CLINICAL TRIAL / NCT03570892

Inclusion Criteria: - Histologically confirmed, aggressive B-cell NHL at relapse/progression or PR after front line therapy. Aggressive B-cell NHL is heretofore defined by the following list of subtypes (Swerdlow et al 2016): - DLBCL, NOS, - FL grade 3B, - Primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma (PMBCL), - T cell rich/histiocyte rich large B cell lymphoma (T/HRBCL), - DLBCL associated with chronic inflammation, - Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, - ALK+ large B-cell lymphoma, - B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, (with features intermediate between DLBCL and classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL)), - High grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements, - High-grade B-cell lymphoma, NOS - HHV8+ DLBCL, NOS - DLBCL transforming from follicular lymphoma - DLBCL transforming from marginal zone lymphoma - DLBCL, leg type - Relapse or progression within 365 days from last dose of anti CD20 antibody and anthracycline containing first line immunochemotherapy or refractory (have not achieved a CR). - Patient is considered eligible for autologous HSCT as per local investigator assessment. Note: Intention to transplant and type of high dose chemotherapy (HDCT) regimen will be documented at the time of study entry - Disease that is both active on PET scan (defined as 5-Deauville scorepoint-scale of 4 or 5) and measurable on CT scan, defined as:: - Nodal lesions >15 mm in the long axis, regardless of the length of the short axis, and/or - Extranodal lesions (outside lymph node or nodal mass, but including liver and spleen) >10 mm in long AND short axis - Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1 - Adequate organ function: Renal function defined as: - Serum creatinine of ≤1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), OR estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 Hepatic function defined as: - Alanine Transaminase (ALT) and Aspartate Transiminase (AST) ≤ 5 × ULN - Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN with the exception of patients with Gilbert syndrome who may be included if their total bilirubin is ≤3.0 × ULN and direct bilirubin ≤1.5 × ULN Hematologic Function (regardless of transfusions) defined as: - Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >1000/mm3 - Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) >300/mm3 OR Absolute number of CD3+ T cells >150/mm3 (only for patients with non-historical apheresis) - Platelets ≥50000/mm3 - Hemoglobin >8.0 g/dl Adequate pulmonary function defined as: - No or mild dyspnea (≤ Grade 1) - Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry > 90% on room air - Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) ≥ 50% and/or carbon monoxide diffusion test (DLCO) ≥50% of predicted level - Must have a leukapheresis material of non-mobilized cells available for manufacturing. Exclusion Criteria: - Prior treatment with anti-CD19 therapy, T cell therapy, or any prior gene therapy product - Treatment with any systemic lymphoma-directed second line anticancer therapy prior to randomization. Only steroids and local irradiation are permitted for disease control - Patients with active central nervous system (CNS) involvement by disease under study are excluded, except if the CNS involvement has been effectively treated and local treatment was >4 weeks before randomization - Prior allogeneic HSCT - Clinically significant active infection - Any of the following cardiovascular conditions: - Unstable angina, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), or stroke within 6 months prior to screening, - Left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) <45% as determined by echocardiogram (ECHO) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or multigated acquisition (MUGA) at the screening assessment. - New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV (Chavey et al 2001), within the past 12 months. - Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., ventricular tachycardia), complete left bundle branch block, high-grade atrioventricular (AV) block (e.g., bifascicular block, Mobitz type II) and third degree AV block unless adequately controlled by pacemaker implantation. - Resting QTcF ≥450 msec (male) or ≥460 msec (female) at screening or inability to determine the QTcF interval - Risk factors for Torsades de Pointes (TdP), including uncorrected hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia, history of cardiac failure, or history of clinically significant/ symptomatic bradycardia, or any of the following: - Long QT syndrome, family history of idiopathic sudden death or congenital long QT syndrome - Concomitant medication(s) with a "Known Risk of Torsades de Pointes" per crediblemeds.org that cannot be discontinued or replaced by safe alternative medication. - Patients with active neurological autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (e.g., Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)) and clinically significant active cerebrovascular disorders (e.g. cerebral edema, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES))