Bristol Myers Squibb Presents First Data from the Marginal Zone Lymphoma Cohort of the Transcend FL Trial Demonstrating Deep and Durable Responses with Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel)
95.5% of patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) treated with lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) achieved a response, with 62.1% achieving complete response and 88.6% maintaining a response at 24 months
New data show liso-cel demonstrated high rates of durable responses and a consistent safety profile in a fifth cancer type, the most of any CD19-directed CAR T cell therapy
Additional liso-cel data at ICML 2025 further reinforce BMS' commitment to unlocking the full potential of this therapy for patients
Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) today announced the first disclosure of the primary analysis results of the marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) cohort of TRANSCEND FL, an open-label, global, multicenter, Phase 2, single-arm study evaluating Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel; liso-cel) in patients with relapsed or refractory disease. The new data will be presented at the 2025 International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) in an oral presentation on June 19, building on positive topline results announced in February.
"Liso-cel achieved high, lasting response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma, underscoring the potential of this one-time therapy to significantly improve patient outcomes," said M. Lia Palomba, M.D., TRANSCEND FL study investigator and lymphoma and cell therapy specialist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "Currently, the median survival for patients with marginal zone lymphoma with multiple relapses is 3 to 5 years, signifying an urgent need for transformative therapies that can effectively address this hard-to-treat disease."
The MZL cohort of TRANSCEND FL enrolled adults with relapsed or refractory disease treated with liso-cel in the third-line plus setting. Patients received treatment with liso-cel at a target dose of 100 x 106 CAR-positive viable T cells.
In efficacy-evaluable patients with relapsed or refractory MZL treated with liso-cel (n=66), liso-cel demonstrated clinically meaningful benefit, with high rates of durable responses. The overall response rate (ORR) was 95.5% (95% CI: 87.3-99.1; one-sided p<0.0001), with 62.1% of patients achieving a complete response (CR) (95% CI: 49.3-73.8; one-sided p<0.0001) by independent review committee per CT. With a median follow-up of 21.6, 23.8, and 24.5 months, respectively, the 24-month rates were 88.6% for duration of response, 85.7% for progression-free survival, and 90.4% for overall survival.
Liso-cel exhibited a consistent safety profile, with low rates of severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events (NE) with no new safety signals observed. Any grade CRS occurred in 76% of patients, with Grade 3 CRS occurring in 4% of patients and no Grade 4/5 CRS reported. Any grade NEs were reported in 33% of patients, with Grade 3 NEs occurring in 4% of patients and no Grade 4/5 NEs reported. The study will continue to evaluate ORR and safety in patients through the final analysis.
"MZL is an indolent disease but remains an area of high unmet need for patients who are relapsing and reaching later lines of treatment," said Rosanna Ricafort, vice president, Senior Global Program Lead for Hematology and Cell Therapy, Bristol Myers Squibb. "We are proud to present for the first time the primary analysis data from the MZL cohort of TRANSCEND FL, underscoring our commitment to unlock the full potential of cell therapy to help patients living with relapsed or refractory lymphomas. As highlighted by the data at ICML, Breyanzi continues to cover the broadest patient eligibility of any CAR T for B-cell malignancies and demonstrates a safety profile consistent with clinical trials and in the real-world setting for approved indications."
Additional key Bristol Myers Squibb data presentations on liso-cel at ICML 2025 include:
Title: Lisocabtagene maraleucel in R/R FL (TRANSCEND FL): impact of prior lines of therapy, bendamustine exposure, and disease progression ≤24 months of initial systemic therapy
Oral presentation: Thursday, June 19
Key findings: Results support the sustained clinical benefit and safety profile of liso-cel for patients with R/R regardless of POD24 status and prior bendamustine exposure with a trend for better outcomes in earlier lines of therapy.
Title: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison of lisocabtagene maraleucel versus epcoritamab in patients with third-line or later relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma
Poster session: Thursday, June 19
Key findings: The data support liso-cel as an effective treatment for patients with third-line plus R/R FL, potentially offering improved efficacy over epcoritamab in this setting.
Title: Comparative outcomes of lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) versus an external control arm (ECA) in third-line or later (3L+) R/R follicular lymphoma (FL)
Poster session: Friday, June 20
Key findings: Liso-cel appeared to show better efficacy than SOC therapies in patients with third-line plus R/R FL, further supporting it as an important treatment option to improve patient outcomes in this setting.
Title: Optimizing post–chimeric antigen receptor T cell monitoring: evidence across lisocabtagene maraleucel pivotal clinical trials and real-world experience (recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting)
Poster session: Friday, June 20
Key findings: Results showed that most cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome events in patients treated with liso-cel occurred less than 2 weeks after infusion and were not severe, providing insight into the onset of these events across clinical trials and in the real-world setting.
Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the clinical trials.
About TRANSCEND FL
TRANSCEND FL (NCT04245839) is an open-label, global, multicenter, Phase 2, single-arm study to determine the efficacy and safety of Breyanzi in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma. The primary outcome measure is overall response rate. Secondary outcome measures include complete response rate, duration of response, and progression-free survival.
About MZL
Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is the third most common lymphoma, accounting for about 7% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. Most patients with MZL are at a median age of 67 years when they are diagnosed. MZL develops when white blood cells cluster together to form lumps in a person's lymph nodes or organs. Initial therapy often leads to remission, but relapse is common, sometimes occurring several times over many years. A small portion of MZL cases transform into diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma, a more aggressive lymphoma.
About Breyanzi
Breyanzi is a CD19-directed CAR T cell therapy with a 4-1BB costimulatory domain, which enhances the expansion and persistence of the CAR T cells. Breyanzi is made from a patient's own T cells, which are collected and genetically reengineered to become CAR T cells that are then delivered via infusion as a one-time treatment.
Breyanzi is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) after at least one prior line of therapy, has received accelerated approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma after at least two prior lines of therapy and relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) in the third-line plus setting, and is approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma in the third-line plus setting. Breyanzi is also approved in Japan, the European Union (EU), Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada for the treatment of relapsed or refractory LBCL after at least one prior line of therapy; in Japan for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk FL after one prior line of systemic therapy and in patients with relapsed or refractory FL after two or more lines of systemic therapy; and in the EU for the treatment of relapsed or refractory FL after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
Bristol Myers Squibb's clinical development program for Breyanzi includes clinical studies in several types of lymphoma. For more information, visit clinicaltrials.gov.
U.S. FDA-Approved Indications
BREYANZI is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy indicated for the treatment of:
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adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified (including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma), high-grade B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma grade 3B, who have:
- refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy; or
- refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy and are not eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to comorbidities or age; or
- relapsed or refractory disease after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
Limitations of Use: BREYANZI is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma.
- adult patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have received at least 2 prior lines of therapy, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).
- adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) who have received 2 or more prior lines of systemic therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).
- adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least 2 prior lines of systemic therapy, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor.
U.S. Important Safety Information
WARNING: CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME, NEUROLOGIC TOXICITIES, AND SECONDARY HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES
- Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving BREYANZI. Do not administer BREYANZI to patients with active infection or inflammatory disorders. Treat severe or life-threatening CRS with tocilizumab with or without corticosteroids.
- Neurologic toxicities, including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving BREYANZI, including concurrently with CRS, after CRS resolution, or in the absence of CRS. Monitor for neurologic events after treatment with BREYANZI. Provide supportive care and/or corticosteroids as needed.
- T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment of hematologic malignancies with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including BREYANZI.
- BREYANZI is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the BREYANZI REMS.
Cytokine Release Syndrome
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, which enrolled a total of 702 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), CRS occurred in 54% of patients, including ≥ Grade 3 CRS in 3.2% of patients. The median time to onset was 5 days (range: 1 to 63 days). CRS resolved in 98% of patients with a median duration of 5 days (range: 1 to 37 days). One patient had fatal CRS and 5 patients had ongoing CRS at the time of death. The most common manifestations of CRS (≥10%) were fever, hypotension, tachycardia, chills, hypoxia, and headache.
Serious events that may be associated with CRS include cardiac arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia), cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, diffuse alveolar damage, renal insufficiency, capillary leak syndrome, hypotension, hypoxia, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome (HLH/MAS).
Ensure that 2 doses of tocilizumab are available prior to infusion of BREYANZI.
Neurologic Toxicities
Neurologic toxicities that were fatal or life-threatening, including immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. Serious events including cerebral edema and seizures occurred with BREYANZI. Fatal and serious cases of leukoencephalopathy, some attributable to fludarabine, also occurred.
In clinical trials of BREYANZI, CAR T cell-associated neurologic toxicities occurred in 31% of patients, including ≥ Grade 3 cases in 10% of patients. The median time to onset of neurotoxicity was 8 days (range: 1 to 63 days). Neurologic toxicities resolved in 88% of patients with a median duration of 7 days (range: 1 to 119 days). Of patients developing neurotoxicity, 82% also developed CRS.
The most common neurologic toxicities (≥5%) included encephalopathy, tremor, aphasia, headache, dizziness, and delirium.
CRS and Neurologic Toxicities Monitoring
Monitor patients daily for at least 7 days following BREYANZI infusion at a REMS-certified healthcare facility for signs and symptoms of CRS and neurologic toxicities and assess for other causes of neurological symptoms. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of CRS and neurologic toxicities for at least 4 weeks after infusion and treat promptly. At the first sign of CRS, institute treatment with supportive care, tocilizumab, or tocilizumab and corticosteroids as indicated. Manage neurologic toxicity with supportive care and/or corticosteroid as needed. Counsel patients to seek immediate medical attention should signs or symptoms of CRS or neurologic toxicity occur at any time.
BREYANZI REMS
Because of the risk of CRS and neurologic toxicities, BREYANZI is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the BREYANZI REMS. The required components of the BREYANZI REMS are:
- Healthcare facilities that dispense and administer BREYANZI must be enrolled and comply with the REMS requirements.
- Certified healthcare facilities must have on-site, immediate access to tocilizumab.
- Ensure that a minimum of 2 doses of tocilizumab are available for each patient for infusion within 2 hours after BREYANZI infusion, if needed for treatment of CRS.
Further information is available at www.BreyanziREMS.com, or contact Bristol Myers Squibb at 1-866-340-7332.
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Allergic reactions may occur with the infusion of BREYANZI. Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, may be due to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Serious Infections
Severe infections, including life-threatening or fatal infections, have occurred in patients after BREYANZI infusion. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, infections of any grade occurred in 34% of patients, with Grade 3 or higher infections occurring in 12% of all patients. Grade 3 or higher infections with an unspecified pathogen occurred in 7%, bacterial infections in 3.7%, viral infections in 2%, and fungal infections in 0.7% of patients. One patient who received 4 prior lines of therapy developed a fatal case of John Cunningham (JC) virus progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy 4 months after treatment with BREYANZI. One patient who received 3 prior lines of therapy developed a fatal case of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis 35 days after treatment with BREYANZI.
Febrile neutropenia developed after BREYANZI infusion in 8% of patients. Febrile neutropenia may be concurrent with CRS. In the event of febrile neutropenia, evaluate for infection and manage with broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluids, and other supportive care as medically indicated.
Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infection before and after BREYANZI administration and treat appropriately. Administer prophylactic antimicrobials according to standard institutional guidelines. Avoid administration of BREYANZI in patients with clinically significant, active systemic infections.
Viral reactivation: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, in some cases resulting in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure, and death, can occur in patients treated with drugs directed against B cells. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, 35 of 38 patients with a prior history of HBV were treated with concurrent antiviral suppressive therapy.
Perform screening for HBV, HCV, and HIV in accordance with clinical guidelines before collection of cells for manufacturing. In patients with prior history of HBV, consider concurrent antiviral suppressive therapy to prevent HBV reactivation per standard guidelines.
Prolonged Cytopenias
Patients may exhibit cytopenias not resolved for several weeks following lymphodepleting chemotherapy and BREYANZI infusion. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, Grade 3 or higher cytopenias persisted at Day 29 following BREYANZI infusion in 35% of patients, and included thrombocytopenia in 25%, neutropenia in 22%, and anemia in 6% of patients. Monitor complete blood counts prior to and after BREYANZI administration.
Hypogammaglobulinemia
B-cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinemia can occur in patients receiving BREYANZI. In clinical trials of BREYANZI, hypogammaglobulinemia was reported as an adverse reaction in 10% of patients. Hypogammaglobulinemia, either as an adverse reaction or laboratory IgG level below 500 mg/dL after infusion, was reported in 30% of patients. Monitor immunoglobulin levels after treatment with BREYANZI and manage using infection precautions, antibiotic prophylaxis, and immunoglobulin replacement as clinically indicated.
Live vaccines: The safety of immunization with live viral vaccines during or following BREYANZI treatment has not been studied. Vaccination with live virus vaccines is not recommended for at least 6 weeks prior to the start of lymphodepleting chemotherapy, during BREYANZI treatment, and until immune recovery following treatment with BREYANZI.
Secondary Malignancies
Patients treated with BREYANZI may develop secondary malignancies. T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment of hematologic malignancies with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including BREYANZI. Mature T cell malignancies, including CAR-positive tumors, may present as soon as weeks following infusion, and may include fatal outcomes. Monitor lifelong for secondary malignancies. In the event that a secondary malignancy occurs, contact Bristol Myers Squibb at 1-888-805-4555 for reporting and to obtain instructions on collection of patient samples for testing.
Effects on Ability to Drive and Use Machines
Due to the potential for neurologic events, including altered mental status or seizures, patients receiving BREYANZI are at risk for developing altered or decreased consciousness or impaired coordination in the 8 weeks following BREYANZI administration. Advise patients to refrain from driving and engaging in hazardous occupations or activities, such as operating heavy or potentially dangerous machinery, for at least 8 weeks.
Immune Effector Cell-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis-Like Syndrome (IEC-HS)
Immune Effector Cell-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis-Like Syndrome (IEC-HS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred following treatment with BREYANZI. Three of 89 (3%) safety evaluable patients with R/R CLL/SLL developed IEC-HS. Time to onset of IEC-HS ranged from 7 to 18 days. Two of the 3 patients developed IEC-HS in the setting of ongoing CRS and 1 in the setting of ongoing neurotoxicity. IEC-HS was fatal in 2 of 3 patients. One patient had fatal IEC-HS and one had ongoing IEC-HS at time of death. IEC-HS is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate if not recognized and treated early. Treatment of IEC-HS should be administered per current practice guidelines.
Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reaction(s) (incidence ≥30%) in:
- LBCL are fever, cytokine release syndrome, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and nausea. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities include lymphocyte count decrease, neutrophil count decrease, platelet count decrease, and hemoglobin decrease.
- CLL/SLL are cytokine release syndrome, encephalopathy, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, nausea, edema, and diarrhea. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities include neutrophil count decrease, white blood cell decrease, hemoglobin decrease, platelet count decrease, and lymphocyte count decrease.
- FL is cytokine release syndrome. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities include lymphocyte count decrease, neutrophil count decrease, and white blood cell decrease.
- MCL are cytokine release syndrome, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and encephalopathy. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities include neutrophil count decrease, white blood cell decrease, and platelet count decrease.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS and Medication Guide.
Bristol Myers Squibb: Unlocking the Full Potential of Cell Therapy
A pioneer in harnessing the immune system to fight cancer and an established leader in cell therapy, Bristol Myers Squibb is uniquely positioned to unlock the full potential of this technology across blood cancers and within new frontiers, including autoimmune disease.
Bristol Myers Squibb is currently the only company with two approved CAR T cell therapies with two distinct targets, available in major markets around the world. Our bold vision for the future is one in which hundreds of thousands of patients can be treated with cell therapy's transformational potential.
The building blocks to realize this ambition—a promising and differentiated pipeline, extensive translational and clinical data sets, a deep bench of talent, and robust manufacturing capabilities— are in our cells. We are laser-focused on advancing the field of cell therapy toward a true revolution for patients. Learn more about the science behind cell therapy and ongoing progress at Bristol Myers Squibb here.
About Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, whether Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) for the additional indication described in this release will be commercially successful, any marketing approvals, if granted, may have significant limitations on their use, and that continued approval of Breyanzi for such additional indication described in this release may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect Bristol Myers Squibb's business and market, particularly those identified in the cautionary statement and risk factors discussion in Bristol Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, Bristol Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
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