AT ASCO 2015<\/p>\n
CHICAGO<\/span> \u2013 Progression-free survival for patients with rituximab-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma was effectively doubled with a combination of obinutuzumab and bendamustine, compared with bendamustine alone.<\/p>\n In a randomized trial halted early because of the evident superiority of the combination over bendamustine monotherapy, at a median follow-up of 20 months the median progression-free survival as assessed by an independent radiology facility had not been reached for patients treated with obinutuzumab (Gazyva) and bendamustine, vs. 14.9 months for bendamustine alone. As assessed by the investigators, the median PFS rates were 29 months and 14 months, respectively, reported Dr. Laurie Helen Sehn<\/a> <\/span>, a medical oncologist at the British Columbia (Canada) Cancer Agency in Vancouver. <\/p>\n \u201cThe combination of obinutuzumab [and bendamustine], followed by obinutuzumab maintenance, resulted in a statistically significant, but more importantly, a clinically meaningful increase in progression-free survival compared with bendamustine alone,\u201d Dr. Sehn said at a briefing at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.<\/p>\n \u201cThis study is remarkable, because it does demonstrate the first randomized evidence of a clinical benefit of a novel anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for patients who are rituximab refractory,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The advent of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in the later 1990s transformed treatment of hematologic malignancies, including indolent non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphomas. However, some patients have disease that is resistant to rituximab or recurs after rituximab therapy, and for these patients treatment options are limited.<\/p>\n Bendamustine (Treanda) has been shown to be effective in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent NHL, but with remission durations of only 7-9 months. <\/p>\n Obinutuzumab is a glycoengineered anti-CD20 antibody that ASCO expert Dr. Merry-Jennifer Markham<\/a> <\/span> from the University of Florida in Gainesville called \u201ca super-rituximab.\u201d It has been shown in preclinical studies to have activity against malignancies when combined with bendamustine.<\/p>\n