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This study evaluated ofatumumab (Ofa), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, alone or with bendamustine (Benda), in transplant-ineligible patients with mantle cell lymphoma. Low-risk patients received Ofa monotherapy. Non-responders received subsequent treatment with Benda-Ofa. Six patients received Ofa monotherapy and 3 patients crossed over to Bend-Ofa. Twenty-four high-risk patients were initially treated with Benda-Ofa. The overall response rate for patients treated with Ofa monotherapy was 1/6 (17%) and 23/25 (92%) for patients treated with Benda-Ofa. With a median follow-up of 8.6 years, all Ofa patients progressed with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 0.6 years (95% CI 0.31-NR) and remain alive. With a median follow-up of 6.3 years, Bend-Ofa treated patients had median PFS 2.5 years (95% CI 1.8-NR) and a median overall survival of 7.4 years (95% CI 5.8-NR). Benda-Ofa had a favorable adverse event profile and efficacy similar, but not clearly superior, to those reported for Benda-Rituximab.

Abstract RE-MIND2 (NCT04697160) compared patient outcomes from the L-MIND (NCT02399085) trial of tafasitamab+lenalidomide with those of patients treated with other therapies for relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are autologous stem cell transplant ineligible. We present outcomes data for three pre-specified treatments not assessed in the primary analysis. Data were retrospectively collected from sites in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. Patients were aged ≥18 years with histologically confirmed DLBCL and received ≥2 systemic therapies for DLBCL (including ≥1 anti-CD20 therapy). Patients enrolled in the observational and L-MIND cohorts were matched using propensity score-based 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching, balanced for six covariates. Tafasitamab+lenalidomide was compared with polatuzumab vedotin+bendamustine+rituximab (pola-BR), rituximab+lenalidomide (R2), and CD19-chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included treatment response and progression-free survival. From 200 sites, 3,454 patients were enrolled in the observational cohort. Strictly matched patient pairs consisted of tafasitamab+lenalidomide versus pola-BR (n = 24 pairs), versus R2 (n = 33 pairs), and versus CAR-T therapies (n = 37 pairs). A significant OS benefit was observed with tafasitamab+lenalidomide versus pola-BR (HR: 0.441; p = 0.034) and R2 (HR: 0.435; p = 0.012). Comparable OS was observed in tafasitamab+lenalidomide and CAR-T cohorts (HR: 0.953, p = 0.892). Tafasitamab+lenalidomide appeared to improve survival outcomes versus pola-BR and R2, and comparable outcomes were observed versus CAR-T. Although based on limited patient numbers, these data may help to contextualize emerging therapies for R/R DLBCL. Clinical trial registration NCT04697160 (January 6, 2021)

Purpose: In RE-MIND2 (NCT04697160), patient-level outcomes from the L-MIND study (NCT02399085) of tafasitamab plus lenalidomide were retrospectively compared with patient-level matched observational cohorts treated with National Cancer Care Network (NCCN)/European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)-listed systemic therapies for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients and Methods: Data were collected from health records of eligible patients aged ≥18 years with histologically confirmed DLBCL who had received ≥2 systemic therapies for DLBCL (including ≥1 anti-CD20 therapy). Patients from L-MIND were matched with patients from the RE-MIND2 observational cohort using estimated propensity score-based 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching, balanced for nine covariates. The primary analysis compared tafasitamab plus lenalidomide with patients who received any systemic therapy for R/R DLBCL (pooled in one cohort) or bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) or rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx; as two distinct cohorts). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included treatment response and time-to-event outcomes. Results: In RE-MIND2, 3,454 patients were enrolled from 200 sites in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Strictly matched pairs of patients consisted of tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus systemic therapies pooled (n = 76 pairs), versus BR (n = 75 pairs), and versus R­GemOx (n = 74 pairs). Significantly prolonged OS was reported with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus systemic pooled therapies [hazard ratios (HR): 0.55; P = 0.0068], BR (HR: 0.42; P < 0.0001), and R-GemOx (HR: 0.47; P = 0.0003). Conclusions: RE-MIND2, a retrospective observational study, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating prolonged OS with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus BR and R-GemOx. See related commentary by Cherng and Westin, p. 3908

Supplementary Data from Improved Efficacy of Tafasitamab plus Lenalidomide versus Systemic Therapies for Relapsed/Refractory DLBCL: RE-MIND2, an Observational Retrospective Matched Cohort Study

Supplementary Figure from Improved Efficacy of Tafasitamab plus Lenalidomide versus Systemic Therapies for Relapsed/Refractory DLBCL: RE-MIND2, an Observational Retrospective Matched Cohort Study

Purpose:In RE-MIND2 (NCT04697160), patient-level outcomes from the L-MIND study (NCT02399085) of tafasitamab plus lenalidomide were retrospectively compared with patient-level matched observational cohorts treated with National Cancer Care Network (NCCN)/European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)-listed systemic therapies for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Patients and Methods:Data were collected from health records of eligible patients aged ≥18 years with histologically confirmed DLBCL who had received ≥2 systemic therapies for DLBCL (including ≥1 anti-CD20 therapy). Patients from L-MIND were matched with patients from the RE-MIND2 observational cohort using estimated propensity score-based 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching, balanced for nine covariates. The primary analysis compared tafasitamab plus lenalidomide with patients who received any systemic therapy for R/R DLBCL (pooled in one cohort) or bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) or rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx; as two distinct cohorts). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included treatment response and time-to-event outcomes.Results:In RE-MIND2, 3,454 patients were enrolled from 200 sites in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Strictly matched pairs of patients consisted of tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus systemic therapies pooled (n = 76 pairs), versus BR (n = 75 pairs), and versus R­GemOx (n = 74 pairs). Significantly prolonged OS was reported with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus systemic pooled therapies [hazard ratios (HR): 0.55; P = 0.0068], BR (HR: 0.42; P < 0.0001), and R-GemOx (HR: 0.47; P = 0.0003).Conclusions:RE-MIND2, a retrospective observational study, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating prolonged OS with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide versus BR and R-GemOx.See related commentary by Cherng and Westin, p. 3908

Summary Background We hypothesised that combining zanubrutinib with obinutuzumab and venetoclax (BOVen) as an initial therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma would lead to high rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD), and we explored MRD as a biomarker for directing treatment duration. Methods This multicenter, investigator-initiated, single-arm, phase 2 trial took place at two two academic medical centres in the USA. Patients were eligible for the primary cohort if they had treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma, required therapy, and were at least 18 years of age with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status up to 2. BOVen was administered in 28 day cycles (oral zanubrutinib at 160 mg twice per day starting in cycle 1 on day 1; intravenous obinutuzumab at 1000 mg on day 1 [split over day 1 with 100 mg and day 2 with 900 mg for an absolute lymphocyte count >25 000 cells per μL or lymph nodes >5 cm in diameter], day 8, and day 15 of cycle 1, and day 1 of cycles 2–8; and oral venetoclax ramp up to 400 mg per day starting in cycle 3 on day 1) and discontinued after 8–24 cycles when prespecified undetectable MRD criteria were met in the peripheral blood and bone marrow. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients that reached undetectable MRD in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow (flow cytometry cutoff less than one chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cell per 10 000 leukocytes [ clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03824483 ). The primary cohort is closed to recruitment, and recruitment continues in the TP53-mutated mantle cell lymphoma cohort. Findings Between March 14, 2019, and Oct 10, 2019, 47 patients were screened for eligibility, and 39 patients were enrolled and treated. Median age was 62 years (IQR 52–70) with 30 (77%) of 39 male participants and nine (23%) of 39 female participants. 28 (72%) of 39 patients had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region and five (13%) of 39 had 17p deletion or TP53 mutation. After a median follow-up of 25·8 months (IQR 24·0–27·3), 33 (89%) of 37 patients (95% CI 75–97) had undetectable MRD in both blood and bone marrow, meeting the prespecified undetectable MRD criteria to stop therapy after a median of ten cycles (IQR 8–12), which includes two cycles of zanubrutinib and obinutuzumab before starting venetoclax. After median surveillance after treatment of 15·8 months (IQR 13·0–18·6), 31 (94%) of 33 patients had undetectable MRD. The most common adverse events were thrombocytopenia (23 [59%] of 39), fatigue (21 [54%]), neutropenia (20 [51%]), and bruising (20 [51%]), and the most common adverse event at grade 3 or worse was neutropenia (seven [18%]) in the intention-to-treat population. One death occurred in a patient with intracranial haemorrhage on day 1 of cycle 1 after initiating intravenous heparin for pulmonary emboli. Interpretation BOVen was well tolerated and met its primary endpoint, with 33 (89%) of 37 previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma reaching undetectable MRD in both peripheral blood and bone marrow despite a median treatment duration of only 10 months, owing to our undetectable MRD-driven treatment discontinuation design. These data support further evaluation of the BOVen regimen in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma with treatment duration guided by early MRD response kinetics. Funding Beigene, Genentech (Roche), Grais-Cutler Fund, Lymphoma Research Fund, Lymphoma Research Foundation, American Cancer Society, Farmer Family Foundation, and the National Instititutes of Health and National Cancer Institute.

There is limited understanding of the extent to which mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma affects a patient’s risk of death and how classically considered prognostic factors affect lymphoma-specific vs other noncancer mortality. This study analyzed major long-term outcomes of patients with MALT lymphoma and the prognostic significance of baseline clinical features. We reviewed the clinical features, treatments, disease course, and survival of 593 patients with MALT lymphoma diagnosed at Memorial Sloan Kettering between 2000 to 2012. Outcomes were analyzed using crude overall survival (OS) and relative survival (RS) by standardized mortality ratio. The median age was 60 years, 72% were at stage I/II. With a median follow-up of 9.2 years, the 10-year OS, lymphoma-specific mortality, and competing nonlymphoma mortality was 75%, 4%, and 21%, respectively; the overall standardized mortality ratio was 1.41 (95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.67; P < .001). Using multivariate analysis, older age, advanced stage, and poor performance status were independently associated with inferior OS. Several subgroups had similar RS to the normal matched population, including those with an age of ≥70 years, stage I, and skin or gastric origin. Increased lymphoma-specific death was associated with spread disease, whereas death from nonlymphoma causes was correlated with older age. Overall, a diagnosis of MALT lymphoma was associated with moderately compromised survival. Age and advanced-stage disease emerged as the most important prognostic factors. Younger patients had better OS but worse RS. Disease dissemination was the lymphoma-specific risk factor.

Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection results in high mortality rates in patients with cancer with patients dying from a combination of virus and inflammation-driven respiratory failure. We conducted a two-arm, single-institution phase II study of N-acetylcysteine in patients admitted to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with severe COVID-19 from May 2020 to April 2021. A total of 42 patients were treated: 13 patients in arm A (ICU) and 29 patients in arm B (non-ICU). In total, 23% of patients in arm A and 69% of patients in arm B met the predetermined clinical definition of treatment success. Patients meeting a successful primary endpoint were more likely to exhibit decreases in systemic levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein and had both higher proportions of PD-1-expressing effector memory and fewer terminally differentiated CD8+ T-cells. These results suggest that many patients with cancer and severe COVID-19 experience clinical and immunologic improvement with N-acetylcysteine therapy.

BACKGROUND Emavusertib, an oral interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) inhibitor, targets toll-like receptor (TLR) and interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling pathway in B-cell proliferation. IRAK4 forms a Myddosome complex with MYD88 adaptor protein and drives overactivation of NF-κB, causing inflammation and tumor growth. Emavusertib has been reported to be well tolerated and active as monotherapy in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In a murine PDX model of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL), emavusertib crossed the blood-brain barrier, resulting in tumor response and prolonged survival. In combination with Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, emavusertib showed in vivo anti-cancer synergy in B-cell NHL. METHODS This is an ongoing open-label trial (NCT03328078) in patients with R/R NHL. Currently, we are in the dose escalation portion of combination therapy to evaluate safety and efficacy following treatment of emavusertib at dose levels of 200 or 300mg BID with ibrutinib at full prescribed dose. As of May 6th, 2022, 13 patients have been treated with emavusertib+ibrutinib combination therapy. RESULTS Among the 13 patients, two were diagnosed with R/R PCNSL and had several prior lines of anti-cancer therapy. Emavusertib in combination with ibrutinib (560 mg daily) appeared to be well tolerated in these two subjects. One patient experienced Gr3 treatment-related adverse events (thrombocytopenia, muscle weakness, pain). The preliminary efficacy data demonstrated one CR and one SD. The patient who achieved CR after the combination therapy was originally intolerant to high-dose methotrexate based chemoimmunotherapy and did not achieve complete remission after switching to ibrutinib, providing early clinical evidence of CNS penetration and anti-tumor activity of emavusertib. CONCLUSION In R/R PCNSL, these preliminary data suggest that combination therapy has a tolerable safety profile with promising anti-cancer activity and may overcome ibrutinib resistance.

Recent prospective clinical trial data suggest that patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma who continue treatment with ABVD, despite failing to attain a complete metabolic response on interim PET (PET2+), may fare better than previously published. We describe the outcomes of PET2+ patients who continued ABVD and compare the performance of a quantitative measure based on the lesion-to-liver SUV ratio (LLS qPET2+) to that of the subjective Deauville criteria (dvPET2+). We analyzed all patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma treated with frontline ABVD at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 2008 and 2017. Eligibility was set to correspond with the RATHL inclusion criteria. Images were reviewed by two nuclear medicine physicians and discordant cases were resolved with a third expert in consensus. qPET2+ was defined as LLS ≥ 1.3. We identified 227 patients of whom 25% (57) were qPET2+, but only 14% (31) were dvPET2+. Forty-eight patients (84%) continued ABVD with a 3-year PFS of 70% for qPET2+ and 64% for dvPET2+. In conclusion, interim PET interpretation in clinical practice may be associated with a higher rate of scans deemed positive. Irrespective of the criteria for PET2 positivity, a subset of patients may continue ABVD without a dismal outcome.

7560 Background: Tafasitamab (tafa) + lenalidomide (LEN) demonstrated efficacy in adult patients (pts) with R/R DLBCL ineligible for autologous stem-cell transplant in the pivotal Phase II study L-MIND (NCT02399085) and received accelerated approval in the United States in 2020 and conditional marketing authorization in Europe and Canada in 2021 in this setting. RE-MIND2 (NCT04697160), an observational, retrospective cohort study, compared pt outcomes from L-MIND with matched pt cohorts treated with other NCCN/ESMO recommended therapies. Methods: Methodology for RE-MIND2 has been presented previously. Hypothesis-generating analyses were conducted for pt subgroups of number of extranodal sites (ENS) (0–1 vs ≥2) and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (yes vs no) in matched cohorts of pts receiving tafa + LEN vs systemic therapies pooled (STP), polatuzumab vedotin + bendamustine + rituximab (pola-BR), rituximab + LEN (R2), and CD19 CAR-T therapies (CAR-T). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Results: Of 3,454 pts enrolled, 961, 106, 106, and 149 were treated with STP, pola-BR, R2, and CAR-T, resulting in 76, 24, 33, and 37 matched pairs for pts receiving tafa + LEN, respectively. Hazard ratios (HR) for OS show a trend toward favoring tafa + LEN in most pt subgroups (Table). Conclusion: These analyses suggest that tafa + LEN may be associated with improved OS vs selected systemic therapies for certain pts with high-risk disease and may further inform physicians’ treatment choices for pts with R/R DLBCL. These analyses are not powered for statistical comparison; small sample sizes in some subgroups result in wide confidence intervals (CI) and so results must be interpreted with caution. Data for other treatment cohorts, pt subgroups, and endpoints will be presented. Funding: MorphoSys AG. Clinical trial information: NCT04697160. [Table: see text]

7575 Background: CA-4948 is a novel oral inhibitor of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), which is essential for toll-like receptor (TLR) and interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling in B cell proliferation. IRAK4 forms a Myddosome complex with MYD88 adaptor protein and drives overactivation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), causing inflammation and tumor growth. CA-4948 has been reported to be well tolerated and active as monotherapy in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Preclinical studies demonstrated that tumor resistance and survival via IRAK4 activation could be delayed or reversed. CA-4948 crossed the blood-brain barrier in a murine PDX model of pCNS lymphoma, resulting in tumor response and prolonged survival. In combination with Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, CA-4948 showed in vivo synergy in B-cell NHL. Here we will present an update on the preliminary efficacy data of CA-4948+ibrutinib in R/R hematologic malignancies. Methods: This is an ongoing open-label trial (NCT03328078) of CA-4948 as monotherapy and in combination with ibrutinib. Part A1 (completed) dose escalation of CA-4948 as monotherapy; the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) is 300 mg BID with continuous oral dosing. Part A2 (dose escalation in combination with ibrutinib), and Part B (a basket design of 4 expansion cohorts of CA-4948 and ibrutinib: BTK-naïve MZL, DLBCL, or PCNSL and NHL with adaptive resistance to ibrutinib). The primary endpoints of Parts A1 and A2 include safety, tolerability, and RP2D. The primary endpoints of Part B include CR or ORR, with key secondary endpoints of DOR, DCR, PFS and OS following treatment of CA-4948 at dose levels of 200 (DL1) or 300 mg BID (DL2) with ibrutinib at full prescribed dose. Results: As of December 7th, 2021, 35 heavily pretreated NHL patients have received CA-4948 monotherapy (median age 66 years, range 50-87), of which six patients have been on CA-4948 for approximately 1 year or longer, suggesting CA-4948 has a long-term acceptable safety and tolerability profile at RP2D (dose level of 300 mg BID). In Part A2, 10 patients are treated with CA-4948+ibrutinib (median age 65 years, range 56-82). Median number of prior lines of anti-cancer therapies is 3 (range 1-8). No DLTs were observed at 200 or 300 mg dose levels to date. The preliminary efficacy data of seven evaluable patients with combination therapy showed 1 CR (MCL), 2 PR (MCL and MZL), 3 SD, and 1 PD, 3 of whom had failed prior ibrutinib. The preliminary data indicate the combination therapy may overcome ibrutinib resistance. Conclusions: CA-4948 as a monotherapy and in combination with ibrutinib is well tolerated with an acceptable long term safety profile and promising efficacy. Part A2 is transitioning to Part B basket cohorts of MZL, ABC-DLBCL, PCNSL and NHL with adaptive resistance to ibrutinib. Clinical trial information: 03328078.