Emerging drugs for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
Although to date most patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) can be cured, the current treatment is associated with acute and long-term complications such as infertility, cardiovascular damage and secondary malignancies. Moreover, novel effective therapies are urgently needed for elderly patients and for patients relapsing after high-dose chemotherapy.


METHODS
Currently emerging promising approaches include drugs targeting cell surface structures by mAbs and immunotoxins, as well as small molecules targeting intracellular proteins. This article includes clinical trials published within the past 3 decades and early results reported in international conferences.


RESULTS
This article summarizes the biological basis and early clinical data on emerging drugs for HL.


CONCLUSIONS
To date, several new drugs are being tested for HL that are expected to change the approach in both first-line and relapsed patients.
Böll
Boris
B
Physician of the German Hodgkin Study Group, University of Cologne, Internal Medicine I, Kerpener Strasse 62, Cologne 50937, Germany.
Borchmann
Peter
P
Diehl
Volker
V
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents