[Tisagenlecleucel for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: real-world data from single institute experience]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the approach to patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL). This study retrospectively analyzed patients treated with commercially available tisagenlecleucel at our hospital and evaluated its safety and effectiveness. Of the 21 patients evaluated, any grade and grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 85.7% and 9.5% of the patients, respectively. A total of 66.7% received tocilizumab and 28.6% received glucocorticoids for the treatment of CRS. The complete response (CR) rate at 3 months was 61.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 38.4-81.9). After a median follow-up of 6.3 months following CAR-T infusion, the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival rates at 6 months were 53.1% (95%CI 28.3-72.7) and 69.2% (95%CI 43.7-84.9), respectively. Severe cytopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia occurred frequently following CAR-T infusion. Eight patients (38.1%) had comorbidities that would have made them ineligible for leukapheresis in the JULIET trial. However, the presence of comorbidities at the time of leukapheresis had no significant effect on the rates of CR, PFS, and adverse events. Tisagenlecleucel for r/r DLBCL in the real-world setting showed high efficacy and manageable safety profile comparable with the pivotal trial.

Severe Motor Weakness Due to Disturbance in Peripheral Nerves Following Tisagenlecleucel Treatment

BACKGROUND

Neurotoxicity is one of the dangerous complications of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, while its pathophysiology remains to be fully understood. Motor weakness not associated with central nervous system (CNS) toxicity has rarely been reported after CAR T-cell therapy.

CASE REPORT

A 42-year-old female with a refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma received tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) and developed cytokine release syndrome (CRS) on day 3. She was treated with tocilizumab and methylprednisolone, which resolved CRS promptly. On day 7, motor weakness in lower extremities appeared, and she gradually became unable to walk without showing any other symptoms attributed to CNS disturbances. Whereas dexamethasone and tocilizumab were ineffective, neuropathy improved after high dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Nerve conduction study (NCS) in lower extremities showed a decline in compound muscle action potential amplitude along with worsening of motor weakness, which was restored after improvement of symptoms. Based on symptoms and NCS, her motor weakness was thought to be due to disturbance in peripheral nerves.

CONCLUSION

This study reports a patient who developed severe motor weakness due to disturbance in peripheral nerves after tisa-cel therapy. Neurotoxicity of non-CNS origin should also be noted in CAR T-cell therapy.

Tisagenlecleucel Therapy: Nursing Considerations for the Outpatient Setting

OBJECTIVE

Tisagenlecleucel is a CD19-directed, genetically modified, autologous T-cell immunotherapy indicated for pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and for adult patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Treatment with any chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a multistep process in which nurses and nurse practitioners are key to managing patient safety. Managing patients receiving CAR-T cell therapy in the outpatient setting (as Penn does with tisagenlecleucel and lisocabtagene maraleucel) requires an even more complex process. The objective of this manuscript is to provide guidance on the role of nurses in the outpatient administration of tisagenlecleucel therapy and postinfusion care in adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Oncology and apheresis nurses discuss institutional processes and perspectives related to the patient experience with tisagenlecleucel therapy at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

DATA SOURCES

Author experience.

CONCLUSION

Nurses are vital for the success of the patient management processes involved with tisagenlecleucel therapy. Nurses must be thoroughly educated in tisagenlecleucel therapy and adverse event management and be able to effectively communicate all aspects of therapy among the multidisciplinary team of the hospital, the product manufacturer, and patients and families. Establishment of the nurse cellular therapy coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was advantageous in facilitating effective communication in all these situations.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

This encompassing approach to patient management is particularly necessary during administration of tisagenlecleucel therapy and other CAR-T cell therapies that are managed in the outpatient setting.

Hematopathologic Correlates of CAR T-Cell Therapy

CD19-targeting chimeric antigen rector (CAR) T-cell products are used for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. The success of CD19-CAR-T cells has led to the investigation of CAR T-cell products targeting different antigens in other hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Clinical laboratories play an important role in the manufacture, distribution, and monitoring of CAR T-cell therapy. Hence, it is important for laboratory professionals to be cognizant of clinicopathologic aspects of CAR T-cell therapy.

Cost-Effectiveness of Tisagenlecleucel in Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (pALL) and Adult Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) in Switzerland

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the present analysis was to explore the cost-effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel in relapsed or refractory (r/r) paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (pALL) and r/r adult diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Switzerland against a range of historical standard-of-care treatments.

METHODS

Two cost-utility models were constructed for the two licensed indications using similar methodologies but indication-specific data. Clinical efficacy data were based on pooled analyses of clinical trials for tisagenlecleucel (pALL: ELIANA, ENSIGN, B2101J; DLBCL: JULIET, NCT02030834) and published data for comparator treatments. Treatment effects were compared based on matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) analyses. Four clinical lymphoma and leukaemia experts provided Switzerland-specific input regarding comparators, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, clinical evidence and costs, which were used to inform the models. The base case analysis reflected the perspective of the Swiss mandatory health insurance system. Deterministic, probabilistic and scenario analyses were carried out to explore the robustness of results.

RESULTS

The base case analysis resulted in incremental costs of CHF 31,961-CHF 36,419 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained for pALL across the different comparators and CHF 113,179 for DLBCL (1 CHF = 1.09 USD). Incremental costs per life-year gained ranged between CHF 33,906-CHF 97,399 across the two indications. Including productivity gains, tisagenlecleucel was shown to be dominant (more effective and less costly) over all the comparators for pALL and to result in incremental costs per life-year gained of CHF 57,324 for DLBCL.

CONCLUSION

Using hypothetical willingness-to-pay thresholds of CHF 100,000-150,000 per QALY gained, the present analysis has shown tisagenlecleucel to be a cost-effective treatment option in pALL and DLBCL.

Evaluation of mid-term (6-12 months) neurotoxicity in B-cell lymphoma patients treated with CAR T-cells: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

CAR T-cells are profoundly changing the standard of care in B-cell malignancies. This new therapeutic class induces a significant number of acute neurotoxicity, but data regarding mid and long-term neurological safety are scarce. We evaluated mid-term neurological safety, with special emphasis on cognitive functions, in a series of adults treated with CAR T-cells.

METHODS

Patients treated in a single centre with CD19-targeted CAR T-cells for a relapsing B-cell lymphoma were prospectively followed-up by neurologists. Before CAR T-cells infusion, all patients underwent neurological examinations with neuropsychological testing, and filled out questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression and cognitive complains. Patients surviving without tumour progression were re-evaluated similarly, six to 12 months later.

RESULTS

In this prospective cohort of 56 consecutive adult patients treated with CAR T-cells, 27 were eligible for mid-term evaluation (median time 7.6 months). Twelve patients developed an acute and reversible neurotoxicity with median duration time of 5.5 days. In all patients, neurological examination on mid-term evaluation was similar to baseline. In self-assessment questionnaires, 63% of patients reported clinically meaningful anxiety, depression or cognitive difficulties at baseline, a number reduced to 44% at time of mid-term evaluation. On cognitive assessments, no significant deterioration was found when compared to baseline, in any cognitive functions assessed (verbal and visual memory, executive functions, language and praxis), even in patients who developed acute neurotoxicity.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of patients treated with CD19-targeted CAR-T cells , we found no evidence for neurological or cognitive toxicity, 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Tisagenlecleucel for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma in Japan

