EVEREST-1: Safety and efficacy data of A2B530, a logic-gated Tmod chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, in patients with solid tumors associated with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression and with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss of
e16408 Background: A2B530 is a logic-gated CEA-targeting Tmod CAR T therapy being evaluated in the EVEREST-1 (NCT05736731) phase 1/2 study. Tmod CAR T therapy addresses challenges of on-target, off-tumor toxicity that have limited application of CAR T therapy to solid tumors (Tabernero, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2017); through use of a CEA-targeted CAR-activating receptor combined with a blocking receptor recognizing HLA-A*02, A2B530 can distinguish between tumor and normal cells (Sandberg, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2022). Methods: Patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors expressing CEA and tumor-associated HLA-A*02 LOH are enrolled through the ongoing prescreening study BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119). Eligible patients undergo leukapheresis and, when clinically appropriate, A2B530 is manufactured for the EVEREST-1 study. Patients undergo lymphodepletion before A2B530 infusion. The phase 1 dose escalation will evaluate safety, tolerability, manufacturing feasibility, and biomarkers starting at 1x10 8 Tmod positive cells (dose level [DL] 1) up to 6x10 8 cells and higher doses of lymphodepleting chemotherapy (LDC; DL 5). After the recommended phase 2 dose has been established, dose expansion will confirm safety and activity. Results: As of January 15, 2025, 14 total participants were enrolled on EVEREST-1 and had received A2B530 infusion at DLs 1-5, 4 (29%) with pancreatic (PANC) and 10 (71%) with colorectal cancer. Median age was 57 years (range, 34-76), with a median of 2 prior lines of therapy (range, 1-6). LDC was well tolerated: neutropenia nadired at days 7-10, with recovery in all patients, and no significant episodes of prolonged cytopenia. There were no dose-limiting toxicities, grade > 3 serious adverse events (AEs), or episodes of related neurotoxicity. Most gastrointestinal AEs occurred early and were grade 1 or 2. One patient in DL 2 (2x10 8 cells) experienced possible grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which started on day 15 and resolved with supportive therapy within 2 days; later the CRS diagnosis was confounded by a positive blood culture from the participant’s central line. The low rate of CRS is consistent with the low levels of serum cytokines measured up to 28 days post-infusion. Central response assessment has been completed for the 6 participants in DLs 1-2, with a partial response observed in 1 of 3 (33%) of participants with PANC. Peak expansion shows a possible dose response. Conclusions: Treatment with A2B530 was well tolerated, showing potential clinical efficacy and a potential dose response, although these are initial results. Maximum tolerated dose has not been reached, and dose escalation continues to determine the optimal phase 2 dosing of this treatment regimen. Clinical trial information: NCT05736731 .
Authors
- Madappa N. Kundranda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9237-2666)
- Armen Mardiros
- Matthew L. Ulrickson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1458-7813)
- David G. Maloney (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8477-6919)
- William Bretzlaff
- Maria Pia Morelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9543-6584)
- Frederick Lundry Locke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9063-6691)
- Marcela V. Maus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7578-0393)
- Diane M. Simeone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5142-3087)
- Kedar Kirtane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1302-9577)
- Julian R. Molina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9962-4635)
- Marco L. Davila (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6270-3065)
- Theodore Hobart Welling
- Patrick Grierson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0624-6699)
- Kirstin B. Liechty
- Salman Rafi Punekar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7613-6305)
- Sandip Pravin Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8387-4840)
- Antonious Hazim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2938-3730)
- William Y. Go
- J. Randolph Hecht
Institutions
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (US)
- Mayo Clinic (US)
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- WinnMed (US)
- Moffitt Cancer Center (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- NYU Langone Health (US)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center (US)
- Integrated BioTherapeutics (United States) (US)
- Mayo Clinic in Arizona (US)
- Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
- UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Oncology
- Published
- 2025-05-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.e16408
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.09