TIL Therapy in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is a personalized immunotherapy. TIL-ACT involves the infusion of autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes collected from tumor material and expanded ex-vivo with IL-2. These polyclonal immune cells can recognize and target multiple individualized tumor-specific antigens.

Clinical trials have demonstrated significant response rates in advanced melanoma patients. However, few trials have investigated TIL-ACT in other solid tumors, including NSCLC. For NSCLC patients experiencing disease progression after standard therapies (immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapies), effective options are limited, often restricted to traditional chemotherapy with modest response rates, short durability, and significant toxicity. TIL-ACT represents an attractive individualized treatment approach for NSCLC patients.

The BaseTIL-02L study is a single-arm phase II trial investigating TIL-ACT efficacy in pretreated NSCLC patients. The study protocol includes preconditioning non-myeloablative chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide and fludarabine) and in-vivo TIL activation with high-dose interleukin 2 (for up to 15 doses, every 8 hours) following TIL transfer.

Inclusion criteria

• Ability of the patient to understand the purpose of the study, provide signed and dated informed consent prior to performing any protocol-related procedures (including screening evaluations), and be able and willing to comply with the study procedures.
• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0-1 (cf. Appendix).
• Histologically confirmed NSCLC.
• Disease progression after at least one standard therapy and without any approved curative-intended treatment option.
• Accessible tumor lesion/metastasis for tumor collection.
• Willingness of the patient to undergo a surgical intervention (eg, surgical resection and/or biopsy) to collect one or more tumor lesions/metastases.
• Adequate organ function (pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological, hepatic, and renal function) per investigator's judgment. Cardiac stress testing is required for all patients with underlying cardiac conditions and patients with age ≥ 50 years.
• Negative serum pregnancy test in women of childbearing potential, in peri-menopausal women and in women with less than 2 years of menopause.

Exclusion criteria

• Active central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Patients with stable CNS metastases ≥ 1 month after definitive treatment (eg, surgery and/or radiotherapy) are eligible.
• Participants with an active second malignancy.
• Evidence of significant, uncontrolled concomitant diseases that could affect compliance with the protocol, including autoimmune or immunodeficient conditions, significant pulmonary disease, significant cardiac and/or vascular disease per investigator's judgment.
• Prior immune-related adverse events that would preclude re-challenge with an immune checkpoint inhibitor or immunomodulatory agent per investigator's judgment.
• Immunosuppressive treatment that would preclude the patient from any of the study therapies per investigator's judgment.
• Severe active infections or uncontrolled infectious conditions requiring treatment.
• Any other conditions/diseases, allergies, dysfunctions, and/or findings, that would contraindicate the use of any of the study interventions or therapies.
• Contraindication for any of the planned measures, interventions and/or treatments.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or female subject who are not willing to use an acceptable, highly effective method of contraception until the End-of-Study visit.
• Known hypersensitivity to any of study therapies or drugs used for TIL production.
• Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (or tests positive for HIV 1 or 2 at Screening).
• Known hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection.