Weekly Carfilzomib, Lenalidomide, Dexamethasone and Daratumumab (wKRd-D) Combination Therapy Provides Unprecedented MRD Negativity Rates in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Clinical and Correlative Phase 2 Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) is considered a standard of care combination therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Prior studies show that ~25% of patients treated with 8 cycles of VRd achieve minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity. Recently, 42% stringent complete response (sCR) rates were reported with the use of VRd combined with the CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody daratumumab (VRd-D). Prior studies using 8 cycles of bi-weekly carfilzomib 36 mg/m2 with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (bKRd) combination therapy in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma show ~40% MRD negativity rates. We were motivated to develop a phase 2 study (total N=82) using weekly dosing of carfilzomib 56 mg/m2 with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (wKRd) in combination with daratumumab (wKRd-D). Our study also included a parallel cohort of bi-weekly dosing of carfilzomib 36 mg/m2 with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (bKRd) in combination with daratumumab (bKRd-D). Primary end-point of our study was to rule out 60% and to target up to 80% MRD negativity rate. METHODS. This is a two-arm, Phase II clinical trial based on Simon's optimal two-stage design. The once-a-week carfilzomib (wKRd) (N=41) has the following treatment schedule: 8 cycles of treatment; 28-day cycles with carfilzomib 20/56 mg/m2 days 1, 8, and 15; lenalidomide 25 mg days 1-21; dexamethasone 40 mg weekly cycles 1-4, 20 mg after cycle 4; and daratumumab 16 mg/kg days 1, 8, 15, and 22 cycles 1-2, days 1 and 15 cycles 3-6, and day 1 cycles 7-8. The bi-weekly carfilzomib (bKRd) (N=41): 8 cycles of treatment; 28-day cycles with carfilzomib 20/36 mg/m2 days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16; lenalidomide, dexamethasone, and daratumumab are given at the same doses/schedules as the weekly cohort. For fit patients, stem cell collection is recommended after 4 to 6 cycles of therapy; DKRd therapy is resumed after collection to a total of 8 cycles DKRd. Treatment response is being assessed with parallel bone marrow-based MRD assays (10-color single tube flowcytometry and invivoscribe IGHV sequencing); per IMWG guidelines both MRD assays allow detection of 1 myeloma cell in 100,000 bone marrow cells (10^-5). Baseline bone marrow samples are evaluated with targeted DNA sequencing for FISH-Seq and somatic mutational characteristics (myTYPE). RESULTS. The first stage of the weekly cohort (wKRd-D) is fully enrolled (N=28) and the second stage of the cohort (N=13) is anticipated to complete enrollment shortly (total N=41). Currently, 29 patients meeting eligibility criteria were enrolled (14 males, 15 females) between October 2018 and August 2019. Baseline characteristics include; median age 59 years (range 36-70 years); 12 (41%) patients had high-risk FISH/SNP signature defined as one or more of the following: 1q+, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), and 17p-. At the submission of this abstract, 28 patients have completed one or more cycles wKRd-D; among these, 10 patients have completed therapy. The median number of cycles delivered is currently 6 (range 1-8). Seven of the 10 patients who have completed study treatment are MRD negative. So far, additional 8 patients have become MRD negative while on therapy. Thus, among patients treated on the weekly cohort (wKRd-D) and who were evaluable for the MRD primary end-point at this analysis, we found 15/18 (83%) to be MRD negative. We further show no added major clinical toxicities with wKRd-D compared to our institution standard of care bKRd. The bi-weekly carfilzomib cohort (bKRd-D) shows similar results to the weekly cohort (wKRd-D). With a comparable efficacy and safety profile coupled with a substantial reduction of the number of infusions (total of 51 vs 27 infusions with bKRd-D vs wKRd-D, respectively), we conclude that the weekly dosing (wKRd-D) may offer an attractive treatment modality for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. CONCLUSIONS. Among patients evaluable for the MRD primary end-point, in the absence of an autologous bone marrow transplant, we show an unprecedented 15/18 (83%) MRD negativity rate among newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated on the weekly cohort (wKRd-D) using carfilzomib 56 mg/m2 dosing. Our promising results have prompted the development of a large randomized multi-center study ("ADVANCE") evaluating wKRd-D in relation to established standard of care, which is anticipated to start enrollment in Q3/Q4 of 2019. Disclosures Landgren: Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Adaptive: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: IDMC; Theradex: Other: IDMC; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lesokhin:GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties. Mailankody:Juno: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; CME activity by Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Hassoun:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Smith:Fate Therapeutics and Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Shah:Physicians' Education Resource: Honoraria. Landau:Caelum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Prothena: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Scordo:Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy; McKinsey & Company: Consultancy. Arcila:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ho:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Honoraria. Roshal:Auron Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Other: Provision of services; Physicians' Education Resource: Other: Provision of services; Celgene: Other: Provision of Services. Dogan:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Dara-KRd is not an FDA approved combination therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

“…In a recently presented study, 4 daratumumab-KRd (D-KRd) induction cycles succeeded in converting to MRD negativity (10 −5 , by NGS) 40% of treated patients. After HDM-ASCT, the MRD negativity rate increased up to 73% [59], a proportion similar to that observed in another study presented at the ASH 2019 meeting by Landgren et al [60], in which 77% of patients who received 8 induction cycles of D-KRd without transplant were MRD negative (10 −5 , by NGS). With the development of new multi-drug regimens, the benefit in terms of response rates conferred by HDM plus ASCT over no ASCT seemed to decrease, although a long-term follow-up is needed to determine potential differences in terms of PFS and OS.…”

Carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone plus transplant in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

“…Given the improvement in MRD response with daratumumab in the GRIFFIN study, 18 its addition to KRd is of high interest, and preliminary results of KRd-daratumumab regimens in NDMM have reported very high MRD-negative rates (80% to 83% at ,10 25 sensitivity). 16,34,35 Moving forward, it will be important to better define which multidrug regimens to use as extended treatment backbones and in which patients. Several studies have assessed RVd with ASCT.…”

Emerging immunotherapies in multiple myeloma

“…More recent studies are now including the monoclonal antibodies daratumumab, elotuzumab, and isatuximab in the upfront setting as part of a quadruplet regimen that includes a monoclonal antibody with standard triplet combinations to improve depth of response and thus outcomes 52138139140141142143144…”