Fixed treatment duration subcutaneous mosunetuzumab monotherapy in elderly/unfit patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: Interim results from the Phase II MorningSun study

Abstract Background: Mosunetuzumab (Mosun) is an off-the-shelf, CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibody that redirects T cells to eliminate B cells, including those that cause malignant disease. Mosun is FDA- and EMA-approved for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after ≥2 prior lines of therapy as a fixed-duration intravenous treatment, and can be given in an outpatient setting without mandatory hospitalization. Initial Phase I/II data with Mosun monotherapy have shown notable efficacy and manageable safety in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; NCT03677154; Olszewski et al. ASH 2022). The Phase II MorningSun study is the first to assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous (SC) Mosun monotherapy in elderly/unfit patients with previously untreated DLBCL; we report an interim analysis for this study. Methods: MorningSun (NCT05207670) is an open-label, multicenter, Phase II, basket study evaluating the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of Mosun SC monotherapy in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In the DLBCL cohort, eligible patients aged ≥80 years or aged 65–79 and considered ineligible for chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) were enrolled, primarily in US community sites. Hospitalization was not mandatory. Step-up doses of Mosun SC were administered on Day (D) 1 (5mg), D8 (45mg) and D15 (45mg) of Cycle 1, followed by 45mg on D1 of 21-day cycles, for up to 17 cycles or until unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint in this cohort was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 24 months after first study treatment. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, time to response (TTR), duration of response (DOR), duration of complete response (DOCR), overall survival (OS), and safety. An exploratory circulating tumor DNA analysis was performed using an AOA-NHL assay. Results: Overall,49 patients were enrolled, the majority at community sites (community, n=34; academic, n=15). Thirty-six patients had DLBCL, 6 had high-grade Gr B-cell lymphoma, 2 had T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma, and 1 had Gr 3B FL (histology missing/other lymphoma, n=4). Median age was 82.5 years (range: 71–101); 63.3% and 20.4% of patients had an ECOG performance status of 1 and 2, respectively; 40.8% had Ann Arbor stage IV disease; 51.0% had extranodal involvement; 18.4% had bulky disease; and 53.1% had an IPI score of 3–5. At the clinical cut-off date of February 10, 2025, 23 (46.9%) patients had discontinued treatment, mainly due to progressive disease (n=12, 24.5%) or an adverse event (AE; n=5, 10.2%); the median duration of follow-up was 12.5 months (range: 1.4–30.8) and the median number of cycles received was 14 (range: 1–17). The PFS rate at 12 months was 68.8% (95% confidence interval CI: 52.1–80.6) and OS rate at 12 months was 77.2% (95% CI: 61.1–87.3). The ORR and CR rates were 73.5% and 59.2%, respectively. Median TTR was 2.7 (range: 2.5–6.1) months. DOR and DOCR rates at 12 months were 84.6% (95% CI: 66.8–93.3) and 95.0% (95% CI: 69.5–99.3), respectively. The most common AE (any grade) was injection site reaction (n=25, 51.0%), which was mostly Gr 1 (n=24, 49.0%). Gr 3/4 AEs occurred in 65.3% (n=32) of patients, most commonly infections (16.3% n=8) and decreased neutrophil count (10.2% n=5); serious AEs occurred in 42.9% (n=21) of patients. Four patients experienced Gr 5 AEs (congestive cardiac failure, volvulus, unexplained death and intracranial hemorrhage, n=1 each); none were related to Mosun per investigator assessment. Infections occurred in 46.9% (n=23) of patients (Gr 1/2, 30.6% n=15; Gr 3, 16.3% n=8); no Gr 4/5 infections were observed. No immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome events occurred. Cytokine release syndrome was reported in 12.2% (n=6) of patients, with 10.2% (n=5) Gr 1 and 2.0% (n=1) Gr 2 events, all of which resolved. In evaluable patients with a CR (n=16), 68.8% (n=11) of patients were minimal residual disease negative (p-value cut-off 0.005).Conclusions: There remains an unmet need for effective chemotherapy-free options in previously untreated elderly and CIT-ineligible patients with DLBCL. Interim data from MorningSun demonstrate that fixed-duration Mosun SC monotherapy is active in these patients, with promising efficacy and a manageable safety profile, with predominantly mild-to-moderate AEs, allowing for outpatient administration in the community practice setting.