Trials In Lymphoma Research Articles

A Canadian Prospective Study of Linkage of Randomized Clinical Trial to Cancer and Mortality Registry Data.

In a prospective study, we sought to determine acceptability of linkage of administrative and clinical trial data among Canadian patients and Research Ethics Boards (REBs). The goal is to develop a more harmonized approach to data, with potential to improve clinical trial conduct through enhanced data quality collected at reduced cost and inconvenience for patients. On completion of the original LY.12 randomized clinical trial in lymphoma (NCT00078949), participants were invited to enrol in the Long-term Innovative Follow-up Extension (LIFE) component. Those consenting to do so provided comprehensive identifying information to facilitate linkage with their administrative data. We prospectively designed a global assessment of this innovative approach to clinical trial follow-up including rates of REB approval and patient consent. The pre-specified benchmark for patient acceptability was 80%. Of 16 REBs who reviewed the research protocol, 14 (89%) provided approval; two in Quebec declined due to small patient numbers. Of 140 patients invited to participate, 115 (82%, 95% CI 76 to 88%) from across 9 Canadian provinces provided consent and their full name, date of birth, health insurance number and postal code to facilitate linkage with their administrative data for long-term follow-up. Linkage of clinical trial and administrative data is feasible and acceptable. Further collaborative work including many stakeholders is required to develop an optimized secure approach to research. A more coordinated national approach to health data could facilitate more rapid testing and identification of new effective treatments across multiple jurisdictions and diseases from diabetes to COVID-19.

Safety and Efficacy of Polatuzumab Vedotin + Obinutuzumab for Relapsed/Refractory NHL: A Phase 1b/2 Study

Background: Single-agent polatuzumab vedotin (pola) and obinutuzumab (G) demonstrated safety/clinical activity in separate B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) trials. Methods: Open-label, non-randomised, phase 1b/2 study (ROMULUS) of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-NHL evaluating safety/efficacy of pola 1·8 mg/kg + G 1000 mg in 21-day cycles, up to eight cycles. Primary objectives were safety/tolerability and anti-tumour response. Findings: Eighty-eight patients were enrolled and received ≥1 dose of any study drug; 43 patients with R/R follicular lymphoma (FL) and 45 with R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Grade 3–4 AEs occurred in 48·5% (n=48/88) of patients, most commonly, neutropenia (18·6%; n=18). In R/R FL, the most frequent any-grade adverse event (AE) was fatigue (n=23/43; 53·5%) and in R/R DLBCL diarrhoea (n=16/45; 35·6%). In R/R FL, the complete response (CR) rate (by independent review committee) was 36·1% (n=13/36; 90% confidence interval [CI]: 22·9–51·2) with an objective response rate (ORR) of 66·7% (n=24/36; 90% CI: 51·7–79·5). The ORR in R/R DLBCL was 19·4% (n=6/31; 90% CI: 8·8–34·7; no CRs). In R/R FL, investigator-assessed median duration of response was 8·5 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 6×3–9×7) and in R/R DLBCL was 3·7 months (IQR: 3×3–not estimable [NE]); median progression-free survival was 11·5 months (IQR: 7×8-12×4) and 2·8 months (IQR: 1×5-6×3); and median overall survival was not reached and 10·7 months, respectively. Interpretation: While the anti-tumour activity of pola (1.8 mg/kg)-G in R/R DLBCL was modest, pola-G warrants further investigation as a treatment for R/R FL. Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01691898). Funding Statement: F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Declaration of Interests: T.P. has received research support from AbbVie and Pharmacyclics, and reports advisory board participation for Genentech, Inc., Bayer, Gilead, Pharmacyclics, Incyte, and Seattle Genetics. M.B. has no disclosures; the clinical and intellectual work on this paper was performed prior to employment with the Cigna Corporation and does not reflect the opinions or support of the Cigna Corporation. A.I.C. has acted as a consultant and has received research funding from Genentech, Inc. J.E. has nothing to disclose. A.C. reports advisory board participation for Celgene, Janssen, and iQone, and has received lecture fees from Celgene, Janssen, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, and Servier. C.D. has served as a consultant/advisory board participant for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Merck, Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, and Seattle Genetics, and has received research support from Seattle Genetics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Genentech, Inc., Incyte, LAM Therapeutics, Millennium/Takeda, MEI Pharma, and Trillium. J.C. is an employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. D.R. was a consultant to Genentech, Inc. at the time the study was carried out. J.H. is an employee of Genentech, Inc. F.M. has participated in advisory boards for Celgene, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, Gilead, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Epizyme, and Bayer, and reports receiving lecture fees from Celgene, Janssen, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, and Novartis, and research support from AbbVie, Pharmacyclics, and advisory board fees from Genentech, Inc., Bayer, Gilead, Pharmacyclics, Incyte, and Seattle Genetics. I.W.F. has acted as a consultant for AbbVie, Seattle Genetics, TG Therapeutics, and Verastem Oncology, and has received research funding from Acerta Pharma, Agios, Calithera Biosciences, Celgene, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Incyte, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Karo Pharma, Kite Pharma, Novartis, Pharmacyclics, Portola Pharmaceuticals, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, TG Therapeutics, Trillium Therapeutics, AbbVie, ArQule, BeiGene, Curis Inc., FORMA Therapeutics, Forty Seven, Merck, Pfizer, Takeda, Teva, Verastem Oncology, Gilead Sciences, Astra Zeneca, Juno Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics, and MorphoSys AG. Ethics Approval Statement: Institutional review boards/ethics committees approved the protocol. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines for Good Clinical Practice, and country-specific laws and regulations. All patients provided written informed consent.

Advanced Hodgkin lymphoma in the East of England: a 10-year comparative analysis of outcomes for real-world patients treated with ABVD or escalated-BEACOPP, aged less than 60 years, compared with 5-year extended follow-up from the RATHL trial

Treatment with ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) or escalated(e)-BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisolone) remains the international standard of care for advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). We performed a retrospective, multicentre analysis of 221 non-trial (“real-world”) patients, aged 16–59 years, diagnosed with advanced-stage HL in the Anglia Cancer Network between 2004 and 2014, treated with ABVD or eBEACOPP, and compared outcomes with 1088 patients in the Response-Adjusted Therapy for Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma (RATHL) trial, aged 18–59 years, with median follow-up of 87.0 and 69.5 months, respectively. Real-world ABVD patients (n=177) had highly similar 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with RATHL (PFS 79.2% vs 81.4%; OS 92.9% vs 95.2%), despite interim positron-emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT)-guided dose-escalation being predominantly restricted to trial patients. Real-world eBEACOPP patients (n=44) had superior PFS (95.5%) compared with real-world ABVD (HR 0.20, p=0.027) and RATHL (HR 0.21, p=0.015), and superior OS for higher-risk (international prognostic score ≥3 [IPS 3+]) patients compared with real-world IPS 3+ ABVD (100% vs 84.5%, p=0.045), but not IPS 3+ RATHL patients. Our data support a PFS, but not OS, advantage for patients with advanced-stage HL treated with eBEACOPP compared with ABVD and suggest higher-risk patients may benefit disproportionately from more intensive therapy. However, increased access to effective salvage therapies might minimise any OS benefit from reduced relapse rates after frontline therapy.

The changing landscape of anti-lymphoma drug clinical trials in mainland China in the past 15 years (2005–2020): A systematic review

BackgroundTo depict a comprehensive changing landscape of anti-lymphoma drug clinical trials in mainland China from 2005 to 2020. MethodsA systematic review was conducted on the China National Medical Products Administration Center for Drug Evaluation platform, the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry and ClinicalTrials.gov websites. FindingsA total of 797 anti-lymphoma drug clinical trials registered from Jan 1st, 2005 to Aug 1st, 2020 were identified. The number of trials increased gradually over time, and a notable increase was observed in 2016, with the number growing from 29 in 2015 to 72 in 2016. Trials in phase I (26•1%) and phase II (26•6%) represented the majority, followed by phase III (12•5%) and phase IV (7•4%). Regarding sponsorship, industry-sponsored trials (53•2%) accounted for a slightly larger proportion than investigator-initiated trials (IITs) (46•8%). A dramatic growth for IITs was seen during 2017–2020, with the number increasing from 36 in 2017 to 96 in 2020. Additionally, the proportion of trials involving targeted agents (50•2%) accounted for the largest, followed by trials involving immunotherapy agents (41•0%), and cytotoxic agents (8•0%). Besides, a sustainable growth was observed in the number of leading anti-lymphoma drug clinical trial units in mainland China over the past 15 years. The majority of leading principal units (60•8%) were from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Jiangsu. InterpretationIn the past 15 years, the research and development of drugs and clinical trials for lymphoma in mainland China has achieved much progression. Future efforts are needed for improving innovation and sustainability of pharmaceutical research and development. FundingChina National Major Project for New Drug Innovation (2017ZX09304015); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2016-I2M-1-001).

Impact of Organ Function-Based Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria in Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Who Gets Left Behind?

Exclusion of patients needing urgent treatment or requiring novel biomarkers before enrollment has impacted the ability to enroll real-world patients in frontline trials of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The impact of baseline organ function-based eligibility criteria on this effect and clinical trial exclusion is less well-understood. Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed lymphoma were enrolled from 2002 to 2015 into the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa and Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence. The current analysis includes 1,265 patients with DLBCL receiving standard immunochemotherapy. Organ function parameters were identified from criteria for hemoglobin, absolute neutrophil count, platelet count, creatinine clearance, and bilirubin, as reported in frontline DLBCL trials. Abstracted laboratory values from MER were used to determine the percent (%) of patients excluded. Outcomes and cause-of-death analyses comparing ineligible and eligible groups in MER were conducted. An interactive online tool was developed to estimate exclusions based on organ function for future trial design. Between 9% and 24% of MER patients with DLBCL receiving standard immunochemotherapy were excluded on the basis of baseline organ function alone. Ineligible patients based on organ function had significantly inferior event-free survival (hazard ratios, 1.67-2.16), overall survival (hazard ratios, 1.87-2.56), and event-free survival at 24 months (odds ratio, 1.71-2.16). Ineligible patients were more likely to die from lymphoma progression than increased therapy-related complications. Current national and international trials exclude up to 24% of patients from participation on the basis of organ function alone. A significant difference in the outcomes, notably lymphoma-related death, suggests issues with generalization and potential exclusion of high-risk patients. These data will help future clinical trial development and meet US Food and Drug Administration and ASCO recommendations to increase trial accrual.

