76), 211 (78%) were male, and 92% were stage III-IV; MIPI was Low (41%), Intermediate (36%) and High (23%). Induction therapy was R-CHOP based (50%), B-R based (16%), HyperCVAD based (8%), 2-CDA based (11%), and other (15%). Median EFS of the cohort was 41 months (95% CI: 34-46). Median DTI was 26 days (IQR: 14-38) and 28% enrolled within 14 days of diagnosis, exhibiting a longer DTI than DLBCL patients enrolled in the MER during the same time period. Short DTI (0-14 days) was associated with adverse clinical factors including ECOG PS 2-4 (OR=5.74, 95% CI: 2.51-13.1, p<0.0001), elevated LDH (OR=2.30 95% CI: 1.25-4.22, p=0.0072), and higher MIPI score (OR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.04-2.07, p=0.025) but was not significantly associated with age, sex, B-symptoms, or stage (all p>0.30). Short DTI was also associated with inferior EFS (HR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.27-2.49, p=0.0008) which remained significant after adjusting for MIPI score (HR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.23-2.41, p=0.0016). In the validation cohort, 144 patients enrolled on 50403 within 100 days of diagnosis from 2006-2010. Median age at diagnosis was 59 years (range 29-69), 77% were male, and 97% were stage III-IV; MIPI was Low (51%), Intermediate (31%) and High (17%). Median PFS of the cohort was 84 months (95% CI: 50-109). Median DTI was 35 days (IQR: 22-46) and 11% enrolled within 14 days of diagnosis. Short DTI (0-14 days) was associated with PS (OR=9.00, 95% CI: 1.18-69.0, p=0.034) and) higher MIPI score (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.08-4.04, p=0.029) but not elevated LDH (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 0.43-3.74, p=0.66). Short DTI was associated with inferior PFS (HR=2.21, 95% CI:1.19-4.09, p=0.011) which remained clinically significant after adjusting for MIPI score (HR=1.85, 95% CI: 0.98-3.47, p=0.056). CONCLUSION A short diagnosis-to-treatment interval is strongly associated with adverse clinical factors and poor outcome in newly diagnosed MCL in the MER. Clinical trials are encouraged to facilitate enrollment of patients with short DTI to avoid potential selection bias. Support: U01 CA195568, P50 CA097274, U10CA180821, U10CA180882; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00310037 (CALGB 50403) Figure. Figure. Disclosures Maurer: Celgene: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding. Kaplan:Bayer Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Cohen:Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Millennium: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BioInvent: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding. Martin:Gilead: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Kahl:Abbvie: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Acerta: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; CTI: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy. Bartlett:ImaginAB: Research Funding; Bristol-Meyers Squibb: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Immune Design: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Merck & Co: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Acerta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; KITE: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Cerhan:Celgene: Research Funding; Jannsen: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Nanostring: Research Funding. Leonard:Karyopharm: Consultancy; Biotest: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Sutro: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; United Therapeutics: Consultancy.

