Cost-Effectiveness and Economic Burden Analyses on All First-Line Treatments of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

OBJECTIVES

Several chemoimmunotherapy and targeted treatment regimens are approved as front-line therapies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We estimated for the 10-year cost-effectiveness of these treatment regimens and the economic burden of following the estimated risk-stratified 21 040 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia diagnosed in 2020 for 10 years.

METHODS

A Markov model with 7 exclusive health states was specified over a 10-year time horizon. Treatment effectiveness inputs were obtained from a novel network meta-analysis on the progression-free survival, overall survival curves, and time to next treatment. Costs and utilities inputs were included for each health state for each treatment and discounted at 3.0%/year. Life-years (LYs) and quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs) for each treatment were determined. Using the lowest cost regimen as reference, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) were estimated. The 10-year per-patient cost was determined by risk status and by initial treatment.

RESULTS

Venetoclax-plus-obinutuzumab was the lowest cost regimen, hence the reference. Superior in effectiveness to all chemoimmunotherapies, it was cost saving. With the highest effectiveness gains at 6.26 LYs and 5.01 QALYs and despite being the most expensive regimen ($1 298 638 per patient), acalabrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab yielded the best ICER ($409 343/LY gained) and ICUR ($501 236/QALY gained). The remaining ICERs of targeted therapies ranged from $512 101/LY gained to $793 236/LY gained and the ICURs from $579 737/QALY gained to $869 300/QALY gained. The 10-year postdiagnosis low/high (venetoclax-plus-obinutuzumab/acalabrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab) economic burden ranges were $42 690 to $98 665 for low-risk, $141 339 to $326 660 for intermediate-risk, and $273 650 to $632 453 for high-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with venetoclax-plus-obinutuzumab, chemoimmunotherapies are associated with less health benefits at higher cost. The targeted therapies achieve greater benefits at higher cost.

Tisagenlecleucel for secondary CNS lymphoma, a case series

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Background: Secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL) in setting of relapsed, refractory (R/R) B cell lymphoma has unmet needs as this disease state has a poor prognosis with a reported median survival of 2 to 5 months. Historically, the mainstay of treatment for SCNSL in setting of R/R B cell lymphoma included high dose methotrexate, whole brain radiation (WBRT), and/or chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. More recently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has gained attention as a new modality of therapy for patients with R/R SCNSL. The first two CAR-T cell products to gain FDA approval for R/R B cell lymphoma were Axicabtagene ciloleucel and Tisagenlecleucel. In the initial studies for these products, patients with SCNSL were excluded due to concerns for immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Retrospective data has shown that patients with R/R SCNSL treated with Axicabtagene ciloleucel or Tisagenlecleucel could achieve high response rates; however, the data on the durability of response remains unclear. Recently, Lisocabtagene maraleucel, another CAR-T cell product, was approved for the treatment of R/R B cell lymphoma. The TRANSCEND trial which led to Lisocabtagene maraleucel’s approval did not exclude patients with SCNSL; however, only 3% of the patients had SCNSL. As such, literature on the durability of response of CAR-T cell therapy in R/R SCNSL still remains sparse. Here, we share our single institution experience of patients with R/R SCNSL treated with Tisagenlecleucel, an anti- CD19CAR-T cell therapy. Methods: For this observational study, patients with R/R SCNSL were identified and placed on a follow up list. Data was collected from May 2021 till December 2021. Data was analyzed for incidence of ICANS, CRS, and for duration of response. Results: A total of 3 patients with SCNSL were identified and treated at our center with Tisagelecleucel. One patient achieved complete response 30 days post CAR-T therapy but the day +100 imaging revealed progression of disease and was placed on subsequent line of therapy. One patient had partial response with progression of disease noted on day +60 imaging and died from complications of disease progression. One patient died from complications of CNS toxicity after receiving CAR-T therapy. Two patients had ICANS grade 4 and CRS grade 1 toxicities. One patient had no CNS or CRS toxicity. Conclusions: Our series is limited by the number of patients; however, suggests that though CAR-T therapy may result in disease response in R/R SCNSL the duration of response may be limited and that such patients may require other therapies such as autologous stem cell transplant to improve long term prognosis.

Safety and Efficacy of Engineered Toxin Body MT-3724 in Relapsed or Refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

MT-3724, a novel engineered toxin body comprised of an anti-CD20 single-chain variable fragment genetically fused to Shiga-like Toxin A subunit, is capable of binding to and internalizing against CD20, inducing cell killing via permanent ribosomal inactivation. This study evaluated MT-3724 in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/rNHL). This open-label, multiple-dose phase Ia/b trial included a dose escalation in patients with r/rNHL according to a standard 3+3 design. Primary objectives were to determine the MTD and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. In a dose expansion study at MTD in serum rituximab-negative patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primary objectives were safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. Twenty-seven patients enrolled. MTD was 50 μg/kg/dose with 6,000 μg/dose cap. Thirteen patients experienced at least one grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events; the most common grade ≥3 event was myalgia (11.1%). Two patients (75 μg/kg/dose) experienced grade 2 treatment-related capillary leak syndrome. Overall objective response rate was 21.7%. In serum rituximab-negative patients with DLBCL or composite DLBCL (n = 12), overall response rate was 41.7% (complete response, n = 2; partial response, n = 3). In patients with detectable baseline peripheral B cells, treatment resulted in dose-dependent B-cell depletion. The proportion of patients with anti-drug antibodies (ADA) increased during treatment and the majority appeared to be neutralizing based on an in vitro assay; nevertheless, tumor regression and responses were observed. MT-3724 demonstrated efficacy at the MTD in this population of previously treated patients with r/rDLBCL, with mild-to-moderate immunogenic safety events.

Significance

This work describes the safety and efficacy of a new pharmaceutical pathway that could provide a treatment option for a subset of patients with a critical unmet therapeutic need. The study drug, MT-3724, is capable of targeting B-cell lymphomas via a unique, potent cell-killing mechanism that appears to be promising.

Targeting JAK/STAT Signaling Antagonizes Resistance to Oncolytic Reovirus Therapy Driven by Prior Infection with HTLV-1 in Models of T-Cell Lymphoma

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that infects at least 10 million people worldwide and is associated with the development of T-cell lymphoma (TCL). The treatment of TCL remains challenging and new treatment options are urgently needed. With the goal of developing a novel therapeutic approach for TCL, we investigated the activity of the clinical formulation of oncolytic reovirus (Reolysin, Pelareorep) in TCL models. Our studies revealed that HTLV-1-negative TCL cells were highly sensitive to Reolysin-induced cell death, but HTLV-1-positive TCL cells were resistant. Consistent with these data, reovirus displayed significant viral accumulation in HTLV-1-negative cells, but failed to efficiently replicate in HTLV-1-positive cells. Transcriptome analyses of HTLV-1-positive vs. negative cells revealed a significant increase in genes associated with retroviral infection including interleukin-13 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). To investigate the relationship between HTLV-1 status and sensitivity to Reolysin, we infected HTLV-1-negative cells with HTLV-1. The presence of HTLV-1 resulted in significantly decreased sensitivity to Reolysin. Treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib suppressed STAT5 phosphorylation and expression of the key anti-viral response protein MX1 and enhanced the anti-TCL activity of Reolysin in both HTLV-1-positive and negative cells. Our data demonstrate that the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway can be used as a novel approach to antagonize the resistance of HTLV-1-positive cells to oncolytic virus therapy.

Survival trends in chronic lymphocytic leukemia across treatment eras: US SEER database analysis (1985-2017)

In this population-based study, we used the SEER database (1985-2015) to examine survival outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients followed up to the era of advanced treatments including targeted therapies. Data were extracted for patients 15 years or older with a primary diagnosis of CLL. A period analysis was performed to estimate 5- and 10-year relative survival rates for patients diagnosed during different calendar periods from 1985 to 2015. A mixture cure model was used to examine long-term survivors' proportions among patients diagnosed in 1985-2015 and for two cohorts diagnosed in 2000-2003, followed up to 2012 and 2004-2007, and followed up to 2015. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used for the two cohorts to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of death adjusted for gender and age. The 5-year and 10-year age-adjusted relative survival rate ranged between 73.7 and 89.4% and from 51.6% to "not reached," respectively, for calendar periods of 1985-1989 to 2010-2014. The long-term survivor proportions varied by age and gender from 0 to 59%. The HRs (95%CI) for the 2004-2007 cohort in comparison to the 2000-2003 cohort were 0.58 (0.43-0.78), 0.58 (0.48-0.70), 0.57 (0.49-0.0.67), 0.68 (0.54-0.85), and 0.83 (0.68-1.02) for the age categories of 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥ 85 years, respectively. Overall, relative survival improved significantly for CLL patients diagnosed between 1985 and 2015. These improvements were markedly better following the introduction of targeted therapies.

Comparative Efficacy of First-Line Treatments of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Network Meta-Analyses of Survival Curves

BACKGROUND

Multiple treatment options in first-line chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) pose a challenge in identifying the best treatment. We performed novel network meta-analyses (NMA; 8 trials, 11 treatments) on the Kaplan-Meier curves to compare treatments for fludarabine-ineligible patients on progression-free survival (PFS), time-to-next-treatment (TTNT) and overall survival (OS).

METHODS

Using the Guyot method of enhanced secondary analysis of digitized survival data and applying the fixed lognormal distribution model, we extracted the survival proportions and hazard ratios (HR) over 60 months of follow-up, including PFS comparisons by unmutated/mutated IGHV and del 17p.

RESULTS

Acalabrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab was associated with higher 5-year PFS proportions than ibrutinib (HR = 0.42, 95% CrI = 0.25-0.63) but not acalabrutinib, ibrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab, ibrutinib-plus-rituximab or venetoclax-plus-obinutuzumab. In patients with un-mutated (but not with mutated) IGHV higher PFS proportions and favorable HRs were observed for acalabrutinib, acalabrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab, and ibrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab relative to ibrutinib; and targeted therapies were superior over chemoimmunotherapies in patients with del 17p. Targeted therapies containing ibrutinib or acalabrutinib regimens were associated with superior TTNT over venetoclax-plus-obinutuzumab and all chemoimmunotherapies. OS NMA generally found no difference between therapies except for some chemoimmunotherapies.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, only acalabrutinib-plus-obinutuzumab was associated with superior 5-year PFS gains over ibrutinib, which in turn was similar or superior in PFS benefit over other targeted therapies. Acalabrutinib and ibrutinib with obinutuzumab and acalabrutinib monotherapy were associated with greater 5-year TTNT benefits. Despite marked 5-year OS for many regimens, a differential 5-year OS benefit could not be ascertained.

Transition of dose-adjusted EPOCH therapy into the outpatient healthcare setting, quality and cost considerations under an alternate payment model

e18655

Background: Dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin DA-(EPOCH)-containing regimens are frequently utilized in lymphoma, however, outpatient EPOCH or modified inpatient/outpatient EPOCH has not been described extensively. We transitioned inpatient EPOCH to the outpatient setting and modified EPOCH to be given in the inpatient setting with rituximab outpatient to improve quality of care and access to patient assistance programs. Methods: A single-center, institutional review board-approved retrospective study was conducted for adults receiving EPOCH-based regimens. Data were collected by chart review for each patient between January 2013 and September 2020. The primary outcomes were to determine the incidence of chemotherapy delays due to disease-related reasons as febrile neutropenia (FN), adverse events or abnormal labs and the incidence of FN between patients receiving inpatient (IP), outpatient (OP), or combination inpatient/outpatient DA-EPOCH +/- R (hybrid). Secondary cost analysis including hospital stay cost, chemotherapy and laboratory monitoring costs was performed for the three settings. Results: A total of 43 patients received 175 cycles of an EPOCH regimen (18 [10.3%] IP), 90 [51.4%] OP, and 67 [38.3%] hybrid). The mean maximum dose level achieved with DA-EPOCH+/-R was dose level 2 with the average number of cycles at 4.1 cycles/patient. A total of 15 cycles were delayed due to disease related reasons: 1 (6%) in IP, 12 (18%) in hybrid (P = 0.196, when compared with IP) and 2 (2%) in OP (P = 0.432 when compared with IP). A total of 166 cycles received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF); 16 cycles (9.6%) administered IP with a FN incidence of two (12.5%), 62 cycles (37.4%) administered in the hybrid setting with a FN incidence of seven (11.3%) (P = 0.893 when compared with IP) and 88 cycles (53%) administered OP with a FN incidence of ten (11.3%) (P = 0.896 when compared with IP). The incidence of FN was 9.3% and 12.7% in patients received pegfilgrastim same day versus next day, respectively, P = 0.558. The incidence of FN in patients received reference pegfilgrastim was 9.5% vs 7.7% for patients received pegfilgrastim-cbqv in OP setting (P = 1.00). Transitioning EPOCH to a hybrid IP/OP or OP setting yielded a total cost savings to the health-system of $3,523,174 with 607 hospital bed days saved. Conclusions: EPOCH-containing regimens can be safely transitioned into the outpatient setting or utilized as a hybrid of EPCOH and outpatient Rituximab after chemotherapy side effects can be monitored and outcomes optimized, to better adapt treatment strategies for individualized patient therapies. As new healthcare payment models are developed, outpatient treatments allow for adaptive financial options both for the payor and the patient.

Initial results of the combination of PI3Kδ inhibitor zandelisib (ME-401) and the BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell malignancies

7553

Background: Dual inhibition of PI3Kδ and BTK pathways may overcome existing or acquired monotherapy resistance. Dual inhibition of these pathways displays synergistic activity in cell lines that is evident even at suboptimal concentrations [Blood 2015;125(14):2306-09]. Zandelisib is a potent, selective, and structurally differentiated oral PI3Kδ inhibitor (i), and zanubrutinib is an oral BTKi. Based on their efficacy as monotherapy, we hypothesized that the combination of zandelisib and zanubrutinib can be well tolerated and may improve the depth and durability of responses. We evaluatedthis combination therapy in pts with R/R B-cell malignancies to determine the optimal dose and schedule for further evaluation in disease-specific expansion cohorts (NCT02914938). Methods: This is a multi-cohort Phase 1b study enrolling pts with FL, CLL, MZL, MCL, DLBCL, or high grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBCL), ≥1 prior therapy, adequate bone marrow and organ function, ECOG performance status ≤2, and no prior PI3Ki or BTKi therapy. For this combination therapy, two dose levels were evaluated in 28-day cycles: Cohort 10A: zandelisib 60 mg once daily for 2 cycles followed by an intermittent schedule (IS) on days 1-7 of subsequent 28-day cycles and zanubrutinib 160 mg twice daily (bid). Cohort 10C: zandelisib 60 mg on days 1-7 starting in Cycle 1 and zanubrutinib at 80 mg bid. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) observation period was 28 days for cohort 10A and extended to 56 days for cohort 10C. Response was assessed at month 3, 7, 13 and then every 6 months until progression. Results: 20 pts treated, 7 in cohort 10A and 13 in cohort 10C: 8 FL, 5 CLL, 2 DLBCL, 2 HGBCL, 2 MZL, and 1 MCL. Median age 70 years (range, 44-85) and median prior therapies 2 (1-8). Median follow-up of 2.9 months (0.5-17.4+). There were no DLT in cohort 10A, grade (Gr) ≥3 adverse events (AE) occurred after day 28 in 4 pts, including Gr 4 neutropenia (1 pt), Gr 3 neutropenia, fatigue and CMV colitis (1 pt), Gr 3 AST/ALT and rash (1 pt) and Gr 3 AST/ALT (1 pt). In cohort 10C, 2 pts had DLT with Gr 3 AST/ALT in Cycle 2, with 1 pt successfully resuming both drugs and 1 discontinued treatment due to recurrence of Gr 3 AST/ALT upon rechallenge.. Other Gr 3 AE were all laboratory findings: 1 pt (CLL) had laboratory TLS, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and 2 pts (FL, DLBCL) had neutropenia. Response rate was 100% (2 CR 14 PR) in the following 16 pts with indolent NHL and MCL evaluable for response: FL (2 CR, 6 PR), CLL (5 PR), MCL (1 PR) and MZL (2 PR). No pt with aggressive B-cell lymphomas has responded. Conclusions: The combination of zandelisib 60 mg on IS from Cycle 1 and zanubrutinib 80 mg bid is well tolerated and achieves a high ORR in R/R indolent B-cell malignancies. This schedule is being evaluated in expansion cohorts in R/R FL and MCL. Clinical trial information: NCT02914938.

Survival trends in chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the era of oral targeted therapies in the United States: SEER database analyses (1985 to 2017)

7524

Background: The survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients has progressively improved after the approval of new targeted therapy for first-line treatment and relapsed disease. We performed a corresponding analysis from the U.S. population-based SEER database (1973–2017) to explore the trend of survival and the effect of advanced CLL treatment on overall survival in CLL patients. Methods: Data were extracted from SEER*Stat for all patients 15 years or older with a primary diagnosis of CLL with or without subsequent cancers. A period analysis was performed to estimate the 5- and 10-year relative survival rates for patients diagnosed (dx) during different calendar periods from 1985 to 2017, based on gender and age at time of diagnosis (15–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, 75–84, 85 years or older). A mixture cure model was used to examine the proportion of long-term survivors per gender and age category among CLL patients diagnosed between 1985 and 2015. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of death adjusted for gender and age at diagnosis for two cohorts: (a) diagnosed in 2000–2003 and followed to 2012; (b) 2004–2007 and followed to 2015. Results: For males, the 5-year age-adjusted relative survival rate improved progressively from 72.0% (dx 1985-1989) to 88.2% (dx 2010-2014); for females, from 76.8% (dx 1985-1989) to 90.8% (dx 2010-2014). The corresponding 10-year age-adjusted relative survival rates were 47.3% (dx 1985-1989) and 72.5% (dx 2005-2009) for males; and 58.2% (dx 1985-1989) and 78.7% (dx 2005-2009) for females. The table below shows the proportions of long-term survivors for the 1985–2017 cohort as estimated in the mixed cure model. The HRs (95%CI) of death for cohort (b) in comparison to cohort (a) were 0.58 (0.43–0.78), 0.58 (0.48–0.70), 0.57 (0.49–0.67), 0.68 (0.54–0.85); and 0.83 (0.68–1.02) for age categories of 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, 75–84, and 85 years or old. Conclusions: Survival is significantly improved by calendar period among patients diagnosed after 2004 and treated in the era of advanced therapies. Females and younger patients had a higher probability of long term survival. Future studies should consider such covariates as treatment type, disease stage and genetics.[Table: see text]

Transitioning ifosfamide based chemotherapy to the outpatient setting: A model of implementation of transitioning chemotherapy outpatient in a safety net hospital

1540

Background: Ifosfamide displays clinical activity against germ cell tumors as well as soft-tissue and bone sarcomas. It is used in different oncology regimens and commonly administered inpatient due to patient monitoring and side effect management. Transitioning certain chemotherapy regimens to the outpatient setting provides a novel approach to treating patients while maximizing patient satisfaction and decreasing total patient care costs1. There is limited data and protocol development to transition ifosfamide regimens to the ambulatory setting. This study’s purpose is to characterize a pharmacy managed ambulatory oncology workflow for transitioning ifosfamide based-regimens to the outpatient setting. Methods: A retrospective cohort chart review was conducted at a single center and included patients 18 years and older receiving at least one cycle of ifosfamide therapy between September 1, 2013 and July 31, 2019. The primary outcome was to evaluate the side effect profile and cost of treatment of ifosfamide. The secondary endpoint included number of hospitalizations. The adverse event grading system was defined using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 5.0. The highest grade observed for adverse effects was documented for every cycle of each patient. The cost was evaluated by labs ordered, drug used, length of stay in the hospital for chemotherapy or adverse reactions. Results: Ifosfamide therapy of 86 patients (57 OP, 29 IP) was reviewed. The predominant OP regimens were adriamycin-ifosfamide-mesna (AIM) with 43.9% and ifosfamide-etoposide (IE) with 29.8%. Grade 4 anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia were most frequent in IP vs OP therapies (22.9% IP vs 4.3% OP, 21.6% IP vs 9.2% OP, and 22.8% IP vs 19.6% OP respectively). Neutropenic fever (NF) occurred in 20 OP patients which were predominantly treated with AIM or IE, and led to average hospital stay of 6 days. Neurotoxicity, treated with methylene blue (MB), occurred in 4 OP patients. OP therapy saved a total of 783 hospital days, leading to a cost savings of $2,103,921. Conclusions: Transitioning to outpatient therapy is feasible for academic and community infusion centers. Administration of chemotherapy in the outpatient setting has shown to be safe, well-tolerated, and associated with decreased total cost of care, thereby lowering costs under the oncology care model when compared with inpatient chemotherapy costs.

Evaluation of same day pegfilgrastim (PFG) or PFG-cbqv prophylaxis of chemotherapy induced (Febrile) neutropenia (CIN/FN) in bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) and CHOP+/-R regimens in patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): Real-world, single-center experience

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Background: BR and CHOP+/-R regimens are considered an intermediate FN risk (10-20%) per guidelines. Patients (pts) receiving these regimens need to be assessed for FN prophylaxis using specific risk factors. Current guidelines suggest waiting 24 hours post chemotherapy (CTX) to administer PFG due to an increased FN risk. Studies have shown equivocal outcomes between same day (D1) and next day (D2) administration. We evaluated real-world outcomes associated with D1 and D2 PFG administration in pts with lymphoma and CLL treated with these two regimens. Methods: Retrospective chart review of lymphoma or CLL pts treated with CHOP+/-R or BR and PFG or a biosimilar from 11/2013 through 11/2020 at the University of Arizona Cancer Center was conducted. Two pt cohorts were analyzed based on D1 vs D2 PFG administration timing. Outcomes of interest were the incidence of FN across all CTX cycles and after cycle 1, CIN grade 3/4, hospitalizations, antibiotics administration, and CTX dose reduction or delay. A secondary analysis compared the incidence of FN in pts receiving CHOP+/-R in our study with published studies (Burris et al, 2010 and Cheng et al, 2014) of D1 PFG in lymphoma pts. Results: Of the 116 pts meeting inclusion criteria, 103 received PFG on D1 and 13 on D2 of CTX. As shown in the Table, the incidence of 1st cycle FN was 6% vs 8% (P>0.05), FN across all cycles was 4% vs 5% (P>0.05), CIN grade 3/4, hospitalization, anti-biotic administration and dose delays/reductions incidences were 11% vs 16% (P>0.05), 8% vs 11% (P>0.05), 6% vs 32% (P=0.001), 11% vs 5% (P>0.05) for D1 vs D2, respectively. The incidence of 1st cycle FN in D1 cohort was 6% vs 19% (P=0.15) and 11% (P=0.67) in our study vs Burris et al and Cheng et al, respectively. While the incidence of FN across all cycles in D1 group was 5% vs 9% (P=0.03) and 17% (P=0.001) in our study vs Burris et al and Cheng et al, respectively. Conclusions: This data provides evidence that D1 PFG/PFG-cbqv does not increase FN or delayed engraftment risk as compared to previously published studies in lymphoma and may be safe to use after CTX has been administered.[Table: see text]

Same-day pegfilgrastim or pegfilgrastim-cbqv prophylaxis in miniCHOP chemotherapy based regimens for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

e19542

Background: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, specifically, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is most frequently diagnosed among older patients. The utilization of a reduced dose of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (miniCHOP) chemotherapy-based regimen has an improved tolerance and toxicity profile in select patient populations. Prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim or its biosimilar pegfilgrastim-cbqv is administration on the same day of chemotherapy in all patients with MiniCHOP at The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). We report here on the first study to address the safety and efficacy of same day pegfilgrastim administration in lymphoma patients receiving MiniCHOP. Methods: A retrospective, single center, cohort study was conducted at UACC between October 1, 2013 and October 2020 to evaluate lymphoma patients who were treated with miniR-CHOP and given pegfilgrastim or its biosimilar (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) for FN prophylaxis. The primary objective was to compare the incidence of FN across all cycles of chemotherapy and after the first cycle of chemotherapy in DLBCL patients on miniR-CHOP and provided with next-day versus same-day pegfilgrastim administration. Our secondary outcomes of interests were incidence of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) grade 3/4; hospitalization; anti-biotics administration; and chemotherapy dose-reduction or delays. Results: A total of 100 cycles of miniR-CHOP were received, of these pegfilgrastim was administered on same-day of chemotherapy in 95 cycles and five cycles on the next-day of chemotherapy. Among all cycles the incidence of FN was 5.3% vs. 0.0 ( P= 1.00); CIN 3/4 was 10.5% vs. 0.0 ( P= 1.00); hospitalization was 10.5% vs. 20.0% ( P= 0.45), anti-biotics administration was 6.3% vs. 40.0% ( P= 0.05) and the chemotherapy dose delays or reductions was 16.8% vs. 0.0% ( P= 0.99). In the first cycle of chemotherapy, the incidence of FN was 14.3% vs. 0.0% ( P= 1.00), CIN 3/4 was 21.4% vs. 0.0 ( P= 1.00), hospitalization 28.6% vs. 25.0% ( P= 0.99), and the anti-biotics administration was 21.4% vs. 50.0% ( P= 0.53) for same-day vs. next-day study groups. Conclusions: In our analysis, we have shown that same-day pegfilgrastim or pegfilgrastim-cbqv was safe and effective in lymphoma patients receiving miniR-CHOP. There was no significant increase in FN or delayed engraftment in either group. Future prospective studies are warranted to address the safety and efficacy profile of same day pegfilgrastim or a pegfilgrastim biosimilars in elderly lymphoma patients.

Incorporating acalabrutinib, a selective next-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, into clinical practice for the treatment of haematological malignancies

Greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in the disease progression of haematological malignancies has led to the introduction of novel targeted therapies with reduced toxicity compared with chemotherapy-based regimens, which has expanded the treatment options for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). Ibrutinib is a first-in-class Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with CLL/SLL or relapsed/refractory MCL. However, next-generation BTK inhibitors have been developed with improved specificity and the potential to reduce the off-target toxicity observed with ibrutinib. Acalabrutinib is a highly selective, next-generation BTK inhibitor, which was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for the treatment of adult patients with MCL who have received at least one prior therapy. In November 2019, it was also granted approval for the treatment of adult patients with CLL/SLL on the basis of two phase 3 clinical trials. This review describes the current understanding of acalabrutinib according to clinical study data for the treatment of MCL and CLL/SLL and shares recommendations from our practice on how it should be used when treating patients in the clinic, including dosing, administration and management of adverse events.

Positron Emission Tomography-Directed Therapy for Patients With Limited-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Results of Intergroup National Clinical Trials Network Study S1001

PURPOSE

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) presents as a limited-stage disease in 25% to 30% of patients, with better overall survival (OS) than that for advanced-stage disease but with continuous relapse regardless of treatment approach. The preferred treatment is abbreviated rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) and radiation therapy. On the basis of promising results of positron emission tomography (PET)-directed treatment approaches, we designed a National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) study to improve outcomes and decrease toxicity.

METHODS

Patients with nonbulky (< 10 cm) stage I/II untreated DLBCL received 3 cycles of standard R-CHOP therapy and underwent a centrally reviewed interim PET/computed tomography scan (iPET). Those with a negative iPET proceeded with 1 additional cycle of R-CHOP, whereas those with a positive iPET received involved field radiation therapy followed by ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy.

RESULTS

Of 158 patients enrolled, 132 were eligible and 128 underwent iPET, which was positive in 14 (11%) of the patients. With a median follow-up of 4.92 years (range, 1.1-7.7 years), only 6 patients progressed and 3 died as a result of lymphoma. Eleven patients died as a result of nonlymphoma causes at a median age of 80 years. The 5-year progression-free survival estimate was 87% (95% CI, 79% to 92%) and the OS estimate was 89% (95% CI, 82% to 94%), with iPET-positive and iPET-negative patients having similar outcomes.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, S1001 is the largest prospective study in the United States of limited-stage DLBCL in the rituximab era, with the best NCTN results in this disease subset. With PET-directed therapy, 89% of the patients with a negative iPET received R-CHOP × 4, and only 11% had a positive iPET and required radiation, with both groups having excellent outcomes. The trial establishes R-CHOP × 4 alone as the new standard approach to limited-stage disease for the absolute majority of patients.

A phase II study of MT-3724, a novel CD20-targeting engineered toxin body, to evaluate safety, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy in subjects with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

TPS8074

Background: Engineered toxin bodies (ETBs) are comprised of a proprietarily engineered form of Shiga-like Toxin A subunit (SLT-A) genetically fused to antibody-like binding domains. ETBs work through novel mechanisms of action and are capable of forcing internalization, self-routing through intracellular compartments to the cytosol, and inducing potent cell-kill via the enzymatic and permanent inactivation of ribosomes. MT-3724 represents a novel ETB modality comprised of an anti-CD20 single-chain variable fragment genetically fused to SLT-A. It is capable of efficient internalization once bound to CD20 and can induce potent direct cell-kill via enzymatic ribosome inactivation. MT-3724 is currently being studied in three ongoing Phase 2 studies for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/rDLBCL). Methods: The primary objective of this single-arm, Phase 2 study (NCT02361346) is to determine the efficacy of MT-3724 monotherapy in r/rDLBCL based on overall response rate (ORR), defined as the proportion of subjects with a complete/partial response according to the Lugano criteria, as assessed by independent, central review. Key secondary objectives include safety, progression-free survival, investigator‐assessed ORR, duration of response, overall survival, and pharmacodynamics. Adverse events will be assessed and documented according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Key eligibility criteria include adult subjects with histologically confirmed, r/rDLBCL, with ≥2 prior standard of care systemic NHL treatment regimens, and ≥1 measurable lesion. As rituximab and other CD20-targeting antibodies compete with MT-3724 for the same CD20 domain, minimum washout periods from these agents must be observed. Subjects remain eligible post stem cell transplant or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Subjects will receive 50 µg/kg MT-3724 IV over 1 hour on Days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 of a 21-day treatment cycle. The anticipated sample size is N = 100. Interim analyses will be performed to confirm minimum efficacy thresholds based on the encouraging data observed in the completed phase 1 portion of the study [Hamlin et al. Blood 2019;134(Suppl 1):4098]. Multiple global sites are enrolling subjects. Clinical trial information: NCT02361346 .

Follicular Lymphoma: Recent and Emerging Therapies, Treatment Strategies, and Remaining Unmet Needs

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a heterogeneous disease with varying prognosis owing to differences in clinical, laboratory, and disease parameters. Although generally considered incurable, prognosis for early- and advanced-stage disease has improved because of therapeutic advances, several of which have resulted from elucidation of the biologic and molecular basis of the disease. The choice of treatment for FL is highly dependent on patient and disease characteristics. Several tools are available for risk stratification, although limitations in their routine clinical use exist. For limited disease, treatment options include radiotherapy, rituximab monotherapy or combination regimens, and surveillance. Treatment of advanced disease is often determined by tumor burden, with surveillance or rituximab considered for low tumor burden and chemoimmunotherapy for high tumor burden disease. Treatment for relapsed or refractory disease is influenced by initial first-line therapy and the duration and quality of the response. Presently, there is no consensus for treatment of patients with early or multiply relapsed disease; however, numerous agents, combination regimens, and transplant options have demonstrated efficacy. Although the number of therapies available to treat FL has increased together with an improved understanding of the underlying biologic basis of disease, the best approach to select the most appropriate treatment strategy for an individual patient at a particular time continues to be elucidated. This review considers prognostication and the evolving treatment landscape of FL, including recent and emergent therapies as well as remaining unmet needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In follicular lymphoma, a personalized approach to management based on disease biology, patient characteristics, and other factors continues to emerge. However, application of current management requires an understanding of the available therapeutic options for first-line treatment and knowledge of current development in therapies for previously untreated and for relapsed or refractory disease. Thus, this work reviews for clinicians the contemporary data in follicular lymphoma, from advances in characterizing disease biology to current treatments and emerging novel therapies.

A phase I/II trial of vorinostat (SAHA) in combination with rituximab-CHOP in patients with newly diagnosed advanced stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): SWOG S0806

Loss of major histocompatibility Class II expression (MHCII) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) correlates with decreased survival. MHCII transcription is in part regulated by histone acetylation. We tested the hypothesis that combination of histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) with standard chemotherapy would improve outcomes in DLBCL in part through increased MHCII expression. S0806 was a single arm phase I/II trial of vorinostat given at 400 mg po daily on days 1-9 (subsequently amended to days 1-5 due to toxicity), combined with R-CHOP given on day 3 of a 21-day cycle for 8 cycles, with primary phase II endpoint of 2-year progression free survival (PFS). With 72 evaluable patients, at median follow up of 3 years, 2-year PFS estimate was 73%, and OS estimate was 86%. Considering that the regimen fell short of predefined efficacy improvement and was associated with high rates of febrile neutropenia (38%) and sepsis (19%), it cannot be recommended for general use. Consistent with our hypothesis, patients with low MCHII expression on S0806 had numerically superior outcomes compared to those from trial S0433 which did not use an HDACI, but the difference was not statistically significant. Current studies are focused on finding biomarkers of response to HDACI.

R-CHOP, radioimmunotherapy, and maintenance rituximab in untreated follicular lymphoma (SWOG S0801): a single-arm, phase 2, multicentre study

BACKGROUND

Despite an abundance of therapeutic options, advanced-stage follicular lymphoma remains incurable. Furthermore, the ideal sequence and absolute benefit of post-induction therapy is unclear. We designed SWOG S0801 to assess the efficacy and safety of consolidative radioimmunotherapy and sequential maintenance rituximab following chemoimmunotherapy.

METHODS

For this single-arm, phase 2, multicentre study, we enrolled patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of stage III, IV, or bulky stage II follicular lymphoma, grades 1, 2, or 3a, who had not received previous therapy, from from 20 institutions within the United States National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Network. Patients were assigned to a 5-year treatment plan consisting of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide [750 mg/m2], doxorubicin [50 mg/m2], vincristine [1·4 mg/m2], and prednisone or prednisolone [100 mg]) every 21 days for up to six cycles, with rituximab 375 mg/m2 given on day 1 of cycles 1-4, followed by 131iodine tositumomab radioimmunotherapy and subsequent maintenance rituximab 375 mg/m2 within 12 weeks after the sixth cycle of R-CHOP, every 3 months for up to 4 years. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Efficacy and safety analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population and the per-protocol population. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00770224.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2009, and Dec 15, 2010, we enrolled 84 evaluable patients, of whom 73 completed R-CHOP and radioimmunotherapy. Of 69 patients who registered to maintenance therapy, only 41 completed the 4-year rituximab maintenance treatment. Progression-free survival at 3 years was 90% (95% CI 82-95). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events included neutropenia in 48 (57%) patients, leucopenia in 34 (40%) patients, thrombocytopenia in 17 (20%) patients, and febrile neutropenia in 14 (17%) patients. Nine patients had possible treatment-related deaths during the study from secondary or unknown causes (n=3), cirrhosis (n=1), cardiac arrest (n=1), and secondary malignancies (n=4). Secondary malignancies occurred in seven patients, including two sarcomas, two colorectal carcinomas, two acute myelogenous leukaemias, and one case of renal-cell carcinoma.

INTERPRETATION

SWOG S0801 showed near universal responses following chemoimmunotherapy and radioimmunotherapy. However, most discontinuations occurred during maintenance therapy, suggesting that rituximab over a 4-year span is not feasible for many patients. Nonetheless, this sequential therapeutic strategy resulted in good overall outcomes for patients, including a low incidence of early disease progression.

FUNDING

The National Cancer Institute and GlaxoSmithKline.

Yttrium-90-Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin®) Radioimmunotherapy after Cytoreduction with ESHAP Chemotherapy in Patients with Relapsed Follicular Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Final Results of a Phase II Study

BACKGROUND

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is effective in treating relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (FL), with durable remissions in first-line consolidation. We hypothesized that RIT with ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®) would result in durable remissions by eliminating minimal residual disease after cytoreduction.

METHODS

Patients with FL received 2 cycles of ESHAP (etoposide, methylprednisolone, cytarabine, cisplatin) every 28 days, followed by Zevalin 4-6 weeks later if there was no disease progression and bone marrow biopsy showed < 25% involvement.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were treated, with a median age of 61 years, median of 3 prior therapies, 49% high-risk disease (Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index, FLIPI), and 39% progressive disease. Three patients did not receive Zevalin due to residual bone marrow involvement. The main toxicities were cytopenias, with 11% febrile neutropenia. The overall response rate (ORR) was 72%, with 45% achieving complete response. With a median follow-up of 73 months, 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 38%, and median PFS was 10 months, but median overall survival (OS) was not reached.

CONCLUSION

The study did not reach its primary endpoint of a 1-year PFS of 67.3%. Reasons for this could include low accrual, high-risk disease, and inadequate debulking provided by 2 cycles of ESHAP. However, this protocol was associated with tolerable toxicity, high ORR, and high OS. Further studies would optimize debulking and focus on high-risk FL patients.

A Phase II Exploratory Study of PXD-101 (Belinostat) Followed by Zevalin in Patients with Relapsed Aggressive High-Risk Lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

Aggressive lymphomas (aNHL) including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have poor outcomes in relapsed refractory patients. Prior studies have demonstrated that loss of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) expression in DLBCL is associated with poor survival. The objective of this single-arm phase II study was to evaluate if PXD-101 would increase MHCII expression, synergize with Zevalin, and improve clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This was a single-center open-label phase II trial (NCT01686165) geared toward heavily pretreated patients with CD20-positive aNHL. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) in aNHL patients treated with 2 cycles of PXD-101 followed by restaging CT and 1 cycle of Zevalin.

RESULTS

Five patients were enrolled, and all were heavily pretreated. Therapy was well tolerated, with nausea and vomiting being the most frequent adverse events. All patients progressed after receiving therapy; the study did not achieve the required ORR to proceed to the next stage.

CONCLUSION

The pleotropic effects of histone deacetylase inhibition and lack of clinical biomarkers have precluded a priori identification of responding patients. Thus, while we report a negative trial of PXD-101 in combination with Zevalin, this study highlights the importance of a clinically feasible biomarker.

Outcomes of Patients With Double-Hit Lymphoma Who Achieve First Complete Remission

Purpose Patients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL) rarely achieve long-term survival following disease relapse. Some patients with DHL undergo consolidative autologous stem-cell transplantation (autoSCT) to reduce the risk of relapse, although the benefit of this treatment strategy is unclear. Methods Patients with DHL who achieved first complete remission following completion of front-line therapy with either rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) or intensive front-line therapy, and deemed fit for autoSCT, were included. A landmark analysis was performed, with time zero defined as 3 months after completion of front-line therapy. Patients who experienced relapse before or who were not followed until that time were excluded. Results Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates at 3 years were 80% and 87%, respectively, for all patients (n = 159). Three-year RFS and OS rates did not differ significantly for autoSCT (n = 62) versus non-autoSCT patients (n = 97), but 3-year RFS was inferior in patients who received R-CHOP compared with intensive therapy (56% v 88%; P = .002). Three-year RFS and OS did not differ significantly for patients in the R-CHOP or intensive therapy cohorts when analyzed by receipt of autoSCT. The median OS following relapse was 8.6 months. Conclusion In the largest reported series, to our knowledge, of patients with DHL to achieve first complete remission, consolidative autoSCT was not associated with improved 3-year RFS or OS. In addition, patients treated with R-CHOP experienced inferior 3-year RFS compared with those who received intensive front-line therapy. When considered in conjunction with reports of patients with newly diagnosed DHL, which demonstrate lower rates of disease response to R-CHOP compared with intensive front-line therapy, our findings further support the use of intensive front-line therapy for this patient population.

Hodgkin Lymphoma: Current Status and Clinical Trial Recommendations

The National Clinical Trials Network lymphoid malignancies Clinical Trials Planning Meeting (CTPM) occurred in November of 2014. The scope of the CTPM was to prioritize across the lymphoid tumors clinically significant questions and to foster strategies leading to biologically informed and potentially practice changing clinical trials. This review from the Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) subcommittee of the CTPM discusses the ongoing clinical challenges in HL, outlines the current standard of care for HL patients from early to advanced stage, and surveys the current science with respect to biomarkers and the landscape of ongoing clinical trials. Finally, we suggest areas of unmet need in HL and elucidate promising therapeutic strategies to guide future HL clinical trials planning across the NCTN.

A phase II study of belinostat (PXD101) in relapsed and refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas: SWOG S0520

Recent advances in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) have underscored the importance of tumor microenvironment in escaping host anti-tumor responses. One mechanism is loss of major histocompatibility Class II antigens (MHCII) associated with decreased tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) and poor survival. Transcription of MHCII is controlled by CIITA which in turn is regulated by histone acetylation. In this study, we hypothesized that HDAC inhibition with belinostat increases MHCII, CIITA expression, TIL and improves patient outcomes. Primary objective was evaluation of toxicity and response. Twenty-two patients were enrolled for the study. Belinostat was well tolerated with mild toxicity. Two partial responses were observed at 5, 13 months after registration for an overall response rate (ORR) (95% CI) of 10.5% (1.3-33.1%), and three patients had stable disease for 4.7, 42.3+, and 68.4 + months with minimum 3-year follow-up. Included correlative studies support the hypothesis and serve as the basis for SWOG S0806 combining vorinostat with R-CHOP.

Assessing Metabolic Changes in Response to mTOR Inhibition in a Mantle Cell Lymphoma Xenograft Model Using AcidoCEST MRI

AcidoCEST magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has previously been shown to measure tumor extracellular pH (pHe) with excellent accuracy and precision. This study investigated the ability of acidoCEST MRI to monitor changes in tumor pHe in response to therapy. To perform this study, we used the Granta 519 human mantle cell lymphoma cell line, which is an aggressive B-cell malignancy that demonstrates activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. We performed in vitro and in vivo studies using the Granta 519 cell line to investigate the efficacy and associated changes induced by the mTOR inhibitor, everolimus (RAD001). AcidoCEST MRI studies showed a statistically significant increase in tumor pHe of 0.10 pH unit within 1 day of initiating treatment, which foreshadowed a decrease in tumor growth of the Granta 519 xenograft model. AcidoCEST MRI then measured a decrease in tumor pHe 7 days after initiating treatment, which foreshadowed a return to normal tumor growth rate. Therefore, this study is a strong example that acidoCEST MRI can be used to measure tumor pHe that may serve as a marker for therapeutic efficacy of anticancer therapies.

Role of Maintenance Therapy after High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Aggressive Lymphomas: A Systematic Review

Significant uncertainty exists in regard to the efficacy of maintenance therapy after high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) as well as autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for the treatment of patients with aggressive lymphoma. A systematic review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of post-ASCT maintenance therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma. A comprehensive literature search yielded 4476 studies and a total of 42 studies (11 randomized controlled trials [RCT], 9 retrospective comparative studies, and 22 single-arm studies) were included in the systematic review. There was significant heterogeneity in study design, chemotherapeutic regimens, post-ASCT maintenance strategies, patient enrollment criteria, and study endpoints. Our findings suggest that post-ASCT maintenance immune-targeting strategies, including PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies, rituximab, and brentuximab, may improve progression-free survival but not overall survival. Collectively, the results indicate a need for testing new strategies with well-designed and adequately powered RCTs to better address the role of post-ASCT maintenance in relapsed/refractory lymphomas.

Synergistic induction of apoptosis in high-risk DLBCL by BCL2 inhibition with ABT-199 combined with pharmacologic loss of MCL1

Better treatments are needed for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at high risk of failing standard therapy. Avoiding apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer, and in DLBCL the redundantly functioning anti-apoptotic proteins BCL2 and MCL1 are frequently expressed. Here, we explore drugs that cause loss of MCL1, particularly the potent new cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor dinaciclib, which knocks down MCL1 by inhibiting CDK9. Dinaciclib induces apoptosis in DLBCL cells but is completely overcome by increased activity of BCL2. We find clinical samples have frequent co-expression of MCL1 and BCL2, suggesting therapeutic strategies targeting only one will lead to treatment failures due to activity of the other. The BH3 mimetic ABT-199 potently and specifically targets BCL2. Single-agent ABT-199 had modest anti-tumor activity against most DLBCL lines and resulted in compensatory up-regulation of MCL1 expression. ABT-199 synergized strongly, however, when combined with dinaciclib and with other drugs affecting MCL1, including standard DLBCL chemotherapy drugs. We show potent anti-tumor activities of these combinations in xenografts and in a genetically accurate murine model of MYC-BCL2 double-hit lymphoma. In sum, we reveal a rational treatment paradigm to strip DLBCL of its protection from apoptosis and improve outcomes for high-risk patients.

Genetic polymorphisms in oxidative stress-related genes are associated with outcomes following treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Variable survival outcomes are seen following treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This study examined whether outcomes for aggressive B-cell NHL are associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in oxidative stress-related genes, which can alter drug metabolism and immune responses. Genotypes for 53 SNPs in 29 genes were determined for 337 patients given anthracycline-based therapies. Their associations with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard regression; associations with hematologic toxicity were estimated by logistic regression. To validate the findings, the top three SNPs were tested in an independent cohort of 572 DLBCL patients. The top SNPs associated with PFS in the discovery cohort were the rare homozygotes for MPO rs2243828 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-3.06, P = 0.013), AKR1C3 rs10508293 (HR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.28-3.41, P = 0.0032) and NCF4 rs1883112 (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.43-1.02, P = 0.06). The association of the NCF4 SNP with PFS was replicated in the validation dataset (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.44-1.01, P = 0.05) and the meta-analysis was significant (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49-0.89, P < 0.01). The association of the MPO SNP was attenuated in the validation dataset, while the meta-analysis remained significant (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.12-2.41). These two SNPs showed similar trends with OS in the meta-analysis (for NCF4, HR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.51-1.02, P = 0.07 and for MPO, HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.36-3.12, P < 0.01). In addition, patients with the rare homozygote of the NCF4 SNP had an increased risk of hematologic toxicity. We concluded that genetic variations in NCF4 may contribute to treatment outcomes for patients with aggressive NHL.

