Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Photo by Daniel Sone

Researchers say hybrid capture sequencing is an accurate and sensitive method for identifying actionable gene mutations in lymphoid malignancies.

This method revealed potentially actionable mutations in 91% of patients studied, who had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The researchers therefore believe hybrid capture sequencing will bring the benefits of precision diagnosis and individualized therapy to patients with lymphoid malignancies.

“To realize the benefits of the most recent progress in cancer genomics, clinical implementation of precision medicine approaches is needed in the form of novel biomarker assays,” said study author Christian Steidl, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

“Fully implemented targeted sequencing-based assays in routine diagnostic pathology laboratories are currently lacking in lymphoid cancer care. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and outline the clinical utility of integrating a lymphoma-specific pipeline into personalized cancer care.”

Dr Steidl and his colleagues reported these findings in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

The researchers first compared capture hybridization and amplicon sequencing using samples from 8 patients with lymphoma. Fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples were sequenced using a panel of 20 lymphoma-specific genes.

The team found that capture hybridization provided “deep, more uniform coverage” and yielded “higher sensitivity for variant calling” than amplicon sequencing.

The researchers then developed a targeted sequencing pipeline using a 32-gene panel. The panel was developed with input from a group of 6 specialists who kept updating it based on the latest available information.

“This allows for continuous integration of additional gene features as our knowledge base improves,” Dr Steidl noted.

He and his colleagues then applied the hybrid capture sequencing assay and 32-gene panel to tissues from 219 patients—114 with FL, 76 with DLBCL, and 29 with CLL—who were treated in British Columbia between 2013 and 2016.

Results revealed at least one actionable mutation in 91% of the tumors. And the assay uncovered subtype-specific mutational profiles that were highly similar to published mutational profiles for FL, DLBCL, and CLL.

Furthermore, the assay had 93% concordance with whole-genome sequencing.

“Our developed assay harnesses the power of modern sequencing for clinical diagnostics purposes and potentially better deployment of novel treatments in lymphoid cancers,” Dr Steidl said. “We believe our study will help establish evidence-based approaches to decision making in lymphoid cancer care.”

“The next steps are to implement sequencing-based biomarker assays, such as reported in our study, in accredited pathology laboratories. Toward the goal of biomarker-driven clinical decision making, testing of potentially predictive biomarker assays is needed alongside clinical trials investigating novel cancer therapeutics.”

Photo by Daniel Sone

Researchers say hybrid capture sequencing is an accurate and sensitive method for identifying actionable gene mutations in lymphoid malignancies.

This method revealed potentially actionable mutations in 91% of patients studied, who had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The researchers therefore believe hybrid capture sequencing will bring the benefits of precision diagnosis and individualized therapy to patients with lymphoid malignancies.

“To realize the benefits of the most recent progress in cancer genomics, clinical implementation of precision medicine approaches is needed in the form of novel biomarker assays,” said study author Christian Steidl, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

“Fully implemented targeted sequencing-based assays in routine diagnostic pathology laboratories are currently lacking in lymphoid cancer care. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and outline the clinical utility of integrating a lymphoma-specific pipeline into personalized cancer care.”

Dr Steidl and his colleagues reported these findings in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

The researchers first compared capture hybridization and amplicon sequencing using samples from 8 patients with lymphoma. Fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples were sequenced using a panel of 20 lymphoma-specific genes.

The team found that capture hybridization provided “deep, more uniform coverage” and yielded “higher sensitivity for variant calling” than amplicon sequencing.

The researchers then developed a targeted sequencing pipeline using a 32-gene panel. The panel was developed with input from a group of 6 specialists who kept updating it based on the latest available information.

“This allows for continuous integration of additional gene features as our knowledge base improves,” Dr Steidl noted.

He and his colleagues then applied the hybrid capture sequencing assay and 32-gene panel to tissues from 219 patients—114 with FL, 76 with DLBCL, and 29 with CLL—who were treated in British Columbia between 2013 and 2016.

Results revealed at least one actionable mutation in 91% of the tumors. And the assay uncovered subtype-specific mutational profiles that were highly similar to published mutational profiles for FL, DLBCL, and CLL.

Furthermore, the assay had 93% concordance with whole-genome sequencing.

“Our developed assay harnesses the power of modern sequencing for clinical diagnostics purposes and potentially better deployment of novel treatments in lymphoid cancers,” Dr Steidl said. “We believe our study will help establish evidence-based approaches to decision making in lymphoid cancer care.”

“The next steps are to implement sequencing-based biomarker assays, such as reported in our study, in accredited pathology laboratories. Toward the goal of biomarker-driven clinical decision making, testing of potentially predictive biomarker assays is needed alongside clinical trials investigating novel cancer therapeutics.”

Photo by Daniel Sone

Researchers say hybrid capture sequencing is an accurate and sensitive method for identifying actionable gene mutations in lymphoid malignancies.

This method revealed potentially actionable mutations in 91% of patients studied, who had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The researchers therefore believe hybrid capture sequencing will bring the benefits of precision diagnosis and individualized therapy to patients with lymphoid malignancies.

“To realize the benefits of the most recent progress in cancer genomics, clinical implementation of precision medicine approaches is needed in the form of novel biomarker assays,” said study author Christian Steidl, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

“Fully implemented targeted sequencing-based assays in routine diagnostic pathology laboratories are currently lacking in lymphoid cancer care. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and outline the clinical utility of integrating a lymphoma-specific pipeline into personalized cancer care.”

Dr Steidl and his colleagues reported these findings in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

The researchers first compared capture hybridization and amplicon sequencing using samples from 8 patients with lymphoma. Fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples were sequenced using a panel of 20 lymphoma-specific genes.

The team found that capture hybridization provided “deep, more uniform coverage” and yielded “higher sensitivity for variant calling” than amplicon sequencing.

The researchers then developed a targeted sequencing pipeline using a 32-gene panel. The panel was developed with input from a group of 6 specialists who kept updating it based on the latest available information.

“This allows for continuous integration of additional gene features as our knowledge base improves,” Dr Steidl noted.

He and his colleagues then applied the hybrid capture sequencing assay and 32-gene panel to tissues from 219 patients—114 with FL, 76 with DLBCL, and 29 with CLL—who were treated in British Columbia between 2013 and 2016.

Results revealed at least one actionable mutation in 91% of the tumors. And the assay uncovered subtype-specific mutational profiles that were highly similar to published mutational profiles for FL, DLBCL, and CLL.

Furthermore, the assay had 93% concordance with whole-genome sequencing.

“Our developed assay harnesses the power of modern sequencing for clinical diagnostics purposes and potentially better deployment of novel treatments in lymphoid cancers,” Dr Steidl said. “We believe our study will help establish evidence-based approaches to decision making in lymphoid cancer care.”

“The next steps are to implement sequencing-based biomarker assays, such as reported in our study, in accredited pathology laboratories. Toward the goal of biomarker-driven clinical decision making, testing of potentially predictive biomarker assays is needed alongside clinical trials investigating novel cancer therapeutics.”

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Results of a phase 2 study suggest chidamide can produce durable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL).

The overall response rate was 57.2% in these patients, and the complete response (CR) rate was 28.6%.

Seven of 14 evaluable patients were still receiving chidamide and still in response at last follow-up. For one patient, this was 50 weeks from initiating treatment with chidamide.

“The response is quite promising and encouraging,” said study investigator Huiqiang Huang, MD, PhD, of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China.

“In terms of safety, the toxicity is mild to moderate.”

Dr Huang presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

This investigator-sponsored trial enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but Dr Huang presented results in NKTCL patients only.

There were 15 NKTCL patients, most of whom were male (n=12). Their median age was 41 (range, 17-65). All 15 had an ECOG status of 0 or 1, 9 had stage I/II disease, and 6 had B symptoms.

Nine patients had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels of at least 1000 copy/mL at baseline, and 5 patients had lactate dehydrogenase levels of at least 245 U/L.

The patients had a median of 2 prior systemic therapies (range, 1-3), and 2 patients had undergone a transplant.

Efficacy

Patients received chidamide at 2 doses—10 mg daily or 30 mg twice a week. Dr Huang said both doses were effective against the lymphoma types studied, but the 30 mg twice-weekly dose appeared to be more effective for patients with NKTCL.

Fourteen NKTCL patients were evaluable for efficacy, and the median follow-up was 17.6 weeks (range, 2.6-50).

The overall response rate was 68.2% (6/14), and the CR rate was 28.6% (4/14). The disease control rate was 71.4%, meaning 10 of 14 patients had a CR, partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD).

Dr Huang noted that response was associated with elevated H3 acetylation level.

The median time to response was 5.25 weeks (range, 1.1-6.6).

As for duration of response, the 4 complete responders were still on treatment and in CR at last follow-up, which was 22.7 weeks, 38.1 weeks, 41.3 weeks, and 50 weeks, respectively, from treatment initiation.

Three of the 4 partial responders were still on treatment and in PR at 14.1 weeks, 26.9 weeks, and 32 weeks, respectively. Two patients with SD were still on treatment and in SD at 15.3 weeks and 15.9 weeks, respectively.

Three patients progressed while on treatment and died. A fourth patient died 2.6 weeks after treatment initiation.

Safety

Dr Huang noted that adverse events (AEs) were similar with the 2 dose groups. However, patients who received 30 mg biweekly had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal AEs.

Overall, the most common AEs were hematologic—anemia, thrombocytopenia, etc.—but dose reductions allowed for quick resolution of these AEs, according to Dr Huang.

AEs included:

• Lymphopenia—10 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Anemia—9 grade 1/2 and 3 grade 3/4
• Thrombocytopenia—7 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Leukopenia—7 grade 1/2 and 6 grade 3/4
• Increased alanine aminotransferase—7 grade 1/2
• Neutropenia—6 grade 1/2 and 7 grade 3/4
• Increased aspartate aminotransferase—5 grade 1/2
• Hypoalbuminemia—4 grade 1/2
• Nausea—4 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Vomiting—3 grade 1/2
• Mucositis—2 grade 1/2
• Fatigue—2 grade 1/2
• Epistaxis—2 grade 1/2
• Abdominal distension—1 grade 1/2
• Loss of appetite—1 grade 1/2
• Diarrhea—1 grade 1/2
• Hyperbilirubinemia—1 grade 1/2
• Fever—1 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Pain—1 grade 1/2
• Cough—1 grade 1/2
• Constipation—1 grade 1/2.

Dr Huang said EBV reactivation was not confirmed in this study. An elevated EBV DNA load was only observed in 2 patients with progressive disease.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Results of a phase 2 study suggest chidamide can produce durable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL).

The overall response rate was 57.2% in these patients, and the complete response (CR) rate was 28.6%.

Seven of 14 evaluable patients were still receiving chidamide and still in response at last follow-up. For one patient, this was 50 weeks from initiating treatment with chidamide.

“The response is quite promising and encouraging,” said study investigator Huiqiang Huang, MD, PhD, of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China.

“In terms of safety, the toxicity is mild to moderate.”

Dr Huang presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

This investigator-sponsored trial enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but Dr Huang presented results in NKTCL patients only.

There were 15 NKTCL patients, most of whom were male (n=12). Their median age was 41 (range, 17-65). All 15 had an ECOG status of 0 or 1, 9 had stage I/II disease, and 6 had B symptoms.

Nine patients had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels of at least 1000 copy/mL at baseline, and 5 patients had lactate dehydrogenase levels of at least 245 U/L.

The patients had a median of 2 prior systemic therapies (range, 1-3), and 2 patients had undergone a transplant.

Efficacy

Patients received chidamide at 2 doses—10 mg daily or 30 mg twice a week. Dr Huang said both doses were effective against the lymphoma types studied, but the 30 mg twice-weekly dose appeared to be more effective for patients with NKTCL.

Fourteen NKTCL patients were evaluable for efficacy, and the median follow-up was 17.6 weeks (range, 2.6-50).

The overall response rate was 68.2% (6/14), and the CR rate was 28.6% (4/14). The disease control rate was 71.4%, meaning 10 of 14 patients had a CR, partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD).

Dr Huang noted that response was associated with elevated H3 acetylation level.

The median time to response was 5.25 weeks (range, 1.1-6.6).

As for duration of response, the 4 complete responders were still on treatment and in CR at last follow-up, which was 22.7 weeks, 38.1 weeks, 41.3 weeks, and 50 weeks, respectively, from treatment initiation.

Three of the 4 partial responders were still on treatment and in PR at 14.1 weeks, 26.9 weeks, and 32 weeks, respectively. Two patients with SD were still on treatment and in SD at 15.3 weeks and 15.9 weeks, respectively.

Three patients progressed while on treatment and died. A fourth patient died 2.6 weeks after treatment initiation.

Safety

Dr Huang noted that adverse events (AEs) were similar with the 2 dose groups. However, patients who received 30 mg biweekly had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal AEs.

Overall, the most common AEs were hematologic—anemia, thrombocytopenia, etc.—but dose reductions allowed for quick resolution of these AEs, according to Dr Huang.

AEs included:

• Lymphopenia—10 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Anemia—9 grade 1/2 and 3 grade 3/4
• Thrombocytopenia—7 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Leukopenia—7 grade 1/2 and 6 grade 3/4
• Increased alanine aminotransferase—7 grade 1/2
• Neutropenia—6 grade 1/2 and 7 grade 3/4
• Increased aspartate aminotransferase—5 grade 1/2
• Hypoalbuminemia—4 grade 1/2
• Nausea—4 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Vomiting—3 grade 1/2
• Mucositis—2 grade 1/2
• Fatigue—2 grade 1/2
• Epistaxis—2 grade 1/2
• Abdominal distension—1 grade 1/2
• Loss of appetite—1 grade 1/2
• Diarrhea—1 grade 1/2
• Hyperbilirubinemia—1 grade 1/2
• Fever—1 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Pain—1 grade 1/2
• Cough—1 grade 1/2
• Constipation—1 grade 1/2.

Dr Huang said EBV reactivation was not confirmed in this study. An elevated EBV DNA load was only observed in 2 patients with progressive disease.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Results of a phase 2 study suggest chidamide can produce durable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL).

The overall response rate was 57.2% in these patients, and the complete response (CR) rate was 28.6%.

Seven of 14 evaluable patients were still receiving chidamide and still in response at last follow-up. For one patient, this was 50 weeks from initiating treatment with chidamide.

“The response is quite promising and encouraging,” said study investigator Huiqiang Huang, MD, PhD, of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China.

“In terms of safety, the toxicity is mild to moderate.”

Dr Huang presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

This investigator-sponsored trial enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but Dr Huang presented results in NKTCL patients only.

There were 15 NKTCL patients, most of whom were male (n=12). Their median age was 41 (range, 17-65). All 15 had an ECOG status of 0 or 1, 9 had stage I/II disease, and 6 had B symptoms.

Nine patients had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels of at least 1000 copy/mL at baseline, and 5 patients had lactate dehydrogenase levels of at least 245 U/L.

The patients had a median of 2 prior systemic therapies (range, 1-3), and 2 patients had undergone a transplant.

Efficacy

Patients received chidamide at 2 doses—10 mg daily or 30 mg twice a week. Dr Huang said both doses were effective against the lymphoma types studied, but the 30 mg twice-weekly dose appeared to be more effective for patients with NKTCL.

Fourteen NKTCL patients were evaluable for efficacy, and the median follow-up was 17.6 weeks (range, 2.6-50).

The overall response rate was 68.2% (6/14), and the CR rate was 28.6% (4/14). The disease control rate was 71.4%, meaning 10 of 14 patients had a CR, partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD).

Dr Huang noted that response was associated with elevated H3 acetylation level.

The median time to response was 5.25 weeks (range, 1.1-6.6).

As for duration of response, the 4 complete responders were still on treatment and in CR at last follow-up, which was 22.7 weeks, 38.1 weeks, 41.3 weeks, and 50 weeks, respectively, from treatment initiation.

Three of the 4 partial responders were still on treatment and in PR at 14.1 weeks, 26.9 weeks, and 32 weeks, respectively. Two patients with SD were still on treatment and in SD at 15.3 weeks and 15.9 weeks, respectively.

Three patients progressed while on treatment and died. A fourth patient died 2.6 weeks after treatment initiation.

Safety

Dr Huang noted that adverse events (AEs) were similar with the 2 dose groups. However, patients who received 30 mg biweekly had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal AEs.

Overall, the most common AEs were hematologic—anemia, thrombocytopenia, etc.—but dose reductions allowed for quick resolution of these AEs, according to Dr Huang.

AEs included:

• Lymphopenia—10 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Anemia—9 grade 1/2 and 3 grade 3/4
• Thrombocytopenia—7 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Leukopenia—7 grade 1/2 and 6 grade 3/4
• Increased alanine aminotransferase—7 grade 1/2
• Neutropenia—6 grade 1/2 and 7 grade 3/4
• Increased aspartate aminotransferase—5 grade 1/2
• Hypoalbuminemia—4 grade 1/2
• Nausea—4 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3/4
• Vomiting—3 grade 1/2
• Mucositis—2 grade 1/2
• Fatigue—2 grade 1/2
• Epistaxis—2 grade 1/2
• Abdominal distension—1 grade 1/2
• Loss of appetite—1 grade 1/2
• Diarrhea—1 grade 1/2
• Hyperbilirubinemia—1 grade 1/2
• Fever—1 grade 1/2 and grade 3/4
• Pain—1 grade 1/2
• Cough—1 grade 1/2
• Constipation—1 grade 1/2.

Dr Huang said EBV reactivation was not confirmed in this study. An elevated EBV DNA load was only observed in 2 patients with progressive disease.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—A 2-drug combination has demonstrated preferential activity in T-cell lymphomas over B-cell lymphomas, according to researchers.

In a small, phase 1/2 study, treatment with oral 5-azacitidine and romidepsin produced a higher overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with T-cell lymphomas.

“In a very limited sample, we’ve definitely observed exquisite activity of the combination in patients with T-cell lymphoma compared to all other subtypes,” said Lorenzo Falchi, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York.

Dr Falchi presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Lymphoma Research Fund at Columbia University, and Celgene.

The phase 1 portion of this study included patients with previously treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or Hodgkin lymphoma. The phase 2 portion included only patients with T-cell lymphomas, newly diagnosed or previously treated.

Thirty-three patients were enrolled—12 with Hodgkin lymphoma, 8 with B-cell NHL, and 13 with T-cell NHL.

The patients’ median age was 54 (range, 23-79). Fifty-seven percent (n=19) were male. Sixty-one percent of patients were non-Hispanic white (n=20), 24% (n=8) were black, and 12% (n=4) were Asian.

“This was a very heavily pretreated patient population,” Dr Falchi noted. “I’d like to emphasize that the median number of prior treatments is 5 [range, 0-15].”

“Over half of patients had had stem cell transplantation [17 autologous and 5 allogeneic]. And, if you look at the subtypes by histology, all patients, pretty much, at some point, received all the standard chemotherapy or treatment approaches that are typically used for that subtype.”

Treatment

Patients were divided into 7 dosing cohorts. Azacitidine doses ranged from 100 mg to 300 mg on days 1-14 or days 1-21 per cycle.

Romidepsin doses ranged from 10 mg/m² to 14 mg/m². The drug was given on days 8 and 15 every 21 or 28 days, or it was given on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

There were 2 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) in cohort 2—grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 pleural effusion. In this cohort, 3 patients received azacitidine at 200 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 8 and 15 every 21 days.

There were 3 DLTs in cohort 7—2 cases of grade 4 neutropenia and 1 case of grade 3 thrombocytopenia. In this cohort, 5 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1 to 21 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Because of the DLTs in cohort 7, cohort 6 was chosen as the maximum tolerated dose. In cohort 6, 3 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Patients in the expansion cohort received treatment at the maximum tolerated dose. This cohort included 7 patients with T-cell lymphoma.

Safety

Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in at least 5% of patients included:

• Anemia—3% grade 3
• Anorexia—9% grade 1
• Back pain—6% grade 2
• Constipation—6% grade 1
• Cough—9% grade 1
• Depression—3% grade 1 and 2
• Diarrhea—15% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Dyspnea—3% grade 1 and 2
• Fatigue—21% grade 1, 9% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Febrile neutropenia—3% grade 3 and 4
• Fever—6% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• General disorders and administration site conditions—15% grade 1
• Hyperglycemia—3% grade 3
• Hypokalemia—6% grade 1
• Hypotension—3% grade 3
• Insomnia—6% grade 1
• Oral mucositis—9% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• Nausea—18% grade 1, 27% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Neutrophil count decrease—3% grade 3 and 4
• Pain—3% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Pain of skin—3% grade 1 and 2
• Platelet count decrease—6% grade 2, 9% grade 3, and 6% grade 4
• Urinary tract infection—3% grade 3
• Vomiting—18% grade 1 and 21% grade 2.

Efficacy

Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for efficacy. The ORR for these patients was 36% (n=10).

The complete response (CR) rate was 22% (n=6), and the partial response (PR) rate was 14% (n=4). Twenty-five percent of patients (n=7) had stable disease, and 39% (n=11) progressed.

Dr Falchi noted that the ORR was “much higher” in patients with T-cell lymphoma than in those with B-cell lymphoma—80% (n=8) and 11% (n=2), respectively.

The CR rates were 50% (n=5) in T-cell lymphoma patients and 5.5% (n=1) in B-cell patients. PR rates were 30% (n=3) and 5.5% (n=1), respectively. Thirty-nine percent (n=7) of B-cell patients had stable disease, but none of the T-cell patients did.

“Patients with non-T-cell lymphoma were much more likely to progress on treatment,” Dr Falchi noted. “Half of them did so [n=9].”

This is in comparison to the 20% of T-cell lymphoma patients who progressed on treatment (n=2).

Disease subtypes for complete responders included transformed follicular lymphoma (n=1), T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (n=1), adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (n=1), extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=2).

Partial responders had follicular lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=1).

The 2 responders with B-cell lymphoma (1 CR and 1 PR) ultimately progressed and died.

Of the 8 responders with T-cell lymphoma, 3 have an ongoing CR, and 2 of these patients proceeded to transplant.

One T-cell patient who achieved a CR and proceeded to transplant was lost to follow-up. Another died after transplant.

Two T-cell patients who achieved a PR progressed and died. And 1 patient has an ongoing PR.

In total, 75% of patients (n=21) progressed. The median PFS for the entire study cohort was 3.6 months (range, 1.5-5.7).

The median PFS was 2.2 months (range, 1.1-3.2) for patients with B-cell lymphomas and was not reached for the T-cell lymphoma patients.

Eighty-nine percent of B-cell patients progressed (n=16), as did 40% of T-cell patients (n=4).

Dr Falchi and his colleagues are now conducting studies to correlate the pharmacokinetics of azacitidine-romidepsin with genome-wide methylation and correlate TET2, IDH2, and DNMT3A mutation status with clinical response.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—A 2-drug combination has demonstrated preferential activity in T-cell lymphomas over B-cell lymphomas, according to researchers.

In a small, phase 1/2 study, treatment with oral 5-azacitidine and romidepsin produced a higher overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with T-cell lymphomas.

“In a very limited sample, we’ve definitely observed exquisite activity of the combination in patients with T-cell lymphoma compared to all other subtypes,” said Lorenzo Falchi, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York.

Dr Falchi presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Lymphoma Research Fund at Columbia University, and Celgene.

The phase 1 portion of this study included patients with previously treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or Hodgkin lymphoma. The phase 2 portion included only patients with T-cell lymphomas, newly diagnosed or previously treated.

Thirty-three patients were enrolled—12 with Hodgkin lymphoma, 8 with B-cell NHL, and 13 with T-cell NHL.

The patients’ median age was 54 (range, 23-79). Fifty-seven percent (n=19) were male. Sixty-one percent of patients were non-Hispanic white (n=20), 24% (n=8) were black, and 12% (n=4) were Asian.

“This was a very heavily pretreated patient population,” Dr Falchi noted. “I’d like to emphasize that the median number of prior treatments is 5 [range, 0-15].”

“Over half of patients had had stem cell transplantation [17 autologous and 5 allogeneic]. And, if you look at the subtypes by histology, all patients, pretty much, at some point, received all the standard chemotherapy or treatment approaches that are typically used for that subtype.”

Treatment

Patients were divided into 7 dosing cohorts. Azacitidine doses ranged from 100 mg to 300 mg on days 1-14 or days 1-21 per cycle.

Romidepsin doses ranged from 10 mg/m² to 14 mg/m². The drug was given on days 8 and 15 every 21 or 28 days, or it was given on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

There were 2 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) in cohort 2—grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 pleural effusion. In this cohort, 3 patients received azacitidine at 200 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 8 and 15 every 21 days.

There were 3 DLTs in cohort 7—2 cases of grade 4 neutropenia and 1 case of grade 3 thrombocytopenia. In this cohort, 5 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1 to 21 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Because of the DLTs in cohort 7, cohort 6 was chosen as the maximum tolerated dose. In cohort 6, 3 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Patients in the expansion cohort received treatment at the maximum tolerated dose. This cohort included 7 patients with T-cell lymphoma.

Safety

Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in at least 5% of patients included:

• Anemia—3% grade 3
• Anorexia—9% grade 1
• Back pain—6% grade 2
• Constipation—6% grade 1
• Cough—9% grade 1
• Depression—3% grade 1 and 2
• Diarrhea—15% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Dyspnea—3% grade 1 and 2
• Fatigue—21% grade 1, 9% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Febrile neutropenia—3% grade 3 and 4
• Fever—6% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• General disorders and administration site conditions—15% grade 1
• Hyperglycemia—3% grade 3
• Hypokalemia—6% grade 1
• Hypotension—3% grade 3
• Insomnia—6% grade 1
• Oral mucositis—9% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• Nausea—18% grade 1, 27% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Neutrophil count decrease—3% grade 3 and 4
• Pain—3% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Pain of skin—3% grade 1 and 2
• Platelet count decrease—6% grade 2, 9% grade 3, and 6% grade 4
• Urinary tract infection—3% grade 3
• Vomiting—18% grade 1 and 21% grade 2.

Efficacy

Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for efficacy. The ORR for these patients was 36% (n=10).

The complete response (CR) rate was 22% (n=6), and the partial response (PR) rate was 14% (n=4). Twenty-five percent of patients (n=7) had stable disease, and 39% (n=11) progressed.

Dr Falchi noted that the ORR was “much higher” in patients with T-cell lymphoma than in those with B-cell lymphoma—80% (n=8) and 11% (n=2), respectively.

The CR rates were 50% (n=5) in T-cell lymphoma patients and 5.5% (n=1) in B-cell patients. PR rates were 30% (n=3) and 5.5% (n=1), respectively. Thirty-nine percent (n=7) of B-cell patients had stable disease, but none of the T-cell patients did.

“Patients with non-T-cell lymphoma were much more likely to progress on treatment,” Dr Falchi noted. “Half of them did so [n=9].”

This is in comparison to the 20% of T-cell lymphoma patients who progressed on treatment (n=2).

Disease subtypes for complete responders included transformed follicular lymphoma (n=1), T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (n=1), adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (n=1), extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=2).

Partial responders had follicular lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=1).

The 2 responders with B-cell lymphoma (1 CR and 1 PR) ultimately progressed and died.

Of the 8 responders with T-cell lymphoma, 3 have an ongoing CR, and 2 of these patients proceeded to transplant.

One T-cell patient who achieved a CR and proceeded to transplant was lost to follow-up. Another died after transplant.

Two T-cell patients who achieved a PR progressed and died. And 1 patient has an ongoing PR.

In total, 75% of patients (n=21) progressed. The median PFS for the entire study cohort was 3.6 months (range, 1.5-5.7).

The median PFS was 2.2 months (range, 1.1-3.2) for patients with B-cell lymphomas and was not reached for the T-cell lymphoma patients.

Eighty-nine percent of B-cell patients progressed (n=16), as did 40% of T-cell patients (n=4).

Dr Falchi and his colleagues are now conducting studies to correlate the pharmacokinetics of azacitidine-romidepsin with genome-wide methylation and correlate TET2, IDH2, and DNMT3A mutation status with clinical response.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—A 2-drug combination has demonstrated preferential activity in T-cell lymphomas over B-cell lymphomas, according to researchers.

In a small, phase 1/2 study, treatment with oral 5-azacitidine and romidepsin produced a higher overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with T-cell lymphomas.

“In a very limited sample, we’ve definitely observed exquisite activity of the combination in patients with T-cell lymphoma compared to all other subtypes,” said Lorenzo Falchi, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York.

Dr Falchi presented these results at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Lymphoma Research Fund at Columbia University, and Celgene.

The phase 1 portion of this study included patients with previously treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or Hodgkin lymphoma. The phase 2 portion included only patients with T-cell lymphomas, newly diagnosed or previously treated.

Thirty-three patients were enrolled—12 with Hodgkin lymphoma, 8 with B-cell NHL, and 13 with T-cell NHL.

The patients’ median age was 54 (range, 23-79). Fifty-seven percent (n=19) were male. Sixty-one percent of patients were non-Hispanic white (n=20), 24% (n=8) were black, and 12% (n=4) were Asian.

“This was a very heavily pretreated patient population,” Dr Falchi noted. “I’d like to emphasize that the median number of prior treatments is 5 [range, 0-15].”

“Over half of patients had had stem cell transplantation [17 autologous and 5 allogeneic]. And, if you look at the subtypes by histology, all patients, pretty much, at some point, received all the standard chemotherapy or treatment approaches that are typically used for that subtype.”

Treatment

Patients were divided into 7 dosing cohorts. Azacitidine doses ranged from 100 mg to 300 mg on days 1-14 or days 1-21 per cycle.

Romidepsin doses ranged from 10 mg/m² to 14 mg/m². The drug was given on days 8 and 15 every 21 or 28 days, or it was given on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

There were 2 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) in cohort 2—grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 pleural effusion. In this cohort, 3 patients received azacitidine at 200 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 8 and 15 every 21 days.

There were 3 DLTs in cohort 7—2 cases of grade 4 neutropenia and 1 case of grade 3 thrombocytopenia. In this cohort, 5 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1 to 21 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Because of the DLTs in cohort 7, cohort 6 was chosen as the maximum tolerated dose. In cohort 6, 3 patients received azacitidine at 300 mg on days 1-14 plus romidepsin at 14 mg/m² on days 8, 15, and 22 every 35 days.

Patients in the expansion cohort received treatment at the maximum tolerated dose. This cohort included 7 patients with T-cell lymphoma.

Safety

Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in at least 5% of patients included:

• Anemia—3% grade 3
• Anorexia—9% grade 1
• Back pain—6% grade 2
• Constipation—6% grade 1
• Cough—9% grade 1
• Depression—3% grade 1 and 2
• Diarrhea—15% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Dyspnea—3% grade 1 and 2
• Fatigue—21% grade 1, 9% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Febrile neutropenia—3% grade 3 and 4
• Fever—6% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• General disorders and administration site conditions—15% grade 1
• Hyperglycemia—3% grade 3
• Hypokalemia—6% grade 1
• Hypotension—3% grade 3
• Insomnia—6% grade 1
• Oral mucositis—9% grade 1 and 3% grade 2
• Nausea—18% grade 1, 27% grade 2, and 3% grade 3
• Neutrophil count decrease—3% grade 3 and 4
• Pain—3% grade 1 and 6% grade 2
• Pain of skin—3% grade 1 and 2
• Platelet count decrease—6% grade 2, 9% grade 3, and 6% grade 4
• Urinary tract infection—3% grade 3
• Vomiting—18% grade 1 and 21% grade 2.

Efficacy

Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for efficacy. The ORR for these patients was 36% (n=10).

The complete response (CR) rate was 22% (n=6), and the partial response (PR) rate was 14% (n=4). Twenty-five percent of patients (n=7) had stable disease, and 39% (n=11) progressed.

Dr Falchi noted that the ORR was “much higher” in patients with T-cell lymphoma than in those with B-cell lymphoma—80% (n=8) and 11% (n=2), respectively.

The CR rates were 50% (n=5) in T-cell lymphoma patients and 5.5% (n=1) in B-cell patients. PR rates were 30% (n=3) and 5.5% (n=1), respectively. Thirty-nine percent (n=7) of B-cell patients had stable disease, but none of the T-cell patients did.

“Patients with non-T-cell lymphoma were much more likely to progress on treatment,” Dr Falchi noted. “Half of them did so [n=9].”

This is in comparison to the 20% of T-cell lymphoma patients who progressed on treatment (n=2).

Disease subtypes for complete responders included transformed follicular lymphoma (n=1), T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (n=1), adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (n=1), extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=2).

Partial responders had follicular lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=1), cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (n=1), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n=1).

The 2 responders with B-cell lymphoma (1 CR and 1 PR) ultimately progressed and died.

Of the 8 responders with T-cell lymphoma, 3 have an ongoing CR, and 2 of these patients proceeded to transplant.

One T-cell patient who achieved a CR and proceeded to transplant was lost to follow-up. Another died after transplant.

Two T-cell patients who achieved a PR progressed and died. And 1 patient has an ongoing PR.

In total, 75% of patients (n=21) progressed. The median PFS for the entire study cohort was 3.6 months (range, 1.5-5.7).

The median PFS was 2.2 months (range, 1.1-3.2) for patients with B-cell lymphomas and was not reached for the T-cell lymphoma patients.

Eighty-nine percent of B-cell patients progressed (n=16), as did 40% of T-cell patients (n=4).

Dr Falchi and his colleagues are now conducting studies to correlate the pharmacokinetics of azacitidine-romidepsin with genome-wide methylation and correlate TET2, IDH2, and DNMT3A mutation status with clinical response.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Phase 1 results suggest duvelisib combination therapies can be active and well-tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell lymphomas.

Researchers said duvelisib had an acceptable safety profile when given in combination with romidepsin or bortezomib to patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Duvelisib plus romidepsin produced a 60% overall response rate (ORR) in these patients, and duvelisib plus bortezomib produced a 35% ORR.

Response rates were higher in PTCL patients than CTCL patients.

Neha Mehta-Shah, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and Verastem Inc.

This phase 1 trial consists of parallel arms evaluating duvelisib in combination with romidepsin (arm A) or bortezomib (arm B). The trial enrolled patients with PTCL or CTCL that had progressed after at least 1 prior therapy.

All patients received duvelisib at 25 mg, 50 mg, or 75 mg twice daily for 28-day cycles.

Patients in arm A received romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle.

Patients in arm B received bortezomib at 1 mg/m² on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of each cycle.

Romidepsin combination

Sixteen patients received duvelisib plus romidepsin, and 15 of them were evaluable for efficacy. Eleven patients had PTCL, and 4 had CTCL.

The ORR was 60% (9/16), and the complete response (CR) rate was 27% (n=4). The median time to response was 51 days (range, 49-54).

The ORR was 64% in the PTCL patients and 50% in the CTCL patients. All 4 CRs occurred in PTCL patients, 2 in patients with PTCL not otherwise specified (NOS) and 2 in patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL).

There were 5 responses among patients who received the 75 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8) and 2 responses each in the 50 mg dose group (n=3) and 25 mg dose group (n=4).

There were no dose-limiting toxicities, so the 75 mg dose of duvelisib was considered the maximum tolerated dose.

All 16 patients were evaluable for safety. There were 2 serious adverse events (AEs) considered possibly related to treatment—grade 3 fatigue and grade 2 aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase.

There were 2 deaths considered unrelated to treatment—diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after allogeneic transplant and sepsis in the setting of disease progression.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) were fatigue (56%), nausea (50%), altered taste (50%), diarrhea (38%), neutropenia (38%), rash (31%), thrombocytopenia (25%), dysphagia (25%), and anorexia (25%).

Grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs included neutropenia (38%) and thrombocytopenia (6%).

One patient discontinued duvelisib-romidepsin due to toxicity, and 7 discontinued due to progressive disease.

Three patients proceeded to bone marrow transplant/donor lymphocyte infusion, and 4 patients are still receiving study treatment.

Bortezomib combination

There were 17 patients who received duvelisib plus bortezomib—10 with PTCL and 7 with CTCL.

The ORR was 35% (6/17), and the CR rate was 18% (n=3). The median time to response was 52 days (range, 47-57).

The ORR was 50% in PTCL patients and 14% among CTCL patients.

All 3 CRs occurred in the PTCL patients—1 in a patient with AITL, 1 in a patient with PTCL-NOS, and 1 in a patient who had intestinal T-cell lymphoma with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

There were 3 responses among patients who received the 25 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8), 2 responses in the 50 mg dose group (n=3), and 1 response in the 75 mg dose group (n=6).

There was 1 dose-limiting toxicity—pneumonia—in a patient treated at the 25 mg dose.

The 25 mg dose was deemed optimal due to grade 3 alanine transaminase (ALT)/AST elevations observed after cycle 1 with the 50 mg dose (n=3) and the 75 mg dose (n=2).

There were 6 serious AEs considered possibly related to treatment:

• Grade 3 pneumonia (n=2)
• Grade 3 infectious colitis (n=1)
• Grade 3 colitis (n=1)
• Grade 4 ALT/AST elevation (n=1)
• Grade 5 Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n=1).

The fatal case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome was considered possibly related to bortezomib, duvelisib, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, a medication that was started at the beginning of the study.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) included diarrhea/colitis (71%), ALT/AST increase (41%), rash (24%), neutropenia (24%), nausea/vomiting (24%), chills (24%), fatigue (24%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (12%).

Grade 3/4 AEs included ALT/AST increase (35%), rash (12%), neutropenia (12%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (6%).

Seven patients discontinued duvelisib-bortezomib due to toxicity, and 8 discontinued due to disease progression. Two patients are still on study treatment.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Phase 1 results suggest duvelisib combination therapies can be active and well-tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell lymphomas.

Researchers said duvelisib had an acceptable safety profile when given in combination with romidepsin or bortezomib to patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Duvelisib plus romidepsin produced a 60% overall response rate (ORR) in these patients, and duvelisib plus bortezomib produced a 35% ORR.

Response rates were higher in PTCL patients than CTCL patients.

Neha Mehta-Shah, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and Verastem Inc.

This phase 1 trial consists of parallel arms evaluating duvelisib in combination with romidepsin (arm A) or bortezomib (arm B). The trial enrolled patients with PTCL or CTCL that had progressed after at least 1 prior therapy.

All patients received duvelisib at 25 mg, 50 mg, or 75 mg twice daily for 28-day cycles.

Patients in arm A received romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle.

Patients in arm B received bortezomib at 1 mg/m² on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of each cycle.

Romidepsin combination

Sixteen patients received duvelisib plus romidepsin, and 15 of them were evaluable for efficacy. Eleven patients had PTCL, and 4 had CTCL.

The ORR was 60% (9/16), and the complete response (CR) rate was 27% (n=4). The median time to response was 51 days (range, 49-54).

The ORR was 64% in the PTCL patients and 50% in the CTCL patients. All 4 CRs occurred in PTCL patients, 2 in patients with PTCL not otherwise specified (NOS) and 2 in patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL).

There were 5 responses among patients who received the 75 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8) and 2 responses each in the 50 mg dose group (n=3) and 25 mg dose group (n=4).

There were no dose-limiting toxicities, so the 75 mg dose of duvelisib was considered the maximum tolerated dose.

All 16 patients were evaluable for safety. There were 2 serious adverse events (AEs) considered possibly related to treatment—grade 3 fatigue and grade 2 aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase.

There were 2 deaths considered unrelated to treatment—diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after allogeneic transplant and sepsis in the setting of disease progression.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) were fatigue (56%), nausea (50%), altered taste (50%), diarrhea (38%), neutropenia (38%), rash (31%), thrombocytopenia (25%), dysphagia (25%), and anorexia (25%).

Grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs included neutropenia (38%) and thrombocytopenia (6%).

One patient discontinued duvelisib-romidepsin due to toxicity, and 7 discontinued due to progressive disease.

Three patients proceeded to bone marrow transplant/donor lymphocyte infusion, and 4 patients are still receiving study treatment.

Bortezomib combination

There were 17 patients who received duvelisib plus bortezomib—10 with PTCL and 7 with CTCL.

The ORR was 35% (6/17), and the CR rate was 18% (n=3). The median time to response was 52 days (range, 47-57).

The ORR was 50% in PTCL patients and 14% among CTCL patients.

All 3 CRs occurred in the PTCL patients—1 in a patient with AITL, 1 in a patient with PTCL-NOS, and 1 in a patient who had intestinal T-cell lymphoma with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

There were 3 responses among patients who received the 25 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8), 2 responses in the 50 mg dose group (n=3), and 1 response in the 75 mg dose group (n=6).

There was 1 dose-limiting toxicity—pneumonia—in a patient treated at the 25 mg dose.

The 25 mg dose was deemed optimal due to grade 3 alanine transaminase (ALT)/AST elevations observed after cycle 1 with the 50 mg dose (n=3) and the 75 mg dose (n=2).

There were 6 serious AEs considered possibly related to treatment:

• Grade 3 pneumonia (n=2)
• Grade 3 infectious colitis (n=1)
• Grade 3 colitis (n=1)
• Grade 4 ALT/AST elevation (n=1)
• Grade 5 Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n=1).

The fatal case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome was considered possibly related to bortezomib, duvelisib, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, a medication that was started at the beginning of the study.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) included diarrhea/colitis (71%), ALT/AST increase (41%), rash (24%), neutropenia (24%), nausea/vomiting (24%), chills (24%), fatigue (24%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (12%).

Grade 3/4 AEs included ALT/AST increase (35%), rash (12%), neutropenia (12%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (6%).

Seven patients discontinued duvelisib-bortezomib due to toxicity, and 8 discontinued due to disease progression. Two patients are still on study treatment.

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Phase 1 results suggest duvelisib combination therapies can be active and well-tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell lymphomas.

Researchers said duvelisib had an acceptable safety profile when given in combination with romidepsin or bortezomib to patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Duvelisib plus romidepsin produced a 60% overall response rate (ORR) in these patients, and duvelisib plus bortezomib produced a 35% ORR.

Response rates were higher in PTCL patients than CTCL patients.

Neha Mehta-Shah, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum.

The research was supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and Verastem Inc.

This phase 1 trial consists of parallel arms evaluating duvelisib in combination with romidepsin (arm A) or bortezomib (arm B). The trial enrolled patients with PTCL or CTCL that had progressed after at least 1 prior therapy.

All patients received duvelisib at 25 mg, 50 mg, or 75 mg twice daily for 28-day cycles.

Patients in arm A received romidepsin at 10 mg/m² on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle.

Patients in arm B received bortezomib at 1 mg/m² on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of each cycle.

Romidepsin combination

Sixteen patients received duvelisib plus romidepsin, and 15 of them were evaluable for efficacy. Eleven patients had PTCL, and 4 had CTCL.

The ORR was 60% (9/16), and the complete response (CR) rate was 27% (n=4). The median time to response was 51 days (range, 49-54).

The ORR was 64% in the PTCL patients and 50% in the CTCL patients. All 4 CRs occurred in PTCL patients, 2 in patients with PTCL not otherwise specified (NOS) and 2 in patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL).

There were 5 responses among patients who received the 75 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8) and 2 responses each in the 50 mg dose group (n=3) and 25 mg dose group (n=4).

There were no dose-limiting toxicities, so the 75 mg dose of duvelisib was considered the maximum tolerated dose.

All 16 patients were evaluable for safety. There were 2 serious adverse events (AEs) considered possibly related to treatment—grade 3 fatigue and grade 2 aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase.

There were 2 deaths considered unrelated to treatment—diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after allogeneic transplant and sepsis in the setting of disease progression.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) were fatigue (56%), nausea (50%), altered taste (50%), diarrhea (38%), neutropenia (38%), rash (31%), thrombocytopenia (25%), dysphagia (25%), and anorexia (25%).

Grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs included neutropenia (38%) and thrombocytopenia (6%).

One patient discontinued duvelisib-romidepsin due to toxicity, and 7 discontinued due to progressive disease.

Three patients proceeded to bone marrow transplant/donor lymphocyte infusion, and 4 patients are still receiving study treatment.

Bortezomib combination

There were 17 patients who received duvelisib plus bortezomib—10 with PTCL and 7 with CTCL.

The ORR was 35% (6/17), and the CR rate was 18% (n=3). The median time to response was 52 days (range, 47-57).

The ORR was 50% in PTCL patients and 14% among CTCL patients.

