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ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Outcome of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy following treatment with inotuzumab ozogamicin in children with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

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Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting CD19 (CART-19) have shown remarkable efficacy for relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). We investigated whether prior use of inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO), an anti-CD22 antibody conjugated to calicheamicin, may impact CAR T-cell manufacturing or efficacy via pre-CART-19 depletion of the B-cell compartment. In this international, retrospective analysis, 39 children and young adults receiving InO before (n = 12) and/or after (n = 27) T-cell apheresis as bridging therapy to CART-19 treatment were analyzed. Median age at infusion was 13 years (range 1.4–23 years). Thirty-four out of 39 patients (87.2%) obtained complete remission. With a median follow-up of 18.2 months after CART-19 infusion, 12-month event-free survival (EFS) was 53.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 38.7–73.4) and overall survival (OS) was 77.8% (95% CI: 64.5–93.9). Seventeen patients (44%) relapsed with a median of 159 days (range 28–655) after CART-19 infusion. No difference in day 28 minimal residual disease negative complete response rate, 12-month OS/EFS, or incidence of CD19-positive or -negative relapses was observed among patients receiving InO before or after apheresis. Compared to published data for patients treated with CART-19 therapy without prior InO exposure, response and OS/EFS for patients treated with InO prior to CART-19 are similar.

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Fig. 1: Outcome of the entire cohort.
Fig. 2: Duration of response after CART-19 infusion.
Fig. 3: Outcome according to prior InO exposure.
Fig. 4: Outcome according to prior blinatumomab exposure.

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Acknowledgements

All the parents and patients, because with their data, they made this research possible.

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Contributions

Study conception and design: CMZ, EB, PH, FC. Data collection and patient management: SRR, AL, BV, MMO, JDR, KK, BDM, EJ, PB, JLF, BFG, FL, PH, VC, EB, FGC. Data analysis and interpretation: VC, HvT, EB, FGC, CMZ. Manuscript writing: all authors provided substantial contributions in writing the paper, or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and approved the version to be published as well as agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of this work were appropriately investigated and resolved.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Michel Zwaan.

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Competing interests

SRR: honoraria and research funding Pfizer and Jazz. MMO: honoraria and research funding Pfizer and Jazz. BDM: advisory board Novartis, travel funding Jazz. EJ: honoraria and membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees Novartis. FL: honoraria for speakers’ bureau or participation in advisory boards from Amgen, Bellicum Pharmaceutical, Celgene, Jazz Pharmaceutical, Miltenyi, Sanofi and Novartis. PH: honoraria for lectures, consultancy and/or scientific advisory boards from Novartis and BMS. CMZ: consultancy Sanofi, Novartis, Roche, Incyte, travel funding and research funding Jazz, research funding BMS, AbbVie, Kura oncology, Takeda, Pfizer. Other authors have no COI to declare.

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Ceolin, V., Brivio, E., van Tinteren, H. et al. Outcome of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy following treatment with inotuzumab ozogamicin in children with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 37, 53–60 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-022-01740-9

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