Venetoclax Has Potent Efficacy in NPM1 mutated AML with Acquired Resistance Associated with Either Perturbed Pro-Survival Signalling or NPM1 wild-Type Populations
Authors: Chua Chong Chyn , Anstee Natasha , Flensburg Christoffer , Teh Charis , Ivey Adam , Amin Noorul , Thijssen Rachel , Bohlander Stefan K. , Kakadia Purvi M. , Xu Zhen , Fong Chun Yew , Ting Stephen , Loo Sun , Tiong Ing Soo , Gray Daniel , Fleming Shaun , Davidson Nadia , Roberts Andrew W. , Majewski Ian , Wei Andrew H. , Brown Fiona C. 
Published: December 2023

Background

We have previously reported outcomes for patients (pts) receiving venetoclax (VEN) combined with intensive chemotherapy in fit older pts ≥65 years with newly diagnosed AML (Chua et al, JCO 2020). In contrast to younger populations, NPM1(mut) does confer favorable prognosis in older AML populations. Our prior studies indicate that VEN-based therapies in older pts have promising efficacy in NPM1(mut) AML (DiNardo et al, Blood 2020). To characterise this further, we performed a posthoc analysis of the efficacy of single agent VEN and in combination with chemotherapy in NPM1(mut) AML in the CAVEAT study and explored mechanisms of treatment failure using a multi-omic approach.

Methods

NPM1 MRD was performed using RT-qPCR (sensitivity 10 -6). Integrated analysis from bulk sequencing (targeted 42-gene NGS, whole exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS), RNAseq), single cell (sc) proteogenomic and transcriptomic assessments (scDNA plus surface protein, Tapestri MissioBio; scRNAseq, 10x Genomics) were performed. Flow cytometry included analysis of BCL-2, BCL-XL, MCL1 and BFL1 expression.

Results

Of 85 pts enrolled on the CAVEAT study, 20 had NPM1(mut). Median age of NPM1(mut) vs (wt) was 71 vs 70 years. At a median follow-up of 38.6 months, CR/CRi rates and median OS for NPM1(mut) vs (wt) was 85% vs 72% (p=0.37), and 43.9 vs 15.1 months (p=0.04), respectively.

Pts received a 7-day VEN monotherapy pre-phase prior to CAVEAT induction with paired bone marrow (BM) assessments pre- and at day 8 to evaluate VEN sensitivity. NPM1(mut) pts had a greater median relative blast reduction after 7-day VEN at -66% (range -7 to -98%), compared to -37% (range +51 to -94%) for NPM1(wt) (p=0.03).

18/20 NPM1(mut) sub-group pts completed induction and 17 had serial NPM1 MRD assessments. The NPM1(mut) level fell a median of 4.55-log 10 following induction, with 6 (35%) pts achieving MRD negative (MRDneg) status. After all consolidation, 12/16 (75%) were MRDneg. 12/12 (100%) pts in long-term follow up remain MRDneg.

We investigated the mechanisms of resistance in the 5/20 pts with NPM1(mut) whose disease was primary refractory (RD; n=1) or had acquired secondary resistance (Fig). Two patients (CAL-045, CAL-021) had shown BM blast reductions of ≥45% during VEN pre-phase. Subsequently, at the time of clinical treatment failure, both were NPM1(mut) MRD negative indicating eradication of the starting NPM1(mut) clone and early evolution of a new NPM1(wt) population as the mechanism of resistance.

Detailed genomic analysis of CAL-045 showed that a TET2/CBL/NPM1(mut) clone was eradicated, with persistence of TET2 and TET2/CBL(mut) clones lacking NPM1(mut) at the time of refractory disease. scRNAseq analysis of these NPM1(wt) clones revealed a pro-inflammatory signature with elevation in BFL1, a pro-survival gene not targeted by VEN (Fig).

In patient CAL-021, NPM1(mut) was also absent with the emergence of nonsense/frameshift BAX variants at relapse as previously described (Moujalled et al, Blood 2022). BAX deficiency is associated with resistance to BH3-mimetics.

Two other cases (CAL-014, CAL-020) showed BM blast reductions of &lt;45% during VEN pre-phase. In CAL-014, the expansion of an NPM1 subclone was associated with FLT3-ITD. WES revealed evolution of FLT3-ITD loss of heterozygosity at relapse. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated disproportionate upregulation of intracellular MCL-1 (Fig). In case CAL-020, no obvious genetic determinants of resistance were identified at relapse, with persistence of a DNMT3A/ KIT/ NPM1(mut) clone (VAF~50%). Whole transcriptome analysis revealed skewed expression of a KIT(mut)allele (from 45% to 88%) at relapse, and protein assessment by flow cytometry revealed marked upregulation of BCL-XL (Fig).

Conclusion

VEN in combination with intensive chemotherapy for NPM1(mut) AML pts ≥65 years resulted in rapid and deep responses ( NPM1(mut) MRD-negativity) that are associated with prolonged remissions and OS. Mechanisms of treatment failure among pts with NPM1(mut) are diverse and may include kinase-linked upregulation of alternative BCL-2 family pro-survival members or disruption of downstream pro-apoptotic BAX.