Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Research Articles

The impact of CAR-T therapy for outcomes in primary refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The impact of CAR-T therapy for outcomes in primary refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Inotuzumab ozogamicin in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: efficacy, toxicity, and practical considerations.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO) is an antibody drug conjugate composed of a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the cell surface receptor CD22 coupled to a cytotoxic calicheamicin payload via an acid labile linker. InO has shown significant activity in relapsed and refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) in both single agent and combination chemotherapy regimens in adult and pediatric trials. Its use in newly diagnosed elderly patients has also been established while clinical trials investigating its use in newly diagnosed pediatric patients and fit adults are ongoing. Notable toxicities include sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), particularly in patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after InO as well as myelosuppression and B-cell aplasia which confer increased infection risk, particularly in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. In the relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting, the planned subsequent curative therapy modality must be considered when using InO to mitigate SOS risk if proceeding to HSCT and account for potential B-cell aplasia if proceeding to chimeric antigen receptor CAR-T therapy. Studies exploring mechanisms of resistance or failure of InO are ongoing but modulation or loss CD22 expression, alternative CD22 splicing, and high Bcl-2 expression have been implicated. In this review, we will summarize the currently available data on InO, with an emphasis on pediatric trials, and explore future directions including combinatorial therapy.

Impact of prior therapies and subsequent transplantation on outcomes in adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with brexucabtagene autoleucel in ZUMA-3

BackgroundBrexucabtagene autoleucel (brexu-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved in the USA for adults with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and...

Developing Targeted Therapies for T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma.

Largely, treatment advances in relapsed and/or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been made in B cell disease leaving T cell ALL reliant upon high-intensity chemotherapy. Recent advances in the understanding of the biology of T-ALL and the improvement in immunotherapies have led to new therapeutic pathways to target and exploit. Here, we review the more promising pathways that are able to be targeted and other therapeutic possibilities for T-ALL. Preclinical models and early-phase clinical trials have shown promising results in some case in the treatment of T-ALL. Targeting many different pathways could lead to the next advancement in the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory disease. Recent advances in cellular therapies have also shown promise in this space. When reviewing the literature as a whole, targeting important pathways and antigens likely will lead to the next advancement in T-ALL survival since intensifying chemotherapy.

Treatment of adult ALL patients with third-generation CD19-directed CAR T cells: results of a pivotal trial

BackgroundThird-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells (CARTs) might improve clinical outcome of patients with B cell malignancies. This is the first report on a third-generation CART dose-escalating, phase-1/2 investigator-initiated trial treating adult patients with refractory and/or relapsed (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).MethodsThirteen patients were treated with escalating doses of CD19-directed CARTs between 1 × 106 and 50 × 106 CARTs/m2. Leukapheresis, manufacturing and administration of CARTs were performed in-house.ResultsFor all patients, CART manufacturing was feasible. None of the patients developed any grade of Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) or a higher-grade (≥ grade III) catokine release syndrome (CRS). CART expansion and long-term CART persistence were evident in the peripheral blood (PB) of evaluable patients. At end of study on day 90 after CARTs, ten patients were evaluable for response: Eight patients (80%) achieved a complete remission (CR), including five patients (50%) with minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative CR. Response and outcome were associated with the administered CART dose. At 1-year follow-up, median overall survival was not reached and progression-free survival (PFS) was 38%. Median PFS was reached on day 120. Lack of CD39-expression on memory-like T cells was more frequent in CART products of responders when compared to CART products of non-responders. After CART administration, higher CD8 + and γδ-T cell frequencies, a physiological pattern of immune cells and lower monocyte counts in the PB were associated with response.ConclusionIn conclusion, third-generation CARTs were associated with promising clinical efficacy and remarkably low procedure-specific toxicity, thereby opening new therapeutic perspectives for patients with r/r ALL.Trial registration This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03676504.

Current clinical outcome of CD19/CD22 dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy in refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

To enhance clinical outcomes for hematologic malignancies, dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapies were devised. This study seeks to generalize the safety and efficacy of CD19/CD22 dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in published clinical studies to cast lights on current advances and future challenges of this therapeutic. Manual searches were performed on PubMed and Science Direct to identify relevant articles for inclusion in the report. Forest plots were utilized to display data from individual studies as well as pooled estimates derived based on random effect model for complete remission rate, relapse rate, overall survival rate, and incidences of adverse events, and all data were presented along with their respective 95% confidence intervals. As per result, the pooled estimates for complete remission rate (CR), CR with negative minimal residual disease, relapse rate, overall survival rate (OS), incidences of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), severe CRS, neurotoxicity (NT) and severe NT are as follows: 89% (95% CI: 83.4%, 93.1%), 86.5% (95% CI: 83.4%, 93.1%), 43.3% (95% CI: 26.4%, 60.3%), at most 64.1% (95% CI: 50.7%, 75.3%) at 1 year, 80.4% (95% CI: 66.4%, 91.1%), 10.7% (95% CI: 0%, 30.3%), 9% (95% CI: 2.9%, 15%), 6.5% (95% CI: 0%, 25.5%), suggesting that CD19/CD22 dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy has a great potential for treating patients with refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Establishment of a t(11;19), KMT2A Rearranged B-ALL Cell Line for Preclinical Evaluation and Novel Therapeutics Development for Refractory Infant Leukemia.

Leukemia, diagnosed in children less than 12 months of age, is a rare condition with an aggressive disease presentation and poor response to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, the unique vulnerability of the affected population does not always permit the use of markedly intense regimens with higher doses of cytotoxic agents. However, the unique biology of these leukemic cells also provides opportunities for the identification of effective and potentially well-tolerated targeted therapeutic strategies. In this report, we describe the establishment and characterization of a cell line from the blasts of an infant diagnosed with refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) carrying the characteristic histone lysine methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) gene rearrangement. This cell line consists of rapidly proliferating clones of cells with chemosensitivity patterns previously described for KMT2A rearranged leukemia cells, including relative resistance to glucocorticoids and sensitivity to cytarabine. We also show effective targetability with menin inhibitors, indicating the activity of abnormal KMT2A-related pathways and the potential utility of this cell line in comprehensive drug library screens. Overall, our findings report the establishment and in vitro validation of a cell line for research into key aspects of infant leukemia biology and targeted therapeutics development.

Relaps/refrakter T hücreli akut lenfoblastik lösemili erişkin hastalarda klofarabin, siklofosfamid, etoposid (CLOVE): tek merkez deneyimi

Purpose: Clofarabine is a second-generation purine analog that inhibits DNA synthesis. It is used as an effective new agent in relapsed refractory acute leukemia. We aimed to report our single center experience about CLOVE protocol as a clofarabine-based regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 
 Materials and Methods: Thirteen patients with relapsed or resistant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia were included in this study. Patients were administered clofarabine (40 mg/m2/day), etoposide (100 mg/m2/day), and cyclophosphamide (440 mg/m2/day) (5 days chemotherapy). The patients' data were reviewed retrospectively, the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were recorded.
 Results: The patients' median age was 47, and 77% (n:10) of them were male. The median number of chemotherapy regimens they received before clofarabine was 3. Of the patients, 54% (n=7) presented with relapse, and 46% (n=6) with refractory disease. Hematological side effects were observed in all patients during treatment, and 4 (31%) patients were complicated by febrile neutropenia. Other side effects were hepatotoxicity 39%, skin reaction 2%, nausea 54%, and mucositis 31%. Three (23%) patients were unresponsive to treatment. A response was obtained in 10 (77%) patients. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation was performed in 4 of 5 patients with complete response. The median follow-up time after CLOVE was 2.3 (0.69-26.02) months. The median estimated survival time was 21.04 ± 3.88 (95%CI: 13.43 -28.64) months. Overall survival was 85.7% at three months and 57.1% at one year. Three patients were alive at the end of our study.
 Conclusion: The combination of clofarabine, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide (CLOVE) appears to be successful in achieving a response in relapsing or resistant acute leukemia. However, more effective regimens are still needed.

