In spite of development of molecular therapeutics, multiple myeloma (MM) is fatal in most cases. CD38 is a promising target for selective treatment of MM. We tested radioimmunoconjugates consisting of the α-emitter 213Bi coupled to an anti-CD38 MAb in preclinical treatment of MM. Efficacy of 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb was assayed towards different MM cell lines with regard to induction of DNA double-strand breaks, induction of apoptosis and initiation of cell cycle arrest. Moreover, mice bearing luciferase-expressing MM xenografts were treated with 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb. Therapeutic efficacy was monitored by bioluminescence imaging, overall survival and histology. 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb treatment induced DNA damage which did not result in activation of the G2 DNA-damage-response checkpoint, but instead in mitotic arrest and subsequent mitotic catastrophe. The anti-tumor effect of 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb correlated with the expression level of CD38 in each MM cell line. In myeloma xenografts, treatment with 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb suppressed tumor growth via induction of apoptosis in tumor tissue and significantly prolonged survival compared to controls. The major organ systems did not show any signs of 213Bi-induced toxicity. Preclinical treatment of MM with 213Bi-anti-CD38-MAb turned out as an effective therapeutic option.

Macrophages are key mediators of the therapeutic effects exerted by monoclonal antibodies, such as the anti-CD38 antibody MOR202, currently introduced in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy. Therefore, it is important to understand how antibody-mediated effector functions of myeloma-associated macrophages (MAMs) are regulated. Here, we focused on the effects of vitamin D, a known regulator of macrophage effector functions. Consequently, it was the aim of this study to assess whether modulation of the vitamin D pathway alters the tumoricidal activity of MAMs. Here, we demonstrate that MAMs display a defective vitamin D pathway with reduced expression level of CYP27B1 and limited tumoricidal activity which can be restored by the IMiD lenalidomide in vitro. Furthermore, our data indicate that the vitamin D pathway of MAMs from MM patients does recover during an IMiD-containing therapy shown by an improved MOR202-mediated cytotoxic activity of these MAMs against primary MM cells ex vivo. Here, the ex vivo cytotoxic activity could be further enhanced by vitamin D supplementation. These data suggest that vitamin D holds a key role for the effector functions of MAMs and that vitamin D supplementation in IMiD combination trials could further increase the therapeutic efficacy of anti-CD38 antibodies such as MOR202, which remains to be investigated in clinical studies.

Introduction:CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein widely expressed in many hematological malignancies including multiple myeloma (MM). MOR202, a HuCAL-derived, human IgG1 CD38 monoclonal antibody, induces antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP). MOR202 does not induce complement-dependent cytotoxicity, which is suspected to be a major contributor to infusion-related reactions (IRRs). Preclinical models of MM demonstrate high single-agent antitumor activity of MOR202 and synergy in combination with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), lenalidomide (LEN) or pomalidomide (POM). Methods: This is an interim analysis of a multicenter, dose-escalation phase I/IIa study of MOR202 in relapsed or refractory (RR)MM. Preliminary safety and efficacy data from 3 patient cohorts treated with clinically relevant doses of MOR202 (administered as an IV 2-hour infusion), alone or in combination with an IMiD are presented: MOR202 4, 8 and 16 mg/kg weekly; MOR202 8 or 16 mg/kg weekly with either LEN or POM. All patients in these cohorts also received low dose dexamethasone. Primary objectives were to evaluate the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose of MOR202. Secondary objectives included an assessment of overall response rate, duration of response and progression-free survival. Results: As of July 12, 2016, a total of 66 patients had been treated; 31 in clinically relevant cohorts, including 18 patients receiving MOR202 alone, 8 receiving MOR202 + LEN and 5 receiving MOR202 + POM. Patients treated with MOR202 alone and MOR202 + POM had both received a median of 4 prior lines of therapy; 78% and 100% had been refractory to last prior treatment, respectively. Patients treated with MOR202 + LEN had received a median of 2 prior lines of therapy and 50% had been refractory to last prior treatment. Most of the patients had received bortezomib, LEN, cyclophosphamide, and melphalan alone or in combination with autologous stem cell transplant as part of their prior regimens. In this trial the MTD has not been reached yet. MOR202 alone or in combination with an IMiD was well tolerated, with mainly hematological toxicity reported. A 2-hour MOR202 infusion was feasible in all patients. In the clinically relevant cohorts only 1 patient discontinued due to an adverse event considered to be related to MOR202 (platelet count decreased) and no deaths related to any of the study drugs occurred. IRRs were seen in only 3/31 (10%) patients, all occurring during the first infusion. All IRRS were ≤ grade 2. So far, 28 patients were evaluable for response in the MOR202 clinically relevant cohorts. Of 16 evaluable patients in the MOR202 alone cohort, 3 partial responses (19%) and 2 very good partial responses (13%) were reported. In the MOR202 + LEN cohort 5/7 partial responses were seen, and 3/5 patients responded to MOR202 + POM treatment including 2 complete responses. Median time to response was 4 weeks, with responses tending to deepen over time. Most responses (10/13) are ongoing with the longest duration of response currently being 48 weeks. Preliminary analysis in 5 patients revealed preservation of high CD38 levels on MM cells under MOR202 therapy, with a mean decrease of only 10% from baseline to day 1 cycle 2 (4 weeks). Conclusions: In this analysis, a 2-hour infusion of MOR202 (up to 16 mg/kg) alone, or in combination with POM or LEN showed a very good safety profile, particularly an excellent infusion tolerability in heavily pretreated patients with RRMM. Promising preliminary efficacy and long-lasting tumor control was seen for MOR202 +/- IMiDs. The data suggest that CD38 expression on patient MM cells is preserved during treatment. Disclosures Raab: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Goldschmidt: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; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Millennium: Honoraria, Research Funding; Onyx: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Agis:Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Einsele:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Engelhardt:Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; MSD: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Ferstl:Novartis: Other: Case report presentation; Bristol Myers Squibb: Other: Advisory Board. Weisel:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Onyx: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jarutat:MorphoSys AG: Employment. Weinelt:MorphoSys: Employment. Endell:MorphoSys AG: Employment, Patents & Royalties. Boxhammer:MorphoSys AG: Employment, Patents & Royalties. Peschel:MophoSys: Honoraria.

