Targeted Therapy for Patients with Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma

Treatment options are limited for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients who are not cured by initial or second-line therapies. To test a novel therapy for such patients, investigators conducted an industry-sponsored, multicenter, phase I trial of an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody linked to the antitubulin agent monomethyl auristatin E, which — after binding to CD30-positive cells — is internalized and leads to target-cell apoptosis.

The antibody–drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) was administered every 3 weeks to 45 patients: 42 with relapsed or refractory HL, 2 with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), and 1 with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Escalating doses were given in amounts as high as 3.6 mg/kg, but this maximum dose proved …