CAR-T efficacy was demonstrated in DLBCL patients by the JULIET and ZUMA1 trials [2]. Consistent with other CAR-T studies, the main toxicities observed were CRS and neurotoxicity, as well as some early and late-onset haematologic toxicities such as neutropenia, thrombopenia, and B-cell aplasia. Neutropenia occurred in 22-80% of patients across studies to date.
The objective of the study by Dr Di Blasi and colleagues was to establish the infection risk in DLBCL patients (n=29) treated with CAR-T cell therapy, especially gathering data from the first 30 days from the injection. The median age of patients was 50 (23-77) years, of whom 28% had had prior stem cell transplantation, and the median number of previous lines of treatment was 4. Out of 29 patients, 27 required a bridging chemotherapy while their CAR-T cells were being manufactured; immunochemotherapy was provided for most of these patients. All patients were treated with a fludarabine-containing lymphodepletion regimen. Prophylaxis was performed in 28/29 patients for Pneumocystis jirovecii and viral infections.
Neutropenia, lasting a median of 6 days, was present in 90% of the patients (24/29), which was complicated by fever in 76% of the patients. At day 30, 3 patients (10%) had severe neutropenia <500. Empirical antibiotics were given to 22/24 (92%) patients with for a mean duration of 10 days (range 4-22 days), and 5/29 patients presented with infection (17%) from whom 8 microbiologically confirmed specimens were derived: 4 were bacterial, 4 were viral, and 0 were fungal; 2 patients had 2 or more concomitant infections. Of the bacterial infections identified, 1 patient had a polymicrobial gram + bloodstream infection (BSI) consisting of E.fecalis + S.epidermidis attributable to cholangitis, and this same patient also had C.difficilis enteritis. Another patient had S.epidermidis BSI with concomitant deep venous catheter infection, while yet another patient had E.coli pneumonia.
There were 4 isolates confirming viral infections in 3 patients, 1 patient had Rhinovirus upper respiratory tract infection, 1 patient had Norovirus enteritis, and 1 patient had CMV reactivation + BK virus cystitis. Interestingly, all 5 patients with infections presented with non-severe CRS (grade <2).
Of all febrile patients, 42% (10/24) were transferred to the ICU, with a mean stay of 7 days (3-12). Poor outcomes were observed in 2 of the 24 patients at day 30; 1 had progressive disease and infection (BSI) and died, and another patient had a CMV-positive PCR test at day 30 was treated with foscarnet. 19/24 patients without microbiological documentation of infection showed spontaneous improvement and resolution of their febrile event. No mortality was attributable to infections complications alone.
Dr Di Blasi continued with the data for 90-day follow-up, reported here for the first time. After the patients went home, they were in the care of their family doctor. Of the 28 living patients, 1 upper respiratory tract infection (not microbiologically documented) was treated with antibiotics at home, and 1 patient developed P.jirovecii pneumonia (no prophylaxis). 20/29 patients had a persistent response with regard to their haematological disease (not retreated) at day 90. 8/20 patients (40%) had at least one episode of grade 3-4 neutropenia between 30-60 days after infusion.
- Di Blasi R, et al. Abstract S1641, 24th Congress of the EHA, 13-16 June 2019, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Neelapu SS, et al. N Engl J Med. 2017 Dec 28;377(26):2531-2544.
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Table of Contents: EHA 2019
Featured articles
Editor Biography
Interview with EHA President Prof. Pieter Sonneveld
Myeloid Malignancies
Residual disease in AML patients prior to stem cell transplant increases relapse risk
Gilteritinib prolongs overall survival in patients with FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory AML
Initial data on AMV564 in patients with relapsed/refractory AML
Overcoming the ādonāt eat meā signal in AML and MDS
Asciminib plus imatinib in patients with heavily pre-treated chronic myeloid leukaemia
Guadecitabine vs treatment of choice in AML
Lymphoid Malignancies
Unmutated IGHV as predictive factor for venetoclax/obinutuzumab benefit in frontline CLL
CAR-T cell therapy in ALL as breakthrough advance
Brentuximab vedotin continues to demonstrate superior clinical activity in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Infectious complications mild and not common in patients receiving CAR-T therapy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Obinutuzumab/polatuzumab in follicular lymphoma
Exciting survival data for ibrutinib vs placebo in treatment-naĆÆve, early-stage CLL
ASCEND study: Acalabrutinib improves progression-free survival in relapsed/refractory CLL
Venetoclax-obinutuzumab combination elicits high response rates in CLL
Myeloma
CASSIOPEIA trial: Phase 3 results of daratumumab + bortezomib/thalidomide/dexamethasone in multiple myeloma
Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in multiple myeloma
Higher levels of treatment satisfaction without compromising efficacy: subcutaneous daratumumab in RRMM
Adding isatuximab to pomalidomide and dexamethasone improves PFS and ORR in RRMM
Subcutaneous daratumumab + cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed amyloid light chain amyloidosis
Venetoclax for multiple myeloma: effective but some safety concerns
Benign Haematology
New sickle cell drug voxelotor boosts levels of haemoglobin
Positive initial data evaluating the safety and efficacy of IMR-687 for treatment of sickle cell disease
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation improves stroke risk in children with sickle cell anaemia
Early trial data shows positive results for treating anaemia in patients with end-stage renal failure
Bench-to-Bedside
Transformation of foetal haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the background of trisomy 21
Treating thalassemia twice, in mice
Haematopoietic stem cells can sense tissue damage in the gut
Promising news for gene therapy for sickle cell disease
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