ALBERT

Description: Key Points In AML with bialleleic CEBPA-mut relapse-free survival was improved by allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In relapsed patients second complete remission rate was high and survival was favorable after an allogeneic transplantation.

Description: Background: Internal tandem duplications (ITD) in the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 occur in roughly 25% of younger adult patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), implicating FLT3 as a potential target for kinase inhibitor therapy. The multi-targeted kinase inhibitor midostaurin shows potent activity against FLT3 as a single agent but also in combination with intensive chemotherapy. Aims: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of midostaurin in combination with intensive induction therapy and as single agent maintenance therapy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) or high-dose cytarabine (HIDAC). Methods: The study includes adult pts (age 18-70 years (yrs)) with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD positive AML enrolled in the ongoing single-arm phase-II AMLSG 16-10 trial (NCT: NCT01477606). Pts with acute promyelocytic leukemia are not eligible. The presence of FLT3-ITD is analyzed within our diagnostic study AMLSG-BiO (NCT01252485) by Genescan-based fragment-length analysis (allelic ratio 〉0.05 required to be FLT3-ITD positive). Induction therapy consists of daunorubicin (60 mg/m², d1-3) and cytarabine (200 mg/m², continuously, d1-7); midostaurin 50 mg bid is applied from day 8 onwards until 48h before start of the next treatment cycle. A second cycle is optional. For consolidation therapy, pts proceed to alloHSCT as first priority; if alloHSCT is not feasible, pts receive three cycles of age-adapted HIDAC in combination with midostaurin from day 6 onwards. In all pts maintenance therapy for one year is intended. This report focuses on the first cohort of the study (n=149) recruited between June 2012 and April 2014 prior to the amendment increasing the sample size; the amendment to the study is active since October 2014. Results: At study entry patient characteristics were median age 54 years (range, 20-70, 34% ≥ 60 yrs); median white cell count (WBC) 48.4G/l (range 1.1-178G/l); karyotype, n=103 normal, n=3 t(6;9), n=2 t(9;11), n=20 intermediate-2 and n=7 high-risk according to ELN recommendations, n=14 missing; mutated NPM1 n=92 (62%). Data on response to first induction therapy were available in 147 pts; complete remission (CR) 58.5%, partial remission (PR) 20.4%, refractory disease (RD) 15% and death 6.1%. A second induction cycle was given in 34 pts. Overall response after induction therapy was CR 75% and death 7.5%. Adverse events 3°/4° reported during the first induction cycle were most frequently gastrointestinal (n=34) and infections (n=81). During induction therapy midostaurin was interrupted, dose-reduced or stopped in 55% of the pts. Overall 94 pts received an alloHSCT, 85 in first CR (n=65 age

Description: The WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is based on uni- or multi-lineage hematopoietic involvement, blast count and cytogenetic features. We recently confirmed the prognostic value of this classification and demonstrated that cytogenetics and transfusion requirement are the main prognostic factors affecting survival of WHO subgroups (JCO 2005, in the press). The aim of the present study was to define and validate a scoring system for evaluating prognosis in MDS classified according to WHO criteria. The patients comprised a learning cohort, in whom investigations were aimed at defining the set of variables to be included in the prognostic model and their weighted scores, and a validation cohort, in whom we evaluated whether the prognostic value of the scoring system was confirmed. The learning cohort was formed of 467 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of de novo MDS made at the IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Italy, between 1992 and 2002, while the validation cohort consisted of 620 consecutive patients diagnosed at the Heinrich-Heine-University Hospital between 1982 and 2003. All cases were reclassified by independent cytologists according to the WHO criteria. Those patients who were treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation or chemotherapy, were censored at the time of this therapeutic intervention. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed by means of Cox proportional hazards regression. The actuarial probabilities of overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Based on the results of the uni- and multivariate analyses, the most significant variables selected for the prognostic model were WHO subgroups, cytogenetic abnormalities scored according to the IPSS and transfusion requirement. Risk scores for each variable were estimated based on coefficients from the proportional hazards regression (Table 1). Table 1 - WHO-Classification Based Prognostic Scoring System (WPSS) for MDS Prognostic variable Score value 0 1 2 3 WHO category RA, RARS, 5q- RCMD, RCMD-RS RAEB-1 RAEB-2 Karyotype Good Intermediate Poor - Transfusion requirement No Regular - - By summing the score values for the three variables, patients were stratified into five distinct risk groups [very low (score 0), low (1), intermediate (2), high (3–4), very high (5–6)], showing significantly different OS and probability of leukemia evolution (P

Description: To develop a prognostic scoring system tailored for therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes (tMDS), we put together a database containing 1933 patients (pts) with tMDS from Spanish, German, Swiss, Austrian, US, Italian, and Dutch centers diagnosed between 1975-2015. Complete data to calculate the IPSS and IPSS-R were available in 1603 pts. Examining different scoring systems, we found that IPSS and IPSS-R do not risk stratify tMDS as well as they do primary MDS (pMDS), thereby supporting the need for a tMDS-specific score (Kuendgen et al., ASH 2015). The current analysis focuses on cytogenetic information as a potential component of a refined tMDS score, based on this large, unique patient cohort. Of the 1933 pts, 477 had normal karyotype (KT), 197 had missing cytogenetics, while 467 had a karyotype not readily interpretable. Incomplete karyotype descriptions will be reedited for the final evaluation. Of the remaining 1269 pts the most frequent cytogenetic abnormalities (abn) were: -7, del(5q), +mar, +8, del(7q), -5, del(20q), -17, -18, -Y, del(12p), -20, and +1 with 〉30 cases each. Frequencies are shown in Table 1. Some abn were observed mostly or solely within complex KTs, such as monosomies, except -7. Others, like del(20q) or -Y, are mainly seen as single or double abn, while del(5q), -7, or del(7q) are seen in complex as well as non-complex KTs. The cytogenetic profile overlapped with that of pMDS (most frequent abn: del(5q), -7/del(7q), +8, -18/del(18q), del(20q), -5, -Y, -17/del(17p), +21, and inv(3)/t(3q) (Schanz et al, JCO 2011)), with notable differences including overrepresentation of complete monosomies, a higher frequency of -7 or t(11q23), and a more frequent occurrence of cytogenetic subtypes in complex KTs, which was especially evident in del(5q) occurring as a single abn in 16%, compared to 70% within a complex KT. IPSS-R cytogenetic groups were distributed as follows: Very Good (2%), Good (35%), Int (17%), Poor (15%), Very Poor (32%). Regarding the number of abn (including incomplete KT descriptions) roughly 30% had a normal KT, 20% 1, 10% 2, and 40% ≥3 abn, compared to pMDS: 55% normal KT, 29% 1, 10% 2, and 6% ≥3 abn. To be evaluable for prognostic information, abn should occur in a minimum of 10 pts. As a single aberration this was the case for -7, +8, del(5q), del(20q), del(7q), -Y, and t(11;varia) (q23;varia). Of particular interest, there was no apparent prognostic difference between -7 and del(7q); del(5q) as a single abn was associated with a relatively good survival, while the prognosis was poor with the first additional abn; t(11q23) occurred primarily as a single abn and was associated with an extremely poor prognosis, and prognosis of pts with ≥4 abn was dismal independent of composition (Table 1). To develop a more biologically meaningful scoring system containing homogeneous and prognostically stable groups, we will further combine subgroups with different abn leading to the same cytogenetic consequences. For example, deletions, unbalanced translocations, derivative chromosomes, dicentric chromosomes of 17p, and possibly -17 all lead to a loss of genetic material at the short arm of this respective chromosome affecting TP53. Further information might be derived from analyses of the minimal common deleted regions. For some abn, like del(11q), del(3p), and del(9q), this can be refined to one chromosome band only (table 1). Conclusion: Development of a robust scoring system for all subtypes of tMDS is challenging using existing variables. This focused analysis on the cytogenetic score component shows that favorable KTs are evident in a substantial proportion of pts, in contrast to historic data describing unfavorable cytogenetics in the majority of pts. Although complex and monosomal KTs are overrepresented, this suggests the existence of distinct tMDS-subtypes, although some of these cases might not be truly therapy-induced despite a history of cytotoxic treatment. The next steps will be to analyze the prognosis of the different groups, develop a tMDS cytogenetic score, and examine minimal deleted regions to identify candidate genes for development of tMDS, as well as to describe the possible influence of different primary diseases and treatments (radio- vs chemotherapy, different drugs) on induction of cytogenetic subtypes. Our detailed analysis of tMDS cytogenetics should reveal important prognostic information and is likely to help understand mechanisms of MDS development. Disclosures Komrokji: Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Sole:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sekeres:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millenium/Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Roboz:Cellectis: Research Funding; Agios, Amgen, Amphivena, Astex, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celator, Celgene, Genoptix, Janssen, Juno, MEI Pharma, MedImmune, Novartis, Onconova, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech, Sunesis, Teva: Consultancy. Steensma:Amgen: Consultancy; Genoptix: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Millenium/Takeda: Consultancy; Ariad: Equity Ownership. Schlenk:Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Valent:Amgen: Honoraria; Deciphera Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ariad: Honoraria, Research Funding; Deciphera Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Giagounidis:Celgene Corporation: Consultancy. Giagounidis:Celgene Corporation: Consultancy. Platzbecker:Celgene Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding; TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen-Cilag: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Lübbert:Janssen-Cilag: Other: Travel Funding, Research Funding; Celgene: Other: Travel Funding; Ratiopharm: Other: Study drug valproic acid.

Description: Valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to inhibit histone deacetylase activity and to synergize with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in the differentiation induction of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) blasts in vitro. We treated 18 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and AML secondary to MDS (sAML/MDS) with VPA monotherapy (serum concentrations 346-693 μM [50-100 μg/mL]). Five patients received VPA and ATRA (80 mg/m2/d, days 1-7, every other week). Response according to international working group (IWG) criteria was observed in 8 patients (44%) on VPA monotherapy, including 1 partial remission. Median response duration was 4 months (range, 3-9 months). Four of 5 patients relapsing were treated with VPA + ATRA, 2 of them responding again. Among 5 patients receiving VPA + ATRA from the start, none responded according to IWG criteria, but 1 patient with sAML/MDS achieved a marked reduction in peripheral and marrow blasts. Thus, VPA is of therapeutic benefit for patients with MDS, and ATRA may be effective when added later.

Description: Background: Activating mutations in receptor tyrosine kinases like FLT3 (FLT3mut) lead to an aberrant signal transduction thereby causing an increased proliferation of hematopoietic cells. Internal tandem duplications (FLT3-ITD) or mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (FLT3-TKD) occur in about 25% of younger adult patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with FLT3 -ITD being associated with an unfavourable outcome. FLT3mut present an excellent target for small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). The multi-targeted kinase inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412) is currently under investigation as a FLT3-inhibitor in combination with intensive chemotherapy. Monitoring of the efficacy of such a targeted therapy and correlation of the results with clinical outcome will be of major importance. The plasma inhibitor activity (PIA) assay allows the visualization of the level of dephosphorylation of the target under TKI therapy. Preliminary data suggest a correlation between the grade of dephosphorylation, as a marker for the activity of the TKI, and clinical outcome. Aims: To individually measure the level of FLT3 dephosphorylation by PIA analysis in a large cohort of FLT3-ITD AML pts treated within our AMLSG16-10 trial (NCT: NCT01477606) which combines midostaurin with intensive chemotherapy, and to correlate the results with clinical outcome. Methods: Plasma samples from pts (age 18-70 years) with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML were obtained at different time points for PIA analysis. All pts were enrolled on the ongoing AMLSG 16-10 trial applying intensive therapy in combination with midostaurin (50mg twice a day). For consolidation therapy, pts proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) as first priority; pts not eligible for alloHSCT were intended to receive 3 cycles of age-adapted high-dose cytarabine (HiDAC) in combination with midostaurin from day 6 onwards. In all pts one year of maintenance therapy with midostaurin was intended. PIA analyses were performed at defined time points (day 15 of induction, each consolidation cycle, at the end of each treatment cycle, every 3 months during maintenance therapy) as previously described (Levis MJ, et al. Blood 2006; 108:3477-83). Results: So far, PIA analyses were performed in 63 pts (median age, 51.6 years; range, 20-70 years) during (n=63) and after (n=73) first and second induction cycle, during (n=40) and after (n=53) consolidation therapy with HiDAC as well as during maintenance therapy (n=82). During and after induction therapy median levels of phosphorylated FLT3 (p-FLT3) were 46.6% (4.5-100%,

Description: Abstract 1882 Evidence exists for differences between eastern and western type MDS. However, for the development of the IPSS Score, 6 of the participating study groups were European or US, while only one group originated from Japan. In order to find out more about the differences in MDS patients (pts) from separate ethnic groups we performed an analysis of 1048 pts from Dusseldorf, Germany (G), 242 pts from Seoul, Korea (K), and 143 pts from Saitama, Japan (J). Initially, we compared clinical characteristics. Then we evaluated the influence of important prognostic factors. For all pts included at least the parameters needed to determine the IPSS had to be available. For survival analyses pts who received induction chemotherapy or allogeneic transplantation were excluded. Median age was 66 yrs in Germany, 54 in Korea, and 68 in Japan. The distribution of gender, with a male preponderance, was comparable in all cohorts. Median blast count was

Description: Background: Thrombocytopenia occurs in ~50% of pts with low/int-1 MDS and is associated with reduced survival; few therapies are available for thrombocytopenic MDS pts. In a PBO-controlled study, 250 pts with MDS were randomized 2:1 to receive weekly romiplostim or PBO. In the original June 2011 analysis, romiplostim reduced clinically significant bleeding events (HR romiplostim vs PBO 0.83, 95% CI: 0.66-1.05, P =0.13) and platelet transfusions (RR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.66-0.88, P 20% 16 (84) 6 (67) 22 (79) Anti-AML therapy alone 3 (16) 3 (33) 6 (21) *Does not include 1 pt with AML who died. †Included 7 with RCMD and 1 with MDS-U classification. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures Off Label Use: Romiplostim is indicated for use in adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, or splenectomy. The use of romiplostim in MDS is investigational.. Mufti:GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, 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, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Fenaux:Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding. Sekeres:TetraLogic: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Corporation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Szer:Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: 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, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Alexion Australia: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: 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, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Platzbecker:Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Amgen, Inc.: Honoraria; GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria, Research Funding. Gaidano:Amgen: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; Novartis: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; Celgene: Research Funding; Morphosys: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; Roche: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; Janssen: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards; Karyopharm: Honoraria, Other: Advisory boards. Wiktor-Jedrzejczak:Roche: Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; Onconova: Other: Advisory Board; Pfizer: Other: Advisory Board; Amgen, Inc.: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Jansen: Other: Advisory Board; Celgene: Other: Advisory Board. Franklin:Amgen, Inc.: Employment, Other: shareholder.

Description: Background Overall survival (OS) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with intensive chemotherapy has improved over the last 20 year especially in younger adults (18-60 years) but still remains poor in older patients (〉60 years) (Döhner et al. Blood 2010). The German-Austrian AMLSG performed controlled prospective treatment trials since 1993 starting with a risk-adapted approach (phase I, 1993-1997), followed by randomized and risk-adapted treatment strategies based on cytogenetic risk groups (phase II, 1997-2002); since 2003 addition of differentiating agents and HiDAC inhibitors to intensive induction therapy was evaluated (phase III, 2003-2007). Of note, until 2007 younger and older patients (〉 60 years) were treated in separate protocols with significantly lower dosages of chemotherapy in older patients. Starting from 2008, risk-adapted therapies were replaced successively by a genotype-adapted approach and the artificial age cut-off at 60 years was abandoned (phase IV, 2008-2012). Aims To evaluate the outcome of adult AML patients within the different time periods. Methods The study included 4705 intensively treated adults (younger, n=3546; older, n=1159) with newly diagnosed AML enrolled on 11 AMLSG treatment trials between 1993 and 2012. Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were excluded. All patients received intensive induction and consolidation therapy. Analyzed outcome variables were first complete remission rates (CR1), relapse-free survival (RFS), survival after relapse (SAR) and OS. Analyses were performed according to age groups (18-60 vs. 〉60 yrs). In younger patients comparisons were performed for the 4 treatment phases (I-IV), whereas for older patients analyses were restricted to phase II-IV. Results In younger patients CR rates did not improve over time (1993-2013) and varied between 72% and 77% (p=0.12), whereas early and hypoplastic (ED/HD) death rates significantly declined from 10% to 5% (p=0.0001). In older patients CR rates significantly improved over time from 44% to 50% between 1998 and 2007 to 67% after 2008 (p

