scholarly journals Coagulopathy Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in R/R Adult B Cell Malignancies: A Single Center Experience

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4839-4839
Author(s):  
Safia Belbachir ◽  
Jean Jacques Tudesq ◽  
Sylvain Lamure ◽  
Pierre Rocanieres ◽  
Elena Properzi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T cells) is a new therapeutic approach approved for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-lymphoproliferative malignancies. Specific toxicities have been described following CAR-T cells therapy, mainly cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Coagulation disorders have been described in patients experiencing CRS. However, data is scarce regarding such consequences. Methods. We retrospectively evaluated patients treated with CAR T-cells for R/R B-cell lymphoma in our tertiary hospital between 2019, January 1 st and 2021, March 1 st. Post-infusion coagulation disorders were assessed, as well as factors associated with such anomalies using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results. During the study period, 64 patients received CAR T-cell therapy for R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=52, 81%), transformed follicular lymphoma (n=9, 14%) and mantel cell lymphoma (n=3, 5%).The median follow-up was 7.98 months (IQR 4.24; 12.39). All patients had a normal coagulation panel at CAR-T cells infusion. The incidence of CRS was 92% (n=59; grade 3-4 n=2, 3%) and ICANS 38% (n=24; grade 3-4 n=7; 11%). We observed a decrease in fibrinogen level in all patients (grade 3-4 n=44, 69%), occurring at day 11 (median) post-infusion, prolonged prothrombin time (PT) in 27 patients (42%, grade 3-4 n=0), at day 4 (median), and thrombocytopenia in 62 patients (97%, grade 3-4 n=46, 72%) at day 1 (median). By multivariate analysis, fibrinogen below 2 g/L after CAR-T cells infusion was independently associated with CRS grade 2 or greater (OR 58.4; 95%CI [5.8-4212.8] p = 0.009), ICANS grade 2 or greater (OR 2.36; 95%CI [2.2-80.6] p = 0.007) and day-0 lymphocyte count (OR 0.32 per 0.1 G/L; 95%CI [0.10-0.89] p = 0.037). However, it was not associated with comorbidities, disease history, tumor burden, CAR product, or outcomes. Furthermore, by the end of the study, 5 patients (8%) did not recover a normal fibrinogen level and 41 (64%) did not recover a normal platelet count. Others recovered a normal fibrinogen level within a median of 69 days, a normal platelet count within a median of 15 days, and a normal PT within in a median of 7 days. Interestingly, no significant thrombotic or hemorrhagic events were recorded for those patients. Conclusion. A high incidence of asymptomatic coagulation disorders was observed after CAR-T cell therapy, notably prolonged hypofibrinogenemia. Further studies should focus on the mechanisms involved in such abnormalities. Disclosures Lamure: Janssen: Other: miscellaneous support , Research Funding; Gilead: Other: miscellaneous support ; Roche: Other: miscellaneous support ; Abbvie: Other: miscellaneous support ; Sanofi: Other: miscellaneous support ; Novartis: Other: miscellaneous support ; Pfizer: Other: miscellaneous support ; Actelion: Other: miscellaneous support . Paul: NOVARTIS: Other: BOARD; SERVIER: Other: BOARD. Tchernonog: JANSSEN: Consultancy; ABBVIE: Consultancy; ASTRAZENECA: Consultancy. Herbaux: Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Cartron: Roche, Celgene-BMS: Consultancy; Danofi, Gilead, Novartis, Jansen, Roche, Celgene-BMS, Abbvie, Takeda: Honoraria.

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4-6
Author(s):  
Xian Zhang ◽  
Junfang Yang ◽  
Wenqian Li ◽  
Gailing Zhang ◽  
Yunchao Su ◽  
...  

