Leukemia, Myelodysplasia, Transplantation

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor de-escalation is generally safe and may lead to symptom improvement in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who respond well to the therapy, according to an interim analysis of the nonrandomized phase 2 DESTINY trial.

The findings imply that some patients are unnecessarily overtreated, as responses were sometimes maintained with lower tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) doses, according to Richard E. Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool, England, and his colleagues (Lancet Haematol. 2017 May 26;4:e310-16).

Of 174 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase who had received TKIs for at least 3 years and who were either in stable molecular response 4 logs below the standard arbitrary baseline (MR4, 125 patients) or stable major molecular response (MMR) but not MR4 (49 patients) for at least 12 months at the time of enrollment, 12 (7%) had molecular recurrence during 12 months of half-dose TKI therapy, and all patients who experienced molecular recurrence regained MMR within 4 months of being back on full-dose TKIs, the researchers noted.

The median time to recovery was 77 days.

The recurrence rate was significantly lower in the MR4 cohort than in the MMR cohort (2% vs. 19%; hazard ratio, 0.12), and time to relapse was significantly longer in the MR4 cohort (median, 8.7 vs. 4.4 months), the investigators said.

Recurrence was not associated with age, sex, weight, performance status, BCR-ABL1 transcript type, or duration of TKI therapy, which was a median of 6.9 years overall, they noted.

During the first 3 months of de-escalation, adverse events associated with treatment, including lethargy, diarrhea, rash, and nausea, all improved.

Adverse events during de-escalation occurred in 16 patients, and included one fatality due to worsening of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, but all were deemed unrelated to the TKI or underlying chronic CML, the investigators noted.

Study subjects were adults with positive BCR-ABL1 transcripts, with either e13a2, e14a2, or e19a2 fusion transcript. They were enrolled between December 2013 and April 2015 from 20 hospitals in the United Kingdom; 148 were receiving imatinib, 16 were receiving nilotinib, and 10 were receiving dasatinib. They received half of their standard dose of imatinib (200 mg daily), dasatinib (50 mg daily), or nilotinib (200 mg twice daily) for 12 months. Recurrence during de-escalation was defined as BCR-ABL1:ABL1 ratio greater than 0.1% on two consecutive measurements.

“Although several studies of TKI cessation have been reported, little is known about the feasibility of treatment de-escalation in patients with stable molecular responses,” the investigators wrote, adding that the current study shows that de-escalation is “clearly safe for patients in stable MR4 or deeper remission” and could be a “reasonable option.”

This “practice-changing view” is reinforced by the finding of general improvement of adverse events in both cohorts, they said.

Also of note, de-escalation in this study was associated with savings of almost half the expected TKI costs, they added.

The findings imply that many patients with stable responses might be able to maintain responses on lower TKI doses, they concluded, adding that studies of more ambitious de-escalation are warranted.

Newcastle University and Bloodwise funded the study. Dr. Clark received other grants from Bloodwise during the study, as well as grants and personal fees from Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, and personal fees from Ariad/Incyte.

[email protected]

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor de-escalation is generally safe and may lead to symptom improvement in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who respond well to the therapy, according to an interim analysis of the nonrandomized phase 2 DESTINY trial.

The findings imply that some patients are unnecessarily overtreated, as responses were sometimes maintained with lower tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) doses, according to Richard E. Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool, England, and his colleagues (Lancet Haematol. 2017 May 26;4:e310-16).

Of 174 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase who had received TKIs for at least 3 years and who were either in stable molecular response 4 logs below the standard arbitrary baseline (MR4, 125 patients) or stable major molecular response (MMR) but not MR4 (49 patients) for at least 12 months at the time of enrollment, 12 (7%) had molecular recurrence during 12 months of half-dose TKI therapy, and all patients who experienced molecular recurrence regained MMR within 4 months of being back on full-dose TKIs, the researchers noted.

The median time to recovery was 77 days.

The recurrence rate was significantly lower in the MR4 cohort than in the MMR cohort (2% vs. 19%; hazard ratio, 0.12), and time to relapse was significantly longer in the MR4 cohort (median, 8.7 vs. 4.4 months), the investigators said.

Recurrence was not associated with age, sex, weight, performance status, BCR-ABL1 transcript type, or duration of TKI therapy, which was a median of 6.9 years overall, they noted.

During the first 3 months of de-escalation, adverse events associated with treatment, including lethargy, diarrhea, rash, and nausea, all improved.

Adverse events during de-escalation occurred in 16 patients, and included one fatality due to worsening of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, but all were deemed unrelated to the TKI or underlying chronic CML, the investigators noted.

Study subjects were adults with positive BCR-ABL1 transcripts, with either e13a2, e14a2, or e19a2 fusion transcript. They were enrolled between December 2013 and April 2015 from 20 hospitals in the United Kingdom; 148 were receiving imatinib, 16 were receiving nilotinib, and 10 were receiving dasatinib. They received half of their standard dose of imatinib (200 mg daily), dasatinib (50 mg daily), or nilotinib (200 mg twice daily) for 12 months. Recurrence during de-escalation was defined as BCR-ABL1:ABL1 ratio greater than 0.1% on two consecutive measurements.

“Although several studies of TKI cessation have been reported, little is known about the feasibility of treatment de-escalation in patients with stable molecular responses,” the investigators wrote, adding that the current study shows that de-escalation is “clearly safe for patients in stable MR4 or deeper remission” and could be a “reasonable option.”

This “practice-changing view” is reinforced by the finding of general improvement of adverse events in both cohorts, they said.

Also of note, de-escalation in this study was associated with savings of almost half the expected TKI costs, they added.

The findings imply that many patients with stable responses might be able to maintain responses on lower TKI doses, they concluded, adding that studies of more ambitious de-escalation are warranted.

Newcastle University and Bloodwise funded the study. Dr. Clark received other grants from Bloodwise during the study, as well as grants and personal fees from Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, and personal fees from Ariad/Incyte.

[email protected]

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor de-escalation is generally safe and may lead to symptom improvement in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who respond well to the therapy, according to an interim analysis of the nonrandomized phase 2 DESTINY trial.

The findings imply that some patients are unnecessarily overtreated, as responses were sometimes maintained with lower tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) doses, according to Richard E. Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool, England, and his colleagues (Lancet Haematol. 2017 May 26;4:e310-16).

Of 174 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase who had received TKIs for at least 3 years and who were either in stable molecular response 4 logs below the standard arbitrary baseline (MR4, 125 patients) or stable major molecular response (MMR) but not MR4 (49 patients) for at least 12 months at the time of enrollment, 12 (7%) had molecular recurrence during 12 months of half-dose TKI therapy, and all patients who experienced molecular recurrence regained MMR within 4 months of being back on full-dose TKIs, the researchers noted.

The median time to recovery was 77 days.

The recurrence rate was significantly lower in the MR4 cohort than in the MMR cohort (2% vs. 19%; hazard ratio, 0.12), and time to relapse was significantly longer in the MR4 cohort (median, 8.7 vs. 4.4 months), the investigators said.

Recurrence was not associated with age, sex, weight, performance status, BCR-ABL1 transcript type, or duration of TKI therapy, which was a median of 6.9 years overall, they noted.

During the first 3 months of de-escalation, adverse events associated with treatment, including lethargy, diarrhea, rash, and nausea, all improved.

Adverse events during de-escalation occurred in 16 patients, and included one fatality due to worsening of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, but all were deemed unrelated to the TKI or underlying chronic CML, the investigators noted.

Study subjects were adults with positive BCR-ABL1 transcripts, with either e13a2, e14a2, or e19a2 fusion transcript. They were enrolled between December 2013 and April 2015 from 20 hospitals in the United Kingdom; 148 were receiving imatinib, 16 were receiving nilotinib, and 10 were receiving dasatinib. They received half of their standard dose of imatinib (200 mg daily), dasatinib (50 mg daily), or nilotinib (200 mg twice daily) for 12 months. Recurrence during de-escalation was defined as BCR-ABL1:ABL1 ratio greater than 0.1% on two consecutive measurements.

“Although several studies of TKI cessation have been reported, little is known about the feasibility of treatment de-escalation in patients with stable molecular responses,” the investigators wrote, adding that the current study shows that de-escalation is “clearly safe for patients in stable MR4 or deeper remission” and could be a “reasonable option.”

This “practice-changing view” is reinforced by the finding of general improvement of adverse events in both cohorts, they said.

Also of note, de-escalation in this study was associated with savings of almost half the expected TKI costs, they added.

The findings imply that many patients with stable responses might be able to maintain responses on lower TKI doses, they concluded, adding that studies of more ambitious de-escalation are warranted.

Newcastle University and Bloodwise funded the study. Dr. Clark received other grants from Bloodwise during the study, as well as grants and personal fees from Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, and personal fees from Ariad/Incyte.

[email protected]

Research Center

A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is “highly effective” in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to researchers.

The CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, JCAR014, produced an overall response rate of 71% and a complete response (CR) rate of 17% in a phase 1/2 trial of patients with relapsed/refractory CLL.

Eighty-three percent of patients experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and 33% developed neurotoxicity. One patient died of CRS/neurotoxicity.

Researchers reported these results in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study was supported by Juno Therapeutics, Life Science Discovery Fund, the Bezos Family, the University of British Columbia Clinical Investigator Program, and grants from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The trial included 24 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. The patients’ median age was 61 (range, 40-73), and they had received a median of 5 prior therapies (range, 3-9). Nineteen patients had progressed while on ibrutinib, and 3 could not tolerate the drug.

“It was not known whether CAR T cells could be used to treat these high-risk CLL patients,” said study author Cameron Turtle, MBBS, PhD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

“Our study shows that CD19 CAR T cells are a highly promising treatment for CLL patients who have failed ibrutinib.”

Treatment and safety

All 24 patients received lymphodepletion prior to JCAR014. Lymphodepleting regimens consisted of cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, or both.

Patients received JCAR014 at 1 of 3 dose levels—2 x 10⁵, 2 x 10⁶, or 2 x 10⁷ CAR T cells/kg.

Twenty patients (83%) developed CRS—18 with grade 1/2, 1 with grade 4, and 1 with grade 5 CRS.

Eight patients (33%) developed neurotoxicity, all of whom also had CRS. Five patients had grade 3 neurotoxicity, and 1 had grade 5 (same patient with grade 5 CRS).

Initial response

The overall response rate, according to IWCLL criteria, was 71%. Seventeen patients responded, 4 with CRs and 13 with partial responses (PRs).

One of the patients who achieved a CR had received a second dose of JCAR014, without lymphodepletion, 14 days after the first dose.

One of the patients with a PR initially had stable disease (SD) at the 4-week assessment but was in PR 8 weeks later.

Twenty-one patients had a bone marrow evaluation 4 weeks after treatment with JCAR014. Seventeen of these patients (81%) had no residual disease according to high-resolution flow cytometry.

The researchers also performed IGH sequencing of bone marrow in 12 patients with no residual disease by flow cytometry. Seven of these patients (58%) had no detectable malignant IGH sequences 4 weeks after receiving JCAR014.

Second dose

Six patients who had persistent disease or who relapsed after receiving JCAR014 received a second cycle of lymphodepletion and JCAR014 at the same dose (n=1) or a 10-fold higher dose (n=5).

Four of these patients developed CRS (2 grade 3 or higher), and 1 developed reversible neurotoxicity (grade 3).

Two patients achieved a CR and had no residual disease by flow cytometry or IGH sequencing.

Survival

Responders had significantly superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to non-responders.

The median PFS was 9.8 months in patients who achieved a CR, was not reached in those with a PR, and was 1.1 months in patients with progressive disease (PD) or SD (P=0.0068 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The median OS was not reached in patients who achieved a CR or a PR, but it was 11.2 months in patients with SD or PD (P=0.0011 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The researchers also found that IGH sequencing revealed patients with durable PFS.

The median PFS was not reached in patients with no malignant IGH sequences, but it was 8.5 months in IGH-positive patients (P=0.253). The median OS was not reached in either group (P=0.25).

Research Center

A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is “highly effective” in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to researchers.

The CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, JCAR014, produced an overall response rate of 71% and a complete response (CR) rate of 17% in a phase 1/2 trial of patients with relapsed/refractory CLL.

Eighty-three percent of patients experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and 33% developed neurotoxicity. One patient died of CRS/neurotoxicity.

Researchers reported these results in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study was supported by Juno Therapeutics, Life Science Discovery Fund, the Bezos Family, the University of British Columbia Clinical Investigator Program, and grants from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The trial included 24 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. The patients’ median age was 61 (range, 40-73), and they had received a median of 5 prior therapies (range, 3-9). Nineteen patients had progressed while on ibrutinib, and 3 could not tolerate the drug.

“It was not known whether CAR T cells could be used to treat these high-risk CLL patients,” said study author Cameron Turtle, MBBS, PhD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

“Our study shows that CD19 CAR T cells are a highly promising treatment for CLL patients who have failed ibrutinib.”

Treatment and safety

All 24 patients received lymphodepletion prior to JCAR014. Lymphodepleting regimens consisted of cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, or both.

Patients received JCAR014 at 1 of 3 dose levels—2 x 10⁵, 2 x 10⁶, or 2 x 10⁷ CAR T cells/kg.

Twenty patients (83%) developed CRS—18 with grade 1/2, 1 with grade 4, and 1 with grade 5 CRS.

Eight patients (33%) developed neurotoxicity, all of whom also had CRS. Five patients had grade 3 neurotoxicity, and 1 had grade 5 (same patient with grade 5 CRS).

Initial response

The overall response rate, according to IWCLL criteria, was 71%. Seventeen patients responded, 4 with CRs and 13 with partial responses (PRs).

One of the patients who achieved a CR had received a second dose of JCAR014, without lymphodepletion, 14 days after the first dose.

One of the patients with a PR initially had stable disease (SD) at the 4-week assessment but was in PR 8 weeks later.

Twenty-one patients had a bone marrow evaluation 4 weeks after treatment with JCAR014. Seventeen of these patients (81%) had no residual disease according to high-resolution flow cytometry.

The researchers also performed IGH sequencing of bone marrow in 12 patients with no residual disease by flow cytometry. Seven of these patients (58%) had no detectable malignant IGH sequences 4 weeks after receiving JCAR014.

Second dose

Six patients who had persistent disease or who relapsed after receiving JCAR014 received a second cycle of lymphodepletion and JCAR014 at the same dose (n=1) or a 10-fold higher dose (n=5).

Four of these patients developed CRS (2 grade 3 or higher), and 1 developed reversible neurotoxicity (grade 3).

Two patients achieved a CR and had no residual disease by flow cytometry or IGH sequencing.

Survival

Responders had significantly superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to non-responders.

The median PFS was 9.8 months in patients who achieved a CR, was not reached in those with a PR, and was 1.1 months in patients with progressive disease (PD) or SD (P=0.0068 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The median OS was not reached in patients who achieved a CR or a PR, but it was 11.2 months in patients with SD or PD (P=0.0011 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The researchers also found that IGH sequencing revealed patients with durable PFS.

The median PFS was not reached in patients with no malignant IGH sequences, but it was 8.5 months in IGH-positive patients (P=0.253). The median OS was not reached in either group (P=0.25).

Research Center

A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is “highly effective” in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to researchers.

The CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, JCAR014, produced an overall response rate of 71% and a complete response (CR) rate of 17% in a phase 1/2 trial of patients with relapsed/refractory CLL.

Eighty-three percent of patients experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and 33% developed neurotoxicity. One patient died of CRS/neurotoxicity.

Researchers reported these results in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study was supported by Juno Therapeutics, Life Science Discovery Fund, the Bezos Family, the University of British Columbia Clinical Investigator Program, and grants from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The trial included 24 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. The patients’ median age was 61 (range, 40-73), and they had received a median of 5 prior therapies (range, 3-9). Nineteen patients had progressed while on ibrutinib, and 3 could not tolerate the drug.

“It was not known whether CAR T cells could be used to treat these high-risk CLL patients,” said study author Cameron Turtle, MBBS, PhD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

“Our study shows that CD19 CAR T cells are a highly promising treatment for CLL patients who have failed ibrutinib.”

Treatment and safety

All 24 patients received lymphodepletion prior to JCAR014. Lymphodepleting regimens consisted of cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, or both.

Patients received JCAR014 at 1 of 3 dose levels—2 x 10⁵, 2 x 10⁶, or 2 x 10⁷ CAR T cells/kg.

Twenty patients (83%) developed CRS—18 with grade 1/2, 1 with grade 4, and 1 with grade 5 CRS.

Eight patients (33%) developed neurotoxicity, all of whom also had CRS. Five patients had grade 3 neurotoxicity, and 1 had grade 5 (same patient with grade 5 CRS).

Initial response

The overall response rate, according to IWCLL criteria, was 71%. Seventeen patients responded, 4 with CRs and 13 with partial responses (PRs).

One of the patients who achieved a CR had received a second dose of JCAR014, without lymphodepletion, 14 days after the first dose.

One of the patients with a PR initially had stable disease (SD) at the 4-week assessment but was in PR 8 weeks later.

Twenty-one patients had a bone marrow evaluation 4 weeks after treatment with JCAR014. Seventeen of these patients (81%) had no residual disease according to high-resolution flow cytometry.

The researchers also performed IGH sequencing of bone marrow in 12 patients with no residual disease by flow cytometry. Seven of these patients (58%) had no detectable malignant IGH sequences 4 weeks after receiving JCAR014.

Second dose

Six patients who had persistent disease or who relapsed after receiving JCAR014 received a second cycle of lymphodepletion and JCAR014 at the same dose (n=1) or a 10-fold higher dose (n=5).

Four of these patients developed CRS (2 grade 3 or higher), and 1 developed reversible neurotoxicity (grade 3).

Two patients achieved a CR and had no residual disease by flow cytometry or IGH sequencing.

Survival

Responders had significantly superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to non-responders.

The median PFS was 9.8 months in patients who achieved a CR, was not reached in those with a PR, and was 1.1 months in patients with progressive disease (PD) or SD (P=0.0068 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The median OS was not reached in patients who achieved a CR or a PR, but it was 11.2 months in patients with SD or PD (P=0.0011 for CR/PR vs SD/PD).

The researchers also found that IGH sequencing revealed patients with durable PFS.

The median PFS was not reached in patients with no malignant IGH sequences, but it was 8.5 months in IGH-positive patients (P=0.253). The median OS was not reached in either group (P=0.25).

Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD

MADRID—The combination of venetoclax and low-dose cytarabine (VEN+LDAC) appears to be a feasible treatment option for elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

In a phase 1/2 study of such patients, VEN+LDAC was considered well-tolerated, conferring moderate myelosuppression and largely low-grade non-hematologic toxicities.

In addition, the combination produced “rapid and durable” responses, and early death rates were low, according to Andrew H. Wei, MBBS, PhD, of Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

However, nearly three-quarters of patients ultimately discontinued the treatment, many due to disease progression.

Dr Wei presented these results at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S473. AbbVie and Genentech, the companies developing and marketing venetoclax, provided financial support for this study.

“Expression of pro-survival proteins is an established mechanism of chemoresistance in diverse cancers,” Dr Wei noted. “BCL-2 is 1 of 5 pro-survival molecules which functions to sequester pro-apoptotic molecules and tip the balance in favor of cell survival.”

“Venetoclax is a potent and specific inhibitor of BCL-2 which releases these pro-apoptotic molecules, tipping the balance in favor of cell death. Cytotoxic drugs are well-known to increase the burden of BH3-only proteins, and so it was surmised that the combination of chemotherapy, such as cytarabine, with venetoclax could augment the clinical response.”

Patients

Dr Wei presented data on 61 AML patients treated with VEN+LDAC. He noted that this was a poor-risk population, with nearly half of patients over the age of 75 at baseline.

The patients’ median age was 74 (range, 66-87), and 64% were male. Nearly half of patients had an ECOG performance status of 1 (49%), 30% had a status of 0, and 21% had a status of 2.

Forty-four percent of patients had secondary AML, and 28% had prior treatment with a hypomethylating agent (HMA). Sixty-one percent of patients had intermediate-risk cytogenetics, and 31% had poor-risk cytogenetics.

Treatment

The patients received oral venetoclax at 600 mg daily on days 1 to 28 and subcutaneous cytarabine at 20 mg/m² daily on days 1 to 10 of each 28-day cycle.

In the first cycle, the dose of venetoclax was ramped up gradually—no dose on day 1, 50 mg on day 2, 100 mg on day 3, 200 mg on day 4, 400 mg on day 5, and 600 mg thereafter.

Patients received prophylaxis for tumor lysis syndrome prior to starting cycle 1, and they were hospitalized to enable observation.

The median time on study treatment was 6 months (range, <1 to 19 months). Seventy-two percent of patients discontinued treatment.

