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Introduction: Immune checkpoint blockade of programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) has contributed to efficacy in many tumor types, with clinical responses observed in a proportion of patients (pts) with Hodgkin lymphoma and rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. A recent study demonstrated that combination treatment with anti-PD-L1 and anti-CD38 agents contributed to a stronger anti-tumor immune response compared with anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. Isatuximab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, is approved for use in multiple myeloma. Cemiplimab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, is approved for use in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: This Phase 1/2 open-label study (NCT03769181) was designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of isatuximab in combination with cemiplimab (Isa+Cemi) in pts with relapsed and refractory classic Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). The primary objectives of Phase 1 were to characterize the safety and tolerability of Isa+Cemi and to confirm the recommended Phase 2 dose. Phase 2 used a Simon's 2-stage design to assess the complete response rate in Cohort A1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1 naïve cHL; n=18; median age, 36 years; 55.6% male; ≥2 prior regimens, 100%) and to assess the objective response rate in Cohorts A2 (cHL progressing after PD-1/PD-L1 therapy; n=12; median age, 33 years; 58.3% male; ≥2 prior regimens, 100%), B (DLBCL; n=17; median age, 64 years; 70.6% male; ≥2 prior regimens, 100%), and C (PTCL; n=11; median age, 69 years; 63.6% male; ≥2 prior regimens, 9.1%). Pts received Isa+Cemi for up to 96 weeks. In Phase 1, the isatuximab dose was 10 mg/kg every week (Cycle 1), every 2 weeks (Cycle 2-6), or every 3 weeks (Cycle 7+). The cemiplimab dose was 250 mg every 2 weeks (Cycle 1-6) or 350 mg every 3 weeks (Cycle 7+). An interim analysis was performed when the last pt in Phase 2 was followed up for 24 weeks. The efficacy evaluation was based on Simon's 2-stage design with 85% power at a 5% 1-sided alpha level for each cohort. At least 8 (44.4%) and 3 (30.0%) responses were required in Cohorts B and C, respectively, in Phase 2 Stage 1 to advance to Phase 2 Stage 2. Results: Isa+Cemi demonstrated a manageable safety profile with no new safety signals. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed, confirming the recommended Phase 2 dose. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported in 83.3% (Cohort A1) and 100% (Cohorts A2, B, C) of pts. Grade ≥3 TEAEs occurred in 5.6%, 8.3%, 70.6%, and 81.8% of pts in Cohorts A1, A2, B, and C, respectively. There were no pts in Cohorts A1 or A2 who reported TEAEs leading to definitive discontinuation; 5.9% and 27.3% of pts in Cohorts B and C experienced TEAEs leading to definitive discontinuation. No Grade 5 TEAEs with fatal outcome were reported in Cohorts A1 or A2. There were 4 deaths reported during the on-treatment period in Cohort B (progressive disease, n=2; intestinal perforation, n=1; urinary tract infection, n=1) and 2 in Cohort C (unknown, n=1; progressive disease, n=1). Infusion reactions were reported in 38.9%, 75.0%, 52.9%, and 72.7% of pts in Cohorts A1, A2, B, and C, respectively; there was 1 (9.1%) Grade ≥3 infusion reaction reported in Cohort C. Pharmacokinetics (PK) analyses suggested no effect of cemiplimab on isatuximab PK, and vice versa. Based on Lugano 2014 criteria, 55.6% (Cohort A1), 33.3% (Cohort A2), 5.9% (Cohort B), and 9.1% (Cohort C) of pts in the all-treated population achieved a complete or partial response. Median progression-free survival was 8.38 months (95% CI: 2.72-not calculable [NC]), 8.28 months (95% CI: 2.6-NC), 2.37 months (95% CI: 0.46-2.69), and 2.66 months (95% CI: 0.43-2.99) in Cohorts A1, A2, B, and C, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, Isa+Cemi had a manageable safety profile. Clinical efficacy was observed in pts with cHL, with increased responses observed in pts who had not previously received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy compared with those who progressed on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. For Cohorts B (DLBCL) and C (PTCL), results of the interim efficacy analysis did not meet prespecified criteria to continue enrollment in Phase 2 Stage 2. Most pts with DLBCL were primary refractory/bulky and discontinued rapidly, which may have contributed to the lack of activity with this combination. Disclosures Carlo-Stella: ADC Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Honoraria; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding. Zinzani: TG Therapeutics Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Kirin: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; ImmuneDesign: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen-Cilag: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celltrion: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; EUSA Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BeiGene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Portola: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Sureda: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; Bluebird: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Mundipharma: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Casasnovas: TAKEDA: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead/Kite: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; ROCHE: Consultancy, Research Funding. Carpio: Regeneron, TAKEDA, Celgene, Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travels and accommodation. Bouabdallah: Abbvie: Honoraria; Sandoz: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel/Accommodations/Expenses; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel/Accommodations/Expenses; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel/Accommodations/Expenses. Cartron: Roche, Celgene-BMS: Consultancy; Danofi, Gilead, Novartis, Jansen, Roche, Celgene-BMS, Abbvie, Takeda: Honoraria. Kim: Celltrion: Research Funding; Dong-A Pharmaceutical: Research Funding; Kyowa Kirin: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; IGM Biosciences: Research Funding; Eisai: Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding. Cordoba: Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Research Funding; Kyowa-Kirin: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kite: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; ADCTherapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Koh: Pfizer: Consultancy; Jassen: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; GSK: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Alves: Janssen, Cilag, Gilead, Takeda, Astrazeneca, Roche, Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Chamuleau: Gilead: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Lopez-Guillermo: Roche, Gilead/Kite, Celgene, Novartis, Janssen, AbbVie, Spectrum: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Van Der Poel: Roche, Janssen, Abbvie: Honoraria. Abbadessa: Sanofi: Current Employment. Meng: Sanofi: Current Employment. Ji: Sanofi: Current Employment. Lepine: Sanofi: Other: Contractual relationship. Saleem: Sanofi: Current Employment. Ribrag: PharmaMar: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Research Funding; Epizyme: Honoraria, Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MSD Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Argen-X: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Nanostring: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. OffLabel Disclosure: Based on the Phase III ICARIA-MM study, isatuximab (Sarclisa) is approved in a number of countries in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor. Based on the Phase III IKEMA study, isatuximab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone is approved in the United States for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy, and in the European Union for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. Cemiplimab (Libtayo) is an anti-PD-1 antibody approved for the treatment of the following: 1) patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation; 2) patients with locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma previously treated with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor or for whom a hedgehog pathway inhibitor is not appropriate; and 3) patients with NSCLC and high tumor PD-L1 expression as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 aberrations, and is locally advanced where patients are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation or metastatic.

