Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Brentuximab Vedotin in the Treatment of Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma and Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma

  • T-Cell and Other Lymphoproliferative Malignancies (J Zain, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The recent development of brentuximab vedotin (BV), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD30-positive cells, has led to therapeutic advances in the treatment of T cell lymphomas. In this review, we discuss key studies of BV in peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) and cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and highlight important questions for further investigation.

Recent Findings

Monotherapy with BV has proven to be effective and well tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) CD30-positive CTCL. BV has shown significant activity in R/R PTCL as well, with particularly durable responses in patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). In a landmark phase III study (ECHELON-2), BV + CHP demonstrated superior progression-free and overall survival relative to CHOP as frontline therapy for patients with CD30-expressing PTCL, representing the first randomized trial demonstrating an overall survival benefit in PTCL. Though BV is overall well tolerated, peripheral neuropathy remains a clinically significant adverse effect.

Summary

BV is a major therapeutic advance in the treatment of patients with R/R CTCL and of those with PTCL in both the R/R and frontline settings. Key ongoing areas of investigation include optimization of CD30 expression as a predictive biomarker as well as the role of BV in consolidation therapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Abramson JS, Feldman T, Kroll-Desrosiers AR, Muffly LS, Winer E, Flowers CR, et al. Peripheral T-cell lymphomas in a large US multicenter cohort: prognostication in the modern era including impact of frontline therapy. Ann Oncol. 2014;25(11):2211–7.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Ellin F, Landstrom J, Jerkeman M, Relander T. Real-world data on prognostic factors and treatment in peripheral T-cell lymphomas: a study from the Swedish Lymphoma Registry. Blood. 2014;124(10):1570–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Vose J, Armitage J, Weisenburger D, International TCLP. International peripheral T-cell and natural killer/T-cell lymphoma study: pathology findings and clinical outcomes. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26(25):4124–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Schmitz N, Trumper L, Ziepert M, Nickelsen M, Ho AD, Metzner B, et al. Treatment and prognosis of mature T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma: an analysis of patients with T-cell lymphoma treated in studies of the German High-Grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group. Blood. 2010;116(18):3418–25.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. •• Horwitz S, O'Connor OA, Pro B, Illidge T, Fanale M, Advani R, et al. Brentuximab vedotin with chemotherapy for CD30-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma (ECHELON-2): a global, double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2019;393(10168):229–40 This landmark randomized phase III trial showed a survival advantage for BV+CHP over CHOP chemotherapy in frontline treatment of CD30-expressing PTCL.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mak V, Hamm J, Chhanabhai M, Shenkier T, Klasa R, Sehn LH, et al. Survival of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma after first relapse or progression: spectrum of disease and rare long-term survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(16):1970–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Mehta-Shah N, Teja S, Tao Y, Cashen AF, Beaven A, Alpdogan O, et al. Successful treatment of mature T-cell lymphoma with allogeneic stem cell transplantation: the largest multicenter retrospective analysis. Blood. 2017;130:4597.

