Purpose: Anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) monotherapy induces a high response rate in patients with relapsed/refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), but complete remission (CR) is infrequently observed. As decitabine is known to boost T-cell function, we assessed the safety and efficacy of anti-PD-1 camrelizumab alone versus decitabine-primed camrelizumab in patients with relapsed/refractory cHL.
Methods: This two-arm, open-label, phase II study enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory cHL who had received at least two lines of previous therapy. Anti-PD-1 treatment-naïve patients were randomly assigned (1:2) to camrelizumab (200 mg) monotherapy or decitabine (10 mg/d, days 1 to 5) plus camrelizumab (200 mg, day 8) combination therapy every 3 weeks. Patients who were previously treated with anti-PD-1 were assigned combination therapy. Primary end point was CR rate and safety.
Results: Overall, 86 patients were enrolled and evaluated for response, with a median follow-up of 14.9 months. In anti-PD-1-naïve patients, CR rate was 32% (six of 19 patients) with camrelizumab monotherapy versus 71% (30 of 42 patients) who were administered decitabine plus camrelizumab (P = .003). At the time of analysis, the response duration rate at 6 months was 76% on camrelizumab monotherapy versus 100% on decitabine plus camrelizumab. For patients who were previously treated with anti-PD-1, 28% achieved CR and 24% partial response after decitabine plus camrelizumab. Ten patients maintained a response at more than 6 months and 81% of responders were estimated to have a response at more than 1 year. For both treatments, the most common adverse events were clinically inconsequential cherry hemangiomas and leukocytopenia that were self-limiting.
Conclusion: CR rate in patients with relapsed/refractory cHL who were clinically naïve to PD-1 blockade was significantly higher with decitabine plus camrelizumab than with camrelizumab alone. Decitabine plus camrelizumab may reverse resistance to PD-1 inhibitors in patients with relapsed/refractory cHL.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02961101 NCT03250962.