Lymphomas, European go-ahead for the double specific attack

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive form of lymphoma and is one of the most common types of hematologic cancer among adults. Every year in Europe, around 36,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer. Most respond to initial treatment, but four out of ten do not benefit from the current standard of care – first-line treatment – ​​and most patients requiring subsequent lines of therapy have poor outcomes. A new option is now also arriving in Europe for them: the first CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody capable of activating T lymphocytes, glofitamab. The European Commission has in fact granted the Conditional Marketing Authorization of this drug for the treatment of European patients with the most common and aggressive form of lymphoma following two or more therapeutic lines.

Innovative features

Glofitamab is a chemo-free and ready-to-use therapy, an important difference compared to other options which instead require longer preparation times, cell sampling and manipulation before starting treatment. For patients who could benefit from it, however, time can be a fundamental variable because these are patients at high risk of disease progression for whom acting even just a few days beforehand can make a difference.

Again, glofitamab was designed to be given for a fixed amount of time, so patients know when their treatment will be finished and allow them to have some time off treatment. “With this approval, European DLBCL patients treated with at least two prior lines of therapy will have a new treatment option that is easy to predict a significant clinical impact, potentially curative in a good number of patients. Thanks to its efficacy and short-term treatment regimen, glofitamab used as a single agent will help alleviate some of the physical and emotional burdens caused by cytotoxic therapies and improve patients’ quality of life,” said Carmelo Carlo-Stella, Full Professor of Hematology at Human itas University.

Lymphomas, a new strategy for the most difficult forms

by Tiziana Moriconi

09 January 2023

Rescue therapy

Not only innovative features but also efficacy, as demonstrated by the results of the pivotal study: glofitamab induced a complete or partial response in half of the patients. Among those who achieved a complete response, 74.6% maintained a response at 12 months, and the median duration of complete response has not been reached. “Heavily pretreated or refractory DLBCL patients unfortunately had few therapeutic alternatives. In recent years, the therapeutic landscape has been enriched with effective therapies, such as CAR-T and now, with the approval of glofitamab, we will have another significant breakthrough in the treatment of these patients”, said Paolo Corradini, Full Professor of Hematology at the University of Milan and director of the Hematology Division of the IRCCS Foundation of the National Cancer Institute of Milan, who participated in the pivotal study of glofitamab and has already treated several patients in the context of active compassionate use in Italy “Currently available data suggest that glofitamab is able to induce a consistent percentage of long-lasting responses, even in those who have previously failed a CAR-T cell therapy, thus representing a valid salvage therapy”.