PURPOSE: This proof-of-principle clinical trial evaluated whether an allogeneic multiple myeloma (MM) GM-CSF-secreting vaccine (MM-GVAX) in combination with lenalidomide could deepen the clinical response in patients with MM in sustained near complete remission (nCR). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Fifteen patients on lenalidomide were treated with MM-GVAX and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) (Prevnarñ) at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: Eight patients (53.3%) achieved a true CR. With a median follow-up of 5 years, the median progression-free survival had not been reached, and the median overall survival was 7.8 years from enrollment. MM-GVAX induced clonal T-cell expansion and measurable cytokine responses that persisted up to 7 years in all patients. At baseline, a higher minimal residual disease was predictive of early relapse. After vaccination, a lack of both CD27(-)DNAM1(-)CD8+ T cells and antigen-presenting cells was associated with disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: MM-GVAX, along with lenalidomide, effectively primed durable immunity and resulted long-term disease control, as suggested by the reappearance of a detectable, fluctuating M-spike without meeting the criteria for clinical relapse. For patients in a nCR, MM-GVAX administration was safe and resulted in prolonged clinical responses.

Author Info: (1) Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2) Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (3) Oncology, Johns Hopkins University. (4) Johns

Author Info: (1) Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2) Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (3) Oncology, Johns Hopkins University. (4) Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (5) Hematologic Malignancies, Johns Hopkins Medicine. (6) Johns Hopkins Medicine. (7) Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine. (8) Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (9) Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine. (10) Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (11) Adaptive Biotechnologies (United States). (12) Computational Biology, Adaptive Biotechnologies (United States). (13) Business Development, Adaptive Biotechnologies (United States). (14) Adaptive Biotechnology. (15) Bristol-Myers Squibb (United States). (16) Oncology, Johns Hopkins University. (17) Johns Hopkins Medicine. (18) Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine iborrell@jhmi.edu.