Dr. Romancik on the Benefit of Second-line Axi-cel in R/R DLBCL

Jason Romancik, MD, assistant professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, discusses the benefit of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta) vs standard of care as a second-line treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

The phase 3 ZUMA-7 trial (NCT03391466) evaluated axi-cel vs standard-of-care treatment as second-line therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL. The study had a primary end point of event free survival (EFS), Romancik continues. In April 2022, the FDA approved axi-cel for the treatment of adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma that is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy based on findings from ZUMA-7.

The trial compared standard-of-care salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant in responders vs axi-cel, Romancik continues. The CAR T-cell therapy significantly improved EFS, though an overall survival benefit was not observed, Romancik concludes.