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The placebo controlled CLLM1 trial evaluated the efficacy of lenalidomide maintenance treatment in patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in first remission after chemoimmunotherapy (CIT). Upon observation of three cases with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in overall 56 lenalidomide treated patients (5.4%), the study treatment was prematurely stopped. Using next generation sequencing of B cell and T cell receptor (TR) rearrangements, we here report common clonal B cell ancestry between CLL and ALL in one of those three patients, in whom both diseases shared the same VDJ- as well as crosslineage TR rearrangements. Chromosomal/mutation analyses indicated that in this patient the ALL developed from a common B cell precursor which lacks genomic lesions acquired in the CLL subclone, but shares a BIRC3 frameshift deletion (p.L421fs*). In two cases we found independent IGH rearrangements indicating de novo ALL development from a different B cell clone. A retrospective cohort analysis of >1600 CLL patients treated with first-line CIT in previously reported phase 2-3 studies of the German CLL study group, yielded a significantly lower cumulative incidence of ALL at 12.6 cases/100,000 patient years, compared to 1345.5 cases/100,000 patient-years observed in the lenalidomide arm of the CLLM1 study. Given our results and increasing knowledge on the biological effects of lenalidomide in bone marrow precursor cells, we discuss the potential involvement of lenalidomide in the pathogenesis of ALL in CLL patients.

Introduction: The randomized Phase III MURANO study (NCT02005471) compared fixed-duration VenR with standard bendamustine-rituximab (BR) in R/R CLL. Deep responses with uMRD were associated with superior progression-free survival (PFS) of VenR vs BR with 48 months (mo) follow-up (f/u). We now report long-term MRD kinetics and updated efficacy outcomes, including re-exposure to VenR (to be presented), with a 5 year (yr) median follow-up (clinical cutoff date May 8, 2020). Methods: As published, pts were randomized to VenR (Ven 400 mg daily for 2 yrs + standard dose R for the first 6 mo) or B (70 mg/m2)R (6 mo). A sub-study was introduced in 2018, allowing pts who developed progressive disease (PD) following Tx with BR or VenR to receive the MURANO VenR regimen. PFS was based on investigator assessment. Peripheral blood MRD was analyzed centrally by allele-specific oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction and/or flow cytometry. Pts were categorized by MRD status as previously reported, using Results: 389 pts were enrolled (VenR, n=194; BR, n=195). With a median f/u of 59.2 (range, 0-71.5) mo, the PFS benefit with VenR over BR was sustained (HR, 0.19 [95% CI: 0.15-0.26]; p Improved OS outcome was observed among the VenR pts that reached EOT without PD and had uMRD (83/118) compared with those with MRD (35/118), with 3-yr post-EOT survival estimates of 95.3% (95% CI: 90.0-100.0) vs 85.0% (95% CI: 72.8-97.2), respectively (Figure 1). Of the pts with uMRD at EOT, 32/83 had not shown PD and remained uMRD at the 5-yr update, 4/83 had PD without prior confirmed MRD conversion and 47/83 had MRD conversion. Median time to MRD conversion from EOT was 19.4 (95% CI: 8.7-28.3) mo. Of the 47/83 pts with confirmed MRD conversion, 19 subsequently developed PD by International Workshop on CLL criteria with a median time to PD from MRD conversion of 25.2 (95% CI: 19.4-30.4) mo. These 19 pts exhibited more rapidly increasing rates of MRD post-EOT than pts that had MRD conversion but were PD-free (Figure 2). Among pts that were uMRD at EOT, the baseline presence of del(17p), GC and unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGVH) were each associated with increased risk of MRD conversion and subsequent PD post-EOT (Table 1). All 4 pts with del(17p) experienced MRD conversion with subsequent PD. 8/18 (44%) pts with GC vs 8/40 (20%) pts without GC eventually converted to MRD and developed PD. The rate of MRD conversion with eventual PD was also higher among those with unmutated IGVH (21/56; 37%) than those without (1/23; 4%). Once uMRD at EOT was achieved, pts without del(17p) or GC, or with mutated IGVH, were more likely to maintain uMRD or experience MRD conversion without subsequent PD at this follow-up (Table 1). No new safety signals were identified. Excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, 2 second primary malignancies (VenR [acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma]) were reported since the previous update. Rates of Richter transformation remained balanced between treatment arms (7 on VenR, 6 on BR). Following PD on the main study, 29 pts were enrolled in the sub-study (re-treatment; n=21, crossover; n=8). Further data on their biologic profile, updated response rates, and MRD in the re-treatment cohort will be presented. Conclusions: Five-yr data from MURANO demonstrate sustained PFS and OS benefit with VenR vs BR. In the VenR cohort, uMRD at EOT is associated with improved OS. Unmutated IGVH, del(17p) and GC (≥3 CNV) are associated with higher rates of MRD conversion and subsequent PD after attaining uMRD at EOT. Overall, a substantial proportion of pts who completed Ven Tx retained uMRD 36 mo after treatment cessation, displaying durable response following 2-yr fixed-duration VenR. Disclosures Kater: Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding. Kipps:Pharmacyclics/ AbbVie, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc., Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) - The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM): Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc.: Other: Cirmtuzumab was developed by Thomas J. Kipps in the Thomas J. Kipps laboratory and licensed by the University of California to Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc., which provided stock options and research funding to the Thomas J. Kipps laboratory, Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; VelosBio: Research Funding; Ascerta/AstraZeneca, Celgene, Genentech/F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Gilead, Janssen, Loxo Oncology, Octernal Therapeutics, Pharmacyclics/AbbVie, TG Therapeutics, VelosBio, and Verastem: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Eichhorst:F. Hoffmann-LaRoche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; ArQule: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; Oxford Biomedica: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; Janssen-Cilag: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding. Hillmen:Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding. D'Rozario:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Owen:AbbVie, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Astrazeneca, Merck, Servier, Novartis, Teva: Honoraria. Assouline:AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Research Funding. Lamanna:MingSight: Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Oncternal, Verastem, TG Therapeutics: Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno: Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Loxo: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bei-Gene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Institutional research grants, Research Funding; Octapharma: Research Funding; Columbia University Medical Center: Current Employment; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Robak:Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Janssen, Roche, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB: Research Funding; Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Novartis, Janssen, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB, Sandoz: Honoraria; Sandoz, Janssen, AbbVie, Roche, Gilead: Consultancy. de la Serna:F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Janssen, Roche, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB: Research Funding; Abbvie, AstraZeneca: Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses; Abbvie, Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Gilead, AstraZeneca, Abbvie, Janssen, Sandoz, F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy; Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Novartis, Janssen, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB, Sandoz: Honoraria. Jaeger:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding. Cartron:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Jansen: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria. Montillo:Gilead: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; Verastem: Honoraria. Mellink:Genentech, Inc: Research Funding; Amsterdam University Medical Centre: Current Employment. Chyla:AbbVie: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wilson:Roche Products Limited: Current Employment. Wu:Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Jiang:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment. Lefebure:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Boyer:Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company). Seymour:Mei Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; Nurix: Honoraria; Morphosys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

Background: Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are a preferred treatment option in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Acalabrutinib (acala) is a next-generation, highly selective, covalent BTK inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with CLL including those with R/R disease. In the primary analysis of the ASCEND study with a median follow-up duration of 16.1 months, acala monotherapy demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with idelalisib (Id) plus rituximab (R) (IdR) or bendamustine (B) plus R (BR) and favorable safety in patients with R/R CLL (Ghia et al. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38:2849-2861). Herein we report results of the ASCEND study at 3 years of follow-up. Methods: In this randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study (NCT02970318), patients with R/R CLL were randomized 1:1 to receive acala 100 mg orally (PO) twice daily or investigator's (INV) choice of IdR (Id: 150 mg PO twice daily; R: 375 x1 then 500 mg/m 2 intravenously [IV] for 8 total infusions) or BR (B: 70 mg/m 2 IV and R: 375 x1 then 500 mg/m 2 IV for 6 total cycles) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Crossover to the acala monotherapy arm was permitted in patients who progressed on IdR or BR. Assessments included INV-assessed PFS, overall survival (OS), INV-assessed overall response rate (ORR), and safety. Results: A total of 310 patients (acala, n=155; IdR, n=119; BR, n=36) were enrolled (median age: 67 y; del(17p) 16%, unmutated IGHV 78%, Rai stage 3/4 42%). At a median (range) follow-up of 36.0 (0.5-44.0) and 35.2 (0.03-42.5) months (data cutoff: October 26, 2020) for acala and IdR/BR, respectively, acala significantly prolonged INV-assessed PFS vs IdR/BR (median: not reached [NR] vs 16.8 months, respectively; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21, 0.41; P Adverse events (AEs) occurring in ≥15% of patients in any treatment arm are shown in the Table; the most commonly reported all-grade AEs (≥20%) with acala were headache (23%), neutropenia (23%), diarrhea (21%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%); with IdR, diarrhea (53%) and neutropenia (47%); and with BR, neutropenia (34%), fatigue (23%), infusion-related reaction (23%), and nausea (20%). Serious AEs (SAEs) were reported in 38% of acala, 63% of IdR, and 26% of BR patients; SAEs reported in ≥5% of patients in any treatment arm were pneumonia (acala 8%, IdR 9%, BR 3%), pyrexia (acala 2%, IdR 7%, BR 3%), and diarrhea (acala 1%, IdR 15%, BR 0%). AEs led to drug discontinuation in 21% of acala, 65% of IdR, and 17% of BR patients. Events of clinical interest included all-grade atrial fibrillation/flutter (acala 6%, IdR/BR 3%), all-grade hypertension (acala 7%, IdR/BR 4%), all-grade major hemorrhage (acala 3%, IdR/BR 3%), grade ≥3 infections (acala 25%, IdR/BR 27%), and all-grade second primary malignancies excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (acala 7%, IdR/BR 3%). Conclusions: At 3 years of follow-up, the efficacy of acala monotherapy was maintained, showing a significant PFS benefit over standard-of-care regimens in patients with R/R CLL. Acala also maintained an acceptable tolerability profile with no new safety findings identified with longer-term follow-up. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Jurczak: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BeiGene, Celtrion, Celgene, Debbiopharm, Epizyme, Incyte, Janssen, Loxo Oncology, Merck, Mei Pharma, Morphosys, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sandoz, Takeda, TG Therapeutics, Pharmacyclics, Affirmed, Gilead Sciences, Nordic Nanovecto: Research Funding; AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Janssen, Loxo Oncology, Sandoz, Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; European Medicines Agency, Sandoz-Novartis, Janssen China R&D, BeiGene, Epizyme, Acerta, AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Jagiellonian University: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology: Current Employment. Pluta: Celgene, Servier, Takeda, Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses; Janssen-Cilag, Kartos Therapeutics, Iqvia, Roche, Acerta Pharma, Pharmacyclics, BeiGene, Takeda: Research Funding; National University of Sanok: Current Employment; Szpital Specjalistyczny w Brzozowie: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Lysak: Novartis, Janssen-Cilag, AbbVie; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding. Šimkovič: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen-Cilag, Gilead, Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel Grants. Kriachok: Takeda, Roche, Abbivie, Janssen, MSD: Consultancy; Takeda, Roche, Abbvie, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Illes: Novartis, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche: Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses; Takeda, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Janssen, Celgene, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda, Roche: Consultancy. de la Serna: ABBVIE, ASTRAZENECA,ROCHE: Research Funding; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Beigene, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Jazzpharma, Novartis, Roche: Consultancy; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Roche: Speakers Bureau. Campbell: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding. Musuraca: Janssen, Roche, Incyte: Honoraria; Janssen, Roche, Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen, Incyte, Roche: Consultancy. Jacob: Astrazeneca, GlaxoSmithKilne: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Horizon Discovery, Oxford Biomedica: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Clinical Haematology Services: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie, Astrazeneca: Honoraria. Avery: Macrogenics, Moderna: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months. Wang: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Yu: AstraZeneca: Current Employment; EMD Serono Research Institute: Ended employment in the past 24 months; AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie, Abbott: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Merck KGaA: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months. Ghia: AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Acerta/AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; ArQule/MSD: Consultancy, Honoraria; BeiGene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene/Juno/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis: Research Funding.

Introduction: The BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Ven) has been approved on monotherapy or combined with rituximab in relapsed/refractory CLL patients (pts) and combined with obinutuzumab in previously untreated CLL pts. However, evidence from clinical trials can be difficult to generalize to real-world patient populations. The VENARES study assesses the real-world use of Ven following approval to inform of subpopulations underrepresented in clinical trials. Methods: This is Spanish non-interventional retrospective, multicenter post-marketing observational study. The main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of Ven in adult CLL pts by the overall response rate (ORR) at 9 months (mo) after the first Ven dose administration. Secondary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness for the Ven monotherapy and the Ven combined with rituximab subpopulations. Consecutive adult pts with diagnosis of CLL who have initiated Ven at least 9 mo before the inclusion in the study were included. Data of pts are retrospectively reviewed until the date of last follow-up or death. Results: 125 pts diagnosed with CLL and who met the eligibility criteria were analyzed. The median age was 72 years (67 - 77) with 76.8% being older than 65 years. Most patients were male (68.8%), had a concurrent disease (65.6%). ECOG PS was recorded in 76 pts: 40 pts (32%) had PS 0, 30 pts (24%) PS 1 and 6 pts (4.8%) PS 2. Pts had received a median of 4 prior lines of therapy (range 1-13 lines). At baseline, among the 92 pts with known Binet stage, 31 (33.7%) had stage C and 38 (41.3%) had stage B; bulky nodes ≥ 5 cm were present in 20 of 87 pts; 49 pts (39.2%) had an absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 25 x 10 9/L and 33 of 54 pts (61%) baseline beta-2 microglobulin value above of 3500 ng/mL. In total, 29 of 90 patients (32%) assessed had Cr 17p deletion, 28 of 86 patients (32%) tested had TP53 mutations, and 46 of 56 patients (82%) who were tested had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable (IGHV) status. Ven was administered as monotherapy in 71 pts (57.6%), combined with rituximab in 36 pts (28.8%), combined with obinutuzumab in 5 pts (4%) and combined with other drugs in 13 pts (10.4%). 83 of 125 patients included were evaluable for the primary objective of the study: the ORR at 9 mo was 84.3% (70 patients): CR/CRi in 44 (53%) pts, PR/nPR in 26 pts (31.3%), SD in 9 pts (10.8%) and PD in 4 pts (4.8%). By treatment, in the evaluable patients, ORR at 9 months were 79.2% (38 of 48 patients) in the Ven monotherapy group, with 45% of CR/CRi, and 92.3% (24 of 26 patients) in the Ven combined with rituximab, with 61% CR/Cri. The median duration of PFS was not reached at the time of the analysis (1-June-2021). Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of PFS at 24 mo was 75.4% (95% CI, 58.2 - 86.3). Disease progression occurred in 21 pts. Assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) was available for 32 patients (25.6%) on the basis of peripheral-blood samples, bone marrow or both. Best undetectable MRD was reached in fourteen patients (43.8%). uMRD was more common in pts treated with Ven combined with R (83.3%, 5 of 6 pts) than in pts treated with Ven monotherapy (33.3%, 7 of 21 pts). Adverse events (AEs) were reported during Ven therapy in all 125 patients, 93 of these pts reported AEs related to Ven. Related to Ven, 67 patients (53.6%) experienced at least one AE: 52 pts (41.6%) had neutropenia being grade 3 and 4 in 22 (42.3%) and 9 (17.3%) pts, respectively. 9 pts (7.2%) had febrile neutropenia. Thrombocytopenia and anemia were less common occurring in 5.6% and 2.4%, respectively. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) occurred in 4 of 125 pts during ramp-up (3 laboratory and 1 clinical), 2 of them were related to Ven both lab TLS. None of the pts discontinued therapy due to TLS. Richter transformation was observed in 6 pts (4.8%). Other common AEs was diarrhea (10.4%), but most cases were mild. Conclusions: Our first real-world data show that Ven monotherapy or combined with rituximab is effective in highly pre-treated CLL patients, ORR at 9 mo was 84.3% in all population and PFS estimate at 24 mo was 75.4% with similar outcomes to those in the pivotal clinical trials. The safety profile of Ven was consistent with prior experience of Ven in monotherapy or combined with rituximab and no new safety signals were detected. Disclosures Baltasar: Janssen, Abbvie: Consultancy. Terol: Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel; BMS: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel; Hospital Clinico Valencia: Current Employment. Moreno: Janssen, Abbvie: Research Funding; Abbvie, Janssen, AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Abbvie, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Osorio: Janssen, Abbvie, Roche: Consultancy. De la Cruz: Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; EUSA Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JANSSEN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Kirkin: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. de la Serna: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Roche: Speakers Bureau; ABBVIE, ASTRAZENECA,ROCHE: Research Funding; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Beigene, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Jazzpharma, Novartis, Roche: Consultancy. Arguiñano: Takeda, Sanofi, Janssen, BMS-Celgene, Abbvie: Speakers Bureau; Takeda, Sanofi, Janssen, BMS-Celgene, Abbvie: Consultancy. Loscertales: Janssen, Abbvie, Roche, Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Janssen, Abbvie, Astra-Zeneca, Beigene, Roche, Gilead: Consultancy. García: Janssen, Roche, Gilead, Celgene: Consultancy; Janssen, AbbVie: Research Funding; Janssen, Roche, Gilead, AbbVie, Celgene: Other: medical meetings funding. Pérez Persona: BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; GSK: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy. Pérez-Encinas: Janssen: Consultancy. Caballero: Celgene, Janssen, Novartis, Abbvie: Speakers Bureau; Celgene, Janssen, Amgen: Consultancy. Ruiz-Zorrilla: Abbvie: Current Employment. Moreno: abbvie: Current Employment. Ferrà: Janssen, Roche, Gilead, Takeda, Abbvie: Consultancy; Janssen, Roche, Gilead, AbbVie: Other: medical meetings funding.

Introduction: Venetoclax (Ven) is an orally administered, highly selective inhibitor of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2). Fixed-duration VenR improved outcomes versus standard bendamustine-rituximab (BR) in the randomized Phase III MURANO study (NCT02005471; Seymour et al. N Engl J Med 2018) and is now a standard of care for the treatment of pts with R/R CLL. There are currently limited data to guide subsequent therapies when relapse occurs after fixed-duration VenR and uncertainty regarding the efficacy of repeated VenR treatment. Here, we report the response rates to follow-up therapy with Ven and Ven-based regimens, or exposure to Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) salvage therapy, following pts' participation in the MURANO trial. Methods: Pts were randomized to VenR (Ven 400 mg daily for 2 years [yrs] plus monthly R for the first 6 months [mo]) or BR (6 mo). The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Pts in either arm with disease progression were followed for overall survival (OS) and disease response to any subsequent anti-CLL therapeutic regimens. Pts who initiated new anti-CLL therapy, but who had not had a response assessment reported by the principal investigator, were considered unevaluable. Results: 389 pts were enrolled in MURANO (VenR, n=194; BR, n=195). At a clinical cutoff date of May 8, 2020, all main study pts had ceased treatment with a median follow-up of 59 mo (range 0-71.5). PFS and OS benefits were maintained at the 5-yr follow-up (Kater et al. Submitted to ASH 2020). Following disease progression, 67/87 (77.0%) VenR pts and 123/148 (83.1%) BR pts had received subsequent anti-CLL therapy. The time to next therapy (TTNT) from study entry was longer following VenR versus BR, with a median TTNT of 57.8 (95% CI: 55.1-NE) mo versus 23.9 (95% CI: 20.7-29.5) mo (HR, 0.26 [95% CI: 0.20-0.35]; p Of the BR pts receiving subsequent therapy; 99/123 (80.5%) pts received novel targeted therapy alone or in combination with other agents (BTKi, n=72; phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitors [PI3Ki], n=10; Ven, n=15; or other investigational medicinal products [IMP], n=2) while the remaining 24 pts received chemoimmunotherapy. Of pts previously treated with BR, the BOR rate to novel targeted agents was 84.4% among evaluable pts (83.9% for BTKi and 80.0% for Ven-based therapy; Table 1). Fifty two of 67 pts in the VenR arm received subsequent novel therapy (BTKi, n=18; PI3Ki, n=1; Ven [alone or in combination], n=32; IMP, n=1). The BOR rate to these targeted agents was 79.4% among evaluable pts. After a median treatment-free interval of 13.5 (range 0.0-41.3) mo, 18 VenR pts received a BTKi as their next line of therapy (all were BTKi naïve). These pts achieved high overall response rates (ORR): 14/14 (100% of pts with an evaluable assessment) at a median treatment duration of 21.9 (range 5.6-59.2) mo, with 10 pts continuing on BTKi therapy at this follow-up. After a median treatment-free interval of 23.7 (range 3.3-43.8) mo, 32 VenR pts were re-treated with Ven-based regimens; 21 were enrolled in the re-treatment arm of the MURANO sub-study and 11 were treated outside of the sub-study. The BOR to re-treatment with Ven or Ven-containing therapies was 72.2% of evaluable pts (Table 1). Among these pts, initial response to VenR at the main study end of combination treatment response visit was 100% (6 complete response [CR]/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery; 12 partial response), with 77.8% (14/18) achieving undetectable minimal residual disease and 15/18 completing the initial 2 yrs of Ven therapy without progression. Median treatment duration in evaluable pts re-treated with Ven-based regimens was 11.4 (range 0.7-37.6) mo with 50% of pts continuing on therapy. Conclusions: Five-yr data from MURANO demonstrated sustained TTNT benefit with VenR versus BR. Despite >80% of relapsed BR pts receiving salvage therapy with a novel agent, OS rates remain superior with VenR therapy. Relapsed VenR pts demonstrated high ORR to either subsequent BTKi therapy or re-exposure to Ven-based regimens. These data show early use of fixed-duration VenR in R/R CLL is an effective approach and does not compromise subsequent therapy response or OS. Disclosures Owen: AbbVie, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Astrazeneca, Merck, Servier, Novartis, Teva: Honoraria. D'Rozario:AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Robak:GSK: Research Funding; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Research Funding; Medical University of Lodz: Current Employment; Morphosys: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy; UCB: Honoraria, Research Funding; Octapharma: Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sandoz: Consultancy, Honoraria; UTX-TGR: Research Funding; Momenta: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Honoraria, Research Funding; BioGene: Honoraria, Research Funding. Kater:Celgene, F. Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech, Astra Zeneca, Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene, F. Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech, Astra Zeneca, Janssen: Research Funding. Montillo:AbbVie: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Honoraria. de la Serna:Abbvie, AstraZeneca: Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses; Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Novartis, Janssen, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB, Sandoz: Honoraria; Gilead, AstraZeneca, Abbvie, Janssen, Sandoz, F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy; Abbvie, Janssen: Speakers Bureau; F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Abbvie, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Janssen, Roche, Acerta, AstraZeneca, BioGene, UCB: Research Funding. Trněný:Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General Hospital in Prague: Current Employment; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy. Kim:AbbVie, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months, Other: may hold stock or other options. Bataillard:Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Roche Products Limited (temporary clinical fellowship as a fixed-term sabbatical from Hematology specialty training fellowship at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust): Current Employment. Lefebure:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Boyer:Roche: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company). Seymour:Mei Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy; Nurix: Honoraria; Morphosys: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

Introduction Venetoclax (Ven) is a highly selective oral inhibitor of BCL2, a key regulator of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, which is constitutively overexpressed in CLL. Efficacy and safety of VenR given for a fixed duration in R/R CLL was evaluated in the randomized Phase III MURANO study compared with standard bendamustine + rituximab (BR). A first pre-planned analysis, when the majority of patients (pts) were still on study treatment (median follow-up 23.8 mo), established a superior PFS of VenR over BR (Seymour et al. NEJM 2018). With all pts having completed therapy, we analysed long-term outcome with a median follow up of 36.0 mo. Methods Pts were randomized to receive 6 cycles of VenR followed by Ven 400mg once daily for a total of 2 yrs, or 6 cycles of BR. Disease status was assessed by CT scan at screening, Cycle (C) 4 and 2−3 mo after end of combination therapy (EOCT). During Ven single agent and at follow-up visits, response was determined by clinical assessment every 3 mo until 3 yrs of follow-up, then every 6 mo thereafter or until PD. PFS status was based on investigator assessment. Peripheral blood (PB) minimal residual disease (MRD) was analysed centrally by ASO-PCR and/or flow cytometry at C4, EOCT and every 3/6 mo thereafter. All p values are descriptive. Results In total, 389 pts were enrolled in VenR (n=194) or BR (n=195) arms. As of May 8 2018, all pts were off treatment. For BR, 154 (79%) had completed 6 cycles. In the VenR arm, 174 (90%) completed the VenR combination phase and 130 (67%) had completed 2 yrs of Ven. The remainder had PD (11%), died (1%), or withdrew due to AEs (15%) or other reason (6%). Median Ven exposure duration and relative dose intensity were 24.4 (range 0-27.9) mo and 97.4% (26-100%), respectively, overall and 17.7 (0.5-21.9) mo and 99% during Ven single-agent therapy. With a median time off Ven after 2 yrs treatment of 9.9 (1.4-22.5) mo, PFS with VenR remains superior to BR (HR, 0.16 [95% CI 0.12, 0.23]; p1% in PB at Mo 24 (when Ven single agent was scheduled to cease) and 10/16 pts had del(17p)/TP53 mutation at baseline. Clinical and cytogenetic risk factors in pts with and without PD after Mo 24 are in Table 1. In this analysis, OS improvement was seen with VenR over BR (HR, 0.50 [95% CI 0.30, 0.85]; p=0.0093; 3-yr rate: 87.9% vs 79.5%; Figure 4). Subsequent CLL-directed treatment was given after PD in 91 pts in the BR arm. 71/91 (78%) BR arm pts received novel targeted agents, including 45 who had ibrutinib and 7 who had Ven. 27/194 (14%) pts in the VenR arm received subsequent therapy: 13/27 (44%) had novel targeted agents as next treatment, including 8 pts who had ibrutinib and 3 who were re-treated with Ven. See Table 2 for a safety overview for VenR combination and Ven single-agent periods. During Ven single agent: 17/171 pts (10%) had an AE leading to drug withdrawal; 7/171 pts (4%) had an AE leading to dose reduction; 44/171 pts (26%) had a Ven dose interruption due to an AE; 7/171 pts (4%) had a fatal AE (4 other cancers, 2 cardiac, 1 pneumonia). Grade 3-4 AEs occurred in 59/171 pts (35%); the most frequent were neutropenia (20 pts, 12%), anemia (5 pts, 3%), and thrombocytopenia (3 pts, 2%). 12/171 (7%) pts had a grade 3-4 infection in the Ven single-agent phase. The total number of Richter transformation events was 7 with VenR and 6 with BR. Conclusions With all pts off treatment and 3 yrs' median follow-up, continued substantial benefit was observed with VenR, with PFS and OS superior to BR. There were no new safety signals; most pts were able to complete treatment. The rate of CLL progression in the first 12 mo after Ven completion was modest (13%), supporting the feasibility and safety of a time-limited VenR duration. The protocol has been amended to include assessment of response and durability of disease control with VenR reintroduction at PD. This updated analysis of this Phase III global randomized study demonstrates clinically meaningful benefit of the VenR chemotherapy-free regimen with a fixed duration in all pts with R/R CLL. Disclosures Seymour: AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech Inc: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy. Kipps:Genentech Inc: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Verastem: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Verastem: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Eichhorst:AbbVie, Celgene, Gilead, Janssen, Mundipharma, Novartis, Roche: Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Hillmen:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences, Inc.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Acerta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Assouline:Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Owen:Teva: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria; AbbVie: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding. Robak:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy; AbbVie, Inc: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria. de la Serna:Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Jaeger:Takeda-Millenium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda-Millenium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bioverativ: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MSD: Research Funding; AOP Orphan: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Infinity: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Cartron:Gilead Sciences: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria. Montillo:Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Lamanna:Acerta: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Jannsen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Verastem: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Verdugo:AbbVie, Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Punnoose:Genentech Inc: Employment; Roche: Equity Ownership. Jiang:Genentech Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Wang:Genentech Inc: Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Equity Ownership. Boyer:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Equity Ownership. Humphrey:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Equity Ownership. Mobasher:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Other: Ownership interests non-PLC; Genentech Inc: Employment. Kater:Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Acerta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Introduction: In the CLL11 study, obinutuzumab (G) plus chlorambucil (Clb; G-Clb) significantly improved outcomes relative to rituximab plus Clb and Clb alone in previously untreated patients (pts) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and comorbidities, but was associated with an increased incidence and severity of infusion-related reactions (IRRs), cytopenias and treatment discontinuations (Goede et al. N Engl J Med 2014; Goede et al. EHA 2018). IRRs have been associated with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6; Freeman et al. Blood 2015). Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a monoclonal antibody that blocks downstream signaling by IL-6. It has regulatory approval (FDA/EMA) for the treatment of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell induced cytokine release syndrome, and could potentially be used to limit the IRRs associated with G administration. GALACTA was a randomized, double-blind, Phase Ib trial in previously untreated pts with CLL and co-morbidities (NCT02336048). Its primary objective was to determine the safety and tolerability of TCZ prior to G-Clb. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of TCZ in this population, and impact on the efficacy of the G-CIb combination. Methods: Previously untreated CLL pts who were unsuitable for more intensive therapy (CIRS score >6 or creatinine clearance 50x109/L) and mean fluorescence intensity of CD20 on CLL-gated cells. G-CIb was administered as: G 1000mg IV on D1/D2 (100mg/900mg), D8 and D15 of C1, and D1 of C2-6; Clb 0.5mg/kg PO on D1 and D15 of C1-6. Prior to the first G dose in C1, standard premedication (antipyretic, antihistamine, corticosteroids) was administered in addition to TCZ or PLB. IRR was defined as any adverse event (AE) occurring during or within 24 hours of G infusion and judged by the investigator as related to G. Results: A total of 38 pts were enrolled between June 26, 2015 and Jan 22, 2018; 25 were randomized to TCZ and 13 to PLB. Median age was 74 years (range 54-87), 63% were male, 95% had ECOG PS 0-1, and 95% had Binet stage B/C disease. Baseline characteristics were well balanced, with the exception of more males in the TCZ arm (72%) than the PLB arm (46%). Despite a similar proportion of baseline ALC ≤50 versus >50x109/L in the two treatment arms, more pts in the TCZ arm had levels which were >100x109/L (15% in PLB vs 28% in TCZ). At the time of analysis, 25 pts had completed all 6 cycles, 6 remained on treatment, and 7 had discontinued. IRRs occurred in 18/25 (72%) pts in the TCZ arm and 10/13 (77%) in the PLB arm. Grade ≥3 IRRs occurred in 11/25 (44%) pts in the TCZ arm and 4/13 (31%) pts in the PLB arm. Four pts discontinued treatment due to IRRs: 3 (12%) in the TCZ arm and 1 (8%) in the PLB arm. Similar to previous reports, cytokine levels peaked on D1 after 100mg G had been administered. Serum amyloid A (Figure 1) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (Figure 2) were sub-optimally reduced in the TCZ arm. Of the 19 pts with measurable TCZ levels, no marked differences in exposure were seen based on IRR intensity. However, TCZ exposure was lower on average than in rheumatoid arthritis pts of equivalent weight treated with the same dose (mean Cmax 154 vs 193µg/mL), and TCZ-treated pts that developed IRRs had comparatively less suppression of CRP than those who did not. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that use of a single 8mg/kg dose of TCZ prior to the first dose of G was feasible, but did not appear to prevent IRRs in this pt population. The study was primarily designed to assess the safety of the combination, and was underpowered to detect meaningful differences between groups in IRR severity. TCZ-treated pts who developed IRRs had higher baseline risk than those who did not, and the TCZ dose may have been insufficient, resulting in the lack of efficacy. Whether inhibition of this pro-survival cytokine enhances the cytotoxic potential of the regimen is not yet determined; updated results will be presented at the meeting. Disclosures Freeman: Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria. Böttcher:Celgene: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. De la Serna:Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Gobbi:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Ariad: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Pfister: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Di Bernardo:Roche: Employment. Mallalieu:Roche: Employment, Equity Ownership. Nielsen:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Other: Ownership interests PLC. Knapp:Roche: Employment. Gribben:Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria; Acerta Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Medical Research Council: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Kite: Honoraria; Cancer Research UK: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Unum: Equity Ownership; Roche: Honoraria; Wellcome Trust: Research Funding; NIH: Research Funding.

Background: Characteristics and outcome of older patients (pts) with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are unclear due to lack of clinical data. Aims: To describe a large series of older APL pts and compare outcome according to treatment strategy. Methods: We retrospectively studied 475 APL pts (median age, 73.8 yrs; range, 70-90.3 yrs), treated between 1990 and 2018 within four study groups/institutions of the US and Europe (Acute Leukemia French Association, n=228; Programa Espanol de Tratamientos en Hematologia, n=211; Study Alliance Leukemia, n=28; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, n=8). APL was confirmed either by cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or polymerase chain reaction. For analysis, pts were grouped according to treatment: i) chemotherapy/all-trans retinoic acid (CTX/ATRA, n=260; consisting of daunorubicin/idarubicin and ATRA for induction and different CTXs+ATRA for consolidation), ii) ATO/ATRA±CTX, n=177 (according to Lo-Coco F, et al. NEJM, 2013, n=23 or CTX/ATO/ATRA, n=154), iii) less intensive therapy, n=26 (reduced CTX, n=2 or ATRA only, n=24) and iv) no treatment/unknown, n=12. Results: Median white blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts at diagnosis were 1.5/nl (range, 0.1-242/nl) and 37/nl (range, 2-261/nl), respectively. Two-hundred twenty-nine pts (48%) were female. Cytogenetic analysis was available in 408 pts and 85 (21%) had additional abnormalities. BCR3 was positive in 138 (44%) of 316 available pts. Only 15 (22%) of 69 tested pts were FLT3-ITD positive. One hundred (22%) of 464 pts had a WBC count >10/nl. Median WBC was significantly lower (P Complete remission (CR) after induction therapy was achieved in 75% (194/259) of the CTX/ATRA group, in 93% (162/174) of the ATO/ATRA±CTX group, and in 50% (13/26) of the less intensive group. Two pts of the CTX/ATRA group and one patient after ATRA only were refractory. Early death rates were 24% (n=63) after CTX/ATRA, 7% (n=12) after ATO/ATRA±CTX and 46% (n=12) in the less intensive group. A logistic regression model revealed age above 75 yrs (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; P=0.02) higher WBC (OR, 0.35; P10/nl) was associated with an inferior RFS in CTX/ATRA (P10/nl; hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; P75 yrs (HR, 2.07; P Conclusions: The ATO-based regimen for first line treatment of elderly APL pts was associated with excellent and sustained response rates. Our data demonstrate the important potential of ATO/ATRA in the primary management of older APL pts. Disclosures Fenaux: Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Otsuka: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz: Honoraria, Research Funding. Schlenk:Pfizer: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Platzbecker:Celgene: Research Funding. Montesinos:Novartis: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.

Differentiation syndrome (DS) can be a life-threatening complication in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) undergoing induction therapy with all-trans retinoic acid ( ATRA). Detailed knowledge about DS has remained limited. We present an analysis of the incidence, characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcome of 739 APL patients treated with ATRA plus idarubicin in 2 consecutive trials (Programa Espanol de Tratamientos en Hematologa [PETHEMA] LPA96 and LPA99). Overall, 183 patients (24.8%) experienced DS, 93 with a severe form (12.6%) and 90 with a moderate form (12.2%). Severe but not moderate DS was associated with an increase in mortality. A bimodal incidence of DS was observed, with peaks occurring in the first and third weeks after the start of ATRA therapy. A multivariate analysis indicated that a WBC count greater than 5 x 10(9)/L and an abnormal serum creatinine level correlated with an increased risk of developing severe DS. Patients receiving systematic prednisone prophylaxis (LPA99 trial) in contrast to those receiving selective prophylaxis with dexamethasone (LPA96 trial) had a lower incidence of severe DS. Patients developing severe DS showed a reduced 7-year relapse-free survival in the LPA96 trial (60% vs 85%, P = .003), but this difference was not apparent in the LPA99 trial (86% vs 88%). (Blood. 2009; 113: 775-783)

A previous report of the Programa de Estudio y Tratamiento de las Hemopatías Malignas (PETHEMA) Group showed that a risk-adapted strategy combining all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline monochemotherapy for induction and consolidation in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia results in an improved outcome. Here we analyze treatment outcome of an enlarged series of patients who have been followed up for a median of 65 months. From November 1999 through July 2005 (LPA99 trial), 560 patients received induction therapy with ATRA plus idarubicin. Patients achieving complete remission received 3 courses of consolidation followed by maintenance with ATRA and low-dose chemotherapy. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse and disease-free survival were 11% and 84%, respectively. These results compare favorably with those obtained in the previous LPA96 study (P = .019 and P = .04, respectively). This updated analysis confirms the high antileukemic efficacy, low toxicity, and high degree of compliance of a risk-adapted strategy combining ATRA and anthracycline monochemotherapy for consolidation therapy.

An understanding of the prognostic factors associated with the various forms of induction mortality in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has remained remarkably limited. This study reports the incidence, time of occurrence, and prognostic factors of the major categories of induction failure in a series of 732 patients of all ages (range, 2-83 years) with newly diagnosed APL who received all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus idarubicin as induction therapy in 2 consecutive studies of the Programa de Estudio y Tratamiento de las Hemopatias Malignas (PETHEMA) Group. Complete remission was attained in 666 patients (91%). All the 66 induction failures were due to induction death. Hemorrhage was the most common cause of induction death (5%), followed by infection (2.3%) and differentiation syndrome (1.4%). Multivariate analysis identified specific and distinct pretreatment characteristics to correlate with an increased risk of death caused by hemorrhage (abnormal creatinine level, increased peripheral blast counts, and presence of coagulopathy), infection (age >60 years, male sex, and fever at presentation), and differentiation syndrome (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score >1 and low albumin levels), respectively. These data furnish clinically relevant information that might be useful for designing more appropriately risk-adapted treatment protocols aimed at reducing the considerable problem of induction mortality in APL.

Therapeutic results in elderly patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have been generally reported as less effective than for younger patients. Patients 60 years or older with APL who were enrolled in 2 successive multicenter PETHEMA studies received induction therapy with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and idarubicin, consolidation with 3 anthracycline monochemotherapy courses with or without ATRA, and maintenance with ATRA and low-dose chemotherapy. Eighty-seven of 104 patients achieved complete remission (84%). Eighty-six proceeded to consolidation therapy (2 withdrew after the first and second courses). Deaths in remission occurred during consolidation and maintenance therapy in 3 and 4 patients, respectively. One patient showed molecular persistence after consolidation and 5 had a relapse. The 6-year cumulative incidence of relapse, leukemia-free survival, and disease-free survival were 8.5%, 91%, and 79%, respectively. A significantly higher incidence of low-risk patients found among the elderly, as compared to younger patients, may partially account for the low relapse rate observed. This study confirms the high antileukemic efficacy, low toxicity, and high degree of compliance of protocols using ATRA and anthracycline monochemotherapy for induction and consolidation therapy in elderly patients. (C) 2004 by The American Society of Hematology.

All- trans -retinoic acid (ATRA) increases the efficacy of chemotherapy when used for induction and maintenance treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but its role in consolidation is unknown. Since November 1996, 426 patients with newly diagnosed APL have received induction therapy with ATRA and idarubicin. Before November 1999 (LPA96 study), consolidation therapy consisted of 3 courses of anthracycline monochemotherapy. After November 1999 (LPA99 study), patients with intermediate and high risks of relapse received consolidation therapy with ATRA and increased doses of anthracyclines. Of the 384 patients who achieved complete remission (90%), 382 proceeded to consolidation therapy. Seven patients died in remission (1.8%). The 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse for patients in the LPA96 and LPA99 studies was 17.2% and 7.5%, respectively ( P = .008). Patients treated with ATRA in consolidation therapy showed an overall reduction in the relapse rate from 20.1% to 8.7% ( P = .004). In intermediate-risk patients the rate decreased from 14.0% to 2.5% ( P = .006). This improved antileukemic efficacy also translated into significantly better disease-free and overall survival. A risk-adapted strategy combining anthracycline monochemotherapy and ATRA for induction and consolidation therapy of newly diagnosed APL results in improved antileukemic efficacy and a high degree of compliance.

Introduction Venetoclax (V), an orally administered, highly selective, potent BCL-2 inhibitor, induces high ORR when given as monotherapy to pts with relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL, including high-risk populations, e.g. del(17p). V is also well tolerated when combined with rituximab (R) and achieves improved CR rates and minimal residual disease negativity (MRD-). Here, we provide first released data from the primary analysis of MURANO (NCT02005471), the first Phase 3 study of V in pts with R/R CLL, which assessed efficacy/safety of VR vs standard chemoimmunotherapy, bendamustine (B) + rituximab (BR). Methods Eligibility for this open-label, randomized, Phase 3 study included R/R CLL requiring treatment (iwCLL guidelines), 1-3 prior lines of therapy (including ≥1 chemo-containing) and ECOG PS ≤1. Prior B was allowed provided response duration was ≥24 mo. Pts were randomized (1:1) to VR or BR. Stratification factors were del(17p), responsiveness to prior therapy and geographic region. In the VR arm, a 4- or 5-wk graduated dose ramp-up of V from 20-400 mg daily was used to mitigate potential tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) risk. Beginning at Wk 6, R was then given monthly for six 28-day cycles (IV 375 mg/m2 first dose, then 500 mg/m2) in combination with V daily. Pts continued with V 400 mg for a maximum of 2 yr or until disease progression (whichever first). In the BR arm, pts were given B (IV 70 mg/m2) on Days 1 and 2 of each of six 28-day cycles in combination with R using same R dosing schedule. MRD was centrally assessed by ASO-PCR and/or flow cytometry in peripheral blood at screening, Mo. 4 and 9, and 3-monthly follow-up visits. The primary endpoint was investigator (INV)-assessed PFS. An interim analysis was preplanned at ~140 INV-assessed PFS events. On data review, an Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended study arms to be unblinded to the sponsor as pre-specified statistical boundaries for early stopping were crossed for PFS in favor of VR. Results 389 pts were enrolled in VR (n=194) and BR (n=195) arms, which were well balanced: median (range) age, 64.5 (28-83) vs 66.0 (22-85) yr; 1 prior therapy, 57.2% vs 60.0%; fludarabine refractory, 14.1% vs 15.5%; del(17p), 26.6% vs 27.2%. At data cut-off (8 May 2017; median follow-up, 23.8 mo. [range 0.0-37.4]), INV-assessed PFS was superior for VR vs BR with HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.11-0.25, P Consistent with known safety profiles of the regimens, Grade 3-4 neutropenia was higher in VR arm but there was no increase in febrile neutropenia or Grade 3-4 infection (Table 2). There were 6 (3.1 %) and 2 (1.1%) Grade ≥3 AEs of TLS reported for VR and BR, respectively; one clinical TLS event in each arm (a Grade 4 acute renal failure in BR, transient increase in creatinine in VR; VR event occurred on an earlier 4-week ramp-up schedule). Richter transformation was confirmed in 6 pts and 5 pts for VR vs BR, respectively. AEs leading to death were seen in 5.2% vs 5.9% of pts. Median relative V dose intensity was 97% of protocol-specified drug exposure. Conclusion The primary analysis of MURANO, the first Phase 3 study of V in R/R CLL, shows a profound improvement in PFS vs standard BR chemoimmunotherapy, with consistent effects in all-risk subsets. Key secondary endpoints, including OS, ORR and CR rate, also showed consistent improvements with remarkable rates of peripheral blood MRD- that exceed those previously attained in treatment of R/R CLL. This enhanced disease control was achieved in a multinational setting with an acceptable safety profile, without significant TLS, demonstrating that treatment with VR resulted in outcomes superior to that of BR for pts with R/R CLL. Disclosures Seymour: AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Morphosys: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sunesis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kipps:Celgene: Consultancy; Oncternal: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Eichhorst:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Hillmen:Celgene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria. D'Rozario:Roche: Consultancy. Assouline:Lundbeck: Other: Advisory Board; Paladin: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myer Squibb: Speakers Bureau; Roche Canada: Consultancy. Owen:AstraZeneca: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Lundbeck: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria. Gerecitano:Merck: Consultancy; Mass Medical International: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Arcus Medica: Consultancy; Aratana: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Samus Therapeutics: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Orexo: Consultancy. Robak:AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Akari Therapeutics Plc: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding. De la Serna:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Jaeger:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other, Research Funding; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; AOP Orphan: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; GSK: Honoraria; Infinity: Honoraria; Millennium: Honoraria, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bioverativ: Honoraria, Research Funding. Cartron:Gilead: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria. Montillo:Novartis: Honoraria; Roche: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Humerickhouse:AbbVie: Employment, Equity Ownership. Punnoose:Genentech: Employment. Li:Genentech: Employment. Boyer:Roche: Employment. Humphrey:F-Hoffmann-La Roche: Employment, Equity Ownership. Mobasher:Roche: Equity Ownership; Genentech: Employment. Kater:Roche: Consultancy; Acerta/Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Sandoz: Consultancy.

Introduction: Therapies able to improve overall survival in patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) CLL are needed. We have previously reported that idelalisib (IDELA), a selective PI3K delta inhibitor, administered in combination withbendamustine/rituximab (BR) improves progression-free survival compared with BR alone after a medianfollowup of 12 months. This study (NCT01569295) was unblinded by the independent data monitoring committee at first interim analysis for efficacy. We now present updated data on overall survival (OS). Methods: Between June 2012 and August 2014, 416 patients (pts) with RR CLL were enrolled in the study across 19 countries. The current analysis data cutoff date of May 2016 represents a median follow-up of 21 months. Progression-free survival based on independent review committee assessment was the primary endpoint of this study, with OS as a secondary endpoint. All pts had completed study treatment with BR. Key eligibility criteria included pts with RR CLL requiring therapy, having received previous purine analog or bendamustine (ineligible if refractory to bendamustine); and anti-CD20 antibody; relapsing or progressing within 36 months of the completion of the last therapy. Patients were randomized to BR for 6 cycles Q 28 days (B = 70 mg/m2 D1, D2 of each cycle; R = 375 mg/m2 C1 and 500 mg/m2 C2-6) and IDELA 150 mg BID or placebo (administered until IRC-confirmed PD), death, intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. Stratification was based on presence/absence ofdel(17p) and/or p53 mutation (mut), immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) mutated/unmutated (analysis performed by a central lab), and disease status refractory (CLL progression Results: The ITT population reflects 207/209 pts in the IDELA + BR/BR + placebo arm: 76% male; 42% ≥65 years; Rai stage III/IV 46%; median time since completion of last prior therapy 16 months; pts with high-risk features (del[17p]/p53mut 32.9%, unmutated IGHV 83.2%, refractory 29.8%); median number of prior therapies: 2 (range 1-13); and median follow-up 21 months. All pts have completed study treatment with BR. A total of 65 pts remain on study treatment: 64 on IDELA monotherapy and 1 pt on placebo. Overall by ITT and IRC, 260/416 pts (IDELA/placebo 95/165) have met the primary endpoint of PD or death. Median OS (mo) of IDELA + BR vs BR + placebo was not reached vs 41 (HR = 0.67; p value 0.036; 95% CI 0.47, 0.96) (Figure 1). The safety findings were similar to what we previously reported: Serious AEs occurred in 147 (71%)/94 (5%) IDELA/placebo arms, respectively. The commonly occurring SAEs by system organ class were infections and infestations (41%/23%) and by MEDRA-preferred terms febrile neutropenia 43 (21%)/10 (5%) and pneumonia 35 (17%)/16 (8%) in the IDELA/placebo arms respectively. The total number of pts with opportunistic infections (Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia [PJP]/cytomegalovirus [CMV]) in the IDELA arm was 5/13 vs 0/3 in the placebo arm. Conclusion: IDELA in combination with BR is superior to BR alone with regard to OS in RR CLL. The improvement in OS was observed across risk categories. Opportunistic infections (PJP, CMV) and SAEs were more frequent in the IDELA vs placebo arm. Results of IDELA-containing regimens may be further improved with implementation of adequate PJP prophylaxis and CMV monitoring measures. This regimen represents an important new option for pts with RR CLL. Figure 1. Kaplan-MeierCurve: Overall Survival. Figure 1. Kaplan-MeierCurve: Overall Survival. Disclosures Zelenetz: Gilead Sciences: Research Funding. Brown:Celgene: Consultancy; Sun BioPharma: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Infinity: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy. Delgado:Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; GSK/Novartis: Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy. Eradat:Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ghia:Adaptive: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Jurczak:Celltrion, Inc: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Loscertales:Roche: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. MacDonald:Gilead Sciences: Speakers Bureau. Morschhauser:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. De la Serna:Abbvie: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Shadman:Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding. Pocock:Gilead Sciences: Other: Sponsorship to attend the EHA 2016 Meeting; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Honoraria. Adewoye:Gilead Sciences: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kim:Gilead Sciences: Employment, Equity Ownership. Simpson:Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stilgenbauer:Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Mundipharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Genzyme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants , Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel grants, Research Funding.

The expression of CD56 antigen in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) blasts has been associated with short remission duration and extramedullary relapse. We investigated the clinical significance of CD56 expression in a large series of patients with APL treated with all-trans retinoic acid and anthracycline-based regimens. Between 1996 and 2009, 651 APL patients with available data on CD56 expression were included in 3 subsequent trials (PETHEMA LPA96 and LPA99 and PETHEMA/HOVON LPA2005). Seventy-two patients (11%) were CD56+ (expression of CD56 in ≥ 20% leukemic promyelocytes). CD56+ APL was significantly associated with high white blood cell counts; low albumin levels; BCR3 isoform; and the coexpression of CD2, CD34, CD7, HLA-DR, CD15, and CD117 antigens. For CD56+ APL, the 5-year relapse rate was 22%, compared with a 10% relapse rate for CD56− APL (P = .006). In the multivariate analysis, CD56 expression retained the statistical significance together with the relapse-risk score. CD56+ APL also showed a greater risk of extramedullary relapse (P < .001). In summary, CD56 expression is associated with the coexpression of immaturity-associated and T-cell antigens and is an independent adverse prognostic factor for relapse in patients with APL treated with all-trans-retinoic acid plus idarubicin–derived regimens. This marker may be considered for implementing risk-adapted therapeutic strategies in APL. The LPA2005 trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00408278.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus anthracycline chemotherapy is the reference treatment of newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), whereas the role of cytosine arabinoside (AraC) remains disputed. We performed a joint analysis of patients younger than 65 years included in Programa para el Estudio de la Terapéutica en Hemopatía Maligna (PETHEMA) LPA 99 trial, where patients received no AraC in addition to ATRA, high cumulative dose idarubicin, and mitoxantrone, and APL 2000 trial, where patients received AraC in addition to ATRA and lower cumulative dose daunorubicin. In patients with white blood cell (WBC) count less than 10 × 109/L, complete remission (CR) rates were similar, but 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was significantly lower in LPA 99 trial: 4.2% versus 14.3% (P = .03), although 3-year survival was similar in both trials. This suggested that AraC is not required in APL with WBC count less than 10 × 109/L, at least in trials with high-dose anthracycline and maintenance treatment. In patients with WBC of 10 × 109/L or more, however, the CR rate (95.1% vs 83.6% P = .018) and 3-year survival (91.5% vs 80.8%, P = .026) were significantly higher in APL 2000 trial, and there was a trend for lower 3-year CIR (9.9% vs 18.5%, P = .12), suggesting a beneficial role for AraC in those patients.

The microenvironment (ME) critically promotes progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), favoring leukemic cell survival and proliferation as well as inducing drug resistance. We aimed at reproducing the effects of ME stimuli for the development and optimization of an ex vivo assay that would enable to predict in vivo drug efficacy for agents interfering with ME protective effects e.g. the novel BCR inhibitors. To this purpose, we exploited the following 2 new approaches: 1) the Exvitech® proprietary automated flow cytometry-based platform by Vivia Biotech that enables evaluation of up to 20.000 wells and conditions per sample, and 2) Viviaxs Precision Medicine Native Environment approach that utilizes the whole blood sample rather than isolated leukocytes. We present this assay optimization using primary CLL samples and its validation when exposing CLL cells to the registered PI3Kd inhibitor, Idelalisib, for which only a weak pro-apoptotic effect has been reported, besides the known tissue mobilization activity in vivo. Cryopreserved peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells were provided from CLL patients in need of treatment. In order to more closely reproduce the complexity of the in vivo ME, the following elements were evaluated in different combinations: (i) 3 backbone stimulations, previously reported to improve, to different extent, CLL viability and proliferation: CD40L+CpG, CD40L+IL21, CpG+IL2; (ii) "Native Environment", defined as the plasma & erythrocyte/granulocyte fraction of a Ficoll gradient, already shown to improve ex vivo drug testing (Bennet et al. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2014;14:305-18): the two fractions were added to thawed CLL samples and were obtained from fresh samples of normal donor PB or bone marrow as well as from CLL patients at different stages of disease; (iii) the stroma cell line H5S, added at different ratios (1:10 or 1:100); (iv) both human and bovine fetal serum (at 10 or 20% total volume); (v) stimulatory B cell factors, including IL-21, soluble CD40L, BAFF, and B cell receptor stimulation (anti-IG). CLL cell viability and proliferation was then tested and, although CLL cells from PB are notorious for a low proliferative index and tend to die quickly ex vivo by apoptosis, we achieved a median of 30±3% proliferation (assessed by the CFDA dye) and 60±5% viability (assessed by Annexin V staining) in cryopreserved progressive CLL samples. These results were obtained with the combination of the following assay conditions: CpG+IL2, HS5 (at 1:100 ratio), human serum 10%, and "native environment" from PB of CLL samples (pooled samples to prevent interpatient variability). We then tested the dose responses of Idelalisib in 16 cryopreserved progressive CLL samples and found little effect on the non-proliferative CLL fraction (Fig, 1A), suggesting a limited direct pro-apoptotic activity of the drug. In contrast, potent inhibition of proliferation with median potency (EC50) of 14 nM was observed (Fig 1B). The efficacy was nearly complete leaving a median of 5% resistant CLL cells that proliferated at the highest doses of Idelalisib. In conclusion, we report a novel ex vivo assay that enables high-throughput pharmacological characterization of compounds and combinations, optimized for CLL cells by incorporating ME stimuli and thereby more accurately simulating in vivo interactions. The increased cell viability and proliferation achieved with this innovative assay offers improved opportunities for ex vivo pharmacology, in particular unraveling a hitherto unknown anti-proliferative mode of action for Idelalisib, a drug interfering with the interaction of CLL cells with the ME. Figure 1. Dose response curves of Idelalisib incubated for 96 h with 16 CLL samples in the new Microenvironment Native Environment assay. The effect on non-proliferative (A) and proliferative (B) CLL cells identified using flow cytometry as subpopulations with different CFDA staining is shown. Figure 1. Dose response curves of Idelalisib incubated for 96 h with 16 CLL samples in the new Microenvironment Native Environment assay. The effect on non-proliferative (A) and proliferative (B) CLL cells identified using flow cytometry as subpopulations with different CFDA staining is shown. Disclosures Ballesteros: Vivia Biotech: Employment. Primo:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Robles:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Gorrochategui:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Munugalavadla:Gilead Sciences: Employment. Stamatopoulos:Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Quéva:Gilead Sciences: Employment, Equity Ownership. Ghia:AbbVie: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Adaptive: Consultancy; Acerta Pharma BV: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy.

Aim and Background: MABERYC non-interventional study was designed to characterize the type, severity and frequency of all adverse events (AEs)/serious-AEs (SAEs) occurring on-treatment and in the year following rituximab infusion. Secondary objectives included response rate (CR/PR) and to evaluate the clinical utility and the validity of a specific comorbidity scale (CoLLECT scale) for B-CLL patients, planned to recognize patients who may benefit from some special pharmacological approach. Methods: Between November 2010 and February 2012, data were collected prospectively from B-CLL patients, in 47 Spanish hospitals, starting a new treatment with an R-based chemotherapeutic scheme in accordance with normal clinical practice at the time of enrollment. Safety analyses were conducted by closely monitoring patients throughout the study. AEs and SAEs were tabulated by NCI-Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC), v4.0. In order to validate the CoLLECT scale, specifically designed for this study, assessment of comorbidity was planned at baseline and 12 months following treatment finalization, using three subscales (low [0-3], moderate [4-7] and high [>7]) with ten different indexes. Changes were categorized in improvement (reduction ≥2), no changes (variation Results: A total of 218 patients have been enrolled, 108 and 110 pts in the first-line and pre-treated arm, respectively. The median age (range) of the whole series was 69 (r: 39–87) years. ECOG status varied across the two groups, with a ≤1 ECOG status score of 99%, and 84% of first-line and pre-treated patients, respectively. The baseline characteristics on both arms are shown in Table 1. Figure 1 Figure 1. 1448 AEs were reported on treatment, 50% of them considered as drug-related. The most frequently related-AE in first-line and pre-treated arm included: neutropenia (34/30%); fever (18/12%); nausea (15/11%); thrombocytopenia (10/17%), febrile neutropenia (FN) (10/9%), and anemia (7/16%). Overall, the treatment was well tolerated and the toxicity profile differed according to the treatment arm (Table 2). Treatment discontinuations due to related-AEs in the first-line and pre-treated arm was of 9 and 11% on-treatment, fatal AEs occurred in 3% and 4%, respectively. Figure 2 Figure 2. In the overall population by IWG response criteria, the best response on treatment was CR in 28% and PR in 30% of patients (nPR in 4% of patients). Although, based on fairly different number of patients by scheme that preclude a completely valid statistical comparison, the complete and partial response rate (CR/PR) in the first-line arm was as follows: BR (50/31%), FCR (43/25%), R+others (29/43%) and ClbR cohort (23/46%), while in the pre-treated arm the response rate was higher in the BR (20/16%), followed by FCR (19/24%), R+others (5/52%) and ClbR cohort (15/40%). Mean CoLLECT score was higher in older patient, higher ECOG, previously treated and those receiving less aggressive treatments. Changes in CoLLECT showed CR could be associated to improvement in comorbidity. CR was reached by 53% of patients with COLLECT improvement, 47% without changes, and 32% worsening. Conclusion: In this unselected group of B-CLL patients taken from normal clinical practice, the AEs frequency was related to immunochemotherapy scheme as well as the stage of treatment. Rituximab seems an effective and relatively safe option when added to any chemotherapy regimen. With the help of the CoLLECT scale, which is related with patient´s profile, treatment regimen prescribed, CR and AEs, patient’s co-morbidity can be assessed and assist on decision-making about the intensity of the inmmunochemotherapy regimen to be prescribed. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1) is caused by a hereditary deficiency of glucocerebrosidase that results in accumulation of glucosylceramide primarily in the lysosomes of macrophages. GD1 patients commonly present with anemia, thrombocytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. Due to the clinical heterogeneity of GD1, a set of therapeutic goals was published to assist in individualized disease management. The MAP Tool® was designed based on these therapeutic goals to facilitate monitoring of GD1 progression and treatment response in individual patients in a standardized way. OBJECTIVE: An observational epidemiological survey was conducted to describe the clinical characteristics and health status of GD1 patients managed in specialized centers in Spain using the Therapeutic Goals MAP Tool®. METHODS: This study was conducted in hospitals geographically representing 10 of Spain’s autonomous regions. GD1 patients attending a routine clinical visit during the specified recruitment period (June 2012 to January 2013) were invited to participate. Individual patient data, including information on GD1 history and treatment, were collected retrospectively from clinical records and documented using the MAP Tool®. Therapeutic goals for seven parameters were chosen as primary outcomes measures, including goals for hemoglobin concentration, platelet count, liver volume and spleen volume. We also examined the achievement of therapeutic goals in patients grouped according to treatment status, splenectomy status, and gender. RESULTS: A total of 108 GD1 patients were recruited from 28 hospitals over the 7-month study recruitment period. Patients had a mean age of 45 years, 9 (8%) were pediatric patients (≤18 years of age), and 57 (53%) were male. Ninety-five (88%) patients were receiving treatment for GD1 including 68 (72%; 68/95) patients receiving enzyme replacement therapy (imiglucerase or velaglucerase alfa) and 20 (21%; 20/95) patients receiving substrate reduction therapy (miglustat). Twenty-seven (25%) patients were splenectomized. The therapeutic goal for anemia was achieved in 105 (97%) patients. The goal for thrombocytopenia was achieved in 81 (75%) patients; this includes 24 patients who had undergone splenectomy. The goals for hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were achieved respectively in 86 of 98 (88%) and 67 of 77 (87%) patients with available data for these parameters. For the group of 95 patients receiving treatment for GD1, the numbers of patients achieving therapeutic goals were 93 (98%), 72 (76%), 77 (91%; 77/85) and 57 (86%; 57/66) for anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly respectively (see table). The number of untreated patients in the study was small (12%; 13/108); many were at therapeutic goal for the clinical parameters due to generally milder disease compared with patients receiving treatment. We found no statistically significant differences in the achievement of therapeutic goals between splenectomized patients and those with intact spleens, nor between males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Spanish GD1 patients appear to have good control of hemoglobin concentration and platelet count, as well as liver and spleen volumes. The MAP Tool® can be used to standardize data collection and efficiently assess the clinical status of GD1 patients in Spain. Number of patients achieving therapeutic goals on treatment and according to splenectomy status Abstract 4963. TableTherapeutic goalAll patients n=108Patients on treatment n=95Intact spleen n=81Splenectomized n=27p-value for difference between groupsAnemia, n (%) Hemoglobin concentration ≥12 g/dL for males and ≥11 g/dL for females105 (97)93 (98)79 (98)26 (96)1.000Thrombocytopenia, n (%) (Platelet count ≥120 × 109/L)81 (75)72 (76)57 (70)24 (89)0.054Hepatomegaly, n (%) (Liver volume ≤ 1.5 multiples of normal)86 (88)a77 (91)b67 (89)c19 (83)d0.468Splenomegaly, n (%) (Spleen volume ≤ 8 multiples of normal)67 (87)e57 (86)f67 (87)eNANA Patients with available data: an=98; bn=85; cn=75; dn=23; en=77; fn=66 NA, not applicable Disclosures Giraldo: Shire: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genzyme: Consultancy, Research Funding; Actelion: Consultancy, Research Funding. Perez:Shire: Consultancy, Research Funding. Plaza:Shire: Employment. Navas:Shire: Employment.

Background and Objectives: B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder where specific microenvironment between B-cells and nurse-like Cells (NLC) seem to be involved in disease progression providing cell survival, proliferation and drug resistance. Consequently, functional screening platforms that can assess drug candidates within this microenvironment are needed. Our aim is to show the ability of the Exvitech® automated flow cytometry platform to screen agents that interfere with the microenvironmentxs protective scenario such as ibrutinib or idelalisib or standard CLL drugs such as fludarabine or prednisolone. This approach will allow us to select candidates in an in vitro assay and could personalize the treatment according the response to the drugs. Patients and methods: We have adapted Jan Burger's published assay1. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from not previously treated CLL patients were isolated by density gradient centrifugation over Ficoll-Pacque and were used fresh (N=14) or cryopreserved (N=6). B-cells were assessed to be >90% viable by flow cytometry. NLC co-cultures were stablished by suspending PBMCs from CLL patients in complete RPMI medium with 10% FBS to a concentration of 2x107/ml. Cells were incubated for 14 days in 96-well plates and presence of NLC was confirmed by microscopy. After that, viability was investigated in B-cells treated with 8 concentrations of ibrutinib, idelalisib, fludarabine and prednisolone after 72h of incubation with annexin-V and the appropriate CLL flow cytometry markers. Drug response was evaluated as a depletion survival index of the B-cell population relative to the average of the control wells with NLC but without drug. Results: As expected, depletion of B-cells cultured without NLCs were significant greater than with NLC after the 72h incubation supporting the assay where NLCs protect B-CLL cells from in vitro spontaneous apoptosis. In a similar way, viability of fresh samples with NLC was higher than the corresponding frozen samples (84% vs 25%), though both could be used. Our results show a lower pharmacological median potency, measured as a higher EC50, when we work with NLC versus without NLC for ibrutinib (10µM vs 4µM), idelalisib (17µM vs 0.4µM) and prednisolone (3.5µM vs 1.5µM). However, the effect of fludarabine seems to be independent of the presence of the NLC in the cell culture (7µM vs 6µM). This is consistent with the protective role of microenvironment; more pronounced for ibrutinib and idelalisib. Interestingly with NLC, for each drug there is a significant interpatient variability (Figure 1); each line correspond to a different patient, reflecting the possibility that patients might be more sensitive or resistant to a certain drug in this particular scenario. There is a higher degree of patient sample stratification for idelalisib, fludarabine or prednisolone, where there are still an important % of B-cells alive for some patients after drug exposure at high concentration, supporting the notion of drug resistance. Synergism between some of these drugs was evaluated in 3 samples, with some samples being more synergistic than other, requiring a larger number of samples. Conclusions: Cellular and molecular interactions between B-cells and the microenvironment represented here with the NLC, have become an attractive target for CLL therapy. Because novel drugs such as ibrutinib or idelalisib are transforming CLL therapy targeting the microenvironment, novel technologies that could predict its effect are necessary. Here we have adapted a Nurse-Like Cell assay mimicking the microenvironment published by Burger1 to our ExviTech platform. The automated platform enables scaling of the data points acquired with this assay supporting characterization of drug activity by pharmacological dose response curves, as well as exploring synergistic interactions. As showed in the results and illustrated in Figure 1, there is a interpatient variability of the pharmacological profile for the studied drugs, if clinically validated, could help guiding a personalized treatment selection; measuring the drug activity inside this particular microenvironment responsible of drug resistance. 1.- Burger JA et al. Blood. 2000 Oct 15;96(8):2655-63. Figure 1: Figure 1:. Disclosures Primo: Vivia Biotech: Employment. Martinez:Vivia Biotech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Gorrochategui:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Espinosa:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Arroyo:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Ballesteros:Vivia Biotech: Employment. Hernandez:Vivia Biotech: Employment.

Aim and Background The efficacy and safety of rituximab plus chemo (R+chemo) for first-line and relapsed B-CLL patients(pts) have been widely investigated in clinical trials and large patient cohorts, but much less is known about whether such regimens can be effectively and safely administered to unselected pts in the community setting to reflect the routine care of B-CLL pts. Therefore, this observational study was designed to characterize the type, severity and frequency of all adverse events occurring on-treatment and in the year following rituximab infusion. A secondary objective was to assess response rate (CR/nPR/PR), duration of response, disease-free survival, overall survival, and to evaluate the relationship between various baseline markers and clinical outcome parameters in a subset of pts in each study group. Methods Data were collected prospectively from B-CLL pts, in 47 Spanish hospitals, commencing a new treatment with prescribed R+chemo in accordance with normal clinical practice at the time of enrollment. Data cut-off for this interim analysis was May 31, 2013. Results A total of 218 pts have been enrolled, 108 and 110 pts in the first-line and relapsed arm, respectively. The median age (range) of the whole series was 69 (r: 29–87) years. ECOG status varied across the two groups, with a 1 ECOG status score of 23%, and 55% of first-line and relapsed pts, respectively. In the first-line arm, 26%, 47%, and 27%, had a Binet stage of A, B and C, respectively. In the relapsed arm, 11%, 42%, and 46% had a Binet stage of A, B and C, respectively. By first-line / relapsed arm, the proportion of pts with del(11q), del(17p), and unmutated IgVH) was: 14%/15%; 17%/10%; and 10%/9%, respectively. Treated pts were categorized as receiving fludarabine/cyclophosphamide/rituximab (FCR) 60%/20%, bendamustine/rituximbab (BR) 15%/42%, chlorambucil/rituximbab (ClbR) 12%/19%, or other R-based therapy 13%/20%, in the first-line and relapsed arm, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) in the first-line arm was as follows: BR cohort (81%; 13/16), ClbR (69%; 9/13) and FCR cohort (68%; 44/65), while in the relapsed group the ORR was higher in the ClbR cohort (55%; 11/20), followed by other R-based (48%; 10/21) and FCR cohort (43%; 9/21). Adverse events were most frequently hematologic and infusion-related and included nuetropenia (34% first-line; 28% relapsed); fever (19%; 12%); nausea (14%; 11%); lymphopenia (12%; 9%), and vomiting (11%; 8%). CTC grade 3-5 adverse events occurred in 55% of all 218 pts. Grade3 and 4 neutropenia occurred in 23% (FCR), 25%(BR) and 15% (ClbR) of first-line pts. In the relapsed group this incidence was of 14% (FCR), 16% (BR), and 25% (ClbR). The reported incidence of CTC grade 3 or 4 febtrile neutropenia (FN) in the first-line FCR, and BR cohort was of 9%, and 6%, respectively, while pts in the relapsed group the incidence of grade 3-4 FN was of 19% for FCR and 16% for BR. No FN was reported in the ClbR cohort, on both arms. Infection was reported in 61% and 17% of pts in the first-line/relapsed CFR cohort; 13% and 50% in the first-line/relapsed BR cohort, and 16% and 12% in the first-line/relapsed ClbR cohort, respectively. Treatment discontinuations due to AEs in the first-line and relapsed arm was of 12% and 9%, while treatment related mortality occurred in 3% and 4%, respectively. Conclusion In this unselected group of B-CLL patients taken from normal clinical practice, in first-line, or relapsed approach, rituximab seems an effective and relatively safe option when added to any chemotherapy regimen. Additional analysis of the whole study will give us further information on late toxicity and outcome. Disclosures: Garcia Bernaldez: Roche Pharma: Employment. Gonzalez-Grande:Roche Pharma: Employment.