Abstract Background: Aberrant B-cell receptor (BCR) and MYD88 signaling cooperatively drive Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) tumor cell survival. To sustain BCR-driven growth and maintain optimal cellular homeostasis, WM cells upregulate proteasome function. We have recently described the role of two distinct 19S proteasome-associated deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), USP14 and UCHL5, in maintaining WM-cell viability. Pharmacologic inhibition with b-AP15 (commercial compound) results in WM-cell death and accumulation of high molecular weight ubiquitinated protein conjugates; an event that is phenocopied by siRNA knockdown of USP14 and UCHL5. VLX1570 is a lead-optimized clinical grade analog of b-AP15 with enhanced solubility, stability and target residence time. We investigated the effect of VLX1570 on BCR components, WM cell survival proteins and its in vivo activity in a human xenograft model of WM. Materials: VLX1570 was obtained from Vivolux AB and bortezomib from Sellekchem. Human WM cell lines (BCWM.1, MWCL-1 and RPCI-WM1) and their drug-resistant derivatives were used (total n=12). Bone marrow aspirates from WM-patients and from healthy donors were obtained from the Mayo Clinic biospecimens core. PBMCs from healthy donors were used as comparators where needed. NOD/SCID mice were obtained from Taconic Labs and used for profiling the in vivo properties of VLX1570. Results: We first examined for USP14/UCHL5 protein expression by immunohistochemical analysis in primary tumor tissue from WM patients and compared it to healthy donor cells. WM patient-derived cells exhibited greater staining intensity of both DUBs. Preferential binding of VLX1570 to USP14 and UCHL5 in WM cells was probed in a WM cell using an enzyme-based competition assay (HA-Ub-Vs), which demonstrated time-dependent decrease in labeled USP14 and UCHL5 after treatment with VLX1570. In drug-resistant (bortezomib or ibrutinib-resistant) WM cells, VLX1570 induced >50% tumor-specific apoptosis and displayed synergistic activity with ibrutinib (median CI: 0.5). In addition to ER stress markers, we had previously observed that gene expression of BCR-signalosome components were reduced in VLX1570-treated WM cells (NanoString platform) and this was substantiated at the protein level where p-SYK, SYK and BTK decreased in a time-dependent manner. BCR end-effectors were probed in response to VLX1570 and a decrease in nuclear translocation of NFkB (p65) was noted. USP14 has been shown to control the availability of the chemokine receptor CXCR4, which regulates homing of WM cells to bone marrow. After VLX1570 treatment, we noted a significant decrease in CXCR4 surface receptor expression in all WM cell lines tested and primary WM cells. Lastly, to determine the in vivo anti-WM effects of VLX1570, we injected NOD/SCID mice (xenotransplanted with RPCI-WM1-Luc cells) with VLX1570 (I.P. route, 4.4mg/kg every other day) and measured tumor burden along with pharmacodynamic indicators. VLX1570-treated mice (n=7) demonstrated significantly lower tumor volumes by caliper measurement and bioluminescent signal (p=0.01 - 0.003) as well as reduced serum human-IgM, compared to vehicle-treated mice (n=7). Importantly, mice treated with VLX1570 survived longer vs. vehicle-treated mice (median survival, 62 vs. 44 days, respectively, p=0.0008). No unforeseen toxicities were noted and weight of the mice in vehicle vs. VLX1570-treated mice did not significantly change. IHC analysis in mice tumor tissues demonstrated reduced CXCR4, human-IgM, Ki67 and increased cleaved caspase-3 and ubiquitinated (k48-linked) protein level, the latter serving as a more specific indicator of USP14/UCHL5 inhibition. Conclusions: We provide substantial in vitro and in vivo evidence on the anti-WM effects of a novel first-in-class clinical grade USP14/UCHL5 inhibitor, VLX1570. In addition to anticipated induction of ER stress machinery, we describe for the first time VLX1570-mediated modulation of BCR components and WM cell survival proteins as well as demonstrate its robust activity in an aggressive human xenograft model of WM. These data provide the rationale for a clinical trial of single agent VLX1570 in patients with symptomatic WM. Disclosures Martin: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Gullbo:Vivolux AB: Other: Shareholder. Linder:Vivolux AB: Other: Shareholder.

