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Background: Bendamustine hydrochloride is a novel alkylating agent. In this multicenter study, the authors evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of single-agent bendamustine in patients with rituximab-refractory, indolent B-cell lymphoma.Methods: Eligible patients (N = 100, ages 31-84 years) received bendamustine at a dose of 120 mg/m(2) by intravenous infusion on Days 1 and 2 every 21 days for 6 to 8 cycles. Histologies included follicular (62%), small lymphocytic (21%), and marginal zone (16%) lymphomas. Patients had received a median of 2 previous regimens (range, 0-6 previous regimens), and 36%were refractory to their most recent chemotherapy regimen. Primary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DOR). Secondary endpoints were safety and progression-free survival (PFS).Results: An ORR of 75% (a 14% complete response rate, a 3% unconfirmed complete response rate, and a 58% partial response rate) was observed. The median DOR was 9.2 months, and median PFS was 9.3 months. Six deaths were considered to be possibly treatment related. Grade 3 or 4 (determined using National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria [version 3.0.19]. reversible hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (61%), thrombocytopenia (25%), and anemia (10%). The most frequent nonhematologic adverse events (any grade) included nausea (77%), infection (69%), fatigue (64%), diarrhea (42%), vomiting (40%), pyrexia (36%), constipation (31%), and anorexia (24%).Conclusions: Single-agent bendamustine produced a high rate of objective responses with acceptable toxicity in patients with recurrent, rituximab-refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Relapsed/refractory (R/R) indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) is generally considered incurable with current treatment options. Previous phase 1b/2 results showed combining magrolimab (anti-cluster-of-differentiation [CD] 47 antibody) with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (M+R) has antitumor activity against R/R iNHL. We report 3-year follow-up data from this phase 1b/2 study assessing long-term safety and efficacy of M+R in R/R iNHL. After magrolimab priming, 4 patient groups in phase 1b M+R received 10 to 45-mg/kg magrolimab doses with 375 mg/m2 rituximab. Phase 2 explored 30 and 45 mg/kg magrolimab. Primary end points were treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Exploratory analysis included circulating tumor DNA, biomarkers of magrolimab tumor penetration, and drug target expression assessments. Of 46 patients treated in phase 1b/2, 42 had follicular lymphoma and 4 had marginal zone lymphoma. All patients experienced ≥1 any-grade TEAE, and 44 reported ≥1 treatment-related TEAE. No additional toxicities were reported during long-term follow-up, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Median follow-up was 36.7 (range, 1.2-62.3) months. The ORR was 52.2%, with 30.4% achieving a complete response. The median DOR was 15.9 months, and median time-to-response was 1.8 months. Median PFS and OS were 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 4.8-13.0) months and not reached, respectively. These results demonstrate the long-term safety and efficacy of M+R in patients with iNHL and support further exploration of CD47-based treatment combinations. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02953509., (Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution.)

Mosunetuzumab and other CD20/CD3 bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have efficacy in B-cell lymphomas relapsing after or refractory to CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CAR-T). The optimal timing of BsAbs and biomarkers of BsAb response after CAR-T are unknown. We addressed these questions using clinical data and blood samples from patients previously treated with CAR-T treated on a phase I/II study of mosunetuzumab (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02500407). Thirty patients had paired samples at baseline and after 1 cycle of mosunetuzumab. Median time from CAR-T to mosunetuzumab was significantly longer for responding than for nonresponding patients (p=0.006, unadjusted for multiple comparisons). Most patients (20/30) did not receive intervening therapy between CAR-T administration and mosunetuzumab. The remainder of patients received one intervening therapy after a protocol-mandated drug washout. After mosunetuzumab, responding patients had higher lymphocytes (995 vs 400 cells/µL, p = 0.02) and greater increases in CD4 and CD8 cells (median change, 73 vs -90 cells/µL, p=0.005; 243 vs -103 cells/µL, p=0.004, respectively). Additionally, responding patients had an increase in activated CD8 cells (median 1.7-fold-change, p=0.02). Non-responders had a relative decrease in CAR transgene levels (N=16; p=0.04). This is the first study to assess changes in lymphocytes, T cells, and CAR transgene levels in patients treated with BsAb after CAR-T. These findings suggest an interaction between prior CAR-T and BsAb outcomes, and have implications for optimal timing of BsAb after CAR-T., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Hematology.)

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Most patients treated with axi-cel experience cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and/or adverse neurologic events (NEs). To explore potential approaches for reducing CAR T-cell-related toxicities with axi-cel, several safety expansion cohorts were added to the pivotal ZUMA-1 trial. ZUMA-1 Cohort 3 was an exploratory safety cohort that investigated the use of the IL-6 receptor-blocking antibody tocilizumab and anticonvulsant levetiracetam as prophylaxis against CRS and NEs in patients treated with axi-cel. Patients with R/R LBCL were enrolled in Cohort 3 and received conditioning chemotherapy on d -5 through -3 followed by a single infusion of axi-cel (2 × 10 6 cells/kg) on d 0. Prophylactic tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) was administered 48 h after axi-cel infusion. Primary endpoints were incidence and severity of CRS and NEs. Key secondary endpoints included the incidence of adverse events, objective response rate (ORR), duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival (OS), and biomarker analyses (eg, circulating CAR T cells, cytokines, chemokines). Forty-two patients were enrolled in Cohort 3, 38 of whom received axi-cel. In the 24-month analysis, any-grade CRS and NEs occurred in 92% and 87% of patients, and Grade ≥3 CRS and NEs occurred in 3% and 42% of patients, respectively. One Grade 5 NE (cerebral edema) occurred. With 24-mo minimum follow-up, the ORR was 63%, and 39.5% of patients had ongoing response. With 48-month follow-up, median OS was 34.8 mo (95% CI, 5.4-not estimable). CAR T-cell expansion in ZUMA-1 Cohort 3 was comparable with pivotal Cohorts 1 and 2. Consistent with tocilizumab-mediated inhibition of IL-6R, serum IL-6 levels were increased relative to Cohorts 1 and 2. Grade ≥3 NEs were associated with elevated IL-6 levels, proinflammatory cytokines, and myeloid cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. Based on these findings, prophylactic tocilizumab is not recommended to prevent CAR T-cell-related adverse events, and beneficial effects of prophylactic levetiracetam remain uncertain in patients with R/R LBCL., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Bispecific antibodies, specifically anti-CD20 T-cell engaging constructs, are poised to alter the treatment paradigm of multiple B-cell malignancies, including follicular lymphoma. Two CD20xCD3 bispecific antibodies, mosunetuzumab and epcoritamab, are now approved in the United States for third-line or later treatment of follicular lymphoma. A third agent, odronextamab, remains under review by regulatory agencies. In pivotal phase II trials, these bispecific antibodies demonstrated overall response rates of approximately 80%, with complete response rates of 60-70%, the majority of which have been durable at two years. Important safety signals included risk of infections, neutropenia, and cytokine release syndrome, which occurred in approximately half of patients, but was rarely high grade. Despite similar efficacy and toxicity profiles, key differences exist among agents, primarily relating to treatment duration, route of administration, and prophylactic corticosteroid use. Several ongoing studies are exploring bispecific antibodies in earlier lines of treatment, either as single agents or in combination with other active therapies. This novel class of agents is likely to play a pivotal role in improving outcomes for patients with follicular lymphoma.

Mosunetuzumab, a CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibody, redirects T cells to eliminate malignant B cells. We present updated efficacy and safety data of a pivotal phase 1/2 study after a median follow-up of 37.4 months in 90 patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) and ≥2 prior lines of therapy treated with fixed-duration mosunetuzumab. Investigator-assessed complete response (CR) rate and objective response rate (ORR) were 60.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49.1-70.2) and 77.8% (95% CI, 67.8-85.9), respectively. Among 70 responders, median duration of response was 35.9 months (95% CI, 20.7-not estimable [NE]). Among 54 patients who achieved CR, 49 remained in CR at the end of treatment; median duration of complete response was not reached (NR) (95% CI, 33.0-NE); Kaplan-Meier-estimated 30-month remission rate was 72.4% (95% CI, 59.2-85.6). Estimated 36-month overall survival (OS) rate was 82.4% (95% CI, 73.8-91.0); median OS was NR (95% CI, NE-NE). Median progression-free survival was 24.0 months (95% CI, 12.0-NE). Median time to CD19+ B-cell recovery was 18.4 months (95% CI, 12.8-25.0) following 8 cycles of mosunetuzumab treatment. No new cytokine release syndrome events or fatal, serious, or Grade ≥3 adverse events were reported. With extended follow-up, mosunetuzumab demonstrated high response rates, durable remissions and manageable safety with no long-term concerns. This supports outpatient mosunetuzumab administration as an off-the-shelf, fixed-duration, safe and effective treatment for patients with R/R FL, including those with high-risk disease. Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02500407)., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Hematology.)

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) can have varied presentations and pathologic features, including high Ki-67 expression ( > 20%) as well as increased numbers of large B cells (LC). However, there are limited data available demonstrating the prognostic significance of these variables in patients with MZL. In this multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of patients with MZL treated at 10 centers, we evaluated the association between the presence of Ki-67 expression and increased LCs on survival and risk of histologic transformation (HT). A total of 785 patients were included (60% with extranodal MZL, 20% with nodal MZL, and 20% with splenic MZL). Among the 440 patients with Ki-67 staining, 22% had high Ki-67 (Ki-67 >20%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with high Ki-67 was 5.4 years compared to 7.0 years for patients with low Ki-67 (HR = 1.45, 95%CI = 1.03-2.05). Ki-67 > 20% strongly correlated with high LDH level. The risk of HT was higher in patients with increased Ki-67 than those without (5-year risk, 9.8% vs 3.87%, p = 0.01). Twelve percent of patients had LC reported on biopsy with 6% having >10% LC. The presence of LC was associated with high Ki-67 (p < 0.001), but not associated with shorter PFS or overall survival (OS). The cumulative risk for HT was higher in patients with LC compared to those without LC (5-year risk, 9.4% vs 2.9%, p = 0.04). Receipt of anthracycline-based therapy did not impact PFS or OS in either group. Ki-67 staining >20% was a prognostic factor for worse survival and strongly correlated with elevated LDH. Novel therapies should be investigated for their potential ability to overcome the high-risk features in MZL. Our data reinforce the importance of obtaining biopsies at relapse or progression, particularly in patients with baseline high Ki-67 and increased LCs, given their increased risk for HT., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Incorporating brentuximab vedotin into the treatment of advanced-stage classic Hodgkin's lymphoma improves outcomes in adult and pediatric patients. However, brentuximab vedotin increases the toxic effects of treatment in adults, more than half of pediatric patients who receive the drug undergo consolidative radiation, and relapse remains a challenge. Programmed death 1 blockade is effective in Hodgkin's lymphoma, including in preliminary studies involving previously untreated patients., Methods: We conducted a phase 3, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial involving patients at least 12 years of age with stage III or IV newly diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients were randomly assigned to receive brentuximab vedotin with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (BV+AVD) or nivolumab with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (N+AVD). Prespecified patients could receive radiation therapy directed to residual metabolically active lesions. The primary end point was progression-free survival, defined as the time from randomization to the first observation of progressive disease or death from any cause., Results: Of 994 patients who underwent randomization, 970 were included in the intention-to-treat population for efficacy analyses. At the second planned interim analysis, with a median follow-up of 12.1 months, the threshold for efficacy was crossed, indicating that N+AVD significantly improved progression-free survival as compared with BV+AVD (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.48; 99% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 0.87; two-sided P = 0.001). Owing to the short follow-up time, we repeated the analysis with longer follow-up; with a median follow-up of 2.1 years (range, 0 to 4.2 years), the 2-year progression-free survival was 92% (95% CI, 89 to 94) with N+AVD, as compared with 83% (95% CI, 79 to 86) with BV+AVD (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.65). Overall, 7 patients received radiation therapy. Immune-related adverse events were infrequent with nivolumab; brentuximab vedotin was associated with more treatment discontinuation., Conclusions: N+AVD resulted in longer progression-free survival than BV+AVD in adolescents and adults with stage III or IV advanced-stage classic Hodgkin's lymphoma and had a better side-effect profile. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and others; S1826 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03907488.)., (Copyright © 2024 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Purpose: Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have a poor prognosis. The phase I/II NP30179 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03075696) evaluated glofitamab monotherapy in patients with R/R B-cell lymphomas, with obinutuzumab pretreatment (Gpt) to mitigate the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) with glofitamab. We present data for patients with R/R MCL., Methods: Eligible patients with R/R MCL (at least one previous therapy) received Gpt (1,000 or 2,000 mg) 7 days before the first glofitamab dose (single dose or split over 2 days if required). Glofitamab step-up dosing was administered once a day on days 8 (2.5 mg) and 15 (10 mg) of cycle 1, with a target dose of 16 or 30 mg once every 3 weeks from cycle 2 day 1 onward, for 12 cycles. Efficacy end points included investigator-assessed complete response (CR) rate, overall response rate (ORR), and duration of CR., Results: Of 61 enrolled patients, 60 were evaluable for safety and efficacy. Patients had received a median of two previous therapies (range, 1-5). CR rate and ORR were 78.3% (95% CI, 65.8 to 87.9) and 85.0% (95% CI, 73.4 to 92.9), respectively. In patients who had received previous treatment with a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (n = 31), CR rate was 71.0% (95% CI, 52.0 to 85.8) and ORR was 74.2% (95% CI, 55.4 to 88.1). CRS after glofitamab administration occurred in 70.0% of patients, with a lower incidence in the 2,000 mg (63.6% [grade ≥2, 22.7%]) versus 1,000 mg (87.5%; grade ≥2, 62.5%) Gpt cohort. Four adverse events led to glofitamab withdrawal (all infections)., Conclusion: Fixed-duration glofitamab induced high CR rates in heavily pretreated patients with R/R MCL; the safety profile was manageable with appropriate support.

