Phase II Study of the Hyper-CVAD Regimen in Combination with Ofatumumab (HCVAD-O) As Frontline Therapy for Adult Patients (pts) with CD20-Positive B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL)
Authors: Richard-Carpentier Guillaume , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Konopleva Marina Y , Patel Keyur P. , Roberts Kathryn G. , Gu Zhaohui , Ravandi Farhad , Jain Nitin , Short Nicholas J. , Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Schroeder Heather M , Kwari Monica , Garris Rebecca , Khouri Rita , Jones Mike , Loiselle Christopher , Cortes Jorge E. , Sasaki Koji , Issa Ghayas C. , Kadia Tapan M. , DiNardo Courtney D. , Verstovsek Srdan , Daver Naval G. , Mullighan Charles G. , O'Brien Susan M. , Jabbour Elias 
Published: November 2019

Background: The Hyper-CVAD regimen is safe and effective in the frontline treatment of B-ALL. The addition of rituximab to the Hyper-CVAD regimen (HCVAD-R) improved the 3-year overall survival (OS) to 60% in pts with B-ALL. Ofatumumab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that binds to the small extracellular loop of the CD20 molecule and has greater in vitro potency and increased complement-mediated cell lysis compared to rituximab. We hypothesized that ofatumumab plus Hyper-CVAD may increase the rates of complete remission (CR) and measurable residual disease negativity (MRD-) and improve survival by decreasing relapse rates.
Methods: Pts were eligible if they had newly diagnosed untreated or minimally treated (≤ 1 cycle) Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative CD20+ B-ALL. CD20 positivity was defined as ≥ 1% positive B-ALL cells. Pts received 8 alternating cycles of Hyper-CVAD and high-dose methotrexate/cytarabine (MTX/AraC). Ofatumumab was administered on days 1 and 11 of cycles 1 and 3; and days 1 and 8 of cycles 2 and 4. Pts then received POMP maintenance on cycles 1-5, 8-17 and 20-30 and late intensifications on cycles 6-7 and 18-19 (Hyper-CVAD + ofatumumab followed by MTX + peg-asparaginase). Pts received a total of 8 intrathecal injections of MTX and AraC for CNS prophylaxis. The primary endpoint was relapse-free survival (RFS) and secondary endpoints include CR rates, MRD negativity rates and OS. On a subset of 27 patient samples, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to identify translocations and RNA expression signature for Ph-like ALL. We also performed a comprehensive detection of fusions and mutations reported in Ph-like ALL on RNA from these 27 samples using a multiplex fusion and mutation detection assay (Archer® FusionPlex® ALL).
Results: Between August 2011 and May 2017, 69 pts were enrolled, including 4 already in CR at baseline after receiving 1 cycle of chemotherapy. Pts characteristics are summarized in Table 1. The median age was 41 years (18-71) and 48% pts were in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) age category (18-39 year-old). 7 of the 27 pts (26%) who had RNA-seq had Ph-like ALL gene expression signature. Among the 7 pts; 5 had Ph-like ALL fusions identified by Archer and/or RNA-seq-based fusion detection, including 2 P2RY8-CRLF2, 1 IGH-CRLF2, 1 BCR-FGFR1, and 1 ATF71P-PDGFRB. One patient had high CRLF2 expression with an unknown fusion partner. The remaining case lacked a fusion by either platform. Pts with Ph-like ALL had a higher median WBC of 41 x 109/L (range, 2 - 184). 43 pts (62%) had CD20 expression on ≥20% of the leukemic cells. 10/44 tested pts (23%) had TP53 mutation and 10/37 (27%) had CRLF2 overexpression by flow cytometry (4/5 CRLF2 rearrangement confirmed by Archer). 4 pts (6%) had low-hypodiploidy / near triploidy (Ho-Tr) and 2 (3%) pts had complex karyotype (CK).
All but 1 pt (98%) achieved CR (2 after 2 cycles); only 1 pt (2%) died during induction. The MRD- rate was 65% after cycle 1 and 93% overall. These rates were 14% and 71%, respectively for pts with Ph-like ALL. The median time to MRD- was 0.7 month (range, 0.4-8 months) overall and 3 months (range, 0.7-6.5 months) for pts with Ph-like ALL. A total of 13 pts (19%) underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation for adverse-risk cytogenetics (CK or Ho-Tr), Ph-like ALL (n=1/7), or persistent MRD+.
The most common non-hematologic grade 3-4 toxicity was infection which occurred in 56% and 81% of pts, during induction and consolidation, respectively.
With a median follow-up of 44 months, 46 pts (64%) are alive, including 37 pts (54%) in CR1. The median RFS and OS were 52 months (95% CI, 43 - NR) and not reached (95% CI, 65 - NR), respectively. The estimated 4-yr RFS and OS rates were 60% (95% CI, 49 - 73%) and 68% (95% CI, 58 - 81%), respectively (Figure 1A-1B). For AYA pts, the 4-yr OS rate was 74% (95% CI, 60 - 91%) (Figure 2A). The 4-yr OS rates were 54% (95%, 26 - 100%) for pts with Ph-like ALL compared to 74% (95% CI, 57 - 97%) for pts without Ph-like ALL (Figure 2B). There was no difference in OS according to the CD20 expression level (20% cut-off; p = 0.31). Using historical control pts, there was a trend towards improved OS with HCVAD-O versus HCVAD-R for pts with CD20 ≥ 20% (4-yr OS rate 63% vs 49%, p = 0.16) and HCVAD-O versus HCVAD alone for pts with CD20 1-19% (4-yr OS rate 73% vs 62%, p = 0.46).
Conclusion: HCVAD-O is a safe and highly effective regimen in pts with CD20+ Ph-negative B-ALL. This regimen achieves excellent outcomes in the AYA population.

Disclosures
Kantarjian: BMS: Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Daiichi-Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharma: Research Funding; Immunogen: Research Funding; Cyclacel: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ariad: Research Funding; Astex: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding; Actinium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Konopleva:Agios: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Ablynx: Research Funding; Calithera: Research Funding; Kisoji: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Ascentage: Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; F. Hoffman La-Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Reata Pharmaceuticals: Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties; Stemline Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Eli Lilly: Research Funding; Forty-Seven: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ravandi:Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Cyclacel LTD: Research Funding; Menarini Ricerche: Research Funding; Xencor: Consultancy, Research Funding; Macrogenix: Consultancy, Research Funding; Selvita: Research Funding. Jain:AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Short:AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria; Takeda Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding. Garcia-Manero:Amphivena: Consultancy, Research Funding; Helsinn: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astex: Consultancy, Research Funding; Onconova: Research Funding; H3 Biomedicine: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding. Cortes:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Merus: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Biopath Holdings: Consultancy, Honoraria; Immunogen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Sun Pharma: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; BiolineRx: Consultancy. Sasaki:Otsuka: Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy. Kadia:Celgene: Research Funding; Bioline RX: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Jazz: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding. DiNardo:celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; medimmune: Honoraria; abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; jazz: Honoraria; syros: Honoraria; agios: Consultancy, Honoraria; daiichi sankyo: Honoraria; notable labs: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Verstovsek:Astrazeneca: Research Funding; Ital Pharma: Research Funding; Protaganist Therapeutics: Research Funding; Constellation: Consultancy; Pragmatist: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; NS Pharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma Corp: Research Funding; Genetech: Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines Corp: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Research Funding; Pharma Essentia: Research Funding. Mullighan:Loxo Oncology: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Other: speaker, sponsored travel, Research Funding; Illumina: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: sponsored travel; Amgen: Honoraria, Other: speaker, sponsored travel. O'Brien:AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta: Research Funding; Alexion: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Aptose Biosciences, Inc: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Kite: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy; Eisai: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sunesis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Vaniam Group LLC: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jabbour:Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Cyclacel LTD: Research Funding.

OffLabel Disclosure:
Ofatumumab is not approved by the FDA for treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.