Consensus recommendations on the management of toxicity associated with CD3×CD20 bispecific antibody therapy.

ABSTRACT: Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) that target CD3 and CD20 represent a new milestone in the treatment of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These drugs have demonstrated remarkable single-agent activity in patients with heavily pretreated disease, and 3 drugs have so far received regulatory approvals in various countries. However, BsAbs can potentially lead to severe toxicity associated with T-cell activation, particularly cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The anticipated widespread use of these off-the-shelf products poses challenges for implementation and highlights the need for guidance in anticipating, mitigating, and managing adverse events. In clinical trials, guidance for the evaluation and treatment of CRS and neurotoxicity associated with BsAb therapy has been modeled after algorithms originally created for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies and other immune effector therapies, yet notable differences in timing, quality, and severity exist between the toxicities of BsAbs and CAR T-cell therapies. We therefore convened an international panel of academic and community practice physicians, advanced practitioners, registered nurses, and pharmacists with experience using CD3×CD20 BsAbs in clinical trial and off-trial settings to provide comprehensive, consensus-based recommendations specific to the assessment and management of CD3×CD20 BsAb-related toxicities.

A review of the incidence of tumor lysis syndrome in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with venetoclax and debulking strategies.

We reviewed the literature (January 2010-June 2021) on the effectiveness of debulking strategies before venetoclax initiation in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia to reduce tumor burden, downgrade tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) risk, and avoid hospitalization. Low TLS incidence and reduced TLS risk based on tumor burden were reported following debulking in clinical trials. Real-world observational studies reporting debulking regimens recorded no TLS events, and those without debulking strategies had greater TLS incidence. Debulking prior to venetoclax considerably reduces TLS incidence. Further clinical trials and real-world studies may provide additional evidence on effectiveness of debulking in reducing TLS incidence and hospitalization need.

Prognostic risk score for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with targeted therapies or chemoimmunotherapy: a retrospective, pooled cohort study with external validations.

BACKGROUND: Clinically validated prognostic models for overall survival do not exist for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who are on targeted therapies. We aimed to create a prognostic model to identify high-risk individuals who do not achieve a good outcome with available targeted therapies. METHODS: In this retrospective, pooled cohort study, 2475 patients with CLL treated between June 22, 2012, and Sept 23, 2015, in six randomised trials of ibrutinib, idelalisib, and venetoclax, or at the Mayo Clinic CLL Database (MCCD) were included. Eligible patients had CLL, were previously treated, were aged 18 years or older, had ECOG performance status 0-1, and required further treatment as per the international workshop on CLL 2008 criteria. There was heterogeneity in other eligibility criteria. We evaluated 28 candidate factors known to affect the overall survival of these patients and applied univariate and multivariate analyses to derive the risk score in a training dataset (n=727) of patients treated with ibrutinib or chemoimmunotherapy. We validated the score in an internal-validation dataset (n=242) of patients treated with ibrutinib or chemoimmunotherapy and three external-validation datasets (idelalisib or chemoimmunotherapy dataset, n=897; venetoclax or chemoimmunotherapy dataset, n=389; and the MCCD [including patients treated with heterogeneous therapies], n=220), applying C-statistics as a measure of discrimination. FINDINGS: The derived model consisted of four factors (one point each; serum ß2-microglobulin ≥5 mg/dL, lactate dehydrogenase >upper limit of normal, haemoglobin <110 g/L for women or <120 g/L for men, and time from initiation of last therapy <24 months), separating patients into low (score 0-1), intermediate (score 2-3), and high risk (score 4) groups. The risk score was prognostic for overall survival in the training dataset (CS=0·74, 95% CI 0·60-0·85, log-rank p<0·0001), and in the internal-validation (CS=0·79, 0·56-0·97, log-rank p=0·0003), and all three external-validation cohorts (idelalisib or chemoimmunotherapy: CS=0·71, 0·59-0·81, log-rank p<0·0001; venetoclax or chemoimmunotherapy: CS =0·76, 0·66-0·85, log-rank p=0·014; MCCD cohort: CS=0·61, 0·56-0·66), log-rank p<0·0001). The risk score is available on Calculate by QxMD. INTERPRETATION: We present the first validated risk score to predict overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL treated with targeted therapy. The model is applicable to patients treated with all currently approved targeted therapies (ibrutinib, idelalisib, and venetoclax) and chemoimmunotherapy. This tool allows the identification of a well defined cohort of previously treated patients with CLL who are at high risk of death, and could be used in future prospective trials to test therapeutic options for these patients with an unmet clinical need. FUNDING: Lymphoma Research Foundation, Lymphoma Research Fund (Andrew D Zelenetz), and National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute.

A phase 2, open-label study of brentuximab vedotin in patients with CD30-expressing solid tumors.

Purpose Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate used in the treatment of several types of lymphomas. Expression of the target antigen has also been reported on a variety of malignant tumors of nonlymphoid origin. This phase 2, open-label study evaluated the safety and antitumor activity of BV in patients with CD30-expressing nonlymphomatous malignancies. Methods Patients were dosed with 1.8 or 2.4 mg/kg BV once every three weeks. Antitumor activity was assessed at Cycles 2, 4, and every 4 cycles thereafter. Patients with stable disease or better were eligible to continue treatment until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or study closure. Results Of the 2693 patients screened, 3.8% had solid tumors with CD30 expression and 63 eligible patients with solid tumors enrolled in this study. The most common CD30 positive solid tumors were testicular cancer and mesothelioma. Both subtypes had more than one patient with an objective response. The median duration of BV exposure was 6.1 weeks. The disease control rate, defined as achieving stable disease or better at any point during the study, was 55%. The objective response rate was 11%, with a median duration of response of 2.92 months. The most common adverse events reported were fatigue (57%), nausea (33%), and decreased appetite (32%). Conclusion The safety profile of BV in patients with solid tumors was similar to the known safety profile of BV. In solid tumors, BV had modest activity as a single agent, which was similar to other second-line treatments already available to patients.

Evaluation of the CLL-IPI in relapsed and refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia in idelalisib phase-3 trials.

The CLL-IPI is a risk-weighted prognostic model for previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but has not been evaluated in patients with relapsed CLL or on novel therapies. We evaluated the CLL-IPI in 897 patients with relapsed/refractory CLL in 3 randomized trials testing idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor). The CLL-IPI identified patients as low (2.2%), intermediate (12.8%), high (48.7%), and very high (36.2%) risk and was prognostic for survival (log-rank p < .0001; C-statistic 0.706). Of CLL-IPI factors, age >65, ß2-microglobulin >3.5mg/L, unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene, and deletion 17p/TP53 mutation were independently prognostic, but Rai I-IV or Binet B/C was not. The CLL-IPI is prognostic for survival in relapsed CLL and with idelalisib therapy. However, low/intermediate risk is uncommon, and regression parameters of individual factors in this risk-weighted model appear different in relapsed CLL. Reassessment of the weighting of the individual variables might optimize the model in this setting.

Extended Antitumor Response of a BRAF V600E Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma to Vemurafenib.

CONTEXT: For patients with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, systemic chemotherapy has limited efficacy. Such tumors frequently harbor BRAF V600E, and this alteration may predict responsiveness to vemurafenib treatment. OBJECTIVE: We report a metastatic PTC patient refractory to RAI treatment that underwent genomic profiling by next-generation sequencing. The sole genomic alteration identified was BRAF V600E on a near diploid genome with trisomy 1q. With vemurafenib treatment, the patient experienced a dramatic radiographic and clinical improvement, with the duration of an ongoing antitumor response exceeding 23 months. DESIGN: Hybridization capture of 3,769 exons of 236 cancer-related genes and the introns of 19 genes frequently rearranged in cancer was applied to >50 ng of DNA extracted from a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy of a lymph node containing metastatic PTC and was sequenced to a high, uniform coverage of ×616. RESULTS: A BRAF V600E alteration was identified with no other somatic genomic alterations present within a near diploid tumor genome. The patient initially received vemurafenib at 960 mg twice daily that was reduced to 480 mg twice daily due to rash and diarrhea and has experienced an ongoing antitumor response exceeding 23 months by both PET-CT and dedicated CT imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Genomic profiling in metastatic, RAI-refractory PTC can reveal a targetable BRAF V600E alteration without compounding somatic alterations, and such patients may derive a more prolonged benefit from vemurafenib treatment. Prospective clinical trials are ongoing to confirm our preliminary observation.