NEJM original articles

Background. Daratumumab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, has been approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Data are needed regarding the use of daratumumab for high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, a precursor disease of active multiple myeloma for which no treatments have been approved.

Methods. In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma to receive either subcutaneous daratumumab monotherapy or active monitoring. Treatment was continued for 39 cycles, for 36 months, or until confirmation of disease progression, whichever occurred first. The primary end point was progression-free survival; progression to active multiple myeloma was assessed by an independent review committee in accordance with International Myeloma Working Group diagnostic criteria.

Results. Among the 390 enrolled patients, 194 were assigned to the daratumumab group and 196 to the active-monitoring group. With a median follow-up of 65.2 months, the risk of disease progression or death was 51% lower with daratumumab than with active monitoring (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36 to 0.67; P<0.001). Progression-free survival at 5 years was 63.1% with daratumumab and 40.8% with active monitoring. A total of 15 patients (7.7%) in the daratumumab group and 26 patients (13.3%) in the active-monitoring group died (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.98). Overall survival at 5 years was 93.0% with daratumumab and 86.9% with active monitoring. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse event was hypertension, which occurred in 5.7% and 4.6% of the patients in the daratumumab group and the active-monitoring group, respectively. Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 5.7% of the patients in the daratumumab group, and no new safety concerns were identified.

Conclusions. Among patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, subcutaneous daratumumab monotherapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of progression to active multiple myeloma or death and with higher overall survival than active monitoring. No unexpected safety concerns were identified. (Funded by Janssen Research and Development; AQUILA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03301220.).

Background. In a previous phase 2 trial, bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) revaccination was not shown to provide protection from primary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection but prevented sustained M. tuberculosis infection, defined by an initial conversion on a QuantiFERON-TB (QFT) test (an interferon-γ release assay) from negative to positive, followed by two additional positive QFT tests at 3 and 6 months after the initial conversion (a secondary end point). A vaccine efficacy of 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6 to 68) was observed.

Methods. We performed a phase 2b, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of BCG revaccination, as compared with placebo, for the prevention of sustained QFT test conversion (primary end point) in QFT test-negative, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adolescents. Adverse events were assessed in a secondary analysis, and immunogenicity was assessed in an exploratory analysis. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated in the modified intention-to-treat population, which included all the participants who had undergone randomization, received the BCG vaccine or placebo, and had a negative QFT test 10 weeks after receipt of BCG vaccine or placebo; the last criterion was added to exclude participants with M. tuberculosis infection around the time that the vaccine or placebo was administered. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated from a stratified Cox proportional-hazards model.

Results. A total of 1836 participants underwent randomization; 918 received the BCG vaccine, and 917 received placebo. After a median 30 months of follow-up, a sustained QFT test conversion was observed in 62 of 871 participants in the BCG-vaccine group and 59 of 849 participants in the placebo group. The hazard ratio for a sustained QFT test conversion (BCG vaccine vs. placebo) was 1.04 (95% CI, 0.73 to 1.48), for a vaccine efficacy point estimate of -3.8% (95% CI, -48.3 to 27.4). Adverse events occurred more frequently in the BCG-vaccine group than in the placebo group, and most were due to injection-site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, and ulceration). BCG revaccination induced cytokine-positive type 1 helper CD4 T cells.

Conclusions. BCG revaccination in QFT-test negative, HIV-negative adolescents did not provide protection from sustained M. tuberculosis infection. (Funded by the Gates Foundation; ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04152161.).

Background. Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems have been shown to be beneficial for patients with type 1 diabetes, but data are needed from randomized, controlled trials regarding their role in the management of insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.

Methods. In this 13-week, multicenter trial, adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive AID or to continue their pretrial insulin-delivery method (control group); both groups received continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The primary outcome was the glycated hemoglobin level at 13 weeks.

Results. A total of 319 patients underwent randomization. Glycated hemoglobin levels decreased by 0.9 percentage points (from 8.2±1.4% at baseline to 7.3±0.9% at week 13) in the AID group and by 0.3 percentage points (from 8.1±1.2% to 7.7±1.1%) in the control group (mean adjusted difference, -0.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.8 to -0.4; P<0.001). The mean percentage of time that patients were in the target glucose range of 70 to 180 mg per deciliter increased from 48±24% to 64±16% in the AID group and from 51±21% to 52±21% in the control group (mean difference, 14 percentage points; 95% CI, 11 to 17; P<0.001). All other multiplicity-controlled CGM outcomes reflective of hyperglycemia that were measured were significantly better in the AID group than in the control group. The frequency of CGM-measured hypoglycemia was low in both groups. A severe hypoglycemia event occurred in one patient in the AID group.

Conclusions. In this 13-week, randomized, controlled trial involving adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, AID was associated with a greater reduction in glycated hemoglobin levels than CGM alone. (Funded by Tandem Diabetes Care; 2IQP ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05785832.).

Background. Aldosterone dysregulation contributes to hypertension. Lorundrostat is an aldosterone synthase inhibitor, but data on its efficacy and safety in patients with hypertension are limited.

Methods. In this multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned participants who were receiving two to five antihypertensive medications and had a blood-pressure measurement of 140/90 mm Hg or higher obtained during an office visit to undergo a standardized antihypertensive regimen for 3 weeks. Subsequently, participants with an average 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure of 130/80 mm Hg or higher were assigned to receive placebo, lorundrostat at a stable dose of 50 mg daily (the stable-dose group), or lorundrostat at a starting dose of 50 mg daily, with an increase to 100 mg daily if systolic blood pressure was 130 mm Hg or higher after 4 weeks (the dose-adjustment group). The primary end point was the change in 24-hour average systolic blood pressure from baseline to week 12, assessed as the least-squares mean difference from placebo (the placebo-adjusted change) in each lorundrostat group. A key secondary end point was the change in 24-hour average systolic blood pressure from baseline to week 4, assessed as the placebo-adjusted change in the combined lorundrostat groups.

Results. A total of 285 participants underwent randomization; 94 were assigned to the stable-dose group, 96 to the dose-adjustment group, and 95 to the placebo group. The mean age was 60 years, and 150 participants (53%) were Black. After 12 weeks, the least-squares mean change in 24-hour average systolic blood pressure was -15.4 mm Hg in the stable-dose group, -13.9 mm Hg in the dose-adjustment group, and -7.4 mm Hg in the placebo group. The placebo-adjusted change in blood pressure was -7.9 mm Hg (97.5% confidence interval [CI], -13.3 to -2.6) in the stable-dose group and -6.5 mm Hg (97.5% CI, -11.8 to -1.2) in the dose-adjustment group. The placebo-adjusted change in 24-hour average systolic blood pressure from baseline to week 4 in the combined lorundrostat groups was -5.3 mm Hg (95% CI, -8.4 to -2.3). A potassium level above 6.0 mmol per liter occurred in 5 participants (5%) in the stable-dose group, 7 participants (7%) in the dose-adjustment group, and no participants in the placebo group.

Conclusions. Lorundrostat was associated with greater reductions in 24-hour average blood pressure than placebo in participants with uncontrolled and treatment-resistant hypertension. (Funded by Mineralys Therapeutics; Advance-HTN ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05769608.).

Background. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting CD19 have transformed the treatment of B-cell cancers, but many patients do not have long-term remission. We designed an anti-CD19 enhanced (armored) CAR T-cell product (huCART19-IL18) that secretes interleukin-18 to enhance antitumor activity.

Methods. In this study, we assessed the safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of huCART19-IL18 in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma after previous anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Using a 3-day manufacturing process, we administered huCART19-IL18-positive cells in doses ranging from 3×10⁶ to 3×10⁸.

Results. A total of 21 patients received huCART19-IL18. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 62% of the patients (47% with grade 1 or 2), and immune effector-cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome occurred in 14% (all grade 1 or 2). No unexpected adverse events were observed. Robust CAR T-cell expansion was detected across all dose levels. At 3 months after infusion, a complete or partial response was seen in 81% of the patients (90% confidence interval [CI], 62 to 93) and a complete response in 52% (90% CI, 33 to 71). With a median follow-up of 17.5 months (range, 3 to 34), the median duration of response was 9.6 months (90% CI, 5.5 to not reached).

Conclusions. In this small study, huCART19-IL18 had a safety profile consistent with other CAR T-cell treatments and showed promising efficacy at low cell doses in patients with lymphoma after the failure of previous anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04684563.).