Patel, Krina

Abstract Introduction: Cilta-cel is a BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy that has shown remarkable efficacy in patients with RRMM. As real-world (RW) experience with cilta-cel continues to expand, and with the recent FDA guidance reducing the recommended proximity to the CAR T center from four to two weeks post-infusion, there is growing interest in identifying patients at low risk for severe early complications who may be safely managed in the outpatient setting and potentially ‘discharged’ home earlier. Methods Data were collected from 769 patients with RRMM treated with cilta-cel at 15 institutions in the U.S. via the Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium.Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of patients who could be managed in the outpatient setting (low-risk group). Based on expert consensus within the Consortium, low-risk patients were defined as: grade ≤1 CRS, no ICANS, and no IEC-HS. The remaining patients were categorized as high-risk. We evaluated baseline characteristics with missingness < 20% as predictors, including age, sex, race, and ethnicity, ECOG performance status (PS) at time of lymphodepletion (LD), extramedullary disease, bone marrow plasma cell (BMPC) percentage, high-risk cytogenetics, bridging therapy including response, penta-refractory status, number of prior lines of therapy, prior anti-BCMA therapy, baseline C-reactive protein (CRP), and baseline ferritin. The cohort was restricted to patients with complete data on all predictors (n=455) and split into a training and testing cohort (80/20 split, n=364/91). Bidirectional stepwise regression was used to build the predictive model using variables with significance of p<0.15 selected for entry. The best model was selected based on the AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and a significance level of p<0.05. Results Among the 455 patients with complete data included in the final model, 290 (64%) were categorized as low-risk and 165 (36%) as high-risk. Compared to the low-risk group, high-risk patients were more likely to have an ECOG PS ≥2 at time of LD (20% vs 9%, p<0.001), high-risk cytogenetics (47% vs 35%, p=0.009), and penta-refractory disease status (34% vs 24%, p=0.031). High-risk patients also had a higher median BMPC percentage (15% vs 5%, p<0.001), and higher baseline pre-LD CRP and ferritin. Overall response rates were high, at 95% vs 90% (p=0.047) for the low vs high risk groups, with complete response or better achieved in 73% vs 66% of patients, respectively (p=0.14). With a median follow-up of approximately 11 months, median progression-free survival was not reached (95% CI: 27-NA) in the low-risk group and 18.2 months (95% CI: 13.1-NA) in the high-risk group. In terms of safety, non-ICANS neurotoxicity (NINT) occurred less frequently in the low-risk group (6.6% vs 13%, p=0.015). Specifically, Parkinsonism was observed in 1.7% vs 6.1% (p=0.013), and cranial nerve palsy in 4.5% vs 5.5% (p=0.7), respectively. Non-relapse mortality (NRM) was lower in the low-risk group (4.2%) compared to the high-risk group (14%; p < 0.001). The most common causes of NRM in the low- and high-risk groups were acute toxicities (0% vs 36%, including CRS, IEC-HS, and ICANS), delayed toxicities (0% vs 8%, including colitis, NINT, and Parkinsonism), infections (50% vs 48%), and other unrelated causes (50% vs 8%). The best model to predict low-risk patients that could be managed in the outpatient settingincluded BMPC percentage and ECOG PS at LD. In the training cohort, patients with a higher pre-LD BMPC percentage and an ECOG PS ³2 were less likely to be in the low-risk group(OR per 1-unit change in BMPC percentage = 0.99, 95% CI=0.98-0.99, p<0.001 and OR for ECOG PS 2-4 = 0.38, 95% CI=0.20-0.72, p=0.003). The AUC for this model was 0.663 in the training cohort and 0.659 in the testing cohort. Conclusion In this large, multi-institutional cohort of patients with RRMM treated with cilta-cel, we identified clinical factors associated with lower risk for early severe toxicities, supporting outpatient administration and the potential for earlier discharge in selected patients, particularly those who are fit and have low disease burden. Our findings provide a practical framework to guide risk stratification and outpatient CAR T management strategies, particularly in light of evolving regulatory guidance and growing RW experience with cilta-cel.

Abstract Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies are an effective treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) is a B-cell maturation antigen-targeted CAR T-cell therapy approved for patients with RRMM with ≥2 prior lines of therapy. Developing a better understanding of the relationship between patient age and CAR T-cell therapy outcomes may help guide treatment and clinical practice. This analysis of data from the KarMMa-3 trial (NCT03651128) describes efficacy and safety outcomes in older and younger patients who received either ide-cel or standard therapy regimens. Methods: KarMMa-3 is an open-label, phase 3 trial that includes adults with RRMM who have received 2-4 prior treatment regimens with disease refractory to the last therapy. Enrolled patients were randomized (2:1) to receive either a one-time infusion of ide-cel or 1 of 5 standard regimens. This subgroup analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of ide-cel compared with standard regimens in KarMMa-3 patients by age group (≥70 vs <70 yrs). Outcome measures assessed include overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), patient-reported quality of life (QoL), and incidence of selected adverse events. Results: A total of 386 patients were evaluated; 19.3% (49/254) of those receiving ide-cel and 20.5% (27/132) of those receiving standard regimens were aged ≥70 yrs. Compared with older patients, younger patients receiving ide-cel exhibited more high-risk baseline characteristics, including high-risk cytogenic abnormalities (44.4% vs 32.7%) and triple-class refractory disease (66.8% vs 55.1%). The median time to progression during the most recent prior anti-myeloma treatment was longer for patients aged ≥70 yrs who received ide-cel vs standard regimens (8.6 mo vs 6.7 mo) but was similar for patients aged <70 yrs (6.5 mo vs 6.9 mo). ORR for patients aged <70 yrs was 68.8% (95% CI: 62.4, 75.1) with ide-cel and 41.0% (95% CI: 31.5, 50.4) with standard regimens (P<0.0001). Patients aged ≥70 yrs treated with ide-cel achieved an ORR of 81.6% (95% CI: 70.8, 92.5) vs 48.1% (95% CI: 29.3, 67.0) with standard regimens (P<0.01). Median PFS for patients aged <70 yrs was longer with ide-cel treatment vs standard regimens (12.5 mo [95% CI: 11.2, 15.4] vs 4.2 mo [95% CI: 3.5, 5.7]; P<0.0001). Similar trends were seen in patients aged ≥70 yrs, where median PFS was 18.9 mo (95% CI: 12.1, 24.5) with ide-cel treatment and 5.7 mo (95% CI: 2.2, 12.2) with standard regimens (P<0.01). Median OS was not reached in older patients in either treatment arm; in younger patients, median OS was 39.5 mo (95% CI: 27.8, NR) with ide-cel and 27.9 mo (95% CI: 20.6, NR) with standard regimens. Incidence of adverse events reported with ide-cel treatment was generally similar between age groups for cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, and infections. Analyses of patient-reported QoL data and other relevant safety endpointsare ongoing and will be included in the presentation. Conclusions: In the KarMMa-3 trial, patients aged ≥70 years derived substantial benefit from ide-cel treatment, demonstrated by longer PFS and a notable ORR compared with standard regimens. While efficacy and safety outcomes of ide-cel treatment in older patients were consistent with younger patients, it is important to note that patients in the trial aged ≥70 yrs were more likely to have favorable baseline characteristics and less aggressive and heavily pretreated disease. This may reflect a selection bias towards enrolling older patients considered to be easier to treat. In contrast, real-world data from late-line settings suggest that older patients are undergoing treatment based on less restrictive selection criteria—eg, including those with higher-risk baseline features—reflecting a more representative and broader population. These observations reinforce the potential for durable benefit with a single ide-cel infusion in a real-world context without additional adverse safety signals, supporting its use across age groups.

