Key clinical point: Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an effective second-line curative-intent therapy with a manageable safety profile for patients aged ≥65 years with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).
Major finding: At a median follow-up of 24.3 months, the median event-free survival was significantly longer with axi-cel vs standard of care (SOC; 21.5 vs 2.5 months; hazard ratio 0.276; descriptive P < .0001). The grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse event rates were 94% and 82% with axi-cel and SOC, respectively.
Study details: Findings are from a preplanned analysis of 109 patients aged ≥65 years with relapsed or refractory LBCL from the ZUMA-7 trial who were randomly assigned to receive second-line axi-cel (n = 51) or SOC (n = 58; 2-3 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation).
Disclosures: This study was supported by Kite, a Gilead Company. Some authors reported ties with various organizations, including Kite and Gilead.
Source: Westin JR et al. Safety and efficacy of axicabtagene ciloleucel versus standard of care in patients 65 years of age or older with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 (Mar 31). Doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-3136