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The prognosis for children with recurrent and/or refractory neuroblastoma (NB) is dismal. The receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1), which is highly expressed on the surface of NB cells, provides a potential target for novel immunotherapeutics. Anti-ROR1 chimeric antigen receptor engineered ex vivo expanded peripheral blood natural killer (anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK) cells represent this approach. N-803 is an IL-15 superagonist with enhanced biological activity. In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells with or without N-803 against ROR1+ NB models. Compared to mock exPBNK cells, anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells had significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against ROR1+ NB cells, and N-803 further increased cytotoxicity. High-dimensional analysis revealed that N-803 enhanced Stat5 phosphorylation and Ki67 levels in both exPBNK and anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells with or without NB cells. In vivo, anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK plus N-803 significantly (p

Multimodal temporal therapy orchestrated to leverage immunotherapy, tumor-targeted chemotherapy, and natural killer (NK) cell therapy may provide an opportunity to induce immunogenic cell death for tumor response and increased survival in patients with recurrent cancer. The interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist N-803, an enhancer of NK cells, CD4 + T cells, cytotoxic CD8 + T cells, and memory T-cell activity, combined with off-the-shelf PD-L1-targeted high-affinity NK (PD-L1 t-haNK) cells represent novel immunotherapies designed to overcome an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted antibody-nanocell conjugate E-EDV-D682 provides tumor-targeted chemotherapy in the form of its anthracycline metabolite PNU159682 (nemorubicin) cargo and is currently being studied in combination with immunomodulatory EDVs delivering the adjuvant α-galactosyl ceramide (GC). Here, we report the compassionate use treatment of this combination in a patient with recurrent, metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) after 3 lines of therapy. Under the initial single-patient Investigational New Drug (spIND) protocol, the patient received N-803, PD-L1 t-haNK cells, and the albumin doxorubicin conjugate aldoxorubicin for ~27 months. The patient's disease became stable on this regimen, and a transient complete response was observed by ~14 months of therapy. Due to progression, a second spIND protocol was designed whereby the patient received E-EDV-D682 plus EDV-GC for more than 24 months, which resulted in stable disease and the patient's continued survival at the time this report was written. The patient's extended survival despite the dire prognosis associated with recurrent mPC points to the merits of this temporal combination regimen in overcoming immuno-chemo resistance with enhanced immune activity required for tumor response and extended survival., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

In spite of the advances in antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV infection, the presence of a latent reservoir of HIV-infected cells represents the largest barrier towards finding a cure. Among the different strategies being pursued to eliminate or reduce this latent reservoir, the γc-cytokine IL-15 or its superagonist N-803 are currently under clinical investigation, either alone or with other interventions. They have been shown to reactivate latent HIV and enhance immune effector function, both of which are potentially required for effective reduction of latent reservoirs. In here, we present a comprehensive literature review of the different in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies conducted to date that are aimed at targeting HIV reservoirs using IL-15 and N-803.

