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On 15th June 2019, at the 24th European Hematology Association meeting in Amsterdam, NL, Rajat Bannerji, from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, US, presented a session on the emerging clinical activity of REGN1979 in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R B-NHL).
Despite many patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) achieving impressive outcomes with the introduction of immunochemotherapy, certain subgroups of patients still have a poor prognosis, and as such novel therapies are needed. CD20 remains one of the best studied antibodies, and as it is highly expressed on the surface of B cells, the facilitation of efficient target opsonization.
REGN1979 is a bispecific, human, anti-CD20 x anti-CD3 IgG4 antibody, and is designed to cross-link and activate CD3-expressing T cells when in contact with CD20+ B cells. In turn, this destroys CD20+ tumor cells, independent of T-cell receptor recognition. Preclinical studies have shown potent anti-tumor activity of REGN1979.1
The primary objectives of the phase I, open-label, multicenter study were to assess safety, tolerability and dose-limiting toxicities of REGN1979. The secondary objectives were to characterize the pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) profile, antitumor activity and immunogenicity.
B-NHL diagnosis
N=81
n (%)
FL Gr 1–3a
21 (25.9)
DLBCL
45 (55.6)
MCL
6 (7.4)
MZL
6 (7.4)
Other
3 (3.7)
Treatment consisted of 12 weekly intravenous doses of REGN1979, followed by 2-week dosing for 12 doses (total 36 weeks). Data cut-off for this analysis was 15 March 2019.
R/R FL Gr 1–3a
REGN1979 dose
<5mg
(n=7)
5–12mg
(n=5)
18–40mg
(n=6)
160mg
(n=1)
ORR n (%)
1 (14.3)
5 (100)
5 (83.4)
1 (100)
CR n (%)
1 (14.3)
4 (80)
4 (66.7)
0
PR n (%)
0
1 (20)
1 (16.7)
1 (100)
SD n (%)
4 (57.1)
0
1 (16.7)
0
PD n (%)
2 (28.6)
0
0
0
Median DoR (months)
5.3
NR
11.8
NR
Table 3. Results from patients with R/R DLBCL *1/2 patients with CR was a CAR T-cell therapy failure
R/R DLBCL
REGN1979 dose
<5mg
(n=15)
5–12mg
(n=11)
18–40mg
(n=11)
80mg
(n=2)
ORR n (%)
2 (13.3)
2 (18.2)
6 (54.5)
2 (100)
CR n (%)
0
1 (9.1)
2 (18.2)
2* (100)
PR n (%)
2 (13.3)
1 (9.1)
4 (38.4)
0
SD n (%)
4 (26.7)
4 (36.4)
3 (27.3)
0
PD
8 (53.3)
4 (36.4)
1 (9.1)
0
Median DoR, months
2.1
NR
4.4
NR
Table 4. Details of patients who discontinued the study, n = 52 AE, adverse event
N (%)
Progression recurrence of disease
27 (33.3)
Death
10 (12.3)
Subject decision
5 (6.2)
Physician decision
2 (2.5)
AE
1 (1.2)
Other
7 (8.6)
Tolerability of REGN1979 was observed at does up to 320mg weekly, with the majority of AEs being mild-to-moderate in severity. No demonstrated dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) were identified. The most frequent TEAEs affecting over 50% of patients were pyrexia (82.7%), cytokine release syndrome (56.8%) and chills (54.3%), with infections and infestations (49.4%), increased C-reactive protein (38.3%), fatigue (38.3%) and anemia (35.8%) affecting over 30% of patients.
Table 5. Grade 3–4 adverse events occurring in patientsGrade 3–4 TEAEs
Total (N=81)
N (%)
Anemia
17 (21)
Lymphopenia
16 (19.8)
Neutropenia
14 (17.3)
Infections and infestations
12 (14.8)
Thrombocytopenia
11 (13.6)
Hypophosphalemia
9 (11.1)
Cytokine release syndrome
6 (7.4)
Fatigue
6 (7.4)
Leukopenia
6 (7.4)
Hypotension
5 (6.2)
Table 6. Grade 5 adverse events occurring in patientsGrade 5 TEAEs
Total (N=81)
N (%)
Cardiac arrest (not related)
1 (1.2)
Gastric perforation (related)
1 (1.2)
Lung infection (related)
1 (1.2)
Multi-organ failure (not related)
1 (1.2)
Pneumonia (related)
1 (1.2)
Dr Bannerji concluded that REGN1979 was well tolerated and showed efficacy in heavily treated patients with R/R B-NHL, and even showed activity in patients where CAR T-therapy had not.
Doses of REGN1979 at 80mg or higher showed activity in more resistant tumors, such as in patients with R/R DLBCL. Patients with MCL and MZL also showed activity when treated with REGN1979 at doses above 5mg. Treatment did not show DLTs, and no significant neurological toxicity was observed.
Based on the results obtained from this study, a phase II trial in R/R FL Gr 1 – 3a, DLBCL and other B-NHL subtypes is planned.
References