Abstract Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remains challenging particularly in the relapsed/refractory setting, where patients often show chemoresistance. Novel molecular-based therapies have shown impressive and durable activity in that setting, although primary and acquired resistance remains problematic. A recent retrospective series of 114 patients who had failed ibrutinib (median of 4.7 month exposure) showed very short median overall survival of 2.9 months after ibrutinib cessation (Martin et al. Blood 2015). Here we report the results from the observationalMCL-004 study investigating outcomes of patients treated with lenalidomide (an IMiD® immunomodulatory agent) after failing ibrutinib; patients were either relapsed, progressed, refractory, or intolerant to ibrutinib. The objective here is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of lenalidomide monotherapy or a lenalidomide-containing regimen in relapsed/refractory MCL after ibrutinib failure or intolerance. Methods: MCL-004 is a multicenter study in patients with MCL who relapsed/progressed after or were refractory/intolerant to ibrutinib, and were subsequently treated with lenalidomide. With patient informed consent, data were collected retrospectively from patients who, after their disease failed to respond to ibrutinib, received lenalidomide-based therapy from March 1, 2009 to June 9, 2015. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) based on 2007 International Working Group criteria, with required patient monitoring and routine imaging. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled at 7 US sites and 1 EU site, including patients receiving lenalidomide monotherapy (n=8), lenalidomide + rituximab (n=8), and lenalidomide + other treatment (n=14). Lenalidomide + other treatment included combination with rituximab, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone (n=3); other combinations were given in ≤2 patients. Patients had a median age of 69 years (range, 50-84), and median time from last dose of ibrutinib to first dose of lenalidomide was 1.3 weeks (range, 0.1-21.7). All patients received ≥2 prior lines of therapy, and 83% received ≥3 prior therapies (median prior therapies, 3.5; range, 2-8). With prior ibrutinib, the best responses achieved were 10% complete response (CR), 43% partial response (PR), 3% stable disease, 40% relapse/progressive disease (PD), and 3% unknown. Primary reasons for ibrutinib discontinuation were 50% relapse/PD, 40% refractory, and 10% intolerance. Patients received a median of 2 cycles (range, 1-11) of lenalidomide-based treatment. Eight patients' disease responded (4 CR, 4 PR), resulting in an ORR of 27% (95% CI, 12%-46%). Five of 8 maintained their response at data cut-off (3 CR, 2 PR). ORR was similar for patients with relapse/PD vs. those refractory to ibrutinib (29% vs. 33%, respectively). Median duration of response (DOR) was 18 weeks (95% CI, 2.9-25+) for all patients. Median DOR was not reached in patients who previously relapsed/progressed with ibrutinib compared with a median of 11 weeks for those whose disease was refractory to ibrutinib. Most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were 33% fatigue; 27% nausea; and 23% each dyspnea, neutropenia, dizziness, or rash. In general, TEAEs were less common with lenalidomide monotherapy. The most frequently reported serious AEs were pneumonia, dyspnea, deep vein thrombosis, hypotension, and acute kidney injury (7% each). At data cutoff, 15 patients (50%) had died, mostly due to MCL and none due to second primary malignancy. Conclusions: Most patients received ≥3 prior lines of treatment, and median time from last dose of ibrutinib to first dose of lenalidomide was short. Lenalidomide-based treatment showed clinical activity in this difficult-to-treat patient population, including 27% ORR and 13% CR. No new safety signals for lenalidomide were identified. Overall, our results show that lenalidomide is active in a selected group of patients with relapsed/refractory MCL that previously failed ibrutinib. Disclosures Wang: BeiGene: Research Funding; Asana BioSciences: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Research Funding; Onyx: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Martin:Acerta: Consultancy; Teva: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses. Goy:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Writing support, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; infinity: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech: Research Funding; Acerta: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hamadani:Takeda: Research Funding. Ghosh:Gilead: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; SGN: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding. Reeder:Millennium: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding. Barnett:Celgene Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Casadebaig Bravo:Celgene: Employment, Equity Ownership. Schuster:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Janssen Research & Development: Research Funding; Nordic Nanovector: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Hoffman-LaRoche: Research Funding.

Abstract Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent NHL with a heterogenous natural history of disease and a median survival of 8 to 12 y, albeit ranging between 1 to 20 y. Casulo et al. (2015) identified a high-risk FL cohort of patients with progression of disease (POD) at ≤24 months following initiation of immunochemotherapy with R-CHOP. Idelalisib (Zydelig) is a first-in-class, highly selective, oral inhibitor of PI3Kd which is indicated for relapsed FL or SLL following receipt of at least two lines of systemic chemotherapy. Retrospective subgroup analysis of the idelalisib registrational trial NCT01282424 (101-09) of a cohort with early POD following immunochemotherapy was performed to assess possible activity of idelalisib in this population. Methods: A subset of 46 patients enrolled in study 101-09 were identified as having been diagnosed with FL and having received first-line immunochemotherapy, of which 37 experienced early POD, defined as starting second-line treatment within 24 months of initial first-line treatment. For the latter group, descriptive statistics of demographic and baseline characteristics and inter-treatment intervals in months as well as Kaplan-Meier estimates of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) following initiation of immunochemotherapy and idelalisib were calculated. Population: Demographic characteristics of these 37 patients included median (range) age at initiation of idelalisib of 64 (33-84) y and 18 (48.6%) females. Histologic grade at diagnosis included 33 (89.2%) with grades 1 or 2 as well as 4 (10.8%) with grade 3A, while 21 (56.8%) patients had a FLIPI score ≥3. The mean (s.d.) number of prior therapies was 3.4±1.4, with a range of 2 to 8, while first-line therapies included 21 (56.8%) patients who received R-CHOP-based regimens, 7 (18.9%) who received BR, and 5 (13.5%) who received R-CVP. Mean (s.d.) inter-treatment intervals included 12.5±6.1 months between first- and second-line for all patients, 9.7±9.3 months between second- and third-line for all patients, 11.9±12.0 months between third- and fourth-line for 24 (64.9%) patients, and 11.8±7.6 months between fourth- and fifth-line for 15 (40.5%) patients. Median (range) time from first-line therapy to idelalisib initiation was 30.3 (8.9-94.7) months; no patient received idelalisib as second-line therapy. Results: Best responses included 5 (13.5%) patients with CR, 16 (43.2%) with PR, 2 (5.4%) with SD, and 1 (2.7%) with PD; median duration of response for those with CR or PR was 11.8 months (95% CI: 3.8 months, not evaluable). There were 7 (18.9%) deaths and 21 (56.8%) PFS events in this group. Estimated probabilities of survival (s.e.) and progression-free status at 2 y following initiation of idelalisib were 79%±7% and 29%±10%, respectively. Median PFS was 11.1 months (95% CI: 5.5, 19.3 months). Estimated probability of survival (s.e.) at 5 years following initiation of first-line treatment was 79%±8%. Median overall survival from both initiation of first-line immunochemotherapy as well as with idelalisib was not reached during the course of this study. Conclusions: Idelalisib may have significant clinical activity in high-risk and doubly-refractive FL following early relapse status post first-line immunochemotherapy. Given the small size of the studied subset population which may not be representative, further characterization in additional patients is warranted to ensure the generalizability of this finding, including consideration of further investigational protocols featuring targeted therapies employed both as single agents and in combination. Figure 1. Overall Survival From Initiation of First-line Treatment Figure 1. Overall Survival From Initiation of First-line Treatment Figure 2. Overall Survival From Initiation of Idelalisib Figure 2. Overall Survival From Initiation of Idelalisib Figure 3. Progression-Free Survival From Initiation of Idelalisib Figure 3. Progression-Free Survival From Initiation of Idelalisib Disclosures Gopal: Gilead, Spectrum, Pfizer, Janssen, Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Spectrum, Pfizer, BioMarin, Cephalon/Teva, Emergent/Abbott. Gilead, Janssen., Merck, Milennium, Piramal, Seattle Genetics, Giogen Idec, BMS: Research Funding; Millennium, Seattle Genetics, Sanofi-Aventis: Honoraria. Kahl:Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy; Cell Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Infinity: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy. Flowers:Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Spectrum: Research Funding; Millennium/Takeda: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Spectrum: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Celegene: Other: Unpaid consultant, Research Funding; OptumRx: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Millennium/Takeda: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Martin:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Link:Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Ansell:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celldex: Research Funding. Ye:Gilead: Employment. Koh:Gilead: Employment. Abella:Gilead: Employment. Barr:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy. Salles:Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Celgene Corporation; Genentech, Inc.; Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.; Roche: Consultancy; Celgene Corporation; Roche and Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Celgene Corporation; Roche: Speakers Bureau.

Abstract Background Waldenströms macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoplasmacytic subtype of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma in which specific molecular changes lead to unrestricted cell proliferation and overproduction of immunoglobulin-M. These processes require exquisite coordination between growth promoting transcription factors (NFkB) and cell homeostatic systems. The bioavailability of various transcription factors and cell cycle proteins is primarily regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Moreover, the proteolytic machinery ensures proper elimination of unwanted or misfolded proteins, which when disrupted leads to protein accumulation and apoptotic cell death. The 26S proteasome is a barrel shaped structure with a 20S catalytic core that is flanked by 19S caps on either side. 26S proteasomes are critical for WM cell survival, which is clinically evident, as up to 80% of WM patients treated with the proteasome inhibitor (PI) bortezomib have derived significant benefit. Traditional PI such as bortezomib and carfilzomib have been designed to target the B5 catalytic core within the 26S proteasome. However, proteasomes are capable of altering conformation of their proteolytic subunits in response to inflammation and stress, which can lower the effectiveness of these PI. The 19S cap is the regulatory complex and functions in unfolding and deubiquitinating the proteins before their entry into the 20S complex using constitutive deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBS). Recently, it has been demonstrated that inhibition of the DUBS, UCHL5 and USP14 results in cell death in a variety of tumor types but more so in cancer cells that rapidly divide or have a high protein turnover rate. Aim To define the anti-WM activity of the novel DUB inhibitor, b-AP15 in preclinical models of WM. Methods The WM cell lines BCWM.1, RPCI-WM1 and MWCL-1 were used for experiments in this analysis. Proteasomal activity was measured using synthetic fluorogenic peptide substrates. Apoptosis was determined by annexin-V/PI staining and mitochondrial membrane permeability (MOMP) was assessed using TMRM followed by flow cytometry. Protein profiling was done via immunoblot analysis. Results As reported by D’Arcy et al in their characterization of the b-AP15 molecule, inhibition of UCHL5 and USP14 by b-AP15 does not disrupt proteasomal activity conferred by the b-catalytic subunits. We confirmed these findings by treating WM cells with single agent bortezomib (10nM), carfilzomib (10nM), b-AP15 (100nM) or all three agents in combination to assess chymotrypsin-like, caspase-like and trypsin-like proteasomal activity using fluorogenic peptide substrates. Further, when used in combination with the other PI, PI-mediated chymotrypsin-like activity remained inhibited in the presence of b-AP15. Next, we sought to determine if b-AP15 treatment could induce WM cell death. Annexin-v staining showed that b-AP15 (500uM) induced apoptosis in all WM cell lines (28 – 60% cell death) with variable responses noted among the 3 models. Treatment with b-AP15 increased MOMP while also inducing the cleavage of caspases-9 and 3 and PARP-1 suggesting that the anti-WM activity of b-AP15 is mediated through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. As components of the NFkB signaling cascade lie downstream to the UPS, we examined the effects of b-AP15 on this pathway. When treated with the DUB-inhibitor, nuclear translocation of NFkB was reduced in a time dependent manner. Interestingly, treatment with b-AP15 increased the phosphorylation of the mitogen activated protein kinase-p38 (p38) in all the WM cell lines tested. Treatment of WM cells with b-AP15 in presence of the p38 inhibitor, SB203580, resulted in a synergistic induction of cell death. Conclusion b-AP15 is a novel DUB inhibitor that disrupts two regulatory enzymes (UCHL5 and USP14) present in the 19S proteasomal cap. Results presented here demonstrate that b-AP15 induces apoptosis in in vitro models of WM and with in vivo analysis underway, is a potential therapeutic in WM. We would like to acknowledge the Waterfall Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Research Fund, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the International Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Foundation for their continued support. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.