All 3 CRs occurred in the PTCL patients—1 in a patient with AITL, 1 in a patient with PTCL-NOS, and 1 in a patient who had intestinal T-cell lymphoma with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

There were 3 responses among patients who received the 25 mg dose of duvelisib (n=8), 2 responses in the 50 mg dose group (n=3), and 1 response in the 75 mg dose group (n=6).

There was 1 dose-limiting toxicity—pneumonia—in a patient treated at the 25 mg dose.

The 25 mg dose was deemed optimal due to grade 3 alanine transaminase (ALT)/AST elevations observed after cycle 1 with the 50 mg dose (n=3) and the 75 mg dose (n=2).

There were 6 serious AEs considered possibly related to treatment:

• Grade 3 pneumonia (n=2)
• Grade 3 infectious colitis (n=1)
• Grade 3 colitis (n=1)
• Grade 4 ALT/AST elevation (n=1)
• Grade 5 Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n=1).

The fatal case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome was considered possibly related to bortezomib, duvelisib, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, a medication that was started at the beginning of the study.

Treatment-related AEs (occurring in at least 2 patients) included diarrhea/colitis (71%), ALT/AST increase (41%), rash (24%), neutropenia (24%), nausea/vomiting (24%), chills (24%), fatigue (24%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (12%).

Grade 3/4 AEs included ALT/AST increase (35%), rash (12%), neutropenia (12%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (6%).

Seven patients discontinued duvelisib-bortezomib due to toxicity, and 8 discontinued due to disease progression. Two patients are still on study treatment.

Red and white blood cells

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is evaluating reports of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients treated with the CELLEX Photopheresis System by Therakos, Inc.

This extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) device system is FDA-approved for use in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The system is used to perform ultraviolet-A irradiation of a patient’s own leukocyte-enriched blood that is then used as palliative treatment for skin manifestations of CTCL that are unresponsive to other forms of treatment.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System is also used to treat graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy and acute cardiac allograft rejection that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System uses methoxsalen as a photosensitizing agent and heparin as an anticoagulant.

Since 2012, the FDA has received 7 reports of pulmonary embolism (PE) and 2 reports of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurring during or soon after treatment with the CELLEX Photopheresis System.

Two of the patients who developed a PE died, although it’s not clear whether PE was the cause of death.

Four of the 7 PEs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD, including the 2 patients who died. Both DVTs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD as well.

The FDA is recommending that healthcare providers inform patients, clinical staff, and technicians that PE and DVT can occur during or after an ECP procedure.

The agency also recommends that healthcare providers consult device labeling regarding anticoagulation and use clinical judgment in adjusting a patient’s heparin dosage.

Finally, providers should report VTEs related to ECP procedures to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

If possible, reports should include the following:

• The indication for ECP therapy
• Comorbidities that may predispose a patient to increased coagulation and history of DVT or PE
• The anticoagulation regimen used
• The number of ECP sessions the patient underwent prior to VTE onset, including the date of the first treatment session, frequency of treatment sessions, and timing of the final treatment
• Timing of the VTE in relation to the most recent treatment session
• Interventions required to manage the VTE.
  

Red and white blood cells

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is evaluating reports of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients treated with the CELLEX Photopheresis System by Therakos, Inc.

This extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) device system is FDA-approved for use in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The system is used to perform ultraviolet-A irradiation of a patient’s own leukocyte-enriched blood that is then used as palliative treatment for skin manifestations of CTCL that are unresponsive to other forms of treatment.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System is also used to treat graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy and acute cardiac allograft rejection that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System uses methoxsalen as a photosensitizing agent and heparin as an anticoagulant.

Since 2012, the FDA has received 7 reports of pulmonary embolism (PE) and 2 reports of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurring during or soon after treatment with the CELLEX Photopheresis System.

Two of the patients who developed a PE died, although it’s not clear whether PE was the cause of death.

Four of the 7 PEs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD, including the 2 patients who died. Both DVTs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD as well.

The FDA is recommending that healthcare providers inform patients, clinical staff, and technicians that PE and DVT can occur during or after an ECP procedure.

The agency also recommends that healthcare providers consult device labeling regarding anticoagulation and use clinical judgment in adjusting a patient’s heparin dosage.

Finally, providers should report VTEs related to ECP procedures to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

If possible, reports should include the following:

• The indication for ECP therapy
• Comorbidities that may predispose a patient to increased coagulation and history of DVT or PE
• The anticoagulation regimen used
• The number of ECP sessions the patient underwent prior to VTE onset, including the date of the first treatment session, frequency of treatment sessions, and timing of the final treatment
• Timing of the VTE in relation to the most recent treatment session
• Interventions required to manage the VTE.
  

Red and white blood cells

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is evaluating reports of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients treated with the CELLEX Photopheresis System by Therakos, Inc.

This extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) device system is FDA-approved for use in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The system is used to perform ultraviolet-A irradiation of a patient’s own leukocyte-enriched blood that is then used as palliative treatment for skin manifestations of CTCL that are unresponsive to other forms of treatment.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System is also used to treat graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy and acute cardiac allograft rejection that is resistant to standard immunosuppressive therapy.

The CELLEX Photopheresis System uses methoxsalen as a photosensitizing agent and heparin as an anticoagulant.

Since 2012, the FDA has received 7 reports of pulmonary embolism (PE) and 2 reports of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurring during or soon after treatment with the CELLEX Photopheresis System.

Two of the patients who developed a PE died, although it’s not clear whether PE was the cause of death.

Four of the 7 PEs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD, including the 2 patients who died. Both DVTs occurred in patients undergoing treatment for GVHD as well.

The FDA is recommending that healthcare providers inform patients, clinical staff, and technicians that PE and DVT can occur during or after an ECP procedure.

The agency also recommends that healthcare providers consult device labeling regarding anticoagulation and use clinical judgment in adjusting a patient’s heparin dosage.

Finally, providers should report VTEs related to ECP procedures to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

If possible, reports should include the following:

• The indication for ECP therapy
• Comorbidities that may predispose a patient to increased coagulation and history of DVT or PE
• The anticoagulation regimen used
• The number of ECP sessions the patient underwent prior to VTE onset, including the date of the first treatment session, frequency of treatment sessions, and timing of the final treatment
• Timing of the VTE in relation to the most recent treatment session
• Interventions required to manage the VTE.
  

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Mogamulizumab is a valuable new therapeutic option for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to researchers.

Results of the phase 3 MAVORIC study indicated that mogamulizumab is more effective than vorinostat in previously treated patients with CTCL.

Mogamulizumab produced a better overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in these patients.

Infusion-related reactions and drug eruptions were more common in patients who received mogamulizumab.

Youn H. Kim, MD, of the Stanford Cancer Institute in Palo Alto, California, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum. The study was funded by Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, Inc.

MAVORIC enrolled 372 adults with histologically confirmed mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) who had failed at least 1 systemic therapy. They were randomized to receive mogamulizumab at 1.0 mg/kg (weekly for the first 4-week cycle and then every 2 weeks) or vorinostat at 400 mg daily.

Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Those receiving vorinostat could crossover to mogamulizumab if they progressed or experienced intolerable toxicity.

Baseline characteristics were similar between the treatment arms. The median age was 64 (range, 54-73) in the mogamulizumab arm and 65 (range, 56-72) in the vorinostat arm. Ninety-nine percent and 100% of patients, respectively, had an ECOG performance status of 0 to 1.

A little more than half of patients in each arm had MF—57% in the mogamulizumab arm and 53% in the vorinostat arm.

The median number of prior systemic therapies was 3 in both arms (range, 1-18 in the mogamulizumab arm and 0-14 in the vorinostat arm).

Efficacy

The primary endpoint was PFS, and mogamulizumab provided a significant improvement there. The median PFS was 7.7 months with mogamulizumab and 3.1 months with vorinostat (hazard ratio=0.53, P<0.0001).

The researchers also observed a significant improvement in global ORR with mogamulizumab. It was 28% (52/189) in that arm and 5% (9/186) in the vorinostat arm (P<0.0001).

For patients with MF, the ORR was 21% with mogamulizumab and 7% with vorinostat. For SS patients, the ORR was 37% and 2%, respectively.

Responses by disease compartment were superior with mogamulizumab as well.

“Especially in the blood compartment, mogamulizumab had very striking activity over vorinostat,” Dr Kim said.

The blood ORR was 68% with mogamulizumab and 19% with vorinostat. The skin ORR was 42% and 16%, respectively. The lymph node ORR was 17% and 4%, respectively. The viscera ORR was 0% in both arms.

After crossover, the ORR in the mogamulizumab arm was 30% (41/136).

The median duration of response (DOR) was 14 months in the mogamulizumab arm and 9 months in the vorinostat arm.

For MF patients, the median DOR was 13 months with mogamulizumab and 9 months with vorinostat. For SS patients, the median DOR was 17 months and 7 months, respectively.

Safety

“Side effects [of mogamulizumab] were very well tolerable,” Dr Kim said. “Most significant is rash and infusion reactions, but, in terms of severe adverse events, [they] were very minimal.”

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), occurring in at least 20% of patients in either arm (mogamulizumab and vorinostat, respectively), were:

• Infusion-related reactions (33.2% vs 0.5%)
• Drug eruptions (23.9% vs 0.5%)
• Diarrhea (23.4% vs 61.8%)
• Nausea (15.2% vs 42.5%)
• Thrombocytopenia (11.4% vs 30.6%)
• Dysgeusia (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Increased blood creatinine (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Decreased appetite (7.6% vs 24.7%).

There were no grade 4 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm and 2 cases of grade 4 thrombocytopenia in the vorinostat arm.

Grade 3 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm included drug eruptions (n=8), infusion-related reactions (n=3), fatigue (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), nausea (n=1), pyrexia (n=1), and diarrhea (n=1).

Grade 3 AEs in the vorinostat arm included thrombocytopenia (n=11), fatigue (n=11), diarrhea (n=9), nausea (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), and dysgeusia (n=1).

“So the results are, overall, positive,” Dr Kim said. “The data is submitted to the [US Food and Drug Administration]. We are really hoping that [mogamulizumab] will be approved so that we would have a new, exciting treatment for our patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.”

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Mogamulizumab is a valuable new therapeutic option for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to researchers.

Results of the phase 3 MAVORIC study indicated that mogamulizumab is more effective than vorinostat in previously treated patients with CTCL.

Mogamulizumab produced a better overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in these patients.

Infusion-related reactions and drug eruptions were more common in patients who received mogamulizumab.

Youn H. Kim, MD, of the Stanford Cancer Institute in Palo Alto, California, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum. The study was funded by Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, Inc.

MAVORIC enrolled 372 adults with histologically confirmed mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) who had failed at least 1 systemic therapy. They were randomized to receive mogamulizumab at 1.0 mg/kg (weekly for the first 4-week cycle and then every 2 weeks) or vorinostat at 400 mg daily.

Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Those receiving vorinostat could crossover to mogamulizumab if they progressed or experienced intolerable toxicity.

Baseline characteristics were similar between the treatment arms. The median age was 64 (range, 54-73) in the mogamulizumab arm and 65 (range, 56-72) in the vorinostat arm. Ninety-nine percent and 100% of patients, respectively, had an ECOG performance status of 0 to 1.

A little more than half of patients in each arm had MF—57% in the mogamulizumab arm and 53% in the vorinostat arm.

The median number of prior systemic therapies was 3 in both arms (range, 1-18 in the mogamulizumab arm and 0-14 in the vorinostat arm).

Efficacy

The primary endpoint was PFS, and mogamulizumab provided a significant improvement there. The median PFS was 7.7 months with mogamulizumab and 3.1 months with vorinostat (hazard ratio=0.53, P<0.0001).

The researchers also observed a significant improvement in global ORR with mogamulizumab. It was 28% (52/189) in that arm and 5% (9/186) in the vorinostat arm (P<0.0001).

For patients with MF, the ORR was 21% with mogamulizumab and 7% with vorinostat. For SS patients, the ORR was 37% and 2%, respectively.

Responses by disease compartment were superior with mogamulizumab as well.

“Especially in the blood compartment, mogamulizumab had very striking activity over vorinostat,” Dr Kim said.

The blood ORR was 68% with mogamulizumab and 19% with vorinostat. The skin ORR was 42% and 16%, respectively. The lymph node ORR was 17% and 4%, respectively. The viscera ORR was 0% in both arms.

After crossover, the ORR in the mogamulizumab arm was 30% (41/136).

The median duration of response (DOR) was 14 months in the mogamulizumab arm and 9 months in the vorinostat arm.

For MF patients, the median DOR was 13 months with mogamulizumab and 9 months with vorinostat. For SS patients, the median DOR was 17 months and 7 months, respectively.

Safety

“Side effects [of mogamulizumab] were very well tolerable,” Dr Kim said. “Most significant is rash and infusion reactions, but, in terms of severe adverse events, [they] were very minimal.”

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), occurring in at least 20% of patients in either arm (mogamulizumab and vorinostat, respectively), were:

• Infusion-related reactions (33.2% vs 0.5%)
• Drug eruptions (23.9% vs 0.5%)
• Diarrhea (23.4% vs 61.8%)
• Nausea (15.2% vs 42.5%)
• Thrombocytopenia (11.4% vs 30.6%)
• Dysgeusia (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Increased blood creatinine (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Decreased appetite (7.6% vs 24.7%).

There were no grade 4 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm and 2 cases of grade 4 thrombocytopenia in the vorinostat arm.

Grade 3 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm included drug eruptions (n=8), infusion-related reactions (n=3), fatigue (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), nausea (n=1), pyrexia (n=1), and diarrhea (n=1).

Grade 3 AEs in the vorinostat arm included thrombocytopenia (n=11), fatigue (n=11), diarrhea (n=9), nausea (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), and dysgeusia (n=1).

“So the results are, overall, positive,” Dr Kim said. “The data is submitted to the [US Food and Drug Administration]. We are really hoping that [mogamulizumab] will be approved so that we would have a new, exciting treatment for our patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.”

Photo by Larry Young

LA JOLLA, CA—Mogamulizumab is a valuable new therapeutic option for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to researchers.

Results of the phase 3 MAVORIC study indicated that mogamulizumab is more effective than vorinostat in previously treated patients with CTCL.

Mogamulizumab produced a better overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in these patients.

Infusion-related reactions and drug eruptions were more common in patients who received mogamulizumab.

Youn H. Kim, MD, of the Stanford Cancer Institute in Palo Alto, California, and her colleagues presented these results in a poster at the 10th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum. The study was funded by Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, Inc.

MAVORIC enrolled 372 adults with histologically confirmed mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) who had failed at least 1 systemic therapy. They were randomized to receive mogamulizumab at 1.0 mg/kg (weekly for the first 4-week cycle and then every 2 weeks) or vorinostat at 400 mg daily.

Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Those receiving vorinostat could crossover to mogamulizumab if they progressed or experienced intolerable toxicity.

Baseline characteristics were similar between the treatment arms. The median age was 64 (range, 54-73) in the mogamulizumab arm and 65 (range, 56-72) in the vorinostat arm. Ninety-nine percent and 100% of patients, respectively, had an ECOG performance status of 0 to 1.

A little more than half of patients in each arm had MF—57% in the mogamulizumab arm and 53% in the vorinostat arm.

The median number of prior systemic therapies was 3 in both arms (range, 1-18 in the mogamulizumab arm and 0-14 in the vorinostat arm).

Efficacy

The primary endpoint was PFS, and mogamulizumab provided a significant improvement there. The median PFS was 7.7 months with mogamulizumab and 3.1 months with vorinostat (hazard ratio=0.53, P<0.0001).

The researchers also observed a significant improvement in global ORR with mogamulizumab. It was 28% (52/189) in that arm and 5% (9/186) in the vorinostat arm (P<0.0001).

For patients with MF, the ORR was 21% with mogamulizumab and 7% with vorinostat. For SS patients, the ORR was 37% and 2%, respectively.

Responses by disease compartment were superior with mogamulizumab as well.

“Especially in the blood compartment, mogamulizumab had very striking activity over vorinostat,” Dr Kim said.

The blood ORR was 68% with mogamulizumab and 19% with vorinostat. The skin ORR was 42% and 16%, respectively. The lymph node ORR was 17% and 4%, respectively. The viscera ORR was 0% in both arms.

After crossover, the ORR in the mogamulizumab arm was 30% (41/136).

The median duration of response (DOR) was 14 months in the mogamulizumab arm and 9 months in the vorinostat arm.

For MF patients, the median DOR was 13 months with mogamulizumab and 9 months with vorinostat. For SS patients, the median DOR was 17 months and 7 months, respectively.

Safety

“Side effects [of mogamulizumab] were very well tolerable,” Dr Kim said. “Most significant is rash and infusion reactions, but, in terms of severe adverse events, [they] were very minimal.”

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), occurring in at least 20% of patients in either arm (mogamulizumab and vorinostat, respectively), were:

• Infusion-related reactions (33.2% vs 0.5%)
• Drug eruptions (23.9% vs 0.5%)
• Diarrhea (23.4% vs 61.8%)
• Nausea (15.2% vs 42.5%)
• Thrombocytopenia (11.4% vs 30.6%)
• Dysgeusia (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Increased blood creatinine (3.3% vs 28.0%)
• Decreased appetite (7.6% vs 24.7%).

There were no grade 4 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm and 2 cases of grade 4 thrombocytopenia in the vorinostat arm.

Grade 3 AEs in the mogamulizumab arm included drug eruptions (n=8), infusion-related reactions (n=3), fatigue (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), nausea (n=1), pyrexia (n=1), and diarrhea (n=1).

Grade 3 AEs in the vorinostat arm included thrombocytopenia (n=11), fatigue (n=11), diarrhea (n=9), nausea (n=3), decreased appetite (n=2), and dysgeusia (n=1).

“So the results are, overall, positive,” Dr Kim said. “The data is submitted to the [US Food and Drug Administration]. We are really hoping that [mogamulizumab] will be approved so that we would have a new, exciting treatment for our patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.”

Photo by Steve Fisch

Experiments in mice have shown that injecting immune-stimulating agents directly into a tumor can help the immune system eradicate tumors in other areas of the body.

The approach worked for several cancers, including lymphomas.

The researchers believe the local application of the agents could serve as a rapid and relatively inexpensive cancer therapy that is unlikely to cause the adverse effects often seen with more widespread immune stimulation.

“Our approach uses a one-time application of very small amounts of two agents to stimulate the immune cells only within the tumor itself,” said Ronald Levy, MD, of Stanford University Medical Center in California.

“In the mice, we saw amazing, body-wide effects, including the elimination of tumors all over the animal. This approach bypasses the need to identify tumor-specific immune targets and doesn’t require wholesale activation of the immune system or customization of a patient’s immune cells.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues described this approach in Science Translational Medicine.

The method involves reactivating cancer-specific T cells by injecting microgram amounts of two agents directly into the tumor site.

One of the agents is an unmethylated CG–enriched oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG)—a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand. It works with nearby immune cells to amplify the expression of OX40 on the surface of T cells.

The other agent is an antibody that binds to OX40. It activates the T cells to lead the charge against the cancer cells.

Because the agents are injected directly into the tumor, only T cells that have infiltrated it are activated. In effect, these T cells are “prescreened” by the body to recognize only cancer-specific proteins.

Some of these tumor-specific, activated T cells then leave the original tumor to find and destroy other identical tumors throughout the body.

The researchers found this approach worked well in mice with A20 B-cell lymphoma tumors transplanted in two sites on their bodies.

Injecting one tumor site with the agents caused regression of the untreated tumor as well as the treated one. In this way, 87 of 90 mice were cured.

Although lymphoma recurred in 3 of the mice, the tumors again regressed after a second treatment with CpG and anti-OX40.

The researchers saw similar results in mice with melanoma as well as breast and colon cancer.

Mice genetically engineered to spontaneously develop breast cancers in all 10 of their mammary pads also responded to the treatment. Treating the first tumor that arose often prevented the occurrence of future tumors and significantly increased the animals’ life span, the researchers found.

Finally, the team explored the specificity of the T cells by transplanting two types of tumors into mice.

They transplanted A20 lymphoma cells in two locations and a colon cancer cell line in a third location. Treatment of one of the lymphoma sites caused the regression of both lymphoma tumors but did not affect the colon cancer cells.

“This is a very targeted approach,” Dr Levy said. “Only the tumor that shares the protein targets displayed by the treated site is affected. We’re attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues have launched a clinical trial (NCT03410901) to test this treatment approach. The researchers hope to determine the adverse effects and optimal dose of the TLR9 agonist SD-101, the anti-OX40 antibody BMS 986178, and radiation therapy in patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

If the trial is successful, Dr Levy believes the treatment could be useful for many tumor types.

“I don’t think there’s a limit to the type of tumor we could potentially treat,” he said, “as long as it has been infiltrated by the immune system.”

Photo by Steve Fisch

Experiments in mice have shown that injecting immune-stimulating agents directly into a tumor can help the immune system eradicate tumors in other areas of the body.

The approach worked for several cancers, including lymphomas.

The researchers believe the local application of the agents could serve as a rapid and relatively inexpensive cancer therapy that is unlikely to cause the adverse effects often seen with more widespread immune stimulation.

“Our approach uses a one-time application of very small amounts of two agents to stimulate the immune cells only within the tumor itself,” said Ronald Levy, MD, of Stanford University Medical Center in California.

“In the mice, we saw amazing, body-wide effects, including the elimination of tumors all over the animal. This approach bypasses the need to identify tumor-specific immune targets and doesn’t require wholesale activation of the immune system or customization of a patient’s immune cells.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues described this approach in Science Translational Medicine.

The method involves reactivating cancer-specific T cells by injecting microgram amounts of two agents directly into the tumor site.

One of the agents is an unmethylated CG–enriched oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG)—a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand. It works with nearby immune cells to amplify the expression of OX40 on the surface of T cells.

The other agent is an antibody that binds to OX40. It activates the T cells to lead the charge against the cancer cells.

Because the agents are injected directly into the tumor, only T cells that have infiltrated it are activated. In effect, these T cells are “prescreened” by the body to recognize only cancer-specific proteins.

Some of these tumor-specific, activated T cells then leave the original tumor to find and destroy other identical tumors throughout the body.

The researchers found this approach worked well in mice with A20 B-cell lymphoma tumors transplanted in two sites on their bodies.

Injecting one tumor site with the agents caused regression of the untreated tumor as well as the treated one. In this way, 87 of 90 mice were cured.

Although lymphoma recurred in 3 of the mice, the tumors again regressed after a second treatment with CpG and anti-OX40.

The researchers saw similar results in mice with melanoma as well as breast and colon cancer.

Mice genetically engineered to spontaneously develop breast cancers in all 10 of their mammary pads also responded to the treatment. Treating the first tumor that arose often prevented the occurrence of future tumors and significantly increased the animals’ life span, the researchers found.

Finally, the team explored the specificity of the T cells by transplanting two types of tumors into mice.

They transplanted A20 lymphoma cells in two locations and a colon cancer cell line in a third location. Treatment of one of the lymphoma sites caused the regression of both lymphoma tumors but did not affect the colon cancer cells.

“This is a very targeted approach,” Dr Levy said. “Only the tumor that shares the protein targets displayed by the treated site is affected. We’re attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues have launched a clinical trial (NCT03410901) to test this treatment approach. The researchers hope to determine the adverse effects and optimal dose of the TLR9 agonist SD-101, the anti-OX40 antibody BMS 986178, and radiation therapy in patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

If the trial is successful, Dr Levy believes the treatment could be useful for many tumor types.

“I don’t think there’s a limit to the type of tumor we could potentially treat,” he said, “as long as it has been infiltrated by the immune system.”

Photo by Steve Fisch

Experiments in mice have shown that injecting immune-stimulating agents directly into a tumor can help the immune system eradicate tumors in other areas of the body.

The approach worked for several cancers, including lymphomas.

The researchers believe the local application of the agents could serve as a rapid and relatively inexpensive cancer therapy that is unlikely to cause the adverse effects often seen with more widespread immune stimulation.

“Our approach uses a one-time application of very small amounts of two agents to stimulate the immune cells only within the tumor itself,” said Ronald Levy, MD, of Stanford University Medical Center in California.

“In the mice, we saw amazing, body-wide effects, including the elimination of tumors all over the animal. This approach bypasses the need to identify tumor-specific immune targets and doesn’t require wholesale activation of the immune system or customization of a patient’s immune cells.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues described this approach in Science Translational Medicine.

The method involves reactivating cancer-specific T cells by injecting microgram amounts of two agents directly into the tumor site.

One of the agents is an unmethylated CG–enriched oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG)—a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand. It works with nearby immune cells to amplify the expression of OX40 on the surface of T cells.

The other agent is an antibody that binds to OX40. It activates the T cells to lead the charge against the cancer cells.

Because the agents are injected directly into the tumor, only T cells that have infiltrated it are activated. In effect, these T cells are “prescreened” by the body to recognize only cancer-specific proteins.

Some of these tumor-specific, activated T cells then leave the original tumor to find and destroy other identical tumors throughout the body.

The researchers found this approach worked well in mice with A20 B-cell lymphoma tumors transplanted in two sites on their bodies.

Injecting one tumor site with the agents caused regression of the untreated tumor as well as the treated one. In this way, 87 of 90 mice were cured.

Although lymphoma recurred in 3 of the mice, the tumors again regressed after a second treatment with CpG and anti-OX40.

The researchers saw similar results in mice with melanoma as well as breast and colon cancer.

Mice genetically engineered to spontaneously develop breast cancers in all 10 of their mammary pads also responded to the treatment. Treating the first tumor that arose often prevented the occurrence of future tumors and significantly increased the animals’ life span, the researchers found.

Finally, the team explored the specificity of the T cells by transplanting two types of tumors into mice.

They transplanted A20 lymphoma cells in two locations and a colon cancer cell line in a third location. Treatment of one of the lymphoma sites caused the regression of both lymphoma tumors but did not affect the colon cancer cells.

“This is a very targeted approach,” Dr Levy said. “Only the tumor that shares the protein targets displayed by the treated site is affected. We’re attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing.”

Dr Levy and his colleagues have launched a clinical trial (NCT03410901) to test this treatment approach. The researchers hope to determine the adverse effects and optimal dose of the TLR9 agonist SD-101, the anti-OX40 antibody BMS 986178, and radiation therapy in patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

If the trial is successful, Dr Levy believes the treatment could be useful for many tumor types.

“I don’t think there’s a limit to the type of tumor we could potentially treat,” he said, “as long as it has been infiltrated by the immune system.”

Photo by Aaron Logan

Existing drugs could be combined to treat double-hit lymphoma (DHL), according to preclinical research published in Science Translational Medicine.

The drugs are tigecycline, an antibiotic, and venetoclax, a BCL2 inhibitor.

Researchers observed promising activity with these drugs in combination, both in cell lines and mouse models of DHL.

The team therefore believes the drugs could be repurposed to treat DHL, which currently has a dismal prognosis.

Study author Micol Ravà, PhD, of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, and her colleagues noted that DHL is driven by the abnormal activation of MYC and BCL2. However, selective BCL2 inhibitors like venetoclax have failed to halt disease progression in DHL patients.

Seeking a way to sensitize DHL to BCL2 inhibitors, the researchers turned to tigecycline, which interferes with mitochondria to trigger a MYC-dependent cell death pathway.

The team found that tigecycline and venetoclax demonstrated synergy in 5 DHL cell lines. The drugs were synergistic in 3 cell lines—Karpas-422, SU-DHL-6, and DOHH-2—in which neither drug alone showed significant pro-apoptotic activity.

In 2 other cell lines—SU-DHL-4 and OCI-LY8—venetoclax was active when given alone, but its activity was enhanced by the addition of tigecycline.

In mouse models of DHL (using the human cell lines SU-DHL-6, DOHH-2, and OCI-LY8), each of the drugs alone were able to slow tumor progression somewhat.

However, combination tigecycline and venetoclax exhibited “strong antitumoral activity,” according to the researchers. In fact, the combination caused full disease regression in all 8 SU-DHL-6 mice and 3 of 9 OCI-LY8 mice.

Dr Ravà and her colleagues also found the combination produced “rapid and marked tumor regression” in mice with a patient-derived xenograft.

The researchers observed no toxicity when tigecycline and venetoclax were given at low doses. However, mice receiving more aggressive treatment had some inflammation in the liver and spleen. And some mice treated with high doses of tigecycline and venetoclax died within 1 week of treatment initiation.

Finally, Dr Ravà and her colleagues found that tigecycline and venetoclax each synergized with rituximab. The team therefore concluded that tigecycline and venetoclax “have the potential to reinforce rituximab-containing therapies in the clinic.”

Photo by Aaron Logan

Existing drugs could be combined to treat double-hit lymphoma (DHL), according to preclinical research published in Science Translational Medicine.

The drugs are tigecycline, an antibiotic, and venetoclax, a BCL2 inhibitor.

Researchers observed promising activity with these drugs in combination, both in cell lines and mouse models of DHL.

The team therefore believes the drugs could be repurposed to treat DHL, which currently has a dismal prognosis.

Study author Micol Ravà, PhD, of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, and her colleagues noted that DHL is driven by the abnormal activation of MYC and BCL2. However, selective BCL2 inhibitors like venetoclax have failed to halt disease progression in DHL patients.

Seeking a way to sensitize DHL to BCL2 inhibitors, the researchers turned to tigecycline, which interferes with mitochondria to trigger a MYC-dependent cell death pathway.

The team found that tigecycline and venetoclax demonstrated synergy in 5 DHL cell lines. The drugs were synergistic in 3 cell lines—Karpas-422, SU-DHL-6, and DOHH-2—in which neither drug alone showed significant pro-apoptotic activity.

In 2 other cell lines—SU-DHL-4 and OCI-LY8—venetoclax was active when given alone, but its activity was enhanced by the addition of tigecycline.

In mouse models of DHL (using the human cell lines SU-DHL-6, DOHH-2, and OCI-LY8), each of the drugs alone were able to slow tumor progression somewhat.

However, combination tigecycline and venetoclax exhibited “strong antitumoral activity,” according to the researchers. In fact, the combination caused full disease regression in all 8 SU-DHL-6 mice and 3 of 9 OCI-LY8 mice.

Dr Ravà and her colleagues also found the combination produced “rapid and marked tumor regression” in mice with a patient-derived xenograft.

The researchers observed no toxicity when tigecycline and venetoclax were given at low doses. However, mice receiving more aggressive treatment had some inflammation in the liver and spleen. And some mice treated with high doses of tigecycline and venetoclax died within 1 week of treatment initiation.

Finally, Dr Ravà and her colleagues found that tigecycline and venetoclax each synergized with rituximab. The team therefore concluded that tigecycline and venetoclax “have the potential to reinforce rituximab-containing therapies in the clinic.”

Photo by Aaron Logan

Existing drugs could be combined to treat double-hit lymphoma (DHL), according to preclinical research published in Science Translational Medicine.

The drugs are tigecycline, an antibiotic, and venetoclax, a BCL2 inhibitor.

Researchers observed promising activity with these drugs in combination, both in cell lines and mouse models of DHL.

The team therefore believes the drugs could be repurposed to treat DHL, which currently has a dismal prognosis.

Study author Micol Ravà, PhD, of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, and her colleagues noted that DHL is driven by the abnormal activation of MYC and BCL2. However, selective BCL2 inhibitors like venetoclax have failed to halt disease progression in DHL patients.

Seeking a way to sensitize DHL to BCL2 inhibitors, the researchers turned to tigecycline, which interferes with mitochondria to trigger a MYC-dependent cell death pathway.

The team found that tigecycline and venetoclax demonstrated synergy in 5 DHL cell lines. The drugs were synergistic in 3 cell lines—Karpas-422, SU-DHL-6, and DOHH-2—in which neither drug alone showed significant pro-apoptotic activity.

In 2 other cell lines—SU-DHL-4 and OCI-LY8—venetoclax was active when given alone, but its activity was enhanced by the addition of tigecycline.

In mouse models of DHL (using the human cell lines SU-DHL-6, DOHH-2, and OCI-LY8), each of the drugs alone were able to slow tumor progression somewhat.

However, combination tigecycline and venetoclax exhibited “strong antitumoral activity,” according to the researchers. In fact, the combination caused full disease regression in all 8 SU-DHL-6 mice and 3 of 9 OCI-LY8 mice.

Dr Ravà and her colleagues also found the combination produced “rapid and marked tumor regression” in mice with a patient-derived xenograft.

The researchers observed no toxicity when tigecycline and venetoclax were given at low doses. However, mice receiving more aggressive treatment had some inflammation in the liver and spleen. And some mice treated with high doses of tigecycline and venetoclax died within 1 week of treatment initiation.

Finally, Dr Ravà and her colleagues found that tigecycline and venetoclax each synergized with rituximab. The team therefore concluded that tigecycline and venetoclax “have the potential to reinforce rituximab-containing therapies in the clinic.”

of Western Australia

Researchers say they have developed a new technique for assessing chromosomal abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The team believes their method, called immuno-flowFISH, could be used at the time of CLL diagnosis for disease stratification and after treatment to assess residual disease.

Kathryn A. Fuller, PhD, of The University of Western Australia in Crawley, Australia, and her colleagues described immuno-flowFISH in the journal Methods.

The name “immuno-flowFISH” acknowledges what has been incorporated into this technology.

“Immuno” recognizes that immunology testing is used to identify the CLL cells. “Flow” is used because the machine is an imaging flow cytometer. And “FISH” is the test that identifies the chromosomes inside the cells.

The researchers said they found that immuno-flowFISH could detect trisomic chromosomal abnormalities in cells with the phenotype of CLL.

And immuno-flowFISH provided greater specificity and sensitivity than standard FISH.

In particular, the researchers were able to analyze 10,000 to 20,000 cells in each sample, which is 100 to 200 times greater than traditional FISH methods.

“The imaging cytometer can analyze samples at a rate of up to 2000 cells per second, which means we can investigate a large number of cells in a relatively short amount of time, giving us greater sensitivity,” Dr Fuller said.

“This immuno-flowFISH method is an exciting development in personalizing pathology testing for leukemia,” added study author Wendy N. Erber, MD, DPhil, PhD, of The University of Western Australia.

Dr Erber and her colleagues are now expanding immuno-flowFISH so it can be applied to other malignancies as well.

of Western Australia

Researchers say they have developed a new technique for assessing chromosomal abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The team believes their method, called immuno-flowFISH, could be used at the time of CLL diagnosis for disease stratification and after treatment to assess residual disease.

Kathryn A. Fuller, PhD, of The University of Western Australia in Crawley, Australia, and her colleagues described immuno-flowFISH in the journal Methods.

The name “immuno-flowFISH” acknowledges what has been incorporated into this technology.

“Immuno” recognizes that immunology testing is used to identify the CLL cells. “Flow” is used because the machine is an imaging flow cytometer. And “FISH” is the test that identifies the chromosomes inside the cells.

The researchers said they found that immuno-flowFISH could detect trisomic chromosomal abnormalities in cells with the phenotype of CLL.

And immuno-flowFISH provided greater specificity and sensitivity than standard FISH.

In particular, the researchers were able to analyze 10,000 to 20,000 cells in each sample, which is 100 to 200 times greater than traditional FISH methods.

“The imaging cytometer can analyze samples at a rate of up to 2000 cells per second, which means we can investigate a large number of cells in a relatively short amount of time, giving us greater sensitivity,” Dr Fuller said.

“This immuno-flowFISH method is an exciting development in personalizing pathology testing for leukemia,” added study author Wendy N. Erber, MD, DPhil, PhD, of The University of Western Australia.

Dr Erber and her colleagues are now expanding immuno-flowFISH so it can be applied to other malignancies as well.

of Western Australia

Researchers say they have developed a new technique for assessing chromosomal abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The team believes their method, called immuno-flowFISH, could be used at the time of CLL diagnosis for disease stratification and after treatment to assess residual disease.

Kathryn A. Fuller, PhD, of The University of Western Australia in Crawley, Australia, and her colleagues described immuno-flowFISH in the journal Methods.

The name “immuno-flowFISH” acknowledges what has been incorporated into this technology.

“Immuno” recognizes that immunology testing is used to identify the CLL cells. “Flow” is used because the machine is an imaging flow cytometer. And “FISH” is the test that identifies the chromosomes inside the cells.

The researchers said they found that immuno-flowFISH could detect trisomic chromosomal abnormalities in cells with the phenotype of CLL.

And immuno-flowFISH provided greater specificity and sensitivity than standard FISH.

In particular, the researchers were able to analyze 10,000 to 20,000 cells in each sample, which is 100 to 200 times greater than traditional FISH methods.

“The imaging cytometer can analyze samples at a rate of up to 2000 cells per second, which means we can investigate a large number of cells in a relatively short amount of time, giving us greater sensitivity,” Dr Fuller said.

“This immuno-flowFISH method is an exciting development in personalizing pathology testing for leukemia,” added study author Wendy N. Erber, MD, DPhil, PhD, of The University of Western Australia.

Dr Erber and her colleagues are now expanding immuno-flowFISH so it can be applied to other malignancies as well.

Photo from Business Wire

The European Commission (EC) has extended the conditional marketing authorization for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®).

The drug is now approved for use in adults with CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Brentuximab vedotin can be marketed for this indication in the member states of the European Union as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland.

Conditional marketing authorization from the EC is valid for 1 year and is reviewed annually.

With conditional authorization, drug developers are required to provide comprehensive data confirming a drug’s benefit-risk balance is positive. Once these data are available, a conditional marketing authorization may be converted to a standard marketing authorization.

Drugs are eligible for conditional marketing authorization if they are designated as orphan medicines, intended for use in emergency situations, or designed to treat, prevent, or diagnose seriously debilitating or life-threatening diseases.

The EC previously granted brentuximab vedotin conditional marketing authorization for the treatment of:

• Adults with CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma who are at an increased risk of relapse or progression following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-HSCT)
• Adults with relapsed or refractory CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma after auto-HSCT or after at least 2 prior therapies when auto-HSCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option
• Adults with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin is under joint development by Seattle Genetics and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

Phase 3 data

The EC’s latest authorization for brentuximab vedotin is based on data from the phase 3 ALCANZA trial.

Updated results from ALCANZA were presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting in December. Results were previously presented at the 9th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum in January 2017 and published in The Lancet in June 2017.

The trial included 128 evaluable patients with CD30-positive CTCL who had received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Sixty-four patients were assigned to receive brentuximab vedotin, and 64 were assigned to receive the investigator’s choice of methotrexate or bexarotene (control arm). Patients received treatment for up to 1 year.

For the update, the median follow-up was 33.9 months.

There was a significant improvement in the rate of objective response lasting at least 4 months (ORR4) in the brentuximab vedotin arm compared to the control arm. The ORR4 was 60.9% and 7.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The complete response rate was 18.8% and 0%, respectively (P<0.001).

The median progression-free survival was 15.8 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 3.6 months in the control arm (hazard ratio=0.373; 95% CI, 0.245-0.569; P<0.001).

At time of analysis, 73% of patients in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 75% in the control arm had received 1 or more subsequent skin-directed or systemic therapies. The median time to next treatment was 14.2 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 6.1 months in the control arm (P<0.001).

Peripheral neuropathy was the most commonly reported adverse event in patients who received brentuximab vedotin. The incidence was 67% in these patients and 6% in controls.

In the brentuximab arm, 86% of patients reported resolution or improvement in peripheral neuropathy. Eighteen patients had ongoing peripheral neuropathy events, including 15 patients with grade 1 and 3 patients with grade 2 events.

Photo from Business Wire

The European Commission (EC) has extended the conditional marketing authorization for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®).

The drug is now approved for use in adults with CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Brentuximab vedotin can be marketed for this indication in the member states of the European Union as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland.

Conditional marketing authorization from the EC is valid for 1 year and is reviewed annually.

With conditional authorization, drug developers are required to provide comprehensive data confirming a drug’s benefit-risk balance is positive. Once these data are available, a conditional marketing authorization may be converted to a standard marketing authorization.

Drugs are eligible for conditional marketing authorization if they are designated as orphan medicines, intended for use in emergency situations, or designed to treat, prevent, or diagnose seriously debilitating or life-threatening diseases.

The EC previously granted brentuximab vedotin conditional marketing authorization for the treatment of:

• Adults with CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma who are at an increased risk of relapse or progression following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-HSCT)
• Adults with relapsed or refractory CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma after auto-HSCT or after at least 2 prior therapies when auto-HSCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option
• Adults with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin is under joint development by Seattle Genetics and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

Phase 3 data

The EC’s latest authorization for brentuximab vedotin is based on data from the phase 3 ALCANZA trial.

Updated results from ALCANZA were presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting in December. Results were previously presented at the 9th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum in January 2017 and published in The Lancet in June 2017.

The trial included 128 evaluable patients with CD30-positive CTCL who had received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Sixty-four patients were assigned to receive brentuximab vedotin, and 64 were assigned to receive the investigator’s choice of methotrexate or bexarotene (control arm). Patients received treatment for up to 1 year.

For the update, the median follow-up was 33.9 months.

There was a significant improvement in the rate of objective response lasting at least 4 months (ORR4) in the brentuximab vedotin arm compared to the control arm. The ORR4 was 60.9% and 7.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The complete response rate was 18.8% and 0%, respectively (P<0.001).

The median progression-free survival was 15.8 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 3.6 months in the control arm (hazard ratio=0.373; 95% CI, 0.245-0.569; P<0.001).

At time of analysis, 73% of patients in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 75% in the control arm had received 1 or more subsequent skin-directed or systemic therapies. The median time to next treatment was 14.2 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 6.1 months in the control arm (P<0.001).

Peripheral neuropathy was the most commonly reported adverse event in patients who received brentuximab vedotin. The incidence was 67% in these patients and 6% in controls.

In the brentuximab arm, 86% of patients reported resolution or improvement in peripheral neuropathy. Eighteen patients had ongoing peripheral neuropathy events, including 15 patients with grade 1 and 3 patients with grade 2 events.

Photo from Business Wire

The European Commission (EC) has extended the conditional marketing authorization for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®).

The drug is now approved for use in adults with CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Brentuximab vedotin can be marketed for this indication in the member states of the European Union as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland.

Conditional marketing authorization from the EC is valid for 1 year and is reviewed annually.

With conditional authorization, drug developers are required to provide comprehensive data confirming a drug’s benefit-risk balance is positive. Once these data are available, a conditional marketing authorization may be converted to a standard marketing authorization.

Drugs are eligible for conditional marketing authorization if they are designated as orphan medicines, intended for use in emergency situations, or designed to treat, prevent, or diagnose seriously debilitating or life-threatening diseases.

The EC previously granted brentuximab vedotin conditional marketing authorization for the treatment of:

• Adults with CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma who are at an increased risk of relapse or progression following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-HSCT)
• Adults with relapsed or refractory CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma after auto-HSCT or after at least 2 prior therapies when auto-HSCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option
• Adults with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin is under joint development by Seattle Genetics and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

Phase 3 data

The EC’s latest authorization for brentuximab vedotin is based on data from the phase 3 ALCANZA trial.

Updated results from ALCANZA were presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting in December. Results were previously presented at the 9th Annual T-cell Lymphoma Forum in January 2017 and published in The Lancet in June 2017.

The trial included 128 evaluable patients with CD30-positive CTCL who had received at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

Sixty-four patients were assigned to receive brentuximab vedotin, and 64 were assigned to receive the investigator’s choice of methotrexate or bexarotene (control arm). Patients received treatment for up to 1 year.

For the update, the median follow-up was 33.9 months.

There was a significant improvement in the rate of objective response lasting at least 4 months (ORR4) in the brentuximab vedotin arm compared to the control arm. The ORR4 was 60.9% and 7.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The complete response rate was 18.8% and 0%, respectively (P<0.001).

The median progression-free survival was 15.8 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 3.6 months in the control arm (hazard ratio=0.373; 95% CI, 0.245-0.569; P<0.001).

At time of analysis, 73% of patients in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 75% in the control arm had received 1 or more subsequent skin-directed or systemic therapies. The median time to next treatment was 14.2 months in the brentuximab vedotin arm and 6.1 months in the control arm (P<0.001).

Peripheral neuropathy was the most commonly reported adverse event in patients who received brentuximab vedotin. The incidence was 67% in these patients and 6% in controls.

In the brentuximab arm, 86% of patients reported resolution or improvement in peripheral neuropathy. Eighteen patients had ongoing peripheral neuropathy events, including 15 patients with grade 1 and 3 patients with grade 2 events.