Bexxar: novel radioimmunotherapy for the treatment of low-grade and transformed low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies to specifically target B cells has provided new hope to many patients with indolent lymphomas, particularly those with chemotherapy-refractory disease. Lymphomas are extremely sensitive to radiation, and significant progress has been made over the last decade in the development of radioimmunotherapy with anti-CD20 antibodies.


METHODS
Herein we review clinical experience with tositumomab and iodine I 131 tositumomab (Bexxar; Corixa Corporation; South San Francisco, CA; and GlaxoSmithKline; Philadelphia, PA) in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.


RESULTS
Therapy with Bexxar has demonstrated high response rates and long durations of response compared with unconjugated anti-CD20 antibodies in patients with relapsed low-grade and transformed low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Iodine-131 (I-131) has a long history of clinical experience, an excellent safety record, and favorable nuclear and pharmacologic properties. Importantly, the gamma emissions of iodine-131 facilitate accurate dosimetry to calculate the appropriate patient-specific therapeutic activity to deliver a predetermined total-body dose of radiation, thereby minimizing hematologic toxicity. In clinical trials of Bexxar, objective response rates ranged from 54%-71% in heavily pretreated patients. In the pivotal trial, the number of patients with a longer duration of response after treatment with Bexxar was significantly greater than the number of patients with a longer duration of response after their last qualifying chemotherapy regimen. In 76 newly diagnosed patients, the objective response rate was 97%, and 63% of patients achieved complete responses.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that Bexxar will become an important new option in the treatment of indolent lymphoma.
Vose
Julie M
JM
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7680, USA. jmvose@unmc.edu
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016499:Radioimmunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C119496:tositumomab I-131