Efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in Japanese adult patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Tisagenlecleucel demonstrated a high rate of durable response in adult patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the pivotal global phase 2 JULIET study. Here, we report the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in the Japanese subgroup. METHODS: JULIET (NCT02445248) is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study involving adult patients with r/r DLBCL who either relapsed after or were ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant. Primary endpoint was best overall response rate (ORR; complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]) as judged by an independent review committee. RESULTS: In Japan, of 17 patients enrolled, 9 were infused with tisagenlecleucel and completed ≥ 3 months of follow-up. Best ORR was 77.8% (7/9; 95% confidence interval, 40.0–97.2), with 5 patients (55.6%) in CR and 2 (22.2%) in PR. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 6 patients (66.7%), with grade 3 CRS in 2 patients (Penn grading scale). Two patients received tocilizumab. Two deaths (22.2%) occurred more than 30 days after tisagenlecleucel infusion due to disease progression, neither of which were related to tisagenlecleucel. CONCLUSION: Tisagenlecleucel showed a high best ORR with a manageable safety profile, thus offering a new treatment option in selected Japanese patients with r/r DLBCL.