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Ahmed, Sairah

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7302-8299

Mayo Clinic

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Citations 40

Impact of vein-to-vein time in patients with R/R LBCL treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel
Jacobson, Caron A. , Nikiforow, Sarah , Ahmed, Sairah , Miklos, David B. , Lin, Yi , Lunning, Matthew A. , Hill, Brian T. , Ghobadi, Armin , Hu, Zhen‐Huan , Hemmer, Michael, Zoratti, Michael J. , Vunnum, Suresh, Tsang, Jonathan , Spooner, Clare, Smith, Harry , Fu, Christine, Patel, Anik R. , Miao, Harry , Shahani, Shilpa, Mirjah, Debbie L., Xu, Hairong , Pasquini, Marcelo C. , Ahmed, Sairah , Miklos, David B , Ghobadi, Armin , Zoratti, Michael J , Pasquini, Marcelo , Locke, Frederick L. , Siddiqi, Tanya

Blood Advances | January 30, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 2663-2676

10.1182/bloodadvances.2024013656 Get It

Abstract Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell products axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) are approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Emerging evidence indicates that delayed CAR T-cell infusion, including prolonged time from leukapheresis to infusion, known as vein-to-vein time (V2Vt), may adversely impact clinical outcomes. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analysis to identify differences in V2Vt in patients with R/R LBCL treated with axi-cel, tisa-cel, or liso-cel. The impact of V2Vt (<28 days vs ≥28 to <40 days vs ≥40 days) on effectiveness and safety outcomes was evaluated in patients treated with axi-cel enrolled in a post-authorization safety study using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research data. SLR and meta-analysis showed that patients treated with axi-cel had the shortest median V2Vt (30.6 days) compared with tisa-cel (48.4 days) or liso-cel (35.9 days). Real-world analysis of patients treated with axi-cel demonstrated that V2Vt ≥40 days was associated with significantly lower complete response rate than V2Vt <28 days (odds ratio [OR], 0.61) or ≥28 to <40 days (OR, 0.66) and significantly worse overall survival than V2Vt <28 days (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33) or ≥28 to <40 days (HR, 1.36). Higher prolonged thrombocytopenia rates were observed in patients with axi-cel V2Vt ≥28 to <40 days or ≥40 days compared with <28 days (OR, 1.44 or 1.95, respectively). Together, these results show the impact of V2Vt on patient outcomes with axi-cel therapy and that earlier infusion with CD19-CAR therapies may be beneficial.
Occurrence and Predictors of Patient Reported Fertility Discussions in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients: Utilizing the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study
Toumeh, Nadia , Negaard, Briana , Casulo, Carla , Cohen, Jonathon B. , Lossos, Izidore S., Friedberg, Jonathan W. , Martin, Peter W., Flowers, Christopher R. , Thompson, Carrie A. , Larson, Melissa C. , Casulo, Carla , Ahmed, Sairah , Maurer, Matthew J. , Feldman, Andrew L. , Link, Brian K. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Chihara, Dai , Lossos, Izidore S. , Kahl, Brad S. , Martin, Peter, Cerhan, James R. , Williams, Annalynn M , Rosenthal, Allison , Durani, Urshila

Blood | December 6, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3736-3736

