Dr. Rizvi on Brentuximab Vedotin Combinations in Hodgkin Lymphoma

Syed Rizvi, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses research efforts exploring brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) combinations in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin was initially approved for patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST) or after failure of 2 prior regimens, if not candidates for HSCT. The agent is also approved for use as consolidation therapy for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma at high risk of relapse or progression following autologous HSCT. Most recently, in March 2018, the FDA approved brentuximab vedotin for use in combination with chemotherapy as a frontline treatment for adult patients with stage III or stage IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

The agent is also being evaluated in conjunction with checkpoint inhibition, specifically nivolumab (Opdivo), in a phase II trial (NCT01716806), says Rizvi. The results of this trial are greatly anticipated in the field, according to Rizvi. Results will shed light on whether patients with high-risk disease will benefit from this combination treatment, concludes Rizvi.