Clinical Treatment Guidelines for Tafasitamab plus Lenalidomide in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Abstract Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accounts for approximately 24% of new cases of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the US each year. Up to 50% of patients relapse or are refractory (R/R) to the standard first-line treatment option, R-CHOP. The anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody tafasitamab, in combination with lenalidomide (LEN), is an NCCN preferred regimen for transplant-ineligible patients with R/R DLBCL and received accelerated approval in the US (July 2020) and conditional marketing authorization in Europe (August 2021) and other countries, based on data from the L-MIND study. The recommended dose of tafasitamab is 12 mg/kg by intravenous infusion, administered in combination with LEN 25 mg for 12 cycles, followed by tafasitamab monotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Tafasitamab + LEN is associated with durable responses in patients with R/R DLBCL. The majority of clinically significant treatment-associated adverse events are attributable to LEN and can be managed with dose modification and supportive therapy. We provide guidelines for the management of patients with R/R DLBCL treated with tafasitamab and LEN in routine clinical practice, including elderly patients and those with renal and hepatic impairment, and advice regarding patient education as part of a comprehensive patient engagement plan. Our recommendations include LEN administration at a reduced dose if required in patients unable to tolerate the recommended dose. No dose modification is required for tafasitamab in special patient populations.

[1]  G. Salles,et al.  CD19 epitope masking by tafasitamab leads to delays in subsequent use of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in two patients with aggressive mature B-cell lymphomas , 2021, Leukemia & lymphoma.

[2]  A. Rosenwald,et al.  CD19 expression is maintained in DLBCL patients after treatment with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide in the L-MIND study , 2021, Leukemia & lymphoma.

[3]  S. de Vos,et al.  Anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy remission despite prior anti-CD19 antibody Tafasitamab in relapsed/refractory DLBCL , 2021, Leukemia research reports.

[4]  A. Rosenwald,et al.  Long-term outcomes from the phase II L-MIND study of tafasitamab (MOR208) plus lenalidomide in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma , 2021, Haematologica.

[5]  R. Gascoyne,et al.  ROBUST: A Phase III Study of Lenalidomide Plus R-CHOP Versus Placebo Plus R-CHOP in Previously Untreated Patients With ABC-Type Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma , 2021, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[6]  D. Scott,et al.  Addition of Lenalidomide to R-CHOP Improves Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in a Randomized Phase II US Intergroup Study ECOG-ACRIN E1412 , 2021, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[7]  Mike G Martin,et al.  Novel Therapies for Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma , 2020, International journal of molecular sciences.

[8]  K. Ardeshna,et al.  CD19 antibody-drug conjugate therapy in DLBCL does not preclude subsequent responses to CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy. , 2020, Blood advances.

[9]  E. Ibrahim,et al.  Efficacy and safety of second-generation CAR T-cell therapy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis , 2020, Molecular and clinical oncology.

[10]  M. Perales,et al.  DLBCL patients treated with CD19 CAR T cells experience a high burden of organ toxicities but low nonrelapse mortality. , 2020, Blood advances.

[11]  G. Salles,et al.  Tafasitamab plus lenalidomide in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (L-MIND): a multicentre, prospective, single-arm, phase 2 study. , 2020, The Lancet. Oncology.

[12]  T. El‐Galaly,et al.  Potentials, challenges and future of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in non-Hodgkin lymphomas , 2020, Acta oncologica.

[13]  T. Feys,et al.  Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T-Cell Therapy for B-Cell Hematological Malignancies: An Update of the Pivotal Clinical Trial Data , 2020, Pharmaceutics.

[14]  A. Datta-Mannan Mechanisms Influencing the Pharmacokinetics and Disposition of Monoclonal Antibodies and Peptides , 2019, Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

[15]  S. Barta,et al.  Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma: 2019 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment , 2019, American journal of hematology.

[16]  Laura V Minard,et al.  Optimizing Patient Education of Oncology Medications: A Patient Perspective , 2018, Journal of Cancer Education.

[17]  C. Buske,et al.  Phase IIa study of the CD19 antibody MOR208 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma , 2018, Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

[18]  R. Greil,et al.  Lenalidomide Maintenance Compared With Placebo in Responding Elderly Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated With First-Line Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone. , 2017, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[19]  D. Jayne,et al.  SUMMARY OF PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS , 2014 .

[20]  Sonali M. Smith,et al.  Lenalidomide plus Rituximab as Initial Treatment for Mantle-Cell Lymphoma. , 2015, The New England journal of medicine.

[21]  J. Gribben,et al.  Mechanisms of Action of Lenalidomide in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. , 2015, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[22]  K. Haas,et al.  A c-Myc and Surface CD19 Signaling Amplification Loop Promotes B Cell Lymphoma Development and Progression in Mice , 2012, The Journal of Immunology.

[23]  T. Habermann,et al.  Lenalidomide can be safely combined with R-CHOP (R2CHOP) in the initial chemotherapy for aggressive B-cell lymphomas: phase I study , 2011, Leukemia.

[24]  David Jarjoura,et al.  CD19 targeting of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a novel Fc-domain-engineered monoclonal antibody. , 2010, Blood.

[25]  Holly M Horton,et al.  Potent in vitro and in vivo activity of an Fc-engineered anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody against lymphoma and leukemia. , 2008, Cancer research.

[26]  B. Hankey,et al.  Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program , 1999 .

[27]  Wellbutrin,et al.  Prescribing Information , 2015, European journal of haematology.