Phase 2 trial of combined cisplatin, etoposide, gemcitabine, and methylprednisolone (PEGS) in peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Southwest Oncology Group Study S0350

BACKGROUND

Patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) have inferior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with patients who have aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Because PTCLs over express multidrug resistance gene 1/P-glycoprotein (MDR-1/P-gp), we devised platinum, etoposide, gemcitabine, and methylprednisolone (PEGS) with agents that are not substrates of the efflux pump. Gemcitabine was included because of its excellent single-agent activity in PTCL.

METHODS

Patients who had PTCL with stage II bulky disease, stage III or IV disease with extra-nodal, nodal, and transformed cutaneous presentations were eligible. Patients received intravenous cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) on days 1 through 4, etoposide 40 mg/m(2) on days 1 through 4, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) on day 1, and methylprednisolone 250 mg on days 1 through 4 of a 21-day cycle for 6 cycles.

RESULTS

In total, 34 patients were enrolled, 33 were eligible, and 79% were newly diagnosed. Histologic types were PTCL not otherwise specified (n = 15), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (n = 4), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n = 6), or other T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 8). Adverse events included 1 grade 5 infection with grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and 9 grade 4 hematologic toxicities. The overall response rate was 39% (47% in PTCL not otherwise specified, 33% in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, 25% in ALK-negative and 38% in other T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas). The PFS rate at 2 years was 12% (95% confidence interval, 0.1%-31%), and the median PFS was 7 months. The OS rate at 2 years was 30% (95% confidence interval, 8%-54%), and the median OS was 17 months. Immunohistochemical analysis of P-gp expression revealed strong positivity in a subset of lymphoma cells (n = 6) and tumor endothelium (n = 25).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, PEGS was well tolerated, but OS was not considered promising given the design-specified targets. These results may serve as a benchmark for future comparisons for non-CHOP regimens.

Abstract 3684: Targeting Aurora kinase in peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Aurora kinases (A and B) are oncogenic serine/threonine (S/T) kinases that play central roles in the mitotic phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Over-expression of Auroras during dysregulated cell cycling and their aberrant activation over-rides mitotic and spindle check points leading to anueploidy in many human cancers make Auroras attractive therapeutic targets. Gene expression profiling in mantle cell lymphoma [MCL] have shown the Auroras are over-expressed and is a poor prognostic marker within the ‘proliferative’ signature. PTCL (NOS) are a heterogeneous group of rare non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) derived from activated CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. PTCL and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) both of T-cell phenotype and ALK negative have an aggressive clinical course with an inferior event free and overall survival relative to B-cell NHL counterparts. The biological explanation for the difference is unknown. Patients with PTCL have a poor prognosis due to a very aggressive disease course coupled to a lack of effective therapies. Therefore, the development of novel and effective treatments based on biologically validated targets is urgently needed for this disease. We hypothesized and investigated that (1). Auroras are over-expressed in human PTCL-NOS, (2). Aurora ATP-site small molecule inhibitor (SMI) is effective in inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis in cell culture and (3). Aurora SMI will be safe and effective in treating patients with relapsed aggressive T-cell NHL in early phase clinical trials. In this study, we demonstrate that both aurora A and B are highly over-expressed in PTCL patients and cell lines. MLN8237 (alisertib), an ATP-site small molecule inhibitor of Aurora A had potent activity in inhibiting phosphorylation of Aurora A and histone H3 in PTCL cell lines. Cells treated with MLN8237 exhibited endoreduplication confirming the mechanism of action of an Aurora inhibitor. Also, treatment of PTCL cell lines with MLN8237 induced apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner (flow cytometry and PARP-cleavage) and inhibited cell proliferation with an IC50 &lt; 0.1µM. Preliminary data from a phase II clinical trial using single-agent MLN8237 in patients with relapsed refractory aggressive NHL has demonstrated notable activity with 4 confirmed responses in 6 evaluable PTCL patients. Cytokine profiling on day 1 (pre-treatment) and day 8 (post-treatment) showed a profile consistent with aurora A activity. Together the data suggest inhibition of Auroras offers a promising treatment strategy for patients with aggressive T-cell NHL [Funded by the Lymphoma SPORE, P50 CAB0805501A1].

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3684. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3684

Aurora A inhibitor (MLN8237) plus vincristine plus rituximab is synthetic lethal and a potential curative therapy in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

PURPOSE

Aurora A and B are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that regulate mitosis. Overexpression of Auroras promotes resistance to microtubule-targeted agents. We investigated mechanistic synergy by inhibiting the mitotic spindle apparatus in the presence of MLN8237 [M], an Aurora A inhibitor with either vincristine [MV] or docetaxel [MD] in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The addition of rituximab [R] to MV or MD was evaluated for synthetic lethality.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Aggressive B-NHL cell subtypes were evaluated in vitro and in vivo for target modulation and anti-NHL activity with single agents, doublets, and triplets by analyzing cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor growth, survival, and mechanisms of response/relapse by gene expression profiling with protein validation.

RESULTS

MV is synergistic whereas MD is additive for cell proliferation inhibition in B-NHL cell culture models. Addition of rituximab to MV is superior to MD, but both significantly induce apoptosis compared with doublet therapy. Mouse xenograft models of mantle cell lymphoma showed modest single-agent activity for MLN8237, rituximab, docetaxel, and vincristine with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of approximately 10% to 15%. Of the doublets, MV caused tumor regression, whereas TGI was observed with MD (approximately 55%-60%) and MR (approximately 25%-50%), respectively. Although MV caused tumor regression, mice relapsed 20 days after stopping therapy. In contrast, MVR was curative, whereas MDR led to TGI of approximately 85%. Proliferation cell nuclear antigen, Aurora B, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 proteins of harvested tumors confirmed response and resistance to therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Addition of rituximab to MV is a novel therapeutic strategy for aggressive B-NHL and warrants clinical trial evaluation.

Fc gamma receptor 3a genotype predicts overall survival in follicular lymphoma patients treated on SWOG trials with combined monoclonal antibody plus chemotherapy but not chemotherapy alone

BACKGROUND

Fc gamma receptor polymorphisms were linked to outcome in follicular lymphoma patients treated with single-agent rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. In particular, 158F/F genotype of Fc gamma receptor 3A and 131R/R genotype of Fc gamma receptor 2A correlated with worse outcome compared to high-affinity 158V/V and 131H/H, respectively. We examined this association in the context of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy, as compared to chemotherapy alone, in follicular lymphoma patients treated on SWOG clinical trials.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Tissue from 142 SWOG patients treated with chemotherapy alone (protocol S8809, n = 70) or combined chemotherapy and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab and Iodine I-131 tositumomab on protocols S9800 and S9911, n = 30 and 42, respectively) was analyzed. DNA was extracted and assayed for Fc gamma receptor 3A V158F and 2A R131H polymorphisms using a TaqMan SNP assay. Stratified Cox's regression was used to assess association with overall survival.

RESULTS

For Fc gamma receptor 3A, there was an association with overall survival in the combination therapy trials but not in the chemotherapy-only trial. Having at least one Fc gamma receptor 3A V allele was associated with improved overall survival versus F/F (HR = 0.33, 95% CI, 0.11, 0.96, P = 0.042). For overall survival, there was evidence of a statistical interaction between the use of mAb and the number of V alleles (0, 1, or 2) (P = 0.006). There was no such association for Fc gamma receptor 2A.

CONCLUSIONS

Fc gamma receptor 3A polymorphism status may be predictive of survival in follicular lymphoma patients receiving treatments containing an anti-CD20 antibody but not treatment with chemotherapy alone. Thus, Fc gamma receptor 3A polymorphisms may be important to consider in designing new follicular lymphoma trials and new anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00933127).

Abstract LB-225: MLN8237 (aurora A inhibitor) plus vincristine plus rituximab is curative in mice bearing aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Majority of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) are not curative with current chemo-immunotherapy. Targeting synergistic mechanisms within the context of the hallmarks of cancer with minimal toxicity may yield novel effective therapies for aggressive B-NHL. Auroras (A and B) are mitotic serine-thronine kinases involved in high fidelity cell division. Aberrant over-expression of Auroras is oncogenic leading to genetic instability, polyploidy and tumor progression. Over-expression of Auroras promote resistance to microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) such as taxanes and vincas. Inhibition of Auroras with siRNA knockdown or a small molecule inhibitor [MLN8237] leads to enhanced sensitivity of cancer cells to MTAs. We demonstrated in vitro [5–10 nM] and in vivo [Granta-519 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) mouse xenograft model] additivity when MLN8237 [M] (Aurora A inhibitor) is combined with docetaxel [D] leading to mitotic catastrophe in B-NHL. Tumors harvested from MCL SCID mice xenografts treated with M+D showed central necrosis, an adjacent layer of apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3) and a peripheral rim of proliferation (Ki-67+) despite tumor volumes &gt;60% smaller compared to single agent therapy (p=0.05). We hypothesized that addition of rituximab [R] targeting proliferation (CD20) to M+D would be additive-synergistic in B-NHL. Cell culture modeling showed combining R with M+D was additive and in a MCL mouse xenograft model resulted in a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of ∼85% versus ∼25% [M+R] and ∼62% [M+D] (p=0.001) over control, respectively. Overall survival of &gt;40 days with increased apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3) and decreased proliferation (Ki-67) was observed with M+D+R. We next hypothesized that microtubule de-polymerization with vincristine (V) would be more effective in synergizing with MLN8237 than a microtubule polymerizing agent [D]. Cell culture modeling indicated that M+V+R is superior to M+D+R therapy. In a SCID mouse MCL (Granta-519) xenograft model tumors continue to grow with M+R but at a reduced rate and volume (∼25–30% TGI). However, mice treated with M+V had tumor regression and disappearance for 3 weeks but then relapsed with tumor growth (∼50% TGI). In contrast, mice treated with M+V+R showed tumor regression and complete responses with no relapse 90 days post-treatment (p=0.0001). Tumors harvested from control, M+R (end of treatment) and M+V (at relapse) are under evaluation by gene expression profiling for mechanism(s) of resistance and response with confirmatory qPCR, IHC and Western blotting. Biomarker analyses for pHisH3, pAurora A, p53, Ki-67 and cleaved caspase-3 by IHC correlates well with response to therapy (M+R and M+V) compared to control (p=0.01). The M+V+R triple therapy combination for B-NHL to overcome or prevent the emergence of doublet (M+R or M+V) mediated drug resistance warrants evaluation in early phase clinical trials.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-225. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-225

Aurora inhibitor MLN8237 in combination with docetaxel enhances apoptosis and anti-tumor activity in mantle cell lymphoma

Auroras (A and B) are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that play key roles in the mitotic phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Analysis of the leukemia lymphoma molecular profiling project (LLMPP) database indicates Aurora over-expression correlates with poor prognosis. A tissue microarray (TMA) composed of 20 paired mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients demonstrated >75% of patients had high levels Aurora expression. Aurora A and B were also found elevated in 13 aggressive B-NHL cell lines. MLN8237, an Aurora inhibitor induced G2/M arrest with polyploidy and abrogated Aurora A and histone-H3 phosphorylation. MLN8237 inhibited aggressive B-NHL cell proliferation at an IC(50) of 10-50 nM and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Low dose combinations of MLN8237+docetaxel enhanced apoptosis by ~3-4-fold in cell culture compared to single agents respectively. A mouse xenograft model of MCL demonstrated that MLN8237 (10 or 30 mg/kg) or docetaxel (10mg/kg) alone had modest anti-tumor activity. However, MLN8237 plus docetaxel demonstrated a statistically significant tumor growth inhibition and enhanced survival compared to single agent therapy. Together, our results suggest that MLN8237 plus docetaxel may represent a novel therapeutic strategy that could be evaluated in early phase trials in relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell NHL.

Increased MYC gene copy number correlates with increased mRNA levels in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Translocations involving the MYC gene and increased MYC mRNA levels are associated with poor outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, the presence of increased MYC gene copy number and/or polysomy of chromosome 8 have not been previously described.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Utilizing dual color chromogenic in situ hybridization, we investigated MYC gene copy and chromosome 8 centromere numbers in 52 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cases were divided into those with "increased" or "not increased" MYC gene copy number for comparison with MYC mRNA levels, Ki-67 values, and survival.

RESULTS

Increased MYC gene copy number was present in 38% of cases. Overall, the average MYC mRNA level was 2398 (range, 342 - 9783) and the percentage of nuclei positive for Ki-67 was 57.5% (range, 20-87%). Within the group with increased MYC copy number, the MYC mRNA values ranged from 816 to 5912 (average, 2843) and the Ki-67 values ranged from 23% to 83% (average, 57%). Within the group with not increased MYC copy number, MYC mRNA values ranged from 342 to 9783 (average, 2118) and the Ki-67 values ranged from 20% to 87% (average, 58%). There was a statistically significant relationship between increased MYC gene copy number and increased MYC mRNA (P=0.034) and a trend toward a relationship between increased mRNA and higher Ki-67 values.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report that low level copy number increases are common in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and that these changes correlate with MYC mRNA in a statistically significant manner. MYC copy number changes are an additional possible molecular mechanism that may result in increased mRNA and, likely, high proliferation and poor outcome.

A phase II trial of single agent bevacizumab in patients with relapsed, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Southwest oncology group study S0108

This is the first report of the Southwest oncology group phase II trial of single agent bevacizumab in patients with relapsed, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Fifty-two patients in first or second relapse with diffuse large B-cell or mantle cell lymphoma were enrolled. Patients were treated with bevacizumab at 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Therapy was well tolerated with no unexpected toxicities observed. Six-month progression-free survival (PFS) was 16% with a response rate of 2% and median duration of response or stable disease of 5.2 months (range 3.5-72.7). Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) and VEGF receptor expression was observed in 70% and 65% of specimens, respectively. In an exploratory subgroup analysis, baseline urine VEGF and plasma vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) levels correlated with survival. Prolonged PFS in several patients as well as biomarker studies suggest the VEGF pathway plays an important role in aggressive NHL. Clinical trials combining active chemotherapy regimens with VEGF targeted agents are currently in progress.

Phase II Study of Rituximab Plus Three Cycles of CHOP and Involved-Field Radiotherapy for Patients With Limited-Stage Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma: Southwest Oncology Group Study 0014

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of rituximab in limited-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we conducted a multicenter phase II trial combining rituximab with three cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone; R-CHOP) followed by involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT).

Patients and Methods

Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) study S0014 enrolled patients with newly diagnosed, aggressive, CD20-expressing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Patients had limited-stage disease and at least one adverse risk factor as defined by the stage-modified International Prognostic Index (nonbulky stage II disease, age > 60 years, WHO performance status of 2, or elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase). Four doses of rituximab were infused on days −7, 1, 22, and 43, and CHOP was administered on days 3, 24, and 45, followed 3 weeks later by 40 to 46 Gy of IFRT.

Results

Sixty patients with aggressive NHL were eligible. With the median follow-up of 5.3 years, treatment resulted in a progression-free survival (PFS) of 93% at 2 years and 88% at 4 years. Overall survival (OS) was 95% at 2 years and 92% at 4 years. These results were compared with those from a historic group of patients treated without rituximab on S8736, demonstrating PFS of 78% and OS of 88% at 4 years.

Conclusion

In limited-stage DLBCL, the addition of rituximab to three cycles of CHOP plus IFRT met prespecified study criteria of efficacy, with 2-year PFS of at least 84%, meriting further investigation. There is a pattern of continuing relapse with modest survival gains. We hypothesize that such a pattern may be the result of biologic differences between limited- and advanced-stage lymphoma.