10.1182/blood-2024-211091 Get It

Introduction: Patients with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), especially adolescents and young adults, can face late effects from treatment, including decreased fertility. Due to time constraints prior to treatment initiation and sometimes financial limitations, implementing fertility counseling and referral-based guideline care remains challenging. We aim to understand the occurrence and predictors of fertility counseling and preservation in patients with NHL in the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort study. Methods: The LEO cohort prospectively enrolled newly diagnosed patients with NHL from 2015-2020 at 8 academic medical centers in the US. Clinical. Treatment data were abstracted from medical records, pathology was reviewed and classified by a LEO pathologist, and participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Participants were then prospectively followed to identify outcomes and collect additional patient reported data, including a survivorship questionnaire at follow-up 3 years (FU3) after diagnosis that included items on fertility counseling and preservation. The questionnaire contained two fertility questions analyzed: whether healthcare providers discussed the impact of lymphoma treatment on fertility, and whether providers discussed the process of fertility preservation. This analysis was based on participants aged 18-50 years at enrollment and who completed the fertility questions at FU3. Women who had undergone natural or procedural menopause and men who had undergone vasectomy pre-treatment were excluded. We estimated the association of demographic and clinical factors with fertility preservation using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Seventy-seven patients were included in the analysis: 36 females (46%) and 41 males (53%). The median age of diagnosis was 40 years (IQR 30-45), and 36 (47%) participants were in the age 18-39-year category. Participant self-identified race/ethnicity was 69% non-Hispanic White, 22% Hispanic, 4% Black and 3% Asian. Sixty (78%) patients were treated with alkylators, 12 (15.6%) with non-alkylators, and 5 (6.5%) with radiation. Fifty-five (71%) of the patients were classified as having aggressive lymphoma, with follicular, extranodal marginal zone, primary cutaneous follicle center, and nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma defined as indolent and remaining subtypes aggressive. Around 6% of female patients underwent fertility preservation after lymphoma diagnosis, compared to 12.2% of male patients. All the patients who had undergone fertility preservation after lymphoma diagnosis were in the 18-39-year age group. On univariate analysis, females were more likely to have undergone fertility toxicity and preservation discussions compared to males, with 72% of females and 59% of males recalling a discussion regarding fertility (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.7-4.9, p=0.21). Those age 18-39 were significantly more likely to have undergone fertility discussion compared to those aged 40-50 (OR 10.2, 95% CI 3.3-39.2, p<0.001). Patients treated with alkylating therapy were significantly more likely to undergo fertility discussion when compared to those on non-alkylating therapy (OR 9.0, 95% CI 2.3-45.5, p<0.01). In addition, 75% of those with aggressive lymphoma compared to 41% of patients with indolent lymphoma had fertility discussion (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.5-12.4, p=0.01). White patients were significantly less likely than Hispanic, Black and Asian patients to have fertility discussion (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.04-0.6, p<0.01). In the multivariable analysis, alkylating therapy (OR 8.9, 95% CI 1.6-66.7) and age 18-39 years (OR 10.9, 95% CI 2.9-55.3) remained significant predictors of fertility discussion; White race was also trending towards significance (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.04-1.0, p=0.08). Aggressive lymphoma subtype was not a significant predictor of fertility discussion. Conclusions: In this cohort of lymphoma survivors 3 years post-diagnosis, we found that Hispanic patients, those diagnosed at a younger age and exposed to alkylating chemotherapy agents were significantly more likely to undergo discussions regarding the effects of lymphoma treatment on fertility. Our study highlights the importance of all cancer patients of childbearing age having the opportunity to address fertility concerns during clinic visits.
Concomitant Use of Antibiotics During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (CPI)-Based Salvage Therapy Does Not Impact Post-ASCT Outcomes in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma (RRHL)
Varma, Gaurav , Rosenberg, Maya, Agbadiba, Erica C., Yeung, Austin H., Baek, Grace , Besien, Herman van, Baron, Kelsey, Subramanian, Meghana K., Prischak, Sara, Lukowski, Joe D., D’Angelo, Christopher R. , Svoboda, Jakub , Yamshon, Samuel , Advani, Ranjana H. , Advani, Ranjana H , Yeung, Austin H., Falade, Ayo , Watkins, Marcus P. , Subramanian, Meghana K., Rhodes, Joanna , Shah, Harsh , Gopal, Ajay K. , Bartlett, Nancy L. , Merryman, Reid W. , Ahmed, Sairah , Diefenbach, Catherine

Blood | December 5, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4425-4425

10.1182/blood-2024-197923 Get It

Introduction Emerging evidence suggests that responses to CPI in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) may be adversely affected by the reductions in microbiome diversity associated with concomitant antibiotic (abx) exposure. Given the increasingly key role that CPI-based regimens (CPI+) appear to have on improving post-ASCT outcomes, we evaluated the potential impact of abx exposure on CPI+ efficacy and post-ASCT outcomes in RRHL patients treated with CPI+ prior to ASCT. Methods This retrospective study of RRHL patients at 11 US academic centers included patients ≥18 who received CPI+ between 1/2012-12/2022. Patient/disease characteristics, treatment histories, outcomes, and abx exposure (2 weeks prior to and 30 days after CPI+) were collected by participating sites and analyzed centrally. Primary and key secondary objectives were overall response rate (ORR) to CPI+ by Lugano criteria, and PFS/overall survival (OS) by abx exposure. PFS/OS were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and compared by log-rank tests. Univariate and multivariate regression models evaluated the impact of abx exposure on ORR/complete response rate (CR)/PFS/OS. Results 237 patients with median follow-up of 3.20 and 2.73 years from CPI+ initiation and ASCT, respectively, were evaluated. At diagnosis: median age 30.6 (range 7.8 - 71.7) years, female (53.6%), nodular sclerosing (75.1%), and stages I-IIB/bulky and III/IV (73.4%). 1L regimens were ABVD/ABVD-like (75.5%), brentuximab vedotin (BV)+AVD (15.2%), and other (9.3%). 65.8% received 6 cycles of chemotherapy, and 10.5% received 1L radiation. End of 1L responses were CR (39.7%), partial response (PR; 13.1%), refractory disease (37.6%), and unknown (8.0%). Median time to first relapse from diagnosis was 0.95 (range 0.15 - 22.2) years. All patients underwent ASCT after 1 (58.2%), 2 (22.8%), or 3+ (19.0%) lines of salvage. CPI+ was given as 1st (65.8%), 2nd (21.5%), or 3rd+ (12.5%) salvage therapy. CPI+ included BV-nivolumab (44.3%) + ipilimumab (7.2%), pembrolizumab, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and liposomal doxorubicin (P-GVD; 24.5%), and CPI-monotherapy (20.2%). ORR to CPI+ was 88.0% (CR 68.4%) in all lines; as 1st salvage ORR was 91.7% (CR 76.3%). 75.1% of patients underwent ASCT in CR (PR 19.4%) increasing to 91.1% CR after ASCT. At 3-years, PFS was 88.0% (95% CI: 83.5% - 92.8%) and OS was 94.8% (95% CI: 91.3% - 98.3%) for the full cohort. Overall, 46.8% patients were abx exposed during CPI+, 22.8% fluoroquinolone/beta-lactams (BL) prophylaxis (ppx) and 38.8% abx [BL 29.5%, carbapenems (CB) 12.2%, vancomycin (VM) 19.8%, anti-pseudomonas (PA) 24.9%, anti-MRSA (SA) 22.4%, anti-anaerobe (AN) 16.5%] for suspected/documented infection. Use of ppx, BL, CB, VM, PA, SA were significantly higher with CP1+ as 2nd+ vs 1st salvage. At 3-years, PFS (87.0% vs 88.4%, p=0.91) and OS (92.5% vs 95.8%, p=0.47) were similar for abx exposed vs naïve patients, respectively. On univariate analysis, line of salvage and CPI+ regimen (Cytotoxic vs Monotherapy) were associated with ORR/CR, while overall abx exposure was not associated with inferior ORR (OR 0.62; p=0.24), CR (OR 0.85, p=0.56), PFS (HR 0.95, p=0.91), or OS (HR 1.58, p=0.47). When adjusted for line of salvage and CPI+ regimen, exposure to BL, CB, VM, PS, SA, or AN, abx indication (ppx vs treatment), duration of abx exposure (<7 vs ≥7 days) by class were all not associated with ORR/CR or PFS/OS. Conclusion In this large cohort abx exposure does not appear to adversely affect ORR/CR to CPI+ or PFS/OS following ASCT, when adjusted for line of CPI+ salvage and CPI+ regimen. Our findings may be related the high proportion of patients (79.8%) receiving CPI-combinations compared to CPI monotherapy (20.2%), whereas in previous series all patients received CPI without cytotoxic agents. This observation could be related to intrinsic antimicrobial activities of some cytotoxic agents (e.g. gemcitabine and doxorubicin) that may overshadow impact from concomitant abx exposure. Alternatively, the lack of effect could be related to the inherent fitness of patients with RRHL who undergo ASCT, compared to those treated with CPI+ following ASCT or those with solid tumors receiving where abx exposure may indicate an overall sicker/higher-risk population. Overall, our findings demonstrate that combination of CPI with BV or chemotherapy may overcome any adverse impact of abx on the efficacy of CPI+ prior to ASCT.
Anti‐ CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy in older patients with relapsed or refractory large B‐cell lymphoma: A multicenter study
Tun, Aung M. , Patel, Romil , St‐Pierre, Frédérique , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, Niu, Alex , Thordardottir, Thorunn , Obasi, Jennifer , Pophali, Priyanka A. , Fenske, Timothy S. , Johnston, Patrick B., Patel, Romil D , Rosenthal, Allison , Pophali, Priyanka , Karmali, Reem , Niu, Alex , Tun, Aung M , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, Karmali, Reem , Ahmed, Sairah , Johnston, Patrick B.

American Journal of Hematology | June 4, 2024 | Volume: 99 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 1712-1720

10.1002/ajh.27381 Get It

Abstract Chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell (CAR‐T) therapy, despite being a potentially curative therapy in relapsed or refractory (RR) large B‐cell lymphoma (LBCL), remains underutilized in older patients due to limited clinical data. We therefore studied the safety and efficacy of CAR‐T therapy in older patients with RR LBCL in the real‐world setting. Patients aged ≥65 years with RR LBCL, treated with anti‐CD19 CAR‐T therapy at 7 US institutions were included in this multicenter, retrospective, observational study. In total, 226 patients were included. Median age at infusion was 71 years (range 65–89). Best objective and complete response rates were 86% and 62%, respectively. Median follow‐up after infusion was 18.3 months. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 6.9 months, with 6‐ and 12‐month PFS estimates of 54% and 44%, respectively. The nonrelapse mortality (NRM) rate was 10.9% at day 180, primarily due to infections, and not impacted by the age groups. Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity occurred in 7% and 26%, respectively. In univariate analysis, no significant difference in PFS was seen regardless of the age groups or CAR‐T type, whereas ECOG PS ≥2, elevated LDH, bulky disease, advanced stage, extranodal involvement, the need for bridging therapy, and prior bendamustine exposure were associated with shorter PFS. These findings support the use of CAR‐T in older patients, including those aged ≥80 years. The age at CAR‐T therapy did not influence safety, survival, and NRM outcomes. Older patients should not be excluded from receiving CAR‐T therapy solely based on their chronological age.
Outcomes of patients with secondary central nervous system lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy: A CIBMTR analysis
Hashmi, Hamza , Ahn, Kwang Woo , Allbee‐Johnson, Mariam, Chen, Andy I. , Wirk, Baldeep , Kanakry, Jennifer A. , Lekakis, Lazaros J. , Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Scordo, Michael , Sauter, Craig S. , Herrera, Alex F. , Chen, Andy , Epperla, Narendranath , Jain, Tania , Hamadani, Mehdi , Ahmed, Sairah , Epperla, Narendranath , Riedell, Peter A. , Jain, Tania , Shadman, Mazyar , Hamadani, Mehdi , Ahmed, Sairah

British Journal of Haematology | May 27, 2024 | Volume: 205 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 1202-1207

10.1111/bjh.19569 Get It

Real-world and clinical trial outcomes in large B-cell lymphoma with axicabtagene ciloleucel across race and ethnicity
Jacobson, Caron A. , Ghobadi, Armin , Ahmed, Sairah , Miklos, David B. , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Fingrut, Warren , Pennisi, Martina , Gowda, Lohith , Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Hong, Sanghee , Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Khurana, Arushi , Badar, Talha , Hu, Zhen‐Huan , Wang, Hailin , Baer, Anjani, Baro, Elande , Miao, Harry , Spooner, Clare, Xu, Hairong, Pasquini, Marcelo C. , Ghobadi, Armin , Ahmed, Sairah , Miklos, David B , Perales, Miguel-Angel , Fingrut, Warren B , Shadman, Mazyar , Majhail, Navneet S , Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A , Badar, Talha , Bennani, N Nora , Herr, Megan M. , Pasquini, Marcelo , Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Locke, Frederick L. , Siddiqi, Tanya , Muñoz, Javier , Gauthier, Jordan , Shadman, Mazyar , Mirza, Abu‐Sayeef , Majhail, Navneet S. , Lin, Yi , Bennani, N. Nora

Blood | April 18, 2024 | Volume: 143 | Issue: 26 | Pages: 2722-2734

10.1182/blood.2023023447 Get It

Abstract Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Despite extensive data supporting its use, outcomes stratified by race and ethnicity groups are limited. Here, we report clinical outcomes with axi-cel in patients with R/R LBCL by race and ethnicity in both real-world and clinical trial settings. In the real-world setting, 1290 patients who received axi-cel between 2017 and 2020 were identified from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database; 106 and 169 patients were included from the ZUMA-1 and ZUMA-7 trials, respectively. Overall survival was consistent across race/ethnicity groups. However, non-Hispanic (NH) Black patients had lower overall response rate (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22-0.63) and lower complete response rate (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.33-0.97) than NH White patients. NH Black patients also had a shorter progression-free survival vs NH White (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.04-1.90) and NH Asian patients (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.08-2.59). NH Asian patients had a longer duration of response than NH White (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33-0.94) and Hispanic patients (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.30-0.97). There was no difference in cytokine release syndrome by race/ethnicity; however, higher rates of any-grade immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome were observed in NH White patients than in other patients. These results provide important context when treating patients with R/R LBCL with CAR T-cell therapy across different racial and ethnic groups. ZUMA-1 and ZUMA-7 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: #NCT02348216 and #NCT03391466, respectively) are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Benefit of axicabtagene ciloleucel versus chemoimmunotherapy in older patients and/or patients with poor ECOG performance status with relapsed or refractory large B‐cell lymphoma after 2 or more lines of prior therapy
Lunning, Matthew A. , Wang, Hailin , Hu, Zhen‐Huan , Jacobson, Caron A. , Miklos, David B. , Hill, Brian T. , Neelapu, Sattva S. , Dieyi, C., Field, Polly, Miao, Harry , Shahani, Shilpa, Patel, Anik R. , Spooner, Clare, Fu, Christine, Muramoto, David, Xu, Hairong, Pasquini, Marcelo C. , Westin, Jason R , Miklos, David B , Locke, Frederick L. , Siddiqi, Tanya , Ahmed, Sairah , Lin, Yi , Ghobadi, Armin , Westin, Jason R.

American Journal of Hematology | March 20, 2024 | Volume: 99 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 880-889

10.1002/ajh.27283 Get It

AbstractAxicabtagene ciloleucel (axi‐cel) in trials has demonstrated favorable efficacy compared with historical controls after ≥2 lines of therapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL). Herein, we compared the real‐world effectiveness of axi‐cel with efficacy and effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) in patients aged ≥65 years and patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 2. A total of 1146 patients treated with commercial axi‐cel for R/R LBCL with ≥2 lines of prior therapy were included from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Research prospective observational study, and 469 patients treated with CIT for R/R LBCL after ≥2 lines of prior therapy were included from SCHOLAR‐1 (an international, multicohort, retrospective study). After propensity score matching, at a median follow‐up of 24 months for patients receiving axi‐cel and 60 months for patients receiving CIT, 12‐month overall survival rates were 62% and 28%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.24–0.37]). Objective response rate (ORR) was 76% (complete response [CR] rate 58%) in patients receiving axi‐cel versus 28% (CR rate 16%) for those receiving CIT. A 57% difference in ORR (55% difference in CR rate) favoring axi‐cel over CIT was observed among patients aged ≥65 years. Increased magnitude of benefit in response rates for axi‐cel versus CIT was also observed among patients with ECOG PS = 2. These findings further support the broader use of axi‐cel in older patients and patients with ECOG PS = 2 with R/R LBCL.
Predictors of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Neurotoxicity in Patients with Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Their Impact on Survival
Strouse, Christopher , Oloyede, Temitope, Barba, Pere , Cashen, Amanda F. , Elsawy, Mahmoud , Ganguly, Siddhartha , Geethakumari, Praveen Ramakrishnan , Greenbaum, Uri , Hashmi, Hamza , Kittai, Adam S. , Lulla, Premal , Mead, Elena, Saber, Wael , Pasquini, Marcelo C. , Strouse, Christopher S , Shouval, Roni , Kim, Soyoung , Ahmed, Sairah , Awan, Farrukh T. , Bachanová, Veronika , Badar, Talha , Beitinjaneh, Amer , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai , Hill, LaQuisa C. , Jain, Michael D. , Jain, Tania , Kebriaei, Partow , Locke, Frederick L. , McGuirk, Joseph P. , Mussetti, Alberto , Nishihori, Taiga , Olson, Amanda L , Pennisi, Martina , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Riedell, Peter A. , Mirza, Abu‐Sayeef , Magalhaes‐Silverman, Margarida , Shpall, Elizabeth J. , Sorror, Mohamed L. , Wudhikarn, Kitsada , Turtle, Cameron J. , Moskop, Amy

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 355-355

10.1182/blood-2023-181181 Get It

Background: Autologous CAR-T therapy targeting CD19 is an effective treatment for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). However, morbidity and mortality related to CAR-T toxicity remain significant concerns. This study aims to evaluate the patterns, risk factors, and implications of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) following CD19-CAR-T therapy in LBCL. Methods: This retrospective analysis includes 1916 LBCL patients treated with CD19-CAR-T cell therapy (axicabtagene-ciloleucel [axi-cel] 75% and tisagenlecleucel 25%) between 2018 and 2020 and reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). Patient demographics, baseline characteristics, treatment-related variables, and clinical outcomes were collected. The incidence, severity and timing of onset of CRS and ICANS (according to median time to onset) were analyzed, factors associated with these outcomes and their impact on overall survival as time dependent covariates were done using Cox Regression multivariate analyses. Results: The median age of the patients was 64 years, with a majority having a Karnofsky performance status (KPS) below 90% (61%) and not receiving bridging therapy (67%). CRS was observed in 75.1% of patients, with 9% experiencing severe CRS (grades ≥ 3). Similarly, 43% of patients experienced ICANS, with 20% having severe ICANS (grade ≥ 3). The median time to toxicity was shorter for CRS (4 days) compared to ICANS (7 days). Nearly all the patients who developed ICANS also experienced CRS (98%; ), and the correlation between these two events and respective severities are shown in the Figure 1a. In the multivariate analyses, factors associated with development of CRS were gender (women, Odds ratio [OR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10- 1.76, p=0.006), high LDH at time of infusion (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.22 - 2.00, p=0.002) and product (axi-cel OR 4.60, 95% CI 3.56 -5.81, p<0.001). Factors associated with the development of ICANS included age (> 65 years, OR 1.83; 1.50-2.24, p<0.001), KPS (<80%, OR 2.48; 1.88-3.27, p<0.001), disease status at infusion (treatment resistant disease, OR 1.98; 1.09-3.58, p=0.024; and untreated relapse OR 2.62, 1.35-5.10, p=0.004) and product (axi-cel, OR 5.85; 4.47-7.64, p<0.0001). Factors associated with severe and early onset CRS and ICANS are listed in the table below. The median follow-up of 14.2 months, the estimated 12-month overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment-related mortality were 61.6% (95% CI: 59.4-63.9), 42.2% (39.9-44.5), and 4.3% (3.4-5.3), respectively. Overall CRS, early onset CRS and overall ICANS were not associated with higher mortality, however grade >3 CRS (HR 1.79; 1.41-2.28, p<0.001), grade >3 ICANS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34; 95% CI 1.13-1.59, p=0.002) and early onset ICANS (<7 days, HR 1.23; 1.05-1.44, p=0.01) were associated with higher mortality. The impact of severe CRS on survival are shown in the landmark analysis at 30 days from infusion in the figure 1B. Conclusion: In the largest analysis of CD19-CAR-T cell therapy toxicities to date, we observed a high burden of CRS and ICANS among LBCL patients. The CAR T cell product type was consistently associated with higher incidence, shorter onset and higher severity of both toxicities. High LDH, older age and low performance score also influence the severity and onset of these outcomes. Additionally, patients who developed higher grades of CRS/ICANS and earlier onset ICANS had a higher mortality, stressing the need to develop novel strategies to mitigate the incidence and optimize management of these patients to improve their outcomes.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Elderly Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Study
Patel, Romil , St‐Pierre, Frédérique , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, Obasi, Jennifer , Fenske, Timothy S. , Johnston, Patrick B. , Tun, Aung M. , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, Niu, Alex , Rosenthal, Allison , Pophali, Priyanka A. , Karmali, Reem , Ahmed, Sairah

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 311-311

10.1182/blood-2023-179509 Get It

Background: Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy is a standard of care in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory (RR) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). However, it remains underutilized in elderly pts due to limited efficacy and safety data. We therefore evaluated real world outcomes of CART in such pts. Methods: Seven academic centers participated in this retrospective study. Pts aged ≥65 years with RR LBCL who received a commercial CART product were included. Baseline characteristics, treatment data, CART toxicity, and clinical outcomes were collected. Progression-free survival (PFS; time from infusion to disease progression or death) and overall survival (OS; time from infusion to death from any cause) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Cumulative incidences of non-relapse mortality (NRM) and disease relapse/progression were estimated accounting for competing risks. Statistical analyses were performed in JMP v15 and XLSTAT v2022.1.2. Results: 209 pts were identified. Baseline characteristics and treatment pattern are shown in Table. Median age at infusion was 71 years (range 65-89), and 25 (12%) were ≥80 years. 131 (63%) were male, 188 (90%) were white, and 27 (13%) had ECOG PS of ≥2. The median HCT-CI was 1 (range 0-6), and 39 (22%) pts had a score of ≥3. 165 (84%) had stage III-IV disease, 131 (70%) had extranodal involvement, 24 (18%) had bulky disease, and 24 (11%) had high grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL; double- or triple-hit lymphoma, n=15; HGBL, NOS, n=9). The median number of prior lines of therapy was 2 (range 1-8), and 99 (48%) pts had ≥3 prior lines of therapy, 45 (22%) had prior bendamustine, and 44 (21%) had prior stem cell transplant (SCT; auto-SCT, n=41; allo-SCT, n=2; both auto- and allo-SCT, n=1). Bridging therapy was given to 100 (52%) pts; among those, 57 had chemotherapy, 20 had radiotherapy, 6 had both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 10 had lenalidomide-based regimen, and 7 had CD20 antibody and/or corticosteroids. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) was most frequently used (63%, n=131), followed by lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) (24%, n=49) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) (13%, n=27). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 75% of pts, and a minority (6%) had grade ≥3. Immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) occurred in 55%, and 29% had grade ≥3. The management of CRS and ICANS included corticosteroids in 101 (49%) pts, tocilizumab in 116 (56%) pts, and other biologic agents (anakinra, siltuximab, basiliximab) in 8 (4%) pts. Day 30 response was evaluable in 195 pts with an objective response rate (ORR) of 84%, and a complete response rate (CR) of 52%. 82% of the responders continued to have a response at 3 month follow up. The ORR/CR rates were 86%/53% for axi-cel, 64%/44% for tisa-cel, and 89%/52% for liso-cel, respectively. At a median follow up of 19.1 months (95% CI 16.1-23.6) after infusion, the median PFS was 6.7 months (95% CI 5.1-11.5), with 6- and 12-month PFS rates of 54% (95% CI 47-61) and 43% (95% CI 35-50), respectively. The median OS was 16.5 months (95% CI 13.2-26.7), and the 6-and 12-month OS rates were 70% (95% CI 64-77) and 61% (95% CI 54-68), respectively. The NRM rate was 17% (95% CI 11-24) at 1 year, primarily due to infections including 5 COVID-19 related deaths. In univariate analysis, ECOG PS ≥2, bulky disease, elevated LDH, and the need for bridging therapy were associated with inferior PFS and OS. No significant difference in PFS and OS was seen based on age at infusion with a median PFS of 6.4 vs 9.6 vs 6.4 vs 6.0 months ( P=0.93) (Figure) and OS of 16.4 vs 19.2 vs 28.5 vs 12.7 months ( P=0.85) in age groups ≥65-69 vs ≥70-74 vs ≥75-79 vs ≥80-89. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in PFS and OS based on type of CART with a median PFS of 6.4 vs 5.6 vs 12.7 months ( P=0.16) and OS of 15.1 vs vs 16.1 vs NR months ( P=0.24) in pts treated with axi-cel vs tisa-cel vs liso-cel. Conclusions: In this large multicenter study of elderly pts with RR LBCL, CART therapy demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety profile comparable to that in pivotal registration trials. Survival outcomes appeared similar regardless of patient age, including those aged ≥80 years, and type of CART product used. Similar to younger pts, high tumor burden and poor performance status at CART infusion were associated with inferior survival. This analysis confirms that older pts should not be excluded from receiving CART therapy solely due to chronological age.
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: a CIBMTR analysis
Murthy, Hemant S. , Zhang, Mei‐Jie , Chen, Karen , Ahmed, Sairah , Ganguly, Siddhartha , Kansagra, Ankit , Michelis, Fotios V. , Nishihori, Taiga , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Aljurf, Mahmoud , Arai, Yasuyuki , Badar, Talha , Ballen, Karen K. , Bejanyan, Nelli , Brown, Valerie I. , Martino, Rodrigo , Cahn, Jean‐Yves , Castillo, Paul , Černý, Jan , Copelan, Edward A. , Daly, Andrew , Freytes, César O. , Hashmi, Shahrukh K. , Hildebrandt, Gerhard , Jamy, Omer , Joseph, Jacinth , Kanakry, Christopher G. , Khera, Nandita , Krem, Maxwell M. , Kuwatsuka, Yachiyo , Lekakis, Lazaros J. , Liu, Hongtao , Modi, Dipenkumar , Munshi, Pashna N. , Palmisiano, Neil , Rizzieri, David A. , Seo, Sachiko , Sharma, Akshay , Sohl, Melhm, Solomon, Scott R. , Ulrickson, Matthew L. , Üstün, Celalettin , Poel, Marjolein van der , Verdonck, Leo F. , Wagner, John L. , Wang, Trent , Wirk, Baldeep , Zeidan, Amer M. , Litzow, Mark R. , Weisdorf, Daniel J. , Saber, Wael , Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Kansagra, Ankit , Michelis, Fotios V , Nishihori, Taiga , Patnaik, Mrinal , Arai, Yasuyuki , Badar, Talha , Bejanyan, Nelli , Bhatt, Vijaya Raj , Chhabra, Saurabh , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai R , Diaz Perez, Miguel Angel , Freytes, Cesar O , Hashmi, Shahrukh K , Jamy, Omer , Krem, Maxwell M , Lazarus, Hillard M , Liu, Hongtao , Modi, Dipenkumar , Mussetti, Alberto , Patel, Sagar , Shah, Mithun V , Sharma, Akshay , Ustun, Celalettin , Wagner, John , Litzow, Mark R. , Hourigan, Christopher S , Weisdorf, Dan , Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A , Murthy, Hemant S , Martino, Rodrigo , Ahmed, Sairah , Zeidan, Amer M , Deotare, Uday , Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Bacher, Ulrike , Badawy, Sherif M. , Battiwalla, Minoo , Beitinjaneh, Amer , Bhatt, Vijaya Raj , Chhabra, Saurabh , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai , Díaz, Miguel Ángel , Grunwald, Michael R. , Lazarus, Hillard M. , Mussetti, Alberto , Patel, Sagar S. , Shah, Meera , Kebriaei, Partow , Hourigan, Christopher S.

Blood Advances | October 4, 2023 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 22 | Pages: 7007-7016

10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011308 Get It

Abstract Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematological malignancy with a poor prognosis and considered incurable with conventional chemotherapy. Small observational studies reported allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) offers durable remissions in patients with BPDCN. We report an analysis of patients with BPDCN who received an allo-HCT, using data reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). We identified 164 patients with BPDCN from 78 centers who underwent allo-HCT between 2007 and 2018. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse, and nonrelapse mortality (NRM) rates were 51.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42.5-59.8), 44.4% (95% CI, 36.2-52.8), 32.2% (95% CI, 24.7-40.3), and 23.3% (95% CI, 16.9-30.4), respectively. Disease relapse was the most common cause of death. On multivariate analyses, age of ≥60 years was predictive for inferior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.16; 95% CI, 1.35-3.46; P = .001), and higher NRM (HR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.13-4.22; P = .02). Remission status at time of allo-HCT (CR2/primary induction failure/relapse vs CR1) was predictive of inferior OS (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.14-3.06; P = .01) and DFS (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.11-2.76; P = .02). Use of myeloablative conditioning with total body irradiation (MAC-TBI) was predictive of improved DFS and reduced relapse risk. Allo-HCT is effective in providing durable remissions and long-term survival in BPDCN. Younger age and allo-HCT in CR1 predicted for improved survival, whereas MAC-TBI predicted for less relapse and improved DFS. Novel strategies incorporating allo-HCT are needed to further improve outcomes.