PURPOSE We conducted a phase II study evaluating pembrolizumab plus gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and liposomal doxorubicin (pembro-GVD) as second-line therapy for relapsed or refractory (rel/ref) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03618550 ). METHODS Transplant eligible patients with rel/ref cHL following first-line therapy were treated with two to four cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenous [IV], day 1), gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8), vinorelbine (20 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8), and liposomal doxorubicin (15 mg/m2, days 1 and 8), given on 21-day cycles. The primary end point was complete response (CR) following up to four cycles of pembro-GVD. Patients who achieved CR by labeled fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (Deauville ≤ 3) after two or four cycles proceeded to high-dose therapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HDT/AHCT). HDT/AHCT was carried out according to institutional standards, and brentuximab vedotin maintenance was allowed following HDT/AHCT. RESULTS Of 39 patients enrolled, 41% had primary ref disease and 38% relapsed within 1 year of frontline treatment. 31 patients received two cycles of pembro-GVD, and eight received four cycles. Most adverse events were grade 1 or two, whereas few were grade 3 and included transaminitis (n = 4), neutropenia (n = 4), mucositis (n = 2), thyroiditis (n = 1), and rash (n = 1). Of 38 evaluable patients, overall and CR rates after pembro-GVD were 100% and 95%, respectively. Thirty-six (95%) patients proceeded to HDT/AHCT, two received pre-HDT/AHCT involved site radiation, and 13 (33%) received post-HDT/AHCT brentuximab vedotin maintenance. All 36 transplanted patients are in remission at a median post-transplant follow-up of 13.5 months (range: 2.66-27.06 months). CONCLUSION Second-line therapy with pembro-GVD is a highly effective and well-tolerated regimen that can efficiently bridge patients with rel/ref cHL to HDT/AHCT.

Signaling through JAK1 and/or JAK2 is common among tumor and nontumor cells within peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). No oral therapies are approved for PTCL, and better treatments for relapsed/refractory disease are urgently needed. We conducted a phase 2 study of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib for patients with relapsed/refractory PTCL (n = 45) or mycosis fungoides (MF) (n = 7). Patients enrolled onto 1 of 3 biomarker-defined cohorts: (1) activating JAK and/or STAT mutations, (2) ≥30% pSTAT3 expression among tumor cells by immunohistochemistry, or (3) neither or insufficient tissue to assess. Patients received ruxolitinib 20 mg PO twice daily until progression and were assessed for response after cycles 2 and 5 and every 3 cycles thereafter. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as the combination of complete response, partial response (PR), and stable disease lasting at least 6 months. Only 1 of 7 patients with MF had CBR (ongoing PR > 18 months). CBR among the PTCL cases (n = 45) in cohorts 1, 2, and 3 were 53%, 45%, and 13% (cohorts 1 & 2 vs 3, P = .02), respectively. Eight patients had CBR > 12 months (5 ongoing), including 4 of 5 patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia. In an exploratory analysis using multiplex immunofluorescence, expression of phosphorylated S6, a marker of PI3 kinase or mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, in <25% of tumor cells was associated with response to ruxolitinib (P = .05). Our findings indicate that ruxolitinib is active across various PTCL subtypes and support a precision therapy approach to JAK/STAT inhibition in patients with PTCL. This trial was registered at www.clincialtrials.gov as #NCT02974647.

Introduction: Most therapies for relapsed/refractory (rel/ref) T-cell lymphomas (TCLs) induce responses in about 25%-30% of pts. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) delta has a role in survival and proliferation of malignant T cells as well as T-cell receptor and cytokine signaling in nonmalignant T cells. Inhibition of PI3K gamma can reprogram macrophages and promote tumor phagocytosis. A phase I study of the PI3K-δ/γ inhibitor duvelisib (D) in pts with rel/ref TCLs showed promising activity, but high rates of grade (Gr) 3/4 ALT elevation at the MTD of 75 mg BID (Horwitz et al, Blood 2018). Based on in vitro evidence of synergy, we initiated a phase I/II study of D combined with either romidepsin (R) or bortezomib (B). Methods: Pts were enrolled into parallel phase I dose escalation arms utilizing a 3+3 design to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of D combined with either R (Arm A) or B (Arm B) in cycle 1. D was dosed at 25 mg, 50mg, or 75 mg BID on days 1-28 with either R (10 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, & 15) or B (1 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, & 11) each on 28-day cycles. Once the MTD was established with each combination, preplanned expansion cohorts were enrolled to further characterize safety and describe subtype-specific efficacy (PTCL and CTCL). Based upon promising safety and efficacy, a total of 39 pts were treated on Arm A (33 at the MTD, D 75 mg BID + R 10 mg/m2). All pts received prophylaxis against Varicella and Pneumocystis. Response assessments were performed q2 cycles for 6 months and then q3 cycles. To assess biomarkers of response and resistance to single-agent D, 10 pts in Arm A (75 mg BID) and 10 pts in Arm B (25 mg BID) were each treated with 1 cycle of D alone, with pretreatment and on-treatment biopsies. Pts who did not achieve CR on D alone at the end of cycle 1 proceeded to combination therapy. Results: The MTD was not reached in Arm A (R+D); thus, dose level 3(DL3); (D 75 mg BID + R 10 mg/m2 days 1, 8, & 15) was deemed the MTD and used for expansion. In Arm B there were no cycle 1 DLTs. However, Gr 3 elevations of ALT or AST following cycle 2 were observed in 3 pts at DL2 (D 50mg BID) and 2 pts at DL3 (D 75mg BID) leading to DL1 (D 25mg BID + B 1mg/m2 days 1, 4, 8, & 11) being accepted as MTD for expansion. Of Arm A pts at the MTD, 21/32 (65%) had adverse events (AEs) ≥Gr 3, possibly related to study drug. Events occurring in ≥10% of pts included: increased ALT/AST (n=5, 15%), neutropenia (n=6, 18%), and hyponatremia (n=4, 12%). Three pts had ≥Gr 3 diarrhea. There were no Gr 5 AEs related to protocol therapy. Strikingly, 4 of 5 pts with elevated transaminases (ALT [4], AST [1]) on combination began on the D-only Lead-In Arm at 75 mg BID. In contrast, only 1 of 22 (4%) pts receiving combination R+D in cycle 1 had Gr 3-4 transaminitis (p=.0242). Of the pts with Gr 3-4 diarrhea, 2 of 3 were on Lead-In (p=.0793). In Arm A, 35/39 pts were evaluable for response. Overall response rate (ORR) across all DLs was 51% (18/35) and CR rate (CR) was 17% (6/35). PTCL, ORR and CR rates were 55% (12/22) and 27% (6/22) respectively. Among CTCL, ORR was 46% (6/13), no CR. Reponses by histology are detailed in Table 1. Of these responders, 3 proceeded to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo SCT) with curative intent. Of note, 4 pts were not evaluable for response, described in Table 1. Median PFS for Arm A (all DL) was 8.8 m (PTCL) and 5.4 m (CTCL). Median follow up was 5.8 m, and median duration of response was 9.1 m. Of Arm B pts at the MTD, 10/22 (45%) had AEs ≥Gr 3, possibly related to study drug, of these, only neutropenia (n=4, 18%) occurred in ≥10% of pts at the MTD. There was 1 Gr 5 event, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, possibly related to protocol therapy. In Arm B, the ORR across all DLs was 32% (9/28), the CR rate was 11% (3/28). ORR in PTCL was 36% (5/14), 21% (3/14) achieved CR. ORR in CTCL was 28% (4/14), no CR. Responses by histology are detailed in Table 2. Of these responders, 1 proceeded to allo SCT with curative intent. Median PFS for Arm B (all DL) was 3.5 m (PTCL) and 4.6 m (CTCL). Median follow up was 7.2 m, and median duration of response was 9.3 m. Conclusion: Duvelisib in combination with romidepsin is highly active in pts with PTCL with tolerable side effects. Duvelisib can be safely combined with romidepsin at a 3-fold higher dose than with bortezomib (75 mg BID vs 25 mg BID) with much lower rate of Gr 3-4 transaminitis than single-agent duvelisib at the same dose. The high response rates and safety of Arm A (Duvelisib + Romidepsin) in PTCL appears to be a potential therapeutic advance and warrants further evaluation in a larger study. Disclosures Horwitz: Portola: Consultancy; Innate Pharma: Consultancy; Forty Seven: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kyowa-Hakka-Kirin: Consultancy, Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millennium/Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Consultancy; Corvus: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Infinity/Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding; Aileron Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Spectrum: Research Funding; Trillium: Consultancy. Moskowitz:Takeda: Honoraria; Incyte: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding. Jacobsen:Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy. Mehta-Shah:Spectrum: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Genetech: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding. Khodadoust:Innate Pharma: Research Funding. Fisher:Seattle Genetics Inc.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genetech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kim:Medivir: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Portola: Research Funding; miRagen: Research Funding; Kyowa-Kirin-Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Neumedicine: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Innate Pharma: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Tetralogic: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Galderma: Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Horizon Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Forty Seven Inc: Research Funding; Soligenix: Research Funding; Eisai: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Weinstock:Travera: Equity Ownership; Astra Zeneca, JAX, Samumed, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Prescient: Patents & Royalties; Novartis, Dragonfly, Travera, DxTerity, Travera: Consultancy; Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Abbvie, Aileron, Surface Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech/Roche, Monsanto: Consultancy.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) infusions are an option for patients requiring immunoglobulin therapy. Nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for patients and to teach them how to successfully manage their infusions. The purpose of this review is to describe SCIg therapy and to provide teaching instructions as well as creative tips to ensure treatment success.