Transcriptional signatures associated with persisting CD19 CAR-T cells in children with leukemia

In the context of relapsed and refractory childhood pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL), CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells often induce durable remissions, which requires the persistence of CAR-T cells. In this study, we systematically analyzed CD19 CAR-T cells of 10 children with R/R B-ALL enrolled in the CARPALL trial via high-throughput single-cell gene expression and T cell receptor sequencing of infusion products and serial blood and bone marrow samples up to 5 years after infusion. We show that long-lived CAR-T cells developed a CD4/CD8 double-negative phenotype with an exhausted-like memory state and distinct transcriptional signature. This persistence signature was dominant among circulating CAR-T cells in all children with a long-lived treatment response for which sequencing data were sufficient (4/4, 100%). The signature was also present across T cell subsets and clonotypes, indicating that persisting CAR-T cells converge transcriptionally. This persistence signature was also detected in two adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with decade-long remissions who received a different CD19 CAR-T cell product. Examination of single T cell transcriptomes from a wide range of healthy and diseased tissues across children and adults indicated that the persistence signature may be specific to long-lived CAR-T cells. These findings raise the possibility that a universal transcriptional signature of clinically effective, persistent CD19 CAR-T cells exists.

Results of the compassionate program of inotuzumab ozogamicin for adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Spain.

The prognosis of relapsed B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is poor and few patients can be successfully rescued with conventional therapies. Inotuzumab ozogamicin (IO), an antibody against the CD22 antigen linked to calicheamicin, has been approved as a rescue treatment in relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-ALL. This was an observational, retrospective, multicenter study of adult patients included in the Spanish program of compassionate use of IO in centers from the PETHEMA group (Programa Español de Tratamientos en Hematología). Thirty-four patients with a median age of 43 years (range, 19-73) were included. Twenty patients (59%) were refractory to the last treatment, IO treatment was given as ≥3rd salvage treatment in 25 patients (73%) and 20 patients (59%) received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation before IO treatment. After a median of 2 cycles of IO, 64% of patients achieved complete response (CR)/complete response with incomplete recovery. The median response duration, progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 4.7 (95%CI, 2.4-7.0 months), 3.5 (95%CI, 1.0-5.0 months) and 4 months (95%CI, 1.9-6.1 months) respectively, with better OS for patients with relapsed B-ALL versus refractory disease (10.4 vs. 2.5 months, respectively) (p = .01). There was a trend for better OS for patients with first CR duration >12 months (7.2 months [95%CI, 3.2-11.2] vs. 3 months [95% CI, 1.8-4.2] respectively) (p = .054). There was no sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) event during IO treatment, but three patients (9%) developed grade 3-4 SOS during alloHSCT after IO treatment. Our study showed slightly inferior outcomes of the pivotal trial probably due to poorer risk factors and late onset of IO therapy of recruited patients. Our results support early use of IO in relapsed/refractory ALL patients.

A systematic review on the cost-effectiveness assessment of tisagenlecleucel for refractory or relapsing B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL) treatment in children and young adults

Background aimsThe advanced therapy product tisagenlecleucel is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T-cell immunotherapy that has brought hope for children and young adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel compared with conventional salvage therapies in pediatric and young adult patients with R/R B-ALL. MethodsThis systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses parameters as registered in International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021266998). Literature was searched using the MEDLINE databases via PubMed, EMBASE, Lilacs, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science in January 2022. Titles were screened independently by two reviewers. Articles deemed to meet the inclusion criteria were screened independently on abstract, and full texts were reviewed. ResultsIn total, 5627 publications were identified, from which six eligible studies were selected. The conventional therapies identified were blinatumomab (Blina), clofarabine monotherapy (Clo-M), clofarabine combined with cyclophosphamide and etoposide (Clo-C) and the combination of fludarabine, cytarabine and idarubicin (FLA-IDA). The discounted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained for tisagenlecleucel compared with Clo-C and Blina averages was $38 837 and $25 569, respectively. In relation to the cost of the drug, the average of tisagenlecleucel was approximately 4.3 times, 10.8 times or 4.7 times greater than the Clo-M, Clo-C and Blina, respectively. ConclusionsThis systematic review highlighted that tisagenlecleucel is a much more expensive therapy than conventional alternatives. However, tisagenlecleucel performed well on the ICER, not exceeding $100 000/QALY. It was also found that the advanced therapy product was more effective than the conventional small molecule and biological drugs, in terms of life years and QALY gained.

