One-Year Follow-up of ZUMA-2, the Multicenter, Registrational Study of KTE-X19 in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Wang Michael , Munoz Javier , Goy Andre H. , Locke Frederick L. , Jacobson Caron A. , Hill Brian T. , Timmerman John M. , Holmes Houston , Jaglowski Samantha , Flinn Ian W. , McSweeney Peter A. , Miklos David B. , Pagel John M. , Kersten Marie José , Milpied Noel , Fung Henry C.H. , Topp Max S. , Houot Roch , Beitinjaneh Amer , Peng Weimin , Zheng Lianqing , Rossi John M. , Murugappan Swaminathan , Kloos Ioana , Reagan Patrick M. 
Published: November 2020

Background: KTE-X19, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, is currently being evaluated in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who received 1 - 5 prior therapies (including a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in the Phase 2, registrational, multicenter ZUMA-2 study. With a median follow-up of 12.3 months, we previously reported an objective response rate (ORR) of 93% (67% complete response [CR] rate) with KTE-X19 treatment in the 60 efficacy-evaluable patients in ZUMA-2 (Wang et al. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1331). Here, we present an updated analysis of efficacy, safety, and pharmacology for all patients with a minimum follow-up of 1 year.

Methods: Eligible patients with R/R MCL underwent leukapheresis and conditioning chemotherapy followed by a single infusion of KTE-X19 (2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg; Wang et al. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1331). The primary endpoint was ORR (CR + partial response) as assessed by an Independent Review Committee according to the Lugano Classification (Cheson et al. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32:3059). Efficacy data are reported for the 60 treated patients with ≥ 1 year of follow-up; safety data are presented for all 68 treated patients.

Results: As of December 31, 2019, the median follow-up was 17.5 months (range, 12.3 - 37.6). The ORR was 92% (95% CI, 81.6 - 97.2), with a CR rate of 67% (95% CI, 53.3 - 78.3). Of all efficacy-evaluable patients, 48% had ongoing responses at the data cutoff. Medians were not reached for duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), or overall survival; 15-month estimates were 58.6% (95% CI, 42.5 - 71.7), 59.2% (95% CI, 44.6 - 71.2), or 76.0% (95% CI, 62.8 - 85.1), respectively. In patients who achieved a CR, the median PFS was not reached (15-month rate, 75.1% [95% CI, 56.8 - 86.5]); in those who achieved a partial response, the median PFS was 3.1 months (95% CI, 2.3 - 5.2). Median PFS was 1.1 months (95% CI, 0.9 - 3.0) in nonresponding patients. The first 28 patients treated had a median follow-up of 32.3 months (range, 30.6 - 37.6); 39.3% of these patients remain in remission with no further therapy.

Common grade ≥ 3 adverse events were neutropenia (85%), thrombocytopenia (53%), anemia (53%), and infections (34%). Grade ≥ 3 cytopenias were reported in 60% of patients ≥ 30 days post-infusion. Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS; per Lee et al. [Blood. 2014;124:188]) occurred in 15% of patients; 59% received tocilizumab for management of CRS. Grade ≥ 3 neurologic events (NEs) were reported in 31% of patients, and 38% received steroids for NE management. All CRS events and most NEs (37/43) resolved, as previously reported. There were no Grade 5 CRS events or NEs, and no new Grade 5 events occurred with additional follow-up. As previously reported, there were 2 cases of Grade 2 cytomegalovirus infection, 1 case each of Grade ≥ 3 hypogammaglobulinemia and Grade ≥ 3 tumor lysis syndrome, and no cases of Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferation, replication-competent retrovirus, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or KTE-X19-related secondary cancers.

Median peak CAR T cell levels and median area under the curve (Days 0 - 28) were 98.9 cells/µL (range, 0.2 - 2565.8) and 1394.9 cells/µL (range, 3.8 - 27,700) in patients with ongoing responses at 12 months, 202.6 cells/µL (range, 1.6 - 2589.5) and 2312.3 cells/µL (range, 19.0 - 27,200) in patients who were relapsed at 12 months, and 0.4 cells/µL (range, 0.2 - 95.9) and 5.5 cells/µL (range, 1.8 - 1089.1) in nonresponders. Of the 57 efficacy-evaluable patients with data available, 84% had B cells detectable by flow cytometry at baseline. Of those in ongoing responses at 12 months, 10 of 26 patients (38%) with evaluable samples had B cells detectable at 3 months, and 10 of 18 (56%) had detectable B cells at 12 months; gene-marked CAR T cells were no longer detectable at 12 months in 5 of 28 evaluable patients (17%).

Conclusions: The ZUMA-2 study continues to demonstrate substantial and durable clinical benefit of KTE-X19 therapy with manageable safety in patients with R/R MCL. Within this patient population, which lacks curative treatment options, most patients achieved durable CR, and no new safety signals were reported. Although early CAR T cell expansion was higher in patients who achieved an objective response, those who later relapsed showed elevated CAR T cell levels pointing to alternate mechanisms of secondary treatment failure in MCL.

Disclosures

Wang: Verastem: Research Funding; Molecular Templates: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Dava Oncology: Honoraria; Targeted Oncology: Honoraria; VelosBio: Research Funding; BioInvent: Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Research Funding; OncLive: Honoraria; Pulse Biosciences: Consultancy; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Guidepoint Global: Consultancy; OMI: Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses; Nobel Insights: Consultancy; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Oncternal: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; MoreHealth: Consultancy; InnoCare: Consultancy; Beijing Medical Award Foundation: Honoraria; Lu Daopei Medical Group: Honoraria. Munoz:Merck: Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Speakers Bureau; Acrotech/Aurobindo: Speakers Bureau; Innovent: Consultancy; Fosunkite: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Consultancy; Juno/Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Millenium: Research Funding. Goy:MD Anderson: Research Funding; Regional Cancer Care Associates/OMI: Current Employment; Xcenda: Consultancy; AbbVie: Research Funding; Acerta: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria, Other: leadership role, Research Funding; COTA: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: leadership role; Hackensack UMC and University of Nebraska: Research Funding; Infinity Verastem: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Infinity: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding; CALBG: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; PracticeUpdate Oncology: Consultancy; RCCA/OMI: Current Employment. Locke:Wugen: Consultancy; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Calibr: Consultancy; Allogene: Consultancy; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Other: Consultancy with grant options. Hill:Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZenica: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Timmerman:Corvus: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Marker Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Bluebird Bio: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Immune Design: Honoraria; Celldex Therapeutics: Consultancy; BMS: Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Valor: Research Funding; Genmab: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Holmes:Texas Oncology PA: Current Employment; Gilead/Kite, Celgene/Juno, Rigel, Karyopharm, Janssen, Dova: Consultancy; Gilead/Kite, Novartis, Autolus, Celgene/Juno/bluebird, Genentech, Inc., Rigel, Janssen, Unum, ADC Therapeutics, Seattle Genetics, Incyte, Verastem: Research Funding; Kite, Karyopharm, Seattle Genetics, Rigel, Dova: Speakers Bureau. Jaglowski:CRISPR: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding. Flinn:Karyopharm Therapeutics: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Vincera Pharma: Consultancy; Iksuda Therapeutics: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding; ArQule: Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Research Funding; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Great Point Partners: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Nurix Therapeutics: Consultancy; Curis: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; IGM Biosciences: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Research Funding; Triphase Research & Development Corp.: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding; Yingli Pharmaceuticals ≠: Consultancy, Research Funding; Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Other; Teva: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Calithera Biosciences: Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Loxo: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Curio Science: Consultancy. McSweeney:Fred Hutchinson: Patents & Royalties; Colorado Blood Cancer Institute: Current Employment; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Miklos:Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding. Pagel:Gilead, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, and AstraZeneca: Consultancy. Kersten:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support; Celgene: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Miltenyi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel support. Milpied:Celgene: Other: Travel support; Gilead Sciences: Other: consultancy or advisory role; Janssen: Honoraria; Sandoz: Honoraria, Other: consultancy or advisory role; Astellas: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria, Other: Travel support. Fung:Takeda: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; Sanotif: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; Genentech: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; AbbVie: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support; Janssen Oncology: Honoraria, Other: speakers' bureau, travel support. Topp:Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, KITE, Regeneron, Roche: Research Funding; Amgen, KITE, Novartis, Regeneron, Roche: Consultancy. Houot:Janssen: Honoraria; Gilead: Other: Personal fees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Beitinjaneh:Jazz: Other: speaker's bureau; Kite, a Gilead Company: Honoraria, Other: consulting or advisory role, speaker's bureau, ; ATARA: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding. Peng:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zheng:Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Rossi:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment; Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Murugappan:Gilead Sciences: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment. Kloos:Kite, a Gilead Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Reagan:Curis: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy.