No head-to-head trials have compared the efficacy of tisagenlecleucel versus historical treatments for adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL). This study indirectly compared the overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR) associated with tisagenlecleucel, using data from the JULIET study (NCT02445248), versus historical treatments assessed in the CORAL study follow-up population. To assess treatment effects in the treated (full analysis set [FAS]) and enrolled (intent-to-treat [ITT]) study populations, the JULIET FAS vs. the CORAL follow-up FAS and JULIET ITT vs. CORAL follow-up ITT populations were separately compared. Propensity score weighting using standardized mortality ratio weight (SMRW) and fine stratification weight (FSW) was used to compare OS and ORR, adjusting for baseline confounders. The results indicated that tisagenlecleucel was associated with a lower hazard of death among the FAS (adjusted hazard ratio [95% CI], both FSW and SMRW: 0.44 [0.32, 0.59]) and ITT populations (FSW: 0.60 [0.44, 0.77], SMRW: 0.57 [0.44, 0.73]; all p<0.001). Median OS was 12.48 months (JULIET) vs. 4.34-4.40 months (CORAL) for the FAS, and 8.25 (JULIET) vs. 4.04-4.86 (CORAL) for the ITT populations. Tisagenlecleucel was associated with a significantly higher ORR compared to historical treatments among the FAS (adjusted response rate difference [95% CI], both FSW and SMRW: 36% [22%, 0.48%]; p<0.001) and among the ITT populations after SMRW adjustment (11% [0%, 22%]; p=0.043). This analysis supports that improved response and OS are achieved in r/r DLBCL patients treated with tisagenlecleucel when compared to those treated with alternative historical treatments.
Indirect Comparison of Tisagenlecleucel and Historical Treatments for Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
