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What is this summary about? This is a summary of a clinical trial called MAIA. The trial tested 2 combinations of cancer drugs (daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone) in people with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. None of the participants who took part in the study had been treated before or were eligible to receive stem-cell transplants. How was the study in this summary conducted? A total of 737 participants took part. Half of the participants took daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone, while the other half of the participants took only lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Once participants started taking the drugs, the cancer was monitored for improvement (response to treatment), worsening (disease progression), or no change. Participants' blood and urine were tested for myeloma protein to measure response to the treatment. Participants were also monitored for side effects. What were the results of the study? After approximately 56 months of follow-up, more participants who took daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone were alive and had decreased myeloma protein levels (indicating improvement of cancer) than participants who took only lenalidomide and dexamethasone. The most common side effects were abnormally low white and red blood cell counts and increased lung infections. What do the results of the study mean? In the MAIA study, participants with multiple myeloma who took daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone lived longer and had decreased myeloma protein levels than participants who took only lenalidomide and dexamethasone, indicating survival could be more likely with daratumumab added. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02252172 (Phase 3 MAIA study)

PDF file, 17K, Reovirus sensitivity and genetic lesions detected in multiple myeloma and MGUS patient tumor.

PDF file, 21K, Reovirus sensitivity and prevalnet genetic lesions of myeloma cell lines used in the current study.

B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) target loss is considered to be a rare event that mediates multiple myeloma (MM) resistance to anti-BCMA chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) or bispecific T cell engager (TCE) therapies. Emerging data report that downregulation of G protein coupled receptor family C group 5 member D (GPRC5D) protein often occurs at relapse after anti-GPRC5D CAR T. To examine the tumor intrinsic factors that promote MM antigen escape, we performed combined bulk and single cell whole genome sequencing/ copy number variation analysis of 25 patients treated with anti-BCMA and/ or -GPRC5D CAR T/ TCE. In two cases, MM relapse post TCE/CAR T was driven by BCMA negative clones harboring focal biallelic deletions at the TNFRSF17 locus at relapse or by selective expansion of pre-existing subclones with biallelic TNFRSF17 loss. In another three cases of MM relapse, we identified non-truncating missense mutations or in-frame deletions in the extracellular domain of BCMA which negates the efficacies of anti-BCMA TCEs, despite detectable surface BCMA protein expression. With respect to GPRC5D, we report the first four cases of MM relapse with biallelic mutations of GPRC5D following anti-GPRC5D TCE, including two cases with convergent evolution where multiple subclones lost GPRC5D through different somatic events. Our data support that immunoselection of BCMA or GPRC5D negative or mutant clones post CAR T/ TCE therapies may be more prevalent than currently perceived. The engineering and selection of immunotherapies in MM should account for target antigen structural and extracellular domain mutations.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) and associated COVID-19 infection continue to impact patients globally. Patients with underlying health conditions are at heightened risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19; however, research involving patients with rare health conditions remains scarce. The amyloidoses are a rare grouping of protein deposition diseases. Light-chain and transthyretin amyloidosis are the most common disease forms, often present with systemic involvement of vital organs including the heart, nerves, kidneys, and GI tracts of affected individuals. The Amyloidosis Program of Calgary examined 152 ATTR patients and 103 AL patients analyzing rates of vaccination, COVID-19 testing, infection outcomes, influence referrals, and excess deaths. Results showed 15 total PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infections in the tested population of amyloid patients, with a higher frequency of infections among patient with AL compared to the ATTR cohort (26.2% vs 5.1%). Four patients (26.6%) required hospital admission for COVID-19 infection, 2 ATTR, and 2 AL patients. Of the confirmed cases, 1 (0.07%) unvaccinated ATTR patient died of a COVID-19 infection. An excess of deaths was found in both the ATTR and AL cohorts when comparing pre-pandemic years 2018 and 2019 to the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. The finding suggests that amyloidosis patients are likely at a high risk for severe COVID-19 infection and mortality, especially those of advanced age, those on an active treatment with chemotherapy, and those with concomitant B-cell or plasma cell disorder. The impact of virtual healthcare visits and pandemic measures on the excess of deaths observed requires further research.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapy is highly effective against hematological cancers but is associated with immune mediated side effects, including neurotoxicity. The most commonly described presentations of immune cell mediated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) include cortical symptoms and generally localize to the central nervous system. In this report, we present a patient with acute onset of bilateral facial nerve palsy following CAR-T cell therapy, followed by a complete clinical recovery. Aside from a temporary anisocoria, he had no other neurologic symptoms and no encephalopathy or seizures. MRI Brain was non-contributory and cerebrospinal fluid revealed a modest increase in lymphocytes without systemic leukocytosis and viral studies were all negative. He was diagnosed with bilateral facial nerve palsy secondary to CAR-T cell therapy and subsequently treated with a course of steroids. Several weeks after presentation he returned to his neurological baseline. The presentation of CAR-T cell mediated facial nerve palsy is both clinically and scientifically relevant for physicians, patients, and researchers.