In brief: Brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus – Kite) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Brexucabtagene Autoleucel (Tecartus)


 CADTH reimbursement reviews are comprehensive assessments of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, as well as patient and clinician perspectives, of a drug or drug class.
 The assessments inform non-binding recommendations that help guide the reimbursement decisions of Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with the exception of Quebec.
 This review assesses brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) cell suspension in a patient-specific single-infusion bag for IV use at a target dose of 1 × 106 chimeric antigen receptor T-cells per kilogram.
 Indication: For the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Effects of CAR-T Cell Therapy on Immune Cells and Related Toxic Side Effect Analysis in Patients with Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

To observe the effects of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy on immune cells and related toxic side effects in patients with refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A retrospective study was conducted in 35 patients with refractory ALL. The patients were treated with CAR-T cell therapy in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021. The efficacy was evaluated at one and three months post treatments. The venous blood of the patients was collected before treatment, 1 month after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. The percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg cells), natural killer (NK) cells, and T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells) was detected by flow cytometry. The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was calculated. Patient's toxic side effects such as fever, chills, gastrointestinal bleeding, nervous system symptoms, digestive system symptoms, abnormal liver function, and blood coagulation dysfunction were monitored and recorded. The incidence of toxic and side effects was calculated, and the incidence of infection was recorded. After one month of CAR-T cell therapy in 35 patients with ALL, the efficacy evaluation showed that complete response (CR) patients accounted for 68.57%, CR with incomplete hematological recovery (CRi) patients accounted for 22.86%, and partial disease (PD) patients accounted for 8.57%, and the total effective rate was 91.43%. In addition, compared with that before treatment, the Treg cell level in CR+CRi patients treated for 1 month and 3 months decreased prominently, and the NK cell level increased dramatically (P < 0.05). Compared with that before treatment, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ in patients with CR+CRi in the 1-month and 3-month groups were markedly higher, and the levels of CD4+/CD8+ in the 3-month group were memorably higher than those in the 1-month group (P < 0.05). During CAR-T cell therapy in 35 patients with ALL, fever accounted for 62.86%, chills for 20.00%, gastrointestinal bleeding for 8.57%, nervous system symptoms for 14.29%, digestive system symptoms for 28.57%, abnormal liver function for 11.43%, and coagulation dysfunction for 8.57%. These side effects were all relieved after symptomatic treatment. During the course of CAR-T therapy in 35 patients with ALL, 2 patients had biliary tract infection and 13 patients had lung infection. No correlations were found between the infection and age, gender, CRS grade, usage of glucocorticoids or tocilizumab, and laboratory indicators such as WBC, ANC, PLT, and Hb (P > 0.05). CAR-T cell therapy had a good effect on patients with refractory ALL by regulating the immune function of the body via mediating the content of immune cells. CAR-T cell therapy may have therapeutic effect on refractory ALL patients with mild side effects and high safety.

EE156 Budget Impact Analysis of Inotuzumab Ozogamicin for the Treatment of Adults with Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Colombia

To estimate the budget impact of inotuzumab ozogamicin (INO) for the first year of treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia from the Colombian healthcare system (HCS) perspective.

CO116 Real-World Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Use and Hospital Provider Cost of Recently Approved Treatments for Adult Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the US: Blinatumomab and/or Inotuzumab Ozogamicin

To describe treatment patterns, healthcare resource use (HRU), and hospital system cost associated with blinatumomab (blina)- and inotuzumab ozogamicin (ino)-containing regimens to treat adult R/R ALL in the US.

Impact of age, prior therapies, and subsequent transplant on long-term outcomes of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL) treated with brexucabtagene autoleucel (brexu-cel) in ZUMA-3.

7023 Background: Brexu-cel is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved in the US for adults with R/R B-ALL and in the EU for adults ≥26 y with R/R B-ALL based on positive results of ZUMA-3. After 3-y follow-up in ZUMA-3, brexu-cel demonstrated an overall complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rate of 71% and a median overall survival (OS) of 26.0 mo in all treated pts (N = 55) and 38.9 mo in pts with CR (n = 31; Shah et al. EU CAR T 2023. Abstract 34). Here we report 3-y outcomes by age, prior therapies, and subsequent allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT). Methods: Pts (≥18 y) had R/R B-ALL and received 1 brexu-cel infusion (1×10⁶ CAR T cells/kg) following leukapheresis and conditioning chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall CR/CRi rate per independent review. Post hoc subgroup analyses were exploratory, with descriptive statistics reported. Results: As of July 23, 2022, the median follow-up in Phase 2 (N = 55) was 38.8 mo (range, 32.7-44.6). The CR/CRi rate (95% CI) was 67% (35-90) for pts &lt; 26 y (n = 12) and 72% (56-85) for pts ≥26 y (n = 43). The median (95% CI) OS was 28.6 mo (0.6-not estimable [NE]) for pts &lt; 26 y and 34.1 mo (15.9-NE) for pts ≥26 y. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 92% of pts &lt; 26 y and in 88% of pts ≥26 y. For pts with 1 prior therapy (n = 10), the CR/CRi rate was 90% (95% CI, 55-100) and for pts with ≥2 prior therapies (n = 45), the CR/CRi rate was 67% (95% CI, 51-80); medians (95% CI) for OS were not reached (NR; 2.1-NE) and 25.6 mo (14.2-38.9), respectively. The incidence of Grade ≥3 TRAEs was 90% for pts with 1 prior therapy and 89% for pts with ≥2 prior therapies. The CR/CRi rates (95% CI) for pts with (n = 25) and without (n = 30) prior blinatumomab (blina) were 60% (39-79) and 80% (61-92). The median (95% CI) OS was 14.2 mo (3.2-26.0) for pts with prior blina and NR (18.6-NE) for pts without prior blina; Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 80% and 97% of pts, respectively. For responders (CR/CRi) who did (n = 10) or did not (n = 29) proceed to subsequent alloSCT, the median (95% CI) OS was NR (7.6-NE) and 38.9 mo (18.6-NE), respectively. Similar efficacy results were observed in a pooled subgroup analysis of Phase 1 and 2 pts treated at the pivotal dose (N = 78), with a median follow-up of 41.6 mo (range, 32.7-70.3). Conclusions: Adults with R/R B-ALL benefitted from brexu-cel, regardless of age, number of prior therapies, prior blina exposure, or subsequent alloSCT status. Survival appeared longer in pts with fewer prior therapies and in blina-naïve pts; however, small pt numbers and unmatched baseline characteristics limit interpretation of these results. Additional studies are needed to determine the impact of prior therapies and/or subsequent alloSCT on outcomes of pts who receive brexu-cel. Clinical trial information: NCT02614066 .

Real-world Experience of Approved Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapies Compared to Clinical Trials Data.

Real-world Experience of Approved Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapies Compared to Clinical Trials Data.

Antifungal Stewardship Programs in Children: Challenges and Opportunities.

Antifungal Stewardship Programs in Children: Challenges and Opportunities.

CAR-T Cells Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Recent Advances.

In order to increase the effectiveness of cancer therapies and extend the long-term survival of patients, more and more often, in addition to standard treatment, oncological patients receive also targeted therapy, i.e., CAR-T cells. These cells express a chimeric receptor (CAR) that specifically binds an antigen present on tumor cells, resulting in tumor cell lysis. The use of CAR-T cells in the therapy of relapsed and refractory B-type acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) resulted in complete remission in many patients, which prompted researchers to conduct tests on the use of CAR-T cells in the treatment of other hematological malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is associated with a poorer prognosis compared to ALL due to a higher risk of relapse caused by the development of resistance to standard treatment. The 5-year relative survival rate in AML patients was estimated at 31.7%. The objective of the following review is to present the mechanism of action of CAR-T cells, and discuss the latest findings on the results of anti-CD33, -CD123, -FLT3 and -CLL-1 CAR-T cell therapy, the emerging challenges as well as the prospects for the future.