Abstract 5496: Efficacy and immune profiling of PI3K delta inhibitor zandelisib (ME-401) in a preclinical chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) model
Authors: Maharaj Kamira , Mediavilla-Varela Melanie , Powers John J. , Wiley Sandra , Uriepero Angimar , Gamal Wael , Jiang Kun , Sahakian Eva , Pinilla-Ibarz Javier 
Published: June 2022

Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) delta signaling is essential for CLL B cell survival and proliferation. Several PI3K inhibitors are approved for treatment of CLL, but PI3K inhibitor-induced alterations in T cell function have been correlated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Zandelisib is a novel selective PI3Kδ inhibitor in clinical development with an intermittent dosing schedule for treatment of B cell malignancies. Here, we investigated the dynamic immunomodulatory properties of zandelisib alone or in combination with BTK inhibitor ibrutinib in normal human T cells, as well as the impact of continuous dosing of zandelisib on effector and regulatory immune cells, irAEs, and survival in a preclinical CLL murine model. Normal human T cells treated ex vivo with zandelisib, ibrutinib, or both were assessed for phenotype and function. A CLL model was initiated by transferring leukemic EμTCL1 splenocytes into syngeneic wildtype recipients. CLL-bearing mice were treated with vehicle or zandelisib (50 mpk bid or 100 mpk qd) for 3 weeks (n=5 per group). Antitumor efficacy, T cell and myeloid subsets in blood, bone marrow and spleen were analyzed. Survival was also observed in a separate cohort of mice treated with zandelisib (100 mpk qd). T cell proliferation was impaired by zandelisib (250nM) and ibrutinib (100 nM) alone, with the combination further reducing T cell proliferation. Zandelisib decreased expression of suppressive markers PD-1, CTLA-4, GITR and CD39 on iTregs; however, no further decrease was observed when zandelisib was combined with ibrutinib. Zandelisib also reduced normal T cell activation and expression of immune checkpoints PD-1 and CTLA-4 on CD4+ T cells and dose dependently inhibited T cell memory differentiation ex vivo, increasing the naïve/central to effector memory ratio. Combination with ibrutinib did not further affect T cell activation, checkpoint expression or memory differentiation. In the CLL murine model, no meaningful difference was seen between bid or qd administration of zandelisib in the reduction of tumor burden (CD19+ CD5+ CLL cells). Zandelisib treatment reduced activated T cells, antigen-experienced T cells, and Tregs. Increased naïve/central to effector memory ratio was observed in treated mice, and PD-1 was downregulated on memory T cells, indicating less T cell exhaustion. Zandelisib decreased macrophages in the spleen but did not impact myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Zandelisib treatment improved survival of CLL-bearing mice significantly when compared to vehicle group (median survival of zandelisib group 140 days vs. 105 days vehicle). In conclusion, zandelisib treatment reduced Tregs, prevented terminal memory differentiation, and T-cell exhaustion—features that have been shown to permit CLL immune evasion—demonstrated antitumor efficacy, and improved overall survival in a preclinical CLL model.

Citation Format: Kamira Maharaj, Melanie Mediavilla-Varela, John J. Powers, Sandra Wiley, Angimar Uriepero, Wael Gamal, Kun Jiang, Eva Sahakian, Javier Pinilla-Ibarz. Efficacy and immune profiling of PI3K delta inhibitor zandelisib (ME-401) in a preclinical chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5496.