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Statin therapy is recommended for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) to lower cardiovascular risk; however, evidence suggests that significant gaps in statin therapy exist.To evaluate (1) the impact of a community pharmacist-led model for initiating statin therapy in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on statin initiation and (2) pharmacists' self-reported perceptions of the intervention feasibility and fidelity to the intervention.This was a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study of 9 intervention and 18 control pharmacies within a community pharmacy chain. Pharmacy staff proactively identified patients with T2D not taking a statin and prescribed a statin via a collaborative practice agreement or facilitated acquisition of a prescription from the patient's preferred prescriber. The eligible population included patients aged 18-84 years with T2D, who had filled ≥60 days' supply of one, noninsulin, diabetes medication in a rolling 6-month period, and who had not filled a statin during the same period. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare time to statin initiation. Pharmacists at intervention pharmacies completed a survey at 6 and 12 months after implementation (March and August 2019, respectively) to assess intervention feasibility and fidelity.For the statin initiation analysis, 1670 intervention patients were matched to 3358 control patients. Overall, 26.3% (n=442) of intervention patients and 25.4% (n=854) of control patients initiated a statin within 12 months of their index date. There was no difference in statin initiation likelihood between intervention and control patients (hazard ratio: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.21). Fifteen pharmacists completed the 6-month survey (33% response rate), and 12 completed the 12-month survey (26%). The intervention's feasibility score was 4.0 at 6 months and 4.2 at 12 months, indicating an increase in perceived feasibility. Fidelity decreased from 6 to 12 months.The community pharmacist-led intervention resulted in more patients initiating statin therapy as compared to usual care; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Pharmacists perceived the intervention to be feasible; however, fidelity decreased over time.

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) and has treatment with similar efficacy across conventional LBCL subtypes. Toward patient stratification, we assessed whether tumor immune contexture influenced clinical outcomes after axi-cel. We evaluated the tumor microenvironment (TME) of 135 pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor biopsies taken from 51 patients in the ZUMA-1 phase 2 trial. We uncovered dynamic patterns that occurred within 2 weeks after axi-cel. The biological associations among Immunoscore (quantification of tumor-infiltrating T cell density), Immunosign 21 (expression of pre-defined immune gene panel) and cell subsets were validated in three independent LBCL datasets. In the ZUMA-1 trial samples, clinical response and overall survival were associated with pre-treatment immune contexture as characterized by Immunoscore and Immunosign 21. Circulating CAR T cell levels were associated with post-treatment TME T cell exhaustion. TME enriched for chemokines (CCL5 and CCL22), γ-chain receptor cytokines (IL-15, IL-7 and IL-21) and interferon-regulated molecules were associated with T cell infiltration and markers of activity. Finally, high density of regulatory T cells in pre-treatment TME associated with reduced axi-cel–related neurologic toxicity. These findings advance the understanding of LBCL TME characteristics associated with clinical responses to anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy and could foster biomarker development and treatment optimization for patients with LBCL.

In phase 2 of ZUMA-1, a single-arm, multicenter, registrational trial, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy demonstrated durable responses at 2 years in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Here, we aimed to assess survival and safety in ZUMA-1 after 5 years of follow-up. Eligible adults with refractory LBCL (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, and transformed follicular lymphoma) received lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by axi-cel infusion targeted at 2×106 cells/kg. Investigator-assessed response, updated survival, safety, and pharmacokinetic outcomes were assessed in treated patients. The objective response rate in the 101 treated patients was 83% (58% complete response rate), and with a median follow-up of 63.1 months, responses were ongoing at data cutoff in 31%. Median overall survival (OS) was 25.8 months and the estimated 5-year OS rate was 42.6%. Disease-specific survival (excluding deaths unrelated to disease progression) estimated at 5 years was 51.0%. No new serious adverse events or deaths related to axi-cel were observed after additional follow-up. Peripheral blood B cells were detectable in all evaluable patients at 3 years with polyclonal B-cell recovery in 91%. Ongoing responses at 60 months were associated with early CAR T-cell expansion. In conclusion, this 5-year follow-up analysis of ZUMA-1 demonstrates sustained overall and disease-specific survival, with no new safety signals in patients with refractory LBCL. Protracted B-cell aplasia was not required for durable responses. These findings support the curative potential of axi-cel in a subset of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas. ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02348216

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL). To reduce axi-cel–related toxicity, several exploratory safety management cohorts were added to ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216), the pivotal phase 1/2 study of axi-cel in refractory LBCL. Cohort 4 evaluated the rates and severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) with earlier corticosteroid and tocilizumab use. Primary endpoints were incidence and severity of CRS and NEs. Patients received 2 × 106 anti-CD19 CAR T cells/kg after conditioning chemotherapy. Forty-one patients received axi-cel. Incidences of any-grade CRS and NEs were 93% and 61%, respectively (grade ≥ 3, 2% and 17%). There was no grade 4 or 5 CRS or NE. Despite earlier dosing, the cumulative cortisone-equivalent corticosteroid dose in patients requiring corticosteroid therapy was lower than that reported in the pivotal ZUMA-1 cohorts. With a median follow-up of 14·8 months, objective and complete response rates were 73% and 51%, respectively, and 51% of treated patients were in ongoing response. Earlier and measured use of corticosteroids and/or tocilizumab has the potential to reduce the incidence of grade ≥ 3 CRS and NEs in patients with R/R LBCL receiving axi-cel.

While chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy targeting CD19 (CART19) has shown remarkable success in the treatment of hematological malignancies, the durable response rates remain approximately 40% and there are limited solutions for CART cell therapy in the treatment of solid tumors. To further understand mechanisms of resistance, including CART cell exhaustion, we employed three independent approaches: 1) RNA and ATAC sequencing on unstimulated vs. exhausted healthy donor CART19 cells by utilizing an in vitro model for exhaustion, 2) RNA and ATAC sequencing on pre-infusion CART19 cell products from responders and non-responders in the Zuma-1 clinical trial that led to the FDA approval of axi-cel CART19 therapy, and 3) a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen in healthy donor CART19 cells using our in vitro model for exhaustion. In each of these approaches, IL-4 was identified as a regulator of CART cell dysfunction. In approach 1, ingenuity pathway analysis of genes that were both differentially accessible and expressed in exhausted compared with unstimulated CART19 cells revealed IL-4 as a top upstream regulator (p = 5E-6). In approach 2, IL-4 was one of two genes that were both upregulated and more accessible in CART19 cell products from non-responders (p < 5E-2). Finally, in approach 3, gene ontology enrichment analysis of genes that were positively selected during the genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen, revealed regulation of the IL-4 pathway as one of the top affected pathways (p = 1E-4). Together, our data indicates a role for IL-4 in CART cell dysfunction caused by exhaustion. Investigating this mechanism further, we saw an increase in the production of IL-4 as CART cells became exhausted (p = 4E-3). Treatment of CART19 cells with human recombinant IL-4 (hrIL-4) resulted in dysfunction as evident by a decrease in antigen specific cytotoxicity (p = 4E-3) and proliferative ability (p= 6.5E-2), as well as exhaustion-specific signs of dysfunction such as an increase in the expression of the inhibitory receptor, TIM-3 (p = 3E-3) and an increase in the transcription of the exhaustion-related transcription factor EOMES (p = 1E-2). Finally, we tested whether IL-4 neutralization enhances CART19 cell functions. Using a CD19+ JeKo-1 xenograft mouse model, we compared the combination treatment of CART19 cells and an IL-4 neutralizing monoclonal antibody (10 mg/Kg, clone # MP4-25D2) to CART19 cells and an IgG control. IL-4 neutralization in combination with CART19 cells resulted in reduced tumor burden (p = 4.6E-2), increased CART cell proliferation (p = 8E-3), and prolonged overall survival (p= 5E-2). In summary, our data indicates that 1) IL-4 induces CART cell dysfunction through a state of exhaustion and 2) IL-4 neutralization with a monoclonal antibody enhances CART cell therapy. As such, this novel combination therapy holds the potential to be translated to the clinic to improve durable responses from CART cell therapy. Citation Format: Carli Stewart, Michelle J. Cox, Reona Sakemura, Ekene J. Ogbodo, Ismail Can, Claudia Manriquez Roman, Kun Yun, Olivia Sirpilla, James H. Girsch, Truc Huynh, Elizabeth L. Siegler, Jenny J. Kim, Mike Mattie, Nathalie Scholler, Simone Filosto, Saad S. Kenderian. IL-4 depletion leads to the improvement of CART cell therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1153.

Neelapu and colleagues report a post hoc subgroup analysis from the ZUMA-1 trial of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. In comparison with younger patients, those ≥65 years old have similar rates of complete response and durable response at 2 years, but higher rates of neurological toxicity.

ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216) examined the safety and efficacy of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an autologous CD19-directed chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, in refractory large B-cell lymphoma. To reduce treatment-related toxicity, several exploratory safety management cohorts were added to ZUMA-1. Specifically, cohort 6 investigated management of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) with prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroid and tocilizumab intervention. CRS and NE incidence and severity were primary end-points. Following leukapheresis, patients could receive optional bridging therapy per investigator discretion. All patients received conditioning chemotherapy (days -5 through -3), 2×106 CAR-T cells/kg (day 0) and once-daily oral dexamethasone [10mg, day 0 (before axi-cel) through day 2]. Forty patients received axi-cel. CRS occurred in 80% of patients (all grade ≤2). Any grade and grade 3 or higher NEs occurred in 58% and 13% of patients respectively. Sixty-eight per cent of patients did not experience CRS or NEs within 72h of axi-cel. With a median follow-up of 8·9months, objective and complete response rates were 95% and 80% respectively. Overall, prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroid and/or tocilizumab intervention resulted in no grade 3 or higher CRS, a low rate of grade 3 or higher NEs and high response rates in this study population.

