Trial Opened Using Adcetris in Combination Chemotherapy Against Hodgkin's

Seattle Genetics has opened enrollment for a phase III randomized, two-arm trial designed to determine if Adcetris has a place in frontline therapy against Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The multicenter study will have two arms: The first arm includes the company's antibody drug conjugate Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) along with AVD (doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine), and the second arm includes ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine).

A less toxic treatment

Patients over 18 years of age with untreated, advanced classical Hodgkin's lymphoma may qualify. The company is evaluating Adcetris in combination chemotherapy as possible front-line therapy in this patient population.

The primary objective is to compare the modified progression-free survival in both arms.

Seattle Genetics has previously attempted a trial that included Adcetris with the full complement of ABVD – currently the standard of care in the United States for this patient group – but found that the lung toxicity was unacceptably high, so it shut down that trial early.

Bleomycin, which is found in ABVD, is known to cause lung problems. By replacing it with Adcetris, Seattle Genetics likely hopes to avoid the lung toxicity and maintain or boost treatment efficacy with this trial.

Trial information can be found here.

Source: Seattle Genetics