Epcoritamab plus rituximab, dexamethasone, cytarabine, oxaliplatin/carboplatin induces deep and durable responses in transplant-eligible patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from the EPCORE NHL-2 trial.
Pau Abrisqueta, Yasmin H Karimi, Daniel Morillo et al.
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In 30 seconds
Arm 4 of the multicenter phase IB/II EPCORE NHL-2 trial evaluated epcoritamab plus R-DHAX/C in transplant-eligible patients with CD20-positive relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Among 29 treated patients, the overall response rate was 79% and the complete response rate was 69%. At a median follow-up of 40.4 months, 16 patients (55%) had proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation; estimated 36-month progression-free and overall survival were 59% and 76%, respectively. Cytokine release syndrome was reported in 45%, all grade 1–2.
Key findings
- Overall response rate was 79%, with a complete response rate of 69%.
- Sixteen patients (55%) proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation, and five continued epcoritamab monotherapy.
- At 36 months, an estimated 70% of responses were ongoing, 59% of patients were progression-free, and 76% were alive.
- Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 45%; all cases were grade 1–2 and resolved after a median of 2 days.
Why it matters
Salvage treatment for relapsed or refractory DLBCL may fail to achieve responses that allow patients to reach potentially curative transplantation. These phase IB/II results show substantial response rates and that over half of participants proceeded to transplantation, with responses and survival estimates reported at 36 months. The findings provide evidence for further evaluation of this combination in transplant-eligible patients.
What to keep in mind
The findings are from a small, non-comparative trial arm of 29 patients, so they do not establish superiority over other salvage regimens.