Routine prophylaxis with levetiracetam offers no benefit in CD19 CAR-T for LBCL: a multicenter propensity-matched study

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the impact of levetiracetam (LVT) prophylaxis on the incidence and severity of immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) in patients undergoing anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for LBCL (large B-cell lymphoma). A propensity score–matched cohort of 254 patients was analyzed, comparing those receiving LVT prophylaxis (LTV-yes) with those not receiving it (LTV-no), in a 1:1 ratio. The results showed no significant difference in the occurrence of ICANS of any grade between the 2 groups (32.3% in LVT-no vs 37.1% in LVT-yes; P = .29), or in severe ICANS (grades 2-4, 15.1% vs 16.1% [P = .80]; grade 3-4, 7.9% vs 9.7% [P = .71]). The use of LVT was associated with a higher incidence of early immune effector cell–associated hematotoxicity (ICAHT), with grade 2 to 4 ICAHT occurring in 37.3% vs 63.9% (P < .001) of patients in the LVT-no and LVT-yes groups, respectively. Overall survival and progression-free survival did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (P = .337 and .670). Nonrelapse mortality rates were comparable (P = .77). These findings suggest that routine use of LVT as prophylaxis for ICANS in CAR-T therapy is not effective, and further research is needed to refine its role in selected populations or after ICANS treatment.