Residual disease detected by multidimensional flow cytometry signifies high relapse risk in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia: a report from Children's Oncology Group

Abstract Early response to induction chemotherapy is a predictor of outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We determined the prevalence and significance of postinduction residual disease (RD) by multidimensional flow cytometry (MDF) in children treated on Children's Oncology Group AML protocol AAML03P1. Postinduction marrow specimens at the end of induction (EOI) 1 or 2 or at the end of therapy from 249 patients were prospectively evaluated by MDF for RD, and presence of RD was correlated with disease characteristics and clinical outcome. Of the 188 patients in morphologic complete remission at EOI1, 46 (24%) had MDF-detectable disease. Those with and without RD at the EOI1 had a 3-year relapse risk of 60% and 29%, respectively (P < .001); the corresponding relapse-free survival was 30% and 65% (P < .001). Presence of RD at the EOI2 and end of therapy was similarly predictive of poor outcome. RD was detected in 28% of standard-risk patients in complete remission and was highly associated with poor relapse-free survival (P = .008). In a multivariate analysis, including cytogenetic and molecular risk factors, RD was an independent predictor of relapse (P < .001). MDF identifies patients at risk of relapse and poor outcome and can be incorporated into clinical trials for risk-based therapy allocation. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00070174.

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Toward Optimization of Postremission Therapy for Residual Disease–Positive Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2007.15.9814 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (30) ◽

pp. 4944-4951 ◽

Cited By ~ 115

Author(s):

Luca Maurillo ◽

Francesco Buccisano ◽

Maria Ilaria Del Principe ◽

Giovanni Del Poeta ◽

Alessandra Spagnoli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Residual Disease ◽

High Risk Group ◽

Prognostic Indicators ◽

Relapse Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Multiparametric Flow Cytometry ◽

Risk Categories ◽

Acute Myeloid

Purpose Despite the identification of several baseline prognostic indicators, the outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is generally heterogeneous. The effects of autologous (AuSCT) or allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) are still under evaluation. Minimal residual disease (MRD) states may be essential for assigning patients to therapy-dependent risk categories. Patients and Methods By multiparametric flow cytometry, we assessed the levels of MRD in 142 patients with AML who achieved complete remission after intensive chemotherapy. Results A level of 3.5 × 10−4 residual leukemia cells (RLCs) after consolidation therapy was established to identify MRD-negative and MRD-positive cases, with 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rates of 60% and 16%, respectively (P < .0001) and overall survival (OS) rates of 62% and 23%, respectively (P = .0001). Of patients (n = 77) who underwent a transplantation procedure (56 AuSCT and 21 SCT procedures); 42 patients (55%) were MRD positive (28 patients who underwent AuSCT and 14 patients who underwent SCT) and 35 patients (45%) were MRD negative (28 patients who underwent AuSCT and seven who underwent SCT). MRD-negative patients had a favorable prognosis, with only eight (22%) of 35 patients experiencing relapse, whereas 29 (69%) of 42 MRD-positive patients experienced relapse (P < .0001). In this high-risk group of 42 patients, we observed that 23 (82%) of 28 of those who underwent AuSCT experienced relapse, whereas six (43%) of 14 who underwent SCT experienced relapse (P = .014). Patients who underwent SCT also had a higher likelihood of RFS (47% v 14%). Conclusion A threshold of 3.5 × 10−4 RLCs postconsolidation is critical for predicting disease outcome. MRD-negative patients have a good outcome regardless of the type of transplant they receive. In the MRD-positive group, AuSCT does not improve prognosis and SCT represents the primary option.

