Citations

Background: Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; JNJ-68284528; LCAR-B38M CAR-T cells) is a chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy with 2 B-cell maturation antigen-targeting single-domain antibodies designed to confer avidity. In the phase 1 LEGEND-2 study in China, LCAR-B38M yielded deep, durable responses with a manageable safety profile in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). The phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 study (NCT03548207) is further evaluating cilta-cel in this pt population in the US. We present updated data from the phase 1b portion along with initial phase 2 data. Methods: Eligible pts (aged ≥18 y) were diagnosed with MM per International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria and had measurable disease, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤1, received ≥3 prior regimens or were double-refractory to a proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulatory drug, and received an anti-CD38 antibody. After apheresis, bridging therapy was permitted. Cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 and fludarabine 30 mg/m2 daily for 3 d were used for lymphodepletion. A single infusion of cilta-cel at a target dose of 0.75×106 (range 0.5-1.0×106) CAR+ viable T cells/kg was administered 5-7 d after start of lymphodepletion. The primary objective of the phase 1b portion was to characterize cilta-cel safety and establish the recommended phase 2 dose; the primary objective of the phase 2 portion was to evaluate cilta-cel efficacy. Response was assessed per IMWG criteria and minimal residual disease (MRD) by next-generation sequencing. Adverse events (AEs) were graded using CTCAE v5.0. In the phase 1b portion, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was graded by Lee et al (Blood 2014) and neurotoxicity by CTCAE v5.0; in the phase 2 portion, CRS and neurotoxicity were graded by American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) criteria. In this combined analysis, Lee et al and CTCAE v5.0 were mapped to ASTCT criteria for CRS and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), respectively. Results: As of the May 20, 2020 clinical cutoff, 97 pts (58.8% male; median age 61.0 y [range 43-78]) with R/R MM received cilta-cel (29 in phase 1b; 68 in phase 2). Median follow-up duration was 8.8 mo (range 1.5-20.4). Pts had received a median of 6 prior lines of therapy (range 3-18); 83.5% were penta-exposed, 87.6% were triple-refractory, 41.2% were penta-refractory, and 97.9% were refractory to last line of therapy. Overall response rate per independent review committee (primary endpoint) was 94.8% (95% CI 88.4-98.3), with a stringent complete response rate of 55.7% (95% CI 45.2-65.8), very good partial response rate of 32.0% (95% CI 22.9-42.2), and partial response rate of 7.2% (95% CI 3.0-14.3). All pts achieved a reduction in M-protein. Median time to first response was 1.0 mo (range 0.9-5.8; 80.4% ≤1.0 mo), and median time to complete response or better was 1.8 mo (range 0.9-12.5; 74.1% ≤3.0 mo); responses deepened over time (Figure). Median duration of response was not reached (NR). Of 52 MRD-evaluable pts, 94.2% were MRD-negative at 10-5. The 6-mo progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (95% CI) were 87.4% (78.9-92.7) and 93.8% (86.7-97.2), respectively; median PFS and OS were NR. Ten deaths occurred during the study; 8 were due to AEs (both related and unrelated; CRS/hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, neurotoxicity, respiratory failure, sepsis, septic shock, pneumonia, lung abscess, and acute myelogenous leukemia [n=1 each]), and 2 due to progressive disease. AEs reported in >70% of pts were CRS (94.8%; grade [gr] 3/4 4.1%), neutropenia (90.7%; gr 3/4 90.7%), anemia (81.4%; gr 3/4 68.0%), and thrombocytopenia (79.4%; gr 3/4 59.8%). Median time to CRS onset was 7.0 d (range 1-12) and median duration 4.0 d (range 1-27, excluding n=1 with 97 d). CAR-T cell-related neurotoxicity was reported in 20.6% of pts (gr 3/4 10.3%). Cilta-cel CAR+ T cells showed maximum peripheral expansion at 14 d (range 9-43). Among pts with 6 mo' individual follow-up, 67% had cilta-cel CAR+ T cells below the level of quantification (2 cells/µL) in peripheral blood. Conclusions: Preliminary phase 1b/2 data from CARTITUDE-1 indicate a single low-dose infusion of cilta-cel leads to early, deep, and durable responses in heavily pretreated pts with MM with a safety profile consistent with LEGEND-2. Further investigation of cilta-cel in other MM populations is underway. Disclosures Madduri: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Foundation Medicine: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Legend: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau; Kinevant: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau. Berdeja:Teva: Research Funding; Bluebird: Research Funding; Bioclinica: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; EMD Sorono: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Consultancy; Prothena: Consultancy; Cellularity: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Poseida: Research Funding; Lilly: Research Funding; Acetylon: Research Funding; CURIS: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Glenmark: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; CRISPR Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Vivolux: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kesios: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding. Usmani:Celgene: Other; BMS, Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Speaking Fees, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Speaking Fees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Speaking Fees, Research Funding; SkylineDX: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Array Biopharma: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Speaking Fees, Research Funding. Jakubowiak:Adaptive, Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie, Amgen, BMS/Celgene, GSK, Janssen, Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Cohen:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda,: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncopeptides: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech/Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Other: Patents/Intellectual property licensed, Research Funding. Stewart:Janssen, BMS, Sanofi-Aventis, GSK: Honoraria; Tempus, Inc., Genomics England LLC: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hari:Amgen: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy. Htut:City of Hope Medical Center: Current Employment. Munshi:OncoPep: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Adaptive: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; C4: Current equity holder in private company. Deol:Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy. Lesokhin:BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria. Singh:Janssen: Current Employment. Zudaire:Janssen: Current Employment. Yeh:Janssen: Current Employment. Allred:Janssen: Current Employment. Olyslager:Janssen: Current Employment. Banerjee:Janssen: Current Employment. Goldberg:Johnson & Johnson: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Schecter:Janssen: Current Employment. Jackson:Janssen: Current Employment; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Consultancy. Deraedt:Janssen: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zhuang:Janssen: Current Employment. Infante:Janssen: Current Employment. Geng:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Wu:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Carrasco:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Akram:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Hossain:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Rizvi:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Fan:Legend Biotech USA Inc.: Current Employment. Jagannath:BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm, Legend Biotech, Sanofi, Takeda: Consultancy. Lin:Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Legend BioTech: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Vineti: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Gamida Cells: Consultancy; Sorrento: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Martin:AMGEN: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy; Sanofi: Research Funding.

Introduction: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of mature-appearing malignant lymphocytes (CLL B-cells) in the blood, marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. Despite improved outcome with the introduction of novel BCR and BCL-2 inhibitors, disease progression is still a therapeutic challenge from either differential responses or acquired drug resistance. Recent studies in CLL reported alterations of the epigenetic landscape as well as mutations of genes encoding key chromatin machineries. These aberrant chromatin structures may provide novel therapeutic targets for CLL. Here, we identify aberrant chromatin features in CLL B-cells as novel therapeutic targets. Methods: Histones were extracted by acid from B cells derived from 10 random selected CLL patients and 10 normal donors and histone modifications were checked by western blot. For ChIP-seq study, published H3K27me3 ChIP-seq data (GSE113336) were downloaded from and analyzed (Control samples, n= 6; CLL samples, n=16). Gene ontology analysis used the Panther Classification System. Cell Survival was determined by CellTiter 96® AQueous Assay (Promega). Results: While most histone modifications do not vary between CLL and controls, H3K27me3 and H3.3S31ph are increased and decreased respectively, albeit variably, in CLL B-cells (Fig1. A and B). Notably, the low level of H3.3S31ph was observed in a subset of samples (7 of 10 CLL samples tested). To further investigate the biology and role of H3K27me3 in CLL, we analyzed its genome-wide distribution by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). Our analysis showed that the genes with increased H3K27me3 occupancy were mostly enriched in tumor suppression pathways (e.g., negative regulation of PI3K-Akt pathway) or down-regulated genes in CLL such as genes involved in the pro-apoptotic pathway (FAS) (Fig1. C and D). These results suggested that high enrichment of H3K27me3 may regulate the expression of these genes, contributing to CLL survival. H3K27 methylation, an important suppressive histone modification that is associated with transcription repression, is catalyzed by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). Therefore, inhibition of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunit of PRC2, could be explored as a therapy approach in CLL. However, feedback activation of H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) can promote expression of pro-survival genes that confers EZH2 inhibitor (EZH2i) resistance, which limits its use in human malignancy. Thus, the epigenetic determinants that reliably overcome EZH2i resistance or sensitize cells to EZH2 inhibition have yet to be identified. As we observed that the CLL B-cells in a subset of CLL patients have low levels of H3.3S31ph, and a recent study showed the importance of H3.3S31ph for the enzymatic activity of p300 to acetylate H3 at lysine 27(Martire S et al., Nat Genet. 2019), we assessed the role of H3.3S31ph in the process of EZH2 inhibitor-mediated H3K27ac. Our results showed that inhibition of H3.3S31ph by CHK1 inhibitor MK-8776 abolished the activation of H3K27ac by EZH2i in MEC1 cells, which represents the patients who have CLL cells with relatively high level H3.3S31ph. However, we did not see a major increase of H3K27ac and H3.3S31ph in primary CLL B-cells with EZH2 inhibition (Fig. 1E), consistent with the relatively low expression of CHK1 protein in these cells (Fig. 1F). Because our data shows the requirement of H3.3S31ph in H3K27ac activation by EZH2 inhibition, we next tested if H3.3S31ph inhibition could overcome H3K27ac induced EZH2 inhibition resistance. We found that suppression of H3.3S31ph by CHK1 inhibitor MK-8776 sensitizes the CLL-like line MEC1 to EZH1/2 inhibition (Fig. 1 G). We then showed that an EZH2 inhibitor, Valemetostat, reduce the survival of the primary CLL B-cells (Fig. 1 H). These results suggest that the low level of H3.3S31ph may provide a therapeutic opportunity for CLL treatment with EZH inhibition. Conclusion: In summary, we have elucidated how epigenetic features in leukemic CLL B-cells (H3K27me3 and H3.3S31ph), can provide novel treatment targets for CLL (Fig. 1 I). Moreover, this study may provide a proof of concept to develop new treatment strategies based on epigenetic vulnerabilities in other hematological malignancies. Disclosures Parikh: GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria; Ascentage Pharma: Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding; Verastem Oncology: Honoraria; Merck: Research Funding. Kenderian:Kite: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Tolero: Research Funding; Humanigen: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; Lentigen: Research Funding; Mettaforge: Patents & Royalties; Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Torque: Consultancy; Sunesis: Research Funding. Ding:Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Octapharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MEI Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; DTRM: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding. Braggio:DASA: Consultancy; Bayer: Other: Stock Owner; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding. Kay:Oncotracker: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno Theraputics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Dava Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Morpho-sys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Cytomx: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sunesis: Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bristol Meyer Squib: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding.

Although CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CART19) therapy is highly effective and was FDA approved for certain B-cell malignancies, most patients relapse after CART infusion within the first 1-2 years due to inadequate CART expansion in vivo. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has the ability to infect and lyse cancer cells. Clinical trials of VSV oncolytic therapy indicate that VSV efficiently infects cancer cells as well as innate immune cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that in patients who achieve suboptimal response to CART19, VSV engineered to express CD19 will augment anti-tumor activity through 1) direct lysis of cancer cells and 2) infecting cancer cells and innate immune cells with CD19 to further stimulate CART19. To test our hypothesis, human CD19 or GFP (control) was engineered between the glycoprotein and large-protein (Fig.1A) in a modified VSV backbone. A matrix inactivating mutation (M51R) rendered it incapable of suppressing anti-viral reactions of infected targets, potentially promoting its immunogenicity. First, we tested the anti-tumor activity of VSV-CD19 and VSV-GFP against the luciferase (luc)+CD19+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line NALM6 and the luc+CD19- acute myeloid leukemia cell line MOLM13. VSV-CD19 and VSV-GFP successfully lysed NALM6 (Fig.1B) or MOLM13, both in vitro and in vivo (data not shown). Next, we investigated the efficiency of VSV-CD19 in infecting tumor and immune cells. 24 hours after exposure to VSV-CD19 or VSV-GFP, we analyzed the surface expression of CD19 on MOLM13 and revealed efficient CD19 delivery (Fig.1C). Next, we assessed VSV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors (HDs). Freshly isolated HD PBMCs were infected with VSV-CD19 for 6 hours and subsequently assessed for CD19 expression. Consistent with findings from clinical trials, VSV-CD19 selectively infected and induced CD19 expression on monocytes while other cells were not affected (Fig.1D). To exclude potential toxicities against CART19, we co-cultured CART19 with VSV-CD19 or VSV-GFP using second-generation 4-1BB costimulated CART19. Both VSV-CD19 and VSV-GFP did not infect CART19 as evident by preservation of CART19 viability and lack of CD19 or GFP expression (Fig.1E). Having demonstrated that VSV-CD19 specifically delivered CD19 to monocytes, we next tested whether the infected monocytes stimulated CART19. VSV-CD19 infected monocytes induced potent antigen-specific proliferation of CART19 (Fig.1F) and resulted in enhanced anti-tumor activity against luc+NALM6 in vitro (Fig.1G). Next, we aimed to confirm these findings in vivo. We generated luc+CART19 to track CART19 expansion in vivo. Freshly isolated HD monocytes were infected with VSV-CD19 ex vivo. After 4 hours, VSV-CD19 was washed away and immunocompromised NSG mice were intravenously injected with VSV-CD19 infectedmonocytes. After 24 hours, 3.5x106 of luc+untransduced T cells (UTD) or luc+CART19 were injected intravenously. The T cell expansion was assessed by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). VSV-CD19 infected monocytes specifically stimulated and expanded CART19 (Fig.1H). Finally, we tested whether VSV-CD19 can stimulate and rescue suboptimal anti-tumor effects of CART19 in vivo using a NALM6 relapsed model. Here, 1x106 luc+NALM6 were injected intravenously into NSG mice on day -6. At day -1, mice were imaged and randomized according to tumor burden to receive 1x106 UTD or CART19 on day 0. Subsequently, at day 4, mice were re-imaged and randomized. At day 5, HD monocytes were injected intravenously. Three hours after administering monocytes, mice received 1x107 VSV-CD19 or VSV-GFP (Fig.1I). BLI revealed that CART19 plusVSV-CD19 showed better tumor control than CART19 monotherapy or CART19 plus VSV-GFP (Fig.1J-K). Furthermore, CART19 plus VSV-CD19 exhibited long-term survival (Fig.1L). In summary, VSV-CD19 not only demonstrated direct anti-tumor effects but also specifically delivered CD19 to monocytes and tumor cells, thereby re-stimulating and enhancing the anti-tumor activity of CART19. This work provides a rationale to study VSV-CD19 in patients who demonstrate only suboptimal response to CART19. This approach could also be applied to augment CART therapy in other tumors. Figure 1 Disclosures Sakemura: Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Eckert:Genentech: Current Employment. Cox:Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Parikh:Ascentage Pharma: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria; Verastem Oncology: Honoraria; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding. Kay:Dava Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncotracker: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Meyer Squib: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Agios Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Cytomx: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Morpho-sys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Research Funding; Juno Theraputics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sunesis: Research Funding. Peng:Imanis: Other: Equity Ownership. Russell:Imanis: Other: Equity Ownership. Kenderian:Mettaforge: Patents & Royalties; Humanigen: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Lentigen: Research Funding; Torque: Consultancy; Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Tolero: Research Funding; Sunesis: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding.

Recent successes and FDA approvals of CD19 redirected chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CART19) therapy have been achieved in pivotal clinical trials in patients with B cell malignancies. However, durable response rates in non-Hodgkin B cell lymphoma (B-NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are low. Tumor-associated macrophages have emerged as key mediators of tumor-induced CART cell immunosuppression. Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (Axl-RTK) is overexpressed in various human cancers including B-NHL or CLL and correlates with poor overall survival. Thus, several Axl-RTK inhibitors are currently being investigated in clinical trials. We have previously reported that the Axl-RTK inhibitor TP-0903 modulates CART19 function by Th1 polarization. Moreover, we observed a significant reduction in myeloid-derived cytokines in preclinical models. This led us to hypothesize that Axl-RTK inhibition also modulates monocytes which in turn affects CART function. To test our hypothesis, we interrogated the interactions between Axl-RTK inhibition, monocytes, and CART. First, we isolated CD14+ monocytes from peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors by magnetic negative selection. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a robust Axl expression on monocytes (Fig.1A). Monocytes were maintained in ImmunoCult Macrophage Medium (STEMCELL Technologies) and differentiated with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ for M1-type and interleukin (IL)-4 for M2-type macrophages. After confirming the macrophage phenotypes, cells were assessed for Axl expression. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that M2-type macrophages expressed higher Axl compared to M1 macrophages (Fig.1B). Then, we treated PBMCs from healthy donors with TP-0903 for 24 hours to determine the specific cell types affected by Axl-RTK inhibition. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that monocytes were significantly inhibited by TP-0903 compared to B cells or T cells (Fig.1C). Having demonstrated that TP-0903 strongly suppresses monocytes and that M2-type macrophages express Axl on their surface, we then performed a cytotoxicity assay against CD19+ mantle cell lymphoma cell line, JeKo-1, to study the impact of Axl-RTK inhibition on monocyte-induced CART suppression. We used CART19 generated in our laboratory (FMC63-41BBζ). CART19, JeKo-1, and M2-type macrophages were co-cultured at 1:2:1 ratio and incubated for 3 days. The data revealed that M2-type macrophages strongly suppress CART19 killing (Fig.1D) which could be overcome with TP-0903 (Fig.1E). Next we studied monocyte-induced CART19 suppression with antigen-specific proliferation. CART19, JeKo-1, and monocytes were co-cultured at 1:5:1 ratio and incubated for 5 days. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that in the presence of monocytes, antigen-specific proliferation of CART19 was significantly suppressed, which was reversed in the presence of TP-0903 (Fig.1F). To assess how Axl inhibition modulates myeloid cell-derived cytokines/chemokines, we performed Multiplex (Millipore-Sigma) with the supernatants obtained from these co-culture assays. The presence of monocytes resulted in a significant increase in IL-17a, IL-6, IL-1 receptor agonist, IL-1β, and soluble CD40 ligand. However, Axl-RTK inhibition resulted in selective reduction of those cytokines/chemokines (Fig.1G) while preserving other effector cytokines. Finally, we tested whether Axl-RTK inhibition with TP-0903 could overcome the negative effects of monocytes in vivo. Here, immunocompromised NSG mice were injected with 1x106 luciferase+ JeKo-1 cells intravenously. Ten days later, mice were injected with freshly isolated monocytes derived from a healthy donor. Two weeks after JeKo-1 inoculation, tumor burden was assessed with bioluminescence imaging. Mice were then randomized according to the tumor burden to receive 0.5x106 CART19 as a monotherapy or in combination with 20 mg/kg/day of oral TP-0903. The combination therapy resulted in superior anti-tumor effects and overall survival compared to CART19 monotherapy (Fig.1H-I). In summary, Axl-RTK inhibition with TP-0903 demonstrates a direct suppression of inhibitory monocytes, which in turn enhances CART cell function. Our findings support the strategy of further refining and testing the novel and potent combination of Axl-RTK inhibition and CART cell therapy for the treatment of B cell malignancies. Figure 1 Disclosures Sakemura: Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Cox:Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Mouritsen:Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Oncology, Inc.: Current Employment. Foulks:Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Current Employment. Warner:Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Current Employment. Ding:Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; DTRM: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Octapharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MEI Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Parikh:GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria; Verastem Oncology: Honoraria; Genentech: Honoraria; Ascentage Pharma: Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding. Kay:Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bristol Meyer Squib: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Sunesis: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Cytomx: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Morpho-sys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncotracker: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Dava Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno Theraputics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kenderian:Mettaforge: Patents & Royalties; Lentigen: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Sunesis: Research Funding; Tolero: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Torque: Consultancy; Humanigen: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding.

Abstract Objective Sjögren syndrome in children is a poorly understood autoimmune disease. We aimed to describe the clinical and diagnostic features of children diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome and explore how the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria apply to this population. Methods An international workgroup retrospectively collected cases of Sjögren syndrome diagnosed under 18 years of age from 23 centres across eight nations. We analysed patterns of symptoms, diagnostic workup, and applied the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria. Results We identified 300 children with Sjögren syndrome. The majority of patients n = 232 (77%) did not meet 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria, but n = 110 (37%) did not have sufficient testing done to even possibly achieve the score necessary to meet criteria. Even among those children with all criteria items tested, only 36% met criteria. The most common non-sicca symptoms were arthralgia [n = 161 (54%)] and parotitis [n = 140 (47%)] with parotitis inversely correlating with age. Conclusion Sjögren syndrome in children can present at any age. Recurrent or persistent parotitis and arthralgias are common symptoms that should prompt clinicians to consider the possibility of Sjögren syndrome. The majority of children diagnosed with Sjögren syndromes did not meet 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria. Comprehensive diagnostic testing from the 2016 ACR/EULAR criteria are not universally performed. This may lead to under-recognition and emphasizes a need for further research including creation of paediatric-specific classification criteria.

Abstract Background Approximately 25% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) experience a flare of disease following ibrutinib discontinuation. A critical question is whether this phenomenon may also occur when ibrutinib is temporarily held. This study aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of disease flares in this setting and assess risk factors and clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods We identified all patients with CLL seen at Mayo Clinic between October 2012 and March 2019 who received ibrutinib. Temporary interruptions in treatment and associated clinical findings were ascertained. Results Among the 372 patients identified, 143 (38%) had at least one temporary interruption (median 1 hold, range 1–7 holds) in treatment. The median duration of interruption was 8 days (range 1–59 days) and the most common indication was periprocedural. Among the 143 patients with ≥1 hold, an associated disease flare was seen in 35 (25%) patients: mild (constitutional symptoms only) in 21 patients and severe (constitutional symptoms with exam/radiographic findings or laboratory changes) in 14 patients. Disease flare resolved with resuming ibrutinib in all patients. Predictive factors of disease flare included progressive disease at time of hold and ≥ 24 months of ibrutinib exposure. The occurrence of disease flare with an ibrutinib hold was associated with shorter event-free survival (hazard ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval 1.3–4.1; p = .007) but not overall survival. Conclusion Temporary interruptions in ibrutinib treatment of patients with CLL are common, and one quarter of patients who held ibrutinib in this study experienced a disease flare. Resolution with resuming ibrutinib underscores the importance of awareness of this phenomenon for optimal management. Implications for Practice Ibrutinib is a very effective treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) but needs to be taken continuously. Side effects, such as increased bleeding risk with procedures, require temporary interruptions in this continuous treatment. Rapid CLL progression following ibrutinib discontinuation has been increasingly recognized. This study demonstrates that similar flares in disease signs or symptoms may occur during ibrutinib holds as well. Importantly, management with restarting ibrutinib led to quick clinical improvement. Awareness of this phenomenon among clinicians is critical to avoid associated patient morbidity and premature cessation of effective treatment with ibrutinib if the flare is misidentified as true progression of disease.

AbstractObjectiveThe authors aimed to investigate the benefits and risks of catheter‐directed thrombolysis (CDT) in acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT).BackgroundThe role of CDT in the management of DVT is evolving. Data on CDT versus anticoagulation alone in acute DVT is sparse.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published studies that compared CDT to anticoagulation alone in patients with acute DVT.ResultsWe included 11 studies (four randomized control trials [RCTs] and seven observational studies) with a total of 8,737 patients. During hospital stay, patients who received CDT had higher odds of major bleeding (2.5% vs. 1.6%; OR 1.46, 95% CI [1.07, 1.98], p = .02), blood transfusion (10.8% vs. 6.2%; OR 1.8, 95% CI [1.52, 2.13], p < .001), and thromboembolism (15.5% vs. 10%; OR 1.67, 95% CI [1.47, 1.91], p < .001) compared with anticoagulation alone. At 6‐month follow‐up, patients who received CDT had higher venous patency (71.1% vs. 37.7%; OR 5.49, 95% CI [2.63, 11.5], p < .001) and lower postthrombotic syndrome (PTS; 27% vs. 40.7%; OR 0.44, 95% CI [0.22, 0.86], p = .02). During a mean follow‐up duration of 30.5 ± 28 months, CDT group continued to have higher venous patency (79.6% vs. 71.8%; OR 3.79, 95% CI [1.54, 9.32], p = .004) and lower PTS (44.7% vs. 50.5%; OR 0.43, 95% CI [0.23, 0.78], p = .006), but no difference in thromboembolism.ConclusionCompared with anticoagulation alone, CDT for patients with acute DVT was associated with a higher risk of complications, but a higher rate of venous patency and lower risk of postthrombotic syndrome at 2.5 years follow‐up.

Abstract Immune dysfunction is a hallmark of CLL/MBL; ~25% individuals with newly diagnosed CLL have hypogammaglobulinemia at diagnosis. In this study of newly diagnosed CLL/MBL, we sought to a) investigate the association between serum immunoglobulins and specific mutations identified by next generation sequencing, and b) determine if serum immunoglobulin levels predict TFT, independent of the CLL-International Prognostic Index (CLL-IPI) and tumor mutational load (TML). We used the Mayo Clinic CLL Resource to identify newly diagnosed CLL/MBL individuals consented within 2 years of diagnosis. Baseline clinical characteristics and the CLL-IPI score was ascertained on all individuals. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood CD5+/CD19+ clonal B-cells; and the entire coding regions of 60 somatically recurring mutated CLL driver genes were enriched using a customized Agilent SureSelect gene panel and sequenced in Illumina Hiseq4000. Serum immunoglobulins were quantitated by radial immunodiffusion using Immunoplates. The relationship between serum immunoglobulins was assessed: a) with individual gene mutations (mutated vs. not); and b) using the TML score (using a value of 0, 1, and 2 or greater [2+] mutated genes). The impact of serum immunoglobulin levels on TFT was analyzed for all individuals. Of 356 individuals identified, 80 (22%) had MBL, median age was 63 years (28-87), 261 (73%) were male, and the CLL-IPI distribution was: low risk (n=149, 42%), intermediate risk (n=112, 32%), and high/very high risk (n=94, 26%). We observed 43%, 39%, and 18% individuals with 0, 1, or 2+ mutated genes, respectively. The most commonly mutated genes were NOTCH1 (13%), SF3B1 (13%), TP53 (8%), ATM (8%), BIRC3 (7%), and NFKBIE (7%). Using standard cutoffs, 135 (38%) individuals had low serum IgG, 73 (21%) had low serum IgA, and 154 (44%) had low serum IgM at diagnosis. There were no differences in individual gene mutation frequencies between individuals with low and normal serum IgG. In contrast, individuals with low serum IgA were more likely to have mutations in NOTCH1 (25% vs 10%) and ATM (14% vs 7%) compared to those with normal IgA, and individuals with low serum IgM were more likely to have mutations in NOTCH1 (19% vs 9%) and BIRC3 (11% vs 4%) compared to those with normal IgM (all p-values &lt;0.05). There were no significant differences in individuals with low serum IgG based on TML scores of 0, 1, and 2+ (31%, 35%, 40%, respectively, p=0.28). However, individuals with low serum IgA and low serum IgM were more likely to have a higher TML (8%, 20%, 36% for IgA, p&lt;0.0001; and 35%, 45%, 54% for IgM, p&lt;0.0001, for TML scores of 0, 1, and 2+, respectively). After a median follow-up of 6.9 years, 157 individuals required CLL therapy. After adjusting for CLL-IPI and TML, low serum IgG, low serum IgA, and low serum IgM (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.8, 2.3, and 2.4, respectively, all p-values &lt;0.05) were independently associated with a shorter TFT. Our study shows that individuals with CLL/MBL who harbor mutations in NOTCH1, ATM and BIRC3 are more likely to have low serum IgA and IgM at diagnosis. Serum IgA and IgM (but not serum IgG) levels decrease with an increase in the TML score. Finally, low serum immunoglobulins can predict TFT, independent of the CLL-IPI and TML, which has important implications for risk stratification in newly diagnosed CLL/MBL. Citation Format: Sameer A. Parikh, Cristine Allmer, Geffen Kleinstern, Nicholas J. Boddicker, Shulan Tian, Cecilia B. De Campos, Laura A. Bruins, Daniel R. o"brien, Brian F. Kabat, Kari G. Rabe, Aaron D. Norman, Huihuang Yan, Xing Li, Timothy G. Call, Wei Ding, Jose F. Leis, Saad J. Kenderian, Celine M. Vachon, James R. Cerhan, Neil E. Kay, Susan L. Slager, Esteban Braggio. Serum immunoglobulins are an independent prognostic marker of time to first therapy in newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6466.