Brexucabtagene autoleucel for relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma: Real-world experience from the United States lymphoma CAR T consortium.
Authors: Jain Preetesh , Wang Yucai , Locke Frederick L. , Munoz Javier , Beitinjaneh Amer , Frank Matthew Joshua , Dahiya Saurabh , Jacobs Miriam T. , Hill Brian T , Lekakis Lazaros J. , Miklos David Bernard , Ghobadi Armin , Neelapu Sattva Swarup , Lin Yi , Wang Michael , Jain Michael D. , Maurer Matthew J. ,   US Lymphoma CAR T cell Consortium
Published: June 2022

e19583

Background: Brexucabtagene autoleucel (BA) is an FDA approved therapy for relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), based on results from ZUMA-2 study. We report the safety and efficacy of BA in standard of care practice among centers in the US Lymphoma CAR-T Consortium. Methods: 16 centers participated in this retrospective study. Patients (pts) who underwent leukapheresis by 12/31/2021 with an intent to manufacture BA were included. Baseline clinical characteristics, bridging therapy, adverse events after BA infusion, and post-infusion outcome data were collected. Eligibility for ZUMA-2 was retrospectively determined. Survival outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: At the data cut-off date, 189 pts underwent leukapheresis, among whom 167 (88%) completed BA infusion, 22 (12%) did not receive infusion. The median age was 67 years. 16% had high risk simplified MIPI, 57% had Ki-67≥50%, 41% had aggressive histology, 49% had TP53 alteration, 51% with POD24 and 10% had CNS involvement. The median number of prior lines of therapy was 3 (range 1-10). 86% had prior BTKi treatment (89% refractory). 130 (78%) pts would not have met ZUMA-2 eligibility criteria. 113 (68%) pts received bridging therapy, which included BTKi, venetoclax, chemotherapy. Median time from leukapheresis to lymphodepletion chemotherapy: 28 days (range 17-140). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) rate was 90% (8% grade ≥3; 1 grade 5), and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) rate was 61% (32% grade ≥3). Grade 5 ICANS (n = 0). Medications used to manage CRS and ICANS were 125 (76%) for tocilizumab, 112 (68%) for corticosteroid, and 27 (16%) for anakinra. 32 (20%) pts required ICU admission, 18 pts required vasopressors, and 5 pts required mechanical ventilation. Day 30 response was evaluable in 155 pts (89% ORR, 70% CR). The best ORR was 89%, with 80% CR, 9% PR. The ORR/CR rates were 88%/79% for aggressive histology, 89%/77% for high Ki-67% (> 50%), 90%/72% for TP53 altered, 81%/75% for CNS involved, 89%/79% for BTKi-exposed, 91%/83% for BTKi-naïve, and 89%/78% for those not meeting ZUMA-2 eligibility criteria. The median duration of response was not reached and at 6-month was 67% (95% CI 57-75). With a median follow-up of 5.6 months (range 0.2-15.3), median PFS was not reached, the 6-month PFS rate was 63% (95% CI 54-71), and median OS was 15.3 months and the 6-month OS rate was 85% (95% CI 77-90). Conclusions: This multicenter retrospective study demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy data of BA in R/R MCL in the real-world practice. Despite 78% of the pts being ineligible for ZUMA-2, the responses, CRS, ICANS and outcomes were comparable to ZUMA-2 data. Long term safety and efficacy will be reported.