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ZUMA-24: A PHASE 2, OPEN-LABEL STUDY OF AXICABTAGENE CILOLEUCEL IN PATIENTS WITH RELAPSED/REFRACTORY LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA GIVEN OUTPATIENT WITH CORTICOSTEROIDS B Introduction: b Axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory ( I R i / I R i ) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) after >=2 lines of systemic therapy and for I R i / I R i LBCL within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy. Key exclusion criteria include >1 prior line of therapy for LBCL, prior stem cell transplant, and prior anti-CD19 or CAR T-cell therapy. [Extracted from the article]

We performed a Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of once-daily, intravenously administered busulfan in the setting of a reduced-intensity preparative regimen and matched sibling donor allogeneic stem cell transplantation for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Seven male patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma received intravenously administered busulfan at 3.2 mg/kg once daily on day -10 and day -9, fludarabine at 30 mg/m2 on day -7 through day -2, and equine antithymocyte globulin at 15 mg/kg per day on day -5 through day -2. The mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and the half-life of the first dose of intravenously administered busulfan were 6,253 microM x minute (range, 5,036-7,482 microM x minute) and 3.37 hours (range, 2.54-4.00 hours), respectively. The AUC was higher than predicted from extrapolation of AUC data for the same total dose of intravenously administered busulfan divided into four doses daily. Patients experienced greater than expected regimen-related toxicity for a reduced-intensity preparative regimen, and the study was stopped. In conclusion, this preparative regimen was associated with unacceptable regimen-related toxicity among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed access barriers to anti-CD19+ chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CART) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) within a community-based transplant and cell therapy network registry. 357 intended recipients of FDA-approved anti-CD19+ CART were identified in the study period (2018 to 2022). Results showed that the median age at referral was 61 years, referral year was 2018 (4%), 2019 (14%), 2020 (18%), 2021 (26%), and 2022 (38%). Diagnoses were diffuse large B-cell (69%), follicular (13%), follicular/large (7%), mantle cell (4%), or other (7%). CART products infused were Axi-cel (62%), Tisa-cel (16%), Brexu-cel (13%) and Liso-cel (9%). 182 patients were infused with CART. The median durations between referral to consultation, consultation to apheresis, and collection to infusion were 11, 107, and 32 days, respectively. The median duration from consultation to CART infusion declined steadily from 207 days in 2019 to 108 days in 2022. [P <0.0001] 124 patients (41%) did not receive CART mostly for disease progression (34%) or poor health (15%). Multivariable logistic regression showed no significant differences in demographic, financial, or social determinants compared to those receiving CART. Notably, the proportion of ineligible patients declined from 53% in 2018-2020 to 34% by 2021-2022 [P=0.001]. In conclusion, 41% of community patients were unable to access timely CART therapy for NHL, mostly related to attrition from disease-related causes while overall time to infusion exceeded four months. Time to infusion as well as the proportion receiving CART improved over time. Reducing time to apheresis, early referral, and careful attention to salvage/bridging strategies are necessary., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Hematology.)

Lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) is an autologous, CD19-directed, 4-1BB chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). We present the OUTREACH primary analysis, evaluating outpatient monitoring safety and efficacy following liso-cel treatment at community sites in the United States. Adults with R/R LBCL after ≥2 prior lines of therapy received liso-cel. Outpatient vs inpatient monitoring was per investigator discretion. Primary end point was incidence of grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurological events (NE), prolonged cytopenia, and infections. Efficacy was a secondary end point. Eighty-two patients received liso-cel (outpatient-monitored, 70%; inpatient-monitored, 30%). Median (range) follow-up was 10.6 months (1.0‒24.5). In outpatients and inpatients, respectively, grade ≥3 CRS occurred in 0% and 0%, NEs in 12% and 4%, infections in 12% and 8%, and prolonged cytopenia in 33% and 32%. Among outpatients, 25% were never hospitalized after infusion and 32% were hospitalized ≤72 hours after the day of infusion; median (range) time to hospitalization was 5.0 days (2‒310). Median (range) initial hospitalization duration after liso-cel was 6.0 days (1‒28) for outpatients and 15.0 days (3‒31) for inpatients. Objective response rate was 80%, complete response rate was 54%, and median duration of response was 14.75 months (95% confidence interval, 5.0‒not reached). OUTREACH is the first and largest study to prospectively assess CAR T-cell therapy with outpatient monitoring in community-based medical centers. Liso-cel demonstrated meaningful efficacy with favorable safety in patients with R/R LBCL. Data support feasibility of liso-cel administration at community sites with outpatient monitoring. ClinicalTrials.gov: #NCT03744676., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Hematology.)

Abstract: Immune effector cells (IECs) include a broad range of immune cells capable of modulating several disease states, including malignant and nonmalignant conditions. The growth in the use of IECs as both investigational and commercially available products requires medical institutions to develop workflows/processes to safely implement and deliver transformative therapy. Adding to the complexity of this therapy are the variety of targets, diseases, sources, and unique toxicities that a patient experiences following IEC therapy. For over 25 years, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) has established a standard for the use of cellular therapy, initially with hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and more recently, with the development of standards to encompass IEC products such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. To date, IEC therapy has challenged the bandwidth and infrastructure of the institutions offering this therapy. To address these challenges, FACT has established a programmatic framework to improve the delivery of IEC therapy. In this study, we outline the current state of IEC program development, accreditation, and solutions to the challenges that programs face as they expand their application to novel IEC therapy., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Relapse after CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is commonly ascribed to antigen loss or CAR-T exhaustion. Multiantigen targeting and programmed cell death protein-1 blockade are rational approaches to prevent relapse. Here, we test CD19/22 dual-targeting CAR-T (AUTO3) plus pembrolizumab in relapsed/refractory LBCL (NCT03289455). End points include toxicity (primary) and response rates (secondary). Fifty-two patients received AUTO3 and 48/52 received pembrolizumab. Median age was 59 years (range, 27-83), 46/52 had stage III/ IV disease and median follow-up was 21.6 months. AUTO3 was safe; grade 1-2 and grade 3 cytokine release syndrome affected 18/52 (34.6%) and 1/52 (1.9%) patients, neurotoxicity arose in 4 patients (2/4, grade 3-4), and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis affected 2 patients. Outpatient administration was tested in 20 patients, saving a median of 14 hospital days per patient. Overall response rates were 66% (48.9%, complete response [CR]; 17%, partial response). Median duration of remission (DOR) for CR patients was not reached and for all responding patients was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0-not evaluable). 54.4% (CI: 32.8-71.7) of CR patients and 42.6% of all responding patients were projected to remain progression-free at ≥12 months. AUTO3 ± pembrolizumab for relapsed/refractory LBCL was safe and delivered durable remissions in 54.4% of complete responders, associated with robust CAR-T expansion. Neither dual-targeting CAR-T nor pembrolizumab prevented relapse in a significant proportion of patients, and future developments include next-generation-AUTO3, engineered for superior expansion in vivo, and selection of CAR binders active at low antigen densities., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Introduction: Cytokine release syndrome is a life-threatening hyper-inflammatory state induced by immune effector cell therapy. Anti-interleukin 6-(IL-6) therapy, such as tocilizumab, is the standard treatment for cytokine release syndrome since it reverses symptoms without compromising immune effector cell therapy efficacy. Glucocorticoids are reserved for refractory or severe cytokine release syndrome due to concern for attenuating antitumor activity. Optimizing the timing of tocilizumab could avoid glucocorticoid use and improve outcomes. This study assesses tocilizumab timing on patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization., Methods: This is a retrospective single-institution analysis of 28 patients who received tocilizumab for cytokine release syndrome secondary to immune effector cell therapy. Patients were categorized into two groups: Early Tocilizumab (within 24 h) or Late Tocilizumab groups (more than 24 h) from fever onset. The composite primary endpoint was glucocorticoid use, intensive care unit admission, or inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes include comparing the various presentations of cytokine release syndrome, need for vasopressors, length of stay, rates of neurotoxicity, and C-reactive protein and ferritin trends., Results: The Early Tocilizumab group presented with more rapid fever onset (35 vs.113 h, P  = 0.017) and higher maximum cytokine release syndrome grade (Median, Grade 2 vs. Grade 1, P  = 0.025). Additionally, the Early Tocilizumab group required more doses of tocilizumab (Median, 2 vs. 1, P  = 0.037). Despite the difference in cytokine release syndrome presentation, the primary composite endpoint was not statistically different between groups., Conclusion: Earlier onset of fever appears to be associated with more severe, progressive cytokine release syndrome requiring multiple doses of anti-interleukin-6 therapy. Prompt and aggressive tocilizumab treatment could be protective against the negative consequences of cytokine release syndrome.

Adoptive cellular therapies have revolutionized the management of hematologic malignancies, particularly lymphoma and multiple myeloma. These therapies targeting disease-specific antigens, such as CD19 in lymphoma and B cell maturation antigen in multiple myeloma, are efficacious and well-tolerated compared with conventional chemotherapies. Unfortunately, their potential remains unrealized in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is because most targetable antigens on AML cells are also expressed on healthy myeloid hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Therefore, targeting them results in severe myeloablative effects and pancytopenia. Several strategies have been devised to overcome this barrier, including identifying AML-specific antigens, limiting CAR-T cell persistence to prevent prolonged myeloablation, and creating AML-specific antigens through manipulating HSCs prior to allogenic transplant. In this review, we discuss these strategies and the ongoing clinical trials on adoptive cellular therapies in AML, limiting our focus to chimeric antigen receptor-T cells (CAR-T) and chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells (CAR-NK).