Anti-CD20 antibodies combining well in lymphoma patients

Abstract

Lymphoma is considered a prime target for monoclonal antibody therapy, since it can easily be targeted via the ubiquitous B-cell CD20 antigen. Rituximab [‘Rituxan’; Genentech, IDEC Pharmaceuticals] is the best known of the anti-CD20 antibodies currently available for the treatment of relapsed or refractory low-grade or follicular CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). However, only about half of the patients enrolled in pre-approval clinical studies responded to rituximab therapy, with only about 6% of recipients achieving complete remissions. Researchers have been looking for ways to boost the therapeutic efficacy of antibody therapy. Combination protocols with anti-CD20 antibodies and standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy are producing remission rates approaching 100% in patients with lymphoma, according to studies presented at the 11th International Conference on Monoclonal Antibodies for Cancer [ California, US; March 1998 ].