BACKGROUND Teclistamab is a T-cell-redirecting bispecific antibody that targets both CD3 expressed on the surface of T cells and B-cell maturation antigen expressed on the surface of myeloma cells. In the phase 1 dose-defining portion of the study, teclistamab showed promising efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. METHODS In this phase 1-2 study, we enrolled patients who had relapsed or refractory myeloma after at least three therapy lines, including triple-class exposure to an immunomodulatory drug, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody. Patients received a weekly subcutaneous injection of teclistamab (at a dose of 1.5 mg per kilogram of body weight) after receiving step-up doses of 0.06 mg and 0.3 mg per kilogram. The primary end point was the overall response (partial response or better). RESULTS Among 165 patients who received teclistamab, 77.6% had triple-class refractory disease (median, five previous therapy lines). With a median follow-up of 14.1 months, the overall response rate was 63.0%, with 65 patients (39.4%) having a complete response or better. A total of 44 patients (26.7%) were found to have no minimal residual disease (MRD); the MRD-negativity rate among the patients with a complete response or better was 46%. The median duration of response was 18.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.9 to not estimable). The median duration of progression-free survival was 11.3 months (95% CI, 8.8 to 17.1). Common adverse events included cytokine release syndrome (in 72.1% of the patients; grade 3, 0.6%; no grade 4), neutropenia (in 70.9%; grade 3 or 4, 64.2%), anemia (in 52.1%; grade 3 or 4, 37.0%), and thrombocytopenia (in 40.0%; grade 3 or 4, 21.2%). Infections were frequent (in 76.4%; grade 3 or 4, 44.8%). Neurotoxic events occurred in 24 patients (14.5%), including immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome in 5 patients (3.0%; all grade 1 or 2). CONCLUSIONS Teclistamab resulted in a high rate of deep and durable response in patients with triple-class-exposed relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Cytopenias and infections were common; toxic effects that were consistent with T-cell redirection were mostly grade 1 or 2.

The fifth annual Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network Myeloma Intergroup Workshop on Immune Profiling and Minimal Residual Disease Testing in Multiple Myeloma was conducted as one of the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting Scientific Workshops on Thursday December 3, 2020. This workshop focused on four main topics: (1) integrating minimal residual disease into clinical trial design and practice; (2) the molecular and immunobiology of disease evolution and progression in myeloma; (3) adaptation of next-generation sequencing, next-generation flow cytometry, and cytometry by time of flight techniques; and (4) chimeric antigen receptor T-cell and other cellular therapies for myeloma. In this report, we provide a summary of the workshop presentations and discuss future directions in the field.

Introduction As lenalidomide (Len) has become an integral part of therapy for newly diagnosed MM patients, most will have been either exposed or refractory to Len at the time of first or second relapse. The monoclonal antibody, Daratumumab, in combination with the more potent IMID pomalidomide (Pom) demonstrates good responses in patients previously exposed to lenalidomide. Low dose weekly cyclophosphamide has been shown to enhance the potency of pomalidomide in association with dexamethasone. In this clinical trial, we set out to compare the combination of daratumumab, weekly low dose cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone and pomalidomide (DCdP) to daratumumab, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (DCd) with pomalidomide added only at disease progression. Although we expected that a four-drug regiment would give superior clinical results, we hypothesized that a significant number of patients would not necessarily need all four drugs but could benefit from the addition of pomalidomide at treatment failure. Patients/Methods In this phase II clinical trial 120 patients with relapsed refractory myeloma, after at least one line of therapy, were randomized to receive either daratumumab (16mg/kg) weekly IV C1-2, every 2 weeks C3-6, monthly C7+, dexamethasone 40mg po weekly, cyclophosphamide 400mg po weekly and pomalidomide 4mg po days 1-21 of 28 day cycles (Arm A) or the same doses and dosing regimen of daratumumab, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone but with pomalidomide added only after confirmed disease progression (Arm B). All patients had to be exposed to proteasome inhibitors and len prior to study entry. The primary endpoint of this study is the comparison of the PFS of Arm A and the PFS of Arm B after the addition Pom (PFS2) at 36 months while secondary endpoints included overall responses, duration of responses, survival and safety. Correlative laboratory studies are also planned. Results As of 1 April 2019 all 120 patients have been enrolled in 11 sites across Canada. The patient characteristics were: median age 65 (range 39-82); median 2 prior lines of therapy (range 1-8); 70% had a previous ASCT; 95% lenalidomide exposed; 93% proteasome inhibitor exposed; 90% lenalidomide and PI exposed; 25% carfilzomib exposed, len was the last line of therapy in 65%. Median follow-up was 8.2 months (range 1-15.6), median number of cycles 8 (range 1-17). The overall response rates (ORR) were 88.5% for arm A compared with 50.8% for arm B, with 57.4% and 25.4% of patients achieving ≥VGPR in arm A and B respectively. Among the 20 patients in Arm B that had progressed by data cutoff, the ORR after adding pomalidomide was 40% albeit with the short follow up time of 3.4 months. Although the median PFS of Arm A has not yet been reached, it was 10.9 mo. in Arm B prior to the addition of pom and 14.3 mo. from trial entry in the smaller group in whom pom was added after first progression (PFS2). In Arm A the 9- month PFS was 83%. Rates of grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities included a high incidence of neutropenia, 74% in Arm A and 30% in Arm B; however the rates of febrile neutropenia were low at 8.2% and 6.8% respectively. Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia were 4.9% and 13.6%, respectively. The most common non-hematologic toxicity was pneumonia in 18% and 16.9% in arms A and B, respectively. Conclusions The results of this randomized phase II trial demonstrate that in a moderately pretreated MM population (median 2 lines of therapy but range 1-8) that the four-drug combination (DCdP) confers impressive response rates (ORR 88.5%) and a 9-month PFS of 83%. Although the three-drug combination (DCd) showed an inferior response rate of 50%, this is superior to Daratumumab used as a single agent in a similar patient population and so far at least 40% of patients who have progressed appear salvageable showing responses upon addition of Pom. Moreover, the addition of low dose cyclophosphamide, an alkylator with recognized immune properties, appears to enhance ORR and produce a durable PFS even when compared to Dara-pom-dex combinations used after two lines of therapy. Toxicities were principally hematologic and few resulted in treatment discontinuations. Disclosures Sebag: Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Bahlis:Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Venner:Celgene: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. McCurdy:Celgene: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Shustik:Takeda: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. White:Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria. Kotb:Karyopharm: Equity Ownership; Amgen: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Stakiw:Roche: Research Funding; Lundbeck: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Honoraria. Laferriere:Celgene: Honoraria; Taiho: Honoraria; Teva Pharm: Honoraria; ROCHE: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria. Camacho:Abbvie: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Baush-Health: Consultancy. Reece:Otsuka: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

Introduction: Daratumumab, a human IgGκ monoclonal antibody targeting CD38 with a direct on-tumor and immunomodulatory mechanism of action, is approved in combination with standard-of-care regimens for the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) and RRMM. When combined with standard of care regimens across four phase 3 studies, daratumumab demonstrated ≥44% reductions in the risk of progression or death, nearly doubled complete response (CR) or better rates, and tripled minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative rates at the 10-5 sensitivity threshold in pts with RRMM or NDMM (Palumbo A, et al. N Engl J Med 2016. 375[8]:754-766; Dimopoulos MA, et al. N Engl J Med 2016. 375[14]:1319-1331; Mateos MV, et al. N Engl J Med 2018. 378[6]:518-528; Facon T, et al. N Engl J Med 2019. 380[22]2104-2015). In the phase 3 POLLUX study (median follow-up 44.3 months), D-Rd reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 56% and significantly increased the overall response rate (ORR) versus Rd alone (93% vs 76%; P 4 years of median follow-up. Methods: Pts who received ≥1 prior line of therapy were randomized (1:1) to Rd (lenalidomide 25 mg PO on Days 1-21 of each 28-day cycle; dexamethasone 40 mg per week) ± daratumumab (16 mg/kg IV QW for Cycles 1-2, Q2W for Cycles 3-6, then Q4W until disease progression). Cytogenetic risk was determined by local fluorescence in situ hybridization or karyotyping; pts with high cytogenetic risk had t(4;14), t(14;16), and del17p abnormalities. PFS on subsequent line of therapy (PFS2), an exploratory endpoint, was defined as time from randomization to progression after next line of subsequent therapy or death. Results: A total of 569 pts were randomized (D-Rd, n = 286; Rd, n = 283). At a median follow-up of 51.3 months, D-Rd significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) versus Rd (median 45.8 vs 17.5 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.54; P The median duration of treatment was 34.3 months in the D-Rd arm versus 16.0 months in the Rd arm. The most common (≥10%) grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) observed with D-Rd versus Rd included neutropenia (56% vs 42%), anemia (18% vs 22%), thrombocytopenia (15% vs 16%), pneumonia (16% vs 10%), and diarrhea (10% vs 4%). Similar rates of discontinuations due to TEAEs were observed for D-Rd versus Rd (16% vs 15%). The incidence of invasive second primary malignancies was 4.9% and 5.7% for the D-Rd and Rd groups, respectively. Additional efficacy data, including minimal residual disease, and safety analyses will be presented at the meeting. Conclusion: After >4 years of median follow-up, D-Rd continues to demonstrate a significant PFS benefit and higher rates of deeper responses versus Rd alone in pts with RRMM. Although significant PFS benefit was observed with D-Rd in RRMM pts regardless of prior lines of therapy or cytogenetic risk status, the greatest benefit was observed when used in patients treated earlier with D-Rd. The significant improvement in PFS2 suggests a potential survival benefit, but OS data is still immature. No new safety concerns were identified with this additional follow-up. Disclosures Kaufman: Celgene: Consultancy; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University: Employment; Takeda: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy. Usmani:Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, Merck, SkylineDX, Takeda: Other: Consultant/Advisor; Amgen, Celgene, Janssen, Sanofi, Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Amgen Array Biopharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, Merck, Pharmacyclics, Sanofi, Takeda: Other: Research Grant. San-Miguel:Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. Bahlis:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria. White:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria. Cook:Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squib, GlycoMimetics, Seattle Genetics, Sanofi: Honoraria; Janssen, Takeda, Sanofi, Karyopharm, Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene, Janssen-Cilag, Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding. Ho:Novartis: Other: Trial Investigator meeting travel costs; La Jolla: Other: Trial Investigator meeting travel costs; Janssen: Other: Trial Investigator meeting travel costs; Celgene: Other: Trial Investigator meeting travel costs. Moreau:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria. Krevvata:Janssen: Employment. Pei:Janssen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Ukropec:Janssen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Renaud:Janssen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Trivedi:Janssen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kobos:Janssen: Employment. Dimopoulos:Sanofi Oncology: Research Funding.

MYC dysregulation, the most common genetic aberration in multiple myeloma, is frequently due to the translocation of super-enhancers to the MYC locus. Several drugs target proteins that are enriched at many of these enhancers including BRD4 (BET inhibitors, BETi) and Ikaros (IMiDs), although their mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here we present a characterization of the responses to these drugs in a collection of over sixty myeloma cell lines having a diversity of MYC rearrangements. We found that the anti-proliferative effects of these drugs significantly correlated with changes in MYC protein levels, consistent with both drugs targeting MYC expression. Despite this common target, there was no statistically significant correlation between the individual BETi and IMiD responses, suggesting that they act through different mechanisms. Of those lines having extremes of sensitivity or resistance, there were two major groups (BETiS/IMiDS and BETiS/IMiDR), a smaller group of four lines resistant to both drugs individually (BETiR/IMiDR) and only one line was BETiR/IMiDS. In the BETiR/IMiDR group, resistance to BETi was mediated by a BRD4-independent mechanism as BRD4 was efficiently released from the MYC-associated enhancers. In all three of BETiR/IMiDR cell lines that we examined, treatment with BETi and IMiD together abolished proliferation and down-regulated MYC, consistent with parallel BRD4- and Ikaros-dependent pathways driving MYC expression. These resistant lines all expressed high levels of the transcription factor ETV4 and knocking out its gene sensitized a line to each drug individually. Thus ETV4 appears to be necessary for the parallel pathways driving MYC expression. There were nine lines in the BETiS/IMiDR group. Sensitivity to BETi in these lines could be explained by either low ETV4 expression or by BETi repressing Ikaros levels (which was only observed in BETiS lines, suggesting that BRD4 drives IKZF1 expression in these lines). Thus, in ETV4-containing lines, BETi sensitivity is due to the simultaneously targeting of the BRD4- and Ikaros-dependent pathways. IMiD resistance likely was due to several reasons. In one cell line, OCIMY5, IMiD had little effect on Ikaros levels, likely due to the previously reported low levels of Cereblon. Seven of the eight remaining lines expressed high levels of either ETV4, or the other potential super-enhancer binding factors IRF4 or RUNX1. In the eight BETiS/IMiDS cell lines, IMiD strongly reduced both Ikaros and Aiolos protein levels, which likely caused IMiD sensitivity. As with the BETiS lines described above, the lines in this group either lacked ETV4 or BETi repressed Ikaros levels. In conclusion, by examining drug response in a collection of genetically annotated myeloma cell lines we have been able to identify factors that contribute the broad range of responses to BETi and IMiDs in myeloma cells. Citation Format: Daniel L. Riggs, Camille Herzog, Victoria M. Garbitt, Niamh Keane, Courtney J. Hillukka, Zachary J. Hammond, Julia E. Wiedmeier, Seth J. Welsh, Shulan Tian, Huihuang Yan, Ranjan Maity, Nizar Bahlis, Paola Neri, W Michael Kuehl, Marta Chesi, P Leif Bergsagel. IMiDs and BET inhibitors target distinct pathways of MYC dysregulation by super-enhancers in multiple myeloma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3015.

The amplified myeloma centrosome has been identified as a therapeutic target. The present study explored the expression and prognostic significance of the centrosome-associated protein PLK1 in myeloma and the effect of BI 2536, a potent and selective inhibitor of PLK1, on myeloma cells. High plasma cell expression of PLK1 protein in myeloma patient bone marrow biopsies is an independent adverse prognostic factor (HR=2.3, p=0.003 unadjusted; HR=1.9, p=0.03 in multivariable model). BI 2536 inhibits myeloma cell lines at nanomolar concentrations, and is therapeutic for xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. PLK1 inhibition is a potential new strategy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.