Backgrounds As CAR T-cell therapy is a highly personalized therapy, process of generating autologous CAR-T cells for each patient is complex and can still be problematic, particularly for heavily pre-treated patients and patients with significant leukemia burden. Here, we analyzed the feasibility and efficacy in 37 patients with refractory/relapsed (R/R) B-ALL who received CAR T-cells derived from related donors. Patients and Methods From April 2017 to May 2020, 37 R/R B-ALL patients with a median age of 19 years (3-61 years), were treated with second-generation CD19 CAR-T cells derived from donors. The data was aggregated from three clinical trials (www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT03173417; NCT02546739; and www.chictr.org.cn ChiCTR-ONC-17012829). Of the 37 patients, 28 were relapsed following allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) and whose lymphocytes were collected from their transplant donors (3 HLA matched sibling and 25 haploidentical). For the remaining 9 patients without prior transplant, the lymphocytes were collected from HLA identical sibling donors (n=5) or haploidentical donors (n=4) because CAR-T cells manufacture from patient samples either failed (n=5) or blasts in peripheral blood were too high (>40%) to collect quality T-cells. The median CAR-T cell dose infused was 3×105/kg (1-30×105/kg). Results For the 28 patients who relapsed after prior allo-HSCT, 27 (96.4%) achieved CR within 30 days post CAR T-cell infusion, of which 25 (89.3%) were minimal residual disease (MRD) negative. Within one month following CAR T-cell therapy, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in 3 patients including 1 with rash and 2 with diarrhea. A total of 19 of the 28 (67.9%) patients had cytokine release syndrome (CRS), including two patients (7.1%) with Grade 3-4 CRS. Four patients had CAR T-cell related neurotoxicity including 3 with Grade 3-4 events. With a medium follow up of 103 days (1-669days), the median overall survival (OS) was 169 days (1-668 days), and the median leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 158 days (1-438 days). After CAR T-cell therapy, 15 patients bridged into a second allo-HSCT and one of 15 patients (6.7%) relapsed following transplant, and two died from infection. There were 11 patients that did not receive a second transplantation, of which three patients (27.3%) relapsed, and four parents died (one due to relapse, one from arrhythmia and two from GVHD/infection). Two patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining nine patients had no prior transplantation. At the time of T-cell collection, the median bone marrow blasts were 90% (range: 18.5%-98.5%), and the median peripheral blood blasts were 10% (range: 0-70%). CR rate within 30 days post CAR-T was 44.4% (4/9 cases). Six patients developed CRS, including four with Grade 3 CRS. Only one patient had Grade 3 neurotoxicity. No GVHD occurred following CAR T-cell therapy. Among the nine patients, five were treated with CAR T-cells derived from HLA-identical sibling donors and three of those five patients achieved CR. One patient who achieved a CR died from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) on day 16. Two patients who achieved a CR bridged into allo-HSCT, including one patient who relapsed and died. One of two patients who did not response to CAR T-cell therapy died from leukemia. Four of the nine patients were treated with CAR T-cells derived from haploidentical related donors. One of the four cases achieved a CR but died from infection on day 90. The other three patients who had no response to CAR T-cell therapy died from disease progression within 3 months (7-90 days). Altogether, seven of the nine patients died with a median time of 19 days (7-505 days). Conclusions We find that manufacturing CD19+ CAR-T cells derived from donors is feasible. For patients who relapse following allo-HSCT, the transplant donor derived CAR-T cells are safe and effective with a CR rate as high as 96.4%. If a patient did not have GVHD prior to CAR T-cell therapy, the incidence of GVHD following CAR T-cell was low. Among patients without a history of transplantation, an inability to collect autologous lymphocytes signaled that the patient's condition had already reached a very advanced stage. However, CAR T-cells derived from HLA identical siblings can still be considered in our experience, no GVHD occurred in these patients. But the efficacy of CAR T-cells from haploidentical donors was very poor. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (13) ◽  
pp. 3024-3033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kitsada Wudhikarn ◽  
Martina Pennisi ◽  
Marta Garcia-Recio ◽  
Jessica R. Flynn ◽  
Aishat Afuye ◽  
...  

Abstract Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome are the most notable toxicities of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. In addition, CAR T-cell–mediated toxicities can involve any organ system, with varied impacts on outcomes, depending on patient factors and involved organs. We performed detailed analysis of organ-specific toxicities and their association with outcomes in 60 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with CD19 CAR T cells by assessing all toxicities in organ-based groups during the first year posttreatment. We observed 539 grade ≥2 and 289 grade ≥3 toxicities. Common grade ≥3 toxicities included hematological, metabolic, infectious, and neurological complications, with corresponding 1-year cumulative incidence of 57.7%, 54.8%, 35.4%, and 18.3%, respectively. Patients with impaired performance status had a higher risk of grade ≥3 metabolic complications, whereas elevated lactate dehydrogenase was associated with higher risks of grade ≥3 neurological and pulmonary toxicities. CRS was associated with higher incidence of grade ≥3 metabolic, pulmonary, and neurologic complications. The 1-year nonrelapse mortality and overall survival were 1.7% and 69%, respectively. Only grade ≥3 pulmonary toxicities were associated with an increased mortality risk. In summary, toxicity burdens after CD19 CAR T-cell therapy were high and varied by organ systems. Most toxicities were manageable and were rarely associated with mortality. Our study emphasizes the importance of toxicity assessment, which could serve as a benchmark for further research to reduce symptom burdens and improve tolerability in patients treated with CAR T cells.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4810-4810
Author(s):  
Mark B. Geyer ◽  
Briana Cadzin ◽  
Elizabeth Halton ◽  
Peter Kane ◽  
Brigitte Senechal ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Autologous CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor-modified (CAR) T-cell therapy leads to complete responses (CR) in patients (pts) with (w/) relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL, >80% CR rate) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, ~40-55% CR rate). However, following fludarabine/cyclophosphamide (Flu/Cy) conditioning and CAR T-cell therapy w/ a CD28 costimulatory domain (e.g. 19-28z CAR T-cells), rates of grade ≥3 ICANS and grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in pts w/ R/R DLBCL and morphologic R/R B-ALL exceed 30%. CRS and ICANS are associated w/ considerable morbidity, including increased length of hospitalization, and may be fatal. Host monocytes appear to be the major reservoir of cytokines driving CRS and ICANS post-CAR T-cell therapy (Giavradis et al. and Norelli et al., Nature Medicine, 2018). Circulating monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) may also blunt efficacy of 19-28z CAR T-cells in R/R DLBCL (Jain et al., Blood, 2021). The CD45-targeted antibody radioconjugate (ARC) 131-I apamistamab is being investigated at myeloablative doses as conditioning prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation in pts w/ R/R acute myeloid leukemia. However, even at low doses (4-20 mCi), transient lymphocyte and blast reduction are observed. Preclinical studies in C57BL/6 mice demonstrate low-dose anti CD45 radioimmunotherapy (100 microCi) transiently depletes >90% lymphocytes, including CD4/CD8 T-cells, B-cells, NK cells, and T-regs, as well as splenocytes and MDSCs, w/ negligible effect on bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic stem cells (Dawicki et al., Oncotarget, 2020). We hypothesized a higher, yet nonmyeloablative dose of 131-I apamistamab may achieve more sustained, but reversible depletion of lymphocytes and other CD45 + immune cells, including monocytes thought to drive CRS/ICANS. We additionally hypothesized this approach (vs Flu/Cy) prior to CAR T-cell therapy would promote CAR T-cell expansion while reducing CSF levels of monocyte-derived cytokines (e.g. IL-1, IL-6, and IL-10), thus lowering the risk of severe ICANS (Fig 1A). Study design and methods: We are conducting a single-institution pilot study of 131-I apamistamab in lieu of Flu/Cy prior to 19-28z CAR T-cells in adults w/ R/R BALL or DLBCL (NCT04512716; Iomab-ACT); accrual is ongoing. Pts are eligible for leukapheresis if they are ≥18 years-old w/ R/R DLBCL (de novo or transformed) following ≥2 chemoimmunotherapy regimens w/ ≥1 FDG-avid measurable lesion or B-ALL following ≥1 line of multi-agent chemotherapy (R/R following induction/consolidation; prior 2 nd/3 rd gen TKI required for pts w/ Ph+ ALL) w/ ≥5% BM involvement and/or FDG-avid extramedullary disease, ECOG performance status 0-2, and w/ appropriate organ function. Active or prior CNS disease is not exclusionary. Pts previously treated w/ CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy are eligible as long as CD19 expression is retained. See Fig 1B/C: Post-leukapheresis, 19-28z CAR T-cells are manufactured as previously described (Park et al., NEJM, 2018). Bridging therapy is permitted at investigator discretion. Thyroid blocking is started ≥48h pre-ARC. 131-I apamistamab 75 mCi is administered 5-7 days pre-CAR T-cell infusion to achieve total absorbed marrow dose ~200 cGy w/ remaining absorbed dose <25 cGy at time of T-cell infusion. 19-28z CAR T-cells are administered as a single infusion (1x10 6/kg, B-ALL pts; 2x10 6/kg, DLBCL pts). The primary objective is to determine safety/tolerability of 131-I apamistamab 75 mCi given prior to 19-28z CAR T-cells in pts w/ R/R B-ALL/DLBCL. Secondary objectives include determining incidence/severity of ICANS and CRS, anti-tumor efficacy, and 19-28z CAR T-cell expansion/persistence. Key exploratory objectives include describing the cellular microenvironment following ARC and 19-28z CAR T-cell infusion using spectral cytometry, as well as cytokine levels in peripheral blood and CRS. The trial utilizes a 3+3 design in a single cohort. If dose-limiting toxicity (severe infusion-related reactions, treatment-resistant severe CRS/ICANS, persistent regimen-related cytopenias, among others defined in protocol) is seen in 0-1 of the first 3 pts treated, then up to 6 total (up to 3 additional) pts will be treated. We have designed this study to provide preliminary data to support further investigation of CD45-targeted ARCs prior to adoptive cellular therapy. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Geyer: Sanofi: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Geoghegan: Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Current Employment. Reddy: Actinium Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Berger: Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Current Employment. Ludwig: Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Current Employment. Pandit-Taskar: Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Clarity Pharma: Research Funding; Illumina: Consultancy, Honoraria; ImaginAb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Ymabs: Research Funding; Progenics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Medimmune/Astrazeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding. Sauter: Genmab: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy; Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi-Genzyme: Consultancy, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: 131-I apamistamab and 19-28z CAR T-cells are investigational agents in treatment of ALL and DLBCL


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 33-34
Author(s):  
Tyce Kearl ◽  
Ao Mei ◽  
Ryan Brown ◽  
Bryon Johnson ◽  