Myeloid launches for cell therapy

Myeloid Therapeutics has launched with $50 million in financing and plans to begin clinical trials for T-cell lymphoma and glioblastoma in 2021. The company is engineering myeloid cells—innate immu...

Clinical characteristics of patients with B-cell lymphoma enrolled in clinical trials for aggressive lymphoma in Japan: Japan Clinical Oncology Group - Lymphoma Study Group study - JCOG0108A.

The clinical characteristics of B-cell lymphoma (BCL) were studied through the combined analysis of six clinical trials conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group - Lymphoma Study Group (JCOG-LSG) for aggressive lymphoma in the 1990s, before the introduction of rituximab. Through a central pathological review, 829 patients were diagnosed with BCL according to the World Health Organization classification and treated with doxorubicin-containing combination chemotherapies. Of these patients, 642, 104, 30, and 24 patients were diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), respectively. The overall survival (OS) of FL and MZL patients was higher than that of patients with DLBCL and MCL. The OS of the MCL patients was higher than that of DLBCL patients in the first 5 years, but MCL had the lowest survival after 5 years. The OS of DLBCL patients was clearly stratified by the international prognostic index and showed data compatible with that of aggressive lymphoma in the pre-rituximab era. These results established the clinical aspects of BCL in a large number of patients treated in prospective studies during the pre-rituximab era in Japan.

Detailed Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients Who Relapsed After the Nordic Mantle Cell Lymphoma Trials: MCL2 and MCL3.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable disease with a highly variable clinical course. The prognosis after relapse is generally poor, and no standard of care exists. We investigated the postrelapse outcomes of 149 patients who were initially treated in the Nordic Lymphoma Group trials, MCL2 or MCL3, both representing intensive cytarabine-containing frontline regimens including autologous stem cell transplant. Patients with progression of disease before 24 months (POD24, n = 51, 34%) displayed a median overall survival of 6.6 months compared with 46 months for patients with later POD (n = 98, 66%; P < 0.001). MCL international prognostic index, cell proliferation marker, blastoid morphology, and TP53 mutations showed independent prognostic value irrespective of POD24, and in a combined, exploratory risk score, patients with 0, 1, 2-3, or 4-5 high-risk markers, respectively, displayed a 5-year overall survival of 62%, 39%, 31%, and 0%. By a comparison of median progression-free survival of the different salvage therapies in the relapse setting, bendamustine-rituximab was superior to all other combination chemotherapy regimens; however, it was also associated with longer responses to last line of therapy. Collectively, we confirm the prognostic impact of POD24 and highlight the relevance of other biomarkers, and we emphasize the importance of novel therapies for patients with high-risk features at first POD.

Inhibiting the Nuclear Exporter XPO1 and the Antiapoptotic Factor BCL2 Is Synergistic in XPO1 Mutant and Wildtype Lymphoma

We have recently shown that XPO1 mutations are drivers of lymphomagenesis and occur across B-cell lymphomas, specifically in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), classical Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. The co-occurrence of other oncogenic events cooperating with XPO1 provides an opportunity for combined targeted therapy. Increased expression of the anti-apoptotic factor BCL2 has long been known to be a critical part of the pathophysiology of B-cell lymphomas. Recently, the oral BCL2 inhibitor, venetoclax, was approved in CLL and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for other B-cell lymphomas. Selinexor is a potent, oral XPO1 inhibitor that was recently approved in multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. XPO1 inhibition exerts its antineoplastic effects by blocking key lymphomagenic pathways, such as NFκB, and decreasing the anti-apoptotic protein survivin. We therefore hypothesized that combining selinexor and venetoclax would have potential synergy and provide an oral precision combination therapy for relapsed, refractory lymphoma. We first set out to determine whether XPO1 mutant lymphoma cell lines showed differential response to either selinexor or venetoclax monotherapy. Five lymphoma cell lines; 3 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SU-DHL-6, SU-DHL-16, FARAGE) and 2 classical Hodgkin lymphoma (L428 and SUP-HD1), were subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS) to assess for the presence or absence of XPO1 mutations. SUDHL-16 and SUP-HD1 were heterozygous for the XPO1 E571K hotspot mutation while SUDHL-6, FARAGE and SUP-HD1 were wildtype at the XPO1 locus. These 5 cell lines were used to assess sensitivity to Selinexor and/or Venetoclax. The CellTiter Glo assay was used to assess cell viability after 72 hours of treatment. Assays were performed in triplicate on 96-well plates that were read using a Spectramax plate reader. The XPO1 mutant cells showed increased sensitivity to selinexor (XPO1 mutant IC50 = 16-35nM; XPO1 WT IC50 = 41-231nM) as previously seen in conditional knockin mouse models of XPO1 mutant CLL (Figure A). Additionally, the XPO1 mutant cell lines showed increased sensitivity to single-agent venetoclax (XPO1 mutant IC50 = 2-13nM; XPO1 WT IC50 = 5-2853nM), an observation that has not previously been made (Figure B). Next, we tested the synergy of the combination of selinexor and venetoclax in the XPO1 mutant and wildtype cell lines. Increasing concentrations of the individual drugs were applied to each individual cell line in a 6x6 matrix. The cell viability percentage for each concentration was then entered into a synergy finder (www. synergyfinder.fimm.fi). The Bliss Independence model was used to calculate synergy of the Selinexor-Venetoclax combinations. As hypothesized, the combination of selinexor and venetoclax indeed showed synergy in both the wildtype and mutant XPO1 cell lines. Furthermore, the XPO1 mutant cell lines showed a higher degree of synergy compared to the wildtype cells (Figure C). Finally, a remarkable patient allowed us to test this combination ex vivo. This patient with CLL had undergone multiple therapies including chemoimmunotherapy, ibrutinib and venetoclax monotherapies. This patient had a founder XPO1 E571K mutation and also had acquired a BTK C481S ibrutinib resistance mutation and MYC amplification. These cells were unique in that they were easily able to be tested in ex-vivo culture to test sensitivity to different therapies. When tested with chemotherapy or ibrutinib they were completely resistant, and even with venetoclax they were fairly resistant; however, they remained sensitive to XPO1 inhibition with Selinexor. Selinexor and venetoclax showed remarkable synergy measured by a BLISS delta score of 18.78 (Figure D). In conclusion, inhibiting the nuclear exporter XPO1 and the anti-apoptotic factor BCL2 is synergistic in both XPO1 wildtype and mutant lymphoma. XPO1 mutant lymphomas show increased sensitivity to both selinexor and venetoclax. Additionally, selinexor and venetoclax showed a higher degree of synergism in XPO1 mutant lymphoma cell lines and were highly synergistic in primary XPO1 mutant CLL patient cells ex vivo. This combination is highly promising as an all oral alternative for relapsed, refractory lymphoma. Next steps include preclinical testing in mouse models in vivo using XPO1 mutant and wildtype mice crossed with mice overexpressing BCL2. Figure Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The ITK Inhibitor Cpi-818 Blocks Activation of T Cells from Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) Patients and Is Active in a Murine Model of ALPS