Background Natural killer (NK) cells are dysfunctional in chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as they are not able to clear virus. We hypothesized that an infusion of NK cells, supported by interleukin 2 (IL-2) or IL-15, could decrease virus-producing cells in the lymphatic tissues. Methods We conducted a phase 1 pilot study in 6 persons with HIV (PWH), where a single infusion of haploidentical related donor NK cells was given plus either IL-2 or N-803 (an IL-15 superagonist). Results The approach was well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events. We did not pretreat recipients with cyclophosphamide or fludarabine to "make immunologic space," reasoning that PWH on stable antiretroviral treatment remain T-cell depleted in lymphatic tissues. We found donor cells remained detectable in blood for up to 8 days (similar to what is seen in cancer pretreatment with lymphodepleting chemotherapy) and in the lymph nodes and rectum up to 28 days. There was a moderate decrease in the frequency of viral RNA-positive cells in lymph nodes. Conclusions There was a moderate decrease in HIV-producing cells in lymph nodes. Further studies are warranted to determine the impact of healthy NK cells on HIV reservoirs and if restoring NK-cell function could be part of an HIV cure strategy. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT03346499 and NCT03899480. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the phase 2/3 study QUILT-3.032 (NCT03022825), the ability of the IL-15RαFc superagonist N-803 (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept) plus bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to elicit durable complete responses in patients with BCG-unresponsive nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) was demonstrated. As a secondary end point, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed., Methods: Both cohort A patients with carcinoma in situ with or without Ta/T1 disease and cohort B patients with high-grade Ta/T1 papillary disease who received N-803 plus BCG therapy completed the EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) Core 30 and Quality of Life NMIBC-Specific 24 questionnaires at baseline and months 6, 12, 18, and 24 on study. Scores were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and multivariable analyses were performed to identify baseline variables associated with PROs., Results: On study, mean physical function (PF) and global health (GH) scores remained relatively stable from baseline for cohorts A (n = 86) and B (n = 78). At month 6, cohort A patients with a complete response reported higher PF scores than those without ( P = .0659); at month 12, > 3 as compared with ≤ 3 prior transurethral resections of bladder tumor was associated ( P = .0729) with lower GH scores. In cohort B, baseline disease type was associated ( P = .0738) with PF and race was significantly associated ( P = .0478) with GH at month 6. NMIBC-Specific 24 summary scores also remained stable on study for both cohorts., Conclusions: The overall stability of PROs scores, taken together with the efficacy findings, indicates a favorable risk-benefit ratio and quality of life following N-803 plus BCG.

What Is This Summary About?: This is a summary of two studies that looked at the safety and effectiveness of a potential new treatment, N-803 (Anktiva), in combination with a standard treatment bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for people with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) .One study was a Phase 1b study that tested increasing doses of N-803 in combination with the same dose of BCG in people with NMIBC who had never received BCG previously (BCG-naive). The other study is a Phase 2/3 study of N-803 and BCG in people with NMIBC whose cancer wasn't eliminated by BCG alone (BCGunresponsive)., What Happened in the Studies?: In the Phase 1b study, the nine participants were split into three groups of 3 participants who received a dose of 100, 200, or 400 μg N-803 along with a standard 50 mg dose of BCG. In the Phase 2/3 study, one group (cohort A) of participants with carcinoma in situ (CIS) disease and another group (cohort B) with papillary disease were treated with 400 μg N-803 plus 50 mg BCG. There was also a cohort C that received only 400 μg N-803. Treatments were delivered directly into the bladder once a week for 6 weeks in a row., What Were the Key Takeaways?: N-803 plus BCG eliminated NMIBC in all nine BCG-naive participants and the effects were long-lasting, with participants remaining NMIBC-free for a range of 8.3 to 9.2 years.As reported in 2022, cancer was eliminated in 58 of 82 (71%) participants with BCG-unresponsive CIS disease and the effect was also long-lasting. Importantly, approximately 90% of the successfully treated participants avoided surgical removal of the bladder. In cohort B participants with papillary disease, 40 of 72 (55.4%) were cancer-free 12 months after treatment. N-803 used alone was only effective in 2 of 10 participants. In both studies, the combination of N-803 and BCG was found to be associated with very few adverse events.Based on results from the Phase 2/3 study, the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved the use of N-803 plus BCG for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive bladder CIS with or without Ta/T1 papillary disease. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02138734 (Phase 1b study), NCT03022825 (Phase 2/3 study).

In spite of the advances in antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV infection, the presence of a latent reservoir of HIV-infected cells represents the largest barrier towards finding a cure. Among the different strategies being pursued to eliminate or reduce this latent reservoir, the γc-cytokine IL-15 or its superagonist N-803 are currently under clinical investigation, either alone or with other interventions. They have been shown to reactivate latent HIV and enhance immune effector function, both of which are potentially required for effective reduction of latent reservoirs. In here, we present a comprehensive literature review of the different in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies conducted to date that are aimed at targeting HIV reservoirs using IL-15 and N-803. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]