Dina Schneider ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is emerging as a powerful treatment for relapsed or refractory B cell lymphomas. However, a variety of escape mechanisms prevent CAR-T cell therapy from being more uniformly effective. To better understand mechanisms of CAR-T failure among patients treated with dual-targeted CAR-T cells, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of samples from a Phase 1 trial (NCT03019055). The clinical trial used anti-CD20, anti-CD19 CAR-T cells for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Clinical responses from this study are reported independently (Shah et al. in press in Nat Med). While robust clinical responses occurred, not all patients had similar outcomes. In single-antigen specific CAR-T cells, mechanisms of resistance include antigen down-regulation, phenotype switch, or PD-1 inhibition (Song et al. Int J Mol Sci 2019). However, very little is understood about the mechanisms of failure that are specific to dual-targeted CAR-T cells. Interestingly, loss of CD19 antigen was not observed in treatment failures in the study. METHODS: De-identified patient samples were obtained as peripheral blood mononuclear cells on the day of harvest ("pre" samples), at the peak of in vivo CAR-T cell expansion which varied from day 10 to day 21 after infusion ("peak" samples), and on day 28 post-infusion ("d28" samples). The CAR-T cell infusion product was obtained on day 14 of on-site manufacturing ("product" samples). All samples were cryopreserved and single cell preparation was performed with batched samples using 10X Genomics kits. Subsequent analysis was performed in R studio using the Seurat package (Butler et al. Nat Biotech 2018) with SingleR being used to identify cell types in an unbiased manner (Aran et al. Nat Immunol 2019). RESULTS: We found that distinct T cell clusters were similarly represented in the responder and non-responder samples. The patients' clinical responses did not depend on the level of CAR expression or the percentage of CAR+ cells in the infusion product. At day 28, however, there was a considerable decrease in the percentage of CAR+ cells in the responder samples possibly due to contracture of the CAR+ T cell compartment after successful clearance of antigen-positive cells. In all samples, the CAR-T cell population shifted from a CD4+ to a CD8+ T cell predominant population after infusion. We performed differentially-expressed gene analyses (DEG) of the total and CAR-T cells. In the pre samples, genes associated with T-cell stimulation and cell-mediated cytotoxicity were highly expressed in the responder samples. Since the responders had an effective anti-tumor response, we expected these pathways to also be enriched for in the peak samples; however, this was not the case. We hypothesize that differential expression of the above genes was masked due to homeostatic expansion of the T cells following conditioning chemotherapy. Based on the DEG results, we next interrogated specific genes associated with cytotoxicity, T cell co-stimulation, and checkpoint protein inhibition. Cytotoxicity-associated genes were highly expressed among responder CD8+ T cells in the pre samples, but not in the other samples (Figure 1). Few differences were seen in specific co-stimulatory and checkpoint inhibitor genes at any timepoint in the T cell clusters. We performed gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA). Gene sets representing TCR, IFN-gamma, and PD-1 signaling were significantly increased in the pre samples of the responders but not at later time points or in the infusion products. DISCUSSION: We found a correlation between expression of genes associated with T cell stimulation and cytotoxicity in pre-treatment patient samples and subsequent response to CAR-T cell therapy. This demonstrates that the existing transcriptome of T cells prior to CAR transduction critically shapes anti-tumor responses. Further work will discover biomarkers that can be used to select patients expected to have better clinical outcomes. Figure 1 Disclosures Johnson: Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Cell Vault: Research Funding. Schneider:Lentigen, a Miltenyi Biotec Company: Current Employment, Patents & Royalties. Dropulic:Lentigen, a Miltenyi Biotec Company: Current Employment, Patents & Royalties: CAR-T immunotherapy. Hari:BMS: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Shah:Incyte: Consultancy; Cell Vault: Research Funding; Lily: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; Verastim: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Miltenyi Biotec: Honoraria, Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 3861-3861
Author(s):  
Felix Korell ◽  
Olaf Penack ◽  
Michael Schmitt ◽  
Carsten Müller-Tidow ◽  
Lars Bullinger ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Endothelial dysfunction underlies the two main complications of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, i.e. cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate and validate the Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX)) as predictor for CRS and ICANS in patients receiving CD19-directed CAR-T cells. Methods: In this retrospective study, the training cohort recruited 107 patients treated with CAR-T cells at the University Hospital Heidelberg (n=83) and Charité University Medicine Berlin (n=24) from Oct 1, 2018, to March 31, 2021. Patients from the validation cohort (n=93) received CAR-T cells within the ZUMA-1 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02348216). The training cohort included 37 and 34 patients with relapsed / refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) treated with Axi-cel and Tisa-cel, respectively, 1 patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with Tisa-cel, 2 patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) treated with KTE-X19 on an early access program; and 5 patients with LBCL, 5 patients with MCL, 5 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 4 patients with follicular lymphoma, and 14 patients with ALL treated with the 3 rd generation CAR-T HD-CAR-1. Median age was 57 (20-81) years, 72% were male. The 93 patients of the validation cohort all had r/r LBCL and received Axi-Cel. EASIX and serum levels of endothelial stress markers (angiopoietin-2, suppressor of tumorigenicity-2, soluble thrombomodulin and interleukin-8) were measured before start of lymphodepletion (EASIX-pre), and on days 0, 3, and 7 after CAR-T infusion. Primary endpoints were severe CRS and/or ICANS (grades 3-4). Results: Of the 107 patients of the training cohort, 61 patients (58%) developed CRS grades 1-4 and 24 patients (22%) developed ICANS grades 1-4. Higher grade CRS (grade ≥ 3) was seen in 6 patients (6%) with a median