Abstract: Although initial therapy of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is not standardized, bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) is commonly used in older patients. Rituximab (R) maintenance after induction is often used. Thus, the open-label, randomized phase 2 ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group E1411 trial was designed to test 2 questions: (1) does addition of bortezomib to BR induction (BVR) and/or (2) addition of lenalidomide to rituximab (LR) maintenance improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with treatment-naïve MCL? From 2012 to 2016, 373 previously untreated patients, 87% aged ≥60 years, were enrolled in this trial. At a median follow-up of 7.5 years, there is no difference in the median PFS of BR compared with BVR (5.5 vs 6.4 years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.90; 90% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.16). There were no unexpected additional toxicities with BVR treatment compared with BR, with no impact on total dose/duration of treatment received. Independent of the induction treatment, addition of lenalidomide did not significantly improve PFS, with median PFS in R vs LR (5.9 vs 7.2 years; HR, 0.84; 90% CI, 0.62-1.15). Most patients completed the planned 24 cycles of LR at the scheduled dose. In summary, adding bortezomib to BR induction does not prolong PFS in treatment-naïve MCL, and LR maintenance was not associated with longer PFS compared with R alone after BR. Nonetheless, the >5-year median PFS outcomes in this prospective cooperative group trial indicate the efficacy of BR followed by R maintenance as highly effective initial therapy for older patients with MCL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01415752., (© 2024 American Society of Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Abstract: Personalized cancer vaccines designed to target neoantigens represent a promising new treatment paradigm in oncology. In contrast to classical idiotype vaccines, we hypothesized that "polyvalent" vaccines could be engineered for the personalized treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL) using neoantigen discovery by combined whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Fifty-eight tumor samples from 57 patients with FL underwent WES and RNA-seq. Somatic and B-cell clonotype neoantigens were predicted and filtered to identify high-quality neoantigens. B-cell clonality was determined by the alignment of B-cell receptor (BCR) CDR3 regions from RNA-seq data, grouping at the protein level, and comparison with the BCR repertoire from healthy individuals using RNA-seq data. An average of 52 somatic mutations per patient (range, 2-172) were identified, and ≥2 (median, 15) high-quality neoantigens were predicted for 56 of 58 FL samples. The predicted neoantigen peptides were composed of missense mutations (77%), indels (9%), gene fusions (3%), and BCR sequences (11%). Building off of these preclinical analyses, we initiated a pilot clinical trial using personalized neoantigen vaccination combined with PD-1 blockade in patients with relapsed or refractory FL (#NCT03121677). Synthetic long peptide vaccines targeting predicted high-quality neoantigens were successfully synthesized for and administered to all 4 patients enrolled. Initial results demonstrate feasibility, safety, and potential immunologic and clinical responses. Our study suggests that a genomics-driven personalized cancer vaccine strategy is feasible for patients with FL, and this may overcome prior challenges in the field. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT03121677., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. Mosunetuzumab is a CD20xCD3 T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody administered as an off-the-shelf, fixed-duration treatment in an outpatient setting. We report an updated analysis of the durability of response, by investigator assessment, after an overall median follow-up of 3.5 years in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent or aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL/aNHL) from the dose-escalation stage of a phase I/II study of mosunetuzumab (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02500407). Across dose levels, 65.7% of patients with iNHL and 36.4% with aNHL achieved a complete or partial response to mosunetuzumab. Median duration of response (DoR) in patients with iNHL for all responders was 23.2 months (95% CI, 13.8 to not estimable [NE]), but was not reached in complete responders (95% CI, 21.0 to NE). After a median time on study of 38.9 months, no relapses were observed beyond 26 months in complete responders. In patients with aNHL, median DoR for all responders was 7.8 months (95% CI, 4.6 to 22.8). Among 12 complete responders who progressed postmosunetuzumab treatment and were retreated with mosunetuzumab, 83.3% had an objective response and 58.3% achieved a second complete response. Our study reports the longest follow-up using bispecific antibodies in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and demonstrates that mosunetuzumab can mediate durable remissions with time-limited treatment.

Abstract: Although it is evident that standard-dose whole-brain radiotherapy as consolidation is associated with significant neurotoxicity, the optimal consolidative strategy for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is not defined. We performed a randomized phase 2 clinical trial via the US Alliance cancer cooperative group to compare myeloablative consolidation supported by autologous stem cell transplantation with nonmyeloablative consolidation after induction therapy for PCNSL. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized trial to be initiated that eliminates whole-brain radiotherapy as a consolidative approach in newly diagnosed PCNSL. Patients aged 18 to 75 years were randomly assigned in a 1:1 manner to induction therapy (methotrexate, temozolomide, rituximab, and cytarabine) followed by consolidation with either thiotepa plus carmustine and autologous stem cell rescue vs induction followed by nonmyeloablative, infusional etoposide plus cytarabine. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). A total of 113 patients were randomized, and 108 (54 in each arm) were evaluable. More patients in the nonmyeloablative arm experienced progressive disease or death during induction (28% vs 11%; P = .05). Thirty-six patients received autologous stem cell transplant, and 34 received nonmyeloablative consolidation. The estimated 2-year PFS was higher in the myeloablative vs nonmyeloablative arm (73% vs 51%; P = .02). However, a planned secondary analysis, landmarked at start of the consolidation, revealed that the estimated 2-year PFS in those who completed consolidation therapy was not significantly different between the arms (86% vs 71%; P = .21). Both consolidative strategies yielded encouraging efficacy and similar toxicity profiles. This trial was registered at www.clininicals.gov as #NCT01511562., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Primary bone diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a rare variant of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma historically treated with induction chemotherapy followed by consolidative radiation therapy (RT). It remains unknown whether RT confers additional benefit following rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) induction in patients with limited stage disease. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective analysis of patients treated between 2005 and 2019 using rituximab-based CIT regimens with or without consolidative RT to discern whether consolidative RT adds benefit in patients with stage I-II disease that could be encompassed in one radiation field. A total of 112 patients were included: 78 received CIT and radiation (RT group), and 34 received CIT alone (no RT group). The overall survival at 10 years was 77.9% in the RT group and 89.0% in the no RT group (P=0.42). The relapse-free survival at 10 years was 73.5% in the RT group and 80.3% in the no RT group (P=0.88). Neither improved overall survival nor relapse-free survival was associated with the addition of consolidative RT. Subgroup analysis of patients only achieving a partial response after CIT suggests that these patients may benefit from consolidative RT.

Abstract: A041202 (NCT01886872) is a phase 3 study comparing bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) with ibrutinib and the combination of ibrutinib plus rituximab (IR) in previously untreated older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The initial results showed that ibrutinib-containing regimens had superior progression-free survival (PFS) and rituximab did not add additional benefits. Here we present an updated analysis. With a median follow-up of 55 months, the median PFS was 44 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 38-54) for BR and not yet reached in either ibrutinib-containing arm. The 48-month PFS estimates were 47%, 76%, and 76% for BR, ibrutinib, and IR, respectively. The benefit of ibrutinib regimens over chemoimmunotherapy was consistent across subgroups of patients defined by TP53 abnormalities, del(11q), complex karyotype, and immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV). No significant interaction effects were observed between the treatment arm and del(11q), the complex karyotype, or IGHV. However, a greater difference in PFS was observed among the patients with TP53 abnormalities. There was no difference in the overall survival. Notable adverse events with ibrutinib included atrial fibrillation (afib) and hypertension. Afib was observed in 11 patients (pts) on BR (3%) and 67 pts on ibrutinib (18%). All-grade hypertension was observed in 95 pts on BR (27%) and 263 pts on ibrutinib (55%). These data show that ibrutinib regimens prolong PFS compared with BR for older patients with treatment-naïve CLL. These benefits were observed across subgroups, including high-risk groups. Strikingly, within the ibrutinib arms, there was no inferior PFS for patients with abnormalities in TP53, the highest risk feature observed in CLL. These data continue to demonstrate the efficacy of ibrutinib in treatment-naïve CLL.

Background: Mosunetuzumab is a CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibody approved in Europe and the United States for relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) after ≥ 2 prior therapies., Materials and Methods: We present interim safety data from the mosunetuzumab GO29781 (NCT02500407) phase I/II dose-escalation study in R/R non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), focusing on FL., Results: Overall, 218 patients with R/R NHL, including 90 with R/R FL, received a median of eight 21-day cycles of intravenous mosunetuzumab with step-up dosing in Cycle (C) 1 (C1 Day [D] 1, 1 mg; C1D8, 2 mg; C1D15/C2D1, 60 mg; C3D1 and onwards, 30 mg). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was the most common adverse event (AE), occurring in 39.4% (NHL) and 44.4% (FL) of patients. Events occurred predominantly during C1 at the first loading dose; the majority were grade 1/2. CRS events were managed at the investigator's discretion with supportive care, steroids, and tocilizumab, based on protocol management guidelines. Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome was uncommon, reported in 0.9% (NHL) and 1.1% (FL) of patients. Neutropenia occurred in 27.5% (NHL) and 28.9% (FL) of patients (mostly grade 3/4) and could be effectively managed using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Tumor lysis syndrome occurred in 0.9% (NHL) and 1.1% (FL) of patients (all grade 3/4 with CRS; all resolved)., Conclusion: Mosunetuzumab monotherapy as treatment for R/R B-cell NHL, including FL, was associated with low rates of severe AEs (including CRS) and is suitable for outpatient administration in the community setting. Adapted protocol guidance for the management of select AEs during mosunetuzumab treatment is included., Competing Interests: Disclosure MM: employment (Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health), consultancy (ADC Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Epizyme, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Genentech, Inc., IMV Therapeutics, Juno Therapeutics, Karyopharm, Merck, MEI Pharma, Rocket Medical, Seattle Genetics, TG Therapeutics, Teva, Bayer), stockholder (Merck), research funding (AstraZeneca, Bayer, Genentech, Inc., IGM Biosciences, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Seattle Genetics), honoraria (ADC Therapeutics, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Epizyme, IMV Therapeutics, Janssen, MEI Pharma, Pharmacyclics, Genentech, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Seattle Genetics). NLB: employment (Washington University School of Medicine), research funding (ADC Therapeutics, Autolus, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Forty Seven, Janssen, Kite Pharma, Merck, Millennium, Pharmacyclics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd/Genentech, Inc., Seattle Genetics), membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees (ADC Therapeutics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd/Genentech, Inc., Seattle Genetics). MS: consulting, advisory boards, steering committees, or data safety monitoring committees (AbbVie, Genentech, Inc., AstraZeneca, Sound Biologics, Pharmacyclics, BeiGene, Bristol Myers Squibb, MorphoSys/Incyte, TG Therapeutics, Innate Pharma, Kite Pharma, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Epizyme, Eli Lilly, Adaptimmune, Mustang Bio, Regeneron, Merck, Fate Therapeutics, MEI Pharma, Atara Biotherapeutic), research funding (Mustang Bio, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, Genentech, Inc., AbbVie, TG Therapeutics, BeiGene, AstraZeneca, Sunesis, Atara Biotherapeutics, Genmab, MorphoSys/Incyte, Vincrex). LEB: consultancy payments paid to City of Hope National Medical Center (Genentech, Inc., AstraZeneca, Kite Pharma, ADC Therapeutics), research grants given to City of Hope National Medical Center (Merck, Amgen, Mustang Bio, AstraZeneca). IF: consultancy payments paid to Sarah Cannon Research Institute (AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Century Therapeutics, Genentech, Genmab, Hutchison MediPharma, Iksuda Therapeutics, InnoCare Pharma, Janssen, Kite Pharma, MorphoSys, Myeloid Therapeutics, Novartis, Nurix Therapeutics, Pharmacyclics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Secura Bio, Servier Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, TG Therapeutics, Verastem, Vincerx Pharma, Xencor), research grants given to Sarah Cannon Research Institute (AbbVie, Acerta Pharma, Agios, ArQule, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Biopath, Bristol Myers Squibb, CALIBR, CALGB, Celgene, City of Hope National Medical Center, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Curis, CTI Biopharma, Epizyme, Fate Therapeutics, Forma Therapeutics, Forty Seven, Genentech, Inc., Gilead Sciences, InnoCare Pharma, IGM Biosciences, Incyte, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Kite Pharma, Loxo, Merck, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, MorphoSys, Myeloid Therapeutics, Novartis, Nurix, Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Rhizen Pharmaceuticals, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Seattle Genetics, Tessa Therapeutics, TCR2 Therapeutics, TG Therapeutics, Trillium Therapeutics, Triphase Research & Development Corp., Unum Therapeutics, Verastem). GPG: consulting and/or advisory role and honoraria (F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Janssen, MSD, Gilead, Novartis, AstraZeneca, LINK Clinigen), research funding (MSD, BeiGene, Janssen, AbbVie). WSK: research funding (Sanofi, BeiGene, Boryung, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Kyowa Kirin, Dong-A). GH: consultancy (AbbVie, ADC Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genmab, Gilead/Kite, Incyte, Janssen, Lilly, Miltenyi, Novartis, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd), honoraria (AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genmab, Gilead, Incyte, Janssen, Lilly, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd), research funding (AbbVie, Gilead/Kite, Incyte, Janssen, MorphoSys, Pfizer, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd), travel grants (Gilead/Kite, Janssen), advisory board/data safety monitoring board (Miltenyi). DE-S: honoraria (AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Gilead, Janssen, Lily, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Takeda), conference/travel support (AbbVie, Novartis, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd), advisory boards (AbbVie, ASTEX, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin). CSD: consultancy, research funding (Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Merck, MorphoSys), consultancy (Celgene, Genmab, IMAB, Kite), research funding (FATE Therapeutics, Incyte), equity (Gilead, MEI Pharma, Seattle Genetics). HH: employment (Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd). IT: employment and equity (Genentech, Inc.). JP: employment, stockholder, stock options, honoraria (F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd). MW: employment, stockholder (Genentech, Inc.). AK: employment, stockholder (F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd/Genentech, Inc.). SA: consultancy, honoraria (Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Amgen, BeiGene, AbbVie, Paladin), research funding (Novartis)., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

ZUMA-1 safety management cohort 6 investigated the impact of prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroids and/or tocilizumab on the incidence and severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) following axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL). Prior analyses of cohort 6 with limited follow-up demonstrated no Grade ≥3 CRS, a low rate of NEs, and high response rates, without negatively impacting axi-cel pharmacokinetics. Herein, long-term outcomes of cohort 6 (N = 40) are reported (median follow-up, 26.9 months). Since the 1-year analysis (Oluwole, et al. Blood. 2022;138[suppl 1]:2832), no new CRS was reported. Two new NEs occurred in two patients (Grade 2 dementia unrelated to axi-cel; Grade 5 axi-cel-related leukoencephalopathy). Six new infections and eight deaths (five progressive disease; one leukoencephalopathy; two COVID-19) occurred. Objective and complete response rates remained at 95% and 80%, respectively. Median duration of response and progression-free survival were reached at 25.9 and 26.8 months, respectively. Median overall survival has not yet been reached. Eighteen patients (45%) remained in ongoing response at data cutoff. With ≥2 years of follow-up, prophylactic corticosteroids and earlier corticosteroids and/or tocilizumab continued to demonstrate CRS improvement without compromising efficacy outcomes, which remained high and durable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Abstract: CD20 is an established therapeutic target in B-cell malignancies. The CD20 × CD3 bispecific antibody mosunetuzumab has significant efficacy in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). Because target antigen loss is a recognized mechanism of resistance, we evaluated CD20 expression relative to clinical response in patients with relapsed and/or refractory NHL in the phase 1/2 GO29781 trial investigating mosunetuzumab monotherapy. CD20 was studied using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing performed centrally in biopsy specimens collected before treatment at predose, during treatment, or upon progression. Before treatment, most patients exhibited a high proportion of tumor cells expressing CD20; however, in 16 of 293 patients (5.5%) the proportion was <10%. Analyses of paired biopsy specimens from patients on treatment revealed that CD20 levels were maintained in 29 of 30 patients (97%) vs at progression, where CD20 loss was observed in 11 of 32 patients (34%). Reduced transcription or acquisition of truncating mutations explained most but not all cases of CD20 loss. In vitro modeling confirmed the effects of CD20 variants identified in clinical samples on reduction of CD20 expression and missense mutations in the extracellular domain that could block mosunetuzumab binding. This study expands the knowledge about the occurrence of target antigen loss after anti-CD20 therapeutics to include CD20-targeting bispecific antibodies and elucidates mechanisms of reduced CD20 expression at disease progression that may be generalizable to other anti-CD20 targeting agents. These results also confirm the utility of readily available IHC staining for CD20 as a tool to inform clinical decisions. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02500407., (© 2024 American Society of Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Abstract: Outcomes in patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who undergo autologous stem cell transplant (auto-SCT) are poor. Blinatumomab is a CD3/CD19 bispecific T-cell engager that directs cytotoxic T cells to CD19+ cells. Here, we performed a pilot study of blinatumomab consolidation after auto-SCT for 14 patients with DLBCL or transformed follicular lymphoma. All patients underwent standard-of-care auto-SCT with carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) conditioning followed by 1 cycle (4 weeks continuous infusion) of blinatumomab consolidation starting at day 42 after auto-SCT. All 14 patients treated on study completed BEAM auto-SCT and 1 cycle of posttransplant blinatumomab. Five patients developed grade 1 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), with no grade 2 or higher CRS. Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome was not observed. Patients were followed up for 3 years after auto-SCT, with median follow-up of 37 (range, 12-65) months. One-hundred days after auto-SCT (1 month after blinatumomab consolidation), 12 patients (86%) had achieved complete remission. At 1 year after auto-SCT, 7 patients (50%) remained in CR, and 1 patient had died of progressive disease. Patients who relapsed had a lower CD8:CD4 T-cell ratio before starting blinatumomab than patients who remained in remission. This pilot study demonstrates blinatumomab consolidation after auto-SCT is safe and well tolerated. Strategies to increase the CD8:CD4 ratio and use additional cycles of consolidation in a larger randomized trial are needed to confirm the efficacy of consolidation with blinatumomab after auto-SCT. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03072771., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Antibodies targeting PD-1 or 4-1BB achieve objective responses in follicular lymphoma (FL), but only in a minority of patients. We hypothesized that targeting multiple immune receptors could overcome immune resistance and increase response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory FL. We therefore conducted a phase 1b trial testing time-limited therapy with different immunotherapy doublets targeting 4-1BB (utomilumab), OX-40 (ivuxolimab), and PD-L1 (avelumab) in combination with rituximab among patients with relapsed/refractory grade 1-3A FL. Patients were enrolled onto 2 of 3 planned cohorts (cohort 1 - rituximab/utomilumab/avelumab; cohort 2 - rituximab/ivuxolimab/utomilumab). 3+3 dose escalation was followed by dose expansion at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Twenty-four patients were enrolled (16 in cohort 1 and 9 in cohort 2, with one treated in both cohorts). No patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events and the RP2D was the highest dose level tested in both cohorts. In cohort 1, the objective and complete response rates were 44% and 19%, respectively (50% and 30%, respectively, at RP2D). In cohort 2, no responses were observed. The median progression-free survivals in cohorts 1 and 2 were 6.9 and 3.2 months, respectively. In cohort 1, higher density of PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating T-cells on baseline biopsies and lower density of 4-1BB+ and TIGIT+ T-cells in on-treatment biopsies were associated with response. Abundance of Akkermansia in stool samples was also associated with response. Our results support a possible role for 4-1BB agonist therapy in FL and suggest that features of the tumor microenvironment and stool microbiome may be associated with clinical outcomes (NCT03636503)., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: We investigated the prognostic value of baseline positron emission tomography (PET) parameters for patients with treatment-naïve follicular lymphoma (FL) in the phase III RELEVANCE trial, comparing the immunomodulatory combination of lenalidomide and rituximab (R 2 ) versus R-chemotherapy (R-chemo), with both regimens followed by R maintenance therapy., Patients and Methods: Baseline characteristics of the entire PET-evaluable population (n = 406/1032) were well balanced between treatment arms. The maximal standard uptake value (SUV max ) and the standardized maximal distance between tow lesions (SD max ) were extracted, the standardized distance between two lesions the furthest apart, were extracted. The total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) was computed using the 41% SUV max method., Results: With a median follow-up of 6.5 years, the 6-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 57.8%, the median TMTV was 284 cm 3 , SUV max was 11.3 and SD max was 0.32 m -1 , with no significant difference between arms. High TMTV (>510 cm 3 ) and FLIPI were associated with an inferior PFS (P = 0.013 and P = 0.006, respectively), whereas SUV max and SD max were not (P = 0.08 and P = 0.12, respectively). In multivariable analysis, follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI) and TMTV remained significantly associated with PFS (P = 0.0119 and P = 0.0379, respectively). These two adverse factors combined stratified the overall population into three risk groups: patients with no risk factors (40%), with one factor (44%), or with both (16%), with a 6-year PFS of 67.7%, 54.5%, and 41.0%, respectively. No significant interaction between treatment arms and TMTV or FLIPI (P = 0.31 or P = 0.59, respectively) was observed. The high-risk group (high TMTV and FLIPI 3-5) had a similar PFS in both arms (P = 0.45) with a median PFS of 68.4% in the R-chemo arm versus 71.4% in the R 2 arm., Conclusions: Baseline TMTV is predictive of PFS, independently of FLIPI, in patients with advanced FL even in the context of antibody maintenance., (Copyright © 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Subgroup analysis from the POLARIX trial of polatuzumab vedotin plus chemotherapy for untreated large B-cell lymphoma suggests greater efficacy among patients with activated B-cell subtype disease. Both preclinical and additional clinical evidence support this interaction between cell-of-origin and polatuzumab efficacy., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology.)