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Persistence of Minimal Residual Disease Assessed By Multi-Parameter Flow Cytometry (MFC) at 30 and 90 Days after Achieving Complete Remission Predicts Outcome in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.1015.1015 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 1015-1015

Author(s):

Pramod Pinnamaneni ◽

Jeffrey L. Jorgensen ◽

Hagop M. Kantarjian ◽

Elias Jabbour ◽

Sherry R. Pierce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Flow Cytometry ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Response To Therapy ◽

Minimal Residual ◽

Acute Myeloid

Abstract Purpose – To determine the value of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) assessed by Multi-parameter Flow Cytometry (MFC) after achieving initial response to therapy, in predicting outcome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Methods – We investigated the predictive value of MRD assessment by MFC in 191 patients with newly diagnosed AML treated between February 2010 and April 2014 at our institution who had available MRD assessment. MRD by MFC was assessed using an 8-color panel containing 19 distinct markers, on bone marrow specimens obtained at the time of achievement of CR and at approximately 30 days and 90 days after achieving CR. Residual leukemic blasts were identified based on phenotypic differences from normal myelomonocytic precursors. Sensitivity was estimated at 0.1% in most cases, with maximum achievable sensitivity of 0.01%, depending on the leukemic phenotype. Results – Of the 191 patients, 167 (87%) achieved complete remission (CR) or CR without platelet recovery (CRp). Their median age was 58 years (Range, 17-85). 84 (44%) were older than 60 years. Median WBC at presentation was 3.2 x 109/L(Range, 0.5-100.2 x 109/L) and median bone marrow blast percentage was 43% (Range, 11-96%). Cytogenetics was favorable risk in 4 (2%), intermediate risk in130 (68%) and adverse risk in 57 (30%). Treatment included cytarabine plus anthracycline in 170 (89%) and hypomethylating agents-based strategies in 21 (11%). 48 patients had available samples at 30 days post CR and 32 (67%) became MRD negative. Achieving MRD negative status was associated with a statistically significant improvement in CR duration (p=0.02) and overall survival (OS) (p=0.0005). 56 patients were evaluated for MRD status at 90 days and 45 (80%) were negative. Again, achieving MRD negative status was associated with a significant improvement in CR duration (p=0.002) and OS (p=0.0009). Conclusion – Achieving MRD negative status by MFC at 30 and 90 days post CR is associated with an improved outcome in patients with AML Figure 1 Figure 1. Figure 2 Figure 2. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Level of minimal residual disease after consolidation therapy predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v96.12.3948.h8003948_3948_3952 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 96 (12) ◽

pp. 3948-3952

Author(s):

Adriano Venditti ◽

Francesco Buccisano ◽

Giovanni Del Poeta ◽

Luca Maurillo ◽

Anna Tamburini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Short Duration ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Relapse Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Minimal Residual ◽

Acute Myeloid

We used flow cytometry to quantify minimal residual disease (MRD) in 56 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) expressing a leukemia-associated phenotype. Thirty-four patients aged 18 to 60 years were entered into the AML-10 protocol (induction, consolidation, and autologous stem-cell transplantation [ASCT]), whereas 22 patients older than 60 years received the AML-13 protocol (induction, consolidation, and consolidation II). After induction, the level of MRD that was best associated with treatment outcome was 4.5 × 10−4 residual leukemic cells. However, the outcome in patients with at least 4.5 × 10−4 cells (n = 26) was not significantly different from that in patients with fewer leukemic cells (n = 30); there were 15 (58%) relapses in the first group and 12 (40%) relapses in the second. After consolidation, the most predictive MRD cutoff value was 3.5 × 10−4cells: 22 patients had an MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher and 17 (77%) of these patients had relapse, compared with 5 of 29 patients (17%) with lower MRD levels (P < .001). An MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher after consolidation was significantly correlated with poor or intermediate-risk cytogenetic findings, a multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) phenotype, short duration of overall survival, and short duration of relapse-free survival (P = .014, .031, .00022, and .00014, respectively). In multivariate analysis, this MRD status was significantly associated with a high frequency of relapse (P < .001) and a short duration of overall (P = .025) and relapse-free survival (P = .007). ASCT did not alter the prognostic effect of high MRD levels after consolidation: the relapse rate after transplantation was 70%. Thus, we found that an MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher at the end of consolidation strongly predicts relapse and is significantly associated with an MDR1 phenotype and intermediate or unfavorable cytogenetic findings.

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Level of minimal residual disease after consolidation therapy predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v96.12.3948 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 96 (12) ◽

pp. 3948-3952 ◽

Cited By ~ 172

Author(s):

Adriano Venditti ◽

Francesco Buccisano ◽

Giovanni Del Poeta ◽

Luca Maurillo ◽

Anna Tamburini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Short Duration ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Relapse Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Minimal Residual ◽

Acute Myeloid

Abstract We used flow cytometry to quantify minimal residual disease (MRD) in 56 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) expressing a leukemia-associated phenotype. Thirty-four patients aged 18 to 60 years were entered into the AML-10 protocol (induction, consolidation, and autologous stem-cell transplantation [ASCT]), whereas 22 patients older than 60 years received the AML-13 protocol (induction, consolidation, and consolidation II). After induction, the level of MRD that was best associated with treatment outcome was 4.5 × 10−4 residual leukemic cells. However, the outcome in patients with at least 4.5 × 10−4 cells (n = 26) was not significantly different from that in patients with fewer leukemic cells (n = 30); there were 15 (58%) relapses in the first group and 12 (40%) relapses in the second. After consolidation, the most predictive MRD cutoff value was 3.5 × 10−4cells: 22 patients had an MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher and 17 (77%) of these patients had relapse, compared with 5 of 29 patients (17%) with lower MRD levels (P < .001). An MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher after consolidation was significantly correlated with poor or intermediate-risk cytogenetic findings, a multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) phenotype, short duration of overall survival, and short duration of relapse-free survival (P = .014, .031, .00022, and .00014, respectively). In multivariate analysis, this MRD status was significantly associated with a high frequency of relapse (P < .001) and a short duration of overall (P = .025) and relapse-free survival (P = .007). ASCT did not alter the prognostic effect of high MRD levels after consolidation: the relapse rate after transplantation was 70%. Thus, we found that an MRD level of 3.5 × 10−4 cells or higher at the end of consolidation strongly predicts relapse and is significantly associated with an MDR1 phenotype and intermediate or unfavorable cytogenetic findings.

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Allogeneic Transplant Can Abrogate the Relapse Risk in the Patients with Detectable Measureable Residual Disease By Multicolor Flow-Cytometry at the Time of Assessment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients in First Remission

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2020-136122 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 36-37

Author(s):

Muhned Alhumaid ◽

Georgina S. Daher-Reyes ◽

Arjun Law ◽

Auro Viswabandya ◽

Armin Gerbitz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Research Funding ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Response To Therapy ◽

