Galiximab: a review

Abstract

Importance of the field: A significant number of patients relapse or do not respond to rituximab due to intrinsic or acquired resistance. Hence, mAbs targeting other cell surface antigens on B-cell lymphomas are being studied. CD80 is a glycoprotein expressed on Hodgkin's lymphoma, mature B-cell lymphomas and immunoeffector cells which may have T-regulatory, in addition to direct antitumor activity. CD80 serves as an attractive target in the continued development of mAbs against lymphoma.

Areas covered in this review: Preclinical studies with galiximab, an anti-CD80 primatized mAb, have been encouraging and have demonstrated antitumor activity against various B-cell lymphoma models, both as a single agent as well as in combination with rituximab. Data were reviewed from a PubMed literature search from 1975 to 2009 and also included a review of abstracts from published proceedings of annual meetings from the American Society of Hematology and International Conference of Malignant Lymphoma, Lugano.

What the reader will gain: Readers will gain a better understanding of mechanisms of action (both documented and proposed) of galiximab. An update of currently available clinical data will be presented.

Take home message: Data from completed clinical trials are promising and galiximab is being studied in both upfront and relapsed settings with the potential of being incorporated into the future treatment of B-cell lymphoma.

Keywords::

• anti-CD80
• galiximab
• mAb
• non-Hodgkin's lymphoma