Zanwar, Saurabh

The treatment landscape of multiple myeloma (MM) has evolved considerably with the FDA-approval of at least 15 drugs over the past two decades. Together with the use of autologous stem cell transplantation, these novel therapies have resulted in significant survival benefit for patients with MM. In particular, our improved understanding of the BM and immune microenvironment has led to the development of highly effective immunotherapies that have demonstrated unprecedented response rates even in the multiple refractory disease setting. However, MM remains challenging to treat especially in a high-risk setting. A key mediator of therapeutic resistance in MM is the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment; a deeper understanding is necessary to facilitate the development of therapies that target MM in the context of the BM milieu to elicit deeper and more durable responses with the ultimate goal of long-term control or a cure of MM. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the role the BM microenvironment plays in MM pathogenesis, with a focus on its immunosuppressive nature. We also review FDA-approved immunotherapies currently in clinical use and highlight promising immunotherapeutic approaches on the horizon.

AbstractPatients with multiple myeloma (MM) have a lower efficacy from COVID‐19 vaccination and a high rate of mortality from COVID‐19 in hospitalized patients. However, the overall rate and severity of COVID‐19 infection in all settings (including non‐hospitalized patients) and the independent impact of plasma cell‐directed therapies on outcomes needs further study. We reviewed the medical records of 9225 patients with MM or AL amyloidosis (AL) seen at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Arizona, and Florida between 12/01/2019 and 8/31/2021 and identified 187 patients with a COVID‐19 infection (n = 174 MM, n = 13 AL). The infection rate in our cohort was relatively low at 2% but one‐fourth of the COVID‐19 infections were severe. Nineteen (10%) patients required intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 5 (3%) patients required mechanical ventilation. The mortality rate among hospitalized patients with COVID‐19 was 22% (16/72 patients). Among patients that were fully vaccinated at the time of infection (n = 12), two (17%) developed severe COVID‐19 infection, without any COVID‐related death. On multivariable analysis, treatment with CD38 antibody within 6 months of COVID‐19 infection [Risk ratio (RR) 3.6 (95% CI: 1.2, 10.5), p = .02], cardiac [RR 4.1 (95% CI: 1.3, 12.4), p = .014] or pulmonary comorbidities [RR 3.6 (95% CI 1.1, 11.6); p = .029] were independent predictors for ICU admission. Cardiac comorbidity [RR 2.6 (95% CI: 1.1, 6.5), p = .038] was an independent predictor of mortality whereas MM/AL in remission was associated with lower mortality [RR 0.4 (95% CI: 0.2–0.8); p = .008].

ImportanceRosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare histiocytic neoplasm with recent studies showing alterations in the MAPK pathway, most commonly in the KRAS and MEK genes in about 40% of patients. Reports on the use of MEK-inhibitor therapy in RDD have been limited to small case studies. There are no approved treatments for this neoplasm, and therefore patients with RDD need efficacious treatments.ObjectiveTo study the outcomes after treatment with cobimetinib based on MAPK pathway alterations in patients with RDD.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective cohort study conducted at 2 tertiary care centers included patients with RDD who underwent treatment with cobimetinib between January 1, 2013, and December 1, 2021. Cobimetinib was administered at a dosage of 20 to 60 mg orally once daily as a single agent for 21 days in a 28-day cycle. Pathology was centrally reviewed. Response assessment was centrally conducted and was based on the established positron emission radiography response criteria used for clinical trials of targeted therapies in histiocytosis.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMain outcomes were overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), adverse events (AEs) of cobimetinib in the entire cohort, and ORRs and PFS based on MAPK pathway alterations in patients with RDD.ResultsA total of 16 patients (median [range] age at cobimetinib initiation, 57 [31-74] years; 11 [69%] women) were included in the study. The median follow-up duration was 19.0 months (95% CI, 8.4-27.8 months). The ORR was 63% (n = 10), including 5 complete responses and 5 partial responses. Somatic alterations in the KRAS or MEK genes were detected in 8 (50%) patients. Patients with KRAS or MEK alterations had significantly higher ORR (88% vs 38%; P = .03), deeper responses (complete responses among responders: 71% vs 0%; P = .002), and better PFS (at 1 year, 100% vs 29% were free from progression or death, respectively; P < .001) compared with those without such alterations. Grade 2 or higher AEs occurred in 12 (75%) patients, and 9 (56%) required dose reduction or temporary/permanent treatment discontinuation due to AEs.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, treatment with cobimetinib was associated with positive outcomes in KRAS- or MEK-variant RDD. However, AEs requiring dose modifications were common.