Abstract Background: IEC-HS is a potentially life-threatening complication following CAR-T therapy in RRMM. Reliable diagnostic biomarkers are needed to help expeditiously identify cases to initiate prompt treatment and supportive care. Serum ferritin, a routinely available laboratory parameter, is commonly elevated in IEC-HS and has been used to identify cases. However, ferritin can also be elevated in cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or secondary to baseline tumor-related inflammation. The optimal diagnostic threshold for post-CAR-T ferritin in IEC-HS in RRMM has not been previously established. Methods: This study used data from 15 centers within the US Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium to identify the optimal post-CAR-T ferritin threshold to distinguish RRMM patients (pts) with and without a diagnosis of IEC-HS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal threshold based on Youden's Index. The performance of the threshold was evaluated overall and stratified by CAR-T product (cilta-cel, ide-cel). Additional analyses included the temporal relationship of peak ferritin and IEC-HS diagnosis, the evaluation of IEC-HS criteria according to ferritin levels, comparison of IEC-HS criteria co-occurrence, and comprehensive baseline characteristic comparisons across ferritin strata. Results: Of 1502 RRMM CAR-T recipients (ide-cel, n=712; cilta-cel, n=790), 74 patients (4.9%) had a provider-determined diagnosis of IEC-HS. A post-CAR-T ferritin threshold of 7470 ng/mL was identified as optimal for distinguishing pts with and without IEC-HS (AUC 0.938). Sensitivity (0.904) and specificity (0.934) were both very high, indicating high discriminatory ability. Stratified ROC analyses showed near-identical optimal thresholds for cilta-cel (7450 ng/mL; sensitivity 0.885, specificity 0.936, AUC 0.94) and ide-cel (7470 ng/mL; sensitivity 0.952, specificity 0.933, AUC 0.95), indicating minimal impact of CAR-T product on ferritin's prognostic utility. Baseline pt characteristics (N=1,413) differed significantly by ferritin threshold. Pts above the ferritin threshold of 7470 (N=154) were younger (median 64 vs 67 years; p=0.004), more frequently male (65% vs 56%; p=0.043), had higher baseline ferritin (1,300 vs 187; p<0.001), higher ECOG at apheresis (p=0.001), more likely penta-refractory (p=0.016), had higher baseline bone marrow plasma cell burden (p<0.001), and had higher R-ISS scores (p<0.001). Evaluation of IEC-HS criteria (Hines et al, TCT 2023) demonstrated significantly higher rates of laboratory and clinical criteria, including hepatic transaminase elevation (43% vs 15%), hypofibrinogenemia (53% vs 0%), cytopenias (95% vs 81%), hypertriglyceridemia (43% vs 8%), ICANS (52% vs 23%), renal insufficiency (20% vs 0%), and soluble IL-2 receptor elevations (47% vs 4%), in pts with ferritin >7500 ng/mL compared to those with lower ferritin. Heatmap visualization revealed distinct patterns of co-occurring criteria in high- and low-ferritin groups. Assessment of the timing of peak ferritin and IEC-HS diagnosis among IEC-HS cases revealed a median difference of 0 days (IQR: -1, 0), suggesting simultaneous occurrence. Median time to max ferritin was 9 days (IQR 8,12) in IEC-HS pts compared to 8 days (IQR 5,10) in non-IEC-HS pts (Wilcoxon p<0.05). Conclusions: In this analysis of over 1500 patients, a post-CAR-T ferritin level of 7500 ng/mL robustly identifies RRMM pts with IEC-HS following either cilta-cel or ide-cel. Pts exceeding this threshold demonstrate marked enrichment in IEC-HS diagnostic criteria and significant differences in baseline characteristics, warranting further study of the role of ferritin in IEC-HS diagnosis and early intervention.

Abstract Introduction: IEC-HS is an emerging and potentially life-threatening complication in multiple myeloma (MM) patients (pts) treated with CAR-T therapies. We conducted a retrospective, multi-institutional analysis to define the features and outcomes of IEC-HS after ide-cel or cilta-cel in the real-world setting. Methods: This study used data from 15 centers within the US Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium for patients with relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM) who received commercial cilta-cel or ide-cel. IEC-HS was defined by each center based on diagnostic criteria (Hines et al, TCT 2023). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox models were used for time-to-event outcomes while logistic regression was used for categorical outcomes. Results: Of 1502 RRMM pts who received either ide-cel (n=712) or cilta-cel (n=790), 74 patients (4.9%) had a provider-determined diagnosis of IEC-HS. Product-specific incidences were 2.9% for ide-cel and 6.7% for cilta-cel. The median time from CAR-T infusion to IEC-HS onset was 9.5 days (range 2-37 days). IEC-HS-related clinical findings (Hines et al, 2024) included cytopenias (95%), elevated soluble IL-2R levels (79%), fever (76%), elevated LDH (71%, median 1,800 U/L), hypofibrinogenemia (70%), hypertriglyceridemia (65%), ICANS (63%), hepatic transaminase elevation (56%), pulmonary involvement (46%), renal insufficiency (29%), hyperbilirubinemia (22%), and hemophagocytosis in bone marrow (6%). The median interval from peak CRS to IEC-HS onset was 4 days (IQR 1–6). Some variables, such as splenomegaly and coagulopathy, were not systematically collected. Nearly all pts received pharmacologic intervention: corticosteroids (94%, n=59), anakinra (76%, n=48), tocilizumab (71%, n=45), emapalumab (13%, n=8), ruxolitinib (16%, n=10), or etoposide (3%, n=2). Only one pt (2%) did not receive any IEC-HS therapy. Among those evaluable for outcomes, 58% (n=35) improved, 12% (n=7) developed further CAR-T-related complications (e.g., recurrent IEC-HS, delayed neurotoxicity), and 30% (n=18) had no therapeutic response and died. Compared to non-IEC-HS pts (n=1,428), those with IEC-HS were younger (median age 63 vs 66), male (61% vs 57%), and more frequently received cilta-cel (72% vs 52%, all p<0.01). They had higher rates of triple-class (81%) and penta-refractory (43%) disease, greater pre-treatment bone marrow plasma cell burden (40% vs 6%), and higher baseline ferritin (1058 vs 208 ng/mL). Prior autologous SCT was less common, and advanced R-ISS stage was more prevalent. IEC-HS was associated with dramatically worse PFS and OS: with cilta-cel, median PFS was 6.5 months (mo) with IEC-HS (vs 33.1 without); for ide-cel, 8.9 vs 11.4 mo. Median OS for cilta-cel IEC-HS pts was 9.6 mo (not reached in non-IEC-HS pts); for ide-cel IEC-HS, 19.6 mo (vs 40.8 mo). Multivariable analysis confirmed IEC-HS as an independent predictor of shorter PFS (HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.29–2.74, p=0.0011) and OS (HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.39–3.83, p=0.0013). Notably, IEC-HS was not associated with lower response rates – either best CR (63.9% vs 64.0%, p=0.71) or ORR (91.8% vs 90.9%, p=0.97). Cilta-cel pts had a higher probability of achieving a deep (CR) response, regardless of IEC-HS status. Grade > 3 CRS occurred in 14% (n=3/21) of ide-cel and 15% (n=8/52) of cilta-cel IEC-HS pts, versus 2% (n=12/691) and 2% (n=13/737) in non-IEC-HS pts, respectively. Any-grade ICANS was observed in 67% (n=14/21) of ide-cel and 55% (n=29/52) of cilta-cel IEC-HS cases, compared to 26% (n=179/690) and 20% (n=148/738) in non-IEC-HS. Grade ≥3 ICANS occurred in 29% (n=6/21) of ide-cel and 26% (n=14/52) of cilta-cel IEC-HS cases, relative to 4% (n=25/690) and 4% (n=27/738) in pts without IEC-HS. Severe infections were also more common: 71% (n=15/21) of ide-cel and 53% (n=28/52) of cilta-cel IEC-HS pts experienced at least one infection, compared to 31% (n=214/691) and 29% (n=217/737) in non-IEC-HS groups. Conclusions: IEC-HS is an uncommon but severe and early complication after CAR T-cell therapy for RRMM. Despite similar ORRs with or without IEC-HS, IEC-HS was associated with significantly worse PFS and OS for both ide-cel and cilta-cel. These findings support the need for vigilant monitoring and potential preemptive treatment strategies to better manage this syndrome.

