New Treatments for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Interim results from a study has found that a cloned antibody (Rituxan) combined with conventional chemotherapy resulted in a one-year survival rate of 83% in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), compared to 68% for a standard combination of chemotherapy and drugs. Overall, 69% of patients treated with the combination therapy were shown to be free of the disease, compared to only 49% treated with chemotherapy alone. The study was conducted in Lyon, France. Rituxan is comarketed by Genentech (So. San Francisco, CA, USA) and Idec Pharmaceuticals (USA).

Another study involved patients with low-grade and transformed low-grade NHL who failed to respond to or progressed following treatment with retuximab. Treatment with this monoclonal antibody conjugated with a radioisotope (tositumomab, iodine I 131 tositumomab) called Bexxar produced a 70% overall response rate and a 40% complete response rate in these patients. Longer-term data showed a 35% complete response rate lasting a median of more than three years. Bexxar is being comarketed by Coulter Pharmacuetical, Inc. (So. San Francisco, CA, USA) and SmithKline Beecham (London, UK).



Related Links:
Coulter Pharma
SmithKline Beecham