    Google Scholar 

  8. O'Connor OA, Pro B, Pinter-Brown L, Bartlett N, Popplewell L, Coiffier B, et al. Pralatrexate in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma: results from the pivotal PROPEL study. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(9):1182–9.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Coiffier B, Pro B, Prince HM, Foss F, Sokol L, Greenwood M, et al. Results from a pivotal, open-label, phase II study of romidepsin in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma after prior systemic therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(6):631–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. O'Connor OA, Horwitz S, Masszi T, Van Hoof A, Brown P, Doorduijn J, et al. Belinostat in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma: results of the pivotal phase II BELIEF (CLN-19) study. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(23):2492–9.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Doronina SO, Toki BE, Torgov MY, Mendelsohn BA, Cerveny CG, Chace DF, et al. Development of potent monoclonal antibody auristatin conjugates for cancer therapy. Nat Biotechnol. 2003;21(7):778–84.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hamblett KJ, Senter PD, Chace DF, Sun MM, Lenox J, Cerveny CG, et al. Effects of drug loading on the antitumor activity of a monoclonal antibody drug conjugate. Clin Cancer Res. 2004;10(20):7063–70.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. van der Weyden CA, Pileri SA, Feldman AL, Whisstock J, Prince HM. Understanding CD30 biology and therapeutic targeting: a historical perspective providing insight into future directions. Blood Cancer J. 2017;7(9):e603.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Schwab U, Stein H, Gerdes J, Lemke H, Kirchner H, Schaadt M, et al. Production of a monoclonal antibody specific for Hodgkin and Sternberg-Reed cells of Hodgkin’s disease and a subset of normal lymphoid cells. Nature. 1982;299(5878):65–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Durkop H, Latza U, Hummel M, Eitelbach F, Seed B, Stein H. Molecular cloning and expression of a new member of the nerve growth factor receptor family that is characteristic for Hodgkin’s disease. Cell. 1992;68(3):421–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Bossard C, Dobay MP, Parrens M, Lamant L, Missiaglia E, Haioun C, et al. Immunohistochemistry as a valuable tool to assess CD30 expression in peripheral T-cell lymphomas: high correlation with mRNA levels. Blood. 2014;124(19):2983–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Duvic M, Tetzlaff MT, Gangar P, Clos AL, Sui D, Talpur R. Results of a phase II trial of brentuximab vedotin for CD30+ cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and lymphomatoid papulosis. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(32):3759–65.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Kim YH, Tavallaee M, Sundram U, Salva KA, Wood GS, Li S, et al. Phase II investigator-initiated study of brentuximab vedotin in mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome with variable CD30 expression level: a multi-institution collaborative project. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(32):3750–8.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. • Horwitz SM, Advani RH, Bartlett NL, Jacobsen ED, Sharman JP, O'Connor OA, et al. Objective responses in relapsed T-cell lymphomas with single-agent brentuximab vedotin. Blood. 2014;123(20):3095–100 This phase II study established the activity of single-agent BV in R/R PTCL.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Jagadeesh D, Horwitz SM, Bartlett NL, Advani RH, Jacobsen ED, Duvic M, et al. Response to brentuximab vedotin by CD30 expression: results from five trials in PTCL, CTCL, and B-cell lymphomas. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(15).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Juco J, Holden JT, Mann KP, Kelley LG, Li S. Immunophenotypic analysis of anaplastic large cell lymphoma by flow cytometry. Am J Clin Pathol. 2003;119(2):205–12.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Tsuyama N, Sakamoto K, Sakata S, Dobashi A, Takeuchi K. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: pathology, genetics, and clinical aspects. J Clin Exp Hematop. 2017;57(3):120–42.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Sabattini E, Pizzi M, Tabanelli V, Baldin P, Sacchetti CS, Agostinelli C, et al. CD30 expression in peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Haematologica. 2013;98(8):e81–2.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Karube K, Aoki R, Nomura Y, Yamamoto K, Shimizu K, Yoshida S, et al. Usefulness of flow cytometry for differential diagnosis of precursor and peripheral T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas: analysis of 490 cases. Pathol Int. 2008;58(2):89–97.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Murray A, Cuevas EC, Jones DB, Wright DH. Study of the immunohistochemistry and T cell clonality of enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma. Am J Pathol. 1995;146(2):509–19.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Pongpruttipan T, Sukpanichnant S, Assanasen T, Wannakrairot P, Boonsakan P, Kanoksil W, et al. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, includes cases of natural killer cell and alphabeta, gammadelta, and alphabeta/gammadelta T-cell origin: a comprehensive clinicopathologic and phenotypic study. Am J Surg Pathol. 2012;36(4):481–99.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Shi Y, Wang E. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic review with an emphasis on diagnostic differentiation from other T-cell/natural killer-cell neoplasms. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015;139(9):1173–80.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Sauder MB, O'Malley JT, LeBoeuf NR. CD30(+) Lymphoproliferative disorders of the skin. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017;31(2):317–34.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Scarisbrick JJ, Prince HM, Vermeer MH, Quaglino P, Horwitz S, Porcu P, et al. Cutaneous lymphoma international consortium study of outcome in advanced stages of mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome: effect of specific prognostic markers on survival and development of a prognostic model. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(32):3766–73.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Talpur R, Sui D, Gangar P, Dabaja BS, Duvic M. Retrospective analysis of prognostic factors in 187 cases of transformed mycosis fungoides. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2016;16(1):49–56.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Benner MF, Jansen PM, Vermeer MH, Willemze R. Prognostic factors in transformed mycosis fungoides: a retrospective analysis of 100 cases. Blood. 2012;119(7):1643–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Duvic M. CD30+ neoplasms of the skin. Curr Hematol Malig Rep. 2011;6(4):245–50.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Chiarle R, Podda A, Prolla G, Gong J, Thorbecke GJ, Inghirami G. CD30 in normal and neoplastic cells. Clin Immunol. 1999;90(2):157–64.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Matsumoto K, Terakawa M, Miura K, Fukuda S, Nakajima T, Saito H. Extremely rapid and intense induction of apoptosis in human eosinophils by anti-CD30 antibody treatment in vitro. J Immunol. 2004;172(4):2186–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Ansell SM, Horwitz SM, Engert A, Khan KD, Lin T, Strair R, et al. Phase I/II study of an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody (MDX-060) in Hodgkin’s lymphoma and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(19):2764–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Forero-Torres A, Leonard JP, Younes A, Rosenblatt JD, Brice P, Bartlett NL, et al. A phase II study of SGN-30 (anti-CD30 mAb) in Hodgkin lymphoma or systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 2009;146(2):171–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Sun MM, Beam KS, Cerveny CG, Hamblett KJ, Blackmore RS, Torgov MY, et al. Reduction-alkylation strategies for the modification of specific monoclonal antibody disulfides. Bioconjug Chem. 2005;16(5):1282–90.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. McDonagh CF, Turcott E, Westendorf L, Webster JB, Alley SC, Kim K, et al. Engineered antibody-drug conjugates with defined sites and stoichiometries of drug attachment. Protein Eng Des Sel. 2006;19(7):299–307.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Oflazoglu E, Kissler KM, Sievers EL, Grewal IS, Gerber HP. Combination of the anti-CD30-auristatin-E antibody-drug conjugate (SGN-35) with chemotherapy improves antitumour activity in Hodgkin lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 2008;142(1):69–73.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. • Younes A, Bartlett NL, Leonard JP, Kennedy DA, Lynch CM, Sievers EL, et al. Brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) for relapsed CD30-positive lymphomas. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(19):1812–21 This was the initial phase I study that established 1.8 mg/kg every three weeks at the maximum tolerated dose of BV.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Gandhi MD, Evens AM, Fenske TS, Hamlin P, Coiffier B, Engert A, et al. Pancreatitis in patients treated with brentuximab vedotin: a previously unrecognized serious adverse event. Blood. 2014;123(18):2895–7.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Urru SA, Mariotti E, Carta P, Massidda S, Marcias M, Murru R, et al. Acute pancreatitis following brentuximab vedotin therapy for refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report. Drugs R D. 2014;14(1):9–11.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. • Pro B, Advani R, Brice P, Bartlett NL, Rosenblatt JD, Illidge T, et al. Brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) in patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: results of a phase II study. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(18):2190–6 This phase II study demonstrated durable responses to single-agent BV in relapsed / refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Pro B, Advani R, Brice P, Bartlett NL, Rosenblatt JD, Illidge T, et al. Five-year results of brentuximab vedotin in patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Blood. 2017;130(25):2709–17.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Fanale MA, Horwitz SM, Forero-Torres A, Bartlett NL, Advani RH, Pro B, et al. Brentuximab vedotin in the front-line treatment of patients with CD30+ peripheral T-cell lymphomas: results of a phase I study. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(28):3137–43.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Fanale MA, Horwitz SM, Forero-Torres A, Bartlett NL, Advani RH, Pro B, et al. Five-year outcomes for frontline brentuximab vedotin with CHP for CD30-expressing peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Blood. 2018;131(19):2120–4.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  47. • Prince HM, Kim YH, Horwitz SM, Dummer R, Scarisbrick J, Quaglino P, et al. Brentuximab vedotin or physician's choice in CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (ALCANZA): an international, open-label, randomised, phase 3, multicentre trial. Lancet. 2017;390(10094):555–66 This randomized phase III study demonstrated superior response rates and progression-free survival with BV compared to invesgitator’s choice of standard therapy in CD30-expressing CTCL.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. d'Amore F, Relander T, Lauritzsen GF, Jantunen E, Hagberg H, Anderson H, et al. Up-front autologous stem-cell transplantation in peripheral T-cell lymphoma: NLG-T-01. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(25):3093–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Afable M, Caimi PF, Hosing C, de Lima M, Khouri I, William BM, et al. Hematopoietic progenitor cell harvesting is feasible after treatment with brentuximab vedotin in CD30(+) lymphoma patients who received multiple prior lines of treatment. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015;21(8):1529–31.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Savage KJ, Horwitz SM, Advani R, Christensen JH, Domenech ED, Rossi G, et al. An exploratory analysis of brentuximab vedotin plus CHP (A+CHP) in the frontline treatment of patients with CD30+ peripheral T-cell lymphomas (ECHELON-2): impact of consolidative stem cell transplant. American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. 2019 (Abstract #464).

  51. Moskowitz CH, Nademanee A, Masszi T, Agura E, Holowiecki J, Abidi MH, et al. Brentuximab vedotin as consolidation therapy after autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at risk of relapse or progression (AETHERA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2015;385(9980):1853–62.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Moskowitz CH, Walewski J, Nademanee A, Masszi T, Agura E, Holowiecki J, et al. Five-year PFS from the AETHERA trial of brentuximab vedotin for Hodgkin lymphoma at high risk of progression or relapse. Blood. 2018;132(25):2639–42.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neha Mehta-Shah.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Dr. Mehta-Shah reports institutional research support from Bristol Myers-Squib, Celegene, Seattle Genetics, Genentech/Roche, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Verastem Pharmaceuticals, and Innate Pharmaceuticals. She has served as a consultant for Iowa Hakka Kirin. Dr. Shea reports no conflicts.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on T-Cell and Other Lymphoproliferative Malignancies

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shea, L., Mehta-Shah, N. Brentuximab Vedotin in the Treatment of Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma and Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 15, 9–19 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-020-00561-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-020-00561-w

Keywords

Navigation