Project description:Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as highly effective in relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but only about 40% patients have achieved sustained responses. Here, we conducted a phase II clinical trial testing efficacy and toxicities of CAR-T therapy in R/R non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients (NCT03196830). Among enrolled patients, 33 R/R DLBCL patients pretreated with DFC (decitabine, fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide) lymphodepletion chemotherapy and infused with tandem CD19-CD22 based CAR-T cells were drawn out for efficacy and toxicities of CAR-T therapy evaluation. With a median follow-up of 10.9(0.6-29.0) months, the best overall response and complete remission (CR) rates were 90.9% and 63.6%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.2 months and overall survival (OS) was undefined. The 2-year OS and PFS rates were 54.3% and 47.2%, respectively. No severe grade 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was observed and grade 3 CRS was observed in only 7 patients; 3 patients developed mild immune effect or cell-associated neurotoxic syndrome. All toxicities were transient and reversible and no CAR-T-related mortality. Further subgroup analysis showed that achieving CR was an independent prognostic factor associated with favorable PFS and OS. The 2-year OS and PFS for patients who achieved CR within 3 months (undefined versus undefined P=0.021 and undefined versus undefined P=0.036) or during the follow-up period were significantly longer than those who did not (undefined versus 4.6 months P < 0.0001 and undefined versus 2.0months P<0.001). While severe CRS was also an independent prognostic factor but associated with inferior PFS and OS. The 2-year OS and PFS for patients with grade 3 CRS were significantly shorter than those with grade 0-2 CRS (4.1 months versus undefined P<0.0001 and 1.7 months versus undefined P=0.0002). This study indicated that CD19/CD22 dual-targeted CAR-T therapy under a decitabine-containing lymphodepletion regimen may be a safe, potent effective approach to R/R DLBCL patients.
Project description:In preclinical models, anakinra, an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), reduced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) without compromising anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell efficacy. We initiated a phase 2 clinical trial of anakinra in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma treated with commercial anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Here we report a non-prespecified interim analysis reporting the final results from cohort 1 in which patients received subcutaneous anakinra from day 2 until at least day 10 post-CAR T-cell infusion. The primary endpoint was the rate of severe (grade ≥3) ICANS. Key secondary endpoints included the rates of all-grade cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and ICANS and overall disease response. Among 31 treated patients, 74% received axicabtagene ciloleucel, 13% received brexucabtagene ciloleucel and 4% received tisagenlecleucel. All-grade ICANS occurred in 19%, and severe ICANS occurred in 9.7% of patients. There were no grade 4 or 5 ICANS events. All-grade CRS occurred in 74%, and severe CRS occurred in 6.4% of patients. The overall disease response rate was 77% with 65% complete response rate. These initial results show that prophylactic anakinra resulted in a low incidence of ICANS in patients with lymphoma receiving anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy and support further study of anakinra in immune-related neurotoxicity syndromes.
Project description:Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting CD19 have achieved breakthroughs in the treatment of hematological malignancies, such as relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/rNHL); however, high rates of treatment failure and recurrence after CAR T-cell therapy are considerable obstacles to overcome. In this study, we designed a series of tandem CARs (TanCARs) and found that TanCAR7 T cells showed dual antigen targeting of CD19 and CD20, as well as formed superior and stable immunological synapse (IS) structures, which may be related to their robust antitumor activity. In an open-label single-arm phase 1/2a trial (NCT03097770), we enrolled 33 patients with r/rNHL; 28 patients received an infusion after conditioning chemotherapy. The primary objective was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of TanCAR7 T cells. Efficacy, progression-free survival, and overall survival were evaluated as secondary objectives. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 14 patients (50%): 36% had grade 1 or 2 and 14% had grade 3. No cases of CAR T-cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) of grade 3 or higher were confirmed in any patient. One patient died from a treatment-associated severe pulmonary infection. The overall response rate was 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 60-92%), and the complete response rate was 71%. The progression-free survival rate at 12 months was 64% (95% CI, 43-79%). In this study, TanCAR7 T cells elicited a potent and durable antitumor response, but not grade 3 or higher CRES, in patients with r/rNHL.