The malignant Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) are scarce in affected lymph nodes, creating a challenge to detect driver somatic mutations. As an alternative to cell purification techniques, we hypothesized that ultra-deep exome sequencing would allow genomic study of HRS cells, thereby streamlining analysis and avoiding technical pitfalls. To test this, 31 cHL tumor/normal pairs were exome sequenced to approximately 1,000× median depth of coverage. An orthogonal error-corrected sequencing approach verified >95% of the discovered mutations. We identified mutations in genes novel to cHL including: CDH5 and PCDH7, novel stop gain mutations in IL4R, and a novel pattern of recurrent mutations in pathways regulating Hippo signaling. As a further application of our exome sequencing, we attempted to identify expressed somatic single-nucleotide variants (SNV) in single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data generated from a patient in our cohort. Our snRNA analysis identified a clear cluster of cells containing a somatic SNV identified in our deep exome data. This cluster has differentially expressed genes that are consistent with genes known to be dysregulated in HRS cells (e.g., PIM1 and PIM3). The cluster also contains cells with an expanded B-cell clonotype further supporting a malignant phenotype. This study provides proof-of-principle that ultra-deep exome sequencing can be utilized to identify recurrent mutations in HRS cells and demonstrates the feasibility of snRNA-seq in the context of cHL. These studies provide the foundation for the further analysis of genomic variants in large cohorts of patients with cHL., Significance: Our data demonstrate the utility of ultra-deep exome sequencing in uncovering somatic variants in Hodgkin lymphoma, creating new opportunities to define the genes that are recurrently mutated in this disease. We also show for the first time the successful application of snRNA-seq in Hodgkin lymphoma and describe the expression profile of a putative cluster of HRS cells in a single patient., (© 2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Novel targeted therapies (small molecule inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and CD19-directed therapies) have changed the treatment landscape of relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors continue to evolve in the management of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), in both the relapsed/refractory and the frontline setting. Anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapies are now effective and approved treatment options for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and MCL. Bispecific T-cell engagers represent a novel immunotherapeutic approach for relapsed FL and DLBCL after multiple lines of therapies, including prior CAR T-cell therapy. These NCCN Guideline Insights highlight the significant updates to the NCCN Guidelines for B-Cell Lymphomas for the treatment of FL, DLBCL, and MCL.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is clinically heterogeneous, with select patients tolerating extended watch-and-wait, whereas others require prompt treatment, suffer progression of disease within 24 months of treatment (POD24), and/or experience aggressive histologic transformation (t-FL). Because our understanding of the relationship between genetic alterations in FL and patient outcomes remains limited, we conducted a clinicogenomic analysis of 370 patients with FL or t-FL (from Cancer and Leukemia Group B/Alliance trials 50402/50701/50803, or real-world cohorts from Washington University School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, or University of Miami). FL subsets by grade, stage, watch-and-wait, or POD24 status did not differ by mutation burden, whereas mutation burden was significantly higher in relapsed/refractory (rel/ref) FL and t-FL than in newly diagnosed (dx) FL. Nonetheless, mutation burden in dx FL was not associated with frontline progression-free survival (PFS). CREBBP was the only gene more commonly mutated in FL than in t-FL yet mutated CREBBP was associated with shorter frontline PFS in FL. Mutations in 20 genes were more common in rel/ref FL or t-FL than in dx FL, including 6 significantly mutated genes (SMGs): STAT6, TP53, IGLL5, B2M, SOCS1, and MYD88. We defined a mutations associated with progression (MAP) signature as ≥2 mutations in these 7 genes (6 rel/ref FL or t-FL SMGs plus CREBBP). Patients with dx FL possessing a MAP signature had shorter frontline PFS, revealing a 7-gene set offering insight into FL progression risk potentially more generalizable than the m7-Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (m7-FLIPI), which had modest prognostic value in our cohort. Future studies are warranted to validate the poor prognosis associated with a MAP signature in dx FL, potentially facilitating novel trials specifically in this high-risk subset of patients., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

As part of a phase 1 or 2 study, this single-arm expansion cohort established the efficacy and safety of mosunetuzumab monotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (received ≥2 previous lines of therapy). Intravenous mosunetuzumab was administered with cycle (C) 1 step-up dosing for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) mitigation: C1 day (D) 1: 1 mg; C1D8 2 mg; C1D15 and C2D1: 60 mg; C3 + D1: 30 mg. Hospitalization was not mandatory. Patients with complete response (CR) completed treatment after C8; those with partial response or stable disease continued treatment for a total of 17 cycles. The primary end point was CR rate (best response), assessed against a historical control CR rate (20%) by independent review facility. Eighty-eight patients (73.9% de novo DLBCL; 26.1% transformed follicular lymphoma) were enrolled; all had received previous anthracycline and anti-CD20 therapy. Overall response and CR rates were 42.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.6-53.1) and 23.9% (95% CI, 15.4-34.1), respectively; CR rate did not reach statistical significance vs the historical control (P = .36). Median time to first response was 1.4 months. Median progression-free survival was 3.2 months (95% CI, 2.2-5.3). The CR rate in 26 patients who received previous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy was 12%. CRS was one of the most common adverse events (26.1% of patients); predominantly grade 1 to 2 and primarily in C1. Four patients (4.5%) discontinued mosunetuzumab owing to adverse events. Mosunetuzumab demonstrated notable efficacy and a manageable safety profile in patients with R/R DLBCL, including those previously treated with CAR-Ts. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02500407., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Given the paucity of data surrounding the prognostic relevance of monoclonal paraprotein (M-protein) in marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), we sought to evaluate the impact of detecting M-protein at diagnosis on outcomes in patients with MZL in a large retrospective cohort. The study included 547 patients receiving first-line therapy for MZL. M-protein was detectable at diagnosis in 173 (32%) patients. There was no significant difference in the time from diagnosis to initiation of any therapy (systemic and local) between the M-protein and no M-protein groups. Patients with M-protein at diagnosis had significantly inferior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with those without M-protein at diagnosis. After adjusting for factors associated with inferior PFS in univariate models, presence of M-protein remained significantly associated with inferior PFS (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.54; P = .004). We observed no significant difference in the PFS based on the type or quantity of M-protein at diagnosis. There were differential outcomes in PFS based on the first-line therapy in patients with M-protein at diagnosis, in that, those receiving immunochemotherapy had better outcomes compared with those receiving rituximab monotherapy. The cumulative incidence of relapse in stage 1 disease among the recipients of local therapy was higher in the presence of M-protein; however, this did not reach statistical significance. We found that M-protein at diagnosis was associated with a higher risk of histologic transformation. Because the PFS difference related to presence of M-protein was not observed in patients receiving bendamustine and rituximab, immunochemotherapy may be a preferred approach over rituximab monotherapy in this group and needs to be explored further., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Introduction: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a moderately aggressive lymphoma subtype, generally viewed as incurable. For younger, fit patients, the standard of care remains various high-dose cytarabine-based induction regimens followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplant and 3 years of rituximab maintenance. Despite reasonably good outcomes, with median progression-free survival in the range of 7 to 9 years, most patients eventually relapse, indicating a need to improve the safety and tolerability of remission induction strategies., Methods: Given the impressive activity of bendamustine/rituximab (BR) in older patients with MCL, we developed an induction regimen modeled after the Nordic Regimen but substituted BR in place of R-CHOP. In a second pilot study, we incorporated the second-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), acalabrutinib, into the regimen. The primary endpoint of both studies was stem cell mobilization success rate., Results: All patients successfully underwent stem cell harvest in both studies., Conclusion: The experience from our single institution pilot study suggested that sequential rather than alternating BR and cytarabine/rituximab (CR) was easier to administer from the standpoint of toxicities and subsequent dose modifications. Safety and efficacy data from the 2 pilot studies, FitMCL 1.0 and 2.0, were similar. The pilot studies provided preliminary safety data supporting the development of the NCTN trial EA4181, assessing three different induction regimens with or without acalabrutinib., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors do not have any disclosures., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prognostic relevance of diagnosis to treatment interval (DTI) in patients with newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is unknown. Hence, we sought to evaluate the impact of DTI on outcomes in MCL using 3 large datasets (1) the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Specialized Program of Research Excellence Molecular Epidemiology Resource, (2) patients enrolled in the ALL Age Asthma Cohort/CALGB 50403, and (3) a multisitecohort of patients with MCL. Patients were a priori divided into 2 groups, 0 to 14 days (short DTI) and 15 to 60 days (long DTI). The patients in whom observation was deemed appropriate were excluded. One thousand ninety-seven patients newly diagnosed with MCL and available DTI were included in the study. The majority (73%) had long DTI (n=797). Patients with short DTI had worse eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (ECOG PS ≥2), higher lactate dehydrogenase, bone marrow involvement, more frequent B symptoms, higher MCL International Prognostic Index (MIPI ≥6.2), and were less likely to receive intensive induction therapy than long DTI group. The median progression-free survival (2.5 years vs 4.8 years, p<0.0001) and overall survival (7.8 years vs. 11.8 years, p<0.0001) were significantly inferior in the short DTI group than the long DTI cohort and remained significant for progression-free survival and overall survival in multivariable analysis. We show that the DTI is an important prognostic factor in patients newly diagnosed with MCL and is strongly associated with adverse clinical factors and poor outcomes. DTI should be reported in all the patients newly diagnosed with MCL who are enrolling in clinical trials and steps must be taken to ensure selection bias is avoided., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

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 assessed outcomes in ZUMA-1 after 5 years of follow-up. Eligible adults received lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by axi-cel (2 × 106 cells per kg). Investigator-assessed response, survival, safety, and pharmacokinetics were assessed in patients who had received treatment. The objective response rate in these 101 patients was 83% (58% complete response rate); with a median follow-up of 63.1 months, responses were ongoing in 31% of patients at data cutoff. 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% of patients. 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. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, as #NCT02348216., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) is the receptor for cluster of differentiation (CD)47, a potent "don't eat me" signal for macrophages. Disruption of CD47-SIRPα signaling in the presence of prophagocytic signals can lead to enhanced phagocytosis of tumor cells, resulting in a direct antitumor effect; agents targeting this pathway have shown efficacy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and other tumor types. GS-0189 is a novel anti-SIRPα humanized monoclonal antibody. Here we report: (1) clinical safety, preliminary activity, and pharmacokinetics of GS-0189 as monotherapy and in combination with rituximab from a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory NHL (NCT04502706, SRP001); (2) in vitro characterization of GS-0189 binding to SIRPα; and (3) in vitro phagocytic activity. Clinically, GS-0189 was well tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory NHL with evidence of clinical activity in combination with rituximab. Receptor occupancy (RO) of GS-0189 was highly variable in NHL patients; binding affinity studies showed significantly higher affinity for SIRPα variant 1 than variant 2, consistent with RO in patient and healthy donor samples. In vitro phagocytosis induced by GS-0189 was also SIRPα variant-dependent. Although clinical development of GS-0189 was discontinued, the CD47-SIRPα signaling pathway remains a promising therapeutic target and should continue to be explored., Competing Interests: Mayur Narkhede reports institutional research funding from EUSA Therapeutics, Genmab, and Roche‐Genentech; and attending advisory boards and honoraria from ADC Therapeutics, T.G. Therapeutics, and Seagen. Nancy L. Bartlett reports research funding from ADC Therapeutics, Affimed, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Celgene, Forty‐Seven, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Immune Design, Janssen, Kite Pharma, Merck, Millennium, Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Roche‐Genentech, and Seattle Genetics. Sami Ibrahimi reports stock in Karyopharm Therapeutics. Leslie Popplewell reports no conflict of interest. Anna Seto, Jamie Bates, Yeonju Lee, Vaishnavi Ganti, Ling Han, and Tianling Chen all report employment with and stock in Gilead Sciences, Inc. Manish Patel reports leadership at ION Pharma; honoraria from Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Bayer, Janssen Oncology, Genentech, and Adaptive Biotechnologies; consulting or advisory roles for Pharmacyclics/Janssen and Pfizer/EMD Serono; attending speakers’ bureaus for Exelixis, Roche‐Genentech, Taiho Pharmaceutical, and Celgene; and research funding from Acerta Pharma, ADC Therapeutics, Agenus, Aileron Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, BioNTech AG, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Checkpoint Therapeutics, CicloMed, Clovis Oncology, Cyteir Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly, EMD Serono, Evelo Therapeutics, FORMA Therapeutics, Roche‐Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, H3 Biomedicine, Hengrui Therapeutics, Hutchison MediPharma, Ignyta, Incyte, Jacobio, Janssen, Klus Pharma, Kymab, Loxo, LSK Biopartners, Lycera, Macrogenics, Merck, Millennium, Mirati Therapeutics, Moderna Therapeutics, Pfizer, Placon, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Prelude Therapeutics, Ribon Therapeutics, Seven and Eight Biopharmaceuticals, Syndax, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Takeda, Tesaro, TopAlliance Biosciences Inc., Vigeo, ORIC, Artios, Treadwell, Mabspace, IgM