Mitigating the risk of cytokine release syndrome in a Phase I trial of CD20/CD3 bispecific antibody mosunetuzumab in NHL: impact of translational system modeling

Mosunetuzumab, a T-cell dependent bispecific antibody that binds CD3 and CD20 to drive T-cell mediated B-cell killing, is currently being tested in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, potent immune stimulation with T-cell directed therapies poses the risk of cytokine release syndrome, potentially limiting dose and utility. To understand mechanisms behind safety and efficacy and explore safety mitigation strategies, we developed a novel mechanistic model of immune and antitumor responses to the T-cell bispecifics (mosunetuzumab and blinatumomab), including the dynamics of B- and T-lymphocytes in circulation, lymphoid tissues, and tumor. The model was developed and validated using mosunetuzumab nonclinical and blinatumomab clinical data. Simulations delineated mechanisms contributing to observed cell and cytokine (IL6) dynamics and predicted that initial step-fractionated dosing limits systemic T-cell activation and cytokine release without compromising tumor response. These results supported a change to a step-fractionated treatment schedule of mosunetuzumab in the ongoing Phase I clinical trial, enabling safer administration of higher doses.