Breyanzi^® Clinical Perspectives: Finding the right treatment early in 2L LBCL

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BREYANZI is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy indicated for the treatment of:

• adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified (including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma), high-grade B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma grade 3B, who have:
  • refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy; or
  • refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy and are not eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to comorbidities or age; or
  • relapsed or refractory disease after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

Limitations of Use: BREYANZI is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Dr. Patrick Connor Johnson:

When I'm discussing really any treatment with a patient, one of the first things I'm going to try to talk to him about is, so what's the whole goal of our treatment? You know, why are we even here today? Obviously some areas of oncology we're talking about quality of life or sort of maintaining control of the disease, but not necessarily achieving cure. But that's not how I frame CAR T cells, and it's very important and critical that patients understand that. I think most patients, at least in my own practice, who I talk to when we start getting into what's the goal, what are they there for? What are they thinking about? I think the majority of patients are trying to have long-term, disease-free control. And for them, that means I'm cancer free as long as possible.

What about you and your conversations with patients?

Dr. Nazish Ahmad:

When I see a lymphoma patient, for me it's a curable disease from day one that I've seen the patient, and it's exciting, right?

Dr. Patrick Connor Johnson:

And what are some of the different classes of medications you talk about when managing relapsed refractory large B-cell lymphoma?

Dr. Nazish Ahmad:

Generally speaking, I talk about bridging therapy with them, one type or another, and then say that they will be, talking to you about CAR T. We also do talk about transplant a little bit. That is something that the patients bring up. That is something that we talk about as before CAR T, that was the only other option for us. I don't go too much in-depth with it because I don't want to make them biased for one over the other. But I just want them to know that there are options out there. I do sometimes throw in that there are bispecifics available if they were not a candidate for one or the other as well. Is that something you're seeing in your practice?

Dr. Patrick Connor Johnson:

Yeah. I think you bring up a lot, a lot of good points about classes there. I think first, when we talk about CAR T cells versus transplant, the historic treatment in second line, as you know, was salvage chemotherapy, followed by an autologous transplant for chemosensitive disease. But since we have multiple randomized trials showing the superiority of CAR T cells in primary refractory or early relapsing large B-cell lymphomas, I really don't use transplant in that indication. I focus on the use of CAR T cell therapy for the occasional late relapse after front-line therapy. For those that are fit and eligible for a transplant, we still have that conversation about transplant, but it is very important to recognize that the toxicity profile of the two is very different. For other classes of medications that I at least talk to patients about in the relapsed refractory setting, those include bispecific antibodies and antibody drug conjugates as well as general antibody therapy. There are pluses and minuses to all of these different types of treatments. I think the main thing I focus on with CAR T cells is that that is the arena of treatment that has the most curative potential in this space. And oftentimes patients, that's going to be their top goal. And sort of what drives our decision making.

So when you see somebody in the second-line setting with large B-cell lymphoma, how do you approach, you know, what therapies to think about for that patient? Do you generally just refer to the CAR T center and kind of have them think through the different options? Or are there some patients that you might not refer?

Dr. Nazish Ahmad:

I refer everyone. Age is not a factor to me. Their comorbidities usually are not a factor to me. For the most part, I let the CAR T specialists make a decision on whether or not a patient is eligible for treatment, for subsequent treatment and again, the subsequent treatments that are curative intent, come from the CAR T specialists a lot of the times right now, right? So whether they're going to talk about CAR T or whether they're going to talk about stem cell transplant or whether they're going to talk about bispecific therapy with the patient. But what I focus on is telling the patient, you have relapsed refractory disease. The scans don't look good, but I have a plan right away. And I will take out my phone and communicate with my CAR T specialist immediately and say, I'm sending you this amazing patient, and I'm going to go ahead and start them on bridging therapy in the meantime.

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Important Safety Information

WARNING: CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME, NEUROLOGIC TOXICITIES, AND SECONDARY HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

• Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving BREYANZI. Do not administer BREYANZI to patients with active infection or inflammatory disorders. Treat severe or life-threatening CRS with tocilizumab with or without corticosteroids.
• Neurologic toxicities, including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving BREYANZI, including concurrently with CRS, after CRS resolution, or in the absence of CRS. Monitor for neurologic events after treatment with BREYANZI. Provide supportive care and/or corticosteroids as needed.
• T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment of hematologic malignancies with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including BREYANZI.

Cytokine Release Syndrome

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, which enrolled a total of 769 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), CRS occurred in 56% of patients, including ≥ Grade 3 CRS in 3.4% of patients. The median time to onset was 5 days (range: 1 to 63 days). CRS resolved in 99% of patients with a median duration of 5 days (range: 1 to 37 days). One patient had fatal CRS and 5 patients had ongoing CRS at the time of death. The most common manifestations of CRS (≥10%) were fever, hypotension, chills, tachycardia, hypoxia, and headache.

Serious events that may be associated with CRS include cardiac arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia), cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, diffuse alveolar damage, renal insufficiency, capillary leak syndrome, hypotension, hypoxia, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome (HLH/MAS).

Ensure that 2 doses of tocilizumab are available prior to infusion of BREYANZI.

Neurologic Toxicities

Neurologic toxicities that were fatal or life-threatening, including immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. Serious events including cerebral edema and seizures occurred with BREYANZI. Fatal and serious cases of leukoencephalopathy, some attributable to fludarabine, also occurred.

In clinical trials of BREYANZI, CAR T cell-associated neurologic toxicities occurred in 32% of patients, including ≥ Grade 3 cases in 10% of patients. The median time to onset of neurotoxicity was 8 days (range: 1 to 63 days). Neurologic toxicities resolved in 88% of patients with a median duration of 7.5 days (range: 1 to 119 days). Of patients developing neurotoxicity, 83% also developed CRS.

The most common neurologic toxicities (≥5%) included encephalopathy, tremor, aphasia, delirium, and headache.

CRS and Neurologic Toxicities Monitoring

Monitor patients daily for at least 7 days following BREYANZI infusion for signs and symptoms of CRS and neurologic toxicities and assess for other causes of neurological symptoms. Continue to monitor patients for signs and symptoms of CRS and neurologic toxicities for at least 2 weeks after infusion and treat promptly. At the first sign of CRS, institute treatment with supportive care, tocilizumab, or tocilizumab and corticosteroids as indicated. Manage neurologic toxicity with supportive care and/or corticosteroid as needed. Advise patients to avoid driving for at least 2 weeks following infusion. Counsel patients to seek immediate medical attention should signs or symptoms of CRS or neurologic toxicity occur at any time.

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Allergic reactions may occur with the infusion of BREYANZI. Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, may be due to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

Serious Infections

Severe infections, including life-threatening or fatal infections, have occurred in patients after BREYANZI infusion. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, infections of any grade occurred in 33% of patients, with Grade 3 or higher infections occurring in 12% of all patients. Grade 3 or higher infections with an unspecified pathogen occurred in 7%, bacterial infections in 3.5%, viral infections in 2%, and fungal infections in 0.7% of patients. One patient who received 4 prior lines of therapy developed a fatal case of John Cunningham (JC) virus progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy 4 months after treatment with BREYANZI. One patient who received 3 prior lines of therapy developed a fatal case of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis 35 days after treatment with BREYANZI.

Febrile neutropenia developed after BREYANZI infusion in 8% of patients. Febrile neutropenia may be concurrent with CRS. In the event of febrile neutropenia, evaluate for infection and manage with broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluids, and other supportive care as medically indicated.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infection before and after BREYANZI administration and treat appropriately. Administer prophylactic antimicrobials according to standard institutional guidelines. Avoid administration of BREYANZI in patients with clinically significant, active systemic infections.

Viral reactivation: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, in some cases resulting in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure, and death, can occur in patients treated with drugs directed against B cells. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, 35 of 38 patients with a prior history of HBV were treated with concurrent antiviral suppressive therapy. Perform screening for HBV, HCV, and HIV in accordance with clinical guidelines before collection of cells for manufacturing. In patients with prior history of HBV, consider concurrent antiviral suppressive therapy to prevent HBV reactivation per standard guidelines.

Prolonged Cytopenias

Patients may exhibit cytopenias not resolved for several weeks following lymphodepleting chemotherapy and BREYANZI infusion. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, Grade 3 or higher cytopenias persisted at Day 29 following BREYANZI infusion in 35% of patients, and included thrombocytopenia in 25%, neutropenia in 22%, and anemia in 6% of patients. Monitor complete blood counts prior to and after BREYANZI administration.

Hypogammaglobulinemia

B-cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinemia can occur in patients receiving BREYANZI. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, hypogammaglobulinemia was reported as an adverse reaction in 9% of patients. Hypogammaglobulinemia, either as an adverse reaction or laboratory IgG level below 500 mg/dL after infusion, was reported in 30% of patients. Monitor immunoglobulin levels after treatment with BREYANZI and manage using infection precautions, antibiotic prophylaxis, and immunoglobulin replacement as clinically indicated.

Live vaccines: The safety of immunization with live viral vaccines during or following BREYANZI treatment has not been studied. Vaccination with live virus vaccines is not recommended for at least 6 weeks prior to the start of lymphodepleting chemotherapy, during BREYANZI treatment, and until immune recovery following treatment with BREYANZI.

Secondary Malignancies

Patients treated with BREYANZI may develop secondary malignancies. T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment of hematologic malignancies with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including BREYANZI. Mature T cell malignancies, including CAR-positive tumors, may present as soon as weeks following infusion, and may include fatal outcomes. Monitor lifelong for secondary malignancies. In the event that a secondary malignancy occurs, contact Bristol-Myers Squibb at 1-888-805-4555 for reporting and to obtain instructions on collection of patient samples for testing.

Immune Effector Cell-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis-Like Syndrome (IEC-HS)

Immune Effector Cell-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis-Like Syndrome (IEC-HS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. Seven out of 769 (0.9%) patients with R/R NHL exposed to BREYANZI developed IEC-HS. Time to onset of IEC-HS ranged from 7 to 32 days. Of the 7 patients, 3 patients developed IEC-HS with overlapping occurrence of CRS and neurotoxicity, 2 patients developed IEC-HS with overlapping occurrence of neurotoxicity, and 1 patient developed IEC-HS with overlapping occurrence of CRS. IEC-HS was fatal in 2 of 7 patients. One patient had fatal IEC-HS and one had ongoing IEC-HS at time of death. IEC-HS is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate if not recognized and treated early. Treatment of IEC-HS should be administered per current practice guidelines.

Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reaction(s) (incidence ≥30%) in:

• LBCL are fever, CRS, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and nausea. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities include lymphocyte count decrease, neutrophil count decrease, platelet count decrease, and hemoglobin decrease.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS and Medication Guide.