PURPOSE Proteasome inhibitors are effective in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) but require parenteral administration and are associated with polyneuropathy. We investigated efficacy and toxicity of the less neurotoxic oral proteasome inhibitor ixazomib combined with rituximab, in patients with relapsed WM. METHODS We conducted a multicenter phase I/II trial with ixazomib, rituximab, and dexamethasone (IRD). Induction consisted of eight cycles IRD wherein rituximab was started in cycle 3, followed by rituximab maintenance. Phase I showed feasibility of 4 mg ixazomib. Primary end point for phase II was overall response rate (ORR [≥ minimal response]) after induction. RESULTS A total of 59 patients were enrolled (median age, 69 years; range, 46-91 years). Median number of prior treatments was 2 (range, 1-7); 70% had an intermediate or high WM-IPSS (International Prognostic Scoring System for WM) score. After eight cycles, ORR was 71% (42 out of 59) (14% very good partial response [PR], 37% PR, and 20% minor response). Depth of response improved until month 12 (best ORR 85% [50 out of 59]: 15% very good PR, 46% PR, and 24% minor response). Median duration of response was 36 months. The average hematocrit level increased significantly (0.33-0.38 L/L) after induction ( P < .001). After two cycles of ixazomib and dexamethasone, immunoglobulin M levels decreased significantly (median 3,700-2,700 mg/dL, P < .0001). Median time to first response was 4 months. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were not reached. After median follow-up of 24 months (range, 7.4-54.3 months), progression-free survival and overall survival were 56% and 88%, respectively. Toxicity included mostly grade 2 or 3 cytopenias, grade 1 or 2 neurotoxicity, and grade 2 or 3 infections. No infusion-related reactions or immunoglobulin M flare occurred with use of subcutaneous rituximab. Quality of life improved significantly after induction. In total, 48 patients (81%) completed at least six cycles of IRD. CONCLUSION Combination of IRD shows promising efficacy with manageable toxicity in patients with relapsed or refractory WM.

Apoptosis induction by death receptor (DR)-specific agonistic antibodies is a potentially effective antitumor therapy. Nonetheless, to date, all conventional DR-targeting antibodies that induce apoptosis via FcγR-dependent DR clustering failed to show clinical efficacy. HexaBody-DR5/DR5 (GEN1029) has been developed to overcome full FcγR dependence. HexaBody-DR5/DR5 is a mixture of 2 noncompeting DR5-specific immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibodies, each with an E430G mutation in the Fc domain. This mutation enhances Fc-Fc interactions, resulting in antibody hexamerization, followed by FcγR-independent clustering of DR5 molecules. This unique combination of dual epitope targeting and increased IgG hexamerization resulted in potent preclinical antitumor activity in various solid cancers. In this study, we explored the preclinical activity of HexaBody-DR5/DR5 in multiple myeloma (MM), because MM cells are known to express DR5. In bone marrow samples from 48 MM patients, HexaBody-DR5/DR5 induced potent cytotoxicity of primary MM cells. Importantly, HexaBody-DR5/DR5 mediated the highest cytotoxic activity in samples from relapsed/refractory MM patients, including those who are refractory to daratumumab. This improved cytotoxic activity was observed only in patients who received their last anti-MM treatment

Purpose MYC gene rearrangements in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients are associated with poor prognosis. Our aim was to compare patterns of 2[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT) response in MYC + and MYC- DLBCL patients. Methods Interim PET/CT (I-PET) and end of treatment PET/CT (EoT-PET) scans of 81 MYC + and 129 MYC- DLBCL patients from 2 HOVON trials were reviewed using the Deauville 5-point scale (DS). DS1-3 was regarded as negative and DS4-5 as positive. Standardized uptake values (SUV) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were quantified at baseline, I-PET, and EoT-PET. Negative (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) were calculated using 2-year overall survival. Results MYC + DLBCL patients had significantly more positive EoT-PET scans than MYC- patients (32.5 vs 15.7%, p = 0.004). I-PET positivity rates were comparable (28.8 vs 23.8%). In MYC + patients 23.2% of the I-PET negative patients converted to positive at EoT-PET, vs only 2% for the MYC- patients (p = 0.002). Nine (34.6%) MYC + DLBCL showed initially uninvolved localizations at EoT-PET, compared to one (5.3%) MYC- patient. A total of 80.8% of EoT-PET positive MYC + patients showed both increased lesional SUV and MTV compared to I-PET. In MYC- patients, 31.6% showed increased SUV and 42.1% showed increased MTV. NPV of I-PET and EoT-PET was high for both MYC subgroups (81.8–94.1%). PPV was highest at EoT-PET for MYC + patients (61.5%). Conclusion MYC + DLBCL patients demonstrate aberrant PET response patterns compared to MYC- patients with more frequent progression during treatment after I-PET negative assessment and new lesions at sites that were not initially involved. Trial registration number and date of registration HOVON-84: EudraCT: 2006–005,174-42, retrospectively registered 01–08-2008. HOVON-130: EudraCT: 2014–002,654-39, registered 26–01-2015

It is unclear whether survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) continues to increase in an era where rituximab-containing chemotherapy reigns for almost two decades. Therefore, we evaluated trends in primary therapy and relative survival (RS) among Dutch DLBCL patients diagnosed between 1989 and 2018. Analyses were performed separately according to the stage I (N = 6952) and stage II-IV disease (N = 20,676), stratified by calendar period and age (18-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years). The use of chemotherapy ± radiotherapy increased over time across all age and stage groups. As of the mid-2000s,95% of chemotherapy-treated patients received chemoimmunotherapy, irrespective of age and stage. Overall, RS increased significantly over time across all age groups, especially after 2003 when rituximab-containing chemotherapy had become the standard of care. However, RS increased less pronounced between 2003-2010 and 2011-2018 than between 1989-2002 and 2003-2010. These findings were congruent across all studied stage groups. Five-year RS across the three age groups during 2011-2018 was 96%, 84%, and 67% for stage I DLBCL and 75%, 60%, and 46% for stage II-IV DLBCL. Collectively, survival in DLBCL increased modestly beyond the initial introduction of rituximab, with apparent survival differences across age and stage that warrant novel treatment approaches.

Randomized controlled trials have studied different dose-intensity and dose-interval regimens of R-CHOP for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This study was undertaken to confirm these results in a population-based setting, with special emphasis on the value of 6xR-CHOP21 among patients aged 18–64 years. Two thousand three hundred and thirty-eight stage II–IV DLBCL patients, ≥18 years, we confirmed the similar efficacy of six versus eight cycles of R-CHOP and of R-CHOP21 versus R-CHOP14 regimens across all age groups on overall survival (median follow-up 36.4 (1.3–167.6) months). Nevertheless, overall survival decreased with older age. Interestingly, in patients 18–64 years, the adjusted risk of mortality among recipients of 6xR-CHOP21 compared to other R-CHOP regimens seems to be similar (HR 0.62; 95%CI: 0.38–1.02; p= .059). Although this finding might suggest that 6xR-CHOP21 could be considered as first-line regimen for all stage II–IV DLBCL patients, it should be confirmed in forthcoming population-based studies with larger patient numbers and longitudinal follow-up.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Tetraspanin CD37 has recently received renewed interest as a therapeutic target for B-cell malignancies. Although complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) is a powerful Fc-mediated effector function for killing hematological cancer cells, CD37-specific antibodies are generally poor inducers of CDC. To enhance CDC, the E430G mutation was introduced into humanized CD37 monoclonal IgG1 antibodies to drive more efficient IgG hexamer formation through intermolecular Fc-Fc interactions after cell surface antigen binding. DuoHexaBody-CD37, a bispecific CD37 antibody with the E430G hexamerization-enhancing mutation targeting two non-overlapping epitopes on CD37 (biparatopic), demonstrated potent and superior CDC activity compared to other CD37 antibody variants evaluated, in particular ex vivo in patient-derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. The superior CDC potency was attributed to enhanced IgG hexamerization mediated by the E430G mutation in combination with dual epitope targeting. The mechanism of action of DuoHexaBody-CD37 was shown to be multifaceted, as it was additionally capable of inducing efficient antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis in vitro. Finally, potent anti-tumor activity in vivo was observed in cell line- and patient-derived xenograft models from different B-cell malignancy subtypes. These encouraging preclinical results suggest that DuoHexaBody-CD37 (GEN3009) may serve as a potential therapeutic antibody for the treatment of human B-cell malignancies.

