Targeting CD30 in hodgkin lymphoma: antibody-drug conjugates make a difference.
CD30 expression is characteristic of the malignant Reed-Sternberg cell in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and several other lymphoid malignancies, such as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Although unconjugated anti-CD30 antibodies have had minimal therapeutic activity in patients with HL as single agents, the CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated activity that has resulted in its recent regulatory approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed HL and ALCL. Approximately 75% of patients with recurrent HL achieve objective responses, with the principal toxicity being peripheral neuropathy. Ongoing studies are evaluating treatment with this agent as part of first-line therapy, for patients with relapsed disease, and for patients with resistant disease and limited other options. Brentuximab vedotin demonstrates the therapeutic value of antibody-drug conjugation and serves as a model of how a novel, targeted approach can be employed to potentially further improve outcomes in settings where curative chemotherapeutic regimens are already available.
From the New York University Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY; Weill Cornell Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
Catherine S M
CS
Diefenbach
From the New York University Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY; Weill Cornell Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
John P
JP
Leonard