Safety and efficacy of letetresgene autoleucel (lete-cel; GSK3377794) in advanced myxoid/round cell liposarcoma (MRCLS) following high lymphodepletion (Cohort 2): Interim analysis.
Authors: D'Angelo Sandra P. , Druta Mihaela , Van Tine Brian Andrew , Liebner David A. , Schuetze Scott , Hasan Aisha N. , Holmes Andrew P. , Huff Anne , Kapoor Gurpreet Singh , Zajic Stefan , Somaiah Neeta 
Published: June 2021

11521 Background: Cancer testis antigen NY-ESO-1 is expressed in multiple tumor types, including 80‒90% of MRCLS [1,2]. Overall response rates (ORRs) to MRCLS treatment are low (1L, <20%; 2L, <10%) [2]. Lete-cel, an autologous T-cell therapy, targets NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1a+ tumors using a genetically modified, high-affinity T-cell receptor. High-dose lymphodepletion (LD) was linked with better responses in synovial sarcoma [3]; the current study tested this hypothesis in MRCLS. Methods: This open label, pilot study evaluates lete-cel efficacy and safety in advanced MRCLS following low-dose (Cohort 1 [C1]; 30 mg/m2 fludarabine [flu] x 3d + 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide [cy] x 3d) or high-dose (Cohort 2 [C2]; 30 mg/m2 flu x 4d + 900 mg/m2 cy x 3d; initiated based on C1 data) LD. Key eligibility: age ≥18 y; HLA-A*02:01; A*02:05, or A*02:06; advanced high-grade NY-ESO-1+ MRCLS (≥30% of cells 2+/3+ by IHC); prior anthracycline; measurable disease; specified washouts; and active/chronic/intercurrent illness restrictions. Stages include screening, leukapheresis, lete-cel manufacture, LD, lete-cel infusion (1– 8 × 109 transduced T cells), follow-up. Response is assessed at wk 4, 8, 12, and 24, then every 3 mo to disease progression/death/withdrawal. The primary efficacy endpoint is investigator-assessed ORR by RECIST v1.1. In C1 (n=10 patients [pts]), lete-cel was well tolerated and linked with 2 confirmed partial responses (PR; ORR, 20%) and stable disease (SD) in 8 pts. Planned interim analysis for C2, shown here, was done once all 10 treated pts had ≥3 post-baseline disease assessments or progressed/died/withdrew. Efficacy data will be correlated with transduced cell kinetics and pharmacodynamics marker profiles. Results: Durable (1.0–7.8 mo) PR (4/10 pts [ORR, 40%]; 2 ongoing) and prolonged (2.7–10.6 mo) SD (5/10 pts; 3 ongoing) with tumor regression were observed. Treatment-emergent cytopenias occurred in all pts. All experienced T-cell related cytokine release syndrome (5 serious adverse events; 30% Grade 3), with onset ≤5d of infusion and median duration 7.5d. Graft-vs-host disease, immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome, pancytopenia, or aplastic anemia were not reported. Conclusions: A single lete-cel infusion after high LD showed antitumor activity in advanced MRCLS and a manageable safety profile consistent with other lete-cel studies. The trial is active but no longer recruiting (NCT02992743). MRCLS is included in a separate, ongoing lete-cel study (NCT03967223). References: 1. D’Angelo SP, et al. J Clin Oncol 2018;36:15_suppl, 3005. 2. Pollack SM, et al. Cancer Med 2020;9(13):4593–602. 3. D’Angelo SP, et al. J Immunother Cancer 2020;8:P298. Funding: GSK (208469; NCT02992743). Editorial support was provided by Eithne Maguire, PhD, of Fishawack Indicia, part of Fishawack Health, and funded by GSK. Clinical trial information: NCT02992743.