There are limited treatment options and substantial unmet needs for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) in Japan. In 2019, tisagenlecleucel, a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, was approved for r/r DLBCL in Japan. The efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel were demonstrated in the pivotal phase II single-arm JULIET trial. The objective of the current study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel treatment strategy versus current standard of care (salvage chemotherapy treatment strategy) for the treatment of patients with r/r DLBCL in Japan. A three-state partitioned survival model was constructed from a Japanese public healthcare payer's perspective, with the following three health states: progression-free survival, progressive/relapsed disease, and death. Because the tisagenlecleucel arm included patients who did or did not receive the infusion, a decision-tree structure was used to partition patients based on their infusion status. Treatment efficacy and costs were based on tisagenlecleucel-infused patients for those who received the infusion; for non-infused patients, they were based on standard salvage chemotherapy. The efficacy inputs for tisagenlecleucel-infused patients and salvage chemotherapy were based on observed data in the JULIET trial and the international SCHOLAR-1 meta-analysis, respectively, before year 3. Afterward, all patients were assumed to have no further progression and to incur the mortality risk of long-term DLBCL survivors. The base case analysis explored a lifetime horizon (44 years), with costs and effectiveness discounted 2.0% annually, and it used a monthly model cycle. Direct costs were considered in the base case, composed of pretreatment costs, treatment costs, adverse events management costs, follow-up costs before progression, subsequent SCT costs, post-progression costs, and terminal care costs. Total incremental costs, life years (LYs), and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared for tisagenlecleucel versus salvage chemotherapy. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated as the costs per QALY gained, and a threshold of ¥7.5 million was used to assess whether tisagenlecleucel is cost effective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. The total LYs (discounted) for tisagenlecleucel and salvage chemotherapy were 7.24 and 4.35 years, respectively; the corresponding QALYs were 5.42 and 2.57 years, respectively. The discounted incremental LYs and QALYs comparing tisagenlecleucel to salvage chemotherapy were estimated as 2.89 and 2.85 years, respectively. Over a lifetime horizon, the model estimated that tisagenlecleucel had a total incremental cost of ¥15,590,335 (discounted) versus salvage chemotherapy. Tisagenlecleucel was associated with an ICER of ¥5,476,496 per QALY gained compared to salvage chemotherapy. Extensive sensitivity analyses supported the base-case findings. Tisagenlecleucel is a cost-effective treatment strategy for r/r DLBCL compared to salvage chemotherapy treatment strategy from a Japanese public healthcare payer's perspective.

[CAR T cells as drugs for novel therapies (advanced therapy medicinal products)]

BACKGROUND

Two commercial chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products, axicabtagene-ciloleucel (Yescarta®) and tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®), are registered for the treatment of B cell neoplasia, for which an increased supply of CAR T cell products is required.

PROBLEM

The production of patient-specific CAR T cells as advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) poses considerable challenges with respect to logistics, regulation, and manufacturing.

METHOD

Review of the CAR T cell manufacturing process and the regulatory network, the current challenges, and future development capabilities of CAR T cells for adoptive immunotherapy.

RESULTS

CAR T cells are manufactured under individualized, laborious, good manufacturing practice-conforming processes in decentralized or in specialized centers. Starting from the patient's leukapheresis product, T cells are genetically engineered ex vivo with a CAR, amplified, and after extensive quality control re-applied to the patient. Most CAR T cell products are manufactured in a manual or semi-automated process; fully automated, supervised, and closed systems are increasingly applied to meet the need for a growing number of CAR T cell products. In this setting, research aims at providing allogeneic CAR T cell products or non-T cells such as natural killer cells for broad applications.

CONCLUSION

The significance of CAR T cells in adoptive immunotherapy is continuously growing. As individualized cell products, manufacturing requires highly efficient processes under the control of harmonized protocols and regulations so as to ensure the quality of the ATMP in view of increasing demand and to develop new fields in therapy.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses of tisagenlecleucel in adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from Singapore's private insurance payer's perspective

BACKGROUND

Patients experiencing relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Tisagenlecleucel (TIS) has shown improved clinical outcomes, but at a high upfront cost. Singapore has a multi-payer healthcare system where private insurance is one of the major payers. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of TIS against salvage chemotherapy regimen (SCR) for treating r/r DLBCL patients who have failed ≥2 lines of systemic therapy from Singapore's private insurance payer's perspective.

METHODS

Over a life-time horizon, a partitioned survival model with three health-states was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of TIS vs. SCR with or without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Efficacy inputs for TIS and SCR were based on 43 months of observation data from pooled JULIET and UPenn trials, and CORAL extension studies respectively. Direct costs for pre-treatment, treatment, adverse events, follow-up, subsequent-HSCT, relapse, and terminal care were included. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated as the total incremental costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Additionally, the financial implication of introducing TIS in Singapore from a private payer's perspective was analyzed, comparing the current treatment pathway (without TIS) with a future scenario (with TIS) over 5 years.

RESULTS

Compared with SCR, TIS was the dominant option, with cost savings of S$8,477 alongside an additional gain of 2.78 QALYs in privately insured patients who shifted from private to public hospitals for TIS treatment. Scenario analyses for patients starting in public hospitals show ICERs of S$99,623 (no subsidy) and S$133,261 (50% subsidy for SCR treatment, no subsidy for TIS), supporting the base case. The projected annual budget impact ranges from S$850,000 to S$3.4 million during the first 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

TIS for treating r/r DLBCL patients who have failed ≥2 lines of systemic therapies, is likely to be cost effective with limited budget impact.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Tisagenlecleucel for the Treatment of Pediatric and Young Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Japan

Until recently, treatment options were relatively limited for children and young adults with relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Tisagenlecleucel is a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy with promising efficacy and manageable safety that was approved in Japan in 2019 for the treatment of CD19-positive r/r B cell ALL (B-ALL). However, there is no publication assessing the cost-effectiveness of CAR-T in Japan. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a tisagenlecleucel treatment strategy compared to a blinatumomab treatment strategy and a clofarabine combination treatment strategy (i.e., clofarabine + cyclophosphamide + etoposide) in Japan for pediatric and young adult patients up to 25 years of age with r/r B-ALL. A partitioned survival model with a lifetime horizon and monthly cycle was constructed from a Japanese public healthcare payer's perspective. Patients were distributed across the following partitioned health states: event-free survival (EFS), progressive disease, and death, which were informed by the EFS and overall survival (OS) data of respective clinical trials before year 5. For the tisagenlecleucel arm, a decision-tree structure was used to partition patients based on the infusion status; those who discontinued prior to receiving infusion were assigned efficacy and cost inputs of blinatumomab and those who received infusion were assigned efficacy and costs inputs based on tisagenlecleucel-infused patients. As trial data for blinatumomab and clofarabine ended before year 5, matching-adjusted indirect comparisons were used to extrapolate OS between the end of trial observation and up to year 5. All surviving patients followed the mortality risk of long-term ALL survivors without additional risk of disease relapse after year 5, regardless of initial treatment strategies. The model accounted for pretreatment costs, treatment costs, adverse event costs, follow-up costs, subsequent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation costs, and terminal care costs. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per life-years (LYs) gained and ICERs per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained were evaluated using a 2% discount rate, and a threshold of ¥7.5 million was used to assess cost-effectiveness. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. The total LYs (discounted) for tisagenlecleucel, blinatumomab, and clofarabine combination treatment strategies were 13.3, 4.0, and 2.7 years, respectively; the corresponding QALYs were 11.6, 3.1, and 2.1 years, respectively. The ICERs per QALY gained for tisagenlecleucel were ¥2,035,071 versus blinatumomab and ¥2,644,702 versus clofarabine combination therapy. Extensive sensitivity analyses supported the findings. Tisagenlecleucel is a cost-effective treatment strategy for pediatric and young adult patients with r/r B-ALL from a Japanese public healthcare payer's perspective.

Cost utility analysis of tisagenlecleucel vs salvage chemotherapy in the treatment of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from Singapore's healthcare system perspective

BACKGROUND

Patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) have limited treatment options and poor prognoses. Tisagenlecleucel, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown early promise in improving survival outcomes, but at a high upfront cost. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel versus salvage chemotherapy for treating patients with r/r DLBCL who have failed at least 2 lines of systemic therapies.

METHODS

A hybrid decision tree and three-state partitioned survival model (progression-free (PF), progressive disease and death) was developed from the Singapore healthcare payer perspective. Survival curves from JULIET trial and CORAL-1 extension study were extrapolated beyond trial period over a 15-year time horizon to estimate the underlying progression-free survival and overall survival parametric distributions for both arms. Health state utilities were retrieved from the literature, and direct costs were sourced from public healthcare institutions in Singapore. One-way probabilistic sensitivity analyses and scenario analyses were conducted to explore the impact of uncertainties and assumptions on cost-effectiveness results.

RESULTS

Compared with salvage chemotherapy, tisagenlecleucel was associated with a base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) US$508,530 (S$686,516) per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained and US$320,200 (S$432,269) per life year (LY) gained. One-way sensitivity analysis showed the ICER was most sensitive to time horizon, PF utility and cost of tisagenlecleucel. Scenario analyses confirmed that the ICERs remained high under favorable assumptions and substantial price reduction was required to reduce the ICER.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis showed tisagenlecleucel use in r/r DLBCL patients who failed at least 2 prior lines of systemic therapies was associated with exceedingly high ICER, which is unlikely to represent good use of healthcare resources. Comparative clinical evidence from the ongoing trials might provide more insight into future evaluations.

A Concise Review of Neurologic Complications Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Immunotherapy

Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy has been successful in treating many types of hematological malignancies. CAR-T therapy, however, has been associated with toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) as well as immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). ICANS presentation is variable, largely reversible, and manifests with encephalopathy and focal neurologic deficits. Treatment strategies largely are supportive. ICANS pathophysiology likely is related to that of CRS. Preclinical studies and clinical experience have shed light on the driving forces of ICANS and have yielded new strategies to mitigate ICANS occurrence.

[Current status of cancer immunotherapy for relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adolescents in Japan]

Several novel therapeutics that employ immunological mechanisms have been introduced in recent years for the treatment of hematological malignancies. To date, very few drugs have been introduced for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Nonetheless, three novel agents have been approved recently in the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan: blinatumomab, which kills CD19-positive leukemia cells via cytotoxic activity of the patient's autologous T cells; inotuzumab ozogamicin, which delivers the anti-cancer antibiotic calicheamicin via CD22 internalization after antibody binding; and tisagenlecleucel, which uses patient's T cells via anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors. Aggressive multi-agent chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation has been the only curative strategy for relapsed or refractory ALL. However, treatment strategies for such patients are about to change dramatically. In this article, I review the clinical development of the new therapeutics and discuss their roles in modern therapy for ALL in children and adolescents. An approach for treatment selection has not yet been established. Therefore, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment for choosing a treatment strategy for each individual.

A Review of Two Regulatory Approved Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapies in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Why Are Indirect Treatment Comparisons Not Feasible?

Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies can be effective for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a cancer with limited treatment options and poor outcomes, particularly for patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) disease. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) are CAR T-cell therapies approved by regulatory bodies for certain patients with r/r DLBCL on the basis of demonstrated treatment effects in their pivotal single-arm trials, ZUMA-1 and JULIET, respectively. In the absence of head-to-head trials, the question of whether a valid indirect treatment comparison (ITC) between axi-cel and tisa-cel could be performed using existing evidence is of interest to patients, physicians, payers, and other stakeholders. This article addresses that question by summarizing the current evidence from clinical trials and real-world studies and discussing the challenges and limitations of potential analytical approaches associated with an ITC. Two ITC approaches attempting to adjust for cross-trial heterogeneity between ZUMA-1 and JULIET, matching-adjusted indirect comparison and regression-prediction model analysis, were evaluated. After evaluating the current clinical trial data and real-world evidence, and present and prior ITC analyses of axi-cel and tisa-cel, the authors conclude that a valid comparative analysis is not currently feasible. The substantial differences (e.g., timing of leukapheresis and enrollment, use of bridging chemotherapy [90% in JULIET vs. 0% in ZUMA-1], lymphodepleting regimens) between the two trials' designs and patient populations preclude a robust and reliable ITC. No other approaches are able to account for such differences. The current real-world data are still too immature to be used for ITCs. Thus, drawing conclusions from such ITCs should be avoided to prevent misinforming treatment choices or limiting patient access to effective treatment options. Additional data from ongoing or future real-world studies with appropriate statistical analyses are needed to provide insights into the comparative effectiveness and safety of these two treatments.

Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese adult patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Background

Tisagenlecleucel demonstrated a high rate of durable response in adult patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the pivotal global phase 2 JULIET study. Here, we report the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in the Japanese subgroup.

Methods

JULIET (NCT02445248) is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study involving adult patients with r/r DLBCL who either relapsed after or were ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant. Primary endpoint was best overall response rate (ORR; complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]) as judged by an independent review committee.

Results

In Japan, of 17 patients enrolled, 9 were infused with tisagenlecleucel and completed ≥ 3 months of follow-up. Best ORR was 77.8% (7/9; 95% confidence interval, 40.0–97.2), with 5 patients (55.6%) in CR and 2 (22.2%) in PR. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 6 patients (66.7%), with grade 3 CRS in 2 patients (Penn grading scale). Two patients received tocilizumab. Two deaths (22.2%) occurred more than 30 days after tisagenlecleucel infusion due to disease progression, neither of which were related to tisagenlecleucel.

Conclusion

Tisagenlecleucel showed a high best ORR with a manageable safety profile, thus offering a new treatment option in selected Japanese patients with r/r DLBCL.

Industry's Giant Leap Into Cellular Therapy: Catalyzing Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) Immunotherapy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We describe the significant technological leap from bench to bedside that was achieved through a strong academic-industry collaboration between dedicated clinicians and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Novartis to commercialize the chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy tisagenlecleucel (CTL019; Kymriah®; Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland).

RECENT FINDINGS

Tisagenlecleucel was the first CAR-T therapy and the first gene therapy to receive US Food and Drug Administration approval in 2017, with an initial indication for pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukemia, followed by approval in May 2018 for a second indication in adult patients with r/r diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Subsequent approvals in the European Union, Switzerland, and Canada soon followed. The tisagenlecleucel success story represents the development and commercialization of a first-of-its-kind personalized cellular therapy with a manufacturing process that supports commercial production and ongoing global clinical trials in a growing number of countries.

[CAR-T cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemias: What's new?]

The approval of tisagenlecleucel in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemias in 2017 in the USA and in 2018 in Europe not only opened new hopes but forced to rethink the hospital organizations around this innovation. Indeed, if these treatments are very effective in the short term, the complex logistics required imply high quality inter-center and intra-center collaboration. Hematology, intensive care unit, apheresis, neurology, cell therapy and biology laboratories, and radiology services must therefore act in a coordinated manner. A specialized monitoring for the mid and long term must also be implemented. Many questions remain concerning the profile of eligible patients, the short and long-term safety, the longer-term efficacy, improving the persistence of CAR-T cells, controlling the risk of tumor escape, the use of allogenic CAR-T cells, or the application of this concept to T-cell ALL. The precise evaluation of the involved costs and the cost-effectiveness of these therapies will also be the subject of future studies.

Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Tisagenlecleucel is an autologous T cell genetically modified ex vivo using a lentiviral vector encoding an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor. Here, we present the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in a subgroup of Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ELIANA was a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study. Patients were aged ≥ 3 years at screening to ≤ 21 years at the time of diagnosis, and had ≥ 5% lymphoblasts in bone marrow at screening. Primary endpoint was overall remission rate [ORR; complete remission (CR) + CR with incomplete blood recovery (CRi)] within 3 months after infusion. As of April 13, 2018, eight patients were enrolled and six had been infused. ORR was 66.7% (95% confidence interval 22.3-95.7); three patients achieved CR and one patient had CRi. All patients with CR/CRi were negative for minimal residual disease. One patient had CR/CRi lasting 19.5 + months. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological events occurred in 83% and 17% of patients, respectively. CRS resolved with anti-cytokine therapy and supportive care. Two deaths occurred due to disease progression. No cases of cerebral edema were observed. Tisagenlecleucel produced high remission rates and durable responses offering a new treatment option for Japanese pediatric and young adults with r/r B-ALL.

Utilization of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy in Adults

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the mechanism of action and nursing care of adults receiving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

DATA SOURCE

Peer reviewed articles and pharmaceutical drug labels.

CONCLUSION

CAR T-cell therapy is among the most exciting therapies in the evolution of cancer treatment. The efficacy of research with CAR T-cell therapy has shown promising results in hematologic malignancies as well as in solid tumors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Understanding the complexity of care for these patients from the bedside to the outpatient setting is vital for their survival and quality of care.

Integrating expert opinion with clinical trial data to extrapolate long-term survival: a case study of CAR-T therapy for children and young adults with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BACKGROUND

Long-term clinical outcomes are necessary to assess the cost-effectiveness of new treatments over a lifetime horizon. Without long-term clinical trial data, current practice to extrapolate survival beyond the trial period involves fitting alternative parametric models to the observed survival. Choosing the most appropriate model is based on how well each model fits to the observed data. Supplementing trial data with feedback from experts may improve the plausibility of survival extrapolations. We demonstrate the feasibility of formally integrating long-term survival estimates from experts with empirical clinical trial data to provide more credible extrapolated survival curves.

METHODS

The case study involved relapsed or refractory B-cell pediatric and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r pALL) regarding long-term survival for tisagenlecleucel (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell [CAR-T]) with evidence from the phase II ELIANA trial. Seven pediatric oncologists and hematologists experienced with CAR-T therapies were recruited. Relevant evidence regarding r/r pALL and tisagenlecleucel provided a common basis for expert judgments. Survival rates and related uncertainty at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were elicited from experts using a web-based application adapted from Sheffield Elicitation Framework. Estimates from each expert were combined with observed data using time-to-event parametric models that accounted for experts' uncertainty, producing an overall distribution of survival over time. These results were validated based on longer term follow-up (median duration 24.2 months) from ELIANA following the elicitation.

RESULTS

Extrapolated survival curves based on ELIANA trial without expert information were highly uncertain, differing substantially depending on the model choice. Survival estimates between 2 to 5 years from individual experts varied with a fair amount of uncertainty. However, incorporating expert estimates improved the precision in the extrapolated survival curves. Predictions from a Gompertz model, which experts believed was most appropriate, suggested that more than half of the ELIANA patients treated with tisagenlecleucel will survive up to 5 years. Expert estimates at 24 months were validated by longer follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides an example of how expert opinion can be elicited and synthesized with observed survival data using a transparent and formal procedure, capturing expert uncertainty, and ensuring projected long-term survival is clinically plausible.

Management Principles Associated With Cytokine Release Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To discuss current recommendations and resources for nurses to ensure they advocate for patients with cytokine release syndrome (CRS).

DATA SOURCES

A literature search using key terms: cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, CAR T, adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy is a growing and rapidly changing field of research. Prompt recognition and management of the side effects of CAR T-cell therapy is pivotal to the safe outcomes of patients. As patients are treated with these novel therapies, additional recommendations and standards for treating CRS and neurotoxicity will occur.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nursing plays a pivotal role in the CAR T patients' treatment course because they are the first line of defense in the care of these patients. Providers and patients both rely on nursing knowledge and training to recognize symptoms of CRS and neurotoxicity. With the early recognition of the signs and symptoms of CRS and neurotoxicity, nursing will help improve the outcomes of the patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy.

Tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

INTRODUCTION

Cure rates for pediatric and young adult patients with refractory or recurrently relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are dismal. Survival from time of relapse is typically measured in weeks to months, and standard chemotherapy and currently approved targeted therapy achieve remission in less than a third of affected patients. To date, the only definitive curative therapy has been allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Advances in immunotherapy, with the introduction of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies and the development of tisagenlecleucel, have changed the landscape. Areas covered: This review will describe the pharmacology of tisagenlecleucel and summarize the clinical evidence for its use in the treatment of multiple-relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL (B-ALL). Also discussed are other immunotherapies for B-ALL as well as the most commonly-encountered toxicities and corresponding management strategies. Expert commentary: Early phase trials indicate that tisagenlecleucel significantly improves survival for patients with B-ALL that is refractory or in second or later relapse. In responding patients, remissions have been reported on the order of years, and thus, tisagenlecleucel may herald a dramatic shift in the treatment paradigm of this largely fatal disease.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: Foundational science and clinical knowledge for pharmacy practice

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved two autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapies tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah™) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta™) for patients with advanced lymphocytic malignancies. Both immunotherapies target the CD19-positive B-cell neoplasms. Kymriah™ is indicated for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia and large B-cell lymphoma. Yescarta™ is indicated for lymphoma only. Although the new therapy offers a promise for patients with advanced disease, it is associated with adverse events including neurotoxicity and cytokine release syndrome, which can be fatal and may require a high level of multidisciplinary supportive care. Due to the risks, both Kymriah™ and Yescarta™ are subject to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) protocols. As active members of multidisciplinary clinical teams, pharmacists are likely to be responsible for the execution of Kymriah™ and Yescarta™ REMS programs. This manuscript describes foundational science and clinical knowledge of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapies, common therapy-specific toxicities and REMS requirements for Kymriah™ and Yescarta™ in relation to practice of pharmacy.