Time Dependent ◽

Time Interval ◽

Relapse Risk ◽

Acute Myeloid

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous group of diseases with variable response to therapy. Several factors have a prognostic impact for an outcome. Despite intensive chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT), a significant proportion of patients eventually relapse, indicating that morphological assessment is not adequate due to limitations in sensitivity, requiring a better tool for assessment of remission. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in AML patients who achieved first complete remission (CR1) and the outcomes compared according to the performance of HCT, and multi-color flow cytometry (MFC)-based measurable residual disease (MRD) status (defined as negative if patients achieved 0.1% or less) assessed at the time of CR1. In order to take account of the time interval from the MFC-MRD assessment to HCT, we applied a Mantel-Byar test for overall (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), considering time-to-HCT as a time-dependent covariate, while Simon and Makuch plot was used. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models were applied for multivariate analysis. Cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) where evaluated using Fine-Gray model. RESULTS: A total of 435 patients diagnosed with AML and treated with induction chemotherapy between 2015 and 2018, of whom 380 patients (87%) achieved remission, were included. MFC-MRD was assessed in 336 patients in CR1 (77%), out of 380 patients who achieved CR1, and 200 patients (53%) proceeded to HCT. We evaluated OS, RFS, CIR and NRM according to MFC-MRD status in those patients who had negative MRD (MRDneg; n=218, 65%) vs. those with MRD (MRDpos; n=118, 35%). The OS at 2 years was 67.0% vs.40.7% (p≤0.001), RFS at 2 years was 8.7% vs. 40.6% (p≤0.001), CIR 26.9% vs.21.1% but with borderline significance (p=0.08), and NRM 32.5% vs. 20.2% with borderline significance (p=0.057). In patients who achieved CR, we compared OS, CIR, NRM and RFS between the HCT group (n=200) vs. those who did not undergo HCT (no-HCT; n=235). Between the 2 groups, the OS at 2 years was 55.7% vs. 47.2% (p=0.004); CIR 9.7% vs. 34.6% (p≤0.001); NRM 40.9% vs. 12.6% (p≤0.001). There was no difference in RFS: 49.4% vs. 52.8% (p=0.505). There was no difference in the time interval from the MFC-MRD assessment to HCT between the groups (MRDpos vs MRDneg) with a median of 96 days in overall patients who received HCT (p=0.31). In the overall population, when HCT was accounted as a time-dependent covariate, we failed to observe any difference of OS (HR 1.23; p=0.19) or RFS (HR 1.09; p=0.60) between the HCT vs. no-HCT groups. Then, we compared the OS, RFS, CIR, and NRM between the HCT vs no-HCT groups confined to the subgroups of patients with MFC-MRDneg vs MFC-MRDpos, separately. In the MFC-MRDpos subgroup, patients who underwent HCT did better: OS 54.8% in HCT vs. 25.5% in no-HCT (HR 0.52; p≤0.001) and RFS 48.7% vs. 24.1% (HR 0.45; p≤0.001). However, in the MFC-MRDneg subgroup, similar outcomes were noted between the HCT vs no-HCT groups in terms of OS 60.8% vs. 70.7% (HR 1.27, p=0.32), RFS 51.6% vs. 62.4% (HR 1.25; p=0.46) (Fig 1). With respect to the cause of treatment failure according to treatment modality (HCT vs no-HCT) and MFC-MRD status, Fig 2 revealed different patterns of relapse vs NRM between the HCT and the no-HCT groups. In the MFC-MRDneg subgroup, HCT group showed a higher NRM over the no-HCT group (38.0% vs 8.7%; HR 2.08; p≤0.001), while relapse risk was lower in the HCT group (10.4% vs 29.3%; p≤0.001). In the MFC-MRDpos subgroup, relapse incidence was strikingly different in favor of HCT (9.5% vs 50.0%; HR, p≤0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that in AML patients HCT could abrogate the relapse risk in patients who are MFC-MRDpos at the time of remission assessment, while the benefit from HCT was minimal in the subgroup that are MFC-MRDneg. Further study is strongly warranted to reach a clearer conclusion with a larger number of cohorts. Disclosures Lipton: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Ariad: Consultancy, Research Funding.

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Determination of relapse risk based on assessment of minimal residual disease during complete remission by multiparameter flow cytometry in unselected patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2004-03-1036 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 104 (10) ◽

pp. 3078-3085 ◽

Cited By ~ 176

Author(s):

Wolfgang Kern ◽

Daniela Voskova ◽

Claudia Schoch ◽

Wolfgang Hiddemann ◽

Susanne Schnittger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Multiparameter Flow Cytometry ◽

Consolidation Therapy ◽

Prognostic Information ◽

Minimal Residual ◽

Acute Myeloid

Abstract Quantification of minimal residual disease (MRD) reveals significant prognostic information in patients treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The application of multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) for MRD assessment has resulted in significant prognostic information in selected cases in previous analyses. We analyzed MRD in unselected patients with AML in complete remission (CR) after induction (n = 58) and consolidation (n = 62) therapies. By using a comprehensive panel of monoclonal antibodies we identified at least one leukemia-associated aberrant immunophenotype (LAIP) in each patient. The degree of reduction between diagnosis and CR in LAIP-positive cells (log difference [LD]) as a continuous variable was significantly related to relapse-free survival (RFS) both after induction (P = .0001) and consolidation (P = .000 08) therapies, respectively. The LD determined after consolidation therapy was the only parameter related to overall survival (OS) (P = .005). Separation of patients based on the 75th percentile of LD after consolidation therapy resulted in groups with highly different RFS (83.3% versus 25.7%, P = .0034) and OS (87.5% versus 51.4%, P = .0507) at 2 years. Multivariate analysis identified LD as an independent prognostic factor for RFS at both checkpoints. MFC-based quantification of MRD reveals important prognostic information in unselected patients with AML in addition to cytogenetics and should be further evaluated and used in clinical trials.

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Kinetics of Bone Marrow Blasts during Remission Induction Course in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Effect on Complete Remission and Relapse-Free Survival.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v110.11.1852.1852 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 110 (11) ◽

pp. 1852-1852

Author(s):

Masamitsu Yanada ◽

Guillermo Garcia-Manero ◽

Farhad Ravandi ◽

Stefan Faderl ◽

Hagop Kantarjian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Induction Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Relapse Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Persistent Disease ◽

Bone Marrow Blasts ◽

Acute Myeloid

Abstract Achievement of complete remission (CR) is crucial to prolong survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The definition of CR has been well established; however, there are no objective measures for deciding when the probability of achieving CR has become so low that a patient’s disease can be considered resistant to therapy. In particular, it can be difficult to distinguish patients with resistant disease from those with persistent disease but who subsequently will enter CR, a distinction that underlies the decision to start a second course or change therapy. We attempted to facilitate this decision by examining the relation between the % marrow blasts 21 days, and later, after start of course 1 of initial induction therapy and the subsequent probability of CR on course 1. Our database consisted of the 593 adults with AML (≥20% blasts, acute promyelocytic leukemia excepted) who had bone marrow examined 21 days after beginning induction therapy including cytarabine at cumulative dose of 5–6 g/m2 at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1995 to 2004. 340 of the 593 patients had an additional bone marrow examination between day 22 and day 28 (day 22–28) of course 1; similarly, day 29–35 marrows were done in 185 patients, day 36–42 marrows in 89 patients and so on. Bone marrows were categorized as morphologic leukemia-free state (MLFS; <5% blasts), persistent disease (PD; ≥5% blasts), or too few cells to count (TFTC). 197 of the 593 patients (33%) had an MLFS on day 21. This conferred a 94% probability of CR on course 1, independent of cytogenetic group. 275 patients (47%) had PD on day 21 and 57% of these 275 entered CR on course 1, with the probability of subsequent CR being predictable from the combination of cytogenetics, day 21 bone marrow blasts, and day 21 platelet and neutrophil counts. Patients with PD on day 21, but who achieved an MLFS on day 28 were highly likely to enter CR (40/47). However, those with PD beyond day 28 were very unlikely to enter CR on course 1, and no CR was observed in patients with PD after day 43. 121 patients (20%) had a TFTC marrow on day 21, with this finding associated with a CR rate of 72% on course 1 (p<0.001 vs MLFS, and p<0.001 vs PD). Not surprisingly given the respective CR rates, patients with MLFS on day 21 had significantly longer survival than patients with PD and patients with TFTC marrow (p<0.001). However, Relapse-free survival was not different among the 3 groups (p=0.109), which was also confirmed by multivariate analysis accounting for cytogenetics, antecedent hematologic disorder, and age. These results appear useful in management of AML, and recommend that bone marrow be examined on day 28, in patients with PD on day 21 and a <50% probability of subsequent CR and in patients with TFTC on day 21. Should PD persist on day 28, and especially on day 35, a second course should be started or new therapy instituted.

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Blast MRD AML-1 Trial: Blockade of PD-1 Added to Standard Therapy to Target Measurable Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) 1- an Investigator-Initiated, CTEP-Sponsored, Randomized Phase 2 Study of the Anti-PD-1 Antibody Pembrolizumab in Combination with Conventional Intensive Chemotherapy (IC) As Frontline Therapy in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2020-139668 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 15-15

Author(s):

Amer M. Zeidan ◽

Prajwal C Boddu ◽

Brent L Wood ◽

Daniel Zelterman ◽

Richard F. Little ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Initial Treatment ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Research Funding ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Phase 2 ◽

Free Survival ◽

Phase 2 Study ◽

Acute Myeloid

Study Background: The presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) after IC in AML patients is often a harbinger of relapse, and therapeutic targeting of MRD has emerged as an important strategy to improve long-term outcomes. The importance of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in immune evasion of AML has been demonstrated in murine AML models whereby PD-L1 and PD-1 were upregulated in leukemia cells, and PD-1 blockade suppresses invivo leukemia cell proliferation and improved survival in AML bearing mice (Zhang et al., 2009; Zhou et al., 2010). Combining IC with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICPI) has resulted in a significant clinical activity in some advanced solid malignancies including non-small-cell lung cancer. A recent single-arm phase 2 study combining IC with nivolumab showed the combination was feasible and resulted in undetectable MRD in 53% of patients with Complete response (CR)/CR with incomplete count recovery (CRi) (Ravandi et al, 2019). Here we report on the design of the first randomized multi-center clinical trial of IC+ICPI in fit AML patients. Methods: The primary objective of this investigator-initiated Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP)-sponsored multi-institutional, randomized phase II study (NCT04214249) is to assess the percentage of patients with MRD negative CR (MRD- CR) as measured by flow cytometry at the end of first cycle of consolidation therapy with IC+ pembrolizumab and compare between the two study arms (Figure 1). Secondary objectives include rates of CR/CRi, complete remission with partial recovery count (CRh) and hematologic improvement (HI) to red blood cells and platelets, MRD negativity at Day 14, MRD-negative CR at end of induction therapy and MRD negative CR after last consolidation cycle, event free survival (EFS), relapse free survival (RFS), duration of response (DOR), and overall survival (OS), and proportion of patients who develop severe toxicity. Important exploratory objectives include MRD assessment by duplex sequencing (DS) and comparing DS and multiparameter flow cytometry for MRD detection. The study will consist of an induction, consolidation, and maintenance phase of therapy. A total of 124 patients will be included (62 patients in the intervention arm and 62 patients in the control arm). Planned stratification factors include 1) age (younger than 65 vs. 65 and older), 2) cytogenetics by FISH or metaphase karyotype (presence vs. absence of core binding factor inversions and translocations), and 3) t-AML or AML arising from prior/antecedent MDS. All patients will receive cytarabine at 100 mg/m2/day continuous infusion on Days 1-7 and either idarubicin 12 mg/m2/day IV on Days 1-3 or daunorubicin 60 mg/m2/day IV on Days 1-3. on Day 8 of the induction chemotherapy, half of the patients will receive pembrolizumab IV (intervention arm), and continue Q3 weeks throughout Induction/Consolidation, and thereafter for up to 2 years from the start of maintenance. The other half will not receive pembrolizumab (control arm). After 31 efficacy-evaluable patients (patients who had a bone marrow biopsy done after the first consolidation cycle) in each of the two study arms have had their primary endpoint results available, a formal futility and toxicity analysis will be conducted. Follow up will continue up to 2 years after the last patient is randomized. Eligible patients are aged ≥18 and ≤75 years with newly diagnosed and pathologically-confirmed AML, including secondary AML arising from prior MDS and therapy-related AML. Patients with FLT3-mutated AML are excluded as well as those with prior allogeneic stem cell transplant, active infection requiring systemic therapy, and requiring use of high dose corticosteroids. Responses in AML patients will be assessed using European Leukemia Net 2017 response criteria. EFS will be calculated as the time from initial treatment to either disease relapse or death. OS will be calculated from time from initial treatment to death. Biomarker analyses will include an extensive array of immunologic and correlative studies that will evaluate PD-1 and PD-L1 expression, immune cell subset analysis, leukemia specific T-cell response, cytokine level, T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, as well as RNA-seq, gut microbiome characterization and metabolomics, and whole exome sequencing for tumor and germline DNA. Figure 1 Disclosures Zeidan: Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cardinal Health: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acceleron: Consultancy, Honoraria; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Other; Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene / BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Otsuka: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria; BeyondSpring: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cardiff Oncology: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Ionis: Consultancy, Honoraria; MedImmune/Astrazeneca: Research Funding; Trovagene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Aprea: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Astex: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Taiho: Consultancy, Honoraria; CCITLA: Other; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Boehringer-Ingelheim: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria. Radich:Amgen: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding.

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