onset of 4 (0-14) days, while grade ≥ 3 ICANS occurred in 11 patients (11%; median onset 8 (4-17) days). EASIX values increased continuously from lymphodepletion to day 7 after CAR-T cell application (EASIX-pre 2.0 (0.5-76.6, interquartile range (IQR) 1.2/4.1); EASIX-d0 2.0 (0.3-91.5, IQR 1.2/4.2); EASIX-d3 2.4 (0.3-69.1, IQR 1.3/4.9) and EASIX-d7 2.7 (0.4-94.0, IQR 1.4/7.5)). In the validation cohort, Grade ≥ 3 CRS was observed in 10 patients (11%) and grade ≥ 3 ICANS in 28 patients (30%). Similar to the training cohort, EASIX values rose from lymphodepletion to day 3 after CAR-T cell application (EASIX-pre 1.8 (0.3-106.1, IQR 1.0/4.7); EASIX-d0 2.0 (0.3-120.4, IQR 1.1/4.1) and EASIX-d3 2.7 (0.3-57.9, IQR 1.7/6.2). In both cohorts, all EASIX values (pre, d0, d3, d7) were significantly higher in patients who developed either grade 3-4 CRS, ICANS or both (see Figure 1 for the training cohort). EASIX predicted grade 3-4 CRS and ICANS before lymphodepleting therapy (-pre), on day 0 and on day 3 in both cohorts: AUC EASIX-pre, training cohort 0.73 (0.62-0.85, p=0.002), validation cohort 0.76 (0.66-0.87, p<0.001). An optimized cut-off for EASIX-pre (1.86) identified in the training cohort associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.07 (1.82-14.10), p=0.002 in the validation cohort in multivariable binary logistic regression analysis including age, gender, diagnosis and disease stage. Serum endothelial stress markers did not predict the two complications when assessed before CAR-T infusion, but diagnostic markers were strongly associated with CRS and ICANS grade 3-4 on day+7. Conclusions: EASIX-pre is a validated predictor of severe complications after CAR-T therapy and may help to tailor safety monitoring measures according to the individual patient's needs. Data on patients from the ZUMA-1 trial were provided by Kite/Gilead. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Penack: Astellas: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Jazz: Honoraria; MSD: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Neovii: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Therakos: Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Priothera: Consultancy; Shionogi: Consultancy; Omeros: Consultancy. Schmitt: MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apogenix: Research Funding; Hexal: Other: Travel grants, Research Funding; TolerogenixX: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Kite Gilead: Other: Travel grants; Bluebird Bio: Other: Travel grants; Novartis: Other: Travel grants, Research Funding. Müller-Tidow: Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Bioline: Research Funding. Bullinger: Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Menarini: Consultancy; Sanofi: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bayer: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy; Hexal: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Dreger: Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Riemser: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1590-1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Sang ◽  
Ming Shi ◽  
Jingjing Yang ◽  
Jiang Cao ◽  
Linyan Xu ◽  
...  

Objective Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells therapy demonstrated remarkable efficiency in refractory and relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). Antigen-loss potentially leads to failure after single-target CAR-T cellss therapy. Aim to evaluate the efficiency and safety of double-target CAR-T cellss therapy, we performed a phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ clinical trial of combination anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 CAR-T cellss therapy for R/R DLBCL. Methods A total of 21 patients were enrolled, and patients were monitored for treatment response, toxicity and persistence. Patients received a conditioning regimen of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide followed by infusion of anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 CAR-T cellss. Results Of the 21 patients, 17 had objective response, and the ORR was 81.0% (95% CI, 58 to 95). 11 had CR, the CR rate was 52.4% (95% CI, 26 to 70). 4 of 9 patients in completed remission at 3 months remain in remission by 6 months, the CR rate was 44.4% (95% CI, 14 to 79). The median OS was 8.1 months (95% CI, 7 to 10) and the median PFS was 5.0 months (95% CI, 2 to 8). The median duration response was 6.8 months (95% CI, 4 to 10). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in all patients. Of the 21 patients, 15 (71.4%) had grade 1-2 CRS, 6 (28.5%) had severe (≥grade 3) CRS, and no grade 5 CRS occurred. There were 5 patients with different degrees of neurotoxicity, namely CAR-T associated encephalopathy syndrome (CRES). There were 2 cases with grade 3 or above CRES, 5 of them were self-limited, and none of them died of severe CRS or CRES. There were significant differences in peak levels of IL-6 (P=0.004)、ferritin (P=0.008) and CRP (P=0.000) secretion between CRS 1-2 and CRS 3-4 patients within one month after CAR-T cell infusion. In terms of hematological toxicity, there were 11 cases of neutropenia above grade 3 (52.4%), 6 cases of anemia (28.6%) and 6 cases of thrombocytopenia (28.6%). After 12 patients with response and 1 patient without response received CAR-T cell therapy, CD19 cell subsets all disappeared after 2 weeks. The level of serum immunoglobulin in 14 patients with response decreased progressively after 1 week of treatment with CAR-T cells, and maintained at a relatively low level. Eight patients received intravenous immunoglobulin during CAR-T cell therapy. Conclusion Anti-CD19 combined with anti-CD20 CAR-T cell is effective in the treatment of R/R DLBCL patients.2. Anti-CD19 combined with anti-CD20 CAR-T cell therapy has the occurrence of CRS, CRES and hematological toxicity, and adverse reactions could be controlled. This is the first report to our knowledge of successful treatment of combination of anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 CAR-T cellss in R/R DLBCL. Our results provide strong support for further multiple-target CAR-T cells therapy, which could potentially resolve antigen-loss related failure. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 40-40
Author(s):  
Ohad Benjamini ◽  
Avichai Shimoni ◽  
Michal Besser ◽  
Noga Shem-Tov ◽  
Ivetta Danylesko ◽  
...  

Background: Richter's transformation (RT) is a rare complication of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), usually into clonally related diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Currently there is no effective therapy to RT and CLL relapse after targeted therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CART) cells directed to CD19+ B-cell malignancies have promising results in relapsed DLBCL. However, its effectiveness in CLL relapse after targeted therapy and RT is less clear and no systematic reports are available. Methods: From July 2019 to May 2020 we enrolled eight CLL patients with disease transformation after chemoimmunotherapy and therapy with BTK and/or BCL2 inhibitors as part of single center phase 2 CAR T-cell therapy in B-cell malignancies (NCT02772198). Following lymphodepletion consisting of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine patients received an infusion of locally produced 1x106 CD19-CART- cells/kg, which were generated by modifying autologous T cells with retroviral vector encoding a CAR comprising FMC63 anti-CD19 ScFv linked to a CD28 costimulatory domain, and CD3-zeta intracellular signaling domain. Results: All 8 patients (pts) were relatively young with median age at CLL diagnosis of 56y (47-62). Disease transformation developed after a median of 8 years (range 1-16) from CLL diagnosis. Patients treated with CD19-CAR T-cells at median age of 64 y (54-73) having median comorbidity G-CIRS score 2 (0-5), performance status ECOG 1 (0-2) and CCT 66ml/min (26-89). Pts had history of CLL with del17p/TP53 in 83%, 5/6 available, del11q 2/6 prior to transformation. Disease transformation included RT in 6 pts with DLBCL, 1 accelerated CLL and 1 prolymphocytic transformations. Among RT pts 67% (4/6) had advanced stage DLBCL, 50% (3/6) extarnodal and 33% (2/6) bulky disease. Patients received median of 3 (0-5) CLL therapies and 2 (1-3) large cell lymphoma directed therapy. CLL therapies included chemoimunotherpay: 5 Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab/obinutuzumab (FCR/FCO), 1 bendamustin rituximab (BR); 5 dual targeted therapy (ibrutinib and Venetoclax), 2 ibrutinib only, 1 venetoclax only. Last CLL treatment was Venetoclax in 71% (5/7) and ibrutinib in 29% (2/7) with 32 (range 15-39) months duration on ibrutinib and 10 (2-17) months on venetoclax. The reason for ibrutinib discontinuation was CLL progression (PD) in 5, disease transformation in 2, and venetocalx discontinuation due to progressive disease (PD) - 4 and transformation - 2. Post transformation all RT pts were treated with R-CHOP, second line tx 2, one patient with prolymphocytic transformation was treated with alemtuzumab, allo-SCT, ibrutinib and venetoclax. All pts had PD before treatment with CAR T-cells, 63% (5/8) had elevated LDH and 5/8 evaluable PET CT before treatment had deauville score (DS) 5 with median SUVmax 8.7 (3.7-21). After infusion of CAR T-cells 7 patients had cytokine release syndrome (CRS), 4 grade 1 and 3 grade 3-4 that required tocilizumab. Three patients had CNS toxicity, two grade 3. Seventy five percent (6/8) developed neutropenia, (3/8) grade 3-4, all neutropenia resolved except in one patient that succumbed to PD, 2 pts had infections (campylobacter and H1N1 influenza, each). There were no fatalities due to CAR T-cell toxicity. There were two fatalities due to disease progression. All 71% (5/8) responders achieved complete response with DS1 in PET CT scan on day 28. After median follow up duration of 6 (4-10) months, 2 patients proceeded to allo-SCT. Conclusion: CD19-CART-cell therapy in CLL patients with disease transformation is safe and has high complete remission rate with promising clinical response. Long term remission rate after CD19-CART-cell therapy for RT needs to be further evaluated in more patients. Disclosures Benjamini: Abbvie Inc: Consultancy, Research Funding. Tadmor:AbbVie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Medison: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Neopharm: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; 6. Novartis Israel Ltd., a company wholly owned by Novartis Pharma AG: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Fineman:Abbvie Inc: Consultancy, Research Funding. Jacobi:Novartis: Consultancy. Avigdor:Takeda, Gilead, Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen, BMS: Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4016-4016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer K. Khaled ◽  
Suzette Blanchard ◽  
Xiuli Wang ◽  
Jamie Wagner ◽  
Araceli Naranjo ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Treatment of adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-ALL using CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has achieved remarkable remission rates, both in pediatric and adult populations. There are multiple CAR constructs and T cell manufacturing platforms in use, and both aspects of the therapy may impact efficacy and toxicity. Park et al. report that 83% of adult patients (pts) achieve complete response (CR) to their CD19 CAR T cells with a CD28 costimulatory domain (NEJM; 3785: 449), using an unselected peripheral blood (PBMC) manufacturing platform. Unfortunately, therapy-associated toxicities in adult and pediatric ALL pts are problematic, with grade 3/4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) ranging from 26-49 % and neurotoxicity 18-42%. Here we report preliminary data from one arm of a phase 1 clinical trial (NCT02146924) in adult pts with R/R B-ALL testing a memory-enriched T cell starting population engineered to express a CD19-specific, CD28-costimulatory CAR (CD19:28z-CAR). All pts achieved CR or CRi with a low incidence of severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity. Unique to this study is our Tn/mem-enriched manufacturing platform, a naïve/memory T cell-enriched T cell product that is lentivirally transduced to express our CD19:28z-CAR. The manufacturing process starts with patient PBMC, depletes the CD14+ monocytes and CD25+ Tregs, and selects for CD62L+ T cells. The resultant T cell population for CAR transduction includes both the central memory and stem cell memory populations along with naïve T cells. Preclinical studies in mice had suggested that using a more uniform T cell product with a less-differentiated T cell phenotype improved antitumor activity. This Tn/mem manufacturing platform is the same as our Tcm-derived platform (Blood;127:2980) except that CD45RA depletion was omitted. Patients and Methods: This phase I study used the activity constrained for toxicity (ACT) design, an extension of the toxicity equivalence range (TEQR) design of Blanchard and Longmate (Contemp Clin Trials; 32:114), that dose escalates based on lack of activity, while constraining the dose for toxicity. The primary objectives of this study were to test the safety and activity of Tn/mem-enriched CD19:28z CAR T cells, and to determine the phase 2 recommended dose. The primary endpoints were toxicity and disease response. Sixteen pts were consented and received a lymphodepleting regimen (LDR) of 1.5-3 gm/m2 cyclophosphamide over 2-3 days and 25-30 mg/m2 fludarabine for 3 days. Three pts received LDR, but did not receive T cells due to infection or lack of CD19+ disease. Patients received a flat dose of 200 million (M) CD19:28z-CAR T cells: 11 autologous and 2 allogeneic donor products. Of the 13 that received 200 M CAR+ T cells, 2 pts were deemed ineligible for dose escalation / disease response evaluation, as 1 received <80% of the prescribed dose (100 M) and the other had CD19-negative extramedullary disease. The median age of the 13 CAR T cell treated pts was 33 years (24-72). All pts had active bone marrow (BM) disease at the time of LDR: 8 pts (62%) had high disease burden (15-91% BM blasts) and 5 had low disease burden (</= 5% BM blasts). Patients were heavily pretreated, with a median of 5 (2-6), prior regimens. Six pts received prior allogeneic transplant (HSCT), 9 had prior blinatumomab, and 1 had prior CD19 CAR T cells. Results: Toxicity: Table 1 describes the major toxicities of the 13 CAR-treated pts, stratified based on disease burden. There were no DLTs, and T-cell therapy attributed (>/=possibly) toxicities were typically mild and reversible. Eight pts had grade 2 CRS, and 2 had grade 3 CRS. Three pts had grade 2 neurotoxicity and 2 had grade 3. Response: Eleven pts were evaluable for response, with best response of 4 CRs (MRD- by flow) and 7 CRi (6 MRD-, 1 not tested). Median response duration at last contact or HSCT start was 81 days (39-286); 8 pts proceeded to HSCT (in CR or CRi) at a median of 69 days post-CAR infusion (39-103). Conclusions: Our ongoing phase 1 trial demonstrates a 100% response rate to Tn/mem-enriched CD19:28z-CAR T cell therapy in adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-ALL. Although the numbers are small, the unanimous response, combined with a tolerable and reversible toxicity profile in pts with both low and high disease burden is remarkable and suggests promise for this Tn/mem manufacturing platform for CD19 and other CAR targets. Disclosures Khaled: Juno: Other: Travel Funding; Daiichi: Consultancy; Alexion: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Wang:Mustang Therapeutics: Other: Licensing Agreement, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Brown:Mustang Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Licensing Agreement, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Forman:Mustang Therapeutics: Other: Licensing Agreement, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 5617-5617
Author(s):  
Shuangshuang Yang ◽  
Lijuan Chen ◽  
Jie Xu ◽  
Frank Xiao-Hu Fan ◽  
Sun Yan ◽  
...  

