17p Deletion Research Articles

Real-World Utilization of Daratumumab-Containing Induction Regimen in Transplant Eligible Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma and Its Role in Patients Historically Excluded from Clinical Trials: A Single Institution Experience

Daratumumab is increasingly being used in the treatment of Multiple Myeloma (MM). However, patients with severe anemia (hgb < 7.5), severe hypercalcemia (serum calcium > 14), creatinine clearance < 30 ml/min, and patients aged > 70 years were excluded from the pivotal clinical trials that investigated first line daratumumab. Here we report how daratumumab is utilized in the treatment of real-world transplant eligible (TE) newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) and its safety and efficacy in these vulnerable patient populations. Method: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult Multiple Myeloma patients who had autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) at Vanderbilt University Stem Cell Transplant (VUSCT) program between January 2017 and April 2023. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize patient and disease characteristics. Patients with del 17p, t(4;14), t(14;16), 1q gain and 1p deletion were categorized as high risk. Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare variables. Kaplan-Meir curves and log rank tests were used to compare PFS and OS. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate patient and disease variables associated with daratumumab use. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 508 charts were reviewed. Out of 508, 104 patients had daratumumab containing induction regimen, including 44 patients who took daratumumab starting with the first cycle and 60 patients who had daratumumab added or regimen switched to include daratumumab as part of the induction regimen. Patient, disease, and outcomes of these patients is summarized in table 1. Additional 149 patients received daratumumab post-ASCT during subsequent relapses. Occurrence of relapse was the only variable associated with increased risk of death (HR=4.45, (95% CI: 1.94,10.06) with p-value=0.0003). Having standard cytogenetic risk was associated with decreased utilization of daratumumab in the induction regimen (OR=0.49, (95% CI: 0.27, 0897) with p-value of 0.02). Out of the 104 patients induced with daratumumab, patients who had daratumumab added after the first induction cycle had longer diagnosis to ASCT time when compared with patients who take daratumumab starting from cycle 1 of induction (table 1). Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was not reached in either group. Among populations of interest, there were 7, 2 African American (AA) and 5 white(W), 5 female (F) and 2 male patients, aged between 54 and 67 years, who had hemoglobin < 7.5 (range: 5.4 -7 g/dL) at diagnosis among the patients who had daratumumab containing induction regimen. All 7 of the patients had improvement in their hemoglobin post-induction and they remain in remission post-ASCT. Their hemoglobin trend is depicted on figure 1. There were 11 TE NDMM patients above age 70 (mean: 74, range: 71-77 years) who received daratumumab containing induction regimen. Although there was no statistically significant difference with the rest of the population, all patients had G3 infection within 30 days of ASCT, but no ICU admission or mortality with follow up of up to 39 months (average 18.45 months). We identified 10 patients with mean age of 53.8 years (range 45-65), 30% F, 40% AA, and 50% high-risk patients who had serum calcium >14 mg/dL. Only 1 patient had daratumumab containing induction regimen. Unfortunately, this patient died of disease progress 3 months after ASCT. Four other patients in this group also died between 3 and 54 months (mean: 18 months) from ASCT. Among 54 patients with creatinine > 2 at diagnosis, 8 patients, aged between 45 and 68 (mean = 58.37) years, mean creatinine of 4.95 (range 2.1-13.05) were induced with daratumumab containing regimen. Average creatinine dropped to 2.15 post-induction and 1.91 at 100 days post-ASCT. Three out of 8 died within 11months of ASCT (mean: 7 months) due to COVID infection in 1standard risk and disease progress in 2 high-risk patients. Conclusion: Inclusion of daratumumab at the onset of induction is associated with shorter time between diagnosis and ASCT. Longer follow up is warranted to determine difference in PFS and OS among patients with early and late incorporation of daratumumab containing induction regimen. Our study suggests that daratumumab containing induction regimen is safe and effective for TE NDMM of all ages, including those with severe anemia and creatinine > 2 mg/dL.

Safety and Efficacy of a Locally Produced Novel Anti-BCMA Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CART) (HBI0101) for the Treatment of Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma

BACKGROUND: Anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy shows remarkable efficacy in patients with relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM), with recent phase 3 studies showing clear advantage of idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel)over standard-of-care. However, access to these commercial CART products is a major barrier, and it is estimated that only around a quarter of eligible R/R MM patients will receive CART nowadays. HBI0101 is a novel second generation optimized anti-BCMA CART with 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain, that was developed in an academic setting, at Hadassah Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University. The phase Ia study evaluating HBI0101 (NCT04720313) demonstrated a manageable safety profile and an initial high efficacy (Asherie, Haematologica 2022). Here, we present the updated results of 50 patients receiving 800x10^6 CART cells in the NCT04720313 phases 1a-b / 2. METHODS: The phase 1a study with HBI0101 which first evaluated 20 R/R MM patients with ≥3 prior lines of therapy, including a PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 antibody, revealed a dose of 800x10^6 CART cells to be safe and effective. The phase Ib and phase 2 of the study evaluated this dose infusion in 43 additional patients. Inclusion criteria were relatively permissive with minimum creatinine clearance of 20ml/min, platelet count of 30x10 9/ml, left ventricular ejection fraction of 40%, and ECOG performance status of ≤2. Lymphodepletion included fludarabine 25mg/m 2 and cyclophosphamide 250mg/m 2 on days -5 to -3 before infusion (bendamustine 90mg/m 2 and on days -4 and -3 for patients with creatinine clearance <30ml/min). Planned manufacturing time was 10 days. RESULTS: Of 51 patients who underwent lymphocyte apheresis, 50 (98%) were treated with 800x10^6 CART cells; 7 patients in the phase Ia cohort and 43 in the phases 1b / 2 cohorts. HBI0101 production success rate was 100%, with manufacturing time of 10 days for all patients. The median age was 65y (range 40-84). The median number of prior lines was 4 (range 3-13) and most patients (47/50, 94%) were triple refractory to PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 antibody. Twenty patients (40%) were penta-refractory and 10 (20%) were refractory to the anti-BCMA antibody drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin. Forty-six patients (92%) were refractory to the last line of therapy. Twelve patients (24%) had high risk cytogenetics (t(4:14), t(14:16) or deletion 17p); 31 (62%) when 1q gain included. Sixteen patients (32%) had extramedullary involvement at study entry. Grade 3-4 hematological toxicities were common (anemia- 62%, thrombocytopenia- 54%, neutropenia- 98%, lymphopenia- 100%). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 48/50 (96%)- grade 1/2- 17 patients (82%); grade 3- 7 patients (14%). Tocilizumab was used in 40/48 patients with CRS (median of 1 dose, range 1-4) and corticosteroids in 8/48. Two cases of immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were observed (grade 1 and 2). Two patients developed CART-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis syndrome (HLH). No irreversible organ toxicities or treatment related deaths occurred. The overall response rate (ORR) was 45/50 (90%), including 29 patients (58%) with complete response (CR)/stringent CR, 10 (20%) with very good partial response and 6 (12%) with partial response. Thirty-five patients (70%) achieved minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at day +30. At a median follow-up of 11.9 months (range: 0.6-19), the median progression-free survival was 10.6 months, and the median overall survival was not reached (Figure 1). Although the presence of extra-medullary disease and prior anti-BCMA therapy correlated with worse outcome, high response rates were still observed (ORR of 98%/75% for patients without/with extra-medullary disease, respectively, and 95%/75% for patients without/with prior anti-BCMA therapy, respectively). Updated results will be communicated at the presentation time. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the manageable safety and high efficacy profiles of HBI0101 also in high-risk patients. Fast production time enabled the timely treatment of 98% of apheresed patients. These favorable data are encouraging and support decentralization of CART production at an academic setting, ensuring a sufficient CART supply in the light of the increasing demand.

Safety and Efficacy Outcomes for Patients with High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Receiving Idecabtagene Vicleucel: The MD Anderson Experience

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding the impact of high-risk features on the efficacy and safety of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: In this retrospective single-center study we included all MM patients who received idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) between 12/2019-10/2022, either in the setting of a clinical trial (i.e. KarMMa-2 and KarMMa-3) or as a standard of care (SOC). We evaluated the impact of high-risk disease features on the efficacy and safety outcomes. Patients with high-risk MM (HRMM) were defined as having at least one of the following: high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities prior to CAR-T infusion (deletion 17p, translocation (t)(4:14), t(14:16) or 1q gain/amplification (1q+)), extramedullary disease (EMD), plasma cell leukemia and Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) stage 3. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was evaluated using 8-color next-generation flow cytometry (NGF), with a sensitivity of 1/10-5 cells (0.001%) based on the acquisition and analysis of at least 2 million events. Efficacy outcomes included response rates, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Safety outcomes included incidence/grade of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), hematological toxicity and infections. Results: A total of 74 patients were included in our analysis, 49 received SOC ide-cel and 25 were treated on clinical trial. The median age was 65.3 (range 37.9-90.3) years, and 49 patients (66%) were male. Median number of previous lines of therapy was 6 (range 1-18). The HRMM group included 52 patients (70%), and the most prevalent high-risk features were high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (43%, most often 1q+ (n=26, 81%), followed by del17p (n=17, 33%), t(4:14) (n=9, 17%) and t(14:16) (n=4, 8%)) and EMD (19%). Seventy five percent of patients who received SOC ide-cel had HRMM compared to 25% of those who received ide-cel on clinical trial (p=0.014). Compared to patients with standard-risk MM (SRMM), those with HRMM more often had disease refractory to proteasome inhibitors (p=0.042) or anti-CD38 antibodies (p=0.01), and more often received bridging therapy prior to CAR-T infusion (p=0.021). After bridging therapy, 43% of HRMM patients had progressive disease, compared to 20% of SRMM patients (p=0.21). Sixty seven percent of the entire cohort received prior BCMA-directed therapy before ide-cel, without a significant difference between the two risk groups (p=0.80) ( Table 1). For the entire cohort, overall response rate was 85%, and 51% achieved ≥CR at best response. There was no significant difference between the HRMM and SRMM groups in response rates or in rates of MRD negativity at day 30 and at 3/6/9 months after CAR-T infusion, yet fewer HRMM had MRD negativity at 12 months after CAR-T (50% vs. 100% of evaluable patients, p=0.019). The 6-months PFS for the HRMM group and the SRMM group was 64% and 81%, respectively (p=0.11) ( Figure 1A), and the 6-months OS was 80% and 90%, respectively (p=0.067) ( Figure 1B); Thirty-nine patients in the HRMM group developed CRS (83% of evaluable patients), including one grade 3 and one grade 5 CRS, compared to 15 (75%, p=0.65) in the SRMM group (all grade <3). Eight patients in the HRMM group developed ICANS (17%), including two grade 4 ICANS, compared to 3 (15%, p=0.93) in the SRMM group (all grade <3). We did not observe a difference in rates of neutropenia (p=0.63), anemia (p=0.75) or thrombocytopenia (p=0.53) by day 30, and also not in the rates of infection (p=0.16) between the two groups. In multivariate analysis on the entire cohort, receiving <4 prior lines of therapy (HR 0.06, 95% CI 0.004-0.71, p=0.026) and ECOG≤2 (HR 0.07, 95% CI 0.08-0.53, p=0.01) were associated with superior OS. Conclusions: Patients with HRMM receiving ide-cel had mostly comparable response rates compared to those with SRMM. HRMM patients had numerically worse PFS and OS compared to patients with SRMM, though not reaching statistical significance. Overall rates of CRS/ICANS were comparable between the two groups, yet only patients with HRMM had grade ≥3 of these complications. Patients who received ide-cel after less than four previous lines of therapy had better overall survival.

Outcomes of Triple Class Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Single Center Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND Despite recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), the disease remains incurable. Recent studies suggest that patients who are triple class refractory (TCR) to a proteasome inhibitor (PI), immunomodulatory agent (IMiD), and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb) have especially poor outcomes with a median overall survival (OS) of less than 1 year. However, studies with these results have been conducted in large academic institutions. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed outcomes among MM patients with TCR MM in a single clinic specializing in the care of patients with MM. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted among patients with TCR MM who were treated in a single clinic specializing in the care of patients with this B-cell malignancy. From July 2003 to July 25, 2022, we determined these patients' progression-free survival (PFS), OS, cytogenetics, lines of prior therapy (LOT), and first treatment they received after they became TCR. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized to assess differences in PFS, OS from diagnosis, and OS from TCR status based on high-risk cytogenetics, defined as the presence of t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), 1q gain, or deletion 17p, compared to those with standard-risk cytogenetics. Kaplan-Meier analysis was also used to compare PFS according to number of lines of prior LOT, time to TCR, and drug class used for the first treatment after becoming TCR. RESULTS TCR developed in 121 patients. The median time from diagnosis to development of TCR disease was 33.4 months (mo; range, 1.5-187 mo). Patients with a time to TCR status of > 33.4 months had a longer PFS (median 5.2 mo) compared with patients with a time to TCR status of < 33.4 mo (median 2.5 mo; p=0.0171). The median LOT these patients received was 7 (range, 3-26). The median LOT prior to becoming TCR was 3 (range: 2-12). The median PFS of patients from their first treatment following the development of TCR was 4.5 months; patients with < or > 3 LOT prior to becoming TCR had the same median PFS (4.5 mo). However, PFS was shorter for high-risk (median = 2.5 mo) than standard risk (median = 4.2 mo) TCR MM patients, but this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.0633). The median OS from diagnosis of MM was 94.8 mo (range, 5.8 - 320.6 mo). Cytogenetic data was available for 65 patients (54%). Of these, 35 (54%) harbored high-risk cytogenetics. The median OS of TCR patients with high-risk cytogenetics from diagnosis was 98.2 mo and was not different from those with standard risk disease (74.2 mo; p = 0.704). Notably, the median OS of patients from the time of development of TCR was 25.5 mo (range, 1.5 - 186.8 mo); OS was shorter (median 18.7 mo) among those TCR patients with high-risk cytogenetics compared with that of standard risk (38.5 mo), but this was not significant (p = 0.1109). The first line of therapy administered following the development of TCR for the majority of patients (n= 108 [89%]) was retreatment with an IMID, PI, mAb, or a combination of agents from these drug classes. Thirteen patients (11%) were treated with a venetoclax- or alkylating agent-based combination therapy. In addition, all except 2 patients received steroids as part of their first treatment after developing TCR. The regimen with the longest PFS was the combination of a mAB and steroids (median 9.0 mo) but only 6 patients were treated with this combination. The shortest PFS was among those retreated with a PI and steroids (n = 15; median 2.4 mo). The use of an IMID with steroids was the most frequently used combination treatment (n=32) with a median PFS of 3.4 mo. CONCLUSION Despite being refractory to a PI, IMID, and mAb, TCR patients in our single-center retrospective study showed a median OS of more than 2 years (25.5 mo) from the development of TCR. This OS is the longest reported to date in this population of MM patients. Cytogenetic differences failed to predict both OS and PFS from the development of TCR. In addition, the number of prior lines of therapy did not predict PFS from their first treatment after showing TCR. The time to development of TCR, however, did predict OS as patients who took longer to become TCR had a longer median OS. The results of this study show that time to becoming TCR is a prognostic factor for this group of patients. Our study shows that OS is considerably longer for patients with TCR than has been previously reported.

Sequential Imaging with Diffusion-Weighted Whole-Body MRI (DW-MRI) and PET-CT Identifies Patients at High Risk of Relapse in Multiple Myeloma

Introduction: Although the vast majority of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) achieve deep responses during first-line therapy, most of them face relapse over time. Focal lesions, which are seen in up to 80% of NDMM, play a crucial role in MM evolution and can act as reservoirs for relapse disease. As a consequence, the combination of imaging- and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity has been defined as a new response category. However, the dynamics and location of focal lesions during the treatment course remains poorly characterized and the answer to what imaging modality should be used to visualize focal residual disease remains elusive. In this study, we employed two techniques, PET-CT and DW-MRI, at multiple pre-defined time points to longitudinally track resistant lesions and investigate the combined prognostic value of these imaging modalities with other prognostic markers. Methods: We included 170 NDMM patients who were diagnosed between the years of 2010-2015 to ensure sufficient median follow-up time, which was 10 years. Median age of the study cohort was 60 years (range: 34-76), 104 were male (61%), and 31 patients (18%) had high-risk according to gene-expression profiles. All patients underwent PET-CT and DW-MRI evaluation at three pre-defined timepoints: baseline, post autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) and at relapse. Minimal residual disease testing (MRD) by 8 color flow cytometry at a sensitivity level of 10 -5 post ASCT was available for 70 patients. Results: At baseline, 144/170 patients (85%) presented with focal lesions. Both imaging modalities, PET-CT and DW-MRI, showed positive results in 116 patients (68%). However, 21 patients (12%) had focal lesions detectable only by DW-MRI, while 7 patients (4%) showed focal lesions solely in PET-CT. After ASCT, only 12 patients had PET-CT positive lesions, whereas DW-MRI detected focal lesions in 53 patients, indicating a much higher detection rate with DW-MRI. Overall, 55 out of 170 patients (32%) showed residual lesions at this time point. The 26 patients w/o focal lesions in both PET-CT and DW-MRI at baseline remained negative post ASCT. Except for one patient, focal lesions after ASCT were persistent from initial diagnosis. Of note, two-thirds of the patients had residual focal lesions in the humeri and/or femora, which is surprising given that myeloma is considered a disease of the axial skeleton. Next, we correlated the presence of residual lesions with baseline patient characteristics, including age, gender, stage, and cytogenetic risk factors. Compared to patients w/o residual lesions, PET-positive patients showed an enrichment of rISS stage III (7 vs 50%, p<0.001) and deletion 17p (10 vs 33%, p=0.04). In contrast, patients who were DW-MRI positive only showed no significant association with any of the investigated variables. Both PET- and DW-MRI positive lesions post ASCT were associated with poor PFS (median 1.5 and 2.4 years, respectively vs. 9.4 years in imaging-negative patients, p<0.001) and OS (median 3.7 and 5.7 years, respectively vs. 11.3 years, p<0.001). Importantly, in a multivariate model the adverse prognostic effect of residual lesions was independent of baseline risk factors. To increase the power of the following combined imaging/MRD analysis, we defined an “Imaging+” group, which included the patients with PET+ and/or DW-MRI+ focal lesions. Among the 20 patients who achieved MRD-negative and imaging-negative status, an excellent PFS was observed, with only three events occurring in an 8-year follow-up. Residual lesions despite MRD negativity were only seen in two patients, and one of them progressed after 1.5 years. Dismal PFS was seen for double-positive patients (median 1.4 years), significantly worse compared to patients with MRD positivity only (8.9 years). Conclusion: Taken together, DW-MRI captures more patients with prognostically relevant residual focal lesions compared to PET-CT and should therefore be considered as a preferable imaging modality post ASCT. The high number of residual lesions in the extremities suggests a role of humeri and femora as reservoirs for treatment-resistant cells, deserving further investigation. For patients with MRD and imaging double positivity post ASCT, prognosis is dismal and alternate therapeutic approaches should be considered.

Curcumin Enhances Ibrutinib Induced Killing Effect Against TP53-Mutated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells in Vitro

Introduction TP53 mutation and del (17p) are the most important poor prognostic factors in patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).Patients with deletion 17p or TP53 mutations tend to have lower response rates to standard first-line chemoimmunotherapy and a more aggressive clinical course(Stilgenbauer et. al. Blood 2014). RESONATE-2 study long-term follow-up showing that ibrutinib continues to demonstrate significant and durable clinical benefit in older patients, including those with TP53 mutation(Barr et. al. Blood Adv 2022).However, CLL bearing del(17p) showed inferior OS and time to next treatment compared to non-del(17p)(Mato et. al. Haematologica 2022). A significant proportion of patients treated with single-agent ibrutinib experienced CLL progression.BTK and/or PLCG2 mutations were present in 80.0% of patients progressing with CLL, confirming prior reports on the high prevalence of these mutations in patients with ibrutinib-resistant CLL(Ahn et. al. Blood 2017). Curcumin is a bioactive natural polyphenol compound extracted from the Curcuma longa(Zingiberaceae plant). Curcumin has anti-tumor effect and can induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of a series of tumor cells(Willenbacher et. al. Int J Mol Sci 2019). Curcumin may limit the development of therapy-related toxicity and reduce the financial burden of treatment.In this study, we found that Curcumin inhibits TP53-mutated CLL cells, and eliciting a strong synergistic cytotoxic effect in combination with ibrutinib. Methods The inhibitory effect of ibrutinib combined with curcumin on the proliferation of TP53-mutated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia cells was detected by CCK8, and the apoptosis of TP53-mutated CLL cells induced by ibrutinib combined with curcumin was detected by flow cytometry;The differences of gene and signal pathway expression among different treatment groups were analyzed by RNA-seq ;Using Western blot technology to verify the expression of related pathway proteins and explore the mechanism of curcumin increasing the killing effect of ibrutinib against TP53-mutated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia cells. Results The CCK8 results showed that the IC50 of ibrutinib for 24 hours was 40.61±2.35μM, while the IC50 of curcumin for 24 hours was 26.6±0.94μM. The IC50 of ibrutinib for 48 h was 14.6 ±0.8307μM, and the IC50 of curcumin for 48 h was 15.7±2.53μM.Cell inhibition of various group for 48h is shown in Figure 1.The CI of ibrutinib combined with curcumin at 24 hours and 48 hours was calculated by CompuSyn software. The results showed that the CI values of ibrutinib combined with curcumin were less than 1 at 24 h and 48 h, suggesting that ibrutinib combined with curcumin has a synergistic killing effect on CLL cells with TP53 mutation;Flow cytometry showed that the IC50 of ibrutinib for 24 hours was 67.20±2.86μM, while the IC50 of curcumin for 24 hours was 144±6.6 μM. The CI value of ibrutinib combined with curcumin was less than 1 at 24 h, suggesting that ibrutinib combined with curcumin has a synergistic promoting apoptosis on CLL cells with TP53 mutation;RNA-seq analysis and KEGG analysis of down-regulated genes of combination group compared with the control group were mainly enrich in PI3K/AKT, Cytokine-Cytokine Recptor signal pathway and so on;4.The results of Western blot showed that the protein expression levels of P65PI3K and p53 in the single drug group and the combination group were down-regulated in varying degrees, especially in the combination group（Figure 2). Conclusion Ibrutinib combined with curcumin has synergistic killing effect on TP53- mutated CLL cells;Curcumin increases the killing effect of ibrutinib on TP53-mutated CLL cells by inhibiting PI3K and NFκB pathway, and degrading p53mt protein.

Tailor: Interventional Study Evaluating Physician's Choice of Ibrutinib Monotherapy or Ibrutinib-Venetoclax Combination Using Dose Modifications and Alternate Dosing Approaches in Patients with Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background: Ibrutinib is a first-in-class Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) that has changed the treatment paradigm for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with durable responses and improved overall survival (OS). In the pivotal Phase 3 GLOW and Phase 2 CAPTIVATE trials, fixed-duration combination of ibrutinib-venetoclax (I+V) resulted in deep and sustained clinical responses, and a broadly manageable safety profile in patients with CLL. Several factors including genetic features, disease status, comorbidities, patient preferences, and safety profiles contribute to selection of the optimal therapeutic option for patients with CLL in the first-line setting. Adverse events (AEs), such as atrial fibrillation, bleeding, and hypertension, have been seen with the BTKi therapeutic class.Long-term clinical and real-world experience with ibrutinib has led to specific guidance regarding AE management, which has been included in the updated ibrutinib prescribing information (US PI, May 2022; EU SmPC, April 2023). Retrospective evidence, including post-hoc analyses of clinical trial data, demonstrates that dose reduction of ibrutinib mitigates recurrence or worsening of AEs while preserving efficacy. Thus, these findings together support the rationale to prospectively evaluate the impact of regimen and dosing flexibility of ibrutinib in patients with untreated CLL. Aim: The key objective of the TAILOR study (NCT05963074) is to assess the efficacy and safety of I+V and ibrutinib monotherapy regimens with both a proactive and reactive dose adjustment in patients with untreated CLL. Methods: TAILOR is a phase 2, two-arm, four-cohort interventional study designed to provide physicians the choice of ibrutinib monotherapy or I+V combination therapy for previously untreated patients with CLL and prospectively evaluate proactive and reactive dose adjustment approaches. Eligible patients will have previously untreated active CLL, needing therapy as per iwCLL 2018 criteria. Key exclusion criteria include significant active or history of cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, and ECOG performance status > 2. Patients will be randomized after selection of regimen: I+V fixed-duration regimen (2 cohorts, 80 patients in each cohort) or ibrutinib monotherapy (2 cohorts, 80 patients in each cohort), as per physician's choice. Patients in the I+V arm will receive ibrutinib 420 mg QD as lead-in for 3 cycles plus 12 cycles of either ibrutinib 420 mg QD (Cohort 1a) or 280 mg QD (Cohort 1b) in combination with venetoclax, which will be initiated in cycle 4 with dose ramp-up per label over 5 weeks (20, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/day) and continued at 400 mg/day dose from cycle 5 onward. In addition, patients with deletion 17p and/or mutated TP53 will receive optional ibrutinib maintenance. Patients in the ibrutinib monotherapy arm will receive ibrutinib 420 mg QD (Cohort 2a) or 420 mg QD for 3 cycles, then 280 mg QD (Cohort 2b) until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity ( Figure). All cohorts will follow the dose modification guidance as per protocol based on the US PI/ EU SmPC. The primary endpoint is best overall response rate as assessed by investigators and compared with historic controls. Secondary endpoints include: complete response rate, duration of response, PFS, and OS; undetectable minimal residual disease rate (I+V cohorts only); safety (AEs, discontinuation due to AEs, adherence rates); and patient reported outcomes. The study is currently recruiting patients.

Management Patterns and Outcomes for Multiple Myeloma Patients with High-Risk Cytogenetics at an Urban Safety Net Hospital

Background: Over the past decade, there have been tremendous advancements and drug approvals for multiple myeloma (MM). This is especially true with the advent of therapies such as chimeric antigen T-cell receptor therapy (CART). As a result, patients with MM are living longer; with many patients living a decade or longer. However, there is still a small subset of patients with high-risk disease that unfortunately continue to do poorly. High-risk disease based on cytogenetics is defined by disease specific biologic features such as t(4;14), del17p, t(14;16), t(14;20), and gain of 1q. Patients with such features tend not to respond as well to induction therapies and autologous stem cell transplantation as those with standard risk cytogenetics. Here we report a retrospective cohort of patients with high-risk cytogenetics to evaluate patient characteristics, management patterns, and outcomes in an urban safety net hospital. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients aged 18 years or older who presented to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center between 2008-2022 with the diagnosis of MM. Patients were included if they were 18 years or older, had MM based on IMWG criteria, and had high risk cytogenetics defined as having one or more of the following abnormalities: t(4;14), del17p, t(14;16), t(14;20), and gain of 1q. Data collected included demographics, induction regimens, transplant status, response, consolidation therapy, progression free survival (PFS) on first line therapy, and overall survival (OS). Results: We identified 28 MM patients with high-risk cytogenetics. The median age at diagnosis was 65, and the cohort was 79% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 7% African American, and 4% Caucasian. 54% of patients were female and 46% were male. Cytogenetic abnormalities were prevalent in the following order: deletion 17p (50%), gain of 1q (29%), t(4;14) (18%), t(14;16) (3%). The most used induction regimen was cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (CyBorD) (71%) followed by revlimid, velcade, and dexamethasone (RVD) (25%). Only 32% of patients received autologous stem cell transplantation. The most common drug used in the maintenance setting was velcade (50%). The median PFS for first line treatment in patients with high-risk cytogenetics was 14 months (18.1 months average). The median OS was 29 months (average 37.6 months). Conclusion: In this high-risk patient population, with few resources available, we found that the majority of patients were treated with CyBorD, primarily due to kidney disease or inability to access revlimid upfront. In addition, the majority of patients did not receive autologous stem cell transplantation, which is considered standard of care for upfront management of MM, especially in patients with high-risk cytogenetics. Our centers median PFS for first line treatment was 14 months, which was significantly lower compared to other published data with reported PFS of around 37 months. In addition, our median OS of 29 months was also lower compared to reported OS at other centers of around 60 months. This is most likely due to the low utilization of RVD upfront and transplantation, among other comorbidities that are unique to our population. Further research is needed to characterize real world outcomes and elucidate mechanisms of disparity.

Deletion 1p at Time of Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma Portends Inferior Outcomes

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with several cytogenetic abnormalities (CA) that influence the disease course, response to treatment and survival. Trisomies and immunoglobulin H chain translocations are primary CA while del(17p), gain(1q), del(1p) and others are secondary CA. Gain (3 copies) and amplification (>3 copies) 1q have been recognized as adverse prognostic markers and incorporated into the second revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS). However, the role of del(1p) is less well defined, especially in the era of modern myeloma therapeutics. We aimed to analyze the outcomes of newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients (pts) with chromosome 1 abnormalities, mainly del 1p, treated with autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) consolidation at The Ohio State University. Methods: We identified and reviewed the medical records of all NDMM pts who were treated with AHCT from 1/1/2015-2/13/2019 (n=511). High-risk cytogenetics (HRC) was defined by the presence of del(17p), t(4;14), or t(14;16) similar to R-ISS; standard-risk cytogenetics (SRC) were defined as the absence of HRC. Modified HR cytogenetics (mHRC) included gain/amp 1q and/or t(14;20) in addition to HRC, while ultra high-risk (uHRC) included 2 or more mHRC risk factors. Results: The baseline pt characteristics are presented in Table 1. Of 511 pts transplanted, 453 had cytogenetic data from diagnosis. SRC were seen in 353 pts (77.9%), while 100 (22.1%) had HRC, 156 (34.4%) had mHRC, and 43 (9.5%) had uHRC. Thirty-two (7.1%) pts had del(1p) while 105 (23.2%) had gain 1q and 30 (6.6%) had amp 1q. As expected, compared to SRC pts, pts with HRC, mHRC and uHRC had higher risk of relapse or death. Patients with gain and amp 1q had inferior outcomes in terms of PFS (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.06-1.73, p=0.016), TTNT (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.40-2.42, p<0.001) and OS (HR 1.47; 95% CI 1.06-2.02, p=0.02), consistent with published literature. The median PFS, TTNT and OS from AHCT in pts with gain/amp 1q was 3.17 years (y), 3.95y and 7.13y, respectively, compared to 4.01y, 7.60y and 8.21y in pts without gain/amp 1q. Pts with del(1p) had inferior PFS (median 2.43y versus 3.98y; HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.16-2.64, p=0.008), TTNT (median 2.72y versus 6.17y; HR 1.96; 95% CI 1.22-3.14, p=0.005) and OS (median 4.11y versus 8.38y; HR 2.19; 95% CI 1.34-3.58, p=0.002) from AHCT compared to those without del(1p). (Figure 1). Conclusions: In this cohort of NDMM pts that underwent AHCT, del(1p) at diagnosis was an independent predictor of shorter PFS, TTNT and OS. Despite advances in induction regimens, AHCT consolidation and maintenance therapy, del(1p) continues to portend inferior outcomes. Larger analyses are needed to validate the prognostic value of del(1p) and investigate its role in predicting outcomes in MM.

BCMA CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Combination with Long-Term Pomalidomide Is a Safe and Effective Treatment for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Background: B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T-cell) therapy has exhibited remarkable efficacy in refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma (R/R MM), but recurrence and rapid progression of disease are still observed in some cases within a short time after treatment. Long-term pomalidomide therapy, which potentiates T-cell functionality and has direct antimyeloma effects, might enhance the efficacy of BCMA CAR-T-cell therapy. Here, we present the efficacy of this combination regimen for R/R MM. Methods: We performed a single-center prospective clinical study that was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registration Center (ChiCTR2000036350). Patients with relpased or refractory multiple myeloma receiving BCMA CAR-T cell infusion were randomized to receive long-term pomalidomide treatment (4 mg/day) one month after infusion. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS) in R/R MM with long-term pomalidomide administration compared to those without pomalidomide therapy after CAR T-cell infusion. The secondary endpoints include time to progression (TTP) and therapeutic response. Also, the copy numbers of CAR were assessed after infusion. Results: A total of 14 R/R MM patients who received BCMA CAT T-cell therapy, were included in this study. The median age of the enrolled R/R MM patients was 59.5 years (44-71). Five patients had high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (IGH rearrangement, 1q21 amplification, and P53 deletion) at the time of initial diagnosis. In addition, high-risk genetic alterations were newly detected in patient 2 during first-line therapy. All patients had previously received 3 to 6 lines of treatment with proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), or anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies. As shown in Figure 1, all patients had demonstrated progressive disease prior to CAR T-cell infusion. The objective response rate (ORR) of BCMA-CART was 100%. Three months following CAR-T-cell infusion, of the 6 patients receiving pomalidomide, all patients (6/6) achieved VGPR (very good partial response) or CR (complete response）, while only 5 patients (5/8) who did not receive pomalidomide treatment achieved VGPR or better. At a median follow-up of 19.7 months, for the 8 patients who did not receive pomalidomide administration, the median TTP (time to progression) was 4.5 (1-14) months, while the TTP was not reached in patients who received long-term pomalidomide treatment. Moreover, the dynamic abundance of circulating BCMA CAR-T cells was monitored as shown in Figure 2. In patients who received pomalidomide treatment after CAR-T-cell therapy, the CAR copy numbers of circulating CAR-T cells peaked 8 to 10 days after CAR-T-cell infusion, with a peak copy number of up to 10 6. In addition, BCMA CAR-T cells persisted (>1*10 3 copies/µg DNA) for 3 months in vivo. Without pomalidomide administration, BCMA CAR-T cells persisted for up to 2.5 months in the peripheral circulation (results not shown). Conclusion: Our results confirm the efficacy of the long-term oral pomalidomide administration (4 mg/day) after BCMA CAR T-cell infusion in patients with R/R MM. Notably, this combination regieme reduced the recurrence rate and prolonged progression-free survival for R/R MM patients, providing a promising option for treating R/R MM. In addition, oral administration of pomalidomide did not significantly prolong the persistence of BCMA CAR T-cells in vivo. However, data from studies with larger sample sizes are required to draw valid conclusions.

Impact of Typical and Atypical Complex Karyotype Subgroups on Outcome of AML Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a complex karyotype (CKT) confers an adverse prognosis, even within the subgroup of patients (pts) with adverse risk according to European LeukemiaNet 2022 (ELN22) risk stratification. Mrózek et al. further characterized CKT pts according to distinct mechanisms of leukemogenesis into balanced (presence of ≥1 balanced rearrangement), and unbalanced CKT (CKT ub, exclusively unbalanced cytogenetic abnormalities). Considering the high incidence of deletions (del) of 5q, 7q, and 17p in CKT, CKT ub were further divided in typical CKT ub (with latter abnormalities present), and atypical CKT ub (with exclusively other abnormalities). In the context of consolidating chemotherapy, typical CKT ub was associated with shorter event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to atypical CKT ub. However, we lack data in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) which remains the preferred treatment in eligible pts. Here we aimed to investigate this classification in CKT AML pts consolidated by HSCT. Methods We analyzed 263 pts with AML who were classified as ELN22 adverse risk and underwent an allogeneic HSCT. 105 had a CKT, while 158 fulfilled other ELN22 adverse risk criteria. Of the pts harboring a CKT, median age at HSCT was 61 (range 20 - 76) years. Remission status at HSCT was first complete remission with or without count recovery (CR/CRi, 62%) or refractory AML (38%). Conditioning intensity according to EBMT criteria were myeloablative (19%), reduced intensity (31%) or non-myeloablative (50%). Donors were matched related (16%), haploidentical (2%) or matched (65%) or mismatch unrelated (17%).Cytogenetic analyses at diagnosis were performed using standard techniques of banding and in situ hybridization. Pretreatment genomic DNA was screened for genes recurrently mutated in myeloid malignancies using next generation sequencing. Median follow-up alive was 1.3 years. Results Pts with a CKT had a significantly shorter EFS ( P<.01) and OS ( P<.01) than other ELN22 adverse risk pts. Of all pts harboring a CKT, 17% had a balanced CKT, and 83% a CKT ub. Among CKT ub, 85% were classified as typical (67% with del(5q), 49% with del(7q), 26% with del(17p), Figure 1). Comparing typical and atypical CKT ub, pts with typical CKT ub more often had a monosomal karyotype ( P<.01), had more cytogenetic abnormalities (in typical CKT ub median 8 [range 3-39] vs atypical CKT ub median 6 [range 3-9], P=.04), more often TP53 mutations ( P=.02), less often RUNX1 mutations ( P=.03) and a lower LDH at diagnosis ( P=.03). They also had a higher expression of the leukemic stem cell markers CD34+/CD38- ( P=.01) and GPR56 ( P<.01). However, after allogeneic HSCT, EFS ( P=.50) and OS ( P=.50) did not differ between pts with typical and atypical CKT ub (Figure 2). Next, we looked for other adverse prognostic factors within CKT pts receiving HSCT, which in univariate analyses were the presence of a del(5q) (EFS P<.01 and OS P=.03), a del(17p) (EFS P=.10 and OS P=.02), the presence of ≥5 vs <5 cytogenetic aberrations (EFS P=.03 and OS P=.06), a concomitant TP53 mutation (EFS P=.01 and OS P=.01), and a higher age at HSCT (≥60 years, EFS P=.04 and OS P=.08). In contrast, neither the presence of a del(7q) nor a monosomal karyotype impacted EFS or OS within pts with a CKT. In multivariate analyses for CKT pts, the presence of ≥ 5 cytogenetic aberrations (Hazard Ratio. [HR] 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.0-3.0, P=.05), higher age at HSCT (HR 1.6, 95% Ci 1.1-2.5, P=.02), and no CR/CRi at HSCT (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.7, P=.01) were adverse factors for EFS, while the presence of a del(17p) (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.4, P=.01), higher age at HSCT (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0, P=.02), and no CR/CRi at HSCT (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9, P=.02) were adverse factors for OS. Conclusion The presence of a CKT retains its negative prognostic impact after HSCT and differentiates within the ELN22 adverse risk group. However, in contrast to chemotherapy consolidation alone, the subgroup of pts harboring a typical CKT ub did not perform worse than pts with an atypical CKT ub, indicating a potential immune-mediated beneficial effect of HSCT. Within pts with a CKT receiving HSCT, we identified additional prognostic factors including the presence of ≥5 cytogenetic aberrations. These pts are in urgent need for novel post HSCT approaches.

Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations and Monoclonal B-Cell Lymphocytosis: Relationship and Risk of Hematologic Malignancies

Background: Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a precursor condition to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) characterized by the presence of circulating monoclonal B-cell populations in the peripheral blood of otherwise healthy individuals. MBL increases risk of several adverse clinical outcomes, including development of hematological malignancies. Mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) are a form of clonal hematopoiesis which affect large segments of DNA and include gains, losses, and copy number neutral loss of heterozygosity events. mCAs can be detected from SNP-array genotyping. Prior work has suggested mCAs as a potent risk factor for hematological malignancies. However, the nature of the relationship between mCAs and MBL is unknown. We sought to determine 1) the association between mCAs and MBL and 2) their combined effect on risk of hematological malignancies, in a large, prospectively collected, and well-annotated cohort of individuals with known MBL, mCA, and clinical outcomes. Methods: We examined the prevalence of mCA in a cohort of individuals from the Mayo Clinic Biobank who were screened for MBL using a sensitive eight-color flow cytometry assay. We classified MBL by the size of the clone relative to total B-cells, with high count (HC) defined as those individuals who had a percent clonal B-cell count ≥85% out of total B-cell count and low-count (LC) otherwise. Autosomal mCAs were detected from whole blood DNA collected at the time of MBL screening using a SNP-array-based assay. The MoChA pipeline was used to identify mCA events. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To examine incident hematological cancers, we identified and validated all hematological cancers through medical record abstraction using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases codes. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs, stratified by MBL status or autosomal mCA status. All models were adjusted for age and sex. Results: We evaluated the prevalence of autosomal mCA in 3,764 individuals (792 individuals with MBL of whom 64 had HC-MBL and 2,972 without MBL). The prevalence of autosomal mCA was 7.7% ( n=288) with a median mCA cell fraction of 0.09 (range 0.01-1). Among those with and without MBL overall, the prevalence of mCA was 15.5% ( n=123) and 5.6% ( n=165), respectively (Figure 1). Compared to those without an autosomal mCA, individuals with an autosomal mCA were 2.4-fold more likely to have MBL (95% CI 1.9-3.2; P =2.0x10 -11; Figure 1). CLL-associated mCA (i.e., those commonly altered in CLL including trisomy 12 and deletion of 6q, 11q, 13q, and 17p) were present in 42 individuals, of whom 38 (90.5%) had MBL overall and 30 (71.4%) individuals had HC-MBL. Compared to those without a CLL-associated mCA, individuals with a CLL-associated mCA were 539.39-fold more likely to have HC-MBL (95% CI 190.3-1975.9; P <2.0x10 -16) and 6.7-fold more likely to have LC-MBL (95% CI 2.0-26.5; P =0.0031; Figure 1). Next, we evaluated the relationship between MBL and mCA with risk of developing a hematologic malignancy in 3,009 individuals with follow-up data (median 10 years). Forty-one individuals developed an incident hematological malignancy (68.3% lymphoid). When we evaluated the effect of autosomal mCA stratified by MBL status we observed elevated but non-significant risk of hematological malignancies (Figure 2). When we evaluated the effect of MBL stratified by autosomal mCA status we observed elevated and significant increased risk of developing a hematological malignancy (Figure 2). Conclusions: We found that the presence of an autosomal mCA is highly associated with having MBL. In particular, >90% of CLL-associated mCA carriers had MBL with ~7- and ~540-fold increased association for LC- and HC-MBL, respectively. These results suggest that almost all individuals in large biobanks with CLL-associated mCAs have undiagnosed MBL. However, not all individuals with MBL have an mCA. When evaluating risk of hematological malignancies, we found autosomal mCAs had >2-fold elevated but non-significant effects when stratified by MBL status while MBL remained a significant risk factor regardless of autosomal mCA status. Collectively these results support that MBL remains an important risk factor and suggests that mCAs hold potential to identify a subgroup of individuals at greater risk of developing a hematological malignancy.

Impact of Prior Lines of Therapy before Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplant on Survival in Standard Risk Multiple Myeloma