Introduction We present preclinical evidence confirming the expression of ITK in double negative (DN) T cells of ALPS patients and demonstrate that CPI-818 inhibits the TCR-induced activation of these cells ex vivo. Furthermore, CPI-818 effectively suppressed the accumulation of DN T cells in the MRL/lpr mice, leading to dramatic improvements in lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and other pathologies associated with lymphocyte accumulation due to Fas-deficiency. ALPS is a disorder of lymphocyte apoptosis resulting in childhood onset lymphadenopathy, multilineage cytopenias, hypersplenism and autoimmune peripheral destruction. Most ALPS cases are associated with a loss of function mutation in the Fas gene resulting in immune dysregulation such as a marked elevation of abnormal TCR+CD4-CD8-double negative (DN) T cells. ALPS patients are currently treated with immunosuppressive and cytotoxic agents, hence targeted, less toxic treatments are imperative. The critical role of Fas protein in maintaining lymphocyte homeostasis and peripheral immune tolerance to prevent autoimmunity was initially discovered with studies in Fas-deficient MRL/LpJ-Tnfrsf6lpr (MRL/lpr) mice. These mice have dramatically elevated levels of DN T cells and develop many clinical manifestations similar to those observed in ALPS patients. Thus, MRL/lpr mice have been a useful model to assess compounds and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ALPS. Interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) is a tyrosine kinase critical to T cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction, which modulates T cell proliferation and differentiation. We sought to test whether the effect of selective inhibition of TCR signaling through ITK inhibition could be a strategy to suppress the DN T cell expansion and disease manifestation in MRL/lpr mice. CPI-818 is an orally bioavailable, covalent inhibitor of ITK that potently inhibits TCR signal transduction. It is currently being evaluated in a phase 1/1b clinical trial in T-cell lymphoma (NCT03952078) where it has been well tolerated and resulted in anti-tumor activity. Methods PBMC samples were obtained from healthy donors or ALPS patients collected under NIAID IRB-approved protocol 93-I-0063. Cells were cultured with or without anti-CD3/CD28 activation. The impact of CPI-818 on viability, expression of ITK, and expression of the surface markers CD 25 and CD69 was assessed by flow cytometry. For in vivo studies, MRL/lpr mice received a control diet or a CPI-818 formulated diet (300 mg/kg/day). Lymph nodes were calipered weekly over the course of 22 weeks of disease development. Spleens, lungs and kidneys were harvested at 22 weeks to assess the impact of CPI-818 treatment on T cell subsets and histology. Results Ex vivo studies with PBMC preparations from normal donors and ALPS patients confirmed the expression of ITK in CD4+, CD8+, and DN T cells from ALPS patients. When these T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28, CPI-818 potently inhibited the upregulation of the activation markers CD25 and CD69 in DN T cells assessed by flow cytometry. In companion experiments, CPI-818 was not cytotoxic to DN T cells when activated through the TCR signaling pathway. Treatment of MRL/lpr mice with CPI-818 prevented the onset or, in a therapeutic design, led to the regression of lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly comparable to the treatment effects observed with cyclophosphamide. Unlike the effects seen with the cytotoxic agent cyclophosphamide which suppressed all T cells, as well as B, NK and myeloid cells in the spleen, CPI-818 selectively depleted DN T cells (see Figure). CPI-818 treatment also resulted in decreased levels of DN T cells in the kidneys and lungs of these mice without impacting the level of normal CD4 and CD8 T cells. CPI-818 limited the increased proteinuria measured in the control animals during the 22-week treatment window. Histological assessment of the kidney revealed reduced inflammatory damage in CPI-818 treated animals. Conclusions The selective, covalent ITK inhibitor, CPI-818, significantly reduced DN T cell numbers, lymphadenopathy and other disease end points in the MRL/lpr murine model of ALPS. This suggests that the dysregulated growth of Fas-deficient DN T cells requires functional TCR signaling. Further, our data suggests that blocking TCR signaling by targeting ITK may be an effective strategy for treating adult and pediatric ALPS. Figure Disclosures Ng: Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months. Hill:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Miller:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Buggy:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Janc:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