Introduction: B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) has become a popular research target for multiple myeloma (MM) in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. Up to now, many trials with anti-BCMA CAR-T cells has demonstrated inspiring outcome in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) MM. While, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a big challenge, it occurs in almost 76% of the patients, and can be fatal if not managed well. However, the pathophysiology of CRS is not so clear, and dynamic changes are ignored. Here, we deeply analyze the dynamic changes of various cytokines in different stages of CRS, trying to find the cytokines closely related to CRS and looking for the target proteins that might be used to control CRS. Methods: 28 patients with R/R MM were enrolled and got treatment with informed consent in Ruijin Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Changzheng Hospital from April 3, 2017 to October 8, 2019. All patients received anti-BCMA CAR-T cells infusions at doses of 0.05~2.78×106 CAR+ T cells/kg. Criteria previously reported by the CARTOX working group were adopted for the grading of CRS. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood for CAR-T cells detection by qPCR. 61 cytokines were assessed in the serum of 25 patients before infusions and at multiple time points after infusions within three weeks (Magnetic LuminexR Assay; R&D Systems). P values were determined using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Within one month, CAR-T cells presented proliferation in all patients tested and the median peak value of CAR+T was 78148 copy number/μg DNA. All patients experienced CRS, which generally occurred at a median of 7 days (range 3-10) after infusions. And the median time of fever onset was 8 days after infusions. Of the 28 cases, 46% of patients had grade≥3 CRS. To better understand the dynamic changes in cytokine profile, we chose 6 different time points in each patient which represented baseline period (time before infusions), latent period (day 3~5 after infusions), fever period (day 6~9 after infusions), acute aggravation period (day 10~12 and day 13~15 after infusions), remission period (day 20~23 after infusions). Levels of many cytokines were increased remarkably after treatment. The peak fold-change (pFC) over the baseline was calculated for each cytokine in each patient, IL-6 ranked first with a median pFC of nearly 92 times, followed by Granzyme B, IL-10, G-CSF. And IL-6 was the most closely associated cytokine with Grade≥3 CRS (P=0.005) among all cytokines. For exploring the early initiation cytokines for CRS, FC over the baseline of all the cytokines were analyzed. Cytokines with a median FC of over 2 times at latent period were G-CSF, GM-CSF, Granzyme B and IL-1β, which were in sharp contrast to others for example IL-6. The levels of these cytokines in Grade≥3 CRS were higher than that of Grade≤2 CRS, especially at acute aggravation period with significant difference (Fig.1A~B). Meanwhile, high levels of IL-6 in which group the FC of G-CSF was over 1.9 at latent period may indicate that G-CSF had a warning effect on the rise of IL-6 (Fig.1C). Conclusions: We have conducted the largest protein chip screening for exploring CRS due to CAR-T cell therapy so far. As the CAR-T cells expanded in the body, patients began to experience stress and developed CRS in varying degree. IL-6 exhibited the largest median peak FC and highest correlation with severe CRS (Grade≥3 CRS), all of these laid the foundation for the use of tocilizumab (IL-6 receptor antagonist) to control CRS. We also speculated G-CSF may be used as an early CRS indicator or target for early intervention, but more in-depth mechanism exploration is needed to support and testify. Disclosures Xu: National Natural Science Foundation of China: Other: Grants; Shanghai Rising-Star Program: Other: Grants; Shanghai Excellent Youth Medical Talents Training Program: Other: Grants.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinrong Xiang ◽  
Qiao He ◽  
Yang Ou ◽  
Wen Wang ◽  
Yu Wu

Background: In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy for B-cell leukemia and lymphoma has shown high clinical efficacy. Similar CAR-T clinical trials have also been carried out in patients with refractory/relapsed multiple myeloma (RRMM). However, no systematic review has evaluated the efficacy and safety of CAR-T cell therapy in RRMM. The purpose of this study was to fill this literature gap.Methods: Eligible studies were searched in PUBMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CNKI, and WanFang from data inception to December 2019. For efficacy assessment, the overall response rate (ORR), minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate, strict complete response (sCR), complete response (CR), very good partial response (VGPR), and partial response (PR) were calculated. The incidence of any grade cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) were calculated for safety analysis. The effect estimates were then pooled using an inverse variance method.Results: Overall, 27 studies involving 497 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled ORR and MRD negativity rate were 89% (95% Cl: 83–94%) and 81% (95% Cl: 67–91%), respectively. The pooled sCR, CR, VGPR, and PR were 14% (95% Cl: 5–27%), 13% (95% Cl: 4–26%), 23% (95% Cl: 14–33%), and 15% (95% Cl: 10–21%), respectively. Subgroup analyses of ORR by age, proportion of previous autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and target selection of CAR-T cells revealed that age ≤ 55 years (≤55 years vs. &gt; 55 years, p = 0.0081), prior ASCT ≤70% (≤70% vs. &gt; 70%, p = 0.035), and bispecific CAR-T cells (dual B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)/BCMA + CD19 vs specific BCMA, p = 0.0329) associated with higher ORR in patients. Subgroup analyses of remission depth by target selection suggested that more patients achieved a better response than VGPR with dual BCMA/BCMA + CD19 CAR-T cells compared to specific BCMA targeting (p = 0.0061). In terms of safety, the pooled incidence of any grade and grade ≥ 3 CRS was 76% (95% CL: 63–87%) and 11% (95% CL: 6–17%). The most common grade ≥ 3 AEs were hematologic toxic effects.Conclusion: In heavily treated patients, CAR-T therapy associates with promising responses and tolerable AEs, as well as CRS in RRMM. However, additional information regarding the durability of CAR-T cell therapy, as well as further randomized controlled trials, is needed.


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