Real-world comparison of tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) have both demonstrated impressive clinical activity in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). A retrospective study in France compared real-world activity of tisa-cel and axi-cel for R/R DLBCL after two or more previous lines of treatment. The ORR/CRR was 80%/60% with axi-cel versus 66%/42% with tisa-cel (p<0.001 for both ORR and CRR comparisons. After median follow-up of 11.7 months, the 1-year progression-free survival rate was 46.6% with axi-cel versus 33.2% with tisa-cel (HR 0.61; p=0.0003). The 1-year overall survival rate was 63.5% with axi-cel versus 48.8% with tisa-cel (HR 0.63; p=0.0072). Grade 1-2 cytokine release syndrome was significantly more frequent with axi-cel than with tisa-cel, but no significant difference was observed for grade ≥ 3. Both grade 1-2 and grade ≥ 3 ICANS were significantly more frequent with axi-cel than with tisa-cel. The authors conclude that axi-cel compared with tisa-cel had higher efficacy and higher toxicity in third or higher treatment line for R/R DLBCL.