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Catumaxomab

In Malignant Ascites

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Abstract

Catumaxomab is a rat/murine hybrid, trifunctional, bispecific (anti-human epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM] × anti-CD3) monoclonal antibody.

Compared with paracentesis alone, paracentesis followed by catumaxomab therapy was associated with significant prolongation of paracentesisfree survival and time to repeat paracentesis in a randomized, open-label, multicentre, pivotal phase II/III trial in patients with recurrent symptomatic malignant ascites due to EpCAM-positive tumours who were resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The benefits of catumaxomab were seen across a broad range of epithelial ovarian and nonovarian cancers, and irrespective of whether or not catumaxomab recipients developed human anti-mouse antibodies.

Combining catumaxomab with paracentesis also resulted in more pronounced and prolonged reductions in ascites signs and symptoms and a delayed deterioration in health-related quality of life compared with paracentesis alone. Despite the study not being designed or powered to evaluate overall survival, significant differences favouring the addition of catumaxomab to paracentesis were seen in analyses of the safety population and the subpopulation of patients with gastric cancer.

Catumaxomab was generally well tolerated in the pivotal phase II/III trial. The most frequent adverse events attributed to catumaxomab treatment included cytokine-release-related symptoms, which were mostly of mild to moderate severity and manageable with standard symptomatic treatment.

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Acknowledgements and Disclosures

The manuscript was reviewed by: G. Becker, Department of Palliative Care, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; E. Prommer, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Scottsdale, AZ, USA; M. Sebastian, Medical Clinic, University Hospital Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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    James E. Frampton

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Correspondence to James E. Frampton.

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Frampton, J.E. Catumaxomab. Drugs 72, 1399–1410 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2165/11209040-000000000-00000

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