Abstract Background: Real-world data suggest that safety and efficacy of ide-cel and cilta-cel mirror data from pivotal trials, yet older adults remain underrepresented. We report outcomes of the largest cohort of RRMM patients aged ≥75 years receiving CAR-T and compare them with propensity-matched younger patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed RRMM patients receiving standard-of-care BCMA CAR-T at 15 centers from the US Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium between May 2021 and December 2024. Patients ≥ 75 years were 2:1 propensity-matched to patients < 75 based on CAR-T product, sex, performance status, extramedullary disease, baseline ferritin, penta-refractory status, bridging therapy, prior autologous SCT and lines of therapy. Continuous outcomes were analyzed with multivariable linear regression, binary outcomes with logistic regression, and time-to-event endpoints with Cox proportional-hazards models. We estimated average treatment effects via G-computation, using cluster-robust standard errors to account for the matched sets. Results: After 2:1 propensity matching, the cohort included 194 patients ≥ 75 years (cilta-cel: 64 and ide-cel: 130) and 388 patients < 75 years (cilta-cel: 128, ide-cel: 260). Median ages were 78 (range: 75-90) for the older cohort vs 65 (range: 35-74) for the younger cohort. The older cohort had a higher frequency of t(14;16) (9% vs. 3%, p = 0.005), lower baseline ferritin (151 vs. 196 ng/mL, P = 0.046), and lower likelihood of prior ASCT (57% vs. 71%, P = 0.001). Median prior lines of therapy were 5. Median follow-up time for ≥ 75 and < 75 groups for cilta-cel was 11.5 and 11 months and for ide-cel was 16 and 24.3 months, respectively. ORR did not differ amongst the older vs younger patients: cilta-cel (97% vs. 97%) and ide-cel (90% vs. 88%).For patients ≥ 75 years, median PFS with cilta-cel was 28.7 months (95% CI: 13.3–NR) and with ide-cel was 16.4 months (95% CI: 12.1–22.4). In patients < 75 years, median PFS was not reached for cilta-cel but was 11.5 months (95% CI: 9.6–12.7) for ide-cel, reflecting inferior PFS with ide-cel in the younger group (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3–0.6). On sensitivity analysis by Cox proportional hazards model, we did not observe any statistically significant differences in PFS in older vs younger patients receiving cilta-cel, although older patients paradoxically had better PFS with ide-cel compared to their matched younger cohort. In the cilta-cel cohort, HR for PFS for older vs younger patients was 1.48 (95% CI:0.77-2.84; p=0.2) and in the ide-cel cohort it was 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5, 0.98; p=0.04). Median OS was reached only in the < 75-year ide-cel cohort at 40 months (95% CI: 32.5–43.5). Rates of CRS were similar, with any-grade (grade ≥3) CRS seen in 74% vs 78% (0% vs. 0.8%) of cilta-cel recipients and 86% vs. 87% (3.1% vs. 1.5%) of ide-cel recipients in the older vs younger groups, respectively. ICANS rates were 21% vs. 20% for cilta-cel (p = 0.79) and 29% vs 20% for ide-cel (p = 0.07), with similar rates of grade ≥ 3 ICANS. In the cilta-cel cohort, Parkinsonian delayed neurotoxicity (DNT) occurred in 3/62 (4.8%) older patients and 6/128 (4.7%) younger patients. Similarly, other non-Parkinsonian DNT rates were similar across age groups, with 6.4% vs 5.5% in older vs younger cilta-cel cohort and 0% vs 1% in the older vs younger ide-cel cohort. Rates of IEC-HS, and infections were comparable across the cohorts. There was no difference in hospital length of stay and ICU admission rate between products within either age cohort. The overall non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 6.7% for patients ≥ 75 years and 6.2% in patients < 75 years. For cilta-cel, NRM in older vs younger cohort was 9.4% vs 4.7% (p= 0.96) and for ide-cel it was 5.4% vs 6.9%, respectively (p= 0.65). Conclusion: Appropriately selected older adults (≥75 years) receiving CAR-T therapy for RRMM can derive a similar efficacy benefit with CAR-T as a propensity-matched younger cohort, without any increased signal of toxicity including CRS, ICANS or delayed NT. NRM was numerically greater, but not statistically significant, in older adults receiving cilta-cel. Median PFS with cilta-cel and ide-cel in older adults were 28.7 months and 16.4 months with median OS not reached and 40 months, respectively. Older adults, ≥75 years old, should not be excluded from CAR-T therapy solely due to advanced age. Overall, cilta-cel was not associated with worsened toxicities in older adults and may offer better PFS.