Level of Evidence for FDA Drug Approvals in Pivotal Clinical Trials of Hematological Malignancies

BACKGROUND Clinical trials are integral to improve treatment outcomes for patients with hematological malignancies. Although early phase (I/II) clinical trials may provide evidence of clinical efficacy, the main goal for early phase trials is to assess safety signal. Results of phase III clinical trials provide the strongest evidence to support the use of new cancer medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible to ensure appropriate control and supervision of pharmaceutical drugs. METHODS On the basis of publicly available study protocols and FDA reviews, the authors reviewed the level of evidence in 52 clinical trials supporting 49 drug approvals from 2016 to 2020. Data cut point was May 2020. These trials resulted in approval of medications to treat leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative neoplasms and multiple myeloma. RESULTS A total of 52 clinical trials were assessed in the 5 years period. Phase III trials supported 61.5% while earlier phase trials supported 36.5% of subsequent FDA hematological malignancies approvals. The level of evidence to support FDA approvals improved with time with 50% of approvals in 2016 and 2017 supported by phase III clinical trials compared to 69% in 2019. Approvals were based on early phase trials in mantle cell lymphoma (100%), chronic myeloid leukemia (100%), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (100%), classic Hodgkin's lymphoma (67%) and acute myeloid leukemia (56%). Phase III trials enrolled 87% of the patients (14238 from16429 patients). Eighteen drug approvals (37% of all approvals) were based on 13% of the total number of patients in the studied period. CONCLUSIONS Level of evidence to support drug approvals in hematological malignancies was based on early phase trials in more than a third of the times. Although early phase studies are appropriate for safety signals, further clinical activity assessment should be done to support the use of new drugs to treat hematological malignancies. Previous successful early phase studies failed to show clinical activity in phase III studies. Despite the fact that use of new approved drugs based on early phase studies evidence may be needed, patients and healthcare providers should be aware of such possibility when using newly approved medications. Figure Disclosures Ramos: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Tessa Therapeutics: Research Funding; Kuur Therapeutics: Research Funding.

Risk-Adapted Therapy with ABVD for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Patients and Oepa-Copdac for High Risk Patients Plus Involved-Field Radiation Therapy (IFRT) Based on Prognosis at Diagnosis and Early Response: Results from Pediatric Argentinian Collaborative Group Gatla Study for Children and Adolescents with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Background: The GATLA Collaborative Group has a 50 year (y) long experience of running cooperative trials for lymphomas in Argentina. Aim: Describe the outcome of pediatric patients(pts) treated according to the international cooperative work with AHOPCA and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (11-EHP-12) adopting OEPA/COPDAC strategy for High Risk (HR) pts and ABVD for Intermediate (IR) and Low Risk (LR) pts. Methods: 11-EHP-12: Risk assignment according Stanford/Danna Farber/ SJCRH Consortium classification. LR: ABVD x 4± IFRT (20 Gy). IR: ABVD x 6 ± IFRT (20 Gy). HR: OEPA-COPDAC+IFRT (20/25 Gy). Response evaluation: LR after 4th cycle, IR and HR after the 2nd cycle. Complete Remission (CR): response &amp;gt; 80% reduction and PET negative. Partial Remission (PR): response &amp;gt;50% and &amp;lt;80% reduction and/or PET positive. 170 pediatric patients (pts) were enrolled since November 2012. 133 evaluable pts. 37 on treatment and/or a follow up of less than 5 years. Sex: M/F: 85 (63,9%) /48. Median age: 13 y (range 4-18 y). Histology: nodular sclerosis 91 (68,4%), mixed celularity 31 (23.3%), lymphocyte rich 1 (0,7%), lymphocyte depleted 1 (0,7%), nodular lymphocyte predominant 8 (6,9%). Stage: I :16 (12%), II: 51 (38.4%), III: 27 (20.3%), IV: 39 (29.3%). B Symptoms: 66 (49.6%). Interim evaluation: PET/TC: 109/133 (82%), TC: 24. Distribution by risk groups: HR pts.: 77 (57,9%), IR: 35 (26,3%), LR: 21 (15,8%). Results: 5 y OS was 94% (100% for LR and IR, and 91% HR) and 5y EFS was 88% (100% for LR, 91% IR, and 84% HR). 95% of the LR pts and 72% of the IR pts did not undergo radiotherapy. 70% of the HR pts achieved CR after the 2nd OEPA and received 20 Gy IFRT. According PR or CR after 2nd OEPA, the 5y EFS in HR pts was 84% and 90% respectively. Conclusion: Thanks to this international cooperation We could significantly improve the results in Argentina compared to our previous experience (7-PHD-96: COPP-ABV x 6 + IFRT Bulky disease or PR (20/25Gy): 5yOS:85%, 5yEFS:67%), reduce the number of patients who required radiotherapy and reproduce the Euronet experience for HR pts in a different context. Figure Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Age-Based Disparities in Clinical Trials Supporting FDA Approval of Therapies for Hematologic Malignancies

Introduction: Older adults comprise the largest proportion of patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies, with most new cases occurring in adults age 65 years and older. The under-representation of older adults in oncology clinical trials has been previously described, however data specific to hematologic malignancy trials is sparse. We conducted an analysis of the trials supporting Food and Drug Administration approval of new hematologic malignancy therapies over a 5-year period to evaluate the median age of participants and compared it to the real-world age distribution for the respective malignancy. Methods: Prescribing information for novel new hematologic malignancy therapies that were first approved for an indication in adult patients between 2015 and 2019 was reviewed for the median age in the evaluable population of the supporting clinical trials. Pediatric indications were excluded. Median age estimates among adults for each indication were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. The difference in median age (DMA) was calculated for each trial by subtracting the median age in the disease population from the median age in the trial (Ludmir et al, JAMA Onc 2019). Additional details on trial protocols were obtained from approval packages accessed in the Drugs@FDA database and FDA's Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies approvals website. Data are presented using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 22 hematological malignancy therapies were approved based on 26 trials, with 6033 patients in the evaluable populations. Less than half of the trials were phase 3 (10; 38%) or were randomized with a control group (11; 42%). The median age of the trial participants was a mean of 3.8 years younger than the median age of the disease populations (95% CI: −6.0 to −1.6 years; p&amp;lt;0.01). By indication (Table), acute myeloid leukemia trials most often enrolled younger participants (mean DMA -7.8 years), followed by large B-cell lymphoma trials (mean DMA -7.0 years). The protocols for the majority of the trials (24; 92%) did not specify upper age limits, however most required an ECOG performance status ≤2, with only 2 trials (8%) permitting ECOG status 0-3. All trials had eligibility restrictions related to comorbidities, organ function, or hematopoietic function. Conclusions: The median age of hematologic malignancy clinical trial participants was nearly 4 years younger than their respective disease populations, despite few trial protocols having upper age limits. Poor performance status, the presence of comorbidities, or organ/hematopoietic impairment may have contributed to older patients' ineligibility to participate in the trials. Adequate representation in clinical trials is critical to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new therapies in the patient population who will eventually receive them. Given the inherent limitations of clinical trial design and accrual on older patient inclusion, post-approval real-world research is needed to understand the effect of these therapies on older adults. Disclosures Gajra: Cardinal Health: Current Employment. Zettler:Cardinal Health: Current Employment. Phillips Jr.:Cardinal Health: Current Employment. Feinberg:Cardinal Health: Current Employment.

The Changing Landscape of Anti-Lymphoma Drug Clinical Trials in Mainland China in the Past 15 Years (2005-2020): A Systematic Review

Background: To depict a comprehensive changing landscape of anti-lymphoma drug clinical trials in mainland China from 2005 to 2020. Method: A systematic review was conducted on the China National Medical Products Administration Center for Drug Evaluation platform, the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry and ClinicalTrials.gov websites. Findings: A total of 797 anti-lymphoma drug clinical trials registered from 2005 to 2020 were identified. The number of trials increased gradually over time, and a notable increase was observed in 2016, with the number growing from 29 in 2015 to 72 in 2016. Trials in phase Ⅰ (26.1%) and phase Ⅱ (26.6%) represented the majority, followed by phase Ⅲ (12.5%) and phase IV (7.4%). Regarding sponsorship, industry-sponsored trials (5 3.2%) accounted for a slightly larger proportion than investigator-initiated trials (IITs) (46.8%). A dramatic growth for IITs was seen during 2017-2020, with the number increasing from 36 in 2017 to 96 in 2020. Additionally, the proportion of trials involving targeted agents (50.2%) accounted for the largest, followed by trials involving immunotherapy agents (41.0%), and cytotoxic agents (8.0%). The majority of leading principle unit (60.8%) were from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Jiangsu, reflecting a severe uneven geographical distribution. Besides, a sustainable growth was observed in the number of leading clinical trial units for lymphoma in China over the last decade. Interpretation: In the past 15 years, the research and development of drugs and clinical trials for lymphoma has achieved much progression. Future efforts are needed for improving innovation and sustainability of pharmaceutical research and development. Funding Statement: China National Major Project for New Drug Innovation (2017ZX09304015) ; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2016-I2M-1-001). Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests.

Current Clinical Applications and Future Perspectives of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Cancer cells escape immune recognition by exploiting the programmed cell-death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell-death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint axis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors that target PD-1/PD-L1 unleash the properties of effector T cells that are licensed to kill cancer cells. Immune checkpoint blockade has dramatically changed the treatment landscape of many cancers. Following the cancer paradigm, preliminary results of clinical trials in lymphoma have demonstrated that immune checkpoint inhibitors induce remarkable responses in specific subtypes, most notably classical Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, while in other subtypes, the results vary considerably, from promising to disappointing. Lymphomas that respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors tend to exhibit tumor cells that reside in a T-cell-rich immune microenvironment and display constitutive transcriptional upregulation of genes that facilitate innate immune resistance, such as structural variations of the PD-L1 locus, collectively referred to as T-cell-inflamed lymphomas, while those lacking such characteristics are referred to as noninflamed lymphomas. This distinction is not necessarily a sine qua non of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, but rather a framework to move the field forward with a more rational approach. In this article, we provide insights on our current understanding of the biological mechanisms of immune checkpoint evasion in specific subtypes of B-cell and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and summarize the clinical experience of using inhibitors that target immune checkpoints in these subtypes. We also discuss the phenomenon of hyperprogression in T-cell lymphomas, related to the use of such inhibitors when T cells themselves are the target cells, and consider future approaches to refine clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Effect of Cardiac Radiation Doses on Survival in Treatment of Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Radiotherapy-induced cardiac toxicity and mortality studies data are based on breast cancer and lymphoma trials. The survival of on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients increases as new chemotherapy agents and modern radiotherapy (RT) techniques are applied. Studies investigating the effect of heart radiation doses on survival are insufficient. In this study, the main purpose is to determine whether cardiac radiation dose is a predictive factor on overall survival (OS) in stage III NSCLC patients. A total of 167 patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy at our center between April 2014 and October 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Heart and left anterior descending artery (LAD) targets were determined according to the Radiotherapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 1106 study. Heart doses were measured at 5 Gy intervals from 5 Gy (V5) to 70 Gy receiving volumes (V70). Minimum, maximum and mean doses for heart and LAD were examined. The presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) was recorded before RT. Cox regression analysis was performed using the backward likelihood ratio method for risk assessment on survival and statistical significance was considered as p <0.05 values The median follow-up duration was median 15 months (2-55). It was observed that 40 Gy (V40) (p = 0.038), 45 Gy (V45) (p = 0.038), 50 Gy V50 (p = 0.038) and 55 Gy V55 (p = 0.038) receiving volumes respectively were effective on survival. Dose-volume threshold values in percentage were calculated by ROC analysis. Threshold values were determined as 18% for V40, 14% for V45, 10% for V50 and 8% for V55. In the univariate analysis, advanced age (p = 0.002), heart V40≤ 18% (p = 0.026) and heart V45 ≤ 14% (p = 0.012) were statistically significant on OS. For one- and two-year cumulative OS in patients with heart doses of V40≤ 18% and V45≤ 14%, were 77% and 48%, whereas for patients with heart doses V40> 18% and V45> 14% were 66% and 38%, respectively. The mean heart dose was 17.56 Gy (0.17-53) and the mean LAD dose was 11.08 Gy (0.17-46). There was no statistically significant effect of both heart and LAD mean doses on OS. At the time of diagnosis, 38 (29%) patients had CAD. There was no statistically significant difference between patients with and without CAD in terms of OS and heart doses. Predictive factors affecting OS in multivariate Cox regression analysis were found as advanced age (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03-1.07, p <0 0.01), V40≤ 18% (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.03-2.27, p = 0 037) and V45≤ 14% (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.06-2.35, p = 0 024). Despite the risk of cancer-specific death in locally advanced NSCLC patients, exposure to a high dose of cardiac radiation is a modifiable cardiac risk factor for OS. In our study, advanced age, V40>18%, and V45 >14% were shown to have a negative predictive effect on survival.

The Value of Central Review of Deauville Scores for Response Adapted Treatment Protocols for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Response adapted treatment approaches are increasingly being utilized for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. Early response on FDG-PET according to 5-point Deauville scoring (DS) can identify patients that may do well (DS of 1-3) with less intensive therapy or may benefit from escalation in chemotherapy or involved site radiotherapy (ISRT) (DS 4-5). However, the response adapted treatment approach assumes that the radiologist reviewing the FDG-PET scan is familiar with DS and experienced in the scoring approach which will impact the overall treatment of the patient. We investigated this issue by evaluating institutional versus central review of interim FDG-PET imaging from an international clinical trial in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma. AHOD1331 (NCT02166463) is a randomized clinical trial for patients 2-21 years of age with newly diagnosed Stage IIB with bulk, III B or IV A/B classical HL; accrual was complete in August 2019. Patients were randomized between two different systemic therapies and underwent response assessment after 2 cycles of chemotherapy (PET 2) in order to categorize lesions as slow responding lesions (SRL) if DS of 4,5; SRL required ISRT at completion of treatment. Institutions reported a DS of target lesions on PET2 and submitted it with the images to for central review. Review consisted of two COG radiology reviewers for each case, with adjudication in cases of with discordance between the initial 2 central reviews. Levels of agreement were measured between institutional and central review, using nonweighted kappa (k) statistics. k values between 0.81 and 1.00 indicate very good agreement, 0.61 and 0.80 indicate good agreement, 0.41 and 0.60 indicate moderate agreement, and 0.21 to 0.4 indicate fair agreement. Among 570 scans reviewed to date, PET2 agreement between central and institutional review was good with a k of 0.70 (95% CI 0.62-0.77). Overall, 18% (20/109) of all cases with SRL and 8% (36/461) rapid responding lesions (RRL) were re-classified as RRL or SRL respectively by central review. Overall, 4% (20/570) would have been under treated by protocol criteria and 6% (36/570) would have been incorrectly assigned to ISRT in the absence of central review. Although there was “good agreement” between central review and institutional review of PET2, central review resulted in change in therapy for 10% of cases in AHOD 1331. For patients on and off clinical trials, additional resources should be allocated to ensure appropriate assessment of Deauville scores for patients with HL undergoing FDG-PET response-based treatment approaches.

Mobile health tool for monitoring cancer treatment complications.

297 Background: Side effects after cancer treatment are ubiquitous, seen in up to 98.3% of patients in one Phase III lymphoma trial. Additionally, cancer patients are at a greater risk of mortality from infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), prompting recommendations for routine screening. Current care delivery model, reliant on self- triaging of symptoms by patients results in delayed management and avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Technology based symptom monitoring allows early identification of complications, reduces symptom burden, cost of care and enables early detection of relapse. We studied utility of a mobile-health tool for toxicity monitoring and COVID-19 screening. Methods: We developed an application that periodically delivers disease specific toxicity questionnaires to patients following cancer treatment. Based on NCI- PRO-CTCAE form builder, the questions are delivered through SMS or e-mail. Responses crossing pre-specified thresholds are flagged for manual care team follow-up. Patient and staff experience as well as medical interventions are captured. Results: Currently, 68 patients with different malignancies are enrolled. Median age 60 years (range 24-85), 35 males, 31 females. 72.35% patients rated user experience at 4 or higher (1-5 scale, 5 highest). Aggregate provider rating was 3.25 (1-5 scale, 5 highest). Of 639 captured responses, 157 reported fatigue, 145 no symptoms, 57 nausea/vomiting or diarrhea, 52 numbness/tingling and 48 shortness of breath. 76 responses were flagged for nurse follow-up calls. These resulted in 72 successful outpatient symptom management, 2 hospitalizations for neutropenic fever, 1 MRI diagnosis of radiation necrosis and 1 diagnosis of lymphoma progression. 92% of patients received a follow up within one business day. Median time between response recorded and follow up completed was 55 minutes. Of 1299 responses recorded by COVID-19 screening, 1175 reported no symptoms. All positive responses (47 cough, 52 diarrhea, 5 fever and 20 dyspnea) were false positives. Study is ongoing with recent implementation of a distress screening and survivorship modules. Conclusions: Electronic capture of symptoms using connected technology is feasible and can be used to screen cancer patients for treatment related complications as well as pandemic related illnesses.

HL-210: Assessment and Reporting of Quality of Life Measures in Pivotal Clinical Trials of Lymphoma

Context Clinical trials are integral to improve treatment outcomes for patients with lymphoma. The importance of assessing and reporting of health-related quality of life (QoL) has been increasingly recognized in the field of oncology. QoL measures, which reflect patient's perceived benefits and satisfaction, might be especially important in lymphoma clinical trials, where the intervention may not result in cure. Objective To investigate assessment of health-related QoL in clinical trials that resulted in a subsequent approval of drugs to treat lymphoma by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to determine if ensuing published studies reported QoL as part of their results. Design Data on health-related QoL were obtained from studies' protocols and product labeling available publicly at Drugs@FDA. Drugs approved in the period of 2016 till 2020 were analyzed. Setting On the basis of publicly available study protocols and FDA reviews, the authors reviewed the assessment of health-related QoL in 19 clinical trials supporting 17 drug approvals. Those trials resulted in approval of medications to treat classic Hodgkin lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and T cell lymphoma. Patients or other participants A total of 5292 patients were assessed in the 5-year period after exclusion of unpublished studies. Main outcome measures We calculated the frequency of assessment of health-related QoL and if QoL measures were reported in the subsequent publications. Results After exclusion of 2 unpublished studies, we analyzed 17 clinical trials for reporting of health-related QoL. Eighteen percent of the protocols included assessment of health-related QoL with only 33% of them (6% of all the analyzed clinical trials) reported the results of health-related QoL. The results were consistent across all lymphoma subtypes and were similar regardless of the studied primary endpoint. Conclusions Health-related QoL measures are under studied in clinical trials of lymphoma. Studies that measured QoL didn't report the results in more than half of the time. Improvement in assessing and reporting of QoL will help to incorporate QoL measures in patient care and therapy choice decision.

Outcomes of Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Consolidation in Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Mayo Clinic Experience.

A paucity of randomized phase III clinical trials in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has resulted in no uniform consensus on the optimal strategy for consolidation and conditioning regimens for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The past 2 decades have witnessed a preference for thiotepa (TT)-based conditioning regimens due to superior central nervous system penetration. We retrospectively evaluated outcomes of patients with PCNSL who underwent ASCT at Mayo Clinic, Rochester over the past 2 decades, and the impact of TT-based conditioning regimens. Fifty-six patients underwent transplant for PCNSL, with 25 and 31 patients receiving BEAM (non-thiotepa) and carmustine (BCNU)/TT-based conditioning, respectively. All patients received high-dose methotrexate-based induction therapy. While the BCNU/TT group had higher risk disease features such as high International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group prognostic score, elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein, and older patient population, there was no significant difference at 2 years post-transplant in progression-free survival (BEAM 68.0% [46.1% to 82.5%] versus BCNU/TT, 65.5% [45.2% to 79.8%], P=.99) or overall survival (OS) (84.0% [62.8% to 93.7%] in the BEAM group versus 81.6% [61.3% to 91.9%] in the BCNU/TT group, P=.95). Disease response status before transplant significantly affected the outcomes as those in complete remission had an OS at 2 years post-transplant of 94.7% (68.1% to 99.2%) in the BEAM group and 90.5% (67.0% to 97.5%) in the BCNU/TT group compared with those in partial response, 57.1% (17.2% to 83.7%) in BCNU/TT group and 50.0% (11.1% to 80.4%) in the BEAM group, respectively (P < .0001). Our retrospective cohort adds to the currently available literature and identifies the disease status before transplant as a significant factor affecting survival.