Advances in Lymphoma
Transcript: ECHELON-3: Key findings and implications from ASCO 2024
Professor Wojciech Jurczak
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In fact, the only important paper, which was presented at ASCO and was not submitted to EHA were the data about ECHELON-3 study and relapsing/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. When rituximab vedotin given with rituximab and lenalidomide proved to be better than R-square regimen, which is rituximab and lenalidomide. It should be noted that brentuximab vedotin is a targeted chemo with monoclonal targeted against CD30. However, it seems to work even in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients which are formally negative to CD30.
I mentioned formally negative, because in fact, there is enough antigen on the cells undetectable by conventional techniques to make the combination feasible and working. And in ECHELON-3 study, we had over 150 elderly patients treated and fed and further lines of therapy where we could clearly demonstrate a significant statistical difference in overall survival.
The arm with brentuximab had the medium overall survival was 13.8 months versus 8 and a half months for R-square. This was certainly also true for progression-free survival, subsequently 4.2 months versus 2.6, and the response rate. Therefore, we can say that after the ECHELON-3 study, brentuximab vedotin will be another targeted therapy approved in third line onwards of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We should say that we already have polatuzumab vedotin approved and loncastuximab approved. Therefore, targeted chemo stands to to replace the standard chemo as a standard of care in this setting.