Background: Axi-cel is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for the treatment of patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. ZUMA-1 is the multicenter, single-arm, registrational Phase 1/2 study of axi-cel in pts with refractory LBCL. In a 2-year analysis of ZUMA-1 (median follow-up, 27.1 months; N=101), axi-cel demonstrated objective response, complete response (CR), and ongoing response rates of 83%, 58%, and 39%, respectively (Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Here, we present additional survival follow up and recovery of normal, polyclonal B cells from ongoing responders in ZUMA-1. Methods: Eligible pts with refractory large B cell lymphoma (diffuse large B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma) underwent leukapheresis at enrollment and subsequently received low-dose conditioning chemotherapy (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) followed by a target dose of 2 × 106 anti-CD19 CAR T cells/kg (Neelapu et al. NEJM. 2017; NCT02348216). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR), and the first response assessment was 4 weeks post infusion. Response assessments were performed per protocol up to 24 months or disease progression, whichever occurred first. For pts in ongoing response beyond Month 24, response assessments continued per institutional standard-of-care (SOC). Blood levels of CAR T cells were quantified using polymerase chain reaction and B cells were characterized using flow cytometry in pts with ongoing responses and evaluable samples. Results: A total of 111 pts were enrolled, and axi-cel was administered to 101 pts. As previously reported in the ZUMA-1 2-year analysis, among pts who received axi-cel, the median time from axi-cel infusion to both objective response and CR was 1.0 month (range, 1 - 12 months; Locke et al. Lancet Oncol 2019). When the entire enrolled population (N = 111) was included on an intent-to-treat basis, the median manufacturing time was 17 days (range, 14 - 51; n = 110 as manufacturing was not feasible for 1 pt). Additionally, among the 111 pts, the median time from enrollment/leukapheresis to objective response and CR was 1.7 months (range, 0.7 - 12.9) and 1.9 months (range, 0.7 - 13.3), respectively. Responses have been durable, and with a minimum of 3 years of follow-up (median, 39.1 months), the median overall survival (OS) was 25.8 months, and the 3-year OS rate was 47%. Importantly, no axi-cel-related secondary malignancies have been reported. As previously reported, pts in ongoing response after 2 years had significantly greater peak CAR T cell expansion in blood 7 - 14 days after axi-cel infusion than did those with relapse (P = 0.014) or no response (P = 0.0003; Locke et al. Lancet Oncol 2019). Blood samples from 22 pts in ongoing response (per institutional SOC) at ≥ 3 years were available for analysis of CAR T cells and evaluation of B cell recovery. All evaluable pts had detectable B cells in blood at 3 years post axi-cel. Notably, 91% of pts in ongoing response at 3-year follow-up demonstrated recovery of polyclonal B cells measured by presence of both kappa and lambda light chains on non-malignant CD19+CD20+ B cells. The median kappa-lambda ratio of 1.6 and relative levels of key B cell subsets, including memory and naive B cell immunophenotypes, suggested reconstitution of B cell repertoire, consistent with published data from healthy individuals (Deneys et al. J Immunol Methods 2001; Scott et al. J Clin Pathol 2018). Additionally, 15/22 (68%) had both minimal levels of detectable CAR gene-marked cells and detectable polyclonal B cells in blood. Altogether, these findings support the hypothesis that persistence of functional CAR T cells is not necessary for durable remissions of LBCL. Overall survival and translational findings with ≥ 4 years of follow-up will be presented. Conclusions: Axi-cel produced rapid responses and longterm disease control in pts with refractory LBCL. Most responses occurred by the first assessment, and the brief time elapsed between enrollment and response supports both the speed and success of manufacturing. Furthermore, axi-cel-treated pts with ongoing responses at ≥ 3 years showed evidence of restoration of a normal B cell compartment and clearance of functional CAR T cells, a critical component of the long-term safety of CD19-directed CAR T cell therapies. Disclosures Locke: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Wugen: Consultancy; Calibr: Consultancy; Allogene: Consultancy; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Other: Consultancy with grant options; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Ghobadi:Celegene: Consultancy; Wugen: Consultancy; Atara: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; EUSA: Consultancy. Miklos:Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Oluwole:Pfizer: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Lin:Legend BioTech: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gamida Cells: Consultancy; Sorrento: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy. Hill:Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZenica: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Timmerman:Merck: Research Funding; Corvus: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Marker Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Immune Design: Honoraria; Celldex Therapeutics: Consultancy; BMS: Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genmab: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Valor: Research Funding. Deol:Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy. Reagan:Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy; Curis: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Stiff:Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Delta-Fly: Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Research Funding; Atara: Research Funding; Unum: Research Funding; Macrogenics: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Flinn:Celgene: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Research Funding; Curio Science: Consultancy; Merck: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; ArQule: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Calithera Biosciences: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Research Funding; Loxo: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Yingli Pharmaceuticals ≠: Consultancy, Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Other; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Vincera Pharma: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Iksuda Therapeutics: Consultancy; Great Point Partners: Consultancy; Curis: Research Funding; Nurix Therapeutics: Consultancy; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; IGM Biosciences: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Teva: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Triphase Research & Development Corp.: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding. Farooq:Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria. Goy:COTA: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: leadership role; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; CALBG: Research Funding; PracticeUpdate Oncology: Consultancy; RCCA/OMI: Current Employment; Acerta: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Hackensack UMC and University of Nebraska: Research Funding; Infinity: Research Funding; Xcenda: Consultancy; Infinity Verastem: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; MD Anderson: Research Funding; Regional Cancer Care Associates/OMI: Current Employment; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding. McSweeney:Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Colorado Blood Cancer Institute: Current Employment; Fred Hutchinson: Patents & Royalties. Munoz:Juno/Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Fosunkite: Consultancy; Innovent: Consultancy; Acrotech/Aurobindo: Speakers Bureau; Kyowa: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Verastem: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Merck: Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Millenium: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Siddiqi:Oncternal: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Rossi:Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Bot:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support . Zheng:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Vezan:Merck: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Abbvie: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Bashir:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; OmniacPharmConsult Ltd: Current Employment, Current equity holder in private company. Kim:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Chu:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Amgen: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Celgene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Neelapu:N/A: Other; Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties; Acerta: Research Funding; Karus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Other, Research Funding; Calibr: Other; Kite, a Gilead Company: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Novartis: Other: personal fees; Celgene: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Other: personal fees; Allogene Therapeutics: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Adicet Bio: Other; Legend Biotech: Other; Precision Biosciences: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Incyte: Other: personal fees; Cell Medica/Kuur: Other: personal fees.

Recent analyses of Lee et al. (2018, 2019) have confirmed that Galactic bulge consists of stellar populations originated from Milky Way globular clusters (MWGCs). Motivated by this, here we present the evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) for the Galactic bulge and early-type galaxies (ETGs) with the realistic treatment of individual variations in light elements observed in the MWGCs. We have utilized our model with GC-origin populations to explain the CN spread observed in ETGs, and the results show remarkable matches with the observations. We further employ our model to estimate the age of ETGs, which are considered as good analogs for the MW bulge. We find that, without the effect of our new treatments, EPS models will almost always underestimate the true age of ETGs. Our analysis indicates that the EPS with GC-origin populations is an essential constraint in determining the ETG formation epoch and is closely related to understanding the evolution of the Universe.

The SCHOLAR-1 international retrospective study highlighted poor clinical outcomes and survival among patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) treated with conventional chemotherapy. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, demonstrated durable responses in patients with refractory LBCL in the pivotal phase 1/2 ZUMA-1 study (NCT02348216). Here, we compared SCHOLAR-1 with the 2-year outcomes of ZUMA-1. Prior to comparison of clinical outcomes, propensity scoring (based on a broad set of prognostic covariates) was used to create balance between ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1 patients. In the pivotal phase 2 portion of ZUMA-1, 101 patients received axi-cel and were evaluable for response and survival. In SCHOLAR-1, 434 and 424 patients were evaluable for response and survival, respectively. ZUMA-1 patients were more heavily pretreated than were SCHOLAR-1 patients. The median follow-up was 27.1 months in ZUMA-1. The objective response rate (ORR) and complete response rate were 83% and 54% in ZUMA-1 vs 34% and 12% in SCHOLAR-1, respectively. The 2-year survival rate was 54% in ZUMA-1 and 20% in SCHOLAR-1, and a 73% reduction in the risk of death was observed in ZUMA-1 vs SCHOLAR-1. These results were consistent with those of an additional standardization analysis in which strata were limited to 2 prognostic factors (refractory categorization and presence/absence of stem cell transplant after refractoriness to chemotherapy) to conserve sample size. Despite the limitations of a nonrandomized analysis, these results indicate that axi-cel produces durable responses and a substantial survival benefit vs non–CAR T-cell salvage regimens for patients with refractory LBCL.

The spatial distribution of metals reflects, and can be used to constrain, the processes of chemical enrichment and mixing. Using PHANGS-MUSE optical integral field spectroscopy, we measure the gas phase oxygen abundances (metallicities) across 7,138 HII regions in a sample of eight nearby disc galaxies. In Paper I (Kreckel et al. 2019) we measure and report linear radial gradients in the metallicities of each galaxy, and qualitatively searched for azimuthal abundance variations. Here, we examine the two-dimensional variation in abundances once the radial gradient is subtracted, Delta(O/H), in order to quantify the homogeneity of the metal distribution and to measure the mixing scale over which HII region metallicities are correlated. We observe low (0.03--0.05 dex) scatter in Delta(O/H) globally in all galaxies, with significantly lower (0.02--0.03 dex) scatter on small (, 17 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Purpose We evaluated the combination of talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma in a phase II study. To our knowledge, this was the first randomized trial to evaluate addition of an oncolytic virus to a checkpoint inhibitor. Methods Patients with unresectable stages IIIB to IV melanoma, with no more than one prior therapy if BRAF wild-type, no more than two prior therapies if BRAF mutant, measurable/injectable disease, and without symptomatic autoimmunity or clinically significant immunosuppression were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab or ipilimumab alone. Talimogene laherparepvec treatment began in week 1 (first dose, ≤ 4 mL × 106 plaque-forming units/mL; after 3 weeks, ≤ 4 mL × 108 plaque-forming units/mL every 2 weeks). Ipilimumab (3 mg/kg every 3 weeks; up to four doses) began week 1 in the ipilimumab alone arm and week 6 in the combination arm. The primary end point was objective response rate evaluated by investigators per immune-related response criteria. Results One hundred ninety-eight patients were randomly assigned to talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab (n = 98), or ipilimumab alone (n = 100). Thirty-eight patients (39%) in the combination arm and 18 patients (18%) in the ipilimumab arm had an objective response (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5 to 5.5; P = .002). Responses were not limited to injected lesions; visceral lesion decreases were observed in 52% of patients in the combination arm and 23% of patients in the ipilimumab arm. Frequently occurring adverse events (AEs) included fatigue (combination, 59%; ipilimumab alone, 42%), chills (combination, 53%; ipilimumab alone, 3%), and diarrhea (combination, 42%; ipilimumab alone, 35%). Incidence of grade ≥ 3 AEs was 45% and 35%, respectively. Three patients in the combination arm had fatal AEs; none were treatment related. Conclusion The study met its primary end point; the objective response rate was significantly higher with talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone. These data indicate that the combination has greater antitumor activity without additional safety concerns versus ipilimumab.

In order to investigate the origin of multiple populations in globular clusters (GCs), we have constructed new chemical evolution models for proto-GCs where the supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the ambient gas. Chemical enrichments in our models are then dictated by the winds of massive stars together with the asymptotic-giant-branch stars ejecta. We find that the observed Na-O anti-correlation can be reproduced when multiple episodes of starburst and enrichment are allowed to continue in proto-GCs. The “mass budget problem” is mostly resolved by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency, initial mass function, and significant loss of first-generation stars. Interestingly, ages and chemical abundances predicted by this chemical evolution model are in good agreements with those independently obtained from our stellar evolution model for the horizontal-branch. We also discuss observational evidence for the GC-like multiple populations in the Milky Way bulge.

