CELMoDs and Bispecifics Break Through Across Lymphomas and Leukemias at EHA 2026

The upcoming 2026 EHA Congress marks a pivotal point for leukemia and lymphoma research, as many of this year’s top presentations are centered around how novel approaches like CELMoDS and bispecific antibodies can move standard-of-care regimens away from chemotherapy and toward treatments with reduced toxicity burdens.

To prepare for the meeting, OncLive® got expert insights from the following key figures in the hematologic malignancy field:

• Tycel Phillips, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in the Division of Lymphoma at City of Hope in Duarte, California
• Lore Gruenbaum, PhD, chief scientific officer and senior vice president of Research at Blood Cancer United
• Brad S. Kahl, MD, a professor of medicine in the Division of Oncology and director of the Lymphoma Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri
• Paolo Strati, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology of the Division of Cancer Medicine and an associate professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, as well as an international faculty member in the Department of PhD program in Clinical and Experimental Oncology and Immunology at the University of Padova in Padua

Want to see more expert insights for the 2026 EHA Congress? Be sure to check out our 2026 EHA preview for the top presentations in multiple myeloma.

Follicular Lymphoma

Surovatamig (AZD0486) plus rituximab in previously untreated follicular lymphoma (FL): initial safety data from the phase 3 SOUNDTRACK-F1 trial

Presentation time: Thursday, June 11, 2026, 16:45 - 18:00 CEST.

Strati:[For the] first time, [we will see results] from a very large, randomized phase 3 study of frontline surovataimig [AZD0486], which is a novel bispecific antibody targeting CD3 and CD19 in combination with rituximab [Rituxan] for patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage, high tumor burden follicular lymphoma. The first disclosure will be focused on safety. To put things in context, the way we currently treat follicular lymphoma with advanced-stage, high-tumor burden in the frontline setting is mainly based on chemotherapy, either bendamustine plus rituximab or rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone [R-CHOP]. In the United States [US], based on compendium approval or National Comprehensive Cancer Network [NCCN] recommendations, we can also use frontline lenalidomide [Revlimid] plus rituximab. However, [lenalidomide plus rituximab] is not possible outside of the US, and even in the US, because it's not formally approved by the FDA as a frontline treatment, there's a limited utilization.

Over the years, [there has been] a lot of push in the [follicular lymphoma] community to try to come up with a new chemotherapy-free combination in the frontline that would finally be able, in a randomized phase 3 trial to beat chemotherpy. There are now a couple of randomized phase 3 trials, and SOUNDTRACK-F1 [NCT06549595] is one of them, trying to bring a bispecific antibody–based combination to the frontline to potentially beat chemotherapy [in follicular lymphoma]. SOUNDTRACK-F1 is comparing surovataimig plus rituximab to chemotherapy, and we'll see [the results]. We’re not going to learn much about efficacy, but at least we'll learn about safety, which is relevant because surovataimig is a bispecific antibody, which means going to engage T-cells and one concern with all bispecifics from the those traditionally approved by the FDA or EMA for follicular lymphoma, such as epcoritamab [Epkinly], is cytokine release syndrome [CRS] due to the T-cell engagement, which is usually above observed in about 40%of patients mainly during cycle 1. [Although, these CRS data] are based on clinical trials where bispecifics were utilized in patients who had relapsed after other lines of systemic treatment and the immune system was compromised. [Therefore,] one first concern that we have when it comes to safety, when we utilize bispecifics in the frontline setting is whether we will see more CRS since the T-cells will not be compromised by prior lines of systemic treatment, so I look forward to learn that from the presentation.

One big question I'm sure many of us will be looking forward to hearing the answer at the SOUNDTRACK-F1 presentation is whether there is any higher risks for infectious complications in these patients as compared with, paradoxically, even patients who are receiving chemotherapy, and most importantly, if we see any infection treatment-related mortality. It may be too early to answer the infection question. We'll probably learn more about CRS, which is an acute complication as compared to a long-term complication, but we may get some initial signal now as I am excited for the results initial results of SOUNDTRACK-F1.

Phillips: The initial data from the phase 3 SOUNDTRACK-F1 trial will be presented at EHA, which will be interesting given that we've talked quite a bit about CD20 x CD3 bispecific antibodies. To get some sort of insight into a CD19 x CD3 bispecific antibody and how this compares toxicity profile and efficacy will be an important topic to discuss of moving forward. If the readout for that looks good, the question then becomes: how do you sequence these? Assuming the CD20 bispecifics moved into the frontline space, this probably puts greater emphasis on CD19 x CD3 bispecific antibodies. [CD19 x CD3 bispecific antibodies] could be something used in a salvage setting, but also the concern given what we know with multiple myeloma is: how does that impact the CD19 CAR T-cell therapies?In multiple myeloma, it seems like if you have a bispecific that targets the same epitope as a CAR T-cell therapy, you tend to get decreased efficacy of the CAR T. If [the efficacy of CD19 CAR T-cell therapies are effected,] does that automatically slot this bispecific after the CAR T-cell therapy to not eliminate the curative potential of CAR T-cell therapy in this space? While we do hope the bispecifics will be curative of the mantle cell lymphoma [MCL] we just don't know for sure, so that'll be important.

Rituximab (r), golcadomide (golca) +/- nivolumab (n) in treatment-naive follicular lymphoma (fl). Primary results of the investigator-led randomised phase II TOP-FLOR study

Presentation time: Friday, June 12, 18:45 - 18:45 CEST.

Phillips: There are abstracts looking at the lenalidomide replacement, golcadomide (CC-99282), which is a CELMoD. There's data with [golcadomide] plus rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma, which will be an interesting abstract to look at to see how this compared to rituximab plus lenalidomide data and whether this could be something that could move into [the follicular lymphoma] space, given the multitude of studies that came out in the last couple years of rituximab and lenalidomide plus tafasitamab-cxix [Monjuvi] or rituximab and lenalidomide plus epcoritamab.

Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Avelumab in the front-line treatment of advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma (AVENuE)- final 3-year results of phase II study

Presentation time: Friday, June 12, 17:15 - 18:30 CEST.

Phillips: There's the phase 2 AVENuE study [NCT03617666] looking at avelumab [Bavencio] in patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma. [Avelumab] this is a PD-L1 inhibitor, not to be confused with the PD-1 inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab [Keytruda] and nivolumab [Opdivo]. [It will be] interesting to see how that reads out and how that compares to the PD-1 inhibitors in this patient space.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Replacement of high dose combination chemotherapy with blinatumomab in newly diagnosed pediatric high-risk B-cell ALL improves efficacy and safety in the randomized phase 3 AIEOP-BFM ALL 2017 trial

Presentation time: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 12:00 – 13:30 CEST.

Gruenbaum: The phase 3 AIEOP-BFM ALL 2017 trial [NCT03643276] is in newly diagnosed pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia [B-ALL]. In the [pediatric B-ALL] setting, we're still using intensive chemotherapy today. We have recently seen the approval of blinatumomab [Blincyto] in this setting to do frontline consolidation, for both pediatric and adult CD19-positive, Philadelphia chromosome [Ph]–negative B-ALL. However, the core therapy is still intensive chemotherapy, which typically lasts 2 to 3 years, possibly even longer. [Thus,] a substantial burden of toxicity is associated with [that intensive chemotherapy].

What is being tested in this trial is to replace 2 intensive courses of chemotherapy with blinatumomab in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed B-ALL, and ultimately moving to a chemo-free therapy, especially in the pediatric population, is extremely meaningful. In these patients ultimately, we’re looking for cures and long-term, healthy survivorship. [Therefore,] reducing adverse effects [AEs] and long-term toxicities are extremely meaningful in this population.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Epcoritamab + R-mini-CHOP results in 2-year remissions and high MRD-negativity rates in elderly patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL: results from the EPCORE NHL-2 trial

Kahl: There is going to be a report of the trial looking at high-risk IPI scores diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL], evaluating R-CHOP vs R-CHOP plus epcoritamab, the bispecific monoclonal antibody. This trial has completed enrollment, and I've heard via press release that it's a positive study favoring the R-CHOP plus epcoritamab arm. These data could influence the standard-of-care in for practitioners who are still giving R-CHOP to patients who are high-risk. I’m typically giving R-CHP plus polatuzumab (polivy) to patients who are high-risk. So, it’s unclear for me for whom this data would apply and represent a new standard, until I see the results, toxicities, and efficacy in detail with hopefully some subgroup analysis.I don't know yet whether this is going to influence my practice, but I am excited to see the data to see if it does change how I practice management of certain patients with lymphoma.