Brentuximab vedotin for the treatment of Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) that has relapsed after autologous stem cell transplant have few therapeutic options. Patients with CD30-positive T-cell lymphoma similarly have few effective treatment options. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody–drug conjugate, which has demonstrated impressive efficacy and safety in both of these histologies.

Areas covered: BV was approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory HL and anaplastic large cell lymphoma in the USA in 2011 and the European Union in 2012. This review focuses on the pivotal Phase II studies, which led to approval of BV, as well as more recent research focusing on the incorporation of this agent into salvage and first-line chemotherapy.

Expert opinion: Early phase studies investigating BV in first-line therapy as well as a component of salvage therapy have shown promise. The increased use of BV will depend on positive results in several large, ongoing, randomized Phase III trials. BV may have a role in maintenance therapy going forward as a randomized controlled trial shows a progression-free survival benefit, but no overall survival benefit thus far. Preliminary data in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma have been promising and further studies are underway.

Keywords:

• antibody–drug conjugate
• brentuximab vedotin
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• monomethyl auristatin E

Declaration of interest

This paper was funded by the James P Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Both authors have received research funding from Seattle Genetics. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

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