Introduction Management of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is currently undergoing profound changes. Accordingly, new treatment options with an expected less toxicity than standard regimens are been explored. Recent results show that chemoimmunotherapy may improve the life expectancy of CLLpatients and has proven to be more efficient than chemotherapy alone in depleting malignant cells. Despite its efficacy, little is known about its precise immunomodulatory effects. Aim To evaluate the effects of chemoimmunotherapy with bendamustine plusrituximab (BR) on the distribution of normal residual leucocyte populations in peripheral blood (PB) from advanced-stage CLL patients, with special emphasis on maturation-associated B-cell subsets (immature, naïve, memory IgM/IgG/IgA and plasma cells). Material and Methods Distribution of PB neoplastic cells and residual normal immune cell subpopulations were analyzed in 72 CLL patients with advanced disease (Binet B/C), before therapy (M0) and after 1 course of BR (M1). The same analysis was repeated 3 months after completing treatment (M3) in 31/72 patients. PB leucocyte cell subsets were identified at each time-point by 8-color flow cytometry with monoclonal antibody reagents against CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, TCRgd, CD19, CD20, CD27, CD38, CD45, CD56, sIgM, sIgA, sIgG, sIgLambda and sIgKappa. Results After the first BR course, absolute counts of all PB myeloid subsets were significantly decreased as compared to time M0, including neutrophils (2,744±1,830 vs 4,764±2,906 cells/uL, p In turn, total T cells were reduced in M1 as compared to M0 values (818±655 vs 3,905±2,375 cells/uL, p0.05) were observed for CD8 and TCRgd for M3 vs. M1, while CD4+ T-cell numbers were significantly reduced (p=0.006), resulting in an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio (0.9±1.0 vs. 1.8±1.3, p=0.005) at the M3 time-point. As regards B cells, the absolute count of both neoplastic and normal B lymphocytes were significantly decreased at time M1 vs. M0 (3,363±9,353 vs 53,521±56,602 CLL cells/uL and 2±6 vs 58±107 normal B-cells/uL, p=0.006 and p Conclusions All PB leucocyte subsets are affected by BR treatment in advanced-stage CLL. Interestingly, at time M3 the CD4+ T-cell subset continues to be decreased, while the other T-cell compartments seem to remain stable. Also, normal B cells are affected by BR treatment, and the depletion induced after one course therapy is maintained even three months after finishing BR therapy, except for immature B cells, that seem to be the first to recover in PB. Further studies will offer a more accurate insight into the biology of cell recovery during and after BR therapy in CLL patients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction CLL11 is a large randomized phase 3 trial investigating first-line chemoimmunotherapy in CLL patients with comorbidities, i.e. patients typically treated in daily practice. Here, we present: (i) The final stage 2 analysis with efficacy and safety results of the head-to-head comparison between GA101 plus Clb (GClb) and rituximab plus Clb (RClb); at the pre-planned interim analysis, the primary endpoint was met early and the results were released by the independent data monitoring board. (ii) An update on the stage I analysis (GClb vs. Clb and RClb vs. Clb comparisons) with longer observation time; the final stage 1 analysis recently showed that GClb or RClb has superior efficacy to chemotherapy with Clb alone. Methods Treatment-naïve CLL patients with a Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) total score >6 and/or an estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) Results Final results of the stage 2 analysis: Median observation time was 19 months. The GClb and RClb treatment arms were well balanced for baseline characteristics. Median age, CIRS score, and CrCl at baseline were 73 years, 8, and 63 mL/min respectively. Key efficacy and safety results are shown in the table. The PFS benefit of GClb over RClb was supported by all pre-planned subgroup analyses (including the cytogenetic subgroups 17p-, 11q-, 12+, 13q-). The number of patients with MRD negative blood samples at end-of-treatment was more than 10-fold higher with GClb compared with RClb (63/214 [29.4%] vs. 6/243 [2.5%]). Grade 3-4 infusion-related reactions with GClb occurred at first infusion only. Updated results of the stage 1 analysis: Median observation time was 23 months. Confirming the primary stage 1 results, GClb or RClb compared with Clb alone was associated with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS (GClb vs. Clb: HR 0.18, CI 0.13-0.24, p Conclusions GA101, a novel, glycoengineered, type II CD20 antibody, in combination with Clb (GClb regimen) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful prolongation of PFS, and higher complete response rate and MRD negativity rate compared with RClb in previously untreated CLL patients with comorbidities. Infusion-related reactions and neutropenia were more common with GClb without an increase in infections. Furthermore, GClb vs. Clb alone demonstrated a prolongation of OS. Overall, GClb is superior to RClb and a highly active treatment in this typical CLL patient population. Disclosures: Goede: Mundipharma: Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Off Label Use: GA101 is a novel, glycoengineered, type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that is designed to enhance direct cell death and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. It is being investigated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and other hematologic indications. Fischer:Mundipharma: Travel grants, Travel grants Other; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Travel grants Other. Engelke:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Travel grants Other. Eichhorst:Mundipharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy; F. Hoffman-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding. Wendtner:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding. Dilhuydy:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy. Opat:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alexion Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Owen:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria. Kreuzer:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria. Langerak:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Research Funding. Ritgen:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Research Funding. Stilgenbauer:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Asikanius:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Employment. Humphrey:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Employment. Wenger:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Employment, Ownership interests (including stock options) in a start-up company, the stock of which is not publicly traded Other. Hallek:F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

Substrate reduction therapy (SRT) has showed as an useful therapy in type 1 GD patients with mild or moderate disease. The main limitation to use miglustat has been the gastrointestinal adverse events. Since 2004 we have conducted the ZAGAL (Zavesca en Gaucher Leve) study for monitoring the real-life use of miglustat in Spanish adult patients with mild-to moderate disease. The study included GD1 patient’s naïve to therapy as well as patients who have previously been treated with ERT. For follow-up, the therapeutic goals for GD therapy by Pastores GM et al were applied. To date a total of 351 GD1 patients have been diagnosed in Spain (FEETEG unpublished. 2013); from 2004 until 2013, 53 of them have been exposed of miglustat (15.1%). In 16 patients (30.2%) miglustat was the first line of therapy and the remaining 38 switched from ERT. Currently 37 patients (mean age 43.6 y, range 22-83) 50.9% females, are on miglustat therapy (20 at least for 5 years and 13 during more than 8 years). Related to efficacy, the therapy permit to achieve a stable hemoglobin concentration level and spleen reduced volume, but we recorded a decrease of absolute platelet count in 15 patients (28.3%) (mean: 35x109/L, range: 10-86x109/L). Related to biomarkers changes an increase in CT activity was observed in 56.6% of patients (mean: 2,448 nmol/mL.h, range 135-13,687) and 43.4 % for CCL18/PARC (mean: 250 ng/mL, range: 19-1016). Seventeen patients (32.1%) had transitory gastrointestinal disturbances. Sixteen patients (30.2%) discontinued therapy: one of them for pregnancy, two by bone crisis, two by weight loss, one for bad compliance and ten by gastrointestinal discomfort or intolerance (18.8%). 60% of patients has a fine tremor in first months on therapy. 4 died by non-related causes (2 cancer, 1 hearth attack, 1 liver failure), Conclusion The long term follow-up of GD patients treated with Miglustat shows that more than 69% had achieved and maintains the therapeutic goals. A high individual variability had been observed related to miglustat gastrointestinal intolerance apparently no related with GBA genotype, gender and age, but possibly associated with disacaridases inhibition and food habits. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction It is currently well-known that B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients have an impaired immune function -particularly in advanced disease-, which significantly contributes to a higher risk of infections. The introduction of new effective therapeutic agents, such as the purine analogues (or alkylating agents with concomitant properties of purine analogues) plusanti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, have significantly increased the rate of complete responses in CLL, but so far their impact on the overall immune function and the spectrum of infections occurring in CLL patients after therapy, remains to be fully understood. Aim To evaluate the effect of the number of treatment lines received on the different normal circulating leucocyte cell populations, including normal B-cell subsets, in advanced-stage treated CLL. Material and Methods The distribution of peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes was analyzed in 85 untreated CLL patients, and compared to that of 63 patients who had previously been treated with 1 line of treatment (n=39) or >1 line of treatment (n=24), and who failed to respond. Analysis was performed by 8-color flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, TCRgd, CD19, CD20, CD27, CD38, CD45, CD56, sIgM, sIgA, sIgG, sIgLambda and sIgKappa. Results The absolute count of circulating malignant B cells was not significantly different (p>0.05) in the untreated vs. previously treated patients who received 1 or >1 line of treatment (77,627±84,211 vs 67,994±72,087 vs 59,282±74,206 cells/uL; respectively). In contrast, as compared to untreated patients, PB normal B cells were found to be reduced in patients who had received either 1 line or >1 line of treatment (89±142 vs 36±57 and 23±32 cells/uL, p=0.004 and p0.05). When dissecting the normal B-cell subsets, therapy-related decreased B-cell numbers were mostly due to a reduced number of circulating memory B cells (67±98 vs 21±45 and 15±26 cells/uL; p=0.001 and p0.05) and naïve (16±55 vs 6±18 and 4±8 cells/uL; p>0.05) B cells, nor for circulating plasma cells (3±18 vs 5±21 and 2±6 cells/uL; p>0.05), regardless of the therapy status. As compared to untreated patients, the absolute count of CD4+ T cells and CD4/CD8 double negative TCRαβ cells were significantly lower in patients with >1 line of treatment (1,836±1,340 vs 1,256±1,027 and 131±165 vs 56±97 cells/uL, p=0.03 and p=0.007 respectively) but not in those who had received only 1 line (1,477±1,349 and 201±747 cells/uL; p>0.05). In contrast, therapy did not show a significant impact on the absolute count of PB T CD8+ and TCRgd cells. No statistically significant differences were observed in the number of PB innate immune subpopulations including, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, NK cells and dendritic cells. Conclusions While there are no differences regarding the number of leukemic cells, previously treated patients have significantly reduced counts of total and memory (all isotypes) normal B-cell subsets when compared to untreated patients. Together with this, CD4+ helper T cells could also be compromised after more than 1 line of treatment. Monitoring of these therapy-related immune defects could contribute to a better management of infectious complications in advanced-stage CLL patients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract 4599 Objective: To prospectively analyze change over time in minimal residual disease (MRD) in a cohort of 84 untreated patients diagnosed with CD20+ B-CLL who received from October 2007 to December 2010 six cycles of R-FC (Rituximab 375 mg/m2 IV in cycle 1 and 500 mg/m2 in cycles 2–6; F: 25 mg/m2, and C: 250 mg/m2 on days 1–3; every 28 days). Patients who achieved response were treated with rituximab 375 mg/m2 every 2 months for 3 years. Materials and methods: EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples were taken at diagnosis, after 3 and 6 cycles of R-FC, and every 6 months during the maintenance phase. MRD was centrally assessed by four-color multiparameter flow cytometry using the following antibody combinations: CD22/CD23/CD19/CD5, CD81/CD22/CD19/CD5, CD20/CD38/CD19/CD5, and CD20/CD79b/CD19/CD5. An acquisition was performed by selection of CD19+ cells/SSC including at least 200,000 events, reaching a sensitivity level of 0.01% (10-4). Results: PB/BM samples for assessing MRD were available from 28 of the 84 patients after 3 cycles of R-FC and from 79 patients after the 6 induction cycles, and 43 (58%) of the 74 patients on maintenance reached the interim study at 18 months of maintenance (9 cycles). Correlation between PB and BM was 57%, 68%, and 86% at the three study time points. After three R-FC cycles, 16 patients (56.8%) had a MRD- in PB, but only 4 patients (14%) also had MRD- in BM. After six R-FC cycles, 58 patients (73.3%) had a negative study in PB, and 41.7% also in BM. Among the 24 patients analyzed after the third cycle with BM+, 11 achieved negativization after 6 cycles, and MRD was negative in PB in 10 of 12 patients. After 18 months of maintenance, 11 patients (26.2%) converted to MRD- in PB/BM, and a single patient (2.4%) converted to MRD+. Conclusion: Six cycles of R-FC achieved better MRD- rates in PB and BM as compared to 3 cycles. Addition of rituximab as maintenance after R-FC increased the number of MRD-negative in BM, and in consequence the MRD-negative CRs. A good correlation was not found between MRD values in blood and bone marrow in the induction phase. However, these levels improved in the maintenance phase due to an increase in the number of cases with RMD-negative in BM witch were negatives in PB during induction phase. Disclosures: Off Label Use: R in Maintenance.

Abstract 1724 Cytogenetic abnormalities (CA) are the most important prognostic factor in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Monosomal karyotype (MK) defined as the presence of at least two autosomal monosomies or one monosomy plus other structural CA, has been associated with poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but its significance in MDS remains unclear. The aim of our study was to analyze the prognostic impact of MK in adult patients with MDS and CA. Patients from Spanish Registry of MDS diagnosed with MDS by WHO 2008 criteria and with CA detected by conventional cytogenetics have been included in the study. Statistical analysis consisted of Kaplan-Meyer univariate analysis (UA) including all known variables associated with prognosis in MDS and a Cox-regression multivariate analysis (MA) in which we included only those variables with a P There were 1054 patients, 478 (45.3%) women. The median age was 71 (range 16–96) years. Median follow-up for survivors was 24.1 (range 0–210) months. There were 609 (57,8%) refractory anemia (RA) and 445 (42.8%) refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB). The IPSS was low, intermediate-1, intermediate-2 and high in 18.3%, 39.3%, 25%, and 10.6%, respectively (6.7% were unclassifiables). Complex karyotype (CK) and MK was observed in 203 (19.3%) and 172 (16.3%) patients, respectively. Patients with MK showed worse prognostic characteristics than those without MK: More Intermediate-2 and high risk patients (50% vs. 20% and 30% vs. 6.7%; P Median OS for the whole group was 32.7 months. In the UA, the variables associated with lower OS were: Male sex, RAEB subtype (vs. RA), higher IPSS, CK, MK, older age, higher peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) blast percentage and lower Hb, platelets and neutrophil count. In the MA the variables associated with lower OS were: Age>60 years (HR 1.7; P In the group of patients with CK the UA showed that the presence of MK was associated with a trend to lower OS (Log rank 2.8, P=0.092) while the presence of ≥4 vs. 3 CA was associated with lower OS (Log rank 7.5; P=0.006). Other variables associated with lower OS in UA in this subset of patients were: RAEB (vs RA), presence of abnormalities of 5 and/or 7 chromosome, higher IPSS group, older age, higher BM blast percentage, and lower Hb and platelet count. In MA the variables associated with lower OS in patients with CK were: age>60 years (HR 1.734, P=0.008), RAEB vs. RA (HR 1.542, P=0.02) Hb At last follow-up, 221(21%) patients had shown AML evolution at a median of 9 months (0–125 months) for a 1 and 4 years probability of AML evolution of 14.2% (95% CI 11.8–16.6) and 28.6% (95 CI: 24.8–32.4). The variables associated with higher risk of AML evolution in the UA were: RAEB, higher IPSS, CK, MK, higher PB and BM blast percentage and lower hemoglobin, platelet and neutrophil count. In multivariate analysis the only variables that retained statistical significance were BM blasts (HR 1.13; P In conclusion, our study shows that the presence of MK is highly associated with CK and other high-risk features of MDS. In our population, the MK was not an independent risk factor for OS while the presence of CK was the main risk factor associated with poorer OS in MDS patients with abnormal karyotype. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract 1936 Background and aims: Graft-failure (GF) is an infrequent and poor complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Strategies for reversing GF will depend on the options available in each situation. Patients and Methods: A questionnaire about GF was sent to all centers of the Grupo Español de Trasplante Hematopoyético (GETH). Fourteen Spanish institutions reported their GF from January 2006 to October 2010. Primary GF was defined as ANC >0.5×109/L not reached for three consecutive days by day +28 after SCT from peripheral blood (PB) or bone marrow (BM) progenitors and by day +60 after SCT from unrelated cord blood (UCB) progenitors. Secondary GF was defined as a recurrent ANC Results: Eighty patients with GF were reported (median age 34 yr. [range: 1–68]; 54M/26F). Basal diseases were AML 30 (38%), ALL 14 (17%), lymphoproliferative disorder 12 (15%), myelodysplastic syndromes 9 (11%), myeloproliferative syndromes 7 (9%), aplastic anemia 5 (6%), and congenital disorders 3 (4%). Status of the neoplastic disease was: 1st/2nd CR or 1st chronic phase in 50 (62%) patients and >2nd CR or active disease in 30 (38%) patients. Conditioning therapy for 1st SCT was myeloablative in 45 (56%) and non-myeloablative in 35 (44%) patients. Donors were related in 35 (44%) and unrelated in 45 (56%). Progenitors were from mobilized PB in 45 (56%), UCB in 26 (33%) and BM in 9 (11%). At the time of GF, chimerism status (n=75) was donor complete in 6 (8%), mixed in 28 (35%) and from the patient in 41 (55%) individuals. Forty-five (56%) and 35 (44%) patients presented primary and secondary GF. Seventy-one patients received a second SCT from the same donor (31 patients [44%]), from a different donor (35 patients [49%]) or an autologous back-up (5 patients [7%]). The most frequent conditioning regimens (n=65) in second allogeneic stem cell infusion were fludarabine+ thymoglobulin (ATG) (19 [29%]), anti-lymphocyte immunoglobulin alone (9 [14%]) and cyclophosphamide+ATG (6 [9%]). ATG or alemtuzumab were used in 52 patients (80%) as part of the preparative regimen. Progenitors were from mobilized PB in 52 (79%), UCB in 8 (12%) and BM in 6 (9%) patients. Eleven (20%) and 2 (4%) out of 55 evaluable patients presented again primary or secondary GF. The median survival time from GF was 12 months [range: 1–23].The 5-yr. probability of survival was 28% (95%CI: 14%–42%) with a median follow-up for alive patients of 27 months [range: 1–103]. The 5-yr. non-relapse mortality was 47% [35%–59%]. There was a trend for a better survival in patients under 18 years-old. No other factors such as graft source, in vivo T-cell depletion or the conditioning regimen influenced on patient's survival. By competing risk estimation, the transplant-related mortality and the relapse probability at 5 years in the 66 patients that received a second transplant were 51% [95%CI: 38% – 63%] and 24% [95%CI: 10% – 41%]. Conclusions: The prognosis of GF after allogeneic SCT was poor, although some patients presented long survival if successful recovery of GF was obtained. The strategy adopted to treat GF has been heterogeneous. Younger age showed a trend for better survival in this series. Supported by grants P-EF/10 from FIJC and RD06/0020/1056 from RETICC. Disclosures: Sanz: Novartis: Speakers Bureau.

Abstract 2448 Introduction. Combination of Rituximab (R) with fludarabine (F) and cyclophosphamide (C) as first line treatment of B-CLL, results in a high complete response rate, improved progression free and overall survival compared with FC in randomised trials (Hallek et al, Blood 2009). However, more than 30% of patients relapse or show disease progression at 3–4 years after FR or FCR treatment (Byrd et al., Blood 2005; Keating et al., J Clin Oncol 2005). We report on the efficacy and safety results of an interim analysis after one year of Rituximab maintenance (Rm) following FCR in previously untreated CLL patients (pts). Methods and Patients. Between October 2007 and June 2009, a cohort of 84 physically fit pts with CD20 positive CLL received treatment with 6 cycles of FCR (R:375mg/m2 iv cycle-1 and 500mg/m2 iv, cycles 2–6; F:25mg/m2 iv, days 1–3; and C:250mg/m2 iv days 1–3; every 28 days). After 3 months of clinical response evaluation, pts achieving a response were treated with R: 375mg/m2 iv every 2 months for 3 years. Anti-infective prophylaxis included trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and acyclovir during treatment and until CD4 positive lymphocyte reached 0.3×109/L. Pts achieving a complete response (CR) and negative minimal residual disease (MRD) in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) after 4 courses of FCR, were allowed to stop FC and complete 2 courses of R and continue with Rm. The median age was 59.5 (range 37–70), 32% were females, 6% were Rai low risk, 69% intermediate risk and 25% high risk stage. IGHV status was unmutated in 64.4%, CD38 positive (>30%) in 47.6% and ZAP-70 positive (>20%) in 57.3% of pts. The incidence of genetic abnormalities by FISH for del 6q, del 11q (ATM), trisomy 12, del 13q and del 17p (p53) was 3.5%, 26.1%,15,4%, 50% and 4.7% respectively. MRD was evaluated by multicolor flow cytometry (sensitivity: 1 CLL cell positive in 10000 leukocytes). The primary end point was to evaluate the response rates and adverse events (AEs) profile of FCR and Rm treatments. Secondary endpoints included progression free and overall survival, correlation of response with MRD after FCR and Rm treatments. The mean number of FCR cycles was 5.3, and the complete treatment was administered in 80% of pts. Results. We present the results of a planned interim analysis after 1 year (6 cycles) of Rm following FCR as induction treatment. Of 90 pts screened from 29 centres, 84 were assigned (6 failed eligible criteria) to FCR and were evaluable for response. On an intent to treat analysis, overall response, CR, partial response (PR), non response and progression rates were 95.2%, 73.8%, 21.4%, 3.6% and 1.2% respectively. Of 79 pts evaluable for BM-MRD status, MRD-negative CR, MRD-positive CR, MRD-negative PR and MRD-positive PR rates were 57%, 21.5%, 7.6% and 13.9% respectively. The most common AEs after FCR were rituximab infusion (65.1%), myelotoxicity (33.7%) in 29 pts and infections (34%) with 1 serious AEs (SAEs)(1 exitus by viral myocarditis). In addition, there were 12 non hematological SAEs. Seventy five out of 84 pts continued with Rm treatment, 9 were withdrawn by progression (1), toxicity (5) and investigator decision (3). As of June 2010, 70 out 75 eligible pts had initiated Rm and 37 (49.3%) had completed 1 year of Rm (6 cycles) and were evaluable for response. Of them, 24 (64.8%) pts were in MRD-negative CR and only 1 pts converted to MRD-positive CR; 8 (21, 6%) pts were in MRD-positive CR and 3 converted to MRD-Negative CR, while 5 (13.5%) continued in MRD-positive CR with a sustained decreasing number of CLL cells in BM. Five pts were in MRD-positive PR and of them, 4 were in sustained PR with BM-MRD response and one pts presented clinical progression. In summary, 70.2% reached MRD-negative CR and 97.3% were in sustained response. The most common AEs after Rm were grade 3/4 neutropenia between cycles in 6 (16.7%) pts, infections in 15 (41.7%) pts and there were 2 (5.6%) SAEs (2 pneumonia) reported in this population. Conclusion: Based on these preliminary results, the addition of rituximab maintenance following FCR is feasible and effective in untreated CLL pts and increases the quality of clinical responses by obtaining a higher number of MRD-negative CR cases with an acceptable safety profile. Disclosures: Garcia-Marco: ROCHE: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Off Label Use: Rituximab is not approved as maintenance therapy. Leon: ROCHE: Employment.

Abstract 4725 In the last twenty years enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with imiglucerase has been a clinically effective for Gaucher disease (GD). The recombinant glucocerebrosidase administered intravenously - usually at biweekly intervals by lifelong has improved the quality of life of patients, avoided spleen removal and bone complications. In the last months an acute shortage of imiglucerase manufactured by the Genzyme Corporation (MA, USA) has occurred as a result of viral contamination firstly and other deficiencies in the production facility. In September 2009 a position statement based on the findings of the European Working Group for Gaucher Disease and European Gaucher Alliance, established a set of key recommendations about identification and monitoring of at-risk patients threatened. In Spain the follow-up of patients and the strict complementation of rules of therapy have permitted to obtain a profile of the situation in a group of patients with restricted ERT. Patients and Methods: A total of 50 GD1 patients have been analyzed before and after 6 and 12 months of imiglucerase shortage. Have been excluded for analysis children in order to dose reduction has been minimal as well as patients who have switched to another ERT or miglustat therapy. Results: Gender: 25 males/25 females. Mean age of group: 45.3±15.3 (range:18-84) SSI at diagnosis(Dx): 8.7±3.8 (range:3-19) Chitotriosidase (CT) activity at Dx:13,383±12,783 nM/mL.h; CCL18/PARC at Dx: 767±1,198 ng/mL. 20% of patients were splenectomized and 78% had bone disease at Dx. During shortage 23 patients (46%) discontinued therapy, in this period only one patient suffered a bone crisis and other anaemia as complications. Mean reduction of haemoglobin level: 2.7% (NS), platelet counts: 5.4% (NS). CT activity was increased 135% (p Disclosures: Off Label Use: Lenalidomide is not approved for the treatment of smoldering multiple myeloma.

Abstract 845 Background: ATRA combined to anthracycline-based chemotherapy (CT) for induction and consolidation followed by prolonged maintenance is a standard treatment of newly diagnosed APL, but the outcome and prognostic factors in the elderly are less well established than in younger patients (pts). Methods: We performed a joint analysis of elderly pts included in two subsequent trials of the PETHEMA group (LPA96 and LPA99) and and on the French -Belgian-Swiss APL group (APL93 and APL2000). In the PETHEMA trials, pts received induction therapy with ATRA and idarubicin (Ida 12 mg/m2/d, d2,4,6,8), consolidation with 3 anthracycline monochemotherapy courses (2 with Ida and 1 with mitoxantrone, with ATRA and higher idarubicin dose for Sanz's int and high risk pts in LPA99 trial), and 2-year maintenance with intermittent ATRA and continuous low-dose CT (6MP + MTX). In APL 93 and 2000 trials: pts received induction therapy with ATRA and DNR (60mg/m2/d ×3d)+AraC, (200 mg/m2/d×7) followed by consolidation with a similar course and a final DNR (45 mg/m2/d × 3) + AraC (1-2 g/m2/12h × 8) course (omitted in pts >65y) and the same maintenance as in PETHEMA trials. Median follow up was 75 and 42 months in PETHEMA and APL trials, respectively. Results: 1575 consecutive newly diagnosed APL pts were enrolled in the 4 trials, including 1288 (81%), 105 (6.6%), 91 (5.7%) and 91 (5.7%) aged 70, respectively (ie 287 pts (18%) older than 60). CR rates in these age groups were 94.6%, 84.8%, 81.8% and 78.4% (p=0.0002). All failures were due to early death, except one due to resistant leukemia, in a younger adult. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 16.5%, 19.1% ,11.9% and 13.5% in pts 70, respectively (p= 0.63). The 5-year OS in these age groups was 85.8%, 68.7%, 63.8% and 56.4% (p70 years, respectively (p In pts >60 yrs, by multivariate analysis, early death was associated with increased WBC (p=0.046), and increased creatinine level (p=0.002). Higher CIR was associated with increased WBC (p=0.002) . In patients older than 60 years, age had no significant impact on CR rate and survival. Finally, no significant differences in outcome were seen between French Belgian Swiss and PETHEMA trials. Conclusion: In pts older than 60, classical APL treatment with ATRA combined to anthracycline based CT followed by prolonged maintenance gives no initial leukemic resistance and similar relapse rate as in younger pts, but significantly lower OS due to a higher incidence of early deaths and of deaths in CR compared with younger pts. Higher WBC counts are associated with an increased incidence of both early deaths and deaths in CR. Improvement in prognosis, therefore, requires better supportive care during induction treatment, while reduction of the amount of myelosuppressive drugs during post induction treatment may be required to reduce deaths in CR. Disclosures: Fenaux: CELGENE: Research Funding; AMGEN: Research Funding.

The combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline-based chemotherapy has been adopted as the standard treatment for children and adults with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, information about therapy results in pediatric APL patients is scarce, particularly on long-term outcomes. A previous report of the PETHEMA Group (Ortega et al, JCO 2005) showed that a risk-adapted strategy combining a reduced dose of ATRA (25 mg/m2/d) and anthracycline monochemotherapy for induction and consolidation, followed by ATRA and low dose methotrexate and mercaptopurine for maintenance therapy, produced high antileukemic efficacy, moderate toxicity, and a high degree of compliance. We have now performed an updated analysis of a significantly enlarged cohort of 107 consecutive children (younger than 19 years) with APL who were enrolled in three sequential trials of the PETHEMA Group (LPA96, LPA99 and LPA2005) and followed up for a median of 71 months (range, 3–139). Induction consisted of 25 mg/m2 ATRA daily until CR and 12 mg/m2 idarubicin on days 2, 4, 6 and 8. In the LPA96 trial, patients in CR received three monthly chemotherapy courses: idarubicin 5 mg/m2/d × 4 (course #1), mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2/d × 5 (course #2), and idarubicin 12 mg/m2/d × 1 (course #3). Since November 1999 (LPA99 trial), for patients with intermediate or high risk of relapse (Sanz et al, Blood 2000), consolidation was slightly intensified by increasing idarubicin doses in courses #1 and #3, and by simultaneously administering 25 mg/m2 ATRA together with chemotherapy in all three courses. Since July 2005, consolidation therapy in the ongoing LPA 2005 trial included the following modifications: the administration of ATRA for all patients; for low- and intermediate-risk patients, mitoxantrone has been reduced from five to three days in the second course; and for high-risk patients, cytarabine has been added to idarubicin in the first and third course. Maintenance therapy consisted of 50 mg/m2/d mercaptopurine orally, 15 mg/m2/week methotrexate intramuscularly, and 25 mg/m2/d ATRA for 15 days every three months. Of 1031 patients enrolled in three subsequent PETHEMA trials between November 1996 and July 2008, 107 (10%) from 43 Institutions were aged less than 19 years. WBC counts were >10×09/l and >50×109/l in 36 (34%) and 10 (9%), respectively; morphologically, 22 (22%) cases were hypergranular; PML/RARA isoform type was BCR1 or BCR2 in 47 (57%), and BCR3 in 35 (43%). One-hundred and one patients achieved CR (94%). In general, toxicity was manageable during consolidation and maintenance therapy. One patient died in CR during consolidation due to hepatic failure. At the end of consolidation, only 2 patients of 86 patients tested had molecular persistence (defined by positive RT-PCR of PML/RARA at 10−4 sensitivity). Ten additional relapses were observed, 5 molecular and 5 clinical relapses. Apart from 2 clinical relapses and 2 molecular relapses, all these events occurred among high risk patients. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall, disease-free and relapse-free survival were 89%, 86% and 86%, respectively. These results show a higher incidence of hyperleucocytosis in pediatric patients than in adults with genetically proven APL (p=0.05) and confirm the high antileukemic efficacy, low toxicity and high degree of compliance of three subsequent PETHEMA trials using a risk-adapted strategy with ATRA and anthracycline-based chemotherapy for induction and consolidation therapy.

Introduction: Myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients (pts) with MCL has been traditionally used only in young pts without co-morbidities due to its high toxicity. During the last 10 years, many different reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens have been introduced into clinical practice trying to reduce this toxicity, preserving the establishment of a meaningful graft-tumor effect (GVT). However, few homogeneus pts series have been reported focused on MCL, with encouraging results in some studies. Thus, we report herein the outcome of 18 consecutive MCL pts who received an allo-PBSC-RIC from an HLA-identical sibling donor with a long follow-up. Patients and methods: The RIC consisted in iv fludarabine 125–150 mg/m2 from day-8 to -4 and iv melphalan 80 or 140 mg/m2 on day-3 to -2. Rituximab 375 mg/m2 was added to RIC in 8 pts on days-9, +1, +8 and +15. GVHD prophylaxis consisted in standard cyclosporine and methotrexathe. Gradual cyclosporine tappering from day +50 was initiated if mixed chimerism or persistent disease were present. We focus on engraftment kinetics, early toxicities, non-relapse mortality (NRM), chimerism kinetics, GVHD as well as estimated anti-tumoral efficacy, progression-free and overall survival (PFS and OS). Results: 18 MCL pts were included from 2000 to 2008, with a median follow-up of 50 months. Median age was 56 years (range: 43–68), 13 were males, with a median pre-RIC treatment lines of 2 (1–4) including 2 autoHSCT. Before alloRIC, 13 pts (72%) were in 1st or later CR, while 5 pts (28%) were in chemo-sensitive PR. Median CD34+/kg infused cells were 5,8 ×106 (4,3–10,8) and 2,0 ×108 (0,7–4,1) CD3+ lymphocytes/kg. All pts engrafted, reaching ANC>500 on day +16 (13–20) and platelets>20.000 on day +12 (8–32), with no graft failures. Early toxicity ( Conclusions: AlloRIC with fludarabine and melphalan in MCL pts offers a good toxicity profile, with high engraftment rate and good long term disease-free survival, especially in pts younger than 60. The very low long-term relapse rate seen in the context of a high incidence of chronic GVHD supports the continued sensitivity of MCL to a GVT effect. Figure Figure

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of Lenalidomide (Len) as compassionate use in relapsed or progressive Multiple Myeloma (MM) up to its approval in Spain. Patients and Methods: GEM-PETHEMA designed a transverse and retrospective, multicenter analysis of MM cases which Len compassionate use was requested until December, 2007. The decision to treat these patients was previous and independent from the decision to conduct the present analysis and depended only on the clinical criteria of the responsible doctors. At least, one response assessment was a must for efficacy analysis. Results: 111 MM patients have been included. Eligible patients for efficacy were 103. Mean age was 65.7 (38–85); 53 m, 50 f. Previous median lines of therapy were 3 (1–8): 92 (89.3%) have received bortezomib; 37 (35.9%) autologous PBSCT and 26 (25.2%) thalidomide. Extramedullary plasmocitomas were present in 25 (24.3%). Mean Len dose was 22.8 mg (± 4.9): 82 (79.6%) received the standard dose and schedule (25 mg d for 3 w every 4 w) and 21 (20.4%) received less dose and/or different schedule. 92 (89.3%) received Dexametasone (mean dose 58.33 mg/w) [± 35.8]). Response: 4 (3.9%) sCR, 11 CR (10.7%), 12 VGPR (11.7%), 41 PR (39.8%), 20 SD (19.4%), 13 PD (12.6%), 2 NE (1.9). Among groups, response equal or superior to PR was observed in all settings: 64.1% in prior exposed to bortezomib, 46.1% in prior exposed to thalidomide and 40.0% in patients with extramedullary plasmocitomas. Previous transplant, the number of previous lines received, renal failure, age, or cytogenetic did not affect significantly the overall response rate. Median duration of treatment was 7.7 m (1–21); median TTP was 8.3 m and median global survival since starting Len therapy was 11 m (6–22). Median survival since diagnostic was 49 m (40–60). At the time of analysis, 46 (45.5%) patients were still on Len therapy, and 72 (79.6%) were alive. Toxicity: ≥ grade II: neutropenia, 51 (46.4%); thrombocytopenia, 39 (35.5%); DVT, 5 (4.5%); rash, 3 (2.7%); neutropenic fever, 8 (7.3%); others, 13 (11.8%). DVT/PE prophylaxis was used in 89 (86.4%) patients: LWMH in 43.8 % and low dose aspirin in 48.3 %. No PE was reported. Conclusions: Lenalidomide is effective in this heavily pre-treated MM population-progressive or refractory to standard therapy-even in different clinical settings. The most frequent association to Len was intermediate dose of Dex. Although response rate was superior in patients exposed previously to bortezomib, no differences on duration and survival were observed. Patients with extramedullary plasmocitomas showed also response. Toxicity, mainly myelosupression was predictable and manageable with dose adjustments and cytokine support.