Background: Axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, is approved for the treatment of pts with relapsed/refractory LBCL with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. In the 2-year analysis of ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216), the multicenter, single-arm phase 1/2 study evaluating axi-cel in pts with refractory LBCL, the objective response rate (ORR) was 83%, including a complete response (CR) rate of 58%; 39% of pts had ongoing response with a median follow-up of 27.1 months (Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). EFS is emerging as a robust surrogate endpoint for OS in hematologic malignancies. A recent systematic analysis demonstrated a linear correlation between EFS and OS in pts with diffuse LBCL after first-line immunochemotherapy (Zhu et al. Leukemia. 2020). Here, we report updated survival findings from the phase 2 portion of ZUMA-1 after 4 years of follow-up, including an evaluation of the association of OS with EFS. Methods: Eligible pts had refractory LBCL (diffuse LBCL, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma). After leukapheresis at enrollment, pts received low-dose conditioning chemotherapy (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) followed by a target dose of 2×10 6 anti-CD19 CAR T cells/kg (Neelapu et al. N Engl J Med. 2017). The primary endpoint was ORR, with the first response assessment occurring 4 weeks following infusion. Additional endpoints included safety and translational evaluations. An exploratory analysis of OS by EFS at 12 and 24 months was performed. EFS was defined as the time from axi-cel infusion until disease progression, initiation of new lymphoma therapy (excluding stem cell transplant), or death from any cause. Comparisons of OS by EFS outcomes were analyzed via Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: Of 111 enrolled pts, axi-cel was administered to 101 pts. As of August 11, 2020, median follow-up was 51.1 months. With over 4 years of follow-up, median OS was 25.8 months, and the 4-year OS rate was 44%. Median EFS in pts treated with axi-cel was 5.7 months, with a 12-month EFS rate of 43% (95% CI, 33-52) and a 24-month EFS rate of 38% (95% CI, 28-47). In pts with an EFS event by Month 12 (EFS12; n=57) vs those without EFS12 (n=44), 4-year OS rates were 7% (95% CI, 2-16) vs 91% (95% CI, 78-97), respectively. Among the 17 pts with EFS12 who were alive at Month 12, 13 (76%) died by Month 48, while among the 44 pts alive at Month 12 without EFS12, 4 (9%) died by Month 48. In pts with an EFS event by Month 24 (EFS24; n=62) vs those without EFS24 (n=39), 4-year OS rates were 13% (95% CI, 6-23) vs 92% (95% CI, 78-98), respectively. Among the 12 pts with EFS24 who were alive at Month 24, 4 (33%) died by Month 48, while among the 39 pts alive at Month 24 without EFS24, 3 (8%) died by Month 48. Since the 2-year analysis (Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019), there have been no new safety signals reported, including no new serious adverse events, no axi-cel-related secondary malignancy, and no confirmed cases of replication-competent retrovirus. Overall, 26 pts received subsequent anti-cancer therapy; median time to next therapy was 8.7 months (range, 0.3 - 53.8). Immunoglobulin therapy was administered to 38 (38%) pts. Two pts in axi-cel-induced remission received allogeneic stem cell transplant; 1 pt was in CR and 1 pt was in partial response. Among treated pts, 58 (57%) have died, primarily due to progressive disease (46%; n=46), followed by other reasons (7%; n=7), adverse events (4%; n=4), and secondary malignancy (myelodysplastic syndrome, with onset on Day 574) unrelated to axi-cel (1%; n=1). Among pts without EFS12 and without EFS24, 1 pt each (2% and 3%, respectively) died due to disease progression >24 months following axi-cel infusion; >36 months, 2 pts each (5% for both) died due to disease progression (1 pt each [2% and 3%]) and other reasons (1 pt each [2% and 3%]. One pt (2%) without EFS12 died due to disease progression between 12 and 24 months. Updated findings with ≥5 years of follow-up, including translational correlations, will be presented. Conclusion: In this long-term survival analysis of ZUMA-1 with ≥4 years of follow-up, axi-cel demonstrated longer OS in pts without EFS events at Month 12 and Month 24 vs pts with events at these timepoints. These data support the use of EFS as a surrogate endpoint for long-term OS in refractory LBCL, and the relationship between EFS and 5-year OS will be presented. Disclosures Jacobson: Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Axis: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Humanigen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Locke: Moffitt Cancer Center: Patents & Royalties: field of cellular immunotherapy; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Gerson Lehrman Group: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Other, Research Funding; Legend Biotech: Consultancy, Other; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Calibr: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Iovance Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Emerging Therapy Solutions: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Other; Wugen: Consultancy, Other; EcoR1: Consultancy; Umoja: Consultancy, Other; Cowen: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Allogene Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding. Ghobadi: Atara: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Wugen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Miklos: Pharmacyclics, Amgen, Kite, a Gilead Company, Novartis, Roche, Genentech, Becton Dickinson, Isoplexis, Miltenyi, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Biosciences, Adicet, Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies, Novartis, Juno/Celgene-BMS, Kite, a Gilead Company, Pharmacyclics-AbbVie, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, AlloGene, Precision Bioscience, Miltenyi Biotech, Adicet, Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company, Amgen, Atara, Wugen, Celgene, Novartis, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Bioscience, Adicet, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Takeda, Adaptive Biotechnologies and Miltenyi Biotechnologies: Consultancy. Oluwole: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Curio Science: Consultancy. Lin: Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy; Sorrento: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Hill: Celgene (BMS): Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte/Morphysis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Gentenech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZenica: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel Support, Research Funding; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria. Timmerman: Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Marker Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Corvus: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genmab: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Merck: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Deol: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy. Reagan: Seagen: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; Curis: Consultancy. Stiff: Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; CRISPR Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Macrogenics: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Research Funding; Seagen: Research Funding; Cellectar: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; BioLineRX: Research Funding; Cellectar: Research Funding; Actinium: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria. Flinn: Celgene: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Loxo: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Agios: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; ArQule: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Calithera Biosciences: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Yingli Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Verastem: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Other: All Consultancy and Research Funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Incyte: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Merck: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Seagen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Nurix Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Pfizer: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Forty Seven: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Curis: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Iksuda Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; IGM Biosciences: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy and research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Great Point Partners: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Teva: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Triphase Research & Development Corp.: Other: All research funding payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Century Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Hutchison MediPharma: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Vincerx Pharma: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Sarah Cannon Research Institute: Current Employment; Servier Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Yingli Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Seagen: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Servier Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: All consultancy payments made to Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Farooq: Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria. Goy: MorphoSys: Honoraria, Other; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; OncLive Peer Exchange: Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acerta: Consultancy, Research Funding; Michael J Hennessey Associates INC: Consultancy; Physicians' Education Resource: Consultancy, Other: Meeting/travel support; Vincerx: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie/Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie/Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Elsevier's Practice Update Oncology, Intellisphere, LLC(Targeted Oncology): Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Vincerx pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Medscape: Consultancy; Xcenda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech/Hoffman la Roche: Research Funding; Infinity/Verastem: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Rosewell Park: Consultancy; LLC(Targeted Oncology): Consultancy; Hoffman la Roche: Consultancy; Xcenda: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Elsevier PracticeUpdate: Oncology: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Genomic Testing Cooperative: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Leadership role; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Phamacyclics: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; COTA (Cancer Outcome Tracking Analysis): Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Leadership role; Hackensack Meridian Health, Regional Cancer Care Associates/OMI: Current Employment. Muñoz: Bayer, Kite, a Gilead Company, Celgene, Merck, Portola, Incyte, Genentech, Pharmacyclics, Seagen, and Janssen, Millennium: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company, Kyowa, Bayer, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Seagen, Acrotech, Aurobindo, Beigene, Verastem, AstraZeneca, Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, and Roche: Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics, Abbvie, Bayer, Kite, a Gilead Company, Pfizer, Janssen, Juno/Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Kyowa, Alexion, Beigene, Fosun Kite, Innovent, Seagen, Debiopharm, Karyopharm, Genmab, ADC Therapeutics, Epizyme, Beigene, and Servier: Consultancy; Targeted Oncology, OncView, Kyowa, Physicians' Education Resource, and Seagen: Honoraria; OncView: Honoraria; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria; Physicians' Education Resource: Honoraria. Siddiqi: Oncternal: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: 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, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding. Shen: Atara: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties. Bot: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support. Dong: GliaCure/Tufts: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties; Gilead: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Singh: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Spooner: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Karalliyadda: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Kim: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Zheng: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Neelapu: Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Medica/Kuur, Incyte, Precision Biosciences, Legend Biotech, Adicet Bio, Calibr, Unum Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio: Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene, Kuur, Incyte, Precision BioSciences, Legend, Adicet Bio, Calibr, and Unum Therapeutics: Other: personal fees; Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related to cell therapy: Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Poseida, Cellectis, Celgene, Karus Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics (Cogent Biosciences), Allogene, Precision BioSciences, Acerta and Adicet Bio: Research Funding.

Background: In ZUMA-1, the pivotal study of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) occurred in 13% and 28% of patients, respectively, and required intensive in-patient management (Neelapu, et al. NEJM. 2017;377:2531). With increased safety experience, the management of CRS and NEs has been under evaluation in several exploratory safety management cohorts of ZUMA-1. Cohort 4 evaluated levetiracetam prophylaxis and earlier corticosteroid and/or tocilizumab use on the incidence and severity of CRS and NEs (Topp, et al. Br J Haematol. 2021. In press). The impact of adding prophylactic corticosteroids to the Cohort 4 toxicity management regimen was assessed in Cohort 6 (Oluwole, et al. Br J Haematol. 2021). Notably, some treated patients have early versus late onset of CRS or NEs, warranting distinct management. To facilitate toxicity management, we developed predictive algorithms for early onset acute toxicities (within 3-4 days after axi-cel) based on machine learning from ZUMA-1 data. Methods: This post hoc analysis included patients from ZUMA-1 Phase 1 and Phase 2 Cohorts 1, 2, 4, and 6. Covariates (>1500; 227 measured before axi-cel infusion) included baseline product, patient and tumor characteristics, and proinflammatory soluble blood biomarker levels. Data from patients in Cohorts 1, 2, and 4 were randomly divided into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets. Univariate and multivariate analyses and clinical feasibility considerations were applied to select a covariate subset for further analysis. Machine learning (eg, logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, and AdaBoost classifier) was applied to 3 categories of covariates (1, clinical; 2, mechanistic [eg, product attributes, inflammatory blood biomarkers]; 3, hybrid of 1 and 2) to build best-performing models (predictive performance evaluated by area under the curve [AUC] on test data). Optimal cutoffs for predictive scores were selected by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) or classification tree analysis. Data from patients in Cohort 6 were included to validate the best-performing model generated using training data. Results: Multivariate analysis and machine learning from data obtained from 149 evaluable patients in ZUMA-1 Cohorts 1, 2, and 4 led to several comparable predictive models for early onset CRS or NEs (best-performing models with ROC AUC >0.8 in training and >0.7 in testing). The covariates in best-performing models included product cell viability, centrally measured Day 0 (before axi-cel treatment) IL-15 and CCL2 serum levels and locally measured blood cell counts, blood chemistry analytes, tumor burden, and serum lactate dehydrogenase level. Best-performing models with 0.7 in testing) to larger best-performing models. Classification trees with splitting based on Day 0 IL-15 and product cell viability showed a potential to categorize patients by early versus late onset of toxicities (specificity >0.85). Conclusions: Machine learning applied to covariates measured before axi-cel infusion yielded predictive models for early onset CRS or NEs that can be used for toxicity prediction, monitoring, and management. High performing hybrid or mechanistic models corroborated the importance of T-cell viability (product cell fitness) and conditioning-related elevation of factors (IL-15 and CCL2) that influence toxicities. This algorithm may be further optimized in the context of improved toxicity management and by introducing monitoring of vitals early posttreatment. Disclosures Song: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hu: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Neelapu: Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related to cell therapy: Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Poseida, Cellectis, Celgene, Karus Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics (Cogent Biosciences), Allogene, Precision BioSciences, Acerta and Adicet Bio: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene, Kuur, Incyte, Precision BioSciences, Legend, Adicet Bio, Calibr, and Unum Therapeutics: Other: personal fees; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Medica/Kuur, Incyte, Precision Biosciences, Legend Biotech, Adicet Bio, Calibr, Unum Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio: Honoraria. Locke: Gerson Lehrman Group: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; EcoR1: Consultancy; Emerging Therapy Solutions: Consultancy; Cowen: Consultancy; Umoja: Consultancy, Other; Iovance Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Novartis: Consultancy, Other, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Other; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Allogene Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Wugen: Consultancy, Other; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Calibr: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Legend Biotech: Consultancy, Other; Moffitt Cancer Center: Patents & Royalties: field of cellular immunotherapy. Jacobson: Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Axis: Speakers Bureau; Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Humanigen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Miklos: Adaptive Biotechnologies, Novartis, Juno/Celgene-BMS, Kite, a Gilead Company, Pharmacyclics-AbbVie, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, AlloGene, Precision Bioscience, Miltenyi Biotech, Adicet, Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite, a Gilead Company, Amgen, Atara, Wugen, Celgene, Novartis, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Bioscience, Adicet, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Takeda, Adaptive Biotechnologies and Miltenyi Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Patents & Royalties; Pharmacyclics, Amgen, Kite, a Gilead Company, Novartis, Roche, Genentech, Becton Dickinson, Isoplexis, Miltenyi, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Biosciences, Adicet, Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding. Oluwole: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Curio Science: Consultancy. Kersten: Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Miltenyi Biotec: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Topp: Universitatklinikum Wurzburg: Current Employment; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Macrogeniecs: Research Funding; Regeneron: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy. Kim: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Singh: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Andrade: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role. Huang: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Xue: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Schupp: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Nahas: Kite: Current Employment; Gilead: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shen: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Atara: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties. Bot: Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment.

Introduction: It has become increasingly apparent that chimeric antigen receptor T (CART) cell activation and differentiation level is an important determinant of CART cell fate and response to therapy. In this study, we aimed to 1) measure levels of activation-induced surface death receptors and ligands on CART cells; 2) investigate how CART cell activation could impact their fitness and clinical responses, and 3) identify cell-based targets to modulate CART cell activation, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity to improve anti-tumor activity. Methods: We performed flow cytometric studies on ex-vivo stimulated, clinically annotated CART products of patients with large B cell lymphoma from the pivotal ZUMA-1 clinical trial that led to FDA-approved Axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-Cel). We investigated possible correlations of a number of surface death receptors and ligands with T cell differentiation status and post-infusion CART cell expansion, utilizing samples from ZUMA-1 patients who achieved a complete response as a best outcome ('responders') vs patients who achieved stable or progressive disease('non-responders'). CART cell effector functions in vitro were measured, and CART apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V. For in vitro and in vivo functional studies, we used CART19 generated from healthy donors (HD CART19) as indicated in the specific experiment. CRISPR/Cas9 was employed during CART cell production to disrupt specific genes. A xenograft model of lymphoma was used to investigate the in vivo antitumor activity of CART19. Results: Following an ex vivo stimulation of Axi-Cel products with CD19 + target cells, we observed upregulation of death receptors and ligands in CART19 from non-responders, compared to responders. We also observed a possible association between such upregulated surface markers with CART cell differentiation as measured by CCR7 expression. In an extended in vitro co-culture assay, where HD CART19 cells were repeatedly stimulated through the CAR, we found that tumor necrosis factor α receptor 2 (TNFR2), unlike other death receptors and ligands, was persistently elevated, suggesting a possible role for TNFR2 in long-term antigen-dependent CART19 dysfunction (Figure 1A). We further found that HD CART19 upregulate TNFR2, but not TNFR1, upon CAR stimulation (Figure 1B). While non-specific TCR activation (CD3 stimulation) of HD CART19 cells protected them from activation-induced apoptosis, antigen-specific activation through the CAR resulted in significant initiation of apoptosis within 2 hours of stimulation (Figure 1C). Having identified a possible association between TNFR2 and CART19 dysfunction, we aimed to study the impact of TNFR2 knockout on HD CART19 functions. Using CRISPR/Cas9 during CART cell manufacturing, we generated TNFR2 k/o HD CART19 cells with a knockout efficiency of around 50%, where the expression levels of TNFR2 in activated CART19 cells were reduced, compared to control CART19 cells (with non-targeting gRNA CRISPR/Cas9, Figure 1D). TNFR2 k/o CART19 cells demonstrated reduced early activation surface markers compared to control CART19, as measured by CD25 and CD69 surface expression (Figure 1E), reduced apoptosis initiation as measured by the Annexin V assay (Figure 1F), and enhanced antigen-specific proliferation and cytotoxicity (Figure 1G). Finally, in an in vivo xenograft model of CD19 + lymphoma, TNFR2 k/o CART19 resulted in enhanced CART cell expansion and anti-tumor activity (Figure 1H). Conclusions: Our results indicate that TNFR2 plays a role in early activation and apoptosis initiation of CART19 following CAR stimulation with CD19 + target cells and present TNFR2 knockout as a strategy to enhance CART19 anti-tumor activity. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Cox: Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Sakemura: Humanigen: Patents & Royalties. Ding: Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; DTRM: Research Funding; Octapharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Parikh: Pharmacyclics, MorphoSys, Janssen, AstraZeneca, TG Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, AbbVie, and Ascentage Pharma: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Verastem Oncology, and AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kay: Juno Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Dava Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios Pharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Targeted Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Behring: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CytomX Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sunesis: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bristol Meyer Squib: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Morpho-sys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncotracker: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Scholler: Kite: Current Employment. Bot: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Travel support. Mattie: Kite: Current Employment. Kim: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Filosto: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Tusk Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties: or other intellecular property; Gilead Sciences: Other: stock or other ownership . Kenderian: Humanigen, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

Background: ZUMA-1 is the registrational Phase 1/2 study of axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in pts with refractory LBCL. In ZUMA-1 Cohorts 1+2 (C1+2; N=101), rates of Grade (Gr) ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) were 13% and 28%, respectively, at the 6-mo primary analysis; the objective response rate (ORR) was 82% (54% complete response [CR]; Neelapu et al. NEJM. 2017). ZUMA-1 safety management C6 assessed whether prophylactic and earlier corticosteroids and/or tocilizumab could reduce incidence and severity of CRS and NEs. With a median follow-up of 8.9 mo (N=40) for C6, there were no Gr ≥3 CRS, a low rate of Gr ≥3 NEs (13%), and high response rates (Oluwole et al. BJH. 2021). Here, we present a 1-yr updated analysis of C6 supported by propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare outcomes for pts in C6 vs C1+2. Methods: Eligible pts could receive optional bridging therapy after leukapheresis. Pts received conditioning chemotherapy for 3 d prior to a single axi-cel infusion. Pts received once-daily oral dexamethasone 10 mg on Days 0 (before axi-cel), 1, and 2; corticosteroids and/or tocilizumab for adverse event (AE) management were given earlier vs C1+2. The primary endpoints were incidence and severity of CRS and NEs. Other endpoints included efficacy outcomes and biomarker analyses. To ensure comparability for pts in C6 and C1+2, an exploratory PSM analysis was performed after balancing for key baseline disease characteristics (tumor burden, IPI score, no. of prior lines of chemotherapy, disease stage, and LDH level). Results: As of December 16, 2020, the median follow-up time was 14.9 mo. Gr ≥3 AEs were reported in all 40 treated pts, and the most common were neutropenia (45%), neutrophil count decreased (33%), and white blood cell count decreased (23%). No Gr ≥3 CRS occurred. Gr ≥3 NEs were reported in 15% of pts. Median time to CRS and NE onset was 5 and 6 d, respectively, after axi-cel infusion. Infections of any grade occurred in 50% of pts (20% Gr ≥3). Since the 6-mo analysis, no new cases of CRS were observed. Four new axi-cel-related NEs occurred in 2 pts (pt 1: Gr 2 mental status changes and seizure-like phenomena both on Day 441; pt 2: Gr 1 dementia [occurred on Day 93 but was reported late] and Gr 5 toxic encephalopathy on Day 369 [resultant from a Gr 4 event that started on Day 351]). Two new infections of Gr 2 pneumonia and Gr 1 bronchitis were observed; the latter was axi-cel-related. One death due to progressive disease occurred. The investigator-assessed ORR was 95% (80% CR). Median DOR, PFS, and OS were not reached. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the 12-mo DOR, PFS, and OS rates were 60%, 63%, and 82%, respectively. At data cutoff, 53% of pts were in ongoing response. Median peak CAR T-cell levels were comparably high in pts with ongoing response and relapse (64 cells/µL [n=21] and 66 cells/µL [n=15], respectively) at 12 mo and considerably lower in nonresponders (18 cells/µL [n=2]). In all, 32 matched pts each in C6 and C1+2 were identified during PSM analysis; 8 pts from C6 were not included due to nonavailability of matched pts in C1+2. No Gr ≥3 CRS was observed in C6 vs 13% of pts in C1+2. Incidence of Gr ≥3 NEs was comparable in C6 and C1+2 (19% and 22%, respectively), with median time to onset of 12 d in C6 vs 7 d in C1+2. The ORR was 94% in both C6 and matched C1+2 (75% and 78% CR rates, respectively); 47% and 59% of pts were in ongoing response at 12 mo. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the 12-mo PFS rate was 61% in both C6 and matched C1+2. Median peak CAR T-cell levels were 65 and 43 cells/µL, respectively, in C6 and C1+2. Serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers associated with CAR T-cell treatment-related AEs (IFN-γ, IL-2, GM-CSF, and ferritin) were lower in C6 vs C1+2. Median cumulative corticosteroid dose including prophylaxis was 1252 mg in C6 (n=32) and 7418 mg in C1+2 (n=6). Conclusion: With ≥1-y follow-up, prophylactic and earlier corticosteroid and/or tocilizumab intervention continued to demonstrate a manageable safety profile, absence of new safety signals, and high, durable response rates, which was corroborated by PSM analysis. Although fewer pts in C1+2 received corticosteroids after matching, the median cumulative corticosteroid dose was 4-fold lower in C6 vs C1+2. These findings suggest that the C6 AE management strategy can improve long-term safety of axi-cel in R/R LBCL without compromising durability of responses. Disclosures Oluwole: Pfizer: Consultancy; Curio Science: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Forcade: Jazz: Other: Travel Support, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Other: Travel Support; Gilead: Other: Travel Support, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel Support, Speakers Bureau. Muñoz: Targeted Oncology: Honoraria; Seagen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Physicians' Education Resource: Honoraria; Kyowa Kirin: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; OncView: Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Juno/Celgene: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Alexion: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Fosunkite: Consultancy; Innovent: Consultancy; Debiopharma: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy; Acrotech: Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Speakers Bureau; Aurobindo: Speakers Bureau. de Guibert: Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria. Vose: Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Research Funding. Bartlett: Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; Seagen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Autolus: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Lin: Juno: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Vineti: Consultancy; Merck: Research Funding; Sorrento: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Deol: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy. McSweeney: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Research Funding; Autolus: Research Funding; Allovir: Research Funding. Goy: Acerta: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Xcenda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Vincerx: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Elsevier's Practice Update Oncology, Intellisphere, LLC(Targeted Oncology): Consultancy; MorphoSys: Honoraria, Other; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie/Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; LLC(Targeted Oncology): Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; OncLive Peer Exchange: Honoraria; Rosewell Park: Consultancy; Genomic Testing Cooperative: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Leadership role; COTA (Cancer Outcome Tracking Analysis): Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Leadership role; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Xcenda: Consultancy; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Michael J Hennessey Associates INC: Consultancy; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Medscape: Consultancy; AbbVie/Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Hoffman la Roche: Consultancy; Infinity/Verastem: Research Funding; Genentech/Hoffman la Roche: Research Funding; Physicians' Education Resource: Consultancy, Other: Meeting/travel support; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Vincerx pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Elsevier PracticeUpdate: Oncology: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Phamacyclics: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; Hackensack Meridian Health, Regional Cancer Care Associates/OMI: Current Employment. Kersten: Miltenyi Biotec: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Jacobson: Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Humanigen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Axis: Speakers Bureau; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau. Farooq: Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria. Minnema: Cilag: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Other: Travel expenses; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy; Alnylam: Consultancy. Thieblemont: Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Kyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses , Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses ; Hospira: Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses . Timmerman: Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; TG Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Marker Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Corvus: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genmab: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Merck: Research Funding. Stiff: Macrogenics: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Seagen: Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; CRISPR Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectar: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; BioLineRX: Research Funding; Cellectar: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Actinium: Research Funding. Avivi: Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Kite, a Gilead Company: Speakers Bureau. Tzachanis: Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Magenta: Consultancy; Kyowa Kirin: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; EUSA: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Partner: Consultancy. Kim: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zheng: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shen: Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Atara: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Leadership role, Patents & Royalties. Vardhanabhuti: Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Van Meerten: Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy.

Background: Axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, is approved for treatment of adult pts with R/R LBCL after ≥ 2 lines of systemic therapy. In the pivotal ZUMA-1 study, axi-cel demonstrated durable responses and a largely manageable safety profile (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). ZUMA-9 (NCT03153462), a multicenter, open-label study, provided pts with R/R LBCL with expanded access to axi-cel until commercial availability (Cohort 1 [C1]) and later, if commercially manufactured product did not meet commercial release specification(s) (Cohort 2 [C2]). Safety and efficacy of axi-cel (C1 and C2) and translational analyses (C2) are presented. Methods: Eligible adults had histologically confirmed R/R LBCL, ECOG ≤ 1, and received prior CD20-targeting and an anthracycline-containing regimen. C2 pts must have had commercial OOS product. Pts underwent leukaphersis and conditioning chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2/day and fludarabine 30 mg/m2/day) for 3 days followed by a single axi-cel infusion (target dose, 2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg). C1 and C2 pts with high disease burden could receive bridging therapy before conditioning at investigator's discretion. Endpoints included frequency of adverse events (AEs), objective response rate (ORR) per standard-of-care imaging assessment, overall survival (OS) for C1 and C2, and blood CAR T cells levels and serum cytokines for C2 only. Outcomes were contextualized with the primary analysis of ZUMA-1 C1+2 (n = 101; ≥ 6 mo of follow-up; Neelapu SS, et al. NEJM. 2017). Results: As of 11/29/2019 (C1) and 3/15/2020 (C2), 25 C1 pts and 36 C2 pts received axi-cel with a median follow-up of 27.1 mo (range, 23.6 - 29.6) and 13.2 mo (range, 0.4 - 25.7), respectively. In C1, median age was 56 y (range, 28 - 76), 60% were male, 80% had DLBCL, 48%/0% had ECOG1/≥2, 44% had IPI ≥3, and 64% had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. In C2, median age was 61 y (range, 24 - 81), 75% were male, 78% had DLBCL, 58%/17% had ECOG 1/≥2, 56% had IPI ≥3, and 69% had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. In C2, 50% of pts had OOS product with low viability, 28% had high IFN-γ, 14% had low IFN-γ, 14% received a low dose, and 6% had high transduction ratio. The ORR was 76% (64% complete response [CR]) for C1, 53% (36% CR) for C2, and 82% (54% CR) for ZUMA-1 C1+2. Median OS was 23.8 mo (95% CI, 13.5 - NE) for C1 and not reached (95% CI, 3.4 - NE) for C2, respectively. ORR and OS were consistent in C2 OOS subgroups (Table). Grade ≥ 3 AEs were reported in 88% and 89% of C1 and C2 pts, respectively. Grade ≥ 3 CRS (Lee et al, Blood. 2014) was not observed in C1 but was reported in 3% of C2 pts (13% in ZUMA-1 C1+2). Grade ≥ 3 neurologic events (NEs) occurred in 36% and 19% of pts in C1 and C2, respectively, and 28% of pts in ZUMA-1 C1+2. No Grade 5 CRS or NEs occurred in C1 or C2. All CRS and NEs resolved in C1, and most CRS (29/30) and NEs (19/24) resolved in C2 as of the data cutoff. Of 3 Grade 5 AEs in C1, 2 were unrelated to axi-cel (clostridial sepsis [on Day (D) 6] and respiratory failure [on D212]) and 1 was related to conditioning (myelodysplastic syndrome [on D563]). Of 3 Grade 5 AEs in C2, 2 were unrelated to axi-cel (multiple organ dysfunction syndrome [on D6] and cardiac arrest [on D482]) and 1 was related to axi-cel (systemic mycosis [on D30]). Median peak CAR T cell levels and median CAR T cell expansion (area under the curve in the first 28 days) were lower in ZUMA-9 C2 (n = 32/36; 12 cells/µL [range, 0 - 442] and 112 cells/µL × days [range, 0 - 3413]) vs ZUMA-1 C1+2 (n = 96/101; 42 cells/µL [range, 1 - 1514] and 462 cells/µL × days [range, 5 - 14,329]). Serum IFN-γ levels peaked within 8 days after axi-cel infusion (median, 170 pg/mL [range, 8 - 1876]) and were lower vs ZUMA-1 C1+2 (median, 477 pg/mL [range, 8 - 8209]). Axi-cel in ZUMA-9 C2 contained fewer, less differentiated CCR7+ naïve and central memory T cells, and a greater proportion of more differentiated CCR7- effector memory and effector T cells vs ZUMA-1 C1+2. No cases of replication-competent retroviruses were reported in C1 or C2. Conclusion: Axi-cel treatment demonstrated a manageable safety profile and meaningful clinical benefit in this expanded access and OOS product study. While CAR T cell therapy showed clinical benefit in C2 (OOS product), the lower CR rate was corroborated by lower CAR T cell expansion and a more differentiated product vs ZUMA-1 C1+2, warranting further investigation. ZUMA-9 C2 is enrolling pts and evaluation is ongoing. Disclosures Jacobson: Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; AXIS: Speakers Bureau; Nkarta: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Clinical Care Options: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Research Funding; Lonza: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support. Locke:Calibr: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Wugen: Consultancy; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Other: Consultancy with grant options; Allogene: Consultancy. Miklos:Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Vose:Incyte: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Allogene: Honoraria; Loxo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Epizyme: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria; Wugen: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Roche/Genetech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other. Lin:Sorrento: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy; Gamida Cells: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Legend BioTech: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Budde:Roche: Consultancy; Merck: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Mustang Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding. Maloney:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; A2 Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: Patents are pending, but not issued, licensed, no royalties, no licensees., Research Funding; Bioline Rx: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jaglowski:Juno: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; CRISPR: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Riedell:MorphoSys: Research Funding; Kite/Gilead: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Perales:Celgene: Honoraria; MolMed: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Omeros: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bellicum: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite/Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria; Nektar Therapeutics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: 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; Cidara Therapeutics: Other; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; Medigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; NexImmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding. Kim:Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Kawashima:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Other: stock or other ownership . Yang:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Rossi:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Goyal:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Neelapu:Legend Biotech: Other; Allogene Therapeutics: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Cell Medica/Kuur: Other: personal fees; Incyte: Other: personal fees; Unum Therapeutics: Other, Research Funding; Adicet Bio: Other; Novartis: Other: personal fees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Calibr: Other; Acerta: Research Funding; Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties; Celgene: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Other: personal fees; Karus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; N/A: Other.

Recent stellar evolution models for globular clusters (GCs) in multiple population paradigm suggest that horizontal-branch (HB) morphology and mean period of type ab RR Lyrae variables are mostly determined by He & CNO abundances and relative ages for subpopulations. These parameters are also provided by chemical evolution models constructed to reproduce the Na-O anti-correlation. Therefore, a consistency check is possible between the synthetic HB and chemical evolution models. Furthermore, by combining them, a better constraint might be attained for star formation history and chemical abundances of subpopulations in GCs. We find, from such efforts made for four GCs, M4, M5, M15, and M80, that consistent results can be obtained from these two independent studies. In our unified model, He and Na abundances gradually increase over the generation, and therefore, the various extensions observed in both HB morphology and Na-O chemical pattern depend on the presence of later generation stars after the second generation. It is schematically shown that this observed diversity, however, would not be naturally explained by the models requiring dilution. Further spectroscopic observations are required, for metal-poor GCs in particular, to obtain a more detailed constraint from this approach., Accepted for publication in ApJ

Purpose This trial assessed the efficacy and safety of docetaxel monotherapy or docetaxel in combination with ramucirumab (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 antibody) or icrucumab (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 antibody) after progression during or within 12 months of platinum-based regimens for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Patients and Methods Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive docetaxel 75 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on day 1 of a 3-week cycle (arm A), docetaxel 75 mg/m2 IV plus ramucirumab 10 mg/kg IV on day 1 of a 3-week cycle (arm B), or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 IV on day 1 plus icrucumab 12 mg/kg IV on days 1 and 8 of a 3-week cycle (arm C). Treatment continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Results A total of 140 patients were randomly assigned and treated in arms A (n = 45), B (n = 46), or C (n = 49). PFS was significantly longer in arm B compared with arm A (median, 5.4 months; 95% CI, 3.1 to 6.9 months v 2.8 months; 95% CI, 1.9 to 3.6 months; stratified hazard ratio, 0.389; 95% CI, 0.235 to 0.643; P = .0002). Arm C did not experience improved PFS compared with arm A (1.6 months; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.9; stratified hazard ratio, 0.863; 95% CI, 0.550 to 1.357; P = .5053). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events (arms A, B, and C) were neutropenia (36%, 33%, and 39%), fatigue (13%, 30%, and 20%), febrile neutropenia (13%, 17%, and 6.1%), and anemia (6.7%, 13%, and 14%, respectively). Conclusion The addition of ramucirumab to docetaxel met the prespecified efficacy end point for prolonging PFS in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma receiving second-line treatment and warrants further investigation in the phase III setting.

8012 Background: Axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, is approved in the US and EU for pts with relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphoma after ≥ 2 prior therapies. In the ZUMA-1 pivotal study (NCT02348216), the objective response rate (ORR) was 83% (58% complete response [CR] rate; Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). While axi-cel has demonstrated durable responses in a subset of pts, approximately half of all responders relapsed, and little is known on the viability of reTx with CAR T cell therapy. Here we report outcomes of pts retreated with axi-cel in ZUMA-1. Methods: Pts with progressive disease (PD) were eligible for reTx if there was no evidence of CD19 loss by local review, and if during 1st Tx they did not experience any dose-limiting toxicities, as defined in Phase 1, or comparable toxicities in Phase 2. Pts received the same regimen at reTx as at 1st Tx: 2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg after conditioning chemotherapy. Results: Thirteen pts in Cohorts 1 – 4 received axi-cel reTx. Prior to 1st Tx, most pts (69%) had an IPI score 3-4, 85% had disease stage 3-4, and the median number of prior regimens was 3 (range, 2 – 6). At first Tx, 6 pts achieved a CR, 6 achieved partial response (PR), and 1 pt had stable disease (SD) prior to PD. Median duration of first response was 96 days (range, 56 – 274). There was no Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS; 6 pts each had Grade 1 and 2). There were no Grade 4 or 5 neurologic events (NEs; 2 pts had Grade 1, 1 had Grade 2, and 7 had Grade 3). Upon reTx, 54% of pts achieved response (4 CR, 3 PR). Response to reTx was more common among pts who achieved CR at 1st Tx (83%; 4/6 CR, 1 PR, 1 SD) than in pts who achieved PR at 1st Tx (33%; 2/6 PR, 1 SD, 3 PD), and no response was observed in the pt with SD at 1st Tx. Median duration of response at reTx was 81 days (range, 1 – 225+). Response with reTx was longer than that with 1st Tx for 2 pts. One pt remains in response 255 days post-reTx. Comparable rates of CRS were observed with reTx as with 1st Tx. Compared with 1st Tx, fewer pts experienced NEs with reTx, and those that did occur were of lower grade: 23% (3 of 13 pts) had Grade 3; 23% (3 of 13 pts) had Grade 1, and 8% (1 of 13 pts) had Grade 2. Peak CAR T cell expansion was lower upon reTx vs 1st Tx (median, 4.3 vs 66.1 CAR gene-marked cells/µL blood). Conclusions: Based on this limited sample size, reTx with axi-cel may have clinical efficacy, although transient, in some pts, especially those who achieve CR with 1st Tx. CAR T cell expansion and severe CRS and NEs may be attenuated at reTx. Further studies with additional pts are needed to confirm these results. Clinical trial information: NCT02348216 .

Background In the SCHOLAR-1 retrospective analysis of pts with refractory LBCL, the objective response rate (ORR) was 26% and the complete response (CR) rate was 7% with available salvage therapies in the pre-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy era (Crump M, et al. Blood. 2017). These results served as a benchmark for novel therapies. ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216) is the pivotal Phase 1/2 study evaluating axi-cel, an autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy, in refractory LBCL. At a median follow-up of 27.1 mo, the ORR in ZUMA-1 was 83% and the CR rate was 58% (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Here, we describe comparative analyses of outcomes in ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1 after adjusting for refractory status. Methods Pts in both studies had refractory LBCL defined as stable disease of ≤ 6 mo with ≥ 4 cycles of frontline or ≥ 2 cycles of later-line therapy, progressive disease as best response, or relapse ≤ 12 mo post-autologous stem cell transplant (SCT). To address potential imbalances between studies, standardized analyses were performed that equally weighted the proportions of pts by refractory categorization (primary refractory, refractory to ≥ 2nd-line therapy, or relapse after SCT) and presence of post-refractory SCT in each study. Stratified Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests and Cox models were used to compare the odds ratio (OR) for response and hazard ratio (HR) for survival between ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1. P values were not adjusted for multiplicity. Results In Phase 2 of ZUMA-1, 101 pts received axi-cel. In SCHOLAR-1, 508 and 497 pts were evaluable for response and survival, respectively. The median follow-up in ZUMA-1 was 2.3 y, and the median follow-up from the overall SCHOLAR-1 study ranged from 7.6-14.8 y across different cohorts. Compared with SCHOLAR-1, ZUMA-1 had higher proportions of pts who received ≥ 3 lines of therapy (69% vs 23%) and pts refractory to 2nd- or later-line therapy (76% vs 62%). Fewer pts in ZUMA-1 were classified as primary refractory vs those in SCHOLAR-1 (26% vs 45%), and relapse rates within 1 y of SCT were similar between studies (21% vs 18%). The standardized ORR and CR rate in ZUMA-1 vs SCHOLAR-1 were 72% and 54% vs 22% and 7%, respectively. The OR for ORR and CR rate were 7.2-fold and 11.5-fold higher, respectively in ZUMA-1 vs SCHOLAR-1 (CMH test; P Conclusions This standardized analysis of ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1 indicates that treatment with axi-cel in this selected population increased odds of CR and reduced the risk of death versus standard salvage regimens in an unselected population. Although limited by retrospective evaluation and cross-study comparisons, these results support axi-cel as a highly effective treatment option for pts with refractory LBCL.

Summary Background Axicabtagene ciloleucel is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. In the previous analysis of the ZUMA-1 registrational study, with a median follow-up of 15·4 months (IQR 13·7–17·3), 89 (82%) of 108 assessable patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel achieved an objective response, and complete responses were noted in 63 (58%) patients. Here we report long-term activity and safety outcomes of the ZUMA-1 study. Methods ZUMA-1 is a single-arm, multicentre, registrational trial at 22 sites in the USA and Israel. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, and had histologically confirmed large B-cell lymphoma—including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, and transformed follicular lymphoma—according to the 2008 WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissue; refractory disease or relapsed after autologous stem-cell transplantation; an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1; and had previously received an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody containing-regimen and an anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. Participants received one dose of axicabtagene ciloleucel on day 0 at a target dose of 2 × 106 CAR T cells per kg of bodyweight after conditioning chemotherapy with intravenous fludarabine (30 mg/m2 body-surface area) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2 body-surface area) on days −5, −4, and −3. The primary endpoints were safety for phase 1 and the proportion of patients achieving an objective response for phase 2, and key secondary endpoints were overall survival, progression-free survival, and duration of response. Pre-planned activity and safety analyses were done per protocol. ZUMA-1 is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT02348216 . Although the registrational cohorts are closed, the trial remains open, and recruitment to extension cohorts with alternative endpoints is underway. Findings Between May 19, 2015, and Sept 15, 2016, 119 patients were enrolled and 108 received axicabtagene ciloleucel across phases 1 and 2. As of the cutoff date of Aug 11, 2018, 101 patients assessable for activity in phase 2 were followed up for a median of 27·1 months (IQR 25·7–28·8), 84 (83%) had an objective response, and 59 (58%) had a complete response. The median duration of response was 11·1 months (4·2–not estimable). The median overall survival was not reached (12·8–not estimable), and the median progression-free survival was 5·9 months (95% CI 3·3–15·0). 52 (48%) of 108 patients assessable for safety in phases 1 and 2 had grade 3 or worse serious adverse events. Grade 3 or worse cytokine release syndrome occurred in 12 (11%) patients, and grade 3 or worse neurological events in 35 (32%). Since the previous analysis at 1 year, additional serious adverse events were reported in four patients (grade 3 mental status changes, grade 4 myelodysplastic syndrome, grade 3 lung infection, and two episodes of grade 3 bacteraemia), none of which were judged to be treatment related. Two treatment-related deaths (due to haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and cardiac arrest) were previously reported, but no new treatment-related deaths occurred during the additional follow-up. Interpretation These 2-year follow-up data from ZUMA-1 suggest that axicabtagene ciloleucel can induce durable responses and a median overall survival of greater than 2 years, and has a manageable long-term safety profile in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Funding Kite and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Therapy Acceleration Program.

In order to investigate the origin of multiple stellar populations found in globular clusters (GCs) in the halo and bulge of the Milky Way, we have constructed chemical evolution models for their putative low-mass progenitors. In light of recent theoretical developments, we assume that supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the pre-enriched ambient gas, while relatively slow winds of massive stars, together with the winds and ejecta from low to high mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars, are all locally retained in these less massive systems. Interestingly, we find that the observed Na-O anti-correlations in metal-poor GCs can be reproduced when multiple episodes of starburst and enrichment are allowed to continue in these subsystems. A specific form of star formation history with decreasing time intervals between the successive stellar generations, however, is required to obtain this result, which is in good agreement with the parameters obtained from synthetic horizontal-branch models. The "mass budget problem" is also much alleviated by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency, initial mass function, and the preferential loss of first-generation stars. We also applied these models to investigate the origin of super-He-rich red clump stars in the metal-rich bulge suggested by Lee et al. (2015). We find that chemical enrichment by the winds of massive stars can naturally reproduce the required strong He enhancement in metal-rich subsystems. Our results further underscore that gas expulsion or retention is a key factor in understanding the multiple populations in GCs., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

The NCCN Guidelines for Kidney Cancer provide multidisciplinary recommendations for the clinical management of patients with clear cell and non-clear cell renal carcinoma. These NCCN Guidelines Insights highlight the recent updates/changes in these guidelines, and updates include axitinib as first-line treatment option for patients with clear cell renal carcinoma, new data to support pazopanib as subsequent therapy for patients with clear cell carcinoma after first-line treatment with another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and guidelines for follow-up of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

The impact of incretins upon pancreatic β-cell expansion remains extremely controversial. Multiple studies indicate that incretin-based therapies can increase β-cell proliferation, and incretins have been hypothesized to expand β-cell mass. However, disagreement exists on whether incretins increase β-cell mass. Moreover, some reports indicate that incretins may cause metaplastic changes in pancreatic histology. To resolve these questions, we treated a large cohort of mice with incretin-based therapies and carried out a rigorous analysis of β-cell turnover and pancreatic histology using high-throughput imaging. Young mice received exenatide via osmotic pump, des-fluoro-sitagliptin, or glipizide compounded in diet for 2 weeks (short-term) on a low-fat diet (LFD) or 4.5 months (long-term) on a LFD or high-fat diet (HFD). Pancreata were quantified for β-cell turnover and mass. Slides were examined for gross anatomical and microscopic changes to exocrine pancreas. Short-term des-fluoro-sitagliptin increased serum insulin and induced modest β-cell proliferation but no change in β-cell mass. Long-term incretin therapy in HFD-fed mice resulted in reduced weight gain, improved glucose homeostasis, and abrogated β-cell mass expansion. No evidence for rapidly dividing progenitor cells was found in islets or pancreatic parenchyma, indicating that incretins do not induce islet neogenesis or pancreatic metaplasia. Contrasting prior reports, we found no evidence of β-cell mass expansion after acute or chronic incretin therapy. Chronic incretin administration was not associated with histological abnormalities in pancreatic parenchyma; mice did not develop tumors, pancreatitis, or ductal hyperplasia. We conclude that incretin therapies do not generate β-cells or alter pancreatic histology in young mice.

These NCCN Guidelines Insights highlight treatment recommendations and updates specific to the management of patients with advanced non-clear cell carcinoma included in the 2014 version of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Kidney Cancer.

Background: In the SCHOLAR-1 study, the largest published retrospective analysis of outcomes in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), the objective response rate (ORR) was 26% and complete response (CR) rate was 7% with available salvage therapies in the pre-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy era (Crump et al. Blood. 2017). These results served as a benchmark for assessing novel therapies. ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216) is the pivotal, multicenter, single-arm Phase 1/2 study evaluating axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy, in patients with refractory LBCL that supported the approval of axi-cel in the United States and Europe. At a median follow-up of 27.1 months, the ORR in ZUMA-1 was 83% and the CR rate was 58% (Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Here, we describe comparative analyses of outcomes in ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1 after adjusting for potential imbalances in refractory status between the 2 studies. Methods: Patients in both studies had refractory LBCL defined as stable disease of ≤ 6 months with ≥ 4 cycles of frontline or ≥ 2 cycles of later-line therapy, progressive disease as best response, or relapse ≤ 12 months post autologous stem cell transplant (SCT). To address potential imbalances between studies in refractory status which could affect response and survival outcomes, standardized analyses were performed which equally weighted the proportions of patients by refractory categorization (primary refractory, refractory to ≥ second-line therapy, or relapse after SCT) and presence of post-refractory SCT in each study. Stratified Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests and Cox models were used to compare the odds ratio for response and hazard ratio (HR) for survival between ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1. P values were descriptive and were not adjusted for multiplicity. Results: Axi-cel was administered to 101 patients in the pivotal Phase 2 portion of ZUMA-1. In the SCHOLAR-1 analysis, 508 patients were evaluable for response and 497 were evaluable for survival. The median follow-up in ZUMA-1 was 2.3 years, and the median follow-up from the overall SCHOLAR-1 study ranged from 7.6 to 14.8 years across different cohorts. In general, ZUMA-1 patients were more heavily pretreated with more patients receiving ≥ 3 lines of therapy as compared with SCHOLAR-1 (69% vs 23%). ZUMA-1 also had more patients who were refractory to second- or later-line therapy compared with SCHOLAR-1 (76% vs 62%). Fewer patients in ZUMA-1, however, were classified as primary refractory vs those in SCHOLAR-1 (26% vs 45%), and a similar proportion of patients between studies relapsed within 1 year of SCT (21% vs 18%). After standardization, the ORR and CR rate in ZUMA-1 vs SCHOLAR-1 were 72% and 54% vs 22% and 7%, respectively. The odds ratios for ORR and CR rate were 7.2-fold and 11.5-fold higher, respectively in ZUMA-1 vs SCHOLAR-1 (CMH test; P < .0001 for both ORR and CR rate). The 2-year survival rate after standardization was 50% (95% CI, 40% - 59%) in ZUMA-1 and 12% (95% CI, 9% - 15%) in SCHOLAR-1, which translated to a 73% reduction in the risk of death in ZUMA-1 relative to SCHOLAR-1 (HR, 0.27; P < .0001). Conclusions: This standardized analysis of the ZUMA-1 and SCHOLAR-1 studies indicates that treatment with axi-cel in this selected population results in 11.5-fold higher odds of CR and a 73% reduction in the risk of death compared with standard salvage regimens in an unselected population. Although limited by retrospective evaluation and cross-study comparisons, these results support the previous literature indicating that axi-cel is a highly effective treatment option for patients with refractory LBCL. Disclosures Neelapu: Pfizer: Consultancy; BMS: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Allogene: Consultancy; Acerta: Research Funding; Cell Medica: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karus: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Poseida: Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding. Locke:Novartis: Other: Scientific Advisor; Kite: Other: Scientific Advisor; Cellular BioMedicine Group Inc.: Consultancy. Bartlett:Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Autolus: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Immune Design: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding. Reagan:Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy; Curis: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Miklos:Celgene-Juno: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Miltenyi: Consultancy, Research Funding; AlloGene: Consultancy; Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Becton Dickinson: Consultancy; Precision Bioscience: Consultancy. Jacobson:Pfizer: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Humanigen: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Bayer: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support. Oluwole:Pfizer: Consultancy; Spectrum: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Siddiqi:BeiGene: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Kite, A Gilead Company: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: travel support, Research Funding; PCYC: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Crump:Kite/Gilead: Consultancy; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy. Kuruvilla:Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding. Van Den Neste:Gilead: Other: travel support. Farooq:Celgene: Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Navale:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment, Equity Ownership; Gilead: Equity Ownership; Allogene: Equity Ownership; Cellectis: Equity Ownership; Bluebird Bio: Equity Ownership; Amgen: Equity Ownership; Organesis: Equity Ownership; Jounce: Equity Ownership; Editas: Equity Ownership; Intellia: Equity Ownership. DePuy:Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: travel support. Kim:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment.

Background: Relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) is associated with poor outcomes to standard salvage therapy (Crump M, et al. Blood. 2017). In SCHOLAR-1, a large multicenter, patient-level, retrospective study, patients with R/R diffuse LBCL had a 26% objective response rate (ORR) to the next line of therapy, a 7% complete response (CR) rate, and a median overall survival of 6.3 months (Crump M, et al. Blood 2017). Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for patients with R/R LBCL with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. With a median follow-up of 27.1 months in ZUMA-1, the ORR with axi-cel was 83% (58% CR rate) in patients with refractory LBCL (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Activation of the costimulatory receptor 4-1BB (CD137) on CAR T cells may enhance axi-cel antitumor activity by enhancing T cell proliferation, function, and survival. Utomilumab (uto), an investigational monoclonal antibody agonist of the 4-1BB pathway, enhanced T cell function and survival in preclinical studies (Fisher TS, et al. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2012) and had favorable single-agent safety in patients (Segal NH, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2018). Possible mechanisms of resistance to axi-cel are thought to be suboptimal CAR T cell expansion an exclusionary tumor microenvironment and CD19 target antigen loss (Neelapu SS, et al. Blood 2017, Rossi JM, et al J Immunother Cancer. 2018). Combination strategies that increase proliferation, expansion, and persistence of CAR T cells or prevent activation-induced cell death of CAR T cells may improve clinical outcomes observed with axi-cel. ZUMA-11 is a Phase 1/2 study investigating the efficacy and safety of axi-cel + uto in patients with refractory LBCL. Methods: The primary objectives of this study are to determine the safety, recommended Phase 2 dosing and timing (Phase 1), and efficacy (Phase 2) of axi-cel + uto in adult patients with refractory LBCL. Patients with progressive or stable disease as the best response to second-line chemotherapy or relapse ≤ 12 months after autologous stem cell transplantation, a prior anti-CD20 antibody and anthracycline-containing regimen, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 are eligible. Patients with histologically proven primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, history of Richter's transformation or chronic lymphocytic lymphoma, prior CAR T cell therapy, or central nervous system involvement of lymphoma are ineligible. In Phase 1, ≈24 patients in ≤ 3 cohorts will receive a single dose of axi-cel and escalating doses of uto (10, 30, or 100 mg) using a 3 + 3 design in up to 4 of 6 cohorts. The recommended uto dose will be based on dose-limiting toxicities and other factors. Patients will be leukapheresed and may receive optional, nonchemotherapy bridging therapy per investigator decision. After conditioning chemotherapy, patients will receive a single infusion of axi-cel (target dose, 2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg) on Day 0 followed by uto on Day 1 and every 4 weeks for 6 months or until progressive disease. Patients will be treated one at a time during Phase 1, and patients treated with axi-cel will be staggered by ≥ 2 weeks. Day 21 uto administration will be explored if toxicity is unacceptable with Day 1 administration. The primary endpoints are incidence of dose-limiting toxicities in Phase 1 and CR rate in Phase 2. Secondary endpoints include ORR, duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, safety, and levels of CAR T cells and cytokines in blood. This study uses a single-arm design to estimate the true CR rate; with a sample size of 27 patients, of which ≤ 3 patients will have been treated in the Phase 1 portion, the maximum half-width of the 95% confidence interval about response will be ≥ 21%. ZUMA-11 is open and accruing patients. Disclosures Reshef: Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Shire: Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Atara: Consultancy, Research Funding; Magenta: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Miklos:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Precision Bioscience: Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding; Miltenyi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Becton Dickinson: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; AlloGene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene-Juno: Consultancy. Timmerman:Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding; ImmunGene: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support, Research Funding. Jacobson:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Bayer: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Humanigen: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: travel support; Pfizer: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support. Bennani:Kite, A Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Rossi:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Sherman:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Sun:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Palluconi:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Kim:Kite, A Gilead Company: Employment. Jain:Kite/Gilead: Consultancy.

Recent investigations of the double red clump in the color-magnitude diagram of the Milky Way bulge cast serious doubts on the structure and formation origin of the outer bulge. Unlike previous interpretation based on an X-shaped bulge, stellar evolution models and CN-band observations have suggested that this feature is another manifestation of the multiple stellar population phenomenon observed in globular clusters (GCs). This new scenario requires a significant fraction of the outer bulge stars with chemical patterns uniquely observed in GCs. Here we show from homogeneous high-quality spectroscopic data that the red giant branch stars in the outer bulge (> 5.5 degrees from the Galactic center) are clearly divided into two groups according to Na abundance in the [Na/Fe] - [Fe/H] plane. The Na-rich stars are also enhanced in Al, while the differences in O and Mg are not observed between the two Na groups. The population ratio and the Na and Al differences between the two groups are also comparable with those observed in metal-rich GCs. The only plausible explanation for these chemical patterns and characteristics appears to be that the outer bulge was mostly assembled from disrupted proto-GCs in the early history of the Milky Way., Accepted for publication in ApJL

7555 Background: Axi-cel is a US FDA-approved, autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of pts with relapsed or refractory LBCL with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. In the 2-y follow-up of ZUMA-1, the objective response rate (ORR) was 83% with a complete response (CR) rate of 58%, and 39% of pts were in ongoing response (Locke et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Here we report efficacy and safety outcomes by age. Methods: Eligible pts with refractory LBCL underwent leukapheresis and conditioning chemotherapy followed by a target dose of 2 × 106 anti-CD19 CAR T cells/kg. The Phase 2 primary endpoint was investigator-assessed ORR. Additional key endpoints were adverse events (AEs), overall survival (OS), and levels of CAR gene-marked cells in peripheral blood. Efficacy was evaluated for Phase 2 pts; safety was evaluated for all treated pts (Phases 1 and 2). Pts were analyzed by ≥ 65 y vs < 65 y of age. Results: As of 8/11/2018, 108 pts were treated. Pts ≥ 65 y (n = 27) vs < 65 y (n = 81) had a median age of 69 y vs 55 y, respectively, were 81% vs 63% male, 70% vs 36% had an IPI score 3-4, 59% vs 57% had ECOG 1, 67% vs 72% had ≥ 3 prior therapies, and median tumor burdens were 3790 mm2 vs 3574 mm2. Median follow-up was 27.1 mo for Phase 2 pts (n = 101). The ORR for pts ≥ 65 y (n = 24) and < 65 y (n = 77) was 92% and 81% (CR rate 75% and 53%), respectively, with ongoing responses in 42% and 38% of pts (ongoing CR 42% and 35%). The 24-mo OS rate was 54% for pts ≥ 65 y and 49% for pts < 65 y. Most pts experienced Grade ≥ 3 AEs (100% of pts ≥ 65 y; 98% of pts < 65 y), and 4% of each group (1/27 pts ≥ 65 y and 3/81 pts < 65 y) died due to AEs as previously reported. Grade ≥ 3 neurologic events and cytokine release syndrome occurred in 44% vs 28% and 7% vs 12% of pts ≥ 65 y vs < 65 y, respectively. CAR T cell expansion by peak level (43 vs 35 cells/μl) or area under the curve (562 vs 448 d × cells/μl) was similar in pts ≥ 65 y vs < 65 y, respectively. Conclusions: The 2-y follow-up of ZUMA-1 demonstrates that axi-cel can induce high rates of durable responses with a manageable safety profile for pts ≥ and < 65 y. Axi-cel offers substantial clinical benefit for older pts with refractory LBCL who otherwise have limited treatment options. Clinical trial information: NCT02348216.

The need for effective targeted therapies for renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) has fueled the interest for understanding molecular pathways involved in the oncogenesis of kidney tumors. Aiming to analyze the expression status and prognostic significance of mTOR and hypoxia-induced pathway members in patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC), tissue microarrays were constructed from 135 primary and 41 metastatic ccRCCs. Immunoexpression levels were compared and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and outcome. PTEN levels were significantly lower in primary and metastatic ccRCCs compared with benign tissues (P

High-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon were the most commonly administered therapies before the recent introduction of targeted agents, including vascular endothelial growth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin pathway inhibitors. Although the new agents result in a progression-free survival benefit, high-dose IL-2 remains the only agent with proven efficacy in producing durable complete and partial responses in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Furthermore, although the use of single-agent interferon has decreased significantly since the introduction of targeted therapy, it remains in the frontline setting in combination with bevacizumab as a result of 2 large phase III trials. Lastly, improved understanding of immune regulation has led to the advancement of targeted immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors that have shown promising activity and are moving forward in clinical development. This article focuses on the current status of immunotherapy in the management of metastatic RCC.

Background: Axi-cel is a US FDA-approved, autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory large B cell lymphoma with ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. This report focuses on high-risk patient populations as well as long-term durability of response, and B cell recovery. Methods: In ZUMA-1, eligible patients with refractory large B cell lymphoma (diffuse large B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma) underwent leukapheresis and received low-dose conditioning followed by a target dose of 2 × 106 anti-CD19 CAR T cells/kg (Neelapu and Locke et al. NEJM. 2017; NCT02348216). Outcomes in patients with double-expressor B cell lymphoma (MYC [≥ 40%] and BCL-2 [≥ 50%] protein expression by immunohistochemistry [IHC]) or high-grade B cell lymphoma (HGBCL), defined as double- or triple-hit (MYC+ and BCL2+ and/or BCL6+ by fluorescence in situ hybridization) or not otherwise specified (MYC- and > 70% Ki67 by IHC) were examined by independent pathology review. Exploratory analyses, including normal B cell levels in peripheral blood over time and frequency of use of safety interventions of interest, were also performed. A long-term follow-up analysis will be conducted with a data cutoff of August 11, 2018 for all 108 patients, including the HGBCL subgroup. Results: As of August 11, 2017, all 108 patients had at least 1 year of follow-up, with a median follow-up of 15.4 months. The objective response rate (ORR) was 82% with a complete response (CR) rate or 58%. The CR rate was 53% (29/55) in patients with disease refractory to ≥ 2 consecutive prior lines of therapy and 72% (18/25) in patients who had relapsed within 12 months after autologous stem cell transplantation. High-risk genetics were assessed in the 47 evaluable pre-treatment tumor samples: 37 patients (79%) had HGBCL or double-expressor B cell lymphoma and had an ORR of 89% (33/37) including a CR rate of 68% (25/37). Forty-two percent of patients overall had ongoing responses with a median follow-up of 15.4 months including 49% (18/37) of patients with high-risk genetics. To investigate the relationship between B cell recovery and ongoing response, B cell levels were assessed over time. Overall, of the 87 evaluable patients, 47% had no detectable B cells at baseline, and the remainder had levels close to or below the lower level of quantification of the assay. In patients with ongoing responses at 12 months post axi-cel infusion, 19 of the 35 (54%) patients with evaluable samples had detectable B cells at 12 months. This suggests B cell recovery in some patients with ongoing response as only 6 of 40 (15%) patients with evaluable samples had detectable B cells at 3 months after axi-cel infusion. Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NE) were generally reversible and reported for 12% and 31% of patients, respectively. Tocilizumab (45%) and/or steroids (28%) were used for the management of CRS and NE. The use of vasopressors, dialysis, and intubation were minimal, used in only 17%, 3%, and 3% of patients, respectively. Thirty-four percent of patients (37/108) had either no CRS/NE (6%) or only Grade 1 CRS with (12%) or without (16%) Grade 1 NE. For these 37 patients, the median onset of CRS and NE was 2 and 7 days after infusion, respectively. Patients with Grade 0 - 1 CRS/NE had similar efficacy (ORR, 86%; CR, 65%) but lower peak/AUC CAR T cell levels vs the overall population. Updated safety and efficacy results will be presented with a minimum follow-up of 2 years and a median follow-up of 27.1 months. Conclusion: High rates of durable response were observed in patients with HGBCL and double-expressor B cell lymphoma, with approximately half of these patients (18/37) maintaining CR at ≥ 1 year. Efficacy in these high-risk populations was comparable to the overall patient population in ZUMA-1. At 12 months, B-cell recovery was observed in over half the patients with ongoing remission. About one-third of patients had only Grades 0 - 1 CRS/NE yet showed comparable efficacy with the overall patient population. High-grade CRS/NE were largely managed with tocilizumab and steroids with very low use of intensive or invasive interventions. Updated outcomes with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up will be presented. Disclosures Neelapu: Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Karus: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Miklos:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics - Abbot: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite - Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Hill:Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Deol:Novartis: Consultancy; Kite Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Reagan:Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Flinn:Agios: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Calithera: Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Forma: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; ArQule: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; Infinity: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding. McSweeney:Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Munoz:Alexion: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy. Siddiqi:Juno Therapeutics: Other: Steering committee. Herrera:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Merck, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; KiTE Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Immune Design: Research Funding. Xue:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Jiang:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Bot:KITE: Employment. Rossi:KITE: Employment. Kim:Kite, a Gilead Company: Employment. Go:KITE: Employment. Locke:Cellular BioMedicine Group Inc.: Consultancy; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Other: Scientific Advisor; Kite Pharma: Other: Scientific Advisor.

Protein arginine N-methyltransferase (PRMT) dimerization is required for methyl group transfer from the cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to arginine residues in protein substrates, forming S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and methylarginine residues. In this study, we use Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to determine dissociation constant (K(D)) values for dimerization of PRMT1 and PRMT6. By attaching monomeric Cerulean and Citrine fluorescent proteins to their N-termini, fluorescent PRMTs are formed that exhibit similar enzyme kinetics to unconjugated PRMTs. These fluorescent proteins are used in FRET-based binding studies in a multi-well format. In the presence of AdoMet, fluorescent PRMT1 and PRMT6 exhibit 4- and 6-fold lower dimerization K(D) values, respectively, than in the presence of AdoHcy, suggesting that AdoMet promotes PRMT homodimerization in contrast to AdoHcy. We also find that the dimerization K(D) values for PRMT1 in the presence of AdoMet or AdoHcy are, respectively, 6- and 10-fold lower than the corresponding values for PRMT6. Considering that the affinity of PRMT6 for AdoHcy is 10-fold higher than for AdoMet, PRMT6 function may be subject to cofactor-dependent regulation in cells where the methylation potential (i.e., ratio of AdoMet to AdoHcy) is low. Since PRMT1 affinity for AdoMet and AdoHcy is similar, however, a low methylation potential may not affect PRMT1 function.

The two red clumps (RCs) observed in the color-magnitude diagram of the Milky Way bulge is widely accepted as evidence for an X-shaped structure originated from the bar instability. A drastically different interpretation has been suggested, however, based on the He-enhanced multiple stellar population phenomenon as is observed in globular clusters (GCs). Because these two scenarios imply very different pictures on the formation of the bulge and elliptical galaxies, understanding the origin of the double RC is of crucial importance. Here we report our discovery that the stars in the two RCs show a significant (> 5.3 {\sigma}) difference in CN-band strength, in stark contrast to that expected in the X-shaped bulge scenario. The difference in CN abundance and the population ratio between the two RCs are comparable to those observed in GCs between the first- and later generation stars. Since CN-strong stars trace a population with enhanced N, Na, and He abundances originated in GCs, this is direct evidence that the double RC is due to the multiple population phenomenon, and that a significant population of stars in the Milky Way bulge were assembled from disrupted proto-GCs. Our result also calls for the major revision of the 3D structure of the Milky Way bulge given that the current view is based on the previous interpretation of the double RC phenomenon., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL

6036Background: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the combo of T-VEC, the first FDA-approved oncolytic immunotherapy that enhances systemic antitumor immune responses, and Pembro, an immune c...