LYMPHOMAS

The phase III B-MIND study of the investigational humanized Fc-engineered monoclonal antibody, tafasitamab plus bendamustine versus rituximab plus bendamustine for treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, has passed the pre-planned, event-driven interim analysis for futility, resulting in a recommendation to increase the number of study participants from 330 to 450, according to a press release from MorphoSys.

Basem William, MD, discusses challenges in treating patients with cutaneous and peripheral T-cell lymphomas, as well as the challenges in conducting clinical trials in this patient population.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

In October 2019, the FDA approved a new treatment option for patients with advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, as well as a new dosing regimen for patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Additionally, the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designations to 2 therapies, as well as an orphan drug designation, a priority review, and 2 fast track designations.

Topline results from Re-MIND, an observational retrospective study, demonstrated that the combination of tafasitamab with lenalidomide had a statistically significant and superior objective response rate compared with lenalidomide monotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who were not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant, announced MorphoSys AG, the manufacturer of tafasitamab, in a press release.

Emerging from the recent 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer&nbsp;are several notable developments, Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, wrote in this issue of&nbsp;<em>Targeted Therapies in Oncology.&nbsp;</em>

Barbara Pro, MD, spoke with a group of physicians during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives discussion about the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma based on the case&nbsp;of a young woman with classic Hodgkin lymphoma.

Marcelo C. Pasquini, MD, discusses the rationale for analyzing real-world data for the use of tisagenlecleucel, a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, as a treatment for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This CD19 CAR T cell was approved 2 years ago for use in both ALL and DLBCL.

The FDA has granted duvelisib with an orphan drug designation for the treatment of patients with T-cell lymphoma, according to a press release from Verastem Oncology, the company developing duvelisib.<br /> &nbsp;

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Marcelo C. Pasquini, MD, discussed the importance of obtaining real-world data and establishing registries for collecting patient outcomes, and how real-world data compare with data from pivotal trials. He also explained the challenges with accessibility to CAR T-cell therapies.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to abexinostat for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma in the fourth-line setting.<br /> &nbsp;

&quot;Early-relapsing lymphoma is a problem, there is no debate about that. The hard part is in trying to manage these patients effectively,&rdquo; Jonathon B. Cohen, MD, MS, told an audience at the 2019 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference held in Sea Island, Georgia.<br /> &nbsp;