Efficacy and Safety of Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel (Cilta-cel), a B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA)-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy, in Lenalidomide-Refractory Patients with Progressive Multiple Myeloma after 1-3 Prior Lines of Therapy: Updated Results from CARTITUDE-2
Authors: Cohen Yael C. , Cohen Adam D , Delforge Michel , Hillengass Jens , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Weisel Katja , Raab Marc-Steffen , Scheid Christof , Schecter Jordan M. , De Braganca Kevin C. , Varsos Helen , Yeh Tzu-min , Wang Liwei , Vogel Martin , Corsale Christina , Akram Muhammad , Pacaud Lida , Nesheiwat Tonia , Agha Mounzer , Einsele Hermann 
Published: November 2021

Introduction: There are several treatment options for patients (pts) with progressive multiple myeloma (MM) who are refractory to lenalidomide but most pts relapse shortly after receiving salvage treatment. Cilta-cel is a CAR-T therapy expressing 2 BCMA-targeting, single-domain antibodies that demonstrated early, deep, and durable responses in pts with MM who had received ≥3 prior lines of therapy (LOT) in the phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 study (Berdeja, Lancet, 2021). The multicohort, open-label, phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study (NCT04133636) is evaluating cilta-cel safety and efficacy in various clinical settings for pts with MM and exploring suitability of outpatient administration. Initial analysis (median follow-up 5.8 mo) of pts in CARTITUDE-2 cohort A (lenalidomide-refractory with 1-3 prior LOT) demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 95%, with 75% of pts achieving complete response or better (≥CR) and 85% achieving very good partial response or better (≥VGPR). Here, we present updated results for this population.

Methods: Pts had progressive MM after 1-3 prior LOT, including a PI and immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), were lenalidomide-refractory, and had no prior exposure to BCMA-targeting agents. Bridging therapy was allowed after apheresis. A single cilta-cel infusion (target dose 0.75×10 6 CAR+ viable T cells/kg) was given 5-7 d after start of lymphodepletion (daily cyclophosphamide [300 mg/m 2] and fludarabine [30 mg/m 2] for 3 d). The primary endpoint was minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at 10 -5. Secondary endpoints were ORR, duration of response (DOR), time and duration of MRD negativity, and incidence and severity of AEs. MRD was assessed by next-generation sequencing, response was assessed per IMWG criteria, and adverse events (AEs) were graded using CTCAEv5.0 (CRS and ICANS by ASTCT).

Results: Initial results from this cohort were published at ASCO 2021 . Here we report data as of the April 15, 2021, data cutoff (median follow-up 9.7 mo: range 3.3-13.4) . 20 pts (65% male; median age 60 years [range 38-75]) received cilta-cel; 1 pt was treated in an outpatient setting. Pts received a median of 2 prior LOT (range 1-3); 60% received 1 or 2 prior LOT and 40% received 3 prior LOT. All pts were exposed to a PI, IMiD, and dexamethasone, 95% to alkylating agents, and 65% to daratumumab. In all, 95% of pts were refractory to the last LOT; 40% were triple-class refractory. ORR was 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9); 85% (95% CI 62.1-96.8) of pts had ≥CR, and 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9) had ≥VGPR (Figure). Median time to first response was 1.0 mo (range 0.7-3.3); median time to best response was 3.3 mo (range 0.9-7.9); median time to ≥CR was 2.6 mo (range 0.9-7.9). Median DOR was not reached; 6-mo PFS rate was 90% (95% CI 65.6-97.4). Of MRD-evaluable pts (n=13), 92.3% (95% CI 64.0-99.8) were MRD-negative at 10 -5. Hematologic AEs in ≥20% of pts were neutropenia (95%; grade [gr] 3/4: 95%), thrombocytopenia (80%; gr 3/4: 35%), anemia (75%; gr 3/4: 45%), lymphopenia (65%; gr 3/4: 60%) and leukopenia (55%; gr 3/4: 55%). CRS occurred in 95% of pts (gr 3/4: 10%). Median time to CRS onset was 7 d (range 5-9), with a median duration of 4 d (range 2-11). CRS resolved within 7 d in 90% of pts. CAR T-cell neurotoxicity occurred in 4 pts (20%; all gr 1/2). Three pts (15%) had ICANS (all gr 1/2); median time to onset was 8 d (range 7-10) and median duration was 3 d (range 1-3). One pt had other neurotoxicities (gr 2 facial paralysis); time to onset was 29 d with a duration of 51 d. No movement and neurocognitive TEAEs were observed. One death occurred due to COVID-19 (assessed as treatment-related by the investigator). Safety profile was manageable in the pt treated in an outpatient setting.

Conclusions: At a longer median follow-up of 9.7 mo, a single cilta-cel infusion led to early and deep responses in pts with MM who had 1-3 prior LOT and were lenalidomide-refractory. ORR in this cohort was consistent with the CARTITUDE-1 study in heavily pretreated pts; responses deepened over time, with 92% of MRD-evaluable pts achieving MRD 10 -5 negativity. The safety profile was manageable; CRS was mostly gr 1/2, and no movement and neurocognitive TEAEs occurred, suggesting the efficacy of monitoring and pt management strategies that were implemented across phase 2/3 studies in the CARTITUDE program. Follow-up is ongoing, including additional enrollment in this cohort; this pt population is being further evaluated in the CARTITUDE-4 study (NCT04181827).

Figure 1 Figure 1.

Disclosures

Cohen: Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Research Funding; neopharm / promedico: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Cohen: Janssen: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy. Delforge: Amgen, Celgene, Janssen, Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding. Hillengass: Adaptive: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Beijing Medical Award Foundation: Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Beijing Life Oasis Public Service Center: Speakers Bureau; Curio Science: Speakers Bureau; Oncopeptides: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncotracker: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Axxess Network: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Skyline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Goldschmidt: GSK: Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnology: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Johns Hopkins University: Other: Grant; Molecular Partners: Research Funding; MSD: Research Funding; Mundipharma: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Dietmar-Hopp-Foundation: Other: Grant; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding. Weisel: Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Novartis: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria. Raab: Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Scheid: BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Schecter: Janssen: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. De Braganca: Janssen: Current Employment. Varsos: Janssen: Current Employment. Yeh: Janssen: Current Employment. Vogel: Janssen Global Services, LLC: Current Employment, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months. Corsale: Janssen: Current Employment. Akram: Legend Biotech USA: Current Employment. Pacaud: Legend Biotech: Current Employment. Nesheiwat: Legend Biotech USA: Current Employment. Einsele: Janssen, Celgene/BMS, Amgen, GSK, Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

OffLabel Disclosure:

At the time of abstract submission, cilta-cel is being investigated for the treatment of multiple myeloma but is not yet approved.