Dries Deeren

The NKG2D receptor binds eight ligands (NKG2DL) overexpressed in a wide range of malignancies, but largely absent on non-neoplastic cells. Initial clinical evaluation of NKG2DL chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells (CYAD-01) in patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic neoplasia (MDS) demonstrated low durability of responses and short cell persistence. Two Phase I trials were initiated to evaluate the effect of lymphodepletion prior to a single CAR T-cell infusion in a similar r/r AML/MDS patient population. The DEPLETHINK trial (NCT03466320) evaluated CYAD-01 while the CYCLE-1 trial (NCT04167696) evaluated a next-generation NKG2DL CAR, CYAD-02, where the two main NKG2D ligands MICA and B are downregulated, to increase CAR T-cell persistence. Seventeen and twelve patients were treated in the DEPLETHINK and CYCLE-1 trials, and confirmed the good tolerability of both products with cytokine release syndrome (CRS) grade 3 or 4 reported in 25% and 33.3% of patients, respectively. CYAD-02 presented an higher engraftment and an improved clinical activity (17% objective response rate) compared to CYAD-01 (no objective response). Altogether, our data provide proof of principle that knock-down of MICA/B can enhance CAR T-cell persistence and efficacy while maintaining a good safety profile.

Do high-volume centers really save more lives? A call for scientific rigor and transparency. Comment on: Does size matter? Center-specific characteristics and survival after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute myeloid

Ponatinib is a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in patients who fail or are intolerant to a second generation TKI or who carry the T315I mutation. This is the final analysis of the Belgian ponatinib registry evaluating use of ponatinib in clinical practice, with data available for up to 6 years after reimbursement. Forty-eight percent of 54 CML and 28% of 29 Ph+ ALL patients had received ≥3 previous TKIs. Before ponatinib, most patients had already achieved a response, including at least a major molecular response (MMR), in 19% of CML and 17% of Ph+ ALL patients. Ponatinib was initiated due to intolerance to previous TKIs in 50% of CML and 41% of Ph+ ALL patients. Median follow-up was 545 and 258 days for CML and Ph+ ALL patients, respectively. Best response to ponatinib was at least an MMR in 65% of CML and 55% of Ph+ ALL patients. Overall and progression-free survival were 85.8% and 83.8% in CML patients after 48 months of treatment, and 82.5% and 54.2% in Ph+ ALL patients after 30 months of treatment. Adverse reactions were reported by 85% of CML and 76% of Ph+ ALL patients, with 33% of CML and 24% of Ph+ ALL patients experiencing cardiovascular events. In line with previously published trials, these real-world data support use of ponatinib in CML and Ph+ ALL patients with resistance or intolerance to previous TKIs or carrying the T315I mutation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03678454; September 19, 2018.

Higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS) with RARA gene overexpression is a subset of patients (pts) with an actionable target for tamibarotene, an oral and a selective retinoic acid receptor-α (RAR-α) agonist. Tamibarotene with azacitidine (AZA) showed complete remission (CR) rates in myeloid leukemia. SELECT-MDS-1 was a phase 3 study comparing the activity of tamibarotene + AZA to placebo + AZA in these pts with newly diagnosed HR-MDS with RARA overexpression. Eligible pts had confirmed RARA overexpression, untreated MDS with higher-risk features by revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R), and marrow blast count >5%. Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive tamibarotene + AZA or placebo + AZA, respectively. A total of 246 participants were randomized with 164 and 82 in the tamibarotene + AZA and placebo + AZA groups, respectively. Baseline characteristics included: 69.9% male; median age 75 years (range, 38-93); primary MDS, 89.8%; MDS-excess blasts-1, 48% and MDS-excess blasts-2, 52%; and IPSS-R risk category intermediate (25.5%), high (35.7%), and very high (38.9%). The study did not meet the primary end point of CR, with a P value of .2084 for the treatment effect in the tamibarotene + AZA group. The CR rates were 23.81% and 18.75% in the tamibarotene + AZA and placebo + AZA groups, respectively. The use of tamibarotene-based therapy to target RAR-α as a novel approach in pts with HR-MDS with RARA gene overexpression is not a paradigm, which can augment response rates beyond AZA monotherapy. Further explorations of alternative approaches, including those with a biomarker, to alter the natural history of this disease are warranted. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04797780.

The risk of relapse among high-risk patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in complete metabolic remission (CMR) after rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) therapy is 20% to 25%. Here, we evaluated whether consolidation with the programmed cell death ligand 1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab could reduce the relapse risk. In this phase 2, open-label trial, patients with DLBCL with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of ≥3 and CMR after R-CHOP received 1200 mg atezolizumab every 3 weeks for 18 cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS) at 2 years, with the aim of improving it to 89% compared to historical 79%. Secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and safety (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0). Analyses were on an intention-to-treat principle. Of 109 patients, 65% completed treatment. The cohort was 59% males, with 63% having high-intermediate risk IPI scores. At a median follow-up of 36.4 months, 15 relapses occurred (median, 8.2 months). The 2-year DFS was 87.9% (90% confidence interval [CI], 81.5-92.1), and the 2-year OS was 96.3% (90% CI, 91.7-98.3), meeting the primary objective. Treatment with salvage chemotherapy resulted in 10 of 13 patients achieving a second CMR. OS was significantly better among atezolizumab-treated patients than in a population-based matched control cohort from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Adverse events (AEs) affected 79% of patients, with 18% developing immune-related AEs, including 4.5% grade 3 to 4. Atezolizumab consolidation significantly improved DFS in high-risk patients with DLBCL compared to historical cohorts. OS was significantly better than a population-based control cohort. These findings warrant further validation and assessment of immune checkpoint inhibitors as consolidation strategy in DLBCL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03463057.

Objectives: Patients treated for hematologic malignancies are at higher risk for blood stream infections (BSI) and multidrug‐resistant organisms (MDRO) are increasingly involved. Studies showed a significant association between rectal colonization status and a higher risk of subsequent MDRO BSI. The objective of our study was to probe the practice of surveillance cultures in Belgian hematology centers.Methods: A questionnaire was sent to the 13 hematology centers participating in the acute leukemia board of the Belgian Hematology Society. 21 questions probed for the method of surveillance cultures, MDRO screened, antimicrobial prophylaxis, and empirical therapy and their relationship with colonization status.Results: All centers completed the questionnaire in full. Routine gastrointestinal surveillance cultures in hematologic patients are taken in 10 hospitals. Organisms tested for included mostly ESBL (n = 9) and carbapenem‐resistant (n = 8) Enterobacterales. All centers with a screening strategy adapt empiric antibiotic therapy based on MDRO colonization. Prophylaxis strategies are variable, only two centers adapt prophylaxis upon documentation of fluoroquinolone resistance.Conclusions: The majority of the Belgian centers perform routine surveillance cultures and adapt empiric therapy for neutropenic fever accordingly. Other reasons for testing include to gain insight into local epidemiology and to prevent in‐hospital transmission. In general, there was significant variability in surveillance dimensions.

We report the case of a 32-year-old man receiving chemotherapeutics for an acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia who developed proven cerebral and pulmonary aspergillosis with Aspergillus flavus. Because of progressive fungal disease with neurological deterioration despite adequate systemic antifungal therapy and surgical debridement, intracerebral administration of liposomal amphotericin B was initiated at 5 mg twice weekly. This led to improvement of the cerebral infection. Surgical debridement of a pleural Aspergillus empyema was necessary, and pleural trough level of isavuconazole was found to be subtherapeutic despite adequate blood trough levels, which led us to increase the dose of isavuconazole. We conclude that intralesional amphotericin B might be beneficial at 5 mg twice weekly in cerebral aspergillosis if systemic antifungals and surgical debridement fail. In Aspergillus empyema, measurement of pleural isavuconazole trough levels should be considered.

Lenalidomide, an antineoplastic and immunomodulatory drug, has therapeutic activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but definitive studies about its therapeutic utility have been lacking. In a phase 3 study, we compared 2 induction regimens in newly diagnosed patients age 18 to 65 years with AML: idarubicine-cytarabine (cycle 1) and daunorubicin and intermediate-dose cytarabine (cycle 2) without or with lenalidomide (15 mg orally on days 1-21). One final consolidation cycle of chemotherapy or autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) or allogeneic SCT (allo-SCT) was provided according to a prognostic risk and minimal residual disease (MRD)–adapted approach. Event-free survival (EFS; primary end point) and other clinical end points were assessed. A second random assignment in patients in complete response or in complete response with incomplete hematologic recovery after cycle 3 or auto-SCT involved 6 cycles of maintenance with lenalidomide (10 mg on days 1-21) or observation. In all, 392 patients were randomly assigned to the control group, and 388 patients were randomly assigned to lenalidomide induction. At a median follow-up of 41 months, the study revealed no differences in outcome between the treatments (EFS, 44% ± 2% standard error and overall survival, 54% ± 2% at 4 years for both arms) although in an exploratory post hoc analysis, a lenalidomide benefit was suggested in SRSF2-mutant AML. In relation to the previous Dutch-Belgian Hemato-Oncology Cooperative Group and Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (HOVON-SAKK) studies that used a similar 3-cycle regimen but did not pursue an MRD-guided approach, these survival estimates compare markedly more favorably. MRD status after cycle 2 lost prognostic value in intermediate-risk AML in the risk-adjusted treatment context. Maintenance with lenalidomide showed no apparent effect on relapse probability in 88 patients randomly assigned for this part of the study.

Treatment results of AML in elderly patients are unsatisfactory. We hypothesized that addition of tosedostat, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, to intensive chemotherapy may improve outcome in this population. After establishing a safe dose in a run-in phase of the study in 22 patients, 231 eligible patients with AML above 65 years of age (median 70, range 66–81) were randomly assigned in this open label randomized Phase II study to receive standard chemotherapy (3+7) with or without tosedostat at the selected daily dose of 120 mg (n = 116), days 1–21. In the second cycle, patients received cytarabine 1000 mg/m² twice daily on days 1-6 with or without tosedostat. CR/CRi rates in the 2 arms were not significantly different (69% (95% C.I. 60–77%) vs 64% (55–73%), respectively). At 24 months, event-free survival (EFS) was 20% for the standard arm versus 12% for the tosedostat arm (Cox-p = 0.01) and overall survival (OS) 33% vs 18% respectively (p = 0.006). Infectious complications accounted for an increased early death rate in the tosedostat arm. Atrial fibrillation was more common in the tosedostat arm as well. The results of the present study show that the addition of tosedostat to standard chemotherapy does negatively affect the therapeutic outcome of elderly AML patients.