Two Letters to Blood address the risks of COVID-19 in populations with precursors of hematological disease. In the first article, Miller and colleagues report on whether clonal hematopoiesis of intermediate potential (CHIP) is associated with adverse outcomes with COVID-19, finding no association between CHIP and 28-day mortality while providing data indirectly linking IL-6 signaling and patient outcomes. In the second article, Ho and colleagues investigate the outcomes of patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) with COVID-19, reporting that one-fourth had a severe infection and that on multivariable analysis, adverse outcomes are more likely if immunoparesis is present.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is an indolent lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Recent strides made in the genomic profiling of patients with WM have led to the identification of many novel therapeutic targets. Patients with WM can present with asymptomatic disease and not all patients require treatment. When criteria for initiating systemic therapy are met, the choice of therapy depends on the tumor genotype ( MYD88 and CXCR4 mutation status), patient preference (fixed versus continuous duration therapy, oral versus intravenous route, cost), associated medical comorbidities, and adverse effect profile of the treatment. In the absence of head-to-head comparison between chemoimmunotherapy and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors in otherwise fit patients with a MYD88 L265P mutation, our preference is fixed duration therapy with four to six cycles of chemoimmunotherapy with bendamustine–rituximab. In this review, we discuss the role of MYD88 and CXCR4 mutation in treatment selection, and current data for frontline and salvage treatment options in patients with WM.

Abstract Background: Activation of extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) is almost universal in histiocytic disorders and is driven by genomic alterations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) pathways. While BRAFV600E mutations are well described in histiocytic disorders, less is known about BRAF fusions. The goal of our study is to describe the frequency and clinical characteristics of patients harboring BRAF fusions. Methods: We included patients with a diagnosis of histiocytic disorder seen at our institution from November 2016-June 2021. Only those who had adequate BRAF testing were included. The following were considered adequate BRAF testing: 1) unequivocally positive BRAF V600E immunostain with or without molecular confirmation; 2) successful multigene next generation sequencing (mostly Tempus â or FoundationOne â) if BRAF V600Eimmunostain was equivocal or negative. We also searched the literature for similar cases and compared BRAF fusions found in histiocytic disorders to those found in solid tumors and other hematologic conditions. Results: One hundred and twenty-six patients were included in this study. BRAF fusions were detected in 7 (6%) patients. The median follow-up for these patients was 1.4 years (95% CI: 0.4-not reached). The frequency according to disease subtypes is as follows: Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD; 2/46 [4%]), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH; 1/41 [2%]), adult or juvenile xanthogranuloma (AXG/JXG; 4/7 [57%]), and histiocytic or Langerhans cell sarcoma (HS/LCS; 0/9 [0%]). The median age at diagnosis for our study cohort was 34 years (range, 7-81 years) and 5 were females. The clinical characteristics and nature of BRAF fusions of our 7 patients plus additional 13 cases from the literature are shown in Table 1. For the final cohort of 20 patients with BRAF-fusions, the median age was 16 years (range, 0.5-81 years) and most (56%) were females. The distribution by histiocytic subtypes is as follows: AXG/JXG (45%), LCH (40%), ECD (10%), HS/LCS (5%). Two patients received cobimetinib as frontline treatment in our cohort and achieved partial responses. Of these two patients, one completed 12 cycles (12 months) of cobimetinib and had a sustained PR while the other patient received 2 cycles before having to hold therapy due to intolerable adverse effects despite dose reduction. From literature review, another patient (LR-12) received cobimetinib as second line treatment and achieved complete response. We found 15 unique BRAF gene fusions with 4 being recurrent. Except for AGAP3-BRAF, none of these BRAF fusions in histiocytosis has been reported in solid tumors or hematologic conditions to date. Conclusions: BRAF gene fusions occur rarely (<5%) in histiocytic disorders. The only exception is AXG/JXG where more than half of the patients harbor BRAF gene fusions. These gene fusions are mostly distinct to histiocytosis and not found in solid tumors or other hematologic conditions. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Bennani: Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory Board; Daichii Sankyo Inc: Other: Advisory Board; Kyowa Kirin: Other: Advisory Board; Vividion: Other: Advisory Board; Kymera: Other: Advisory Board; Verastem: Other: Advisory Board.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare histiocytic disorder associated with histiocytes expressing high level of macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor (c-fms). Mutations in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway have been reported in RDD, indicating an underlying clonal process in some patients. Aberrant activation of MAPK pathway can occur due to mutations or high c-fms expression. Data on the use of MAPK/extracellular-signal-related kinase (ERK)-inhibitor therapy in RDD are very limited. Cobimetinib is a MEK inhibitor, which is listed in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Compendium ® for the treatment of RDD. We present our retrospective experience of cobimetinib treatment in a large series of patients with RDD. METHODS Following approval of the institutional reviewed board, patients (pts) with RDD who were consecutively seen at Mayo Clinic and treated with cobimetinib between 2013-2021 were included. Response was assessed as described by Goyal et al (Haematologica 2020;105:2). Cobimetinib was given 20-60 mg once a day by mouth for 21 days in a 28-day cycle. Adverse events (AEs) were graded using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria v5.0. Time-to-event analyses were calculated from the time of treatment initiation, while duration of response was calculated from the time of 1 st response. Tumor genomic profile was analyzed using Tempus-xT ® assay (Chicago, IL), which includes targeted DNA sequencing (648 oncogenes) and whole transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS Of the 54 pts with RDD, ten were treated with cobimetinib and included in this study. The median follow-up was 16 months (m) [95% confidence interval (CI): 13-not reached (NR)] and most (n=8; 80%) were females. The median age at the time of treatment was 63 years (range: 36-74). Cobimetinib was used as first line therapy in four pts. Overall response rate was 70%, with 30% and 40% achieving complete (CR) and partial (PR) responses, respectively. One had stable disease (SD) and two had progressive disease (PD) (Table 1). The median progression-free-survival was 6.4 m (95%CI: 4.9-NR) and at 6 and 12 m, 67% and 50% of pts remained free from disease progression or death, respectively (Figure 1). The median duration of response was 7.6 m (95%CI: 3.1-NR). At the time of last follow-up, nine (90%) pts were alive. One pt died due to myelodysplastic syndrome with excessive blasts. She had multiple chemotherapy treatments before initiation of cobimetinib. Cobimetinib was discontinued in this pt due to grade 3 anemia and skin toxicity after 6 m of therapy and had SD as the best response. Median duration of treatment for the entire cohort was 6 m (range: 2-14). In the seven pts who responded, the median duration of treatment was 7 m (range: 2-14). Cobimetinib was discontinued in seven pts: disease progression (n=3; one disease progression after achieving PR and two PD while on therapy), grade 3 left ventricular systolic dysfunction (n=1), grade 3 diarrhea (n=1), grade 3 anemia (n=1), and grade 2 creatinine elevation (n=1). Five (50%) pts were started at a reduced dose of cobimetinib at the discretion of treating physician [20 mg (n=4) and 40mg, (n=1)]. Two pts were started at 60 mg and dose reduced to 20 mg after one cycle of treatment due to grade 2 skin toxicity in one and grade 2 skin toxicity and diarrhea in the other. Both pts achieved a PR but progressed after four and six cycles, respectively. One pt started at 40 mg and reduced to 20 mg due to grade 2 skin toxicity after two cycles achieving a PR. The response was sustained in this pt for at least 9 months, until the time of last follow-up (Table 1). Tissue molecular testing showed five pts with MAPK pathway alterations and all of them responded to therapy (CR=3 and PR=2). Of the other five pts who either did not have a MAPK pathway alteration (n=4) or had test failure (n=1), responses were observed in two (40%) pts, both PR (Table 1). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that cobimetinib is an effective treatment in RDD, with responses observed in all pts having MAPK pathway alterations. Less than half of pts without a MAPK pathway alteration achieved a response. However, treatment discontinuations due to AEs were common despite dose reductions. Patients who were treated at low doses of cobimetinib also had remarkable clinical response. Further studies are needed in evaluating other MAPK pathway inhibitors with better toxicity profile to improve adherence and outcomes. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Tobin: National Institutes of Health: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Center for MS and Autoimmune Neurology: Research Funding; Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Bennani: Vividion: Other: Advisory Board; Kyowa Kirin: Other: Advisory Board; Daichii Sankyo Inc: Other: Advisory Board; Verastem: Other: Advisory Board; Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory Board; Kymera: Other: Advisory Board. Vassallo: Pfizer: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Research Funding; Sun Pharma.: Research Funding.