Reasons for discontinuation included:

• Progressive disease without death—26%
• Progressive disease with death—10%
• Adverse event (AE) related to progression—10%
• AE not related to progression—8%
• Withdrawn consent—8%
• Other reasons—18%.

Safety

The most common AEs of any grade (occurring in at least 30% of patients) were nausea (74%), hypokalemia (46%), diarrhea (46%), fatigue (44%), decreased appetite (41%), constipation (34%), hypomagnesemia (34%), vomiting (31%), thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (38%), and neutropenia (33%).

Grade 3/4 hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (36%), neutropenia (33%), and anemia (28%).

Grade 3/4 non-hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included hypokalemia (16%), hypophosphatemia (13%), and hypertension (12%).

Response and survival

The overall response rate was 65%, with 25% of patients achieving a complete response (CR), 38% having a CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi), and 2% experiencing a partial response.

Dr Wei noted that VEN+LDAC was active across subgroups.

The CR/CRi rate was 76% among patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics and 47% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics.

The CR/CRi rate was 70% among patients older than 75, 52% among patients with secondary AML, 66% among patients with no prior HMA exposure, and 53% in patients with prior HMA exposure.

“Although responses were slightly lower in patients with poor cytogenetic risk, prior HMA exposure, and secondary AML . . ., these responses are far in excess of what we would expect with [LDAC] alone,” Dr Wei said.

“Furthermore, the median time to response was very rapid, and this is extremely important to get patients into remission and avoid the medium-term consequences of active AML.”

The median time to response was 1 month (range, <1 to 9 months).

The 30-day death rate was 3%, the 60-day death rate was 15%, and the median overall survival was approximately 12 months.

Based on these results, AbbVie has initiated a phase 3 trial comparing VEN+LDAC to LDAC alone in elderly patients with untreated AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD

MADRID—The combination of venetoclax and low-dose cytarabine (VEN+LDAC) appears to be a feasible treatment option for elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

In a phase 1/2 study of such patients, VEN+LDAC was considered well-tolerated, conferring moderate myelosuppression and largely low-grade non-hematologic toxicities.

In addition, the combination produced “rapid and durable” responses, and early death rates were low, according to Andrew H. Wei, MBBS, PhD, of Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

However, nearly three-quarters of patients ultimately discontinued the treatment, many due to disease progression.

Dr Wei presented these results at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S473. AbbVie and Genentech, the companies developing and marketing venetoclax, provided financial support for this study.

“Expression of pro-survival proteins is an established mechanism of chemoresistance in diverse cancers,” Dr Wei noted. “BCL-2 is 1 of 5 pro-survival molecules which functions to sequester pro-apoptotic molecules and tip the balance in favor of cell survival.”

“Venetoclax is a potent and specific inhibitor of BCL-2 which releases these pro-apoptotic molecules, tipping the balance in favor of cell death. Cytotoxic drugs are well-known to increase the burden of BH3-only proteins, and so it was surmised that the combination of chemotherapy, such as cytarabine, with venetoclax could augment the clinical response.”

Patients

Dr Wei presented data on 61 AML patients treated with VEN+LDAC. He noted that this was a poor-risk population, with nearly half of patients over the age of 75 at baseline.

The patients’ median age was 74 (range, 66-87), and 64% were male. Nearly half of patients had an ECOG performance status of 1 (49%), 30% had a status of 0, and 21% had a status of 2.

Forty-four percent of patients had secondary AML, and 28% had prior treatment with a hypomethylating agent (HMA). Sixty-one percent of patients had intermediate-risk cytogenetics, and 31% had poor-risk cytogenetics.

Treatment

The patients received oral venetoclax at 600 mg daily on days 1 to 28 and subcutaneous cytarabine at 20 mg/m² daily on days 1 to 10 of each 28-day cycle.

In the first cycle, the dose of venetoclax was ramped up gradually—no dose on day 1, 50 mg on day 2, 100 mg on day 3, 200 mg on day 4, 400 mg on day 5, and 600 mg thereafter.

Patients received prophylaxis for tumor lysis syndrome prior to starting cycle 1, and they were hospitalized to enable observation.

The median time on study treatment was 6 months (range, <1 to 19 months). Seventy-two percent of patients discontinued treatment.

Reasons for discontinuation included:

• Progressive disease without death—26%
• Progressive disease with death—10%
• Adverse event (AE) related to progression—10%
• AE not related to progression—8%
• Withdrawn consent—8%
• Other reasons—18%.

Safety

The most common AEs of any grade (occurring in at least 30% of patients) were nausea (74%), hypokalemia (46%), diarrhea (46%), fatigue (44%), decreased appetite (41%), constipation (34%), hypomagnesemia (34%), vomiting (31%), thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (38%), and neutropenia (33%).

Grade 3/4 hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (36%), neutropenia (33%), and anemia (28%).

Grade 3/4 non-hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included hypokalemia (16%), hypophosphatemia (13%), and hypertension (12%).

Response and survival

The overall response rate was 65%, with 25% of patients achieving a complete response (CR), 38% having a CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi), and 2% experiencing a partial response.

Dr Wei noted that VEN+LDAC was active across subgroups.

The CR/CRi rate was 76% among patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics and 47% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics.

The CR/CRi rate was 70% among patients older than 75, 52% among patients with secondary AML, 66% among patients with no prior HMA exposure, and 53% in patients with prior HMA exposure.

“Although responses were slightly lower in patients with poor cytogenetic risk, prior HMA exposure, and secondary AML . . ., these responses are far in excess of what we would expect with [LDAC] alone,” Dr Wei said.

“Furthermore, the median time to response was very rapid, and this is extremely important to get patients into remission and avoid the medium-term consequences of active AML.”

The median time to response was 1 month (range, <1 to 9 months).

The 30-day death rate was 3%, the 60-day death rate was 15%, and the median overall survival was approximately 12 months.

Based on these results, AbbVie has initiated a phase 3 trial comparing VEN+LDAC to LDAC alone in elderly patients with untreated AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD

MADRID—The combination of venetoclax and low-dose cytarabine (VEN+LDAC) appears to be a feasible treatment option for elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

In a phase 1/2 study of such patients, VEN+LDAC was considered well-tolerated, conferring moderate myelosuppression and largely low-grade non-hematologic toxicities.

In addition, the combination produced “rapid and durable” responses, and early death rates were low, according to Andrew H. Wei, MBBS, PhD, of Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

However, nearly three-quarters of patients ultimately discontinued the treatment, many due to disease progression.

Dr Wei presented these results at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S473. AbbVie and Genentech, the companies developing and marketing venetoclax, provided financial support for this study.

“Expression of pro-survival proteins is an established mechanism of chemoresistance in diverse cancers,” Dr Wei noted. “BCL-2 is 1 of 5 pro-survival molecules which functions to sequester pro-apoptotic molecules and tip the balance in favor of cell survival.”

“Venetoclax is a potent and specific inhibitor of BCL-2 which releases these pro-apoptotic molecules, tipping the balance in favor of cell death. Cytotoxic drugs are well-known to increase the burden of BH3-only proteins, and so it was surmised that the combination of chemotherapy, such as cytarabine, with venetoclax could augment the clinical response.”

Patients

Dr Wei presented data on 61 AML patients treated with VEN+LDAC. He noted that this was a poor-risk population, with nearly half of patients over the age of 75 at baseline.

The patients’ median age was 74 (range, 66-87), and 64% were male. Nearly half of patients had an ECOG performance status of 1 (49%), 30% had a status of 0, and 21% had a status of 2.

Forty-four percent of patients had secondary AML, and 28% had prior treatment with a hypomethylating agent (HMA). Sixty-one percent of patients had intermediate-risk cytogenetics, and 31% had poor-risk cytogenetics.

Treatment

The patients received oral venetoclax at 600 mg daily on days 1 to 28 and subcutaneous cytarabine at 20 mg/m² daily on days 1 to 10 of each 28-day cycle.

In the first cycle, the dose of venetoclax was ramped up gradually—no dose on day 1, 50 mg on day 2, 100 mg on day 3, 200 mg on day 4, 400 mg on day 5, and 600 mg thereafter.

Patients received prophylaxis for tumor lysis syndrome prior to starting cycle 1, and they were hospitalized to enable observation.

The median time on study treatment was 6 months (range, <1 to 19 months). Seventy-two percent of patients discontinued treatment.

Reasons for discontinuation included:

• Progressive disease without death—26%
• Progressive disease with death—10%
• Adverse event (AE) related to progression—10%
• AE not related to progression—8%
• Withdrawn consent—8%
• Other reasons—18%.

Safety

The most common AEs of any grade (occurring in at least 30% of patients) were nausea (74%), hypokalemia (46%), diarrhea (46%), fatigue (44%), decreased appetite (41%), constipation (34%), hypomagnesemia (34%), vomiting (31%), thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (38%), and neutropenia (33%).

Grade 3/4 hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included thrombocytopenia (44%), febrile neutropenia (36%), neutropenia (33%), and anemia (28%).

Grade 3/4 non-hematologic AEs (occurring in at least 10% of patients) included hypokalemia (16%), hypophosphatemia (13%), and hypertension (12%).

Response and survival

The overall response rate was 65%, with 25% of patients achieving a complete response (CR), 38% having a CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi), and 2% experiencing a partial response.

Dr Wei noted that VEN+LDAC was active across subgroups.

The CR/CRi rate was 76% among patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics and 47% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics.

The CR/CRi rate was 70% among patients older than 75, 52% among patients with secondary AML, 66% among patients with no prior HMA exposure, and 53% in patients with prior HMA exposure.

“Although responses were slightly lower in patients with poor cytogenetic risk, prior HMA exposure, and secondary AML . . ., these responses are far in excess of what we would expect with [LDAC] alone,” Dr Wei said.

“Furthermore, the median time to response was very rapid, and this is extremely important to get patients into remission and avoid the medium-term consequences of active AML.”

The median time to response was 1 month (range, <1 to 9 months).

The 30-day death rate was 3%, the 60-day death rate was 15%, and the median overall survival was approximately 12 months.

Based on these results, AbbVie has initiated a phase 3 trial comparing VEN+LDAC to LDAC alone in elderly patients with untreated AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

MADRID – A combination of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent may produce high overall response rates among older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), early data showed.

Among 100 patients age 65 years and older with previously untreated AML, the combination of venetoclax with either decitabine or azacitidine was associated with a 69% overall responses rate, reported Keith W. Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

• Decitabine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 76% (44% CR, 32% CRi).
• Decitabine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 68% (36% CR, 32% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 72% (28% CR, 44% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 56%: (28% CR, 28% CRi, PR 1% [numbers rounded up]).

The combined CR/CRi rate was 60% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics and 78% among patients with intermediate-risk disease. In addition, the combination was effective among patients with both primary de novo AML (68%) and secondary AML (related to myelodysplasia or myeloproliferative neoplasms or previous therapy; 73%).

Overall survival after a median of 9 months since the first dose of the study drug was estimated to be 79% at 6 months and 70% at 12 months, with the median not reached.

Treatment-related adverse events were similar between the decitabine- and azacitidine-containing arms at the given dose of venetoclax. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events included thrombocytopenia in 56% of patients on the 400-mg dose of venetoclax and in 32% of those on the 800-mg dose. Grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia occurred in 48% and 30%, respectively, and neutropenia in 40% and 32%.

A phase 3 study of venetoclax at the 400-mg dose with azacitidine has been initiated. NCT02993523 is currently enrolling patients, Dr. Pratz said.

The study was supported by Abbvie and Genentech. Dr. Pratz disclosed research funding from Abbvie and other companies.

MADRID – A combination of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent may produce high overall response rates among older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), early data showed.

Among 100 patients age 65 years and older with previously untreated AML, the combination of venetoclax with either decitabine or azacitidine was associated with a 69% overall responses rate, reported Keith W. Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

• Decitabine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 76% (44% CR, 32% CRi).
• Decitabine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 68% (36% CR, 32% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 72% (28% CR, 44% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 56%: (28% CR, 28% CRi, PR 1% [numbers rounded up]).

The combined CR/CRi rate was 60% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics and 78% among patients with intermediate-risk disease. In addition, the combination was effective among patients with both primary de novo AML (68%) and secondary AML (related to myelodysplasia or myeloproliferative neoplasms or previous therapy; 73%).

Overall survival after a median of 9 months since the first dose of the study drug was estimated to be 79% at 6 months and 70% at 12 months, with the median not reached.

Treatment-related adverse events were similar between the decitabine- and azacitidine-containing arms at the given dose of venetoclax. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events included thrombocytopenia in 56% of patients on the 400-mg dose of venetoclax and in 32% of those on the 800-mg dose. Grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia occurred in 48% and 30%, respectively, and neutropenia in 40% and 32%.

A phase 3 study of venetoclax at the 400-mg dose with azacitidine has been initiated. NCT02993523 is currently enrolling patients, Dr. Pratz said.

The study was supported by Abbvie and Genentech. Dr. Pratz disclosed research funding from Abbvie and other companies.

MADRID – A combination of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent may produce high overall response rates among older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), early data showed.

Among 100 patients age 65 years and older with previously untreated AML, the combination of venetoclax with either decitabine or azacitidine was associated with a 69% overall responses rate, reported Keith W. Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

• Decitabine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 76% (44% CR, 32% CRi).
• Decitabine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 68% (36% CR, 32% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 400 mg: 72% (28% CR, 44% CRi).
• Azacitadine plus venetoclax 800 mg: 56%: (28% CR, 28% CRi, PR 1% [numbers rounded up]).

The combined CR/CRi rate was 60% among patients with poor-risk cytogenetics and 78% among patients with intermediate-risk disease. In addition, the combination was effective among patients with both primary de novo AML (68%) and secondary AML (related to myelodysplasia or myeloproliferative neoplasms or previous therapy; 73%).

Overall survival after a median of 9 months since the first dose of the study drug was estimated to be 79% at 6 months and 70% at 12 months, with the median not reached.

Treatment-related adverse events were similar between the decitabine- and azacitidine-containing arms at the given dose of venetoclax. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events included thrombocytopenia in 56% of patients on the 400-mg dose of venetoclax and in 32% of those on the 800-mg dose. Grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia occurred in 48% and 30%, respectively, and neutropenia in 40% and 32%.

A phase 3 study of venetoclax at the 400-mg dose with azacitidine has been initiated. NCT02993523 is currently enrolling patients, Dr. Pratz said.

The study was supported by Abbvie and Genentech. Dr. Pratz disclosed research funding from Abbvie and other companies.

Photo by Patrick Pelletier

MADRID—Results of the DESTINY trial suggest that chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients may improve their chances of successfully stopping treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) by first reducing the dose they receive.

CML patients in deep molecular response (MR4) at study entry had a low rate of recurrence when they first de-escalated their TKI dose—receiving half the standard dose—for a year and then completely stopped receiving TKI treatment for a year.

The 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was 77%, which is better than the RFS in any comparable study to date, according to Richard Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, UK, and his colleagues.

Dr Clark presented results from DESTINY at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S423.

DESTINY included 174 CML patients (98 male, 76 female) in stable major molecular response (MMR).

At study entry, patients had received imatinib (n=148), nilotinib (n=16), or dasatinib (n=10) for a median duration of 6.8 years.

For the first 12 months of the study, patients had their TKI dose reduced to half the standard dose. So they received imatinib at 200 mg daily, dasatinib at 50 mg daily, or nilotinib at 200 mg twice daily. After that, patients stopped treatment completely.

After the first 12 months, molecular recurrence was lower in patients with stable MR4 at study entry than in patients who were not in MR4 (but still in MMR)—2.4% (3/125) and 18.4% (9/49), respectively (P<0.001).

During the following 12 months, in which patients had completely stopped TKI treatment, there were 26 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the remaining 117 patients who were in MR4 at baseline, as well as 20 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the 36 patients not in MR4.

So the RFS was 77% among patients in MR4 at baseline and 39% among the patients not in MR4 (P<0.001).

The researchers said the probability of RFS was unrelated to patients’ age, gender, performance status, or the prior TKI they received (imatinib vs second-generation TKI).

All patients with recurrence ultimately returned to deep remissions when they resumed their TKI treatment.

“TKI de-escalation is safe for most CML patients with stable and excellent responses to TKI therapy after some years of treatment and is associated with improvement in symptoms,” Dr Clark said.

“Overall, our findings are better than any other studies worldwide and imply that our unique, gradual withdrawal of treatment might be important. We don’t yet understand why our results are so good, but this is a happy problem to have.”

Photo by Patrick Pelletier

MADRID—Results of the DESTINY trial suggest that chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients may improve their chances of successfully stopping treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) by first reducing the dose they receive.

CML patients in deep molecular response (MR4) at study entry had a low rate of recurrence when they first de-escalated their TKI dose—receiving half the standard dose—for a year and then completely stopped receiving TKI treatment for a year.

The 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was 77%, which is better than the RFS in any comparable study to date, according to Richard Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, UK, and his colleagues.

Dr Clark presented results from DESTINY at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S423.

DESTINY included 174 CML patients (98 male, 76 female) in stable major molecular response (MMR).

At study entry, patients had received imatinib (n=148), nilotinib (n=16), or dasatinib (n=10) for a median duration of 6.8 years.

For the first 12 months of the study, patients had their TKI dose reduced to half the standard dose. So they received imatinib at 200 mg daily, dasatinib at 50 mg daily, or nilotinib at 200 mg twice daily. After that, patients stopped treatment completely.

After the first 12 months, molecular recurrence was lower in patients with stable MR4 at study entry than in patients who were not in MR4 (but still in MMR)—2.4% (3/125) and 18.4% (9/49), respectively (P<0.001).

During the following 12 months, in which patients had completely stopped TKI treatment, there were 26 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the remaining 117 patients who were in MR4 at baseline, as well as 20 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the 36 patients not in MR4.

So the RFS was 77% among patients in MR4 at baseline and 39% among the patients not in MR4 (P<0.001).

The researchers said the probability of RFS was unrelated to patients’ age, gender, performance status, or the prior TKI they received (imatinib vs second-generation TKI).

All patients with recurrence ultimately returned to deep remissions when they resumed their TKI treatment.

“TKI de-escalation is safe for most CML patients with stable and excellent responses to TKI therapy after some years of treatment and is associated with improvement in symptoms,” Dr Clark said.

“Overall, our findings are better than any other studies worldwide and imply that our unique, gradual withdrawal of treatment might be important. We don’t yet understand why our results are so good, but this is a happy problem to have.”

Photo by Patrick Pelletier

MADRID—Results of the DESTINY trial suggest that chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients may improve their chances of successfully stopping treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) by first reducing the dose they receive.

CML patients in deep molecular response (MR4) at study entry had a low rate of recurrence when they first de-escalated their TKI dose—receiving half the standard dose—for a year and then completely stopped receiving TKI treatment for a year.

The 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was 77%, which is better than the RFS in any comparable study to date, according to Richard Clark, MD, of the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, UK, and his colleagues.

Dr Clark presented results from DESTINY at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) as abstract S423.

DESTINY included 174 CML patients (98 male, 76 female) in stable major molecular response (MMR).

At study entry, patients had received imatinib (n=148), nilotinib (n=16), or dasatinib (n=10) for a median duration of 6.8 years.

For the first 12 months of the study, patients had their TKI dose reduced to half the standard dose. So they received imatinib at 200 mg daily, dasatinib at 50 mg daily, or nilotinib at 200 mg twice daily. After that, patients stopped treatment completely.

After the first 12 months, molecular recurrence was lower in patients with stable MR4 at study entry than in patients who were not in MR4 (but still in MMR)—2.4% (3/125) and 18.4% (9/49), respectively (P<0.001).

During the following 12 months, in which patients had completely stopped TKI treatment, there were 26 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the remaining 117 patients who were in MR4 at baseline, as well as 20 recurrences and 4 withdrawals among the 36 patients not in MR4.

So the RFS was 77% among patients in MR4 at baseline and 39% among the patients not in MR4 (P<0.001).

The researchers said the probability of RFS was unrelated to patients’ age, gender, performance status, or the prior TKI they received (imatinib vs second-generation TKI).

All patients with recurrence ultimately returned to deep remissions when they resumed their TKI treatment.

“TKI de-escalation is safe for most CML patients with stable and excellent responses to TKI therapy after some years of treatment and is associated with improvement in symptoms,” Dr Clark said.

“Overall, our findings are better than any other studies worldwide and imply that our unique, gradual withdrawal of treatment might be important. We don’t yet understand why our results are so good, but this is a happy problem to have.”

NEW YORK – Obinutuzumab monotherapy was effective for the first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in a small study of patients with a high rate of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes.

The overall response rate to obinutuzumab, a type 2 anti-CD20 humanized monoclonal antibody, was 100% in 20 previously untreated patients. Median progression-free survival was 30 months, and no deaths occurred at a median of 23 months follow-up, Nathan D. Gay, MD, reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL).

The good results imply that initial monotherapy may be an alternative approach that limits the toxicity associated with the recommended combination of chlorambucil and obinutuzumab.

At the time of analysis, 3 of the 20 patients (15%) had relapsed, and the mean time to next line therapy was 29 months,” Dr. Gay of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland and his colleagues wrote. Minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis completed in 16 patients showed that 5 (31%) were MRD-negative 6 months after the completion of therapy.

Study participants were adults with a median age of 62.5 years and a median cumulative illness rating scale score of 6.5 on the 0-56 scale. Most (80%) had unmutated IGHV and none harbored 17p deletion. All met iwCLL diagnostic criteria for CLL based on peripheral blood counts and flow cytometry,

All but one patient received 6 cycles of intravenous obinutuzumab given at 100 mg on day 1, 900 mg on day 2, 1000 mg on days 8 and 15 of the first cycle, and 1000 mg on day 1 for cycles 2-6.

The remaining patient discontinued treatment after two cycles because of grade 4 neutropenia.

Obinutuzumab is approved for use in combination with oral chlorambucil in patients with previously untreated CLL. The approval was based on the CLL11 study, which demonstrated improved overall response, complete response rate, and peripheral blood MRD negativity rates with obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil, vs. rituximab plus chlorambucil, the authors said. Based on those findings, obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil is considered a standard of care option in treatment-naive CLL lacking del(17p)/TP53 mutation in patients who are not candidates for first-line therapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR).

However, while chlorambucil is generally well tolerated, it has limited efficacy and is associated with overall grade 3-4 toxicity of about 44%. Obinutuzumab has significant single-agent activity in previously untreated CLL and was shown in a recent phase 2 dose-response study to be associated with an overall response rate of 49%-67% and complete response rates of 5%-20%, but data on the efficacy of first line obinutuzumab monotherapy using standard dosing outside of a clinical trial are lacking, they said.

The current study represents an analysis of all patients treated with first line obinutuzumab monotherapy at Oregon Health & Science University.

In the current study, the most common side effects were infusion reactions and cytopenias. Grade 3 or higher neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 32%, 11%, and 32% of patients, respectively, and one patient developed a grade 3 infection.

“In our cohort of patients with untreated CLL, we found first line obinutuzumab monotherapy to be very effective and well tolerated,” they wrote, noting that this was true despite a high rate of unmutated IGHV. “These data, using first-line obinutuzumab monotherapy, compare favorably with combination therapy with chlorambucil.

“Omitting chlorambucil from this combination in favor of initial obinutuzumab monotherapy may eliminate the short- and long-term toxicity associated with the use of chemotherapy,” they concluded.

The authors reported having no disclosures.

[email protected]

NEW YORK – Obinutuzumab monotherapy was effective for the first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in a small study of patients with a high rate of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes.

The overall response rate to obinutuzumab, a type 2 anti-CD20 humanized monoclonal antibody, was 100% in 20 previously untreated patients. Median progression-free survival was 30 months, and no deaths occurred at a median of 23 months follow-up, Nathan D. Gay, MD, reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL).

The good results imply that initial monotherapy may be an alternative approach that limits the toxicity associated with the recommended combination of chlorambucil and obinutuzumab.

At the time of analysis, 3 of the 20 patients (15%) had relapsed, and the mean time to next line therapy was 29 months,” Dr. Gay of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland and his colleagues wrote. Minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis completed in 16 patients showed that 5 (31%) were MRD-negative 6 months after the completion of therapy.

Study participants were adults with a median age of 62.5 years and a median cumulative illness rating scale score of 6.5 on the 0-56 scale. Most (80%) had unmutated IGHV and none harbored 17p deletion. All met iwCLL diagnostic criteria for CLL based on peripheral blood counts and flow cytometry,

All but one patient received 6 cycles of intravenous obinutuzumab given at 100 mg on day 1, 900 mg on day 2, 1000 mg on days 8 and 15 of the first cycle, and 1000 mg on day 1 for cycles 2-6.

The remaining patient discontinued treatment after two cycles because of grade 4 neutropenia.

Obinutuzumab is approved for use in combination with oral chlorambucil in patients with previously untreated CLL. The approval was based on the CLL11 study, which demonstrated improved overall response, complete response rate, and peripheral blood MRD negativity rates with obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil, vs. rituximab plus chlorambucil, the authors said. Based on those findings, obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil is considered a standard of care option in treatment-naive CLL lacking del(17p)/TP53 mutation in patients who are not candidates for first-line therapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR).

However, while chlorambucil is generally well tolerated, it has limited efficacy and is associated with overall grade 3-4 toxicity of about 44%. Obinutuzumab has significant single-agent activity in previously untreated CLL and was shown in a recent phase 2 dose-response study to be associated with an overall response rate of 49%-67% and complete response rates of 5%-20%, but data on the efficacy of first line obinutuzumab monotherapy using standard dosing outside of a clinical trial are lacking, they said.

The current study represents an analysis of all patients treated with first line obinutuzumab monotherapy at Oregon Health & Science University.

In the current study, the most common side effects were infusion reactions and cytopenias. Grade 3 or higher neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 32%, 11%, and 32% of patients, respectively, and one patient developed a grade 3 infection.

“In our cohort of patients with untreated CLL, we found first line obinutuzumab monotherapy to be very effective and well tolerated,” they wrote, noting that this was true despite a high rate of unmutated IGHV. “These data, using first-line obinutuzumab monotherapy, compare favorably with combination therapy with chlorambucil.

“Omitting chlorambucil from this combination in favor of initial obinutuzumab monotherapy may eliminate the short- and long-term toxicity associated with the use of chemotherapy,” they concluded.

The authors reported having no disclosures.

[email protected]

NEW YORK – Obinutuzumab monotherapy was effective for the first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in a small study of patients with a high rate of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes.

The overall response rate to obinutuzumab, a type 2 anti-CD20 humanized monoclonal antibody, was 100% in 20 previously untreated patients. Median progression-free survival was 30 months, and no deaths occurred at a median of 23 months follow-up, Nathan D. Gay, MD, reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL).

The good results imply that initial monotherapy may be an alternative approach that limits the toxicity associated with the recommended combination of chlorambucil and obinutuzumab.

At the time of analysis, 3 of the 20 patients (15%) had relapsed, and the mean time to next line therapy was 29 months,” Dr. Gay of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland and his colleagues wrote. Minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis completed in 16 patients showed that 5 (31%) were MRD-negative 6 months after the completion of therapy.

Study participants were adults with a median age of 62.5 years and a median cumulative illness rating scale score of 6.5 on the 0-56 scale. Most (80%) had unmutated IGHV and none harbored 17p deletion. All met iwCLL diagnostic criteria for CLL based on peripheral blood counts and flow cytometry,

All but one patient received 6 cycles of intravenous obinutuzumab given at 100 mg on day 1, 900 mg on day 2, 1000 mg on days 8 and 15 of the first cycle, and 1000 mg on day 1 for cycles 2-6.

The remaining patient discontinued treatment after two cycles because of grade 4 neutropenia.

Obinutuzumab is approved for use in combination with oral chlorambucil in patients with previously untreated CLL. The approval was based on the CLL11 study, which demonstrated improved overall response, complete response rate, and peripheral blood MRD negativity rates with obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil, vs. rituximab plus chlorambucil, the authors said. Based on those findings, obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil is considered a standard of care option in treatment-naive CLL lacking del(17p)/TP53 mutation in patients who are not candidates for first-line therapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR).

However, while chlorambucil is generally well tolerated, it has limited efficacy and is associated with overall grade 3-4 toxicity of about 44%. Obinutuzumab has significant single-agent activity in previously untreated CLL and was shown in a recent phase 2 dose-response study to be associated with an overall response rate of 49%-67% and complete response rates of 5%-20%, but data on the efficacy of first line obinutuzumab monotherapy using standard dosing outside of a clinical trial are lacking, they said.

The current study represents an analysis of all patients treated with first line obinutuzumab monotherapy at Oregon Health & Science University.

In the current study, the most common side effects were infusion reactions and cytopenias. Grade 3 or higher neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 32%, 11%, and 32% of patients, respectively, and one patient developed a grade 3 infection.

“In our cohort of patients with untreated CLL, we found first line obinutuzumab monotherapy to be very effective and well tolerated,” they wrote, noting that this was true despite a high rate of unmutated IGHV. “These data, using first-line obinutuzumab monotherapy, compare favorably with combination therapy with chlorambucil.

“Omitting chlorambucil from this combination in favor of initial obinutuzumab monotherapy may eliminate the short- and long-term toxicity associated with the use of chemotherapy,” they concluded.

The authors reported having no disclosures.

[email protected]

Photo courtesy of Amgen

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for blinatumomab (Blincyto®).

The aim of the sBLA was to expand the indication for blinatumomab to include all patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) and to convert blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Blinatumomab is a bispecific, CD19-directed, CD3 T-cell engager (BiTE®) antibody construct that binds to CD19 expressed on the surface of cells of B-lineage origin and CD3 expressed on the surface of T cells.

In 2014, the FDA granted blinatumomab accelerated approval to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory BCP-ALL.

In 2016, the FDA granted the therapy accelerated approval for pediatric patients with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Now, the FDA has granted blinatumomab full approval for pediatric and adult patients with Ph- or Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

The FDA also recently approved the sBLA for blinatumomab to be infused over 7 days with preservative, adding to the previously approved administration options for infusion over 24 and 48 hours (preservative-free).

The blinatumomab intravenous bag for a 7-day infusion contains Bacteriostatic 0.9% Sodium Chloride, USP (containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol), which permits continuous intravenous infusion of blinatumomab at 28 mcg/day or 15 mcg/m²/day for a total of 7 days.

The 7-day infusion is not recommended for patients weighing less than 22 kg due to the risk of serious and sometimes fatal adverse events associated with benzyl alcohol in pediatric patients. See the full prescribing information for details.

The prescribing information for blinatumomab includes a boxed warning detailing the risk of cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicities. Blinatumomab is also under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program in the US intended to inform healthcare providers about these risks.

Blinatumomab is marketed by Amgen.

Trial results

With this sBLA, Amgen sought to make blinatumomab available as a treatment for patients with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL (as well as Ph-).

To this end, the application included data from the ALCANTARA study, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this trial, researchers evaluated blinatumomab in adults with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL who had failed treatment with at least 1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Thirty-six percent of patients achieved a complete response or complete response with partial hematologic recovery within the first 2 cycles of blinatumomab treatment. Of these patients, 88% were minimal residual disease-negative.

The most frequent adverse events (AEs) in this trial were pyrexia (58%), neurologic events (47%), febrile neutropenia (40%), and headache (31%). Three patients had grade 1/2 cytokine release syndrome, and 3 patients had grade 3 neurologic AEs.

The sBLA also included overall survival (OS) data from the phase 3 TOWER trial, which was intended to support the conversion of blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Results from the TOWER trial were published in NEJM.

In this study, researchers compared blinatumomab to standard of care (SOC) chemotherapy (4 different regimens) in adults with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Blinatumomab produced higher response rates and nearly doubled OS compared to SOC. The median OS was 7.7 months in the blinatumomab arm and 4 months in the SOC arm. The hazard ratio for death was 0.71 (P=0.012).

The incidence of grade 3 or higher AEs was higher in the SOC arm, but the incidence of serious AEs was higher in the blinatumomab arm.

Photo courtesy of Amgen

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for blinatumomab (Blincyto®).

The aim of the sBLA was to expand the indication for blinatumomab to include all patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) and to convert blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Blinatumomab is a bispecific, CD19-directed, CD3 T-cell engager (BiTE®) antibody construct that binds to CD19 expressed on the surface of cells of B-lineage origin and CD3 expressed on the surface of T cells.

In 2014, the FDA granted blinatumomab accelerated approval to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory BCP-ALL.

In 2016, the FDA granted the therapy accelerated approval for pediatric patients with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Now, the FDA has granted blinatumomab full approval for pediatric and adult patients with Ph- or Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

The FDA also recently approved the sBLA for blinatumomab to be infused over 7 days with preservative, adding to the previously approved administration options for infusion over 24 and 48 hours (preservative-free).

The blinatumomab intravenous bag for a 7-day infusion contains Bacteriostatic 0.9% Sodium Chloride, USP (containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol), which permits continuous intravenous infusion of blinatumomab at 28 mcg/day or 15 mcg/m²/day for a total of 7 days.

The 7-day infusion is not recommended for patients weighing less than 22 kg due to the risk of serious and sometimes fatal adverse events associated with benzyl alcohol in pediatric patients. See the full prescribing information for details.

The prescribing information for blinatumomab includes a boxed warning detailing the risk of cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicities. Blinatumomab is also under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program in the US intended to inform healthcare providers about these risks.

Blinatumomab is marketed by Amgen.

Trial results

With this sBLA, Amgen sought to make blinatumomab available as a treatment for patients with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL (as well as Ph-).

To this end, the application included data from the ALCANTARA study, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this trial, researchers evaluated blinatumomab in adults with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL who had failed treatment with at least 1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Thirty-six percent of patients achieved a complete response or complete response with partial hematologic recovery within the first 2 cycles of blinatumomab treatment. Of these patients, 88% were minimal residual disease-negative.

The most frequent adverse events (AEs) in this trial were pyrexia (58%), neurologic events (47%), febrile neutropenia (40%), and headache (31%). Three patients had grade 1/2 cytokine release syndrome, and 3 patients had grade 3 neurologic AEs.

The sBLA also included overall survival (OS) data from the phase 3 TOWER trial, which was intended to support the conversion of blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Results from the TOWER trial were published in NEJM.

In this study, researchers compared blinatumomab to standard of care (SOC) chemotherapy (4 different regimens) in adults with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Blinatumomab produced higher response rates and nearly doubled OS compared to SOC. The median OS was 7.7 months in the blinatumomab arm and 4 months in the SOC arm. The hazard ratio for death was 0.71 (P=0.012).

The incidence of grade 3 or higher AEs was higher in the SOC arm, but the incidence of serious AEs was higher in the blinatumomab arm.

Photo courtesy of Amgen

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for blinatumomab (Blincyto®).

The aim of the sBLA was to expand the indication for blinatumomab to include all patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) and to convert blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Blinatumomab is a bispecific, CD19-directed, CD3 T-cell engager (BiTE®) antibody construct that binds to CD19 expressed on the surface of cells of B-lineage origin and CD3 expressed on the surface of T cells.

In 2014, the FDA granted blinatumomab accelerated approval to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory BCP-ALL.

In 2016, the FDA granted the therapy accelerated approval for pediatric patients with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Now, the FDA has granted blinatumomab full approval for pediatric and adult patients with Ph- or Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

The FDA also recently approved the sBLA for blinatumomab to be infused over 7 days with preservative, adding to the previously approved administration options for infusion over 24 and 48 hours (preservative-free).

The blinatumomab intravenous bag for a 7-day infusion contains Bacteriostatic 0.9% Sodium Chloride, USP (containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol), which permits continuous intravenous infusion of blinatumomab at 28 mcg/day or 15 mcg/m²/day for a total of 7 days.

The 7-day infusion is not recommended for patients weighing less than 22 kg due to the risk of serious and sometimes fatal adverse events associated with benzyl alcohol in pediatric patients. See the full prescribing information for details.

The prescribing information for blinatumomab includes a boxed warning detailing the risk of cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicities. Blinatumomab is also under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program in the US intended to inform healthcare providers about these risks.

Blinatumomab is marketed by Amgen.

Trial results

With this sBLA, Amgen sought to make blinatumomab available as a treatment for patients with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL (as well as Ph-).

To this end, the application included data from the ALCANTARA study, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this trial, researchers evaluated blinatumomab in adults with Ph+ relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL who had failed treatment with at least 1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Thirty-six percent of patients achieved a complete response or complete response with partial hematologic recovery within the first 2 cycles of blinatumomab treatment. Of these patients, 88% were minimal residual disease-negative.

The most frequent adverse events (AEs) in this trial were pyrexia (58%), neurologic events (47%), febrile neutropenia (40%), and headache (31%). Three patients had grade 1/2 cytokine release syndrome, and 3 patients had grade 3 neurologic AEs.

The sBLA also included overall survival (OS) data from the phase 3 TOWER trial, which was intended to support the conversion of blinatumomab’s accelerated approval to a full approval.

Results from the TOWER trial were published in NEJM.

In this study, researchers compared blinatumomab to standard of care (SOC) chemotherapy (4 different regimens) in adults with Ph- relapsed/refractory BCP-ALL.

Blinatumomab produced higher response rates and nearly doubled OS compared to SOC. The median OS was 7.7 months in the blinatumomab arm and 4 months in the SOC arm. The hazard ratio for death was 0.71 (P=0.012).

The incidence of grade 3 or higher AEs was higher in the SOC arm, but the incidence of serious AEs was higher in the blinatumomab arm.

Photo from Penn Medicine

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended approval for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel).

The committee voted 10 to 0 in favor of approving CTL019 for the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients (ages 3 to 25) with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The FDA will consider this vote as it reviews the biologics license application (BLA) for CTL019, but the agency is not obligated to follow the ODAC’s recommendation.

The BLA for CTL019 is supported by results from 3 trials.

This includes a pilot study, which was presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting; the phase 2 ENSIGN trial, which was presented at the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting; and the phase 2 ELIANA study, which was recently presented at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA).

ELIANA enrolled 88 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL, and 68 of them received CTL019.

Nine patients did not receive CTL019 due to death or adverse events, 7 patients were affected by manufacturing failures, and 4 patients were pending infusion at last follow-up.

Most of the infused patients (n=65) received lymphodepleting chemotherapy prior to CTL019 (single dose). The median dose was 3.0 × 10⁶ (range, 0.2-5.4 × 10⁶) transduced CTL019 cells/kg.

Sixty-three patients were evaluable for efficacy.

The overall response rate—complete response (CR) plus CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi)—was 83% (52/63). All patients with CR/CRis were minimal residual disease-negative in the bone marrow.

Sixty-eight patients were evaluated for safety.

Serious adverse events occurred in 69% of patients. These included life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, neurological events that occurred with CRS or after CRS was resolved, coagulopathies with CRS, and life-threatening infections.

Seventy-eight percent of patients had CRS—21% with grade 3 and 27% with grade 4 CRS. There were no deaths from CRS.

Forty-four percent of patients had neurological toxicities—15% grade 3 or higher. These included encephalopathy, delirium, hallucinations, somnolence, cognitive disorder, seizure, depressed level of consciousness, mental status changes, dysphagia, muscular weakness, and dysarthria.

Severe infectious complications occurred in 26% of patients, and 3 patients died of such complications.

Eleven patients died after receiving CTL019—7 due to ALL, 1 from cerebral hemorrhage, 1 from encephalitis, 1 from a respiratory tract infection, and 1 from systemic mycosis.

Photo from Penn Medicine

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended approval for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel).

The committee voted 10 to 0 in favor of approving CTL019 for the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients (ages 3 to 25) with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The FDA will consider this vote as it reviews the biologics license application (BLA) for CTL019, but the agency is not obligated to follow the ODAC’s recommendation.

The BLA for CTL019 is supported by results from 3 trials.

This includes a pilot study, which was presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting; the phase 2 ENSIGN trial, which was presented at the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting; and the phase 2 ELIANA study, which was recently presented at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA).

ELIANA enrolled 88 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL, and 68 of them received CTL019.

Nine patients did not receive CTL019 due to death or adverse events, 7 patients were affected by manufacturing failures, and 4 patients were pending infusion at last follow-up.

Most of the infused patients (n=65) received lymphodepleting chemotherapy prior to CTL019 (single dose). The median dose was 3.0 × 10⁶ (range, 0.2-5.4 × 10⁶) transduced CTL019 cells/kg.

Sixty-three patients were evaluable for efficacy.

The overall response rate—complete response (CR) plus CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi)—was 83% (52/63). All patients with CR/CRis were minimal residual disease-negative in the bone marrow.

Sixty-eight patients were evaluated for safety.

Serious adverse events occurred in 69% of patients. These included life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, neurological events that occurred with CRS or after CRS was resolved, coagulopathies with CRS, and life-threatening infections.

Seventy-eight percent of patients had CRS—21% with grade 3 and 27% with grade 4 CRS. There were no deaths from CRS.

Forty-four percent of patients had neurological toxicities—15% grade 3 or higher. These included encephalopathy, delirium, hallucinations, somnolence, cognitive disorder, seizure, depressed level of consciousness, mental status changes, dysphagia, muscular weakness, and dysarthria.

Severe infectious complications occurred in 26% of patients, and 3 patients died of such complications.

Eleven patients died after receiving CTL019—7 due to ALL, 1 from cerebral hemorrhage, 1 from encephalitis, 1 from a respiratory tract infection, and 1 from systemic mycosis.

Photo from Penn Medicine

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended approval for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel).

The committee voted 10 to 0 in favor of approving CTL019 for the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients (ages 3 to 25) with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The FDA will consider this vote as it reviews the biologics license application (BLA) for CTL019, but the agency is not obligated to follow the ODAC’s recommendation.

The BLA for CTL019 is supported by results from 3 trials.

This includes a pilot study, which was presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting; the phase 2 ENSIGN trial, which was presented at the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting; and the phase 2 ELIANA study, which was recently presented at the 22nd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA).

ELIANA enrolled 88 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL, and 68 of them received CTL019.

Nine patients did not receive CTL019 due to death or adverse events, 7 patients were affected by manufacturing failures, and 4 patients were pending infusion at last follow-up.

Most of the infused patients (n=65) received lymphodepleting chemotherapy prior to CTL019 (single dose). The median dose was 3.0 × 10⁶ (range, 0.2-5.4 × 10⁶) transduced CTL019 cells/kg.

Sixty-three patients were evaluable for efficacy.

The overall response rate—complete response (CR) plus CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi)—was 83% (52/63). All patients with CR/CRis were minimal residual disease-negative in the bone marrow.

Sixty-eight patients were evaluated for safety.

Serious adverse events occurred in 69% of patients. These included life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, neurological events that occurred with CRS or after CRS was resolved, coagulopathies with CRS, and life-threatening infections.

Seventy-eight percent of patients had CRS—21% with grade 3 and 27% with grade 4 CRS. There were no deaths from CRS.

Forty-four percent of patients had neurological toxicities—15% grade 3 or higher. These included encephalopathy, delirium, hallucinations, somnolence, cognitive disorder, seizure, depressed level of consciousness, mental status changes, dysphagia, muscular weakness, and dysarthria.

Severe infectious complications occurred in 26% of patients, and 3 patients died of such complications.

Eleven patients died after receiving CTL019—7 due to ALL, 1 from cerebral hemorrhage, 1 from encephalitis, 1 from a respiratory tract infection, and 1 from systemic mycosis.

Photo by Bill Branson

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) has announced a positive opinion of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO, Mylotarg), a drug that was withdrawn from the US market in 2010.

In a vote of 6 to 1, the ODAC concluded that trial results suggest a favorable risk-benefit profile for low-dose GO given in combination with standard chemotherapy to patients with newly diagnosed, CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The ODAC’s role is to provide recommendations to the FDA. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the biologics license application (BLA) for GO by September 2017.

With this BLA, Pfizer is seeking approval for GO in 2 indications.

One is for GO in combination with standard chemotherapy (daunorubicin and cytarabine) for the treatment of previously untreated, de novo, CD33-positive AML.

The other is for GO monotherapy for CD33-positive AML patients in first relapse who are 60 years of age or older and who are not considered candidates for other cytotoxic chemotherapy.

GO is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate that consists of the cytotoxic agent calicheamicin attached to a monoclonal antibody targeting CD33.

GO was originally approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval program in 2000 for use as a single agent in patients with CD33-positive AML who had experienced their first relapse and were 60 years of age or older.

In 2010, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew GO from the US market due to the results of a confirmatory phase 3 trial, SWOG S0106.

This trial showed there was no clinical benefit for patients who received GO plus daunorubicin and cytarabine over patients who received only daunorubicin and cytarabine.

In addition, the rate of fatal, treatment-related toxicity was significantly higher in the GO arm of the study.

However, results of subsequent trials suggested that a lower dose of GO was safer.

The current BLA for GO includes data from such a study, known as ALFA-0701.

The ODAC voted that results from ALFA-0701 demonstrated a favorable risk-benefit profile for GO when the drug was given at 3 mg/m² on days 1, 4, and 7 in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine.

The BLA for GO also includes Pfizer-sponsored studies from the original new drug application for GO and a meta-analysis of patients in 5 randomized, phase 3 studies (including ALFA-0701). These studies span 10 years of research and include more than 4300 patients.

Photo by Bill Branson

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) has announced a positive opinion of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO, Mylotarg), a drug that was withdrawn from the US market in 2010.

In a vote of 6 to 1, the ODAC concluded that trial results suggest a favorable risk-benefit profile for low-dose GO given in combination with standard chemotherapy to patients with newly diagnosed, CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The ODAC’s role is to provide recommendations to the FDA. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the biologics license application (BLA) for GO by September 2017.

With this BLA, Pfizer is seeking approval for GO in 2 indications.

One is for GO in combination with standard chemotherapy (daunorubicin and cytarabine) for the treatment of previously untreated, de novo, CD33-positive AML.

The other is for GO monotherapy for CD33-positive AML patients in first relapse who are 60 years of age or older and who are not considered candidates for other cytotoxic chemotherapy.

GO is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate that consists of the cytotoxic agent calicheamicin attached to a monoclonal antibody targeting CD33.

GO was originally approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval program in 2000 for use as a single agent in patients with CD33-positive AML who had experienced their first relapse and were 60 years of age or older.

In 2010, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew GO from the US market due to the results of a confirmatory phase 3 trial, SWOG S0106.

This trial showed there was no clinical benefit for patients who received GO plus daunorubicin and cytarabine over patients who received only daunorubicin and cytarabine.

In addition, the rate of fatal, treatment-related toxicity was significantly higher in the GO arm of the study.

However, results of subsequent trials suggested that a lower dose of GO was safer.

The current BLA for GO includes data from such a study, known as ALFA-0701.

The ODAC voted that results from ALFA-0701 demonstrated a favorable risk-benefit profile for GO when the drug was given at 3 mg/m² on days 1, 4, and 7 in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine.

The BLA for GO also includes Pfizer-sponsored studies from the original new drug application for GO and a meta-analysis of patients in 5 randomized, phase 3 studies (including ALFA-0701). These studies span 10 years of research and include more than 4300 patients.

Photo by Bill Branson

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) has announced a positive opinion of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO, Mylotarg), a drug that was withdrawn from the US market in 2010.

In a vote of 6 to 1, the ODAC concluded that trial results suggest a favorable risk-benefit profile for low-dose GO given in combination with standard chemotherapy to patients with newly diagnosed, CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The ODAC’s role is to provide recommendations to the FDA. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the biologics license application (BLA) for GO by September 2017.

With this BLA, Pfizer is seeking approval for GO in 2 indications.

One is for GO in combination with standard chemotherapy (daunorubicin and cytarabine) for the treatment of previously untreated, de novo, CD33-positive AML.

The other is for GO monotherapy for CD33-positive AML patients in first relapse who are 60 years of age or older and who are not considered candidates for other cytotoxic chemotherapy.

GO is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate that consists of the cytotoxic agent calicheamicin attached to a monoclonal antibody targeting CD33.

GO was originally approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval program in 2000 for use as a single agent in patients with CD33-positive AML who had experienced their first relapse and were 60 years of age or older.

In 2010, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew GO from the US market due to the results of a confirmatory phase 3 trial, SWOG S0106.

This trial showed there was no clinical benefit for patients who received GO plus daunorubicin and cytarabine over patients who received only daunorubicin and cytarabine.

In addition, the rate of fatal, treatment-related toxicity was significantly higher in the GO arm of the study.

However, results of subsequent trials suggested that a lower dose of GO was safer.

The current BLA for GO includes data from such a study, known as ALFA-0701.

The ODAC voted that results from ALFA-0701 demonstrated a favorable risk-benefit profile for GO when the drug was given at 3 mg/m² on days 1, 4, and 7 in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine.

The BLA for GO also includes Pfizer-sponsored studies from the original new drug application for GO and a meta-analysis of patients in 5 randomized, phase 3 studies (including ALFA-0701). These studies span 10 years of research and include more than 4300 patients.

The answer to the billion dollar question – Does the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel-T) have a favorable risk-benefit profile for the treatment of children and young adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia? – was a unanimous “yes” at a July 12 meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

“This is the most exciting thing I have seen in my lifetime, and probably since the introduction of ‘multiagent total cancer care,’ as it was called then, for treatment of childhood leukemia,” remarked Timothy P. Cripe, MD, PhD, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and a temporary voting member of the ODAC.

Catherine M. Bollard, MD, MBChB, from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, also a temporary ODAC member, said that she voted “yes” because “this is a very poor-risk patient population, this is an unmet need in the pediatric population, and as you saw in the data [presented to ODAC] today, the clinical responses are remarkable. I think Novartis [the maker of CTL019] has done a great job putting together a plan for mitigating risk going forward.”

CTL019 was shown in a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial to induce an overall remission rate of 83% in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory ALL for whom at least two prior lines of therapy had failed. Based on these results, the FDA accepted a biologics license application for the agent from Novartis.

At the meeting, panel members initially seemed favorably disposed toward recommending approval but heard concerns from FDA scientists about the potential for severe or fatal adverse events such as the cytokine release syndrome (CRS); the possible generation of replication competent retrovirus (RCR); and the potential for secondary malignancies from insertional mutagenesis, the incorporation of portions of the lentiviral vector into the patient’s genome.

In his opening remarks, Wilson W. Bryan, MD, from the FDA’s Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Drug Research, commented that “the clinical development of tisagenlecleucel suggests that this is a life-saving product.”

He went on, however, to frame the FDA’s concerns: “Clinical trials are not always a good predictor of the effectiveness and safety of a marketed product,” he said. “In particular, we are concerned that the same benefit and safety seen in clinical trials may not carry over to routine clinical use.”

The purpose of the hearing was to focus on manufacturing issues related to product quality, including replicability of the product for commercial use and safety issues such as prevention of CRS and neurotoxicities.

“We are also concerned about the hypothetical risk of secondary malignancies. Therefore, we are asking for the committee’s recommendations regarding the nature and duration of follow-up of patients who would receive this product,” Dr. Bryan said.

“CTL019 is a living drug, which demonstrates activity after a single infusion,” said Samit Hirawat, MD, head of oncology global development for Novartis.

But the nature of CTL019 as a living drug also means that it is subject to variations in the ability of autologous T cells harvested via leukapheresis to be infected with the lentiviral vector and expanded into a population of CAR T cells large enough to have therapeutic value, said Xiaobin Victor Lu, PhD, a chemistry, manufacturing, and controls reviewer for the FDA.

Mitigation plan

Novartis’ proposed plan includes specific, long-term steps for mitigating the risk of CRS and neurologic events, such as cerebral edema, the latter of which caused the FDA to call for a clinical hold of the phase 2 ROCKET trial for a different CAR T-cell construct.

Among the proposed elements of the mitigation plan are a 15-year minimum pharmacovigilance program and long-term safety follow-up for adverse events related to the therapy, efficacy, immunogenicity, transgene persistence of CD19 CAR, and the incidence of second malignancies possibly related to insertional mutagenesis.

Novartis also will train treatment center staff on processes for cell collection, cryopreservation, transport, chain of identity, safety management, and logistics for handling the CAR T-cell product. The company proposes to provide on-site training of personnel on CRS and neurotoxicity risk and management, as well as to offer information to patients and caregivers about the signs and symptoms of adverse events of concern.

Dr. Cripe expressed his concerns that Novartis’ proposal to initially limit the mitigation plan to 30 or 35 treatment sites would create problems of access and economic disparities among patients, and could cause inequities among treatment centers even with the same city.

David Lebwohl, MD, head of the CAR T global program for Novartis, said that the planned number of sites for the mitigation program would be expanded after 6 to 12 months if the CAR T construct receives final approval and clinical implementation goes well.

There was nearly unanimous agreement among the panel members that the planned 15-year follow-up and other mitigation measures would be adequate for detecting serious short- and long-term consequences of CAR T-cell therapy.

Patient/advocate perspective

In the public comment section of the proceedings, panel members were urged to vote in favor of CTL019 by parents of children with ALL, including Don McMahon, whose son Connor received the therapy after multiple relapses, and Tom Whitehead, father of Emily Whitehead, the first patient to receive CAR T cells for ALL.

Both children are alive and doing well.

CTL019 is produced by Novartis.

The answer to the billion dollar question – Does the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel-T) have a favorable risk-benefit profile for the treatment of children and young adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia? – was a unanimous “yes” at a July 12 meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

“This is the most exciting thing I have seen in my lifetime, and probably since the introduction of ‘multiagent total cancer care,’ as it was called then, for treatment of childhood leukemia,” remarked Timothy P. Cripe, MD, PhD, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and a temporary voting member of the ODAC.

Catherine M. Bollard, MD, MBChB, from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, also a temporary ODAC member, said that she voted “yes” because “this is a very poor-risk patient population, this is an unmet need in the pediatric population, and as you saw in the data [presented to ODAC] today, the clinical responses are remarkable. I think Novartis [the maker of CTL019] has done a great job putting together a plan for mitigating risk going forward.”

CTL019 was shown in a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial to induce an overall remission rate of 83% in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory ALL for whom at least two prior lines of therapy had failed. Based on these results, the FDA accepted a biologics license application for the agent from Novartis.

At the meeting, panel members initially seemed favorably disposed toward recommending approval but heard concerns from FDA scientists about the potential for severe or fatal adverse events such as the cytokine release syndrome (CRS); the possible generation of replication competent retrovirus (RCR); and the potential for secondary malignancies from insertional mutagenesis, the incorporation of portions of the lentiviral vector into the patient’s genome.

In his opening remarks, Wilson W. Bryan, MD, from the FDA’s Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Drug Research, commented that “the clinical development of tisagenlecleucel suggests that this is a life-saving product.”

He went on, however, to frame the FDA’s concerns: “Clinical trials are not always a good predictor of the effectiveness and safety of a marketed product,” he said. “In particular, we are concerned that the same benefit and safety seen in clinical trials may not carry over to routine clinical use.”

The purpose of the hearing was to focus on manufacturing issues related to product quality, including replicability of the product for commercial use and safety issues such as prevention of CRS and neurotoxicities.

“We are also concerned about the hypothetical risk of secondary malignancies. Therefore, we are asking for the committee’s recommendations regarding the nature and duration of follow-up of patients who would receive this product,” Dr. Bryan said.

“CTL019 is a living drug, which demonstrates activity after a single infusion,” said Samit Hirawat, MD, head of oncology global development for Novartis.

But the nature of CTL019 as a living drug also means that it is subject to variations in the ability of autologous T cells harvested via leukapheresis to be infected with the lentiviral vector and expanded into a population of CAR T cells large enough to have therapeutic value, said Xiaobin Victor Lu, PhD, a chemistry, manufacturing, and controls reviewer for the FDA.

Mitigation plan

Novartis’ proposed plan includes specific, long-term steps for mitigating the risk of CRS and neurologic events, such as cerebral edema, the latter of which caused the FDA to call for a clinical hold of the phase 2 ROCKET trial for a different CAR T-cell construct.

Among the proposed elements of the mitigation plan are a 15-year minimum pharmacovigilance program and long-term safety follow-up for adverse events related to the therapy, efficacy, immunogenicity, transgene persistence of CD19 CAR, and the incidence of second malignancies possibly related to insertional mutagenesis.

Novartis also will train treatment center staff on processes for cell collection, cryopreservation, transport, chain of identity, safety management, and logistics for handling the CAR T-cell product. The company proposes to provide on-site training of personnel on CRS and neurotoxicity risk and management, as well as to offer information to patients and caregivers about the signs and symptoms of adverse events of concern.

Dr. Cripe expressed his concerns that Novartis’ proposal to initially limit the mitigation plan to 30 or 35 treatment sites would create problems of access and economic disparities among patients, and could cause inequities among treatment centers even with the same city.

David Lebwohl, MD, head of the CAR T global program for Novartis, said that the planned number of sites for the mitigation program would be expanded after 6 to 12 months if the CAR T construct receives final approval and clinical implementation goes well.

There was nearly unanimous agreement among the panel members that the planned 15-year follow-up and other mitigation measures would be adequate for detecting serious short- and long-term consequences of CAR T-cell therapy.

Patient/advocate perspective

In the public comment section of the proceedings, panel members were urged to vote in favor of CTL019 by parents of children with ALL, including Don McMahon, whose son Connor received the therapy after multiple relapses, and Tom Whitehead, father of Emily Whitehead, the first patient to receive CAR T cells for ALL.

Both children are alive and doing well.

CTL019 is produced by Novartis.

The answer to the billion dollar question – Does the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel-T) have a favorable risk-benefit profile for the treatment of children and young adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia? – was a unanimous “yes” at a July 12 meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

“This is the most exciting thing I have seen in my lifetime, and probably since the introduction of ‘multiagent total cancer care,’ as it was called then, for treatment of childhood leukemia,” remarked Timothy P. Cripe, MD, PhD, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and a temporary voting member of the ODAC.

Catherine M. Bollard, MD, MBChB, from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, also a temporary ODAC member, said that she voted “yes” because “this is a very poor-risk patient population, this is an unmet need in the pediatric population, and as you saw in the data [presented to ODAC] today, the clinical responses are remarkable. I think Novartis [the maker of CTL019] has done a great job putting together a plan for mitigating risk going forward.”

CTL019 was shown in a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial to induce an overall remission rate of 83% in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory ALL for whom at least two prior lines of therapy had failed. Based on these results, the FDA accepted a biologics license application for the agent from Novartis.

At the meeting, panel members initially seemed favorably disposed toward recommending approval but heard concerns from FDA scientists about the potential for severe or fatal adverse events such as the cytokine release syndrome (CRS); the possible generation of replication competent retrovirus (RCR); and the potential for secondary malignancies from insertional mutagenesis, the incorporation of portions of the lentiviral vector into the patient’s genome.

In his opening remarks, Wilson W. Bryan, MD, from the FDA’s Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Drug Research, commented that “the clinical development of tisagenlecleucel suggests that this is a life-saving product.”

He went on, however, to frame the FDA’s concerns: “Clinical trials are not always a good predictor of the effectiveness and safety of a marketed product,” he said. “In particular, we are concerned that the same benefit and safety seen in clinical trials may not carry over to routine clinical use.”

The purpose of the hearing was to focus on manufacturing issues related to product quality, including replicability of the product for commercial use and safety issues such as prevention of CRS and neurotoxicities.

“We are also concerned about the hypothetical risk of secondary malignancies. Therefore, we are asking for the committee’s recommendations regarding the nature and duration of follow-up of patients who would receive this product,” Dr. Bryan said.

“CTL019 is a living drug, which demonstrates activity after a single infusion,” said Samit Hirawat, MD, head of oncology global development for Novartis.

But the nature of CTL019 as a living drug also means that it is subject to variations in the ability of autologous T cells harvested via leukapheresis to be infected with the lentiviral vector and expanded into a population of CAR T cells large enough to have therapeutic value, said Xiaobin Victor Lu, PhD, a chemistry, manufacturing, and controls reviewer for the FDA.

Mitigation plan

Novartis’ proposed plan includes specific, long-term steps for mitigating the risk of CRS and neurologic events, such as cerebral edema, the latter of which caused the FDA to call for a clinical hold of the phase 2 ROCKET trial for a different CAR T-cell construct.

Among the proposed elements of the mitigation plan are a 15-year minimum pharmacovigilance program and long-term safety follow-up for adverse events related to the therapy, efficacy, immunogenicity, transgene persistence of CD19 CAR, and the incidence of second malignancies possibly related to insertional mutagenesis.

Novartis also will train treatment center staff on processes for cell collection, cryopreservation, transport, chain of identity, safety management, and logistics for handling the CAR T-cell product. The company proposes to provide on-site training of personnel on CRS and neurotoxicity risk and management, as well as to offer information to patients and caregivers about the signs and symptoms of adverse events of concern.

Dr. Cripe expressed his concerns that Novartis’ proposal to initially limit the mitigation plan to 30 or 35 treatment sites would create problems of access and economic disparities among patients, and could cause inequities among treatment centers even with the same city.

David Lebwohl, MD, head of the CAR T global program for Novartis, said that the planned number of sites for the mitigation program would be expanded after 6 to 12 months if the CAR T construct receives final approval and clinical implementation goes well.

There was nearly unanimous agreement among the panel members that the planned 15-year follow-up and other mitigation measures would be adequate for detecting serious short- and long-term consequences of CAR T-cell therapy.

Patient/advocate perspective

In the public comment section of the proceedings, panel members were urged to vote in favor of CTL019 by parents of children with ALL, including Don McMahon, whose son Connor received the therapy after multiple relapses, and Tom Whitehead, father of Emily Whitehead, the first patient to receive CAR T cells for ALL.

Both children are alive and doing well.

CTL019 is produced by Novartis.