Description: Abstract 2185 Background: Secondary (s)AML from MDS is more frequent in older AML patients, and associated with an overall worse outcome with standard chemotherapy than de novo AML, particularly after MDS of longer duration (1). The azanucleoside hypomethylating agents 5-azacytidine (Vidaza) and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (Decitabine, DAC) are active in MDS and, as recently shown, also AML. Compared to other predictors of response to these drugs, MDS duration prior to treatment thus far has received only limited attention, with two recent publications reporting conflicting results (2, 3). To independently validate our finding that shorter duration of MDS prior to DAC treatment may be a novel predictor of poor outcome (2, 4), we now applied this parameter to a large trial of low-dose DAC in AML pts (aged 〉60 years and judged ineligible for standard induction chemotherapy), about half of them with sAML from MDS with variable disease duration. Patients and Methods: Comparisons of response rate (RR, i.e. CR or PR) and overall survival (OS) from start of treatment according to MDS duration (pre-specified categorization according to quartiles) were performed post-hoc in 109 patients (pts) with previously untreated sAML (median age 72 years) treated with DAC (given over 72 hours, every 6 weeks, for up to 4 courses, followed by “maintenance” with 3 daily 1-hour infusions of DAC 20 mg/m2 every 4–6-weeks). Median WBC prior to treatment was 5.200/μl, median serum LDH 279U/l, 31.2% of pts had adverse cytogenetics, 82.6% had a performance status 〉 1, and 80.7% had a comorbidity index (HCT-CI) 〉=1. Comparisons by logistic regression and Cox regression (univariate and multivariate, adjusted for other prognostic factors showing an effect in this population of sAML pts) were performed. Results: Of the 227 AML patients treated within the 00331 trial, 109 (48%) had prior MDS with known MDS duration, with a median duration of 8 (25% quartile 3, 75% quartile 25, range 1–101) mths. The overall RR in these pts was 26/109 (24%), the overall 1 yr OS rate was 31% (94 deaths). A comparison of RR according to MDS duration revealed a trend to an increase in RR with longer duration of MDS [=25 mths: 10/28 (36%), test for heterogeneity p=0.29, test for trend p=0.06]. Similarly, when OS from start of DAC was analyzed according to this parameter, for pts with previous MDS of longer duration there was a trend to better outcome [=25 mths: 46%, test for heterogeneity p=0.17, test for trend p=0.16]. When these analyses were adjusted for other prognostic factors showing an effect in this population of sAML pts (comorbidity index, sLDH with respect to RR, and performance status, comorbidity index, and white blood count with respect to OS), the results were similar (effect of MDS duration with respect to RR: test for heterogeneity p=0.35, test for trend p=0.06, and effect of MDS duration with respect to OS: test for heterogeneity p=0.04, test for trend p=0.11). Conclusion: In this large cohort of uniformly treated pts with sAML, MDS of longer duration appeared to be associated with a better outcome, even after adjusting for important other prognostic factors. These results are supported by a similar analysis of MDS pts randomized in the 06011 EORTC intergroup trial (which compares DAC to Best Supportive Care), where MDS patients with longer (〉=3 mths) disease duration prior to treatment also had better outcome (4). They warrant application of this discriminator in the evaluation also of other non-intensive AML treatment modalities. References 1. Estey et al., Blood 90:2969-77, 1997 2. Wijermans et al., Ann. Hematol. 84 Suppl 1:9-14, 2005 3. Kantarjian et al., Cancer 109:265-73, 2007 4. Lübbert, Suciu et al., Abstract submitted, ASH 2010 Disclosures: Off Label Use: decitabine is FDA-approved for treatment of MDS and AML with up to 30% blasts. In the present study, patients with AML and higher blast percentage were treated. Platzbecker: Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Döhner: Pfizer: Research Funding.