Biosciences, Puretech, BioTheryX, Black Diamond Therapeutics, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis, Nurix, Relay Therapeutics, Samumed, Silicon Therapeutics, TeneoBio, Zymeworks, Olema, Adagene, Astellas, NGM, Accutar Biotech, TeneoBio, Compugen, Immunogen, and Blueprint Pharmaceuticals., (© 2023 The Authors. eJHaem published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Quantitative methods of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) interpretation, including the percent change in FDG uptake from baseline (ΔSUV), are under investigation in lymphoma to overcome challenges associated with visual scoring systems (VSS) such as the Deauville 5-point scale (5-PS)., Methods: In CALGB 50303, patients with DLBCL received frontline R-CHOP or DA-EPOCH-R, and although there were no significant associations between interim PET responses assessed centrally after cycle 2 (iPET) using 5-PS with progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS), there were significant associations between central determinations of iPET ∆SUV with PFS/OS. In this patient cohort, we retrospectively compared local vs central iPET readings and evaluated associations between local imaging data and survival outcomes., Results: Agreement between local and central review was moderate (kappa = 0.53) for VSS and high (kappa = 0.81) for ∆SUV categories (<66% vs. ≥66%). ∆SUV ≥66% at iPET was significantly associated with PFS (p = 0.03) and OS (p = 0.002), but VSS was not. Associations with PFS/OS when applying local review vs central review were comparable., Conclusions: These data suggest that local PET interpretation for response determination may be acceptable in clinical trials. Our findings also highlight limitations of VSS and call for incorporation of more objective measures of response assessment in clinical trials., (© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) accounts for most pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphomas, being less common but significantly more lethal when diagnosed in adults. Much of the knowledge of the genetics of BL thus far has originated from the study of pediatric BL (pBL), leaving its relationship to adult BL (aBL) and other adult lymphomas not fully explored. We sought to more thoroughly identify the somatic changes that underlie lymphomagenesis in aBL and any molecular features that associate with clinical disparities within and between pBL and aBL. Through comprehensive whole-genome sequencing of 230 BL and 295 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tumors, we identified additional significantly mutated genes, including more genetic features that associate with tumor Epstein-Barr virus status, and unraveled new distinct subgroupings within BL and DLBCL with 3 predominantly comprising BLs: DGG-BL (DDX3X, GNA13, and GNAI2), IC-BL (ID3 and CCND3), and Q53-BL (quiet TP53). Each BL subgroup is characterized by combinations of common driver and noncoding mutations caused by aberrant somatic hypermutation. The largest subgroups of BL cases, IC-BL and DGG-BL, are further characterized by distinct biological and gene expression differences. IC-BL and DGG-BL and their prototypical genetic features (ID3 and TP53) had significant associations with patient outcomes that were different among aBL and pBL cohorts. These findings highlight shared pathogenesis between aBL and pBL, and establish genetic subtypes within BL that serve to delineate tumors with distinct molecular features, providing a new framework for epidemiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies., (Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Purpose: Patients with bulky stage I/II classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) are typically treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation. Late effects associated with radiotherapy include increased risk of second cancer and cardiovascular disease. We tested a positron emission tomography (PET)-adapted approach in patients with bulky, early-stage cHL, omitting radiotherapy in patients with interim PET-negative (PET-) disease and intensifying treatment in patients with PET-positive (PET+) disease., Methods: Eligible patients with bulky disease (mass > 10 cm or 1/3 the maximum intrathoracic diameter on chest x-ray) received two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) followed by interim fluorodeoxyglucose PET (PET2). Patients with PET2-, defined as 1-3 on the 5-point scale, received four additional cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine. Patients with PET2+ received four cycles of escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone followed by 30.6 Gy involved-field radiation., Results: Of 94 evaluable patients, 53% were female with median age 30 years (range, 18-58 years). Eight-five (90%) had stage II disease, including 48 (51%) with stage IIB/IIBE. Seventy-eight (78%) were PET2- and 21 (22%) were PET2+. The predominant toxicity was neutropenia, with 9% of patients developing febrile neutropenia and one developing sepsis. The primary end point of 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 93.1% in PET2- and 89.7% in PET2+ patients. Three-year overall survival was 98.6% and 94.4%, respectively. The estimated hazard ratio comparing PFS of patients with PET2+ and patients with PET2- was 1.03 (85% upper bound 2.38) and was significantly less than the null hypothesis of 4.1 (one-sided P = .04)., Conclusion: Our study of PET-adapted therapy in bulky stage I/II cHL met its primary goal and was associated with an excellent 3-year PFS rate of 92.3% in all patients, with the majority being spared radiotherapy and exposure to intensified chemotherapy.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, comprises a heterogenous group of morphologically, genetically, and clinically distinct diseases. Several recent advances have affected the treatment landscape, which had been mostly stagnant for the past few decades. We will review the practice-changing studies in frontline (POLARIX), early relapse (ZUMA-7 and TRANSFORM), and multiple recurrent (ZUMA-1, JULIET, TRANSCEND, L-MIND, and LOTIS-2) stages and discuss how the treatment landscape may evolve with the emergence of bispecific antibodies.

Purpose: Bone marrow biopsies (BMB) are performed before/after therapy to confirm complete response (CR) in patients with lymphoma on clinical trials. We sought to establish whether BMB add value in assessing response or predict progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) outcomes in follicular lymphoma (FL) subjects in a large, multicenter, multitrial cohort., Methods: Data were pooled from seven trials of 580 subjects with previously untreated FL through Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) and SWOG Cancer Research Network (SWOG) completing enrollment from 2008 to 2016., Results: Only 5/580 (0.9%) had positive baseline BMB, CR on imaging, and subsequent positive BMB ( P < .0001). Therefore, BMB were irrelevant to response in 99% of subjects. A sensitivity analysis of 385 FL subjects treated on an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study was included. In the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group cohort, 5/385 (1.3%) had BMB that affected response assessment. Since some subjects do not undergo confirmatory BMB, we performed a landmark survival analysis from first radiologic CR with data from 580 subjects from Alliance and SWOG. Of subjects with CR on imaging (n = 187), PFS and OS were not significantly different among those with negative BMB to confirm CR (n = 47) versus those without repeat BMB (n = 140; PFS: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10, 95% CI, 0.62 to 1.94, log-rank P = .686; OS: hazard ratio, 0.59, 95% CI, 0.23 to 1.53, log-rank P = .276)., Conclusion: We conclude that BMB add little value to response assessment in subjects with FL treated on clinical trials and we recommend eliminating BMB from clinical trial requirements. BMB should also be removed from diagnostic guidelines for FL except in scenarios in which it may change management including confirmation of limited stage and assessment of cytopenias. This would reduce cost, patient discomfort, resource utilization, and potentially remove a barrier to trial enrollment.