Tara Cochrane

In the POLLUX study, daratumumab plus lenalidomide/dexamethasone significantly reduced risk of progression/death versus lenalidomide/dexamethasone alone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. We provide one additional year of follow up and include the effect on minimal residual disease and in clinically relevant subgroups. After 25.4 months of follow up, daratumumab plus lenalidomide/dexamethasone prolonged progression-free survival versus lenalidomide/dexamethasone alone (median not reached vs. 17.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.53; P

Background A standard of care and optimal duration of therapy have not been established for patients with multiply relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate epcoritamab, a novel CD3 × CD20 bispecific antibody, in the third-line and later setting of follicular lymphoma. Methods EPCORE NHL-1 is a multicohort, single-arm, phase 1–2 trial conducted at 88 sites across 15 countries. Here, we report the primary analysis of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma in the phase 2 part of the trial, which included the pivotal (dose expansion) cohort and the cycle 1 optimisation cohort. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had relapsed or refractory CD20+ follicular lymphoma (grade 1–3A), an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of up to 2, and had received at least two previous lines of therapy (including an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and an alkylating agent or lenalidomide). Patients were treated with subcutaneous epcoritamab 48 mg in 28-day cycles: weekly in cycles 1–3, biweekly in cycles 4–9, and every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. To mitigate the risk and severity of cytokine release syndrome, in the pivotal cohort, cycle 1 consisted of a step-up dosing regimen of a 0·16-mg priming dose on day 1 and a 0·80-mg intermediate dose on day 8, followed by subsequent 48-mg full doses and prophylactic prednisolone 100 mg; in the cycle 1 optimisation cohort, a second intermediate dose of 3 mg on day 15, adequate hydration, and prophylactic dexamethasone 15 mg were evaluated during cycle 1 to further reduce risk and severity of cytokine release syndrome. Primary endpoints were independently reviewed overall response rate for the pivotal cohort and the proportion of patients with grade 2 or worse and any-grade cytokine release syndrome for the cycle 1 optimisation cohort. Analyses were done in all enrolled patients who had received at least one dose of epcoritamab. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03625037, and is ongoing. Findings Between June 19, 2020, and April 21, 2023, 128 patients (median age 65 years [IQR 55–72]; 49 [38%] female and 79 [62%] male) were enrolled and treated in the pivotal cohort (median follow-up 17·4 months [IQR 9·1–20·9]). The overall response rate was 82·0% (105 of 128 patients; 95% CI 74·3–88·3), with a complete response rate of 62·5% (80 of 128; 95% CI 53·5–70·9). The most common grade 3–4 treatment-emergent adverse event was neutropenia in 32 (25%) of 128 patients. Grade 1–2 cytokine release syndrome was reported in 83 (65%) of 128 patients; grade 3 cytokine release syndrome was reported in two (2%). Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome was reported in eight (6%) of 128 patients (five [4%] grade 1; three [2%] grade 2). Between Oct 25, 2022, and Jan 8, 2024, 86 patients (median age 64 years [55–71]; 37 [43%] female and 49 [57%] male) were enrolled and treated in the cycle 1 optimisation cohort. The incidence of cytokine release syndrome was 49% (42 of 86 patients; eight [9%] grade 2; none of grade 3 or worse), with no reported immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Interpretation Epcoritamab monotherapy showed clinically meaningful activity in patients with multiply relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, and had a manageable safety profile. Funding Genmab and AbbVie.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a unique challenge to the care of patients with haematological malignancies. Viral pneumonia is known to cause disproportionately severe disease in patients with cancer, and patients with lymphoma, myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are likely to be at particular risk of severe disease related to COVID-19. This statement has been developed by consensus among authors from Australia and New Zealand. We aim to provide supportive guidance to clinicians making individual patient decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular during periods that access to healthcare resources may be limited. General recommendations include those to minimise patient exposure to COVID-19, including the use of telehealth, avoidance of non-essential visits and minimisation of time spent by patients in infusion suites and other clinical areas. This statement also provides recommendations where appropriate in assessing indications for therapy, reducing therapy-associated immunosuppression and reducing healthcare utilisation in patients with specific haematological malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific decisions regarding therapy of haematological malignancies will need to be individualised, based on disease risk, risks of immunosuppression, rates of community transmission of COVID-19 and available local healthcare resources.

Background: Despite recent therapeutic advances, an unmet need exists for efficacious, well-tolerated, and convenient treatment (tx) options for patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL). In particular, pts with high-risk disease, including those refractory to both anti-CD20 tx and an alkylating agent (double refractory) and those with disease progression within 2 y of first-line (1L) immunochemotherapy (POD24), require more effective options. Epcoritamab, a subcutaneous (SC) CD3xCD20 bispecific antibody, was recently approved by the US FDA for the tx of adults with R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma after ≥2 lines of systemic tx. Here we present initial results from the FL dose-expansion cohort of the EPCORE™ NHL-1 trial (NCT03625037; phase 1/2). Methods: Pts with CD20 + R/R FL (grade [G] 1-3A) who had received ≥2 prior lines of systemic tx received epcoritamab SC in step-up doses (SUD 1 and 2) in cycle (C) 1, followed by full doses of 48 mg in 28-d Cs: QW, C1-3; Q2W, C4-9; and Q4W, C≥10 until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint of overall response rate (ORR) was assessed per Lugano criteria by an independent review committee. As a secondary analysis, minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed in peripheral blood using the clonoSEQ ® assay (Adaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle, WA). Results: Between Sep 2020 and Oct 2022, 128 pts with R/R FL G1-3A were enrolled to receive epcoritamab SC. As of Apr 21, 2023, the median follow-up was 17.4 mo. Median age was 65 y, 61% of pts had FLIPI 3-5, and 85% had stage III-IV disease. The median number of prior lines of tx was 3 (range, 2-9); 31% of pts had ≥4 prior lines of tx. Common prior therapies included anthracyclines (77%), lenalidomide (31%), and autologous stem cell transplant (19%). Most pts were primary refractory (54%), double refractory (70%), or refractory to their last prior tx (69%); 42% had POD24, and 52% progressed within 2 y of initiating any 1L tx. The ORR was 82%, with a complete response (CR) rate of 63% ( Figure). The median time to response and CR was 1.4 and 1.5 mo, respectively. ORRs/CR rates were generally consistent across prespecified high-risk subgroups: double refractory, 76%/56%; refractory to last prior tx, 74%/51%; POD24, 80%/61%; progression within 2 y of initiating any 1L tx, 79%/64%. High ORRs/CR rates were observed across lines of tx, with a trend of higher rates in earlier lines: 2 prior lines, 89%/72%; 3 prior lines, 88%/68%; ≥4 prior lines, 68%/45%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15.4 mo; median duration of response, duration of CR, and overall survival were not reached. An estimated 85% and 74% of pts with CR remained in response at 12 and 18 mo, respectively. MRD negativity was correlated with improved PFS. The most common tx-emergent AEs (TEAEs) of any grade were CRS (66%), injection-site reaction (57%), COVID-19 (40%), fatigue (30%), neutropenia (28%), diarrhea (27%), and pyrexia (25%). TEAEs leading to tx discontinuation occurred in 19% of pts, the most common being COVID-19. CRS was mostly low grade (40% G1, 25% G2, 2% G3) and primarily occurred following the first full dose (median time to onset after first full dose, 15 h). No CRS events led to tx discontinuation. ICANS was reported in 8 pts (6% overall; 4% G1, 2% G2); all resolved without leading to tx discontinuation. Fatal TEAEs occurred in 13 pts (10%). In a separate R/R FL cohort evaluating an optimized SUD regimen in C1 to mitigate CRS risk, a clinically meaningful reduction in CRS incidence and severity was observed (data to be presented). Conclusions: Single-agent epcoritamab SC resulted in deep and durable responses with high ORR and CR rates in hard-to-treat, high-risk pts with R/R FL. Responses were consistent across subgroups. A correlation between MRD negativity and PFS was observed. The safety profile was manageable; CRS occurrence was predictable, and a reduction in CRS occurrence and severity was seen with an optimized SUD regimen. Overall, no new safety signals were detected. Epcoritamab is currently being investigated in several FL trials across lines of tx, including an ongoing phase 3 trial (NCT05409066) in R/R FL.