FDA removes bioscan requirement for Zevalin

In a move expected to make the radioimmunotherapy treatment Zevalin® much easier and more accessible to patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtypes such as follicular lymphoma, the FDA has removed the need for a bioscan.

Previously, Zevalin treatment went as such:

• Day 1: Patients were given an infusion of rituximab, then a diagnostic dose of radiolabeled Indium-111 Zevalin and a full-body scan at a nuclear imaging center within ten minutes.
• Day 3 or 4: Patients repeat day 1.
• Day 7, 8, or 9: Patients were given another infusion of rituximab and a 10-minute injection of the therapeutic dose of Zevalin.

The new FDA indication removes the scan requirement, meaning that patients will still be given two rituximab infusions as well as the 10-minute injection of Zevalin.

This newer, much simpler regimen, which makes the therapy much more accessible to patients and much easier to administer for doctors, will be known as "RRZ", or Rituximab, Rituximab, Zevalin.

Zevalin is owned by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, which intends to unveil a new campaign in December at the American Society of Hematology meeting to promote Zevalin and RRZ.

Source: BusinessWire Press Release