A phase 1b study of dual PD-1 and CTLA-4 or KIR blockade in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoid malignancies

Leukemia. 2021 Mar;35(3):777-786. doi: 10.1038/s41375-020-0939-1. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Abstract

Simultaneously targeting other pathways could increase the activity of PD-1 blockade in lymphoid malignancies not sensitive to single-agent blockade. We explored the safety and efficacy of combined PD-1 and CTLA-4 or KIR blockade in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) lymphoid malignancies. This phase 1b trial enrolled adult patients with R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), or multiple myeloma (MM). Patients received nivolumab plus ipilimumab (nivo/ipi) or lirilumab (nivo/liri) until complete response (CR), progression, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability, while secondary endpoints included overall (ORR) and CR rates (CRR), progression-free and overall survival. Sixty-five patients were treated with nivo/ipi, and 72 with nivo/liri. Twenty-nine percent of patients experienced grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events with nivo/ipi, and 15% with nivo/liri. In cHL, ORR was 74% for nivo/ipi and 76% for nivo/liri, CRRs were 23% and 24%, respectively. In B-NHL and T-NHL, ORR range was 9-22% and CRR was 0-6%. No patient with MM had an objective response. While both combinations were active in cHL, the toxicity of nivo/ipi was higher than expected from nivolumab alone. These data suggest no meaningful improvement in the efficacy of the combinations over single-agent nivolumab in the diseases studied.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase I
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alkaloids / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hodgkin Disease / drug therapy*
  • Hodgkin Disease / pathology
  • Humans
  • Ipilimumab / administration & dosage
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / drug therapy*
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Myeloma / drug therapy*
  • Multiple Myeloma / pathology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Nivolumab / administration & dosage
  • Prognosis
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, KIR / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Salvage Therapy*
  • Survival Rate
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • CTLA4 protein, human
  • Ipilimumab
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Receptors, KIR
  • Nivolumab
  • lirinidine