Project description:Relapse after CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is commonly ascribed to antigen loss or CAR-T exhaustion. Multiantigen targeting and programmed cell death protein-1 blockade are rational approaches to prevent relapse. Here, we test CD19/22 dual-targeting CAR-T (AUTO3) plus pembrolizumab in relapsed/refractory LBCL (NCT03289455). End points include toxicity (primary) and response rates (secondary). Fifty-two patients received AUTO3 and 48/52 received pembrolizumab. Median age was 59 years (range, 27-83), 46/52 had stage III/ IV disease and median follow-up was 21.6 months. AUTO3 was safe; grade 1-2 and grade 3 cytokine release syndrome affected 18/52 (34.6%) and 1/52 (1.9%) patients, neurotoxicity arose in 4 patients (2/4, grade 3-4), and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis affected 2 patients. Outpatient administration was tested in 20 patients, saving a median of 14 hospital days per patient. Overall response rates were 66% (48.9%, complete response [CR]; 17%, partial response). Median duration of remission (DOR) for CR patients was not reached and for all responding patients was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0-not evaluable). 54.4% (CI: 32.8-71.7) of CR patients and 42.6% of all responding patients were projected to remain progression-free at ≥12 months. AUTO3 ± pembrolizumab for relapsed/refractory LBCL was safe and delivered durable remissions in 54.4% of complete responders, associated with robust CAR-T expansion. Neither dual-targeting CAR-T nor pembrolizumab prevented relapse in a significant proportion of patients, and future developments include next-generation-AUTO3, engineered for superior expansion in vivo, and selection of CAR binders active at low antigen densities.
Project description:BackgroundDespite numerous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) trials conducted in China, no CAR-T has been registered in the country. Furthermore, China law and regulations restrict the export of patient material for CAR-T manufacture abroad. Relma-cel (JWCAR029), an anti-CD19 product produced with a commercial-ready process in China, was evaluated in the first prospective, single-arm, multicenter, pivotal study of CAR-T therapy conducted under Chinese IND to support an NMPA-accepted BLA submission in relapsed/refractory (r/r) LBCL (NCT04089215).MethodsPatients were randomized to receive either 100 × 106 (low dose, n = 27) or 150 × 106 (high dose, n = 32) CAR+ T-cells as a single infusion following lymphodepleting chemotherapy (fludarabine 25 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 250 mg/m2 daily × 3), and then, monitored for efficacy and safety outcomes and pharmacokinetics. The primary endpoint was ORR at 3 months, as assessed by the investigators. Secondary endpoints included DOR, PFS, OS, and adverse event frequency/severity and cell expansion kinetics.ResultsAs of the data cutoff on 17 June 2020, 68 patients were enrolled, and 59 were treated. Among the 58 efficacy-evaluable patients, the primary endpoint of 3 month ORR was 60.3% (95% CI, 46.6-73.0), excluding the null hypothesis rate of 20%. Any grade and severe grade CRS occurred in 47.5% and 5.1%, respectively, and any grade and severe grade neurotoxicity events occurred in 20.3% and 5.1%.ConclusionsRelma-cel met the primary endpoint analysis and demonstrated a high rate of durable responses and low rate of CAR-T-associated toxicities in patients with r/r LBCL in a multicenter trial supporting regulatory submission in China.
Project description:BackgroundFor CD19-positive relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL) after treatment with murine CD19 (mCD19) CAR-T, the reinfusion of mCD19 CAR-T cells may be ineffective due to anti-mouse single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody caused by mCD19 CAR. To overcome this immunogenicity, we applied humanized CD19 (hCD19) CAR-T cells to treat r/r B-ALL patients with prior mCD19 CAR-T therapy.MethodsNineteen pediatric and adult patients were included, 16 relapsed after and 3 were primarily resistant to mCD19 CAR-T. All patients presented with more than 5% blasts in bone marrow and/or extramedullary disease, and still showed CD19 antigen expression. Humanized CD19-CARs were lentiviral vectors carrying a second generation CAR with 4-1-BB co-stimulatory and CD3ζ signaling domains. Patient-derived cells were collected for producing CAR-T cells, the median dose of infused hCD19 CAR-T cells was 2.4 × 105/kg (range, 1.0-18.0 × 105/kg).ResultshCD19 CAR-T resulted in a complete remission (CR) rate of 68% (13/19). Among 13 remission patients, 11 underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) (3 were second HCT) and 10 remained in CR; the event-free survival rates at 12-18 months were 91% in 11 patients received following allo-HCT and 69% in all CR patients. Six cases had no response to hCD19 CAR-T, 3 died of disease progression; another 3 received salvage second transplantation, of them, 2 relapsed again (one died). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 95% (18/19) of patients, most CRS events were grade 1 and grade 2 (n = 17), there was only one grade 4 CRS. Two cases experienced grade 1 neurotoxicity.ConclusionsHumanized CD19 CAR-T cell therapy could be a treatment option for CD19-positive B-ALL patients who relapsed after or resisted prior murine CD19 CAR-T, hCD19 CAR-T followed by allo-HCT provided a longer remission in CR patients. Nevertheless, the prognosis of non-responders to hCD19 CAR-T remained dismal.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry/WHO International Clinical Trial Registry ( ChiCTR1900024456 , URL: www.chictr.org.cn ); registered on July 12, 2019.
Project description:Increasing the remission rate and reducing the recurrence rate can improve the clinical efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in recurrent/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/rNHL). In this open-label, single-arm phase I/II trial, 87 patients with r/rNHL, including 58 patients with aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 24 with high tumour burden, received an infusion at doses of 0.5 × 106-8 × 106 TanCAR7 T cells per kilogram of body weight after conditioning chemotherapy. The best overall response rate was 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68-86); response rates were consistent across prognostic subgroups. The median follow-up was 27.7 months. The median progression-free survival was 27.6 months (95% CI, 11 to not reached). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 61 patients (70%) with 60% of cases being grade 1 or 2 and 10% being grade 3 or greater. Grade 3 CAR T cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) occurred in 2 patients (2%). Two patients died from treatment-associated severe pulmonary infection, and one died from CRS-related pulmonary injury between 1 and 3 months post infusion. Long-term remissions were observed following the use of TanCAR7 T cells in r/rNHL with a safety profile that included CRS but few cases of CRES.
Project description:Immune deficits after CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy can be long-lasting, predisposing patients to infections and non-relapse mortality. In B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), the prognostic impact of immune reconstitution (IR) remains ill-defined, and detailed cross-product comparisons have not been performed to date. In this retrospective observational study, we longitudinally characterized lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulin levels in 105 B-NHL patients to assess patterns of immune recovery arising after CD19 CAR-T. Three key IR criteria were defined as CD4+ T helper (TH) cells > 200/µL, any detectable B cells, and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels >4 g/L. After a median follow-up of 24.6 months, 38% of patients displayed TH cells, 11% showed any B cells, and 41% had IgG recovery. Notable product-specific differences emerged, including deeper TH cell aplasia with CD28z- versus longer B-cell aplasia with 41BBz-based products. Patients with any IR recovery experienced extended progression-free survival (PFS) (median 20.8 vs. 1.7 months, p < 0.0001) and overall survival (OS) (34.9 vs. 4.0 months, p < 0.0001). While landmark analysis at 90 days confirmed improved PFS in patients with any recovery (34.9 vs. 8.6 months, p = 0.005), no significant OS difference was noted. Notably, 72% of patients with refractory disease never displayed recovery of any IR criteria. Early progressors showed diminished IR at the time of progression/relapse compared to patients with late progression/recurrence (after Day 90). Our results highlight the profound immune deficits observed after CD19 CAR-T and shed light on the intersection of IR and efficacy in B-NHL. Importantly, IR was impaired considerably postprogression, carrying significant implications for subsequent T-cell-engaging therapies and treatment sequencing.
Project description:The prognosis of patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) that progresses after treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19 (CAR19) is poor. We report on the first 3 consecutive patients with autologous CAR19-refractory LBCL who were treated with a single infusion of autologous 1 × 106 CAR+ T cells per kilogram targeting CD22 (CAR22) as part of a phase 1 dose-escalation study. CAR22 therapy was relatively well tolerated, without any observed nonhematologic adverse events higher than grade 2. After infusion, all 3 patients achieved complete remission, with all responses continuing at the time of last follow-up (mean, 7.8 months; range, 6-9.3). Circulating CAR22 cells demonstrated robust expansion (peak range, 85.4-350 cells per microliter), and persisted beyond 3 months in all patients with continued radiographic responses and corresponding decreases in circulating tumor DNA beyond 6 months after infusion. Further accrual at a higher dose level in this phase 1 dose-escalation study is ongoing and will explore the role of this therapy in patients in whom prior CAR T-cell therapies have failed. This trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04088890.