Results of a Phase I Study of Pnk-007, Allogeneic, Off the Shelf NK Cell, Post Autologous Transplant in Multiple Myeloma (NCT02955550)
Authors: Holstein Sarah A. , Cooley Sarah , Hari Parameswaran , Jagannath Sundar , Balint Catherine R , Van Der Touw William , Donato Michele L. , McCarthy Philip L. , Wallace Paul K. , Zhang Xiaokui , Hariri Robert , Hussein Mohamad A. , Vij Ravi 
Published: November 2019

Background: PNK-007 is an allogeneic, off the shelf cell therapy product enriched for CD56+/CD3- NK cells expanded from placental CD34+ cells. PNK-007 cells exhibit cytotoxicity against various cancer cell types, including multiple myeloma (MM), and secrete cytokines during co-culture with cancer cells. This is a Phase I study of single infusion PNK-007 after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in MM.

Methods: Placental CD34+ cells were cultivated in the presence of cytokines for 35 days to generate PNK-007 under cGMP standards followed by release testing. HLA matching and KIR mismatching were not used. Four treatment arms were evaluated on patients (pts) following ASCT: 10 million (M) cells/kg Day (D) 14 with or without recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2), 30M cells/kg D14 with rhIL-2, or 30M cells/kg D7 with rhIL-2. rhIL-2 was administered subcutaneously at 6M units every other day for up to 6 doses to facilitate PNK-007 expansion. Pts received variable pre-ASCT induction therapy. Maintenance therapy was permitted after the Day 90-100 visit (D90). Subjects were followed for up to 1-year.

Results: 15 pts who received PNK-007 (12 of whom received rhIL-2) were followed on this study. Pts aged 44-69 yrs included 12 newly diagnosed (ND)MM and 3 relapsed/refractory (RR)MM. The 3 RRMM pts had received 1, 2 or 5 prior lines of therapy, with 2 pts having previous ASCT. All pts had been exposed to immunomodulatory drug (IMiDs) and proteasome inhibitors (PIs). No serious adverse events (AEs) were attributable to PNK-007 and no dose-limiting toxicity, GvHD, graft failure or graft rejection were observed. 12/15 pts started maintenance therapy following the transplant while participating in this study, at the physician's discretion.

Based on physician assessed responses by International Myeloma Working Group pre-ASCT, of the NDMM pts 10/12 achieved VGPR or better (1 CR and 9 VGPR), 1/12 achieved PR and 1/12 was not assessed during pre-ASCT induction. By D90 10/12 pts achieved VGPR or better (5 CR or sCR and 5 VGPR), 1/12 maintained PR and 1/12 stable disease. At 1-year 9/11 achieved VGPR or better (4 CR or sCR and 5 VGPR), 2/11 were not assessed and 1 was removed from the study prior to 1 year due to failure to respond to ASCT. Of the RRMM pts 2/3 achieved PR and 1/3 was not assessed during pre-ASCT induction, by D90 2/3 achieved VGPR and the pt that had not been assessed pre-ASCT achieved PR. At 1-year, 1 pt maintained VGPR, 1 pt was not assessed and 1 pt did not continue to the 1-year visit.

Using a validated Euro-flow minimal residual disease (MRD) assay of bone marrow aspirate (BMA) samples, of the NDMM pts 4/12 were MRD negative (MRD-) pre-ASCT; by D90 9/12 were MRD-. At 1-year 6/12 were MRD-, 2/12 had insufficient BMA to perform testing, 2/12 refused BMA procedure, 1/12 did not convert to MRD-, and 1 was removed from the study prior to 1-year due to failure to respond to ASCT. Of the RRMM pts 0/3 were MRD- pre-ASCT with 1/3 having insufficient BMA to perform testing; by D90 1/3 were MRD-. At 1-year 1/3 was MRD-, 1/3 did not convert to MRD- and 1 pt did not continue to the 1-year visit.

PNK-007 infusion did not interfere with immune reconstitution kinetics. Platelet, neutrophil, and absolute lymphocyte counts recovered by day 28 post-ASCT in 12/15 patients. All pts' sera tested negative for the presence of anti-HLA antibodies at all timepoints indicating the absence of humoral immunity and alloantibodies to PNK-007.

Conclusion: PNK-007 is the first fully allogeneic, off the shelf CD34+ derived NK cell product in MM clinical trials. A single infusion of PNK-007 up to 30M cells/kg with and without rhIL-2 was well tolerated in the post-ASCT setting. We established the feasibility of infusing PNK-007 as early as 7 days post-ASCT without negative impact on blood count recovery or successful engraftment. BMA MRD- status was observed in 7/9 MRD evaluable pts at 1-year post ASCT. These clinical data are encouraging and warrant further evaluation.

Disclosures

Holstein: Adaptive Biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sorrento: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Cooley:Fate Therapeutics, Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Hari:Cell Vault: Equity Ownership; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Research Funding; Spectrum: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Jagannath:BMS: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Medicom: Speakers Bureau; Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation: Speakers Bureau. Balint:Celgene: Equity Ownership; Celularity, Inc: Employment. Van Der Touw:Celularity, Inc: Employment. Zhang:Celularity Inc: Employment. Hariri:Celularity Inc: Employment. Vij:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding.