Efficacy

Overview of Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) in Lymphoma Treatment

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is a monoclonal antibody that has shown efficacy in the treatment of various forms of cancer, including lymphoma. Specifically, it has been used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma after the failure of other treatments. Pembrolizumab works by targeting the PD-1 receptor on T cells, effectively blocking the PD-1 pathway. This action prevents cancer cells from evading immune detection, thereby allowing the immune system to recognize and destroy them. Clinical trials have demonstrated that pembrolizumab can induce responses in a significant proportion of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma, although the response rates and duration of response can vary among individuals.

Efficacy of Keytruda in Clinical Studies

In clinical studies, Keytruda has shown promise in patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Results from the KEYNOTE-087 trial, which is a multicohort, single-arm study, revealed an overall response rate (ORR) of approximately 69%, with a complete remission rate of 22.4% in patients treated with pembrolizumab. These findings suggest that Keytruda can be an effective treatment option for patients who have exhausted other therapies, although it is important to note that responses can vary and not all patients will achieve remission.

Overview of Polivy (Polatuzumab Vedotin-piiq) in Lymphoma Treatment

Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin-piiq) is an antibody-drug conjugate specifically targeting CD79b, a protein expressed on the surface of B cells, and is used in the treatment of certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). It is often used in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, such as bendamustine and a rituximab product (BR), for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after at least two prior therapies have failed. This combination has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, offering a new line of therapy for a condition that is challenging to treat.

Efficacy of Polivy in Clinical Studies

The efficacy of Polivy was evaluated in a pivotal phase Ib/II clinical trial, which demonstrated that the combination of polatuzumab vedotin with BR improved median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to BR alone in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. Specifically, the study showed a median OS of 12.4 months for patients treated with the Polivy combination versus 4.7 months for those receiving BR alone. The ORR was also higher in the Polivy combination group, with 40% of patients achieving a complete response. These results highlight Polivy's potential as an effective treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat DLBCL, though individual responses can vary and long-term outcomes are still being studied.