AbbVie's Lymphoma Trial Shows 51% Reduction in Progression Risk

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) has reported promising results from its Phase 3 lymphoma trial, which showed a 51% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The EPCORE DLBCL-2 study evaluated the combination of epcoritamab and standard R-CHOP therapy in newly diagnosed patients, meeting its primary endpoint with statistically significant results.

The trial, conducted in collaboration with Genmab, enrolled patients with International Prognostic Index scores ranging from two to five. Epcoritamab plus R-CHOP demonstrated a hazard ratio of 0.49 and a p-value below 0.0001, indicating a strong efficacy advantage over R-CHOP alone. The safety profile of the combination was reported as manageable, consistent with earlier findings.

DLBCL is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and R-CHOP has been a frontline therapy for over two decades. Epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody, targets CD3 on T cells and CD20 on B cells, aiming to enhance immune activity against cancer cells. The positive Phase 3 results could expand epcoritamab’s potential use in earlier treatment settings if regulatory approval is granted.

AbbVie and Genmab plan to present detailed results at a future medical meeting and discuss the findings with regulatory authorities. The combination remains investigational, requiring further regulatory review before it can be commercially used in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients. The outcome strengthens AbbVie’s strategy in hematology and blood cancer treatment.