Encouraging results seen from replacing bleomycin with Adcetris in ABVD

Seattle Genetics brought encouraging interim Phase I data regarding Adcetris to the ASH meeting in San Diego against Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The trial involved 44 patients with previously untreated with Stage IIA bulky disease or Stage IIB-IV Hodgkin lymphoma divided into two arms.

-- One arm (N=25) received standard HL combination chemotherapy, ABVD, and Adcetris.
-- One arm (N=19) received standard HL combination chemotherapy but without the bleomycin, AVD, and Adcetris.

Not surprisingly, pulmonary toxicity was an issue in the first arm, with 10 patients experiencing an event of pulmonary toxicity. Because of this, researchers halted this arm and determined that Adcetris and bleomycin should not be administered concomitantly due to risk of lung toxicity.

15 patients from that cohort completed therapy and achieved a complete remission. The company does not yet have response data from the second arm.

According to Dr. Anas Younes, Professor of Medicine and Director, Clinical Investigation and Translational Research Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, "Data from this trial support further evaluation of ADCETRIS administered concomitantly with AVD in previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients."

Source: MarketWatch