A trial looking at ofatumumab for diffuse large B cell lymphoma that has come back after treatment
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This trial looked ofatumumab for diffuse large B cell lymphoma that had come back or continued to grow after treatment.
It recruited people who either could not have a stem cell transplant using their own blood cells (
), or had already had a stem cell transplant.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of high grade non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Doctors often treat DLBCL with a combination of and a drug called rituximab. This treatment is called R-CHOP. This is a successful treatment for many people. But if the lymphoma comes back and you can’t have a stem cell transplant, or you have already had one, your lymphoma can be more difficult to treat.
Ofatumumab (Arzerra) is a type of biological therapy called a monoclonal antibody. These can seek out cancer cells by looking for particular proteins which are found on the surface of particular cancer cells.
The aims of the trial were to find out
- How well ofatumumab works for patients whose DLBCL has come back after treament
- More about the side effects
Summary of results
The research team found that ofatumumab was useful for treating diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that had come back or stopped responding to treatment.
This trial recruited 81 people with DLBCL. Of these
- 56 weren’t able to have a stem cell transplant using their own cells (an
autologous transplant ) - 25 had already had a stem cell transplant but their lymphoma had come back
Everyone taking part had ofatumumab through a drip into a vein once a week for 8 weeks.
The trial team analysed the results in 2011. They had the results for 36 people who weren’t able to have a stem cell transplant using their own cells. They found that the lymphoma had
- Got a bit better in 7 people
- Stayed the same in 11 people
- Got worse in 18 people
They had the results for 21 people who had already had a stem cell transplant but their lymphoma had come back. They found that the lymphoma had
- Disappeared completely in 2 people
- Stayed the same in 3 people
- Got worse in 16 people
The most common side effects were diarrhoea, tiredness (fatigue), fluid retention, stomach pain and constipation a drop in white blood cells causing an increased risk of infection.
The researchers concluded that ofatumumab was a safe and useful treatment for DLBCL that had come back or stopped responding to treatment.
As ofatumumab helped some people in this trial when it was used on its own, the researchers suggested that future trials could look at giving it at the same time as chemotherapy for this type of lymphoma.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Professor Martin Dyer
Supported by
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Genmab
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