Background: ATRA combined to anthracycline based chemotherapy (CT) is the reference treatment of newly diagnosed APL. ATRA has also demonstrated a role during maintenance treatment in randomized studies (Fenaux, Blood 99; Talmann, NEJM 1997), and may even be useful during consolidation courses (Sanz, Blood, 2008, although this was not a randomized study). During induction treatment, the optimal duration of ATRA treatment, however, is unknown. We tried to assess this point using long-term results of APL 93 and APL 2000 trials, conducted by the European APL group in newly diagnosed APL between 1993 and 2004. Methods: APL 93 and 2000 trials combined ATRA plus 3 courses of daunorubicin (DNR) based CT and included a total of 902 pts with different randomizations (for date of introduction of CT, use or not of AraC and of maintenance treatment). Only treatment arms that proved “optimal” (ie with early addition of the first course of CT to ATRA, AraC in combination to DNR for the 3 CT courses, and combined maintenance with intermittent ATRA and low dose continuous CT) (Fenaux, Leukemia 2000;Ades JCO 2006) and adult pts who had achieved CR in those arms, ie 414 pts, were considered for this analysis of the influence of duration of ATRA during induction treatment on the cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and survival. Per protocol, ATRA (45 mg/m2/d, rounded to a daily dose of 8 pills of 10 mg per day, ie 80 mg/day in most pts) was to be administered “until CR”, and to be transiently discontinued only in case of severe ATRA syndrome. No dose reduction was allowed except in children, who were therefore excluded from this analysis. Results: In the 414 pts, who Included 263 (64%) pts with WBC < 10G/L and 151(36%) pts with WBC >10G/L, the median cumulative dose of ATRA administered during Induction treatment was 2160 mg (corresponding to 27 days at 80 mg/d) Early ATRA Interruptions, Ie before recovery from aplasia and patient discharge, were made almost exclusively for ATRA syndrome or unexplained fever, and were followed or not by restart of the drug. Final discontinuation of ATRA for induction treatment was made a median of 27 days after onset of ATRA treatment. Although both trials stated that ATRA should be continued “until CR”, ATRA discontinuation was more often made at the end of the period of aplasia and patient discharge, than at the time of documented CR on bone marrow examination, especially as marrow abnormal promyelocytes are known to disappear slowly in APL. No difference in 5 y CIR or survival were found in pts who had received more or less than 2160 mg of ATRA during induction in the whole population and in pts with baseline WBC less or greater than 10 G/L. 89/414 (21%) pts had received less than 1500 mg of ATRA during Induction (corresponding to less than 19 days at 80 mg/day), their 5 y CIR and survival were similar to those of pts who had received more than 1500 mg of ATRA during induction in the whole population, and in pts with baseline WBC > 10 G/L. However, in pts with baseline WBC Conclusion: Although ATRA duration for induction treatment was not randomized in APL 93 and 2000 trials, our results suggest that, in newly diagnosed APL pts with WBC < 10 G/L, short duration of ATRA during induction treatment may be associated with a higher risk of relapse. This, along with Spanish PETHEMA results supporting a possible role for ATRA during consolidation courses, suggests that sufficiently prolonged exposure to ATRA during the first months of treatment (and not only during maintenance) may be important for disease cure in APL.

Background and objective Fludarabine in combination with cyclophosphamide (FC) plus rituximab (R) is an effective treatment for newly diagnosed as well as relapsed follicular lymphoma (Tam 2004; Keating 2005; Sacchi 2007). Maintenance treatment with R, after different induction treatments, improves overall and progression-free survival (Forstpointner 2006; van Oers 2006). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the FC-R regime followed by maintenance doses of R. Patients and Methods We present an intermediate report of the one-arm study in which 75 previously untreated patients with a diagnosis of follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Ann Arbor stage II–IV were included between October 2004–2006. Seventy four were assessed for safety after receiving at least one FC-R dose (F: 3x25 mg/m2 and C: 1 g/m2; R: 375mg/m2), and 72 for response to treatment. Patients aged 53.4 years in average, one in five showed bulky disease and 72.2% Ann Arbor IV staging. FLIPI index determined 23.9% patients with low (0–1) score, 38% with intermediate (2) and 38% with poor score (3). A total of 47 patients presented some molecular alteration in PB or BM. Results Induction therapy was delivered throughout 4–6 courses, resulting in 91% complete responses (CR) and 9% partial responses (PR) (Table 1). From the patients who presented monoclonal population at diagnosis, 40 were evaluated for molecular response after induction and only 1 remained MDR positive for bcl2/IgH. Overall survival (OS) at 24 months was 87.5%, and two patients presented progressive disease within this period. The median OS has not been reached at this evaluation. To the date, 262 adverse effects grade 3–4 (32.6%) have been documented (80.9% neutropenias) and 80 infectious complications were recorded (23.8% grade 3–4). Three patients died from respiratory diseases, two from acute leukemia, and six from other causes. Table 1 EVOLUTION OF RESPONSE Evaluated Response at End of Induction Therapy Evaluated Response Post-Course 3 Assesable End Ind. (n=67) Missing End Ind. (n=5) CR: complete response; uCR: unconfirmed CR; PR: partial response; NE: not evaluated; WD: withdrawn; EX: exitus. Assesable PC3 (n=70) CRITERIA CR PR NE WD EX 14 CR 12 - 1 1 - 32 uCR 31 - 1 - - 24 PR 16 6 - - 2 2 Missing PC3 (NE) 2 - - - - 72 Total 61 6 2 1 2 Conclusions The FC-R has proven a potent antitumoral activity in untreated follicular lymphoma patients, rendering very high clinical and molecular responses. However, as reported in similar studies (Hochster 2007 ASCO), the high incidence of prolonged neutropenias and lymphopenias developed as consequence of the chemotherapy regime, questions the safety of the induction treatment.

Background: A first report of the PETHEMA LPA99 trial in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) showed that a risk-adapted treatment strategy combining ATRA and anthracycline alone for induction and consolidation results in high antileukemic efficacy and low toxicity. We report here an updated analysis of this trial including a significantly higher number of patients and longer follow-up. Methods: From November 1999 to July 2005, 564 patients (median age 40 years, range 2–83) with APL received induction with ATRA (45 mg/m2/d) until CR and idarubicin (12 mg/m2/d) on days 2, 4, 6 and 8. Patients in CR received 3 monthly courses of risk-adapted consolidation therapy as follows: “low-risk” patients (WBC 40×109/l), idarubicin 5 mg/m2/d × 4 (course #1), mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2/d × 5 (course #2), and idarubicin 12 mg/m2/d × 1 (course #3); “intermediate-risk “ (WBC 10×109/l) patients received ATRA (45 mg/m2/d × 15) in combination with reinforced chemotherapy (Idarubicin 7 mg/m2/d in the course #1 and two days instead of one in the course #3). Maintenance therapy consisted of 50 mg/m2/d mercaptopurine orally, 15 mg/m2/week methotrexate intramuscularly, and 45 mg/m2/d ATRA for 15 days every 3 months. Results: CR was achieved in 511 patients (91%). Except for three cases labelled as resistant, of the remaining 50 patients 56%, 24%, 16% and 4% died due to hemorrhage, infection, retinoic acid syndrome, and acute myocardial infarction, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that WBC >10×109/l, age >60 years, male gender, and serum creatinine >1.4 mg/dl at presentation had independent predictive value of death during induction. The median follow-up of the cohort was 57 months (range 20–94 months). Thirteen patients (median age 72 years, range 4–81) died in remission and 99% of patients completed the entire assigned therapy. Thirty-six patients presented haematological relapse, 16 molecular relapse, and 8 secondary myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia. Overall, the 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), disease-free survival, and overall survival were 11%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. The 5-year CIR for low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients were 4%, 7% and 28%, respectively. Conclusions: A risk-adapted strategy combining ATRA and anthracycline monochemotherapy for induction and consolidation therapy results in high antileukemic efficacy, low toxicity and a high degree of compliance in newly diagnosed APL.

Background: With the improved survival of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treated with all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) combined to anthracycline chemotherapy, acquired therapy-related myelodysplasia (tMDS), acute myelogenous leukaemia (tAML), or both, can be an emerging problem. Objectives: Analyze the incidence and characteristics of tMDS/tAML in 740 patients with newly diagnosed APL enrolled in the PETHEMA LPA96 and LPA99 trials. Methods: From 1996 to 2005, 740 patients (median age 40 years, range 2–83) were included in the LPA96 and LPA99 trials (176 and 564 patients, respectively). Induction therapy consisted of ATRA and idarubicin, followed by three consolidation courses of anthracycline monochemotherapy with or without ATRA. Maintenance therapy consisted of low-dose oral chemotherapy (mercaptopurine and methotrexate with ATRA). We measured the cumulative incidence (CI) of tMDS/tAML during the course of APL patients who achieved the complete remission (CR). Results: CR was achieved in 667 patients (90%). The median follow-up of the cohort was 66 months (range 20–127 months). Overall, 12 patients presented a tMDS/tAML, after a median of 43 months (range 23–55) from the achievement of CR. Six patients were diagnosed of tAML and 6 were diagnosed of tMDS. In all patients, RT-PCR monitoring and/or cytogenetic analysis indicated first complete remission of APL at the time of diagnosis of tMDS/tAML. Cytogenetic characterization revealed −5/del(5q) and/or −7/del(7q) abnormalities in 7 of 12 patients, whereas 11q23 rearrangements were observed in 2 patients. In spite of intensive chemotherapy (with allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in 3 patients), the course of tAML was aggressive (5 of 6 patients dead after a median of 7 months from diagnosis). Five patients with tMDS received only supportive treatment, and the remaining patient received chemotherapy and allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. Survival was also poor, with 4 patients dead after a median of 6 months, and 2 patients alive after 3 and 5 months from tMDS diagnosis. The median age at diagnosis of tMDS/tAML was 58 years (range 29–68). Four and 8 patients followed the LPA96 and the LPA99 trial, respectively. At the initial diagnosis, APL were classified, according to the Sanz score, as high-, intermediate- and low-risk, in 0, 7, and 5 patients, respectively. The overall 5 year CI of tMDS/tAML was 2.1%. The 5 year CI of tMDS/tAML in high-, intermediate- and low-risk patients was 0%, 2.2% and 4.2%, respectively (low- vs high-risk log-rank test; p=0.06). The 5 year CI of tMDS/tAML in patients Conclusion: In this large series of APL patients treated with ATRA and anthracycline monochemotherapy, the 5 year CI of tMDS/tAML was 2.1%. tMDS/tAML can be a long-term therapeutic complication, affecting more frequently patients aged ≥50 years and conferring a poor prognosis. Despite the lack of alkylating agents in the therapy of APL, cytogenetic abnormalities involving chromosomes 5 and 7 were frequently observed.

Introduction: Myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant has been reserved for long time to young well-fitted patients (pts) due to its high toxicity. Lately, different non-myeloablative (NMA) conditioning regimens have been employed to reduce this toxicity preserving the graft-vs-tumor effect (GVT). Here we present our experience in advanced lymphoma pts. Patients & methods: Since year 2000, we used iv fludarabine 150 mg/m2 days −7 to −4 and iv melphalan 80 mg/m2 day −2 as NMA conditioning for heavily pretreated lymphoma pts, aged >55y or with comorbidities. GVHD prophylaxis consisted in cyclosporine and short course MTX. Stem cells were obtained from peripheral blood of an HLA-identical sibling donor. Gradual cyclosporine tappering from day +50 was initiated if mixed chimerism or persistent disease were present. We evaluated: engraftment rate, toxicities, transplant related mortality (TRM), chimerism kinetics, GVHD incidence and disease free and overall survival (DFS and OS). Results: 18 lymphoma pts (8 follicular, 4 mantle cell, 4 peripheral T and 2 DLBCL) were transplanted since 5/2000 to 1/2007 due to co-morbidities in 4, age>55y in 6 and heavily pretreated pts in 10. Median age was 52y (31–61), 10 were males, median treatment lines were 3 (1–5) including 4 auto-transplanted(22%). After the last treatment, 10 pts were in CR(56%), 4 pts had chemo-sensitive PR(22%) and 4 chemo-resistant disease(22%). Median CD34+/kg infused cells were 5,0 x106(3,7–10,8) and 2,0 x108(0,4–4,4) CD3+ lymphocytes/kg. All pts engrafted, reaching ANC>500 on day +14 (10–20) and platelets>20.000 on day +12 (9–33), except 1 early death. There weren’t any early or late engrafment failures. Early toxicity until day +100 included febrile neutropenia in 6, severe mucositis in 2, hepatic toxicity in 2, VOD in 1, hemorragic cystitis and arrythmia in 1. There were 2 deaths before day +100: 1 refractory congestive heart failure and 1 Pseudomonas’ sepsis(TRM 11,1%) and 2 late deaths beyond +1y due to infections during chronic GVHD treatment. Viral infections were the most prevalent(72%), mainly CMV reactivations (44%) that were relapsing in 17%. There were 7 bacterial infections (4 bacteriemias, 1 meningitis, 1 pneumonia and 1 urinary sepsis). Complete chimerism (CC) was present on day +30 in 38% pts and in 93% pts on day +90. Only 1 pt persisted on mixed chimera until day +180 and 10/10 evaluated pts were on CC after 1 year. Acute grade II-IV GVHD ocurred in 37%, with 25% grade III-IV. Chronic GVHD affected 10/15 pts (67%), limited in 27% and extensive in 40%. Only 1/10 CR pts at transplant relapsed after 95 days and 4/4 pts with chemo-sensitive PR reached CR that persisted after achieving CC on day +90. All chemo-refractory pts died (4/4): 2 early toxic deaths and 2 progressions. Median follow-up was 55 months(28–83) with DFS of 61% and 66,7% OS at 5y. Twelve pts persisted alive in CR with chronic GVHD in 4(33%). Predictors for DFS and/or OS were follicular and mantle cell histology vs others (p2 lines (p Conclusions: After long term follow-up, NMA conditioning with fludarabine and low melphalan dose in advanced lymphoma pts offers good toxicity profile, with high engraftment rate and good disease control if pts were in chemo-sensitive disease pretransplant.

Background: Thrombo-ischemic events can be a severe complication in patients with active acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In a recently published study, the incidence of thrombosis among 90 patients with APL was 9%, and it was related to CD2 surface antigen expression, FLT3 mutations and leukocytes >10×109/L. The introduction of coagulopathy prophylaxis with tranexamic acid has not shown a benefit on hemorrhagic mortality, but its impact on the incidence of thrombotic events is unclear. Objectives:Analyze the incidence and risk factors for the development of thrombosis in patients with APL undergoing induction chemotherapy.Analyze the impact of prophylaxis with tranexamic acid on development of thrombosis. Material and methods: Between 1996 and 2005 759 patients with newly diagnosed APL were registered in the multicenter PETHEMA LPA96 and LPA99 trials. Twenty-six patients (3.5%) died due to complications before start of chemotherapy (CT). Induction consisted of ATRA plus idarubicin. In the LPA99 trial prophylactic tranexamic acid 100 mg/kg/day was introduced in case of platelets Results: 39/759 patients (5.1%) developed thrombosis. Among 26 patients who died before initiation of CT, 6 (23%) presented with thrombotic complications: 3 cerebral stroke (CNS), 2 pulmonary embolism (PE) and 1 acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Thirty-three (4.5%) of the 733 patients in whom CT was initiated experienced thrombosis: 3 at diagnosis (1 AMI, 1 CNS and 1 deep venous thrombosis (DVT)) and 30 after the start of CT (16 DVT, 6 CNS, 3 PE, 2 AMI and 2 others). Four thrombotic events were related with initiation of tranexamic acid: 2 DVT, 1 skin necrosis and 1 renal necrosis. The following factors were related to a higher incidence of thrombosis: leukocytes >10×109/L (9% vs 4%, p10 g/dl (8% vs 4%, p=0.03). No significant relation was observed with CD2 or other surface antigens, as well as FLT3 mutations. Use of tranexamic acid showed a trend towards a higher incidence of thrombosis (6% vs 3%, p=0.08). In multivariate analysis hypofibrinogenemia and M3-v subtype remained as independent prognostic factors. Thrombosis was related with a higher induction mortality (including deaths before start of CT), 28% vs 11%, p Conclusion: Thrombo-ischemic events are relatively frequent in active APL patients implying an elevated early mortality. Hypofibrinogenemia and M3-v are associated with a higher incidence of thrombosis. Treatment with tranexamic acid has not decreased hemorrhagic mortality and it could be related to increased thrombotic events. Therefore its prophylactic use should not be recommended.

Objectives. To evaluate clinical efficacy, molecular response and safety following the use of a regimen of fludarabine (25 mg/m2 x 3 days) Cy (1g/m2 x 1 day) and Rituximab (375 mg/m2/ x 1 day) (FCR)x 6 cycles, followed by maintenance with rituximab (375 mg/m2/week/x 4 weeks every 6 months x 2 years). (LNHF-03 Study). Patients and methods. Seventy-five (75) patients with a diagnosis of follicular NHL were included in the study between October 2004 and January 2006. The median age was 54 years (30–75). Twenty-one per cent (21%) of the patients had bulky disease. According to the FLIPI index: (0–1): 22.6%; 2: 40,3%; 3: 37,1%. Minimal residual disease (MRD): A clonal population on diagnosis was identified by means of the bcl–2/IgH major and minor rearrangement study by means of quantitative PCR rearrangements of the Igs by means of fluorescent PCR. Subsequently, samples were studied following the induction treatment and during the maintenance treatment. The analysis is performed in the 70 patients that completed the six induction regimens and were evaluated. Results. 64/70 patients were given the six cycles planned (91%). The presence of persistent cytopenia limited the cycles given in the other 6 patients to 4 or 5. Three hundred and thirty-eight (338) adverse effects were documented in the 414 cycles given to the 70 patients evaluated, almost all of them being mild, and 26 severe (degree 3–4), and almost all the cases were neutropenias. Infectious complications were frequent and many were severe: herpes zoster (5), pneumonia (5), cerebral toxoplasmosis (1), aspergillosis (1), infection by CMV (2). One patient developed erythroleukaemia within the first year following completion of the treatment. Three patients died ( CMV + aspergillosis, pneumonia, erythroleukaemia). 86% of the patients reached CR following induction, 6% unconfirmed CR and 8% partial response. On diagnosis, a clonal population was identified in 63% (45/71) of the cases. Of these 45 patients, samples are available following induction treatment in 35 cases. The molecular disease was negativised in all the cases, except one case with persistence of positive bcl2/IgH (0.3% as opposed to diagnosis) and is in uncertain CR. Of the 34 cases with negative ER, 32 are in CR or uncertain CR and 2 PR. Conclusions. The FCR regimen has proven to have a potent antitumoral activity in recently diagnosed follicular lymphoma patients with very high clinical (86% CR) and molecular (95%) responses. The immunosuppression caused is profound, with the appearance of opportunistic infections, and in some cases prolonged lymphopenias and neutropenias that call for future assessment and follow-up.

Myeloablative transplant has been investigated in poor prognosis indolent lymphoma; although recurrence rate is low it is associated with high mortality; the use of non-myeloablative conditioning regimens could reduce TRM maintaining the GVH effect. Up to May 2006, 35 patients with follicular NHL received a Non Myeloablative related allogeneic according to two prospective multicenter trials; conditioning regimen consisted of Fludarabine 150 mg and Melphalan 70–140 mg. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of CSA plus short-course MTX. All patients received filgrastim-stimulated peripheral blood stem cells from a HLA related identical donor. Median age at transplant was 50 years (34–62) and 16 (46%) had received a previous autologous transplant. At transplant, 5 patients (14%) were in CR1 (after several lines of chemotherapy), 9 (25%) in >CR1, 12 (34%) in PR, 1 (3%) had stable disease (after 3 chemotherapy lines) and 8 (23%) progressive disease. All patients engrafted. Acute GVHD developed in patients 19 (54%) (17patients (48%) grade II-IV). Chronic GVHD developed in 18 out of 27 patients at risk (67%), being extensive in 11 (41%). Disease was evaluated at day +100 and at that moment 23 patients were in CR, (85%) 1 (4%) in PR, two (7%) had stable disease and 9 patients ( 26%) have died. With a median follow up of 60 months (range: 32–80 months), 20 patients (57%) are alive disease free, and 14 (43%) have died, 12 of them (37%) due to transplant toxicity and 2 patients (6%) due to progression. Overall Survival (OS) and Event Free Survival (EFS) are 57 and 54 % respectively. Analysing variables which influence on OS and EFS, patients 55 years have a OS significantly shorter than those

Retinoic acid syndrome (RAS) can be a life-threatening complication in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) undergoing induction therapy with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Incidence of RAS has been reported ranging from 2% to 30%. It has been suggested that patients with leukocytes >5 x109/L at presentation are at high risk for the development of RAS. The impact of RAS on long term outcome is still a matter of controversy. We analyze the incidence, prognostic factors and outcome of RAS in 733 patients with newly diagnosed APL enrolled in the PETHEMA LPA96 and LPA99 trials (175 and 558 patients, respectively). Induction therapy consisted of ATRA and idarubicin, followed by three consolidation courses of anthracycline monochemotherapy. In the LPA99 trial, ATRA was added in each cycle of consolidation, except for low-risk patients. In the LPA99 trial, all patients received RAS prophylaxis with oral prednisone (0.5 mg/kg). Temporary discontinuation of ATRA and treatment with intravenous dexamethasone were recommended at the first signs of suspected RAS, in both trials. Definite RAS was defined as the presence of at least four of the following criteria: unexplained fever, respiratory distress, radiological pulmonary infiltrates, pericardial/pleural effusion, hypotension, renal failure, and weight gain over 5 kg. Overall, 87 patients (12%) experienced RAS, after a median of 6 days of ATRA (range, 0 to 46). Forty-seven cases (54%) occurred from days 0 to 7, 4 (5%) from days 8 to 14, 32 (36%) from days 15 to 30, and 4 (5%) from days 31 to 46. The main clinical signs were pulmonary infiltrates (83%), fever (80%), weight gain (74%), pleural effusion (63%) and renal failure (49%). ATRA was discontinued in 63% of patients. RAS was associated with age >50 years (41% vs 29%, p=0.02), serum level of creatinine >1.4 mg/dl (9% vs 3%, p5x109/L (46% vs 32%, p=0.01). Leukocytes >5x109/L and creatinine >1.4 mg/dl remained as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. The incidence of RAS was not statistically different between the LPA96 (without prednisone prophylaxis) and LPA99 trials (15% vs 11%, p=0.16). RAS was associated with induction death (26% vs 7%, p60 years, leukocytes >10x109/L, RAS, male gender and serum creatinine level >1.4 mg/dl at presentation were independent prognostic factors for induction death. Patients developing RAS had a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) in the LPA96 trial (40% vs 15%, p5x109/L and serum creatinine level >1.4 mg/dl are at high risk for development of RAS, which is an adverse prognostic factor for induction death. The negative impact of RAS on CIR among patients treated with the LPA96 trial was not observed in the LPA99, in which patients received additional doses of ATRA for consolidation therapy.

Introduction: The prognostic significance of the expression pattern of certain cell surface markers in APL is controversial. Objectives: Analyse the impact of the expression of certain cell surface markers on complete remission rate (CR), overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) in patients with APL included in multicenter trials PETHEMA LPA96 y LPA99. Material and methods: Between 1996 and 2005, 734 patients were included in these 2 consecutive trials. Induction therapy consisted of ATRA and idarubicin, followed by three consolidation courses of anthracycline monochemotherapy with or without ATRA and followed by maintenance. Bone marrow immunophenotype analysis was performed at local or reference laboratories. Positivity was defined as more than 20% blasts expressing a specific antigen for the following antigens: CD34 (527 patients), CD33 (521), CD15 (520), CD13 (513), HLA-DR (495), CD2 (443), CD19 (433), CD7 (403), CD117 (395), CD56 (392), y CD11b (335). We performed univariate analysis to establish the impact of antigen positivity on CR rate, OS and RFS. Significant values were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 664 patients (90%) achieved CR. The following variables were associated with decreased CR rate: WBC > 10x109/L, serum level creatinine > 1.4 mg/dl, age > 60 years, ECOG > 1, M3v and male gender. None of the cell surface antigens were significantly associated with CR rate. WBC, creatinine, age and gender were found to be independent prognostic factors for CR. Median follow up was 55 months. OS at 8 years was inferior in those patients with WBC > 10x109/L (67% vs 85%, p < 0.01), M3v (70% vs 83%, p < 0.01), age > 60 (56% vs 86%, p < 0.01), male gender (78% vs 83%, p=0.03), LPA96 trial (74% vs 84%, p=0.01) and CD2+ (76% vs 84%, p=0.04). Age, WBC and gender were independent factors for OS. RFS was inferior in those patients with WBC > 10x109/L (69% vs 93%, p < 0.01), high vs intermediate vs low risk (69% vs 91% vs 95%, p < 0.01), M3v (76% vs 88%, p < 0.01), BCR2 vs BCR3 vs BCR1 transcript (71% vs 81% vs 89%, p < 0.01), male gender (83% vs 90%, p=0.03), LPA96 trial (82% vs 87%, p=0.02) and CD2+ (75% vs 91%, p < 0.01). The risk of relapse category was the only independent factor for RFS. CD2+ APL (115/443 patients) was significantly associated with WBC > 10x109/L, M3v, BCR3, CD34+, CD56+, CD7+, and HLA-DR negative. Conclusion: Of all the cell surface antigens analysed, only expression of CD2 was associated with an lower OS and RFS, due to its association with WBC > 10x109/L. In patients taking part in PETHEMA trials, immunophenotype analysis at presentation does not give additional prognostic impact from the previously established risk factors.

Liver transplantation (tx) from live donors brings an opportunity to many patients with terminal stages liver disease, who are at high risk of a fatal event while waiting for a cadaveric liver transplantation. A main issue in this setting is to extreme the safety of the live donor. Tests that could predict the risk of thrombotic complications in the donor of LDLT are under investigation. In addition such tests could be useful in the prevention of vascular hepatic thrombotic complications in the recipient. OBJECTIVES.- In this study we evaluate the value of a thrombophilia screening in the live donor prior to LDLT in order to determine the thrombotic and hemorrhagic risk in both the donor at surgery and in the recipient of LDLT. METHODS.- Genetic study and functional coagulative tests were performed on samples of peripheral blood of 136 candidates liver donors. For genetical tests, genomic DNA was extracted and detection of factor V Leiden, factor II and MTHFR mutations were performed by real-time PCR technology (LightCycler®). Phenotypic tests included prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin clotting time (TT), functional fibrinogen, antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC) and protein S (PS) (coagulative and chromogenic techniques), resistance to activated protein C (RAPC), and factor VIII. In addition the following tests were carried out: anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G and M antibody (ACA IgG and ACA IgM), test for lupus anticoagulant (tissular thromboplastin inhibition, TTI, and diluted TTPA), and quantification of plasmatic homocystein. RESULTS.- Because abnormal thrombophilic studies 32 candidates were excluded for LDLT due to factor V Leiden (2), mutation FII G20210A (4), chromogenic PC deficiency (1), anticoagulant PC deficiency(2), free PS deficiency (Ag) (5), functional PS deficiency (2), factor VIII < 65% (1) or > 150% (4), positive lupic anticoagulant test (5) and high homocystein levels (9). CLINICAL DATA.- Finally there were 34 donors (17M, 17F) selected for LDLT. The 34 recipients of LDLT were 10 children and 24 adults. During the donor operation for an adult recipient, the right lobe of the liver were removed. For infant and pediatric LDLT recipients, smaller pieces of the liver were used. None of donors suffered from thrombotic complications. The average transfusional needs of donors were 1.1 units of packed red cells, (range 0–2), and one donor required fresh plasma transfusion in the early postsurgery. Overalll post-LTLD thrombosis was observed in 4 patients (11,8%). 4 patients were submitted to a second liver tx from a cadaveric donor (2 of them due to hepatic arterial thrombosis). CONCLUSIONS.- Thrombophilia studies in the donor prior to LTDL should be included in the laboratory work, to exclude conditions associates with increased risk of thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. In addition these studies could minimize the risk of vascular hepatic thrombotic complications in the recipient.

Factor V (FV) Leiden is the most common genetic mutation associated to thrombophilia in the European population. The study of FV Leiden uses genetic tests and functional coagulative tests which detect the resistance of activated FV to the action of activated protein C (APC), and measure the phenotypic expression of FV Leiden. Factor V is mainly synthetized by hepatocytes with only a smaller pool originating from megakariocytes. Due to this, in an recipient liver transplantation the characteristics of the donor’s FV will be transmitted with the liver graft. OBJECTIVE.- To evaluate the possible discordance between genotype and phenotype of FV Leiden in recipients of human liver grafts. METHODS.- Genetic study of FV Leiden and functional coagulative tests detecting the resistance to APC were performed on samples of peripheral blood of 97 recipients of liver transplantation, after transplant, in our institution. In addition, a genetic study of FV Leiden was performed on frozen serum samples of 51 dead donors, obtained prior to the liver extraction. The functional test was carried out by coagulative technique in a coagulometer STA with Coatest APC Resistance (Chromogenix). To perform the genetic test genomic DNA was obtained, and the determination of mutations was carried out by PCR in real time, using hybridation probes in a Light-Cycler system (Roche Biomedical). RESULTS.- From the 97 recipients, 3 were heterozygous for FV Leiden in peripheral blood (3.1%). Resistance to APC was normal in all three cases: 3.17, 3.23 and 2.36 (normal 2..4). FV Leiden was not detected in the genetic study performed on the respective donors’ serum. From these 3 recipients, 1 underwent a portal thrombosis event prior to the transplantation, another had a familiar history of thrombosis, and the third one did not have personal or familiar antecedents prior to transplantation. None of them showed thrombotic complications after transplantation. In the studies carried out on the donor’s serum (51) only one case of heterozygous FV Leiden was detected (1.96%). In the associated recipient FV in blood was negative and the resistance to APC was 1.88 diluting the plasma under study with plasma deficient in FV (normal 2– 4). This patient did not show thrombotic events before or after transplantation. CONCLUSION.- This study shows the discordance between phenotype and genotype of FV Leiden in recipients of liver grafts and the need to evaluate both genotype and phenotype to assess the thrombotic risk after transplantation. The risk depends mainly on the donor’s genotype, due to the production of mutant FV by donor hepatocytes. Therefore, in the four patients with discrepancy between phenotype and genotype of FV Leiden, the risk of venous thromboembolism would not be significantly increased in the three recipients with heterozygosity for FV Leiden y resistance to APC normal and in contrast the fourth patient with acquired resistance to APC might have an increased risk despite a normal FV genotype in peripheral blood leukocytes

Based on results of GELA study, rituximab in combination with CHOP chemotherapy, given for eight cycles, may be considered the new standard of care for patients older than 60 years diagnosed with DLBCL. However, the afraid of early toxicity and underlying co-morbid illness in elderly patients implies often adjustments in this scheme. The aim of this study was to analyze the routine clinical practice in the up-front treatment of elderly patients (>65 years) with DLBCL. We have enrolled onto this study 80 patients (48 females) with median age 74 years (range, 65 to 85 years) who have been treated with CHOP-like regimens in combination with rituximab as first-line therapy. The 75% of patients had ECOG 0-1, 81% had Ann-Arbor stage III-IV, 41% had B-symptoms, 59% had aIPI 2-3, 39% had bulky disease (> 7 cm) and 55% had elevated beta-2 microglobulin. The most of patients received as up-front therapy R-CHOP (89%); R-CNOP and R-CEOP (doxorubicin is substituted for mitoxantrone and epirubicin, respectively) were the alternative regimens administered. The 57.5% of patients received 6 courses of treatment; the 25% received less than 6 cycles and only the 6% of patients (5 out of 80 patients) received 8 courses of treatment. In 31 out of 80 patients the doses of chemotherapy was reduced; in 20 patients the doses of chemotherapy were reduced in all courses and 2 patients received reduced doses of chemotherapy in 5 out of 6 cycles. In the 40% of patients G-CSF have been administered. The overall response rate was 86% (72% CR/CRu, 14% PR). In the 22 patients who received the lower doses of chemotherapy the overall response rate was 82% (50% CR/CRu) versus 88% in the remaining patients (81% CR/CRu) (p

The simultaneous combination of ATRA and anthracycline-based chemotherapy has resulted in a major improvement in remission induction rate and long term survival in patients with APL. This benefit is mainly due to an increased antileukemic efficacy, leading to a virtual absence of leukemic resistance and to a favorable impact on the coagulopathy and on the retinoic acid (RA) syndrome. One of the most successful regimens for induction is the combination of ATRA plus idarubicin (AIDA). In this study we analyze the causes of induction failure observed in two consecutive studies using the AIDA regimen (PETHEMA LPA96 and LPA99). Treatment consisted of oral ATRA (45 mg/m2/d ) until complete hematological remission and idarubicin (12 mg/m2/d) iv on days 2, 4, 6 and 8. In the LPA99 study, the dose of idarubicin on day 8 was omitted for patients older than 70 years of age and all patients received prednisone (0.5 mg/kg/day po for 14 days) for RA syndrome prophylaxis, as well as tranexamic acid (100 mg/kg/day iv) if the platelet count was below 50 × 109/L, in an attempt to improve the control of coagulopathy. The whole series included 642 genetically diagnosed APL patients, 174 in LPA96 and 468 in LPA99 studies, respectively. There were no differences in patient characteristics at presentation between the two groups. Induction results were virtually identical for LPA96 and LPA99 studies with an overall CR rate of 91%. Fifty-two patients (8.4%) failed to achieve CR due to early death. Four additional patients were considered as “resistant” because of persistence of a variable proportion of atypical promyelocytes on days 30 to 41. The distribution of causes of early death was as follows: hemorrhage 30/52 (58%); infection 16/52 (31%); and RA syndrome 5/52 (10%). Mortality due to hemorrhage and infection was significantly different in patients >60 years than in younger patients (37.5% and 56% vs. 72% and 16%, respectively; p=0.01). Neither the addition of prednisone nor tranexamic acid in the LPA99 study had an impact in early death rate. With respect to the chronology of deaths due to hemorrhage, nearly a half (14/30; 47%) occurred during the first week of induction therapy. Central nervous system and pulmonary hemorrhage (17 and 11 patients, respectively) were the only documented sites of lethal bleeding. Univariate analysis showed that age older than 70 years, high WBC counts, clinical and/or laboratory signs of coagulopathy, and abnormally increased level of serum creatinine were associated with an increased risk of lethal bleeding. Multivariate analysis showed that only WBC > 10 × 109/l and serum creatinine > 1.4 mg/dl at presentation retained an independent predictive value of lethal bleeding. In conclusion, despite outcome improvement provided by modern ATRA plus chemotherapy combination, hemorrhagic death remains the primary cause of induction failure in APL. The prophylactic use of prednisone and tranexamic acid failed to reduce the rate of early deaths in newly diagnosed APL. In particular, our study shows that patients presenting with hyperleukocytosis or renal dysfunction are of increased risk of lethal bleeding and should be early managed with more aggressive supportive measures to prevent hemorrhagic death.