Introduction Patients with high grade B cell lymphoma that harbor a MYC rearrangement with concomitant BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (double hit and triple hit (HGBL-DH/TH)) face a poor prognosis upon standard treatment with R-CHOP [Rosenwald, JCO 2019]. DA-EPOCH-R might yield higher complete metabolic remission (CMR) rates and longer disease free survival (DFS) as compared to R-CHOP, but improvement of overall survival (OS) has not been demonstrated [Dunleavy, Lancet Haematol 2018]. Tumors with MYC overexpression may be susceptible for immune checkpoint inhibition (CI) [Casey, Science 2016], providing a rationale for CI after reaching CMR to improve tumor immune surveillance for minimal residual disease (MRD) positive disease. Here, we present data of the planned interim analysis of 33/97 patients included in the HOVON-152 trial (NCT03620578). Methods HOVON-152 is a prospective, multi-center, single arm phase II trial. Inclusion criteria are newly diagnosed HGBL-DH/TH; age ≥ 18 year; WHO performance status 0-3; Ann Arbor stage II-IV. During the screening period for rearrangements patients receive 1 cycle of R-CHOP followed by 5 cycles of DA-EPOCH-R induction treatment. All patients receive intrathecal prophylaxis. All diagnostic lymphoma samples are centrally reviewed. PET-CT scans are performed at diagnosis, midterm and end-of-induction. Patients in CMR after induction treatment (Deauville 1-3 or a negative lymphoma biopsy in case of Deauville 4) proceed with Nivolumab consolidation (480 mg iv every 4 weeks) for one year. The primary objective is to improve 12 months DFS with Nivolumab consolidation from 70% to 85% in patients in CMR after induction treatment. Secondary objectives include evaluation of CMR rates, OS and safety. Exploratory side studies investigate blood-based biomarkers for response prediction by immune profiling using multicolor flow cytometry after 1 cycle of R-CHOP and molecular circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analyses using ClonoSEQ (Adaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle) after 1 cycle of R-CHOP and at midterm. Results From August 2018 to June 2021, 69 of planned 97 patients have been enrolled. Baseline characteristics of the first 33 patients included in the interim analysis are shown in Table 1. Dose adjustments of EPOCH (according to protocol) resulted in 48% of patients receiving dose level ≤1 and 52% dose level ≥ 2 at the last cycle. After induction, 20/33 patients (61%; 95% CI 42%-77%) reached CMR. 11/33 patients (33%) did not reach CMR and 2/33 (6%) patients went off protocol (due to progression). During DA-EPOCH-R, one patient (3%) experienced grade 5 AE (sepsis), 9 patients (27%) experienced a grade 4 AE, and 9 (27%) patients grade 3. Neurotoxicity led to dose adjustments or discontinuation of vincristine in 52% of the patients. In an amendment the vincristine dose was capped at 2 mg/cycle. Twenty patients received 6 cycles of Nivolumab consolidation. One patient had a grade 4 AE (neutropenia); 2 patients had a grade 3 AE (one lung infection and one colitis (reason for going off protocol)). The Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended to continue the trial. Exploratory biomarker analyses show that patients achieving CMR after DA-EPOCH-R (data available for 19/20 patients) have higher percentages of T cells (p=0.04) after 1 cycle of R-CHOP than patients that do not achieve CMR (data available for 12/13 patients). ctDNA analysis was possible in 16/28 patients (in 12/28 patients no clone could be detected for monitoring). 10/16 patients achieved CMR, of which 9/10 were negative for minimal residual disease (MRD) at midterm. The patient that was MRD positive at midterm relapsed shortly after CMR. 4/5 patients that did not achieve CMR were MRD positive at midterm. Conclusions Interim analysis of the HOVON-152 trial demonstrates that 61% (95% CI 42%-77%) of the patients with HGBL-DH/TH achieve CMR after induction with DA-EPOCH-R. Toxicity of DA-EPOCH-R consists mainly of neurotoxicity leading to a protocol amendment (dose cap of vincristine). Nivolumab consolidation is safe with only one patient going off protocol due to colitis. Biomarkers for CMR after induction with DA-EPOCH-R point out to ctDNA-based MRD negativity at midterm and to higher T percentages after 1 cycle of R-CHOP, supporting the hypothesis of contributive immune surveillance for response in patients with HGBL-DH/TH. The trial is ongoing. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Nijland: Roche: Research Funding; Nordic Nanovector: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Van Der Poel: Roche, Janssen, Abbvie: Honoraria. Klerk: Van Lanschot Kempen: Other: I have an investment porfolio which is managed by Van Lanschot Kempen as a portfolio manager (vermogensbeheerder). Van Lanschot Kempen invests on my behalf, and takes investment decisions on a discretionary basis. I am not involved in the investment decis. Pegtel: Exbiome BV: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Takeda: Other: Travel compensation. Mutis: Novartis: Research Funding; ONK Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding. Zijlstra: Takeda: Research Funding. Kersten: BMS/Celgene: Consultancy; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Milteny Biotech: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy. Chamuleau: Gilead: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Nivolumab as immune checkpoint inhibitor (inhibiting PD-1) in consolidation phase for the treatment of DH/TH-HGBL patients.

Introduction Genetic abnormalities, such as MYC oncogene rearrangements, contribute to the outcome heterogeneity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. These rearrangements occur in 10-15% of DLBCL patients and have been associated with a poor prognosis. Recently, radiomics features extracted from PET/CT scans have shown to be predictive of outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate if the ability to predict outcome in DLBCL can be improved by combining different clinical, radiomics and genetic features. Methods 323 DLBCL patients from the HOVON-84, HOVON-130, and PETAL trials with a baseline PET/CT scan and a minimum follow-up of two years were included. MYC status was assessed using Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). 245 patients were MYC negative, whereas 25 patients had a MYC rearrangement and 57 patients had MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements. Lesions were delineated using a semi-automated preselection of 18F-FDG avid structures defined by a SUV4.0 threshold using the ACCURATE tool. Next, 5 conventional PET features (maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max), SUV peak, SUV mean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis and 18 dissemination features were extracted. Dissemination features were pertaining to distance between lesions, differences in uptake between lesions and differences in volume between lesions. Logistic regression with backward feature selection was used to predict 2-year time to progression, defined as time from baseline PET/CT to progression. We tested the predictive value of 4 models. 1) a clinical model using individual components of the international prognostic index (IPI): Ann Arbor stage (categorical), WHO performance status (categorical), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (dichotomous) and age (continuous), 2) a model that included clinical and genetic predictors: MYC status (categorical) and IPI components, 3) a model that included radiomics features: 5 conventional PET and 18 dissemination features and 4) a model that combined clinical and genetic predictors with radiomics features. Model performance was assessed using repeated cross-validation (5-fold, 1000 repeats) yielding the cross-validated area under the curve of the receiver-operator-characteristics curve (CV-AUC). To match prevalence of MYC-positive patients with real-world prevalence (Rosenwald et al, JCO 2019) all 245 MYC-negative patients were used for each repeat, and 10 MYC-FISH_positive DLBCL patients and 20 patients with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements were selected using random stratified sampling. Regression coefficients were averaged over all folds to calculate the probability of progression for all patients. High- and low-risk groups were defined based on prevalence of events and the diagnostic performance was assessed using positive- and negative predictive values. Results The highest model performance for the clinical model was observed when combining Ann Arbor stage, LDH and extranodal involvement and yielded in a CV-AUC of 0.69 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52-0.83). MYC status combined with WHO performance status, LDH and extranodal involvement yielded an improved CV-AUC of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.52-0.86). The highest model performance for the radiomics model was observed for MTV combined with the maximum distance between the largest lesion and any other lesions (Dmax bulk), the maximum difference in SUV peak between two lesions (DSUVpeak patient) and the maximum difference in volume between two lesions (DVol patient) yielding a CV-AUC of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.62-0.90). The optimal combined model included MYC status, WHO performance status, LDH, MTV, Dmax patient, DSUVpeak patient and DVol patient after backward feature selection and yielded a CV-AUC of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60 - 0.90). The positive predictive value was highest for the combined model (53.0%) and increased by 20% compared to the optimal clinical model (33.1%). Negative predictive values were comparable between models and ranged between 85.8-88.1%. Conclusions Prediction models using 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features at baseline aids in identifying DLBCL patients at high risk for relapse. The positive predictive value increased when radiomics features were added to the clinical and genetic parameters. Therefore, radiomics features can increase the efficiency of clinical trials by only selecting poor prognosis patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Chamuleau: Gilead: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Lugtenburg: Incyte: Honoraria; Regeneron: Honoraria; Genmab: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Non-financial support; Travel support; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding. Dührsen: CPT Cellex Patient Treatment: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hüttmann: Celgene: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Lead Discovery Center GmbH: Consultancy; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Richter: HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.: Current Employment, Research Funding. Klapper: Regeneron: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding. Zijlstra: Takeda: Research Funding.

In the past decade, patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) therapy. Standard treatment is now changing as a result of deeper understanding of underlying biologic differences of such lymphomas. One of the most powerful predictors of an adverse outcome on R-CHOP therapy is the presence of a MYC gene rearrangement (MYC+ lymphoma). Determination of MYC gene rearrangement by FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridisation) has recently become a standard diagnostic procedure. In this paper, an overview of current literature on MYC function and MYC+ lymphoma patient outcome is presented. Furthermore, we present 26 patients from our tertiary referral centre who were diagnosed with MYC+ lymphoma between 2009 and 2014. In our patient series, we confirm the dismal prognosis of MYC+ lymphoma patients. Intensification of classical chemotherapy does not lead to better overall survival, justifying new treatment modalities. First line therapy should be more specifically targeted against MYC and the genes and proteins that are deregulated by MYC. To this end, the first clinical trial in which MYC+ patients will be offered targeted treatment has recently been launched.

The clinical efficacy of the CD20-specific chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab is significantly hampered by intrinsic or acquired resistance to therapy. Rituximab activates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity/complement-dependent cytotoxicity–dependent lysis but also induces apoptosis by cross-linking of its target antigen CD20. Recent reports indicate that this apoptotic activity of rituximab can be synergized by cotreatment with Fas agonists. Here, we report on a strategy designed to exploit and optimize the synergy between rituximab and Fas signaling by genetically fusing a rituximab-derived antibody fragment to soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). The resultant fusion protein, designated scFvRit:sFasL, potently induced CD20-restricted apoptosis in a panel of malignant B-cell lines (10 of 11) and primary patient-derived malignant B cells (two of two non–Hodgkin lymphoma and five of six B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia). ScFvRit:sFasL efficiently activated CD20 and Fas apoptotic signaling, resulting in a far superior proapoptotic activity compared with cotreatment with rituximab and Fas agonists. ScFvRit:sFasL lacked activity toward normal human B cells and also lacked systemic toxicity in nude mice with no elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels or liver caspase-3 activity. In conclusion, scFvRit:sFasL efficiently activates CD20 and Fas-apoptotic signaling and may be useful for the elimination of malignant B cells. [Cancer Res 2008;68(2):597–604]

Only a small number of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma take part in clinical trials, and elderly patients in particular are under-represented. Therefore, we studied data of the population-based nationwide Netherlands Cancer Registry to determine trends in incidence, treatment and survival in an unselected patient population. We included all patients aged 15 years and older with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or Burkitt lymphoma in the period 1989-2010 and mantle cell lymphoma in the period 2001-2010, with follow up until February 2013. We examined incidence, first-line treatment and survival. We calculated annual percentage of change in incidence and carried out relative survival analyses. Incidence remained stable for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=23,527), while for mantle cell lymphoma (n=1,634) and Burkitt lymphoma (n=724) incidence increased for men and remained stable for women. No increase in survival for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma was observed during the period 1989-1993 and the period 1994-1998 [5-year relative survival 42% (95% CI: 39%-45%) and 41% (38%-44%), respectively], but increased to 46% (43%-48%) in the period 1999-2004 and to 58% (56%-61%) in the period 2005-2010. The increase in survival was most prominent in patients under 65 years of age, while there was a smaller increase in patients over 75 years of age. However, when untreated patients were excluded, patients over 75 years of age had a similar increase in survival to younger patients. In the Netherlands, survival for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma increased over time, particularly in younger patients, but also in elderly patients when treatment had been initiated. The improvement in survival coincided with the introduction of rituximab therapy and stem cell transplantation into clinical practice.

The strongest prognostic factor in chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the mutational status of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) genes. Determination of this mutational status is laborious and therefore not applied in routine diagnostics. A search for 'surrogate markers' has been conducted over the past few years. One of the most promising surrogate markers is ZAP70, but standardisation of the measurement of ZAP70 has proven to be difficult. Conventionally, ZAP70 expression in CLL cells is related to ZAP70 expression in T cells. We propose a new method in which ZAP70 expression in NK cells is used as reference (new NK-MFI method). We have measured ZAP70 expression in samples of 45 previously untreated CLL patients. ZAP70 in CLL cells related to ZAP70 in NK cells correlated better to cytogenetic risk profile and mutational status than the conventional methods. Negativity of both ZAP70 (new NK-MFI method) and CD38 resulted in a probability of 90% for mutated IGHV genes. In conclusion, ZAP70 expression in CLL cells related to ZAP70 expression in NK cells is a better surrogate marker for mutational status than the conventional T cell related methods. © 2013 Clinical Cytometry Society.

Summary In human B cells, effective major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-antigen presentation depends not only on MHC class II, but also on the invariant chain (CD74 or Ii), HLA-DM (DM) and HLA-DO (DO), the chaperones regulating the antigen loading process of MHC class II molecules. We analysed immediate ex vivo expression of HLA-DR (DR), CD74, DM and DO in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction demonstrated a highly significant upregulation of DRA, CD74, DMB, DOA and DOB mRNA in purified malignant cells compared to B cells from healthy donors. The increased mRNA levels were not translated into enhanced protein levels but could reflect aberrant transcriptional regulation. Indeed, upregulation of DRA, DMB, DOA and DOB mRNA correlated with enhanced expression of class II transactivator (CIITA). In-depth analysis of the various CIITA transcripts demonstrated a significant increased activity of the interferon-gamma-inducible promoter CIITA-PIV in B-CLL. Comparison of the aberrant mRNA levels with clinical outcome identified DOA mRNA as a prognostic indicator for survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that the prognostic value of DOA mRNA was independent of the mutational status of the IGHV genes. Thus, aberrant transcription of DOA forms a novel and additional prognostic indicator for survival in B-CLL

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase degrades the amino acid tryptophan which is essential for T cells. Tryptophan depletion causes T-cell cycle arrest and solid tumors that express high levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase can create immune suppression. Recently, blasts of patients with acute myeloid leukemia were shown to express indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. We determined INDO (encoding gene for indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase) mRNA expression in leukemic blasts of 286 patients with acute myeloid leukemia by gene-expression profiling. Results were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis in blasts of an independent cohort of 71 patients. High INDO expression was correlated to significantly shortened overall and relapse-free survival. Correlation of INDO expression to relevant known prognostic factors and survival identified high INDO expression as a strong negative independent predicting variable for overall and relapse-free survival. Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expressed by myeloid leukemic blasts may result in breaking immune tolerance and offers new therapeutic options for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

MHC class II molecules presenting MHC class II restricted antigens play an important role in the activation of CD4+ T cells, which are the central orchestrating cells of an immune response. This review focuses on the particular role of MHC class II molecules in tumour immunology. The MHC class II antigen presentation pathway and the expression of MHC class II molecules on tumour cells related to clinical outcome is discussed. Improving the MHC class II tumour antigen presentation pathway, for instance by downregulation of the invariant chain or modulation of HLA-DO expression, offers many opportunities for developing new modalities of immunotherapy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) degrades the amino acid tryptophan which is essential for T cells. Tryptophan depletion causes T cell cycle arrest and solid tumors that express high levels of IDO can create immune suppression. Recently, blasts of acute myeloid leukemic (AML) patients were shown to express the IDO protein. We now determined INDO (the encoding gene for IDO) mRNA expression in myeloid leukemic blasts of 285 AML patients by gene expression profiling. Results were validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis in blasts of an independent cohort of 71 patients. Correlation of INDO expression to relevant known prognostic factors and survival identified high INDO expression as a strong negative independent predicting variable for overall and relapse free survival of AML patients. Inhibition of IDO may result in breaking tumor induced immune tolerance and offers new therapeutic options for AML patients. Figure Figure

MHC class II molecules are able to present tumor antigens to CD4+ T cells which play in their turn an important role in orchestrating the anti-tumor immune response. MHC class II molecules are only able to present antigen when the antigen binding site has been liberated from CLIP, which is a remnant of the intracellular chaperone molecule called Invariant Chain. Impaired MHC class II antigen presentation by persistent expression of CLIP on the antigen binding site of > 35% of the leukemic myeloid cells at diagnosis of AML patients is correlated to shorter overall survival (Chamuleau et al, Cancer Res.2004; 64:5546–5550). In this study, we investigated the CLIP expression on minimal residual disease (MRD) cells in the bone marrow of patients who achieved complete remission after chemotherapeutic treatment. Such expression may reveal the role of immune control in the outgrowth of MRD cells towards a relapse. The presence of MRD was measured by leukemia associated phenotype (LAP) expression (e.g. expression of the lymphoid cell marker CD7 or natural killer cell marker CD56 on myeloid blasts). Such aberrancies can be defined on AML blasts at diagnosis. At first, we established the percentage of MRD cells of 19 patients who remained in continuous complete remission (median follow up 44 months, range 7.4–109 months, sample taken at median 21 months after complete remission) and of 15 patients who relapsed soon after samples were taken (median time before relapse occurred: 5.9 months, range 1.4–20 months). The median frequency of MRD cells in relapsing patients was 0.1% (range 0.01 – 3.1%) compared to 0.02% (range 0.01–0.09%) in patients who remained in continuous remission. Differences were significant (p=0.017, Mann-Whitney U), in line with our previous finding that a high MRD cell frequency correlates with a high relapse rate (N. Feller et al, Leukemia2004, 18:1380–1390). Furthermore, we established the CLIP expression on the CD34+ LAP+ cells of both groups. Patients that relapsed showed a significant higher median CLIP expression (69%, range 6–96%, SD 27) than the patients that remained in continuous complete remission (median CLIP expression of 31.6% (range 5–93%, SD 26)) p=0.012 (Mann-Whitney U). In a logistic regression analysis both parameters were independent factors for predicting relapse (p=0.014 for CLIP expression and p=0.035 for MRD frequency). In conclusion, the impaired immunogenicity of low frequency MRD cells in patients that are morphologically in complete remission seems to play an important role in the outgrowth of MRD to relapsing leukemia. Enhancing the immunogenicity of MRD cells by restoration of the MHC class II antigen presentation pathway could offer new possibilities for immune therapy of AML patients.