Evaluation of the Safety of Emicizumab Prophylaxis in Persons with Hemophilia A: An Updated Summary of Thrombotic Events and Thrombotic Microangiopathies

Abstract Background: Emicizumab is indicated for routine prophylaxis in persons with congenital hemophilia A (PwcHA) with/without factor (F)VIII inhibitors in >100 and >80 countries, respectively. Emicizumab has been used by >11,400 persons across the globe (data cut-off 15 May 2021). The pivotal HAVEN 1-4 trials established the efficacy and safety of emicizumab prophylaxis; however, the HAVEN 1 trial identified an increased risk of thrombotic events (TEs) and thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) when used in conjunction with >100 U/kg/24 hours activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC) for ≥24 hours (Oldenburg, et al. New Engl J Med 2017). Here we report an updated safety evaluation of emicizumab prophylaxis focusing on TEs and TMAs. Methods: All individual safety reports for emicizumab from clinical trials, registries, expanded access programs, compassionate use and the post-marketing setting were collated with a cut-off date of 15 May 2021 and analyzed for TEs and TMAs. Number of TEs/TMAs, clinical factors (indication, age, FVIII inhibitor status, comorbidities) and drug factors (co-exposure to medications affecting coagulation) are presented in aggregate. Individual case reports (cases) were reviewed to exclude non-TEs and any duplicate reports. TEs were identified using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) search strategy: 'Embolic and Thrombotic Events' Standardized Medical Query ([SMQ] Wide) and Preferred Term 'Acute Coronary Syndrome'. TMAs were defined as hemolytic uremic syndrome, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, microangiopathy, thrombotic microangiopathy and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Results: In total, 52 cases (56 events) meeting the search criteria were identified on the Roche Global Safety Database as of 15 May 2021 (Figure). After review, 39 cases were reported in PwcHA and 10 cases were determined to be off-label (acquired hemophilia A, n=7; or unknown indication, n=3). Two additional cases were determined to be duplicates. One case of 'hemiparesis' was identified through SMQ review, but did not fit the clinical definition of a true TE. Six cases occurred with concomitant aPCC use, of which four were TMAs. In total, 33 cases were not associated with concomitant aPCC use, and these comprised 37 TEs and no TMAs in PwcHA. No new TEs or TMAs associated with aPCC were reported since the last update (Lee, et al. Haemophilia 2020). For the 37 TEs reported in PwcHA and not associated with aPCC, the median age (range) at time of event was 49 years (0.42-84) and the median (range) emicizumab treatment duration at time of event was 330 days (0-1076). In total, 36 (97.3%) TEs were medically confirmed and one (2.7%) was patient reported. Seventeen (45.9%) TEs occurred in PwcHA with FVIII inhibitors. Seven (18.9%) TEs were associated with central venous access devices (CVADs), of which four were reported to be resolving/recovering at last report. All except for two (with limited information) non-aPCC associated TEs in PwcHA were associated with ≥1 cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (e.g. previous myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, advanced age) or other risk factors for thrombosis (e.g. sepsis/bacteremia, device use, coinciding injury, hepatitis C). Of the non-aPCC and non-CVAD associated events reported, six (20.0%) TEs led to the discontinuation of emicizumab. Across all non-aPCC associated events, an evaluation of latency or duration of treatment did not reveal any patterns or trends. In total, four TEs were fatal: two myocardial infarctions, both in medically complex patients; and two disseminated intravascular coagulation events in patients >70 years of age with pneumonia. Where reported, 20/31 (64.5%) TEs were recovered/resolving at the time of this analysis, with the majority of these cases reporting no change to emicizumab prophylaxis as a result of the event. Conclusions: The reporting rate for TEs without concomitant aPCC remains low as exposure increases. Notably, all cases with adequate information available were associated with CV risk factors and/or risk factors for thrombosis. All TMAs were associated with concomitant use of aPCC. This post-marketing analysis does not support TEs and TMAs without concomitant aPCC as an identified risk for PwcHA receiving emicizumab prophylaxis. The risk-benefit profile of emicizumab remains unchanged. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Howard: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. McKinley: Pro Unlimited: Current Employment. Sanabria: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Ko: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; Genentech, Inc.-Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Nissen: Novartis: Consultancy; Actelion: Consultancy; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. OffLabel Disclosure: The enclosed analysis of the Roche Hemlibra internal database was produced by submitted safety reports, including reports of off-label use. These data will be discussed in aggregate, and not individually described.

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Emicizumab Outcomes in Hemophilia A Using Real-World Data from the Canadian Hemophilia Bleeding Disorder Registry

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-147195 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 347-347

Author(s):

Man-Chiu Poon ◽

Adrienne Lee ◽

Federico Germini ◽

Arun Keepanasseril ◽

Quazi Ibrahim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stock Options ◽

Research Funding ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Hemophilia A ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Mild Disease ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Privately Held ◽

Mcmaster University

Abstract Background: The Canadian Hemophilia Bleeding Disorders Registry (CBDR) is a clinical database including data from all Canadian Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs) to assist in the management of hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The CBDR launched on July 1, 2015 and integrates the data entry platform for patients, myCBDR, allowing direct entry of treatments, bleeding events, and other patient reported outcomes (PRO) data. Health Canada approved emicizumab in August 2018 for the treatment of persons with hemophilia A (PwHA) with factor (F)VIII inhibitors, and for PwHA without FVIII inhibitors in 2019, enabling some patients without FVIII inhibitors to be provided compassionate access beginning November 2019. Our aim for this analysis was to use the CBDR data to describe the demographics of the emicizumab-treated PwHA population and assess its effectiveness, safety, treatment patterns, and the impact on disease burden. Methods: De-identified data were extracted from the CBDR database for all registered PwHA who had received emicizumab at least once up to December 31, 2020. Disease severity is defined by the level of endogenous clotting FVIII activity. Effectiveness outcomes include number of patients (%) with zero treated bleeds, joint bleeds, and spontaneous bleeds; annualized bleeding rates (ABR) for any bleeds and treated bleeds; Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS); Patient Reported Outcomes Burdens and Experiences (PROBE); and EQ-5D-5L index and visual analog scale (VAS). ABRs were calculated as (total number of bleeds/duration of follow-up [days])*365.25. All analyses were performed based on the observed values, without imputation. This study was approved by the research ethics board of McMaster University and other participating centers, and abides by the guiding principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: 73 PwHA who received emicizumab at least once up to December 31, 2020 were identified. Demographic characteristics, severity, inhibitor status, and treatments are described in Table 1. Median (IQR) age for the entire cohort was 19.7 (10.0, 40.6) years with 45.2% ≤18 years. There were 64 PwHA with severe disease, 7 with moderate disease and 2 with mild disease; both cases with mild disease had current FVIII inhibitors. 49 PwHA had current FVIII inhibitors, 12 had a history of FVIII inhibitors, and 12 had no FVIII inhibitors. 5/73 (6.8%) received immune tolerance induction (ITI) treatment while on emicizumab. Two cases of rash (allergic or acute reactions) were reported (2/73, 2.7%) of which one (reported 6 days after administration) was possibly related to emicizumab according to the reporting HTC. No thromboembolisms or thrombotic microangiopathies were observed. Median ABR (IQR) for the entire study population was 0.0 (0, 0) and 59/73 (80.8%) had no recorded bleeds. In the 14/73 (19.2%) with recorded bleeds, median ABR (IQR) was 2 (1, 3); 8 of those 14 had joint bleeds and 7 had spontaneous bleeds. HJHS was recorded for 23, PROBE Score for 9, EQ-5D-5L for 9 and EQ-5D-5L VAS for 4 PwHA (Table 2). Conclusions: The Canadian population treated with emicizumab had severe disease and current or historical FVIII inhibitors. The bleed outcomes are consistent with earlier publications, showing 80.8% had no recorded bleeds. The CBDR will allow for longitudinal follow-up of this patient population. Our results can inform healthcare practitioners and regulatory authorities on the real-world safety and effectiveness outcomes of emicizumab in PwHA with and without FVIII inhibitors. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Poon: Roche: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria; Bioverativ/Sanofi: Honoraria; CSL-Behring: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria, Research Funding; University of Calgary: Current Employment; Takeda: Honoraria. Lee: Roche: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; CSL Behring: Honoraria; Biovertiv/Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Honoraria. Keepanasseril: McMaster University: Current Employment; NovoNordisk Canada: Consultancy. Ibrahim: McMaster University: Current Employment. Nissen: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Novartis: Consultancy; Actelion: Consultancy. Sanabria: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Santos: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.: Current Employment; Roche: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Baxter: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Takeda: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Iorio: McMaster University: Current Employment; Bayer (funding to the institution): Research Funding; BioMarin (funding to the institution): Research Funding; NovoNordisk (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Octapharma (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Pfizer (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Roche (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Sanofi (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Sobi (funding to the institution): Research Funding; Takeda (funding to the institution): Research Funding.

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A Novel Methodology for Building Longitudinal, Patient-Centric Real World Datasets in Hemophilia A

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-146160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 594-594

Author(s):

Mark W Skinner ◽

Gillian Hanson ◽

Tao Xu ◽

Richard Ofori-Asenso ◽

Richard H. Ko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Board Of Directors ◽

Real World ◽

Stock Options ◽

Research Funding ◽

Hemophilia A ◽

Advisory Board ◽

Real World Data ◽

Advisory Committees ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Background: There are limited real-world data (RWD) available on the unmet needs of people with mild or moderate hemophilia A (PwHA). This population accounts for 40-52% of all PwHA, including nearly all women with hemophilia A (HA), and is under-represented in scientific literature (Michele, et al. Haemophilia 2014; Benson, et al. Blood Transfus 2018; Peyvandi, et al. Haemophilia 2019). Available claims data from payer databases are confined to billing codes, and lack key information on outcomes and disease characterization (e.g. severity, treatment response.) (Tyree, et al. Am J Med Qual 2006). Registry datasets can require resource-intensive data entry and potentially miss key information about care received at outside facilities, at home, or after patients switch providers (Gliklich, et al. Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes: A User's Guide. 2014). To address these data gaps, we developed a novel, patient-centered approach to create a longitudinal healthcare database from individuals with mild and moderate HA in the United States. This study assessed the feasibility of this approach, which integrates medical record data collected during routine clinical care along with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to provide needed insights into this under-represented population. Methods: Recruitment began in June 2020 via a broad strategy of social media outreach, healthcare provider partnerships, and patient advocacy groups. Eligibility was confined to mild or moderate PwHA, confirmed via physician report within provider notes in combination with baseline factor VIII levels (>5-50% mild, 1-5% moderate.) This study received research ethics board approval and abides by the guiding principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. PwHA enrolled via an online record management platform, PicnicHealth. After signing authorization forms for collection of their electronic health records (EHR) and informed consent to share their de-identified data for research, participants were prompted to enter information on their care providers. Records were gathered from all providers, across any facility, retrospectively as records were available. (Figure 1) All records obtained were made available to the participants via a medical timeline. Records were translated to text via optical character recognition with human review. Data elements from structured text as well as disease-specific elements from narrative text were captured using natural language processing and supervised machine learning. All elements, including visit metadata, conditions, measurements, drugs, and procedures were mapped to standardized medical ontologies and reviewed by a team of nurses. (Table 1) Quality control was assessed via inter-abstractor agreement on outputs with physician review. Patient-reported bleed, treatment, and pain data were collected via online questionnaire for a subset of PwHA, with participants prompted to enter data every 2 weeks. Abstracted EHR data was linked to PRO responses in a de-identified dataset. Cohort and abstraction characteristics were summarized descriptively. Results: From June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, 104 PwHA met eligibility criteria for enrollment (65 [62.5%] mild; 39 [37.5%] moderate). Participants saw providers across 34 states in the US, 22.1% (23/104) were female, and 20.6% (14/68) of those with known race/ethnicity status were from minority groups. Records were gathered from a median of six care sites and 16 providers per participant. A median of 50 (IQR [21-93]) clinical documents from 11 years were processed for each PwHA. (Table 2) Inter-abstractor agreement to assess abstraction quality averaged 95.9% for condition, 99.5% for drug name, and 95.4% for drug start date. As of June 2021, the average PRO response rate was 90.3% (150/166 of all requests) and continues prospectively. Conclusions: The patient-centric data collection methods implemented in this study provide a novel approach to build longitudinal real-world data sets. Technology-enabled data abstraction showed consistent high quality when processing the heterogeneous clinical records across disparate providers and care sites, and direct engagement with patients complements potential gaps in the clinical record. Additionally, this approach provides needed data on groups under-represented in RWD and traditional PwHA cohorts, including those with mild and moderate disease and women with HA. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Skinner: ICER: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Spark (DMC): Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd/Genentech, Inc.: Honoraria; Pfizer (DMC): Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; uniQure: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Freeline: Research Funding; BioMarin: Honoraria, Research Funding; IPA Ltd.: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; National Hemophilia Foundation: Consultancy; Institute for Policy Advancement Ltd: Current Employment; WFH USA: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BCBS MAP: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hanson: PicnicHealth: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Xu: F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG: Current Employment. Ofori-Asenso: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment. Ko: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; Genentech, Inc.-Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Cibelli: PicnicHealth: Current Employment. Nissen: Novartis: Consultancy; Actelion: Consultancy; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Witkop: Roche Advisory Panel: Consultancy; National Hemophilia Foundation: Current Employment. Sanabria: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Shapiro: Novartis: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Other: Advisory board fees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Octapharma: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; OPKO: Research Funding; Prometric BioTherapeutics: Research Funding; Sangamo: Other: Advisory board fees, Research Funding; Sigilon Therapeutics: Other: Advisory board fees, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Kedrion Biopharma: Research Funding; Glover Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding; Genentech: Other: Advisory board fees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Bioverativ (a Sanofi company): Other: Advisory board fees, Research Funding; BioMarin: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding.

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Efficacy of rFVIIIFc for First-Time Immune Tolerance Induction (ITI) Therapy: Final Results from the Global, Prospective VerITI-8 Study

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-155156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 2) ◽

pp. LBA-5-LBA-5

Author(s):

Lynn Malec ◽

An Van Damme ◽

Anthony Chan ◽

Mariya Spasova ◽

Nisha Jain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Half Life ◽

Stock Options ◽

Research Funding ◽

Hemophilia A ◽

High Titer ◽

High Dose ◽

Severe Hemophilia ◽

First Time ◽

Inhibitor Titer ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Introduction: Inhibitor development is a major complication of factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy, affecting approximately 30% of people with severe hemophilia A (Peyvandi et al Lancet 2016). Inhibitor eradication is the standard of care to restore responsiveness to FVIII; however, ITI regimens often require frequent high-dose factor injections over a long period (DiMichele et al Haemophilia 2007; Carcao et al Haemophilia 2021). Median (interquartile range [IQR]) time (months) to negative titer in the International ITI Study with high-dose FVIII was 4.6 (2.8-13.8) (n=31); negative titer to normal recovery was 6.9 (3.5-12.0) (n=23); and normal recovery to tolerance was 10.6 (6.3-20.5) (n=22) (Hay and DiMichele Blood 2012). Recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) is an extended half-life (EHL) FVIII that showed potential benefits for ITI in retrospective clinical data and case reports (Malec et al Haemophilia 2016; Groomes et al Pediatr Blood Cancer 2016; Carcao et al Haemophilia 2021). VerITI-8 (NCT03093480) is the first prospective study of rFVIIIFc in first-time ITI and follows on from the reITIrate (NCT03103542) study of rFVIIIFc for rescue ITI (Königs et al Res Pract Thromb Haemost, ISTH 2021). Aim: Describe outcomes in the verITI-8 study of first-time ITI with rFVIIIFc over 48 weeks in subjects with severe hemophilia A and high-titer inhibitors. Methods: VerITI-8 is a prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter study exploring efficacy of rFVIIIFc for first-time ITI in people with severe hemophilia A with high-titer inhibitors. Initial screening was followed by an ITI period in which all subjects received rFVIIIFc 200 IU/kg/day until tolerization or 48 weeks had elapsed (Figure). This was followed by tapered dose reduction to standard prophylaxis and follow-up. Key inclusion criteria included males with severe hemophilia A, high-titer inhibitors (historical peak ≥5 Bethesda units [BU]/mL), and prior treatment with any plasma-derived or recombinant standard half-life or EHL FVIII. Key exclusion criteria included coagulation disorder(s) other than hemophilia A and previous ITI. The primary endpoint was time to tolerization (successful ITI) with rFVIIIFc defined by inhibitor titer <0.6 BU/mL, incremental recovery (IR) ≥66% of expected IR (IR ≥1.32 IU/dL per IU/kg) (both at 2 consecutive visits), and t ½ ≥7 hours (h) within 48 weeks. Secondary endpoints included number of subjects achieving ITI success, annualized bleed rates (ABR), and adverse events (AEs). Results: Sixteen subjects were enrolled and received ≥1 rFVIIIFc dose. Median (range) age at baseline was 2.1 (0.8-16.0) years, and historical peak inhibitor titer was 22.4 (6.2-256.0) BU/mL (Table). Twelve (75%), 11 (69%), and 10 (63%) subjects, respectively, achieved a negative inhibitor titer, an IR >66%, and a t½ ≥7 h (ie, tolerance) within 48 weeks. Median (IQR) times in weeks to achieve these markers of success were 7.4 (2.2-17.8), 6.8 (5.4-22.4), and 11.7 (9.8-26.2) (ie, 2.7 [2.3-6.0] months to tolerance), respectively. One subject achieved partial success (negative inhibitor titer and IR ≥66%), and 5 subjects failed ITI, of which 2 had high inhibitors throughout, 2 experienced an increase in inhibitor levels, and 1 recorded a negative inhibitor titer at 282 days. Most bleeds occurred in the ITI period when median (IQR) ABRs (n=13) were 3.8 (0-10.1) overall, 0 (0-2.6) for spontaneous, 1 (0-4) for traumatic, and 0 (0-3.1) for joint. During tapering, median (IQR) ABRs (n=10) were overall, 0 (0-2.4); spontaneous, 0 (0-0); traumatic, 0 (0-1.3); and joint, 0 (0-0). All 16 subjects experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent AE (TEAE), the most frequent of which was pyrexia in 7 subjects (44%). One subject reported ≥1 related TEAE (injection site pain). Nine subjects (56%) experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent serious AE (TESAE). TESAEs occurring in ≥2 subjects included vascular device infection, contusion, and hemarthrosis. No treatment-related TESAEs, discontinuations due to AEs, or deaths were reported. Conclusions: rFVIIIFc is the first EHL FVIII with prospective data for first-time ITI in patients with severe hemophilia A with historical high-titer inhibitors. Evaluated within a 48-week timeframe, rFVIIIFc offered rapid time to tolerization (median 11.7 weeks; 2.7 months) with durable responses in almost two-thirds of subjects and was well tolerated. Optimizing ITI to eradicate inhibitors remains a priority. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Malec: CSL Behring: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; HEMA Biologics: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Van Damme: Pfizer: Consultancy; Shire: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Chan: Bioverativ: Consultancy. Jain: Sanofi: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Takeda: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Sensinger: Sanofi: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Dumont: Sanofi: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Lethagen: Sobi: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Carcao: Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Roche, and Shire/Takeda: Research Funding; Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, CSL Behring, Grifols, LFB, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, and Shire/Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Peyvandi: Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sobi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Ablynx, Grifols, Kedrion, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Shire, and Sobi: Other: Personal Fees. OffLabel Disclosure: adheres to routine clinical practice

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NL-201, a De Novo Agonist of IL-2 and IL-15 Receptors, Demonstrates Synergistic Antitumor Activity with Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in a Preclinical Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Model

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-148885 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 4560-4560

Author(s):

Justin Huard ◽

Laurie Tatalick ◽

Carl Walkey ◽

Ryan Swanson

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Antitumor Activity ◽

Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽

Stock Options ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy ◽

Privately Held

Abstract NL-201 is a potent, selective, and long-acting computationally designed alpha-independent agonist of the IL-2 and IL-15 receptors that is being developed as an immunotherapy for cancer. NL-201 binds to the beta and gamma subunits, selectively stimulating dose-dependent expansion and tumor infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, thereby enhancing the immune response to the tumor. Absence of binding to the IL-2 alpha subunit reduces the undesirable effects of traditional IL-2 therapies, such as vascular leak syndrome and expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells. In this abstract, we demonstrate that NL-201, alone or in combination, demonstrates robust antitumor activity in preclinical models of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We have previously demonstrated that NL-201 has marked antitumor activity in multiple syngeneic tumor models, including the A20 lymphoma model. These observations in lymphoma have been extended to explore the effects of NL-201 in combination with anti-mPD-1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy in vivo. In this model, NL-201 and anti-mPD-1 demonstrated tumor growth inhibition and increased median survival (21 days each vs 17 days as observed in control) when given alone. In combination, NL-201 and anti-mPD-1 resulted in increased antitumor activity and significant prolongation of survival (>51 days). We have also demonstrated that NL-201 does not directly induce signaling or cell death in B cell−derived NHL, suggesting that the observed antitumor activity is due to activation of non-malignant host immune cells. Additional in vitro and in vivo NHL models are being tested to enhance understanding of the interaction between NL-201 and other approved therapies within the hematopoietic tumor microenvironment. These data will be used to design future clinical trials of NL-201 in novel regimens to treat hematological malignancies. Disclosures Huard: Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Patents & Royalties. Tatalick: Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc.: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Independent paid nonclinical consultant for Neoleukin. Walkey: Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Swanson: Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Patents & Royalties.

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A Comparison of Clinical Outcomes from Updated Zuma-5 (Axicabtagene Ciloleucel) and the International Scholar-5 External Control Cohort in Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma (R/R FL)

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-147608 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 3543-3543

Author(s):

M. Lia Palomba ◽

Paola Ghione ◽

Anik R. Patel ◽

Kevin Deighton ◽

Caron Jacobson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Therapy ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Stock Options ◽

Research Funding ◽

External Control ◽

Control Cohort ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Free Survival ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Background: In the pivotal ZUMA-5 (Z-5) trial, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy) demonstrated high rates of durable response in r/r FL patients, including those with high-risk disease such as patients who progressed within 24 months of initiating first-line chemoimmunotherapy (POD24). Aims: To compare clinical outcomes from updated 24-month Z-5 to a weighted sample from the international SCHOLAR-5 (S-5) external control cohort. Methods: The international S-5 cohort data were extracted for r/r FL patients from 7 institutions in 5 countries who initiated a third or higher (3L+) line of therapy (LOT) after July 2014. Data from the pivotal idelalisib DELTA trial was also included in the S-5 cohort. Z-5 trial eligibility criteria were applied to the S-5 cohort, with patients excluded or censored upon transformation. The S-5 and Z-5 cohorts were balanced for patient characteristics through propensity scoring on prespecified prognostic factors and standardized mortality ratio weighting. Characteristics with a standardized mean difference (SMD) <0.1 were deemed balanced. Overall response rate (ORR) was compared using odds ratio. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and next treatment-free survival (NTFS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Subgroup analysis was conducted on patients who initiated a fourth or higher (4L+) LOT. Results: 143 patients were identified in S-5, reducing to 85 patients after applying propensity score weights, versus 86 patients in Z-5. Median follow-up time for Z-5 and S-5 were 29.4 and 26.2 months respectively. Variables that were successfully balanced (SMD<0.1) included POD24, number of prior LOT, relapsed vs refractory, prior stem cell transplant, size of largest nodal mass, response to prior LOT, time since last therapy and age (Table 1). Despite weighting, the S-5 cohort had a higher proportion of ECOG 1 vs 0 (66.9% vs 40.7%) at baseline. In 3L+ patients, the ORR was 42/85 (49.9%) in S-5 compared to 81/86 (94.2%) in Z-5 for an odds ratio of 16.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6-46.9). The median OS was not reached in Z-5 while median PFS was 39.6 months. In S-5 median OS and PFS were 59.8 months and 12.7 months, respectively (Table 2). The hazard ratios for OS and PFS were 0.52 (95%CI: 0.28-0.95) and 0.28 (0.17-0.45) (Figure 1). In sub-group analysis of 4L+ patients, which compared 60 patients from Z-5 to 59 patients from S-5, improvements in OS and PFS outcomes were more pronounced (Table 2). Summary/Conclusion: Compared to currently available therapies in r/r FL patients, axi-cel demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant improvement in meaningful clinical endpoints including ORR, PFS, NTFS and OS, highlighting the durable treatment effect of axi-cel. These findings suggest that axi-cel addresses an important unmet medical need for r/r FL patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Palomba: PCYC: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Juno: Patents & Royalties; Pluto: Honoraria; Wolters Kluwer: Patents & Royalties; Kite: Consultancy; Notch: Honoraria, Other: Stock; Seres: Honoraria, Other: Stock, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Priothera: Honoraria; Nektar: Honoraria; Lygenesis: Honoraria; Magenta: Honoraria; Rheos: Honoraria; WindMIL: Honoraria; Ceramedix: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy. Patel: Kite, A Gilead company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Deighton: Delta Hat: Current Employment. Jacobson: Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau; Axis: Speakers Bureau; Humanigen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Nahas: Kite: Current Employment; Gilead: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Jung: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Amgen, Kura, Gilead, and Turning Point: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hatswell: Delta Hat: Current Employment. Kanters: RainCity Analytics: Current Employment. Limbrick-Oldfield: RainCity Analytics: Current Employment. Wade: Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Allergan: Consultancy. Thornton Snider: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Gilead: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Neelapu: Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related to cell therapy: Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Medica/Kuur, Incyte, Precision Biosciences, Legend Biotech, Adicet Bio, Calibr, Unum Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio: Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene, Kuur, Incyte, Precision BioSciences, Legend, Adicet Bio, Calibr, and Unum Therapeutics: Other: personal fees; Kite, a Gilead Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Poseida, Cellectis, Celgene, Karus Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics (Cogent Biosciences), Allogene, Precision BioSciences, Acerta and Adicet Bio: Research Funding. Gribben: Abbvie: Honoraria; AZ: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria; Gilead/Kite: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Morphosys: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; TG Therapeutis: Honoraria. Radford: ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; BMS: Honoraria. Bobillo: Gilead: Speakers Bureau; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Ghesquieres: Gilead Science: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy; Mundipharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria.

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A Phase II Trial of Anakinra for the Prevention of CAR-T Cell Mediated Neurotoxicity

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-146927 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 2814-2814

Author(s):

Matthew J. Frigault ◽

Kathleen M.E. Gallagher ◽

Marc Wehrli ◽

Betsy Valles ◽

Keagan Casey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Stock Options ◽

Research Funding ◽

Leadership Role ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Car T Cell ◽

Car T ◽

Post Infusion ◽

Grade 3 ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is limited in most cases to inpatient use due to risk of severe treatment-related toxicities. The two primary toxicities observed with CAR-T therapy, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity, are associated with increased circulating inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1. Targeting IL-6 with tocilizumab is effective for treating CRS but not neurotoxicity. Anakinra is an FDA-approved recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist that competitively inhibits IL-1 receptor signaling and therefore blocks downstream production of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6. Leveraging support from Kite Pharma, we opened an investigator-initiated clinical trial (NCT04150913) with the hypothesis that anakinra could be administered prophylactically to prevent severe CRS and neurologic events (NE) in patients receiving axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel). Here we report preliminary outcomes of this study. Study Design and Methods: This is a phase II single center, open-label study for patients ≥18 years old with relapsed or refractory large cell lymphoma. Patients must have progressed after ≥2 lines of systemic therapy but could not have CNS disease or have been previously treated with CAR-T therapy. Following leukapheresis and manufacturing, patients received 3 days of lymphodepleting chemotherapy (LDC, cyclophosphamide 500mg/m 2 and fludarabine 30 mg/m 2) and 200 mg of subcutaneously administered anakinra starting 4 hours prior to axi-cel infusion and daily thereafter for a total of 7 days. CRS and NE were graded based on the Lee 2013 criteria and the CTCAE 4.03 criteria, respectively, to enable direct comparison to the pivotal Zuma-1 cohorts. The primary endpoint is the rate and severity of NE within the first 30 days of infusion; secondary endpoints include the incidence and severity of CRS and disease response. CAR-T cell expansion, serum cytokines, and circulating biomarkers of toxicity were measured at baseline, day 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 post CAR-T cell infusion. Results: Interim analysis of the first 6 patients demonstrated a median age of 68 (range 59-72). Patients included a diverse group of histologies including double-hit lymphoma (n=2), transformed indolent NHL (n=3), and DLBCL NOS (n=1). Two patients were considered primary refractory at time of enrollment. Pre-LDC baseline characteristics included a median SPD of 2819 mm 2 (range 1063-5802), median LDH of 415 (range 147-497) which were comparable to the pivotal ZUMA-1 cohorts. Baseline ferritin, CRP, SAA and IL-15 were similar to the pivotal ZUMA-1 cohorts. While low-grade CRS was observed in 5/6 patients, no patients experienced severe CRS and median onset occurred on day +8 (range 1-8). Four patients did not experience any NE, while two patients experienced grade 3 NE on days +6 till +9 (somnolence) and +12 (global aphasia only, for one day) respectively. With a median follow-up of 4 months, the day +28 overall response rate was 100% (4 CRs, 2 PRs), with 4/6 patients having an ongoing complete response at last disease assessment. One patient was re-infused at progression and remains in a CR 3 months from re-infusion. Responses were seen despite varying CAR-T peak level with most patients demonstrating expansion in the lower quartile of the historic ZUMA-1 cohort. Median post-infusion peak of CRP, ferritin, IL-2, GM-CSF, IFNγ, IL-10, IL-6 and SAA were lower than that observed in the pivotal ZUMA-1 cohorts. All patients remain alive at time of data analysis. Conclusions: With a limited number of patients analyzed thus far, anakinra appears to provide benefit to the toxicity profile of axi-cel, presenting reduced and/or delayed CRS and NE and a decrease in post-infusion inflammatory analytes, when compared to ZUMA-1 pivotal cohorts. No severe CRS was observed in this initial analysis and 2/6 patients experienced grade 3 NE (somnolence and global aphasia) after day 6. Despite CAR-T expansion in the lower quartile of that of ZUMA-1, we observed a 100% ORR with 4 patients remaining in CR at a median follow-up of 4 months. Additional subjects will be assessed to investigate the role of prophylactic anakinra in the management of CRS and NE, which has potential for making axi-cel treatment an outpatient therapy. Disclosures Frigault: BMS: Consultancy; Editas: Consultancy; Iovance: Consultancy; Arcellx: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Wehrli: CSL Behring: Patents & Royalties; Nestle: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Novartis: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Chou: Kite Pharma: Current Employment. Shen: Atara: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties. Filosto: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Other: stock or other ownership ; Tusk Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties: or other intellecular property. Bot: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support. Maus: Agenus: Consultancy; Arcellx: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Atara: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Cabaletta Bio (SAB): Consultancy; CRISPR therapeutics: Consultancy; In8bio (SAB): Consultancy; Intellia: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Micromedicine: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Novartis: Consultancy; Tmunity: Consultancy; Torque: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; WindMIL: Consultancy; Adaptimmune: Consultancy; tcr2: Consultancy, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; century: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; ichnos biosciences: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company.

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An Update on Outcomes Using the USC ALL Frontline Regimen (based on CCG-1882) after Further Modification of Protocol in the Era of Novel Agents in Ph-Negative ALL Patients; A Retrospective Study

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-147124 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 3362-3362

Author(s):

Vincent Louie Mendiola ◽

Catherine Ly ◽

Thuy Bui ◽

Jennifer Wang ◽

Jack Rodman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Stock Options ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Novel Agents ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Free Survival ◽

Post Induction ◽

Privately Held

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The use of pediatric inspired regimens in adolescent young adults and adults has improved outcomes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). CALGB 10403 was prospectively tested in patients 17-39 years, showing a 3-year event free survival of 59%. In 2007, our institution reported outcomes after incorporating peg-asparaginase (PEG) dosed at 2000mg/m 2 in induction for patients aged 17- 55 years. This regimen was well tolerated and resulted in a complete remission (CR) rate of 96%. In 2014, we reported experience with the use of multiple doses of PEG (CCG-1882) for newly diagnosed ALL adult patients, with a 7-year overall survival (OS) of 51%. Since our last report, the USC ALL regimen consisting of 2 induction phases, has been further modified with a goal of maintaining good outcomes, and improving compliance and toxicities. Fractionated doses of cytarabine were changed to a single dose, the methotrexate dose of 1g/m 2 (2.5 g/m 2 if T-cell) given D1,15 of intensification phases was changed to 3g/m 2 (B and T cell) given in single doses, and consolidation was increased to six cycles allowing for PEG holidays (Table 1). Moreover, the approval and incorporation of novel agents such as blinatumomab and inotuzumab also changed outcomes in ALL. Therefore, this study reports an update of outcomes since further modification of the USC ALL pediatric-based regimen in the era of novel agents. METHODS: This is a retrospective review which included adults aged >18 with newly diagnosed Philadelphia negative ALL between 2016 and 2020 treated at USC/Norris Cancer Center and Los Angeles County Hospital (LAC). Primary objectives were over-all survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), disease-free survival (DFS) at 3 years, and secondary outcomes were complete remission/complete remission with incomplete recovery (CR/CRi) rates and minimal residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry. OS, DFS, EFS were reported through Kaplan Meier curves and Log-rank tests. Two-sided p value ≤0.05 was significant. RESULTS: 121 patients with Ph-negative ALL were identified (49.6% Ph-negative B-ALL, 24% Ph-like B-ALL, 0.8% B cell lymphoblastic leukemia (LBL), 9.1% T cell ALL, 4.1% T cell LBL, 4.1% early T-cell, 5.8% mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). Median age at diagnosis was 38.5 years and maximum age of patient to receive pegasparagase during induction 1 was 63 years. 71.9% Hispanic, 15.7% white, 9.9% Asian, 2.5% African American. 57.9% males, 42.1% females. 3.4% were favorable, 4.2% intermediate, 54.6% unfavorable and 37.8% unknown by karyotypic risk stratification. Median BMI was 28.9 kg/m 2.54.6% had hepatic steatosis either on history or imaging and 5.1% had CNS disease pre-induction. Post-induction 1, 81.4% of patients achieved CR/CRi and 50% MRD negative. Post induction 2, 82.2% achieved CR/CRi, 67.7% MRD flow negative. Post-consolidation 1, 90.9% were MRD flow negative. 33.1% subsequently received blinatumomab for MRD positive disease, 5% given inotuzumab for relapsed disease, 32.2% underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT). Median number of pegasparagase doses received during treatment was 2, rate of relapse and mortality was 27.3% and 13% respectively. Median OS and DFS were not reached but median EFS was 35 months. 3-year OS was 85.3%, when stratified according to MRD post induction 2; 3-year OS was 91.7% for MRD positive patients and 91.2% for MRD negative patients (p=0.55). 3-year DFS was 83.2%; 88.2% for MRD positive patients and 97.4% for MRD negative patients (p=0.22). 3-year EFS was 47.3%; 51.3% for MRD positive patients and 50.6% for MRD negative patients (p=0.49) (Tables 2-3). Use of pegasparagase resulted in grade 3/4 toxicities including hypersensitivity (4.1%), transaminitis (21.5%), pancreatitis (5.4%), hypertriglyceridemia (49.5%), hypofibrinogenemia (45.5%), hyperbilirubinemia (21.5%) and thrombosis (16.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric-based modified USC ALL induction regimen led to a high 3-year OS (85.3%), DFS (83.2%) and EFS (47.3%) with predictable toxicity and compares favorably with original USC ALL regimen, CALGB 10407, GRAALL 2005 and USC/MSKCC regimen. Interestingly, MRD positivity after induction 2 did not adversely affect OS, DFS or EFS, which is likely due to incorporation of blinatumomab and inotuzumab. These agents could have allowed for deeper remissions allowing Ph-negative patients with residual disease to receive allo-HSCT. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Chaudhary: Oncotartis: Consultancy; Pancella: Consultancy; Moderna: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Celldex: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; TCR2: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Athelas: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Angeles Therapeutics: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Founder, Patents & Royalties: Cell therapy . Douer: Servier: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Adaptive: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy. Yaghmour: Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.

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Effects of Prior Exposure to Tec Kinase(BTK/ITK) Inhibitors on Kte-X19 Products

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-146941 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 3849-3849

Author(s):

Irene Scarfò ◽

Kathleen M.E. Gallagher ◽

Mark B. Leick ◽

Michael C. Kann ◽

Justin Budka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Stock Options ◽

Effector Function ◽

Prior Exposure ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Car T Cells ◽

Car T ◽

Post Infusion ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Introduction: Frequent and durable responses were recently reported in relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients treated with KTE-X19, an autologous CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T-cell (CAR-T) product (Wang et al. N Engl J Med. 2020). Most patients enrolled had received at least one line of Tec kinase inhibitor prior to KTE-X19 manufacturing, either in the form of ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and Inducible T cell kinase (ITK) inhibitor, or acalabrutinib, a more selective BTK inhibitor. Pharmacokinetic expansion of KTE-X19 was higher in ibrutinib-treated patients relative to acalabrutinib-treated patients. We previously showed that prolonged exposure to ibrutinib enhanced T cell effector function and proliferation in patients with CLL (Fraietta et al, Blood, 2016). To assess the impact of Tec kinase inhibitor on KTE-X19 products and downstream clinical outcomes, we examined the phenotype, transcriptional profile and cytokine production of KTE-X19 infusion products and post-infusion lymphocytes from patients with R/R MCL treated on the Zuma-2 study. Study Design and Methods: We evaluated biospecimens from MCL patients who enrolled on the Zuma-2 clinical trial (NCT02601313) and who were previously treated with ibrutinib (n=14) or acalabrutinib (n=6). Samples analyzed consisted of KTE-X19 CAR T products and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected 7 days after infusion. Lymphocytes were assessed for CAR expression, T cell phenotype, transcriptional profile and cytokine production. In addition, CAR T cell phenotypes and cytokines were profiled following co-culture of KTE-X19 with CD19 + Toledo cells (DLBCL). Results: Flow cytometric analysis of KTE-X19 demonstrated similar distributions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and comparable frequencies of central and effector memory populations in the CAR+ T cells derived from patients with prior exposure to ibrutinib vs. acalabrutinib. T helper subset analysis trended towards enrichment of Th1/Th17 populations within the CAR+ CD4+ cells of the ibrutinib cohort. This finding was further supported by transcriptional profiling of sorted CAR+ T cells from infusion products, where Th1/Th17, Jak/STAT and activation-related genes were enriched in the cohort with prior ibrutinib exposure. In addition, the Th1 phenotype was more frequent in PBMC of ibrutinib-exposed patients (8/14) compared to acalabrutinib-exposed patients (1/4). Interestingly, a shift from a central memory-dominant product towards an effector memory phenotype was observed in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ CAR T cells in the ibrutinib cohort, whereas acalabrutinib post-infusion CAR T cells maintained a central memory phenotype. In vitro stimulation of KTE-X19 CAR-T infusion products with tumor cells resulted in a significant enrichment of the Th1 population in patients who had received ibrutinib compared to those that received acalabrutinib (p=0.0058). Following stimulation, CAR-T cells from the acalabrutinib cohort produced higher levels of Th2 cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 as well as GM-CSF compared to the ibrutinib cohort. Conclusions: Analysis of KTE-X19 infusion products and day 7 post-infusion PBMC demonstrated that CAR T cells from patients with prior ibrutinib exposure have a Th1 predominant phenotype, suggesting that ibrutinib but not acalabrutinib promotes Th1 differentiation and effector function, potentially through the inhibition of ITK. Furthermore, our data suggest that inhibition of non-BTK targets such as ITK may play a role in driving a Th17 phenotype. Prior exposure to ibrutinib may increase CAR T cell effector function to a greater extent than exposure to acalabrutinib to enhance clinical outcome in patients with MCL. Disclosures Budka: Kite Pharma: Current Employment. Sowrirajan: Kite Pharma: Current Employment. Nguyen: Kite Pharma: Current Employment. Shen: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties; Atara: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties. Bot: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support. Maus: Agenus: Consultancy; Arcellx: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Atara: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Cabaletta Bio (SAB): Consultancy; CRISPR therapeutics: Consultancy; In8bio (SAB): Consultancy; Intellia: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Micromedicine: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Novartis: Consultancy; Tmunity: Consultancy; Torque: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; WindMIL: Consultancy; Adaptimmune: Consultancy; tcr2: Consultancy, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; century: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; ichnos biosciences: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company.

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Outcomes in Adult Philadelphia-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients Using Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Combined with the Modified University of Southern California (USC ALL) Regimen without Pegaspargase in the Era of Novel Agents; A Retrospective Study

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-150135 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 4372-4372

Author(s):

Vincent Louie Ramos Mendiola ◽

Catherine Ly ◽

Thuy Bui ◽

Jennifer Wang ◽

Jack Rodman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Tyrosine Kinase ◽

Stock Options ◽

Kinase Inhibitors ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Introduction: Prior to the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the presence of BCR-ABL1 conferred a poor prognosis in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We published in 2017 in Br J Haematology our analysis comparing the survival of Ph-Positive (Ph+) and Ph-negative ALL during the period when TKIs were universally available in the United States for Ph+ ALL using a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database analysis. Despite using TKIs, we have continued to remain reliant on cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) to achieve the best long-term outcomes. However, with the introduction of more potent TKIs and other novel agents, as well as better methods for monitoring minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) the best approach is yet to be determined. In this study we present data from our institution with incorporation of TKIs in our modified USC ALL pediatric-based regimen without pegaspargase (PEG) (Table 1). Methods: This retrospective, single institution chart review included adults aged >18 with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL between 2016 and 2020. Primary objectives were Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) at 3 years for Ph+ ALL patients and secondary objectives were rates of complete remission/complete remission with incomplete recovery (CR/CRi), minimal residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry and presence of BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript by real time polymerase chain reaction. Descriptive statistics of patients were reported and evaluated using Fisher's exact test. OS and EFS were reported through Kaplan Meier curves and Log-rank tests. Two-sided p value ≤0.05 was significant. RESULTS: 26 Ph+ ALL patients were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 42.5 years, with 42.3% males and 57.7% females. Median BMI was 31.1 kg/m 2, 42.3% had hepatic steatosis and 34.6% had CNS disease pre-induction. After induction 1, 91.3% of patients achieved CR/CRi, 8.7% were refractory, and 64.3% were MRD flow negative with 24% of patients with undetectable BCR-ABL1. After induction 2, 94.1% had achieved CR/CRi, 64.3% were MRD flow negative with 44.4% of patients with undetectable BCR-ABL1. After consolidation I, 78.6% were MRD flow negative. 50% of patients had received blinatumomab for MRD flow positivity early in the course and 34.6% underwent allo-HSCT. Of note, 65.4% of patients received Dasatinib only and 30.8% received at least 2 TKIs. Overall, 11.5% had known relapse, 12.5% died. 3-year OS was 83.3% and 3-year EFS was 86.6% (Table 2). When survival was stratified by transplant status, 3-year OS with allo-HSCT was 100% versus 70% without allo-HSCT (p=0.15) and 3-year EFS with allo-HSCT was 100% compared to 77.9% without allo-HSCT (Table 3). CONCLUSIONS: The use of the modified USC ALL regimen without PEG for the treatment of newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL combined with TKI at our institution led to an excellent 3-year OS (83.3%) and 3-year EFS (86.6%). All patients received TKI, half of the patients received blinatumomab and at least one third received allo-HSCT which likely led to higher OS even without PEG. We also observed a trend towards improved OS in recipients of allo-HSCT compared to patients who did not receive allo-HSCT (100% vs. 70%, p=0.15) although statistically not significant, it highlights the role of allo-HSCT in the management of Ph+ ALL patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Chaudhary: TCR2: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Celldex: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Moderna: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Pancella: Consultancy; Oncotartis: Consultancy; Athelas: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Angeles Therapeutics: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Founder, Patents & Royalties: Cell therapy ; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Douer: Adaptive: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Yaghmour: Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Speakers Bureau.

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Combinatorial Anti-Tumor Activity in Animal Models of a Novel CD123 x CD3 Bispecific Dart® Molecule (MGD024) with Cytarabine, Venetoclax or Azacitidine Supports Combination Therapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-153192 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 1165-1165

Author(s):

Ralph F. Alderson ◽

Ling Huang ◽

Xiaoyu Zhang ◽

Haiquan Li ◽

Thomas Kaufman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Combination Therapy ◽

Half Life ◽

Stock Options ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Cytokine Release ◽

Publicly Traded ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Privately Held

Abstract Introduction: Notwithstanding recent progress, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains an incurable disease, particularly in patients (pts) with relapsing/refractory disorder or ineligible for intensive induction therapy (unfit pts). Redirected T-cell mediated killing via CD3-engaging bispecific molecules may offer an alternate therapeutic opportunity for aggressive disease or unfit pts. Flotetuzumab, a continuous infusion CD123 x CD3 DART molecule, has shown preliminary single-agent activity in pts refractory to induction therapy (Uy et al., Blood. 2021, 137:751). CD123, the IL-3 receptor alpha chain, is expressed by both leukemic blasts and leukemic stem cells and is a suitable therapeutic target in AML (Testa et al., Cancers (Basel). 2019, 11:1358). MGD024 is an Fc-bearing CD123 x CD3 DART molecule designed for prolonged circulating half-life and intermittent delivery. MGD024 was also designed with a CD3-binding arm with reduced affinity to diminish the propensity for cytokine release compared to flotetuzumab. The potentially improved tolerability and dosing convenience of MGD024 may provide a framework for introducing T-cell immunotherapy in early-stage AML or unfit pts. To explore whether MGD024 could complement AML standard of care (SOC), we investigated combination therapy in mouse models. Materials and Methods: The DART molecules, flotetuzumab and MGD024, shared identical CD123 (humanized 7G3) and CD3 (humanized XR32) Fv arms, save for a mutation in the anti-CD3 arm of MGD024 that decreases its affinity for the CD3-epsilon chain. While flotetuzumab has no Fc domain, MGD024 includes an ala-ala-mutated human IgG1 Fc that extends its circulating half-life via the neonatal Fc receptor-mediated salvage pathway together with impairing binding to Fc-gamma receptors and complement. An IgG1-ala-ala Fc-bearing version of flotetuzumab (RES234M1.1) was also engineered to allow delivery at identical time intervals as MGD024 and avoid continuous infusion in experimental animals. MHC class I-null, NOD/SCID/IL2R-gamma-null mice were reconstituted with human PBMC (8x10 6 cells/mouse, retro orbital). Two human AML cell lines expressing low or high levels of CD123 (KG1a < MOLM-13) were implanted SC at 2.5 x 10 6 (KG1a) or 5 x 10 6 (MOLM-13) cells/mouse. Treatments (IV, IP or PO by gavage, as indicated) were initiated when tumor volumes reached ~150 mm 3, with volumes recorded weekly or twice weekly thereafter. Results and Conclusions: Consistent with its decreased affinity for CD3, MGD024 demonstrated reduced in vitro potency in killing CD123-positive target cells compared to flotetuzumab or RES234M1.1, but proportionally greater reduction in cytokine release. MGD024, however, achieved maximal cytolytic activity as flotetuzumab or RES234M1.1, albeit at increased concentrations. Similarly, MGD024 showed reduced potency in vivo against CD123-positive tumors compared to RES234M1.1; nevertheless, tumor growth reduction of the same magnitude as that observed with RES234M1.1 was attained at higher doses of MGD024 (0.5-1 mg/kg IV 2QW MGD024 vs. 0.05-0.1 mg/kg IV 2QW RES234M1.1, depending on the model). Reduced cytokine release was also observed with MGD024 compared to RES234M1.1 in vivo. To explore MGD024 suitability for combination therapy, sub-active doses of cytarabine (CYT, 10 mg/kg IV 2QW or 7.5-10 mg/kg IP QD), venetoclax (VEN, range 10-80 mg/kg PO QD), or azacitidine (AZA, 2 mg/kg PO QD) were co-administered with suboptimal regimens of MGD024 (range 0.005-0.1 mg/kg IV 2QW, depending on the model). Complete or near complete tumor elimination was observed with the combination of suboptimal MGD024 and CYT or VEN. In contrast, AZA, at the dose tested, did not contribute to the antitumor effect of MGD024. CYT, VEN or AZA did not inhibit a fully active dose of MGD024, confirming no detrimental impact of the SOC agents at the doses employed on the effector cell population engaged by the DART molecule. All treatments were well tolerated, as indicated by body weigh profiles across treatment groups. These data support clinical exploration of the combination of MGD024 with SOC in patients with AML. An investigational new drug (IND) application of MGD024 in pts with selected relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies is planned. Disclosures Alderson: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Huang: MacroGenics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Ended employment in the past 24 months. Zhang: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Li: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Kaufman: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Diedrich: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Moore: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Bonvini: MacroGenics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company.

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