Azacitidine to Consolidate and Deepen the Therapeutic Response Achieved by Intensive Induction Treatment in a Young Patient Affected by NPM1mut-AML Who Has Become Ineligible for High-Dose Consolidation

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common leukemia in adults. In spite of the most recent discoveries about the molecular landscape of this disease, the treatment of elderly and unfit young patients continues to be a great challenge. The hypomethylating agents (HMA) still represent an effective therapeutic option for these categories, especially for the low-risk subgroups. We report the case of a young patient with NPM1^mut-AML who underwent a first cycle of intensive induction treatment, achieving a complete remission, but suffered from a serious life-threatening neurologic toxicity. Due to the ineligibility to further lines of intensive chemotherapy, we decided to consolidate the response with azacitidine, administered according to the regular schedule. The minimal residual disease (MRD), monitored through the NPM1 mutation at diagnosis, progressively decreased and became undetectable after 36 cycles of hypomethylating therapy. After 1 year from discontinuation of azacitidine, MRD remains undetectable. Therefore, HMA might still represent a feasible and effective option for patients with low-risk AML, especially when the standard chemotherapy is not indicated, or as maintenance therapy in nontransplantable patients.

Obinutuzumab plus lenalidomide (GALEN) in advanced, previously untreated follicular lymphoma in need of systemic therapy

Obinutuzumab and lenalidomide (GALEN) is an active immunomodulatory combination with a manageable safety profile in multiple types of lymphoma. We report efficacy and safety results for the phase 2 GALEN study in previously-untreated patients with advanced follicular lymphoma (FL). Eligible patients aged ≥ 18 years had ECOG PS ≤ 2, high-tumor burden, grade 1-3a FL. Induction treatment was obinutuzumab (1000 mg IV, days 8/15/22, cycle 1; day 1, cycles 2-6) plus lenalidomide (20 mg/day, days 1-21, cycle 1; days 2-22, cycles 2-6) for 6 cycles. Maintenance included obinutuzumab (1000 mg every 2 cycles) plus lenalidomide (10 mg, days 2-22) for ≤ 12 cycles (year 1) followed by obinutuzumab (1000 mg every 56 days) for 6 cycles (year 2). The primary endpoint was complete response rate (CRR) after induction per IWG 1999 criteria. From October 2015 to February 2017, 100 patients were enrolled. CRR after induction was 47% and overall response rate (ORR) 92%. Post-hoc analyses per 2014 Lugano classification including patients with missing bone marrow assessments identified an additional 13 patients fulfilling CRR criteria, resulting in a complete metabolic response of 80% and ORR of 94%. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, 3-year progression-free and overall survival were 82% and 94%, respectively. The most common adverse event was neutropenia (48% any-grade; 47% grade ≥ 3) but only 2% of patients presented febrile neutropenia; others were mainly grade ≤ 2. No other specific grade ≥3 toxicity occurred at a frequency higher than 3%. Overall, these results demonstrated promising clinical efficacy for the chemo-free backbone obinutuzumab and lenalidomide in previously untreated, high tumor burden FL patients. Except for neutropenia, the safety profile of the combination is remarkable. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01582776

Safety and Efficacy of IV Dexmedetomidine as an Adjunct to Propofol to Sedate Anxious and Uncooperative Pediatric Dental Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective : To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine (dex) as an adjunct to propofol sedation in pediatric dental patients. Study design: This RCT enrolled 30 anxious ASA-I 2-5 year olds. Allocated into 2 groups either receiving IV propofol (1 mg/kg)(Gp-P) or [IV dex (1ug/kg) with propofol(1 mg/kg)] (Gp-D) after oral midazolam premedication (0.5 mg/kg). Sedation maintained with propofol infusion at 50–75ug/kg/min. Additional bolus/es of propofol (1mg/kg) was/were administered in case of inadequate sedation. Primary outcome was to compare requirement of propofol in two groups. Secondary outcomes were to compare vital signs, depth of sedation, induction, treatment and recovery time, intra & post-operative complications and analgesic requirement post-operatively. Results : Total propofol (in mgs) used and number of additional boluses were significantly higher in group P (p<0.05). Although within normal limits, heart rate was significantly lower in group D. Respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, NIBP were comparable. Depth of sedation achieved was comparable at all steps (p>0.05). Induction time (mins) was significantly lower in Group P (p<0.05), however treatment and recovery time were similar (p>0.05). Desaturation was observed in 3/15(group P) & 0/15(group D). Analgesic requirement post-operatively was significantly higher in group P (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine is a safe and effective adjunct to propofol.

Preparation and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Cassava Stem Wastes by Electromagnetic Induction

Cassava stems were one of the largest agricultural by products in Indonesia, especially in Lampung Province. It is known that cassava stems have a fairly high lignocellulose content, especially cellulose which reaches 39.29%. The high cellulose content in cassava stems has great potential to be used as raw material for Nanocrystalline Cellulose (NCC). The preparation of nanocrystalline cellulose consists of four main stages, namely: pre-hydrolysis, delignification, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The pre-hydrolysis stage was carried out by boiling a solution of CH3COOH and cassava stem powder for 60 minutes at a temperature of 105oC. Cassava stem powder was then delignified using a 25% NaOH solution heated to a temperature of 105oC for 1 hour. The bleaching stage used a 3.5% NaOCl solution at a temperature of 50oC for 60 minutes and was carried out twice. The last step is acid hydrolysis using 2.5N HCl solution for 15 minutes at a temperature of 105oC, then the electromagnetic induction treatment is varied with temperature variations of 30oC, 50oC, and 70oC for 60 minutes. The prepared nanocrystalline cellulose were tested for lignocellulose, XRD and PSA. From the test results, the best variation of nanocrystal cellulose preparation was acid hydrolysis treatment with 70oC electromagnetic induction for 60 minutes, namely an increase in the percentage of cellulose 62.93%, crystallinity 90.68%, and an average particle size of 18.04µm with some particles measuring nanometers. From the results of the research, it was concluded that electromagnetic induction increased crystallinity and decreased the size of nanocrystalline cellulose.

Successful induction treatment of bullous pemphigoid using reslizumab: a case report

Background Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease which is characterized by autoantibodies against hemidesmosomal proteins of the skin and mucous membranes. In recent years, the role of eosinophil and immunoglobulin E autoantibodies have been further elucidated in BP, and have been considered potential therapeutic targets. Case presentations A 67-year-old male presented with erythematous bullous eruption. The skin eruption was located on whole body, and suggested BP. Peripheral blood eosinophil count and total immunoglobulin E markedly elevated in initial laboratory findings. Topical and systemic steroid (methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg/day) treatment was started, and his skin symptoms worsened repeatedly, whenever systemic steroid were reduced. On admission day 29, reslizumab (anti-interleukin-5) 3.5 mg/kg was administered intravenously to the patients. The bullous skin lesion began to improve rapidly, and methylprednisolone (8 mg/day) was reduced without any worsening of symptoms during two doses of reslizumab. Conclusions We report a case of successful treatment response to reslizumab administration in a patient with BP. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of anti-interleukin-5 as a treatment for BP in the future.

Levels of Biosimilar Infliximab during and after Induction Treatment in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis—A Prospective Polish Population Study

Background: Primary lack or secondary loss of response to therapy with infliximab is a significant problem. This study aimed to evaluate the response to treatment in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) achieving therapeutic and sub-therapeutic trough levels of biosimilar infliximab (CT-P13). Results: A total of 65 patients (32 with CD and 33 with UC) were recruited. The overall response rate in both CD and UC patients exceeded 80%. There were no significant differences in treatment response and CT-P13 levels for patients with CD or UC. We did not find significant differences in the percentage of patients achieving drug levels of 3 μg/mL at week 6, 10, or 12; a significant decrease was observed at week 14. Up to 55.5% of patients with CD and 64.3% of patients with UC with sub-therapeutic CT-P13 levels at week 14 primarily responded to treatment. Conclusions: Intermediate measurements of drug levels at weeks 10 and 12 did not capture any pronounced decrease in infliximab concentrations below therapeutic levels in either group, thus suggesting no clinical usefulness. A significant percentage of patients primarily responded to treatment despite sub-therapeutic drug levels after the induction phase.

