ASCO 2015 Highlights

ZUMA-1 is a pivotal, multicenter trial of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, for the treatment of patients with refractory, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The objective response rate (ORR) was 82% with a 54% rate of complete response (CR), and 44% of responses were ongoing at the time of the primary analysis. Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NEs) occurred in 13% and 28% of patients, respectively.

Brentuximab vedotin (BV), an antibody drug conjugate, selectively delivers the antitubulin agent, monomethyl auristatin E, to CD30+ cells. In a multicenter phase 2 trial in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), BV showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 75%, a complete response (CR) rate of 34%, and a median duration of response (DOR) of 6.7 months.

Atlanta, GA—A retrospective analysis of a large commercial payer database has demonstrated a link between various treatment episodes of acute myeloid leukemia and substantial economic burden. According to data presented at ASH 2017, healthcare resource use and direct healthcare costs were associated with high-intensity chemotherapy induction, hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), and episodes of relapsed or refractory disease in a US commercially insured population.

Atlanta, GA—A recent analysis of a commercial claims database suggests that oral therapy for multiple myeloma may help decrease the economic burden for patients and healthcare systems. According to data presented at ASH 2017, patients with multiple myeloma who received injectable therapy used significantly more disability benefits and incurred higher productivity costs than patients who received oral medications.

Atlanta, GA—As single-agent immunotherapies continue to show promising results, the challenge is now to determine which combination regimens with immunotherapies can improve outcomes. According to data presented at ASH 2017, 3 approaches are currently being explored.

Atlanta, GA—A novel, third-generation, oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), PF-114 mesylate, has antileukemic activity in heavily pretreated patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), including those with T315I mutation, said Jorge E. Cortes, MD, Deputy Chair, Department of Leukemia, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, at ASH 2017.

Atlanta, GA—Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies directed against the CD19 protein garnered much attention at ASH 2017, CAR T-cells targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a protein expressed nearly universally on multiple myeloma cells, were found to be remarkably effective in patients with heavily pretreated multiple myeloma.

Atlanta, GA—The combination of the investigational drug quizartinib plus azacitidine (Vidaza) or low-dose cytarabine has substantial activity in patients with myeloid leukemias and FLT3 mutations.

Atlanta, GA—Treatment with ivosidenib, an IDH1 inhibitor, resulted in an objective response rate (ORR) of 41.6% in a phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and IDH1 mutation.

Atlanta, GA—Sotatercept, an investigational activin receptor IIA ligand trap, when used alone or in combination with ruxolitinib (Jakafi), safely increases hemoglobin levels in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm–associated myelofibrosis, according to data from a phase 2, investigator-initiated clinical trial, presented at ASH 2017.