Safety and efficacy of cryopreserved autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy (LN-144, lifileucel) in advanced metastatic melanoma patients who progressed on multiple prior therapies including anti-PD-1.

Abstract

2518 Background: Treatment options are limited for patients with advanced melanoma who have progressed on checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies such as BRAF/MEK inhibitors (if BRAF-V600E mutated). Adoptive cell therapy utilizing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has shown antitumor efficacy with durable long-term responses in heavily pretreated melanoma patients. Safety and efficacy of lifileucel (LN-144), a centrally manufactured autologous TIL therapy are presented. Methods: C-144-01 is a global Phase 2 open-label, multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of lifileucel in patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma. We report on Cohort 2 (N = 55) patients who received cryopreserved lifileucel. Tumors resected at local institutions were processed in central GMP facilities for TIL production in a 22-day process. Final TIL infusion product was cryopreserved and shipped to sites. Patients received one week of cyclophosphamide/fludarabine preconditioning lymphodepletion, a single lifileucel infusion, followed by up to 6 doses of IL-2. Results: In 55 patients with Stage IIIC/IV unresectable melanoma, 3.1 mean prior therapies (anti-PD1 100%; anti-CTLA-4 80%; BRAF/MEK inhibitor 24%), high baseline tumor burden (110 mm mean target lesion sum of diameters), ORR was 38% (2 CR, 18 PR, 1 uPR). Of 21 responders, 4 have progressed to date with median follow up of 7.4 months. Overall disease control was 76%. Improved responses in some patients were observed with longer follow up. Most (54) patients progressed on prior anti-PD1 and those with PD-L1 negative status (TPS < 5%) were among responders. Mean cells infused was 28 x109. Median IL-2 doses administered was 6.0. Adverse events resolved to baseline, 2 weeks post TIL infusion, a potentially important benefit of one-time TIL therapy. Conclusions: Lifileucel treatment results in 38% ORR in heavily pretreated metastatic melanoma patients with high baseline disease burden who received prior anti-PD1 and BRAF/MEK inhibitor if BRAF mutated. Based on these data, a new Cohort 4 in C-144-01 has been initiated to support lifileucel registration. Clinical trial information: NCT02360579.