A Meta-Analysis of Hypersensitivity to Pegylated Escherichia coli Asparaginase Used As First-Line Treatment in Contemporary Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Protocols

PURPOSE Asparaginase is a key component of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy. Hypersensitivity reactions challenge its use and occur frequently (30-75%) after native Escherichia. Coli (E.coli) asparaginase (Appel et al., 2008; Muller et al., 2001; Panosyan et al., 2004; Silverman et al., 2001). The international ALL Ponte di Legno Toxicity Work Group (PTWG) classifies hypersensitivity to asparaginase as (i) allergy in case of symptoms of allergy (always associated with undetectable asparaginase activity levels), (ii) allergic-like reactions in case of symptoms without inactivation, and (iii) silent inactivation (SI) with inactivation of asparaginase activity, but without hypersensitivity symptoms (Schmiegelow et al., 2016). Allergic-like reactions and SI can only be diagnosed with monitoring of asparaginase activity levels. A meta-analysis was performed based on data from the PTWG to estimate the incidence of hypersensitivity and risk factors for hypersensitivity to asparaginase in ALL protocols using pegylated E.coli asparaginase (PEGasparaginase) as first line of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS Questionnaires were sent to all members of the PTWG. Information on protocol level regarding PEGasparaginase dose, dosing regimen (e.g. dosing frequency, total number of doses, PEGasparaginase-free intervals(s)), administration route, total induction and post-induction hypersensitivity rates per protocol and per risk group and use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). To facilitate comparison between protocols with and without TDM, we defined allergic reactions as the sum of allergies and allergic-like reactions. Silent inactivation was analyzed separately. RESULTS A total of 5880 patients with newly diagnosed ALL, aged 1 to 24 years old, were enrolled in seven different upfront ALL protocols using PEGasparaginase as first-line treatment. The overall incidence of allergic reactions along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were 9% [6%; 13%], 2% [1%; 3%] and 8% [5%; 11%] in the overall protocol, induction and post-induction, respectively (Figure 1). Severity of allergic reactions were described, according to the CTCAE version 3.0 or 4.03, per protocol. 47% of the reactions were classified as grade 3/4. Univariate meta-regression analysis showed a positive association between the incidence of allergic reactions and number of PEGasparaginase-free intervals (P=0.005). High risk group stratification (P<0.001), post-induction treatment phase (P<0.001) and start of PEGasparaginase treatment in post-induction (P=0.006) were also associated with a higher incidence of allergic reactions. Route of administration (IV (8.9%, range 8.6-10.5%) versus IM (6.5%, range 5.5-14.8%)) did not significantly influence risk of hypersensitivity. Number of doses, duration of first PEGasparaginase-free interval and dosage did not significantly influence risk of hypersensitivity. Multivariate meta-regression analysis showed a positive association between the incidence of allergic reactions and the number of PEGasparaginase-free intervals (P=0.006) and start of PEGasparaginase in the post-induction treatment phase (P=0.02). Two out of seven study groups reported an incidence of allergic reactions of 1.6-2.0%, which was 9-16% of all hypersensitivity. Three out of seven study groups reported an incidence of SI of 3.7-4.1%, which was 23-29% of all hypersensitivity reactions. All protocols prescribed a switch to Erwinia asparaginase in case of clinical hypersensitivity and/or SI. 308 out of 348 (89%) of the patients with hypersensitivity to PEGasparaginase received Erwinia asparaginase. 19 out of these 308 (6%) exposed patients had an allergic reaction to Erwinia asparaginase, of which 7 out of 19 (37%) were grade 3/4. CONCLUSION The incidence of allergic reactions is lower in protocols using PEGasparaginase as first-line treatment compared to that reported for native E.coli asparaginase or PEGasparaginase after native E.coli asparaginase. Post-induction phase, a higher number of PEGasparaginase-free intervals, and initiation of PEGasparaginase in post-induction phase are risk factors for allergic reactions. These results are important for planning of PEGasparaginase administrations in future frontline therapy. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Albertsen: Erytech: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Speakers Bureau; BKA: Other: Sponsor of the investigator-initiated trial NOR-GRASPALL2016.

A Phase 2 Multi-Center, Open Label Study of Isatuximab Added to Standard Cybord Induction and Lenalidomide Maintenance Treatments in Newly Diagnosed, Transplant Eligible Multiple Myeloma

Background: Despite recent improvements, myeloma is still incurable. There is need to add new therapeutic tools. For young and fit patients, the current standard first-line therapy is a proteasome inhibitor (PI) containing induction, followed by stem cell collection, high dose Melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation, followed by maintenance lenalidomide therapy in Canada. The anti-CD38 antibodies showed interesting activity in myeloma, and significant synergism with PI and IMiD based regimens. This CMRG-008 trial is designed to explore the benefit of adding Isatuximab to the current Canadian standard of care (CyBorD induction/Autologous SCT/Maintenance Len) in a single arm phase II trial. Design and Methods: Phase II study. Transplant eligible newly diagnosed myeloma patients (TE-NDMM) will receive Isatuximab added to four cycles of standard induction CyBorD chemotherapy (Cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m 2 PO, Bortezomib 1.5 mg/m 2 SC, and Dex 40 mg PO, all given on days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of 28-day cycles; Isatuximab 10 mg/kg IV days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of cycle 1; days 1 and 15 of cycles 2-4). After the completion of the induction treatment, subjects achieving at least stable disease will receive stem cell mobilization, collection of hematopoietic stem cells, high dose melphalan chemotherapy, and autologous stem cell transplantation. Maintenance treatment will start at 100 days (+/- 7 days) after the transplantation date (and to be continued until disease progression). The maintenance treatment will consist of Isatuximab administered in combination with Lenalidomide in 28-day cycles (Lenalidomide: 10 mg daily on days 1-21 of every cycle; Isatuximab: 10 mg/kg IV on days days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of cycle 1; days 1 & 15 of cycles 2-3; then day 1 of each subsequent cycle). The objectives: To evaluate the benefit of adding Isatuximab to CyBorD (induction = Isa + CyBorD) and Lenalidomide (maintenance = Isa + Lenalidomide) in transplant-eligible myeloma patients. Primary Endpoint: To determine the response rate (VGPR or better) defined by IMWG criteria at 100 days (+/- 7 days) after the autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Secondary Endpoints: A) To determine the response rate (VGPR or better) after induction treatment (before ASCT), and at 12 months, 24 months and 36 months. B) To evaluate additional efficacy outcomes including progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), time to response and duration of response. C) To confirm the feasibility, safety and tolerability of adding Isatuximab to CyBorD and to maintenance lenalidomide in transplant-eligible newly diagnosed myeloma patients. D) To determine the feasibility of autologous stem cell collection after Isa + CyBorD induction treatment. The key inclusion criteria are having a TE-NDMM with a measurable disease; adequate performance status; and adequate organ functions. The key exclusion criteria include previous exposure to anti-CD38 therapy, intolerance to CyBorD, adverse cardiac history, pulmonary disease, central nervous system disease, congenital or acquired immune suppression, and other concurrent severe or uncontrolled medical conditions. Statistics and Sample Size: Considering that the response rate (VGPR or better) after CyBorD induction therapy, high dose chemotherapy and autologous SCT is about 70-78%; and assuming a response rate (VGPR or better) to Isa-CyBorD induction and autologous stem cell transplant at 100 +/- 7 days of 88%; a sample size of 65 evaluable subjects will allow estimating the 95% confidence interval with a precision of +/- 7.9%. For the assumed rate and sample size, the lower bound of the confidence interval will be estimated to be larger than 80%. Assuming a 10% drop out rate, a total study size of 72 patients will be considered. This study is expected to open to recruitment in the third quarter of 2021. Clinicaltrials.gov #: NCT04786028. Disclosures Kotb: Janssen: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Akcea: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Reece: BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding; GSK: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.