Background: CD19 and CD20 are B-cell lineage-specific antigens expressed on the cell surface of most B-cell lymphomas. While CD20 is acquired during late stages of B-cell lymphogenesis and is then lost upon differentiation into plasma cells, CD19 expression covers the entire spectrum of early B-cell genesis and maturation. CD20-targeting agents have been broadly integrated into the therapeutic armamentarium for B-cell lymphomas. More recently, CD19-targeting agents have emerged as promising alternatives with demonstrated therapeutic value. Given the imminent availability of both CD19 and CD20 targeted therapies, and potential for combinational approaches, we studied the surface expression of these antigens at the single-cell level on lymphoma cells and benign background lymphoid subsets from biopsy specimens. Methods: Flow cytometric analysis (seven-color) was performed on biopsy specimens from 47 patients with newly diagnosed B-cell lymphomas, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=15), follicular lymphoma (n=15), marginal zone lymphoma (n=9), mantle cell lymphoma (n=9), Burkitt lymphoma (n=2), and unclassifiable low-grade B-cell lymphoma (n=2). Small lymphocytic lymphoma was intentionally excluded, given its well-described loss of CD20 expression. Biopsies from eight additional patients with persistent/recurrent B-cell lymphomas after anti-CD20 therapy (greater than 6 months after last dose) were also evaluated. Thresholds for CD19 or CD20 antigen positivity were defined for each case, based on the 95th percentile fluorescence intensity of the respective marker on tumor-infiltrating T-cells (internal negative control). In addition, CD19 or CD20 fluorescence intensities of tumor cells were normalized to background benign B-cells (internal positive control) using the median fluorescence ratio (MFR). Results: Both CD19 and CD20 were highly expressed on CD20 treatment naïve tumor cells, with a slightly higher median percentage of positive tumor cells for CD19 (98%) compared with CD20 (93%) (p=0.003), and one case lacking CD20 expression. When compared with background benign B-cells, CD20 was frequently overexpressed on tumor cells (mean MFR=1.8), while CD19 expression was overall similar to background benign B-cells (mean MFR=0.9) (p=0.001). As the surface density of CD20 on benign B-cells is reportedly higher than CD19 (~100,000 vs ~20,000 molecules per cell, respectively), these findings are consistent with a higher density of surface CD20 than CD19 on most B-cell lymphomas. However, CD20 expression was more heterogeneous (within individual patient samples and across patients), with a higher median percentage of CD20-negative tumor events (median=0.5%, range=0-98%) compared with CD19-negative events (median=0%, range=0-28%) (p=0.003). Interestingly, expression of CD19 within the CD20-negative tumor subsets was largely preserved (mean % CD19-positive events=97.86%, min=40%). In addition, percentages of CD19/CD20 double-negative tumor events were very small (median=0%, range=0-4.9%), and only detectable in 15 cases (32%). Of eight additional cases studied post-anti-CD20 immunotherapy (6-84 months after last dose), the percentage of antigen-positive events by tumor cells was largely preserved for both CD19 (median=99.6%, range=93.5-100%) and CD20 (median=95.7%, range=55.6-100%), similar to the pre-therapy cohort. Conclusions: CD19 and CD20 are both highly and consistently expressed in B-cell lymphomas. While CD20 has a higher average density of surface molecules per tumor cell, CD19 expression is more homogenous and is preserved in small CD20-negative tumor subsets and after anti-CD20 targeted therapy. These findings support the clinical evaluation of anti-CD19 immunotherapies and combinational therapies targeting both surface antigens. Disclosures Horna: MorphoSys AG: Research Funding. Nowakowski:Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding. Endell:MorphoSys AG: Employment, Patents & Royalties. Boxhammer:MorphoSys AG: Employment, Patents & Royalties.

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