Preliminary Results of a Phase 1 Study of Flotetuzumab, a CD123 x CD3 Bispecific Dart® Protein, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Authors: Uy Geoffrey L. , Godwin John , Rettig Michael P , Vey Norbert , Foster Matthew , Arellano Martha L. , Rizzieri David A. , Topp Max S. , Huls Gerwin , Lowenberg Bob , Martinelli Giovanni , Paolini Stefania , Ciceri Fabio , Carrabba Matteo Giovanni , Ballesteros-Merino Carmen , Bifulco Carlo B , Lelièvre Helene , La Motte-Mohs Ross , Li Daner , Sun Jichao , Jacobs Kenneth , Spohn Karen , Lonsdale Nadia , Tran Kathy , Baughman Jan , Shannon Michele , Fox Bernard , Bonvini Ezio , Wigginton Jon , Davidson-Moncada Jan , DiPersio John F 
Published: April 2021

Background:

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast and leukemic stem cells highly express CD123, which is associated with high-risk disease and disease progression. CD123 expression on normal hematopoietic stem cells is minimal, enabling a strategy of preferential ablation of AML with a CD123-targeted approach. Flotetuzumab (MGD006/S80880) is a novel T-cell redirecting (CD123 x CD3) bispecific DART® protein being tested in a phase 1 study in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Methods:

This phase 1 dose-escalation study is designed to define the safety profile, maximum tolerated dose and schedule (MTDS), and preliminary anti-leukemic activity of flotetuzumab. Relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML or intermediate-2/high-risk MDS patients (pts) are treated on 28-day cycles at doses from 3-1000ng/kg/day on one of 2 dosing schedules (4-day on/3-day off or a continuous 7-day on schedule). To mitigate cytokine-release syndrome (CRS), a one-step lead-in dose (LID) (100ng/kg/day for 4 days) or two-step LID (30 ng/kg/day for 3 days followed by 100ng/kg/day for 4 days) was instituted during Cycle 1/Week 1 (C1W1), followed by the cohort target dose (300-1000ng/kg/day) on either of the dosing schedules on W2-4. Cycle 2 and beyond, all pts were treated on a 4-day on/3-day off schedule at the cohort target dose for a maximum of 12 cycles, with 2 cycles after a complete response or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery. Steroid-sparing, anti-cytokine therapy was used, if clinically indicated, to manage CRS symptoms. Disease status was assessed by International Working Group (IWG) criteria. Samples were collected for pharmacokinetics, anti-drug antibodies (ADA) and cytokine analysis, including IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF.

Results:

45 pts with R/R AML/MDS (89% AML and 11% MDS) have been treated with flotetuzumab, median age of 64 (29-84), and 44% female. The MTDS has been reached at 500ng/kg/day. Overall flotetuzumab has demonstrated manageable toxicity; drug-related adverse events ≥G3 were observed in 20/45 (44%) pts; infusion-related reaction/CRS (IRR/CRS), the most common toxicity, was observed in 34/45 (76%) pts (G3 in 6/45, 13%). The most frequent CRS symptoms were pyrexia (15), chills (10), tachycardia (10), and hypotension (4). Cytokine levels were higher in pts with CRS than in pts without (median IL-6, 116.2 vs. 67.9 pg/mL; IL-8, 191.1 vs. 144.6 pg/mL; IL-10, 867.6 vs. 348.7 pg/mL) and were generally higher with increasing CRS grade. A two-step LID during week 1 appeared to decrease the severity of CRS grade (mean grade reduction 0.54) compared to pts that received a one-step LID during cycle 1. In addition, lower median peak cytokine levels are observed with two-step LID during W1 and after achieving W2 target dose. Fourteen pts treated at the threshold 500 ng/kg/day dose cohort and beyond (700ng/kg/day dose cohort) have completed at least one cycle of treatment and had a post-treatment bone marrow (BM) biopsy. Anti-leukemic activity was documented in 57% (8/14) pts, 6/14 reached IWG criteria (3 CR, 1 CRi, 1 MLF, 1 PR) for an overall response rate (ORR) of 43%, and 2 pts had stable disease and bone marrow (BM) blast reduction of 20 and 25% from baseline, respectively. Blast reduction occurred rapidly, often within one cycle of therapy, and extended beyond flotetuzumab discontinuation. Multispectral immunohistochemistry analysis of BM samples showed flotetuzumab in situ with a significant increase (in CD-8 T cells (1.58-fold increase, p=0.0013). Consistent with T-cell activation, CD-25, CD-69 and PD-1 upregulation on both CD-4 and CD-8 T-cells was also observed in peripheral blood samples.

Conclusions:

Flotetuzumab in R/R AML and MDS demonstrated evidence of anti-leukemic activity (ORR 43%) with a manageable safety profile. This program advances an immune-activating agent in treating AML and continues to enroll patients in cohort expansion (24 AML and 24 MDS patients at the MTDS) in the US and Europe. clinicaltrials.gov NCT02152956.

Disclosures

Uy: Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; GlycoMimetics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel Suppport. Foster: Macrogenics: Research Funding; Shire: Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Celator: Research Funding. Arellano: Cephalon Oncology: Research Funding. Rizzieri: Shire: Research Funding; Erytech: Research Funding. Topp: Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Research Funding; Macrogenics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Other: Travel; Regeneron: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Martinelli: Incyte, Pfizer, MSD, Abbvie, J&J, Seattle Genetics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Astellas: Consultancy, Other: Advisory Board, Speakers Bureau. Ciceri: GSK: Other: B-thalassemia gene therapy was developed by Fondazione Telethon and Ospedale San Raffaele and has been inlicenced by GSK that provides funding for the clinical trial, Research Funding. Lelièvre: Institut de recherches international Servier: Employment. La Motte-Mohs: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre: Patents & Royalties; MacroGenics: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Sun: Macrogenics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Baughman: MacroGenics, Inc.: Employment. Shannon: MacroGenics, Inc.: Employment. Fox: Bristol Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca/MedImmune: Consultancy, Research Funding; PerkinElmer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen/Johnson and Johnson: Consultancy, Research Funding; Argos: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Definiens: Consultancy; OncoSec: Consultancy, Research Funding; PrimeVax: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Peregrine: Consultancy; UbiVac: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Co-Founder and managing Member of LLC; Ventana/Roche: Consultancy; Viralytics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Bonvini: MacroGenics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Research Funding. Wigginton: MacroGenics: Employment, Equity Ownership. Davidson-Moncada: MacroGenics: Employment, Equity Ownership.