Introduction: Patients with standard risk (SR) multiple myeloma (MM), as defined by the absence of high risk cytogenetic abnormalities including immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene translocations such as t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), deletion of (17p), or gain/amplification(1q), have favorable prognosis and respond well to standard of care induction with plasma-cell directed therapy followed by AHCT consolida-tion and lenalidomide (LEN)-based maintenance. Despite this, it has been noted that a significant proportion of SRMM patients may suffer from early relapse after AHCT, and could potentially benefit form mitigation strategies. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of prior lines of therapy on post-AHCT outcomes in SR MM patients, and then evaluate the role of an augmented LEN-based maintenance regimen in those who did not achieve a complete response (CR) post transplant. Methods: All MM patients who underwent AHCT at our institutions between January 2011 and January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Electronic medical charts were searched to collect data on baseline demographic characteristics, disease status, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) cytogenetic studies, blood and bone marrow studies, number of lines of treatments pre-AHCT, as well as maintenance therapy post-transplant. Responses were according to the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria. Kaplan Meier method was used for event free survival (EFS) assessment. Results: A total of 293 SR MM patients were included in this analysis, of whom 188, 63, 32 and 10 received 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 lines of therapy pre-AHCT. Despite having comparable CR rates pre-AHCT (28% vs 19% vs 22% vs 10%, respectively; p=0.3), patients with ≥4 prior lines of therapy experienced significantly worse outcomes as determined by shorter mediant EFS of 8.4 months vs 54.5, 55.9 and 21.7 months (P<0.0001) for the 1, 2, and 3 pre-AHCT lines of therapy groups, respectively ( Figure 1A). We then focused on the subgroup of SR MM patients (n=100) who did not achieve a hematologic CR at day-100 post-AHCT. Among them 87 were placed on LEN-monotherapy, and 13 on LEN-based combination maintenance therapy post-AHCT. Of note, none was LEN-refractory. Both the LEN-monotherapy and combination groups had comparable baseline patients and disease characteristics including age (60.5 vs 56 years, p=0.07), time from diagnosis to transplant (≥12 months in 24% vs 30.8%, p=0.7), hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) score ( ≥3 in 44% vs 30.8%, p=0.5), male representation (59% vs 69%, p=0.6), white ethnicity (82 vs 77%, p=0.7), international scoring system stages (p=0.9), pre-AHCT number of lines of therapy (p=0.8), and pre-AHCT bone marrow plasma cell percentage (≥10% in 9.5% vs 7.7%, p=0.9), respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a significantly shorter median estimated EFS for the LEN monotherapy group at 38.1 months vs 68.6 months (p=0.03) for the LEN combination maintenance group ( Figure 1B). Conclusion: SR MM constitute heterogenous group of patients with variable outcomes post-AHCT. Those with heavily pretreated disease, that have received four or more lines or therapy, tend to have worse outcomes post transplant, therefore, should be considered for alternative approaches such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies or bispecific agents. For patients who undergo AHCT but do not achieve a CR, LEN-combination maintenance should be strongly considered especially in the setting of relapsed-refractory disease.

Free from Drug Therapy in Multiple Myeloma (FREEDMM): MRD-Based Cessation of Maintenance

Background. Treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) consists of induction therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and indefinite maintenance. Continuous lenalidomide carries both significant clinical and financial toxicity. Minimal residual disease (MRD) has proven to be a powerful surrogate for PFS and OS but is not yet used to guide treatment. We hypothesize that MRD could be used to predict a subset of patients who can safely stop maintenance therapy and enter into a disease surveillance phase. Study Design and Methods. This prospective phase 2 study (NCT 05192122) is designed to stop post-ASCT maintenance therapy once sustained MRD negativity is achieved. MM patients are eligible if they have completed ≥2 years of maintenance therapy post-ASCT, and meet IMWG criteria for ≥ PR. Bone marrow (BM) MRD testing is performed twice, one year apart, using NGS. Sustained MRD-negativity is defined at a threshold of 10 -6, with negative MRD sustained between the Year 1 and Year 2 interval. Patients with sustained MRD negativity and absence of new bony lesions on PET then undergo maintenance therapy cessation. MRD-positive patients are removed from study. In patients who discontinue maintenance, BM testing to re-assess for MRD is repeated yearly for 3 years. At the time of MRD testing, peripheral blood (PB) samples are collected for MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry testing and circulating multiple myeloma cell (CMMC) enumeration. These are done in parallel with MRD assessment. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the EORTC QLQ-MY20 questionnaire is measured before and after maintenance cessation. This study plans to enroll 50 patients to meet the primary objective of assessing sustained MRD-negativity 1 year after maintenance cessation. For all patients, 5-mL PB and BM samples are collected, processed, and kept frozen until analysis. Cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes (CITE-seq) to simultaneously quantify cell surface protein and transcriptome data is used to characterize differences in the immune microenvironment between MRD-negative, MRD-positive, as well as between patients with biochemical and/or clinical progression and patients with MRD-resurgence but biochemically and clinically stable. Preliminary Results. FREEDMM enrollment began December 2021, and 31 patients have been enrolled, 29 of whom have undergone Year 1 BM for MRD assessment. Median follow up of our cohort is 414 (0-577) days. The median age is 69.5 (40-78) years, and the majority are either Black (n=9; 29%) or Hispanic (n=11; 35%). 18 (58%) patients had R-ISS 1 or 2, while 2 patients had high risk disease with presence of 17p deletion. The median number of years of maintenance therapy completed prior to Year 1 BM is 3.4 (2-7.9) years. 28 (96.6%) were in CR at time of Year 1 BM. Year 1 MRD results are pending in 13 patients. At Year 1, 11 (68.8 %) of 16 patients were found to be MRD-negative, while 5 (31.3%) patients were found to be MRD-positive with a median of 206 (1-9,748) cells per 10 6 nucleated cells detected. 24 (85%) of 28 patients had a negative MALDI-TOF result at the time of the Year 1 BM. MALDI-TOF results were false negative in 3 MRD-positive patients. PB CMMC samples were concordant with MRD results in all 5 (100%) patients who were tested. There was concordance between MALDI-TOF and CMMC results in 9 (75%) of 12 patients. At year 2, 4 patients continued to be MRD negative, while 1 patient who was previously MRD-negative became MRD positive. At most recent follow-up, 3 (42.9%) of 7 MRD positive patients at Year 1 experienced clinical progression and were removed from the study. 2 (50%) of 4 patients with sustained MRD-negativity have undergone maintenance cessation, with the remaining 2 awaiting confirmation of MRD-negative results. 59 paired PB (n=29) and BM (n=30) samples have been collected for CITE-seq analysis. Pilot CITE-seq experiments captured 10,000-15,000 cells with 33,000-56,000 reads/ cell on one MRD-positive BM and paired PB sample. CITE-seq results for remaining patients will be presented at the conference. Conclusion: This phase 2 trial applies a novel clinical trial design with an adaptive strategy to explore use of MRD testing as a guide to maintenance therapy cessation in MM patients and represents one of the first studies introducing transcriptome analysis of the tumor and immune microenvironment in the maintenance setting. Ongoing results will be reported at the conference.

Real-World Treatment Patterns, Discontinuation and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with B-Cell Lymphoproliferative Diseases Treated with BTK Inhibitors in China

Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) has demonstrated substantial efficacy in treating B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (BLPD). Nonetheless, the significant discontinuation rates due to toxicity or financial reasons cannot be overlooked. In China, empirical evidence on the usage of BTKi remains scarce. To address this, a retrospective cohort study was conducted focused on 673 Chinese patients with BLPD who underwent at least one month of BTKi therapy. Median age at BTKi initiation was 60 years. The median duration on BTKi treatment of the whole cohort was 36.4 months. The median post-BTK survival was not reach. BTKi-based treatment was permanently discontinued in 288 (43.8%) patients during follow-up, mostly attributed to progressive disease. Within the first 6 months of BTKi treatment, 76 patients (26.3%) had early treatment discontinuation. Patients with early discontinuation had extreme worse outcome with a median post-discontinuation survival of only 6.9 months. On multivariate analysis, withdrawal BTKi by toxicity and withdrawal BTKi within 6 months retained to be independent predictors of post-BTK survival, after taking account of the response depth, lines of therapy and baseline cytogenetics including 17p deletion. The decision between BTKi monotherapy and combination therapy, along with the preference for first or second-generation BTKi, exerted no significant impact on survival. These observations contribute valuable real-world insights into the utilization of BTKi in China. We concluded that BTKi is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for long-term use in Chinese patient population. However, it is imperative to stress that a proportion of patients discontinue BTKi early, leading to suboptimal outcomes. This study underscores the importance of adherence to BTKi therapy for improved clinical outcomes in real-world patients.

Selinexor Combined Bortezomib, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma with Extramedullary Disease(EMD) or High-Risk Cytogenetics

BACKGROUND: High-risk(HR) cytogenetics are significantly enriched in MM with EMD , and studies consistently showed EMD and HR cytogenetics were associated with poor outcome. To date, there is no established approach for treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) with EMD. Selinexor is a first-in-class Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound that selectively binds and inactivates XPO1, which leads to accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins in the nucleus and re-activation of cell cycle regulators such as p53, FOXO, IkB. Meanwhile, by forcing the nuclear retention of the eIF4E protein, Selinexor reduces the cytoplasmic ribosomal translation of oncoproteins, including c-Myc, Bcl-2 and Bcl-6. In the STORM study(NCT02343042), 122 patients(pts) with penta-exposed, triple-class refractory multiple myeloma were enrolled to receive Selinexor combined with low-dose dexamethasone. 27 patients were diagnosed with EMD at baseline. The median age of patients was 64 years, the median prior therapies were 7, and 8 pts had high risk cytogenetics. Follow-up evaluation of plasma cell tumor was performed in 16 cases, and complete disappearance or shrinkage of extramedullary lesions was observed in 9 cases. It indicates that Selinexor has clinical activity in the treatment of plasma cell tumor or EMD. The treatment of MM with EMD or HR cytogenetics still faces great challenges, because there is no uniform guideline and consensus to recommend standard protocols, and prospective clinical studies are urgently needed to explore new treatment strategies. METHODS: Eligible pts were aged≥18 years of NDMM with EMD or HR cytogenetics, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) performance status of 0-2. For induction/consolidation(21-day cycles), pts received 8 cycles of SVRd (Selinexor 60 mg PO weekly, Bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 SC days1, 4, 8, 11, Lenalidomide 25 mg PO days 1-14, and Dexamethasone 40 mg PO weekly. In maintenance (28-day cycles), pts received SR (Selinexor+ Lenalidomide) at least 2 years until disease progression, death or withdrawal. The primary endpoint was overall response rates (ORR) by end of induction. The secondary endpoints are complete response (CR), duration of response (DOR), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. This trial is registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, number ChiCTR2200062860. RESULTS: 8 pts with previously untreated NDMM were included from August 2022 to July 2023 in 3 hospitals. Median age was 62 (range 55-81). R-ISS stage 3 was present in 2 (25%) pts(Table 1). Based on inclusion criteria, 7 pts had EMD and 1 patient had HR cytogenetic, including 17p deletion (n=2, 25%), 1q21 gain(n=2, 25%). According to IMWG criteria, the ORR of 8 pts with NDMM was 100%, including 2 stringent complete response(sCR), 3 CR, 2 very good partial response (VGPR) and 1 partial response (PR). 1 patient evaluated with sCR at the end of the induction period was evaluated with MRD negativity after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Median time to first response in patients with a partial response or better was 1 months (1-2). This result established that SVRd regimen has a prospective response for MM with EMD or HR cytogenetic. The most common grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events (occurring in ≥10% of pts) were thrombocytopenia. The most common treatment-related adverse events were grade 1 or 2, including nausea (25%), fatigue (25%), and anorexia (25%). Overall, the severe toxicities are manageable. CONCLUSIONS: SVRd as induction prior ASCT is safe and allows deep responses in NDMM patients with EMD or HR cytogenetic profile. It is worthy of further study based on the preliminary efficacy results. Longer-term results still require more pts have been enrolled and further follow-up.

Toxicity, Progression-Free Survival, and Quality of Life of Patients Treated with Zanubrutinib Versus Ibrutinib: A Q-TWiST Analysis from the ALPINE Study in Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Introduction: Zanubrutinib is a second-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) with enhanced specificity over the first-generation BTKi ibrutinib. Patients treated with zanubrutinib had a significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) versus those treated with ibrutinib in the global, phase 3, randomized ALPINE trial in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) (NCT03734016). Quality-adjusted time without symptoms of disease and toxicity (Q-TWiST) is a clinical tool to assess overall benefits and risks of cancer therapies by integrating progression, survival, treatment toxicity, and patient quality of life (QoL) into a single metric. It provides valuable insights into the quality and duration of improved health states. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and risks associated with zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in terms of quality-adjusted survival, a Q-TWiST analysis was performed within the ALPINE trial. Methods: Patients in the ALPINE trial were followed for a median duration of 29.6 months. For the Q-TWiST analysis, overall survival (OS) of each patient was partitioned into 3 mutually exclusive health states: TOX (time before disease progression with toxicity after randomization); TWiST (time from randomization to disease progression without toxicity); and REL (time after disease progression until death or censoring). Survival curves corresponding to TOX, PFS, and OS were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method with a monthly cycle. Restricted mean survival time for each health state was derived from the area under the Kaplan-Meier curve (TWiST = PFS - TOX; REL = OS - PFS). Q-TWiST for each treatment was estimated as the mean time spent in each health state weighted by its respective QoL, denoted by health states' utility value (U; 0 [indicates death] to 1.0 [indicates “perfect” health]). Relative Q-TWiST gain was estimated by dividing the absolute Q-TWiST gain by mean OS with ibrutinib. To ensure the comparability of populations and treatments across published Q-TWiST studies, the base-case analysis focused on a high-risk population (i.e., patients with chromosome 17p deletion, TP53 mutation, or both). In the base case, the TOX health state included adverse events (AEs) of grade 2 or higher. Standard utilities were applied, with a value of 0.5 assigned to both TOX and REL and a value of 1.0 assigned to TWiST. A sensitivity analysis was performed in an intent-to-treat population with same-grade AEs considered for TOX and standard utilities. Results:In the base case, the mean durations of TOX, TWiST, and REL health states for zanubrutinib (N = 73) were 11.54 months, 14.45 months, and 1.70 months, respectively. The corresponding durations for ibrutinib (N = 71) were 11.38 months, 11.09 months, and 3.78 months, respectively. The mean difference (95% CI) for zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib was 0.16 months (−0.18, 0.51) for the TOX state, 3.36 months (2.6, 4.2) for the TWiST state, and −2.08 months (−2.6, −1.6) for the REL state. The mean duration of Q-TWiST was 21.07 months for zanubrutinib versus 18.67 months for ibrutinib. The estimated difference in means (95% CI) for Q-TWiST gain was significantly higher for zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib (2.40 months; 1.9, 2.9; P<0.001), and the relative Q-TWiST gain was 9.14% (Figure). In the sensitivity analysis, using the intent-to-treat population, the mean difference (95% CI) for Q-TWiST gain was 1.30 months (1.0, 1.6; P=0.05) for zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib, and the relative Q-TWiST gain was 4.63%. Conclusions: This Q-TWiST analysis demonstrated a statistically significant gain in quality-adjusted survival with zanubrutinib compared with ibrutinib in patients with high-risk R/R CLL. The slightly longer TOX duration in patients receiving zanubrutinib versus those receiving ibrutinib could be explained in part by better treatment adherence. The results of this Q-TWiST analysis, which integrates both the length and quality of survival in addition to efficacy and toxicity, provide valuable insights that may help to inform clinical decision-making in the treatment of patients with R/R CLL.

Caseinolytic Mitochondrial Matrix Peptidase Proteolytic Subunit (CLPP) As a Novel Mediator of, and Target in High Risk Multiple Myeloma

Background: Up to 30% of newly diagnosed myeloma (NDMM) patients have high-risk disease characterized by increased proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, focal and bone marrow-independent growth, and intraclonal heterogeneity. High-risk can be defined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) features including 17p deletion, translocation (t)(4;14), t(14;16), or t(14;20), and gain of 1q. However, some standard risk patients also exhibit high-risk characteristics, indicating that identifying novel targetable mediators of this phenotype is of interest. Methods: We conducted single cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) of CD138 + monoclonal/neoplastic and polyclonal/normal plasma cells (PCs) from 72 individuals across the plasma cell dyscrasia spectrum and 3 healthy controls to identify differentially expressed genes associated with myeloma pathobiology. Also, we leveraged publicly available gene expression profiling (GEP) databases, and performed pre-clinical studies both in vitro and in vivo. Results: CLPP was expressed with increased frequency in NDMM and relapsed/refractory myeloma patients compared to the precursors monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering myeloma (GSE6477; p=4.03x10 -14). Notably, CLPP is the proteolytic component, along with CLPX, of the CLP complex which cleaves peptides and proteins in an ATP-dependent manner and is associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane. The GEP data were confirmed in our scRNA-Seq database, which showed CLPP over-expression occurred preferentially in each patient's monoclonal versus their own polyclonal PCs. Moreover, analysis of the Broad Institute Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia revealed MM cells had the highest mean CLPP expression of any tumor cell type. In the NDMM CoMMpass database, high CLPP levels were associated with markers of increased disease burden (beta-2-microglobulin (p<0.001), calcium (p=0.0027), circulating plasma cells (p<0.001), marrow plasmacytosis (p<0.001), and lactate dehydrogenase (p=0.0025)). Moreover, these patients showed a significantly shorter progression-free and overall survival (both p<0.0001), and did not cluster in any of the Arkansas GEP70-defined myeloma subtypes. In MM.1S and H929 myeloma cells, specific CLPP knockdown with an inducible shRNA decreased cell proliferation and activated apoptosis as shown by increased Annexin V positivity. Similarly, pharmacologic CLPP inhibition produced a time- and concentration-dependent induction of apoptosis in a panel of cell lines representing myeloma molecular subtypes and drug resistant phenotypes. Ectopic CLPP overexpression promoted myeloma organoid growth, while its suppression had the opposite effect. Functional analysis revealed that CLPP knockdown or inhibition impaired cell proteolytic activity, mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and reduced adhesion to stromal cells while inducing reactive oxygen species and autophagy. To further pursue the underlying molecular mechanisms, we first examined the net downstream effects of CLPP knockdown and inhibition by mass spectrometry followed by mapping to the KEGG database. Recurrently up-regulated pathways included the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR mt), lysosome transport, and autophagy utilizing and metabolic processes. In contrast, down-regulated pathways included oxidative phosphorylation, c-Myc signaling, RNA polymerase I-directed transcription, DNA replication and elongation, and the G2M checkpoint. Next, our metabolomics analysis revealed a significant attenuation of the Warburg effect in myeloma cells upon CLPP inhibition consistent with reduced glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway activity. Notably, mitochondrial ATP production was significantly reduced, as confirmed by a seahorse XF Real-time ATP Rate assay. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that pharmacologic CLPP inhibition impaired myeloma growth in an MM.1S-based xenograft model ( Figure). Conclusions: These pre-clinical data support the hypothesis that CLPP represents a novel mediator of high-risk behavior in multiple myeloma, demonstrate that its targeting results in mitochondrial dysfunction that attenuates myeloma growth and survival, and support development of pharmacologic CLPP inhibitors to target myeloma.

Overall Survival Outcomes in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Patients with High-Risk Molecular-Cytogenetic Features Treated with 1L Ibrutinib: A Comparative Effectiveness Study Using the Flatiron Health Data

Introduction: In individuals diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), high-risk features are associated with an unfavorable outcome. Evidence is lacking in comparing the overall survival (OS) of a high-risk group (HRG) vs. a non-high-risk group (NHRG). This large retrospective cohort study, using data from the Flatiron Health CLL Core Registry electronic medical records (EMR), included 1,242 CLL/SLL patients treated with first-line (1L) single-agent ibrutinib. This study compared the OS of patients from the HRG (presence of deletion 17p [del(17p)], or deletion 11q [del(11q)], or unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene [IGHV]) with that of patients from the NHRG (del[17p] absence, del[11q] absence, and mutated IGHV). This study also included a sensitivity analysis with an alternative high-risk definition and a subgroup analysis for Medicare patients. Methods: The Flatiron Health EMR data includes patients with confirmed CLL/SLL diagnosis using both diagnosis code and chart abstraction. Patients aged ≥18 years were included if they initiated single-agent ibrutinib 28 days before index date (1L initiation+28 days) between 04 March 2016 and 31 January 2023. Patients were excluded if there was missing or incomplete information on their first systemic therapy or on the genetic variables of interest, or if they had other malignancies (≥2 diagnosis codes ≥30 days apart) within the prior 12 months before 1L initiation. OS (the time interval between the index date and all-cause mortality date) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival estimators, censoring patients without mortality information at the last activity date. COX proportional hazard model was used for pairwise comparison analysis, treating NHRG as the reference group. Potential confounders (including baseline covariates such as gender, age, race, stage, ECOG PS, comorbidities, practice type, disease type, and other biomarkers) were adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The Medicare subgroup included patients with Medicare as the single payer or one of the multiple payers at ibrutinib initiation, which serves as a proxy for the elderly group (aged ≥65 years). A sensitivity analysis was conducted by defining HRG as those with del(17p) presence and/or unmutated IGHV and NHRG as those with del(17p) absence and mutated IGHV. Flatiron Health mortality data were obtained from multiple sources including EMR, the U.S. Social Security Death Index, obituaries, funeral homes, which had been benchmarked against the U.S. National Death Index, demonstrating 87-92% sensitivity, 94%-99% specificity, and 96%-98% positive predictive value. Results: Of the 1,242 patients included, 969 were from HRG and 273 from NHRG, with mean age of 70.0 vs 70.8 years. For HRG and NHRG, 36.2% vs 43.6% were female, 72.0% vs 74.7% were White, 37.5% vs 39.6% were Medicare patients (due to data limitation, 18.5% and 19.8% patients had missing data for payer type, respectively), 91.6% vs 93.8% were from the community setting, 48.8% vs 53.1% were between Rai stage 0 and II, 74% vs 70.1% had ECOG ≤ 2, 47% vs 63% had deletion 13q presence, 23.5% vs 24.2% had trisomy 12 presence, respectively. Mean (Standard Deviation) time from diagnosis to 1L initiation was 35.0 (48.0) vs 64.4 (73.2) months for HRG and NHRG. Within the HRG, 32.9%, 36.7%, and 58.7% of the patients had the presence of del(17p), del(11q), and unmutated IGHV, respectively. After applying IPTW with trimming, OS hazard ratio (HR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) was 1.09 (0.79, 1.51) and median OS was not reached for either group (Figure 1). Median follow up (interquartile range [IQR]) was 32 (17, 48) months and 31 (19, 44) months, for HRG and NHRG, respectively. The HRG sensitivity analysis showed similar results to the main analysis, with OS HR (95% CI) being 1.19 (0.86, 1.64) and median OS not reached for either group. Within the Medicare subgroup, OS HR (95% CI) was 0.98 (0.63, 1.53), and median OS was not reached for either group (Figure 2). Conclusions: In this real-world study using a large community healthcare dataset, CLL/SLL patients with high-risk molecular-cytogenetic features (del[17p], or del[11q], or unmutated IGHV) treated with 1L ibrutinib had similar OS compared to patients without high-risk features. Importantly, similar findings were observed in the high-risk sensitivity analysis and the Medicare subgroup.

Coronado CLL: A Phase Ib/II Trial of Combination Rp-3500 and Olaparib in DNA Damage Repair Pathway Deficient Relapsed/Refract ory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background: Genes within the DNA damage repair ( DDR) pathways are frequently mutated in relapsed/refractory ( R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia ( CLL) and clinically correlate with decreased response rates and shortened progression-free ( PFS) and overall survivals ( OS). The most commonly affected DDR genetic aberrations include deletion 17p13 [ del(17p)], deletion 11q22.3 [ del(11q)], and mutations in TP53, ATM, SF3B1, XPO1 and POT1. Due to their poor clinical outcomes, patients (pts) with DDR-deficient CLL remain an area of unmet need and the development of novel drugs and combinations will be critical to improving their prognosis. Mechanistically, CLL cells with DDR genetic alterations lack double-stranded DNA breakage repair and major cell cycle checkpoint pathways. Therefore, R/R CLL cells are dependent on single-stranded DNA breakage ( SSB) repair and alternative DNA replication arrest machinery to ensure DNA integrity, strand repair and cell survival. DNA damage at the replication fork is primarily recognized by ataxia telangiectasia and rad3 ( ATR) protein, which ensures mitotic arrest and recruitment of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase ( PARP) based SSB repair mechanisms. In germline DDR-deficient breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations, the use of both single agent PARP inhibitors ( PARPi) and ATR inhibitors ( ATRi) have led to significant disease response and improved OS. Furthermore, combination PARPi and ATRi have demonstrated synergistic activity in preclinical data producing increased apoptosis and cell death in BRCA2-mutated ovarian cell lines. In DDR-deficient CLL primary cell and murine models, single agent PARPi and ATRi have demonstrated significant cell death as compared to wildtype CLL and healthy donor lymphocytes. RP-3500 is a highly potent ATRi. In preclinical data generated in SUM149PT DDR-deficient breast cancer cell lines, combining RP-3500 with the PARPi, olaparib, substantially reduced tumor volume at lower doses than the previously determined maximum tolerated dose ( MTD) of each drug when used as monotherapy. Furthermore, intermittent dosing of both drugs (3 days per week) demonstrated equal cell apoptosis as continuous dosing. Therefore, we hypothesize that the combination of RP-3500 and olaparib will be a highly efficacious treatment for R/R DDR-deficient CLL pts and that the lower dosages and intermittent dosing schedule required of each drug when administered in combination will improve safety of the treatment. Study Design and Methods: This is a multi-site (University of Utah and the Ohio State University), phase Ib/II investigator-initiated clinical trial using combination RP-3500 and olaparib in R/R CLL pts with DDR pathway deficiencies to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug combination (NCT05405309). Primary objectives include determining the MTD in phase Ib leading to the recommended phase 2 dose ( RP2D), and overall response rate ( ORR) in phase II. Key secondary objectives include safety and tolerability, PFS, OS and duration of response of the combination. Eligibility: Key inclusion criteria include a diagnosis of CLL according to the 2018 iwCLL guidelines, age ≥18 years, ECOG performance status of ≤2, R/R after at least 2 prior lines of therapy. Primary CLL cells must exhibit any one of the following abnormalities: a) somatic mutation(s) in TP53, ATM, SF3B1, XPO1 or POT1, or b) positive FISH for either del(17p) or del(11q). Statistical Methods: Phase Ib: The phase Ib of the trial will utilizea keyboard design, which is a novel Bayesian method that typically underestimates the MTD. The target toxicity is 30% with an equivalence interval between 25-33% of pts. With an anticipated 3 dose levels ( DL) and an option for a DL-1, up to 18 pts may be required to determine the MTD and RP2D. Phase II: Any pt treated at the RP2D within phase Ib will be rolled into the phase II analysis for efficacy. With a planned 24 evaluable pts in phase II, the target ORR will be 60%, which was selected due to a recent phase I/II study of pirtobrutinib enrolling a similar CLL pt population demonstrating an ORR of the drug ~63%. ORR will be summarized by the observed proportion and an exact one-sided 95% confidence interval (Clopper-Pearson method). With 24 evaluable pts, the lower bound of the confidence interval will be approximately 17-20% below the observed proportion for observed ORR near 60%, which is an acceptable level of precision in a dose expansion cohort.