Nebraska Hematology-Oncology (NHO), an independent, community-based cancer care team of healthcare professionals in Lincoln, is participating in research that could allow outpatient administration of epcoritamab-bysp through a clinical trial to treat adults with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Through NHO’s partnership with Revive Research Institute (NHO Revive), they are currently able to administer the initial stages of this trial in an outpatient setting at NHO’s Cancer Center location in Lincoln, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming hospitalizations.
“Our ability to administer this type of trial here in Nebraska in a more convenient, outpatient setting is very important for patients participating in the trial to advance the research,” commented Dr. Kailash Mosalpuria, one of NHO’s medical oncologists and a lead investigator for clinical trials at NHO. “Offering this treatment here in Nebraska is beneficial, not only to our patients, but to future patients as we continue to assess and refine practice patterns using this clinical trial data. who may reap the rewards of these types of trials.”
Epcoritamab is an FDA approved T-cell engaging bispecific antibody administered subcutaneously (under the skin) for the treatments of adults with DLBCL and Follicular Lymphoma (FL) that has come back or that did not respond to previous treatment after receiving 2 or more treatments. Epcoritamab is being co-developed by AbbVie and Genmab as part of the companies’ oncology collaboration.
DLBCL is a type of aggressive, fast-growing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system and affects B cells, a type of white blood cell. DLBCL is the most common type of NHL, comprising of an estimated 30,400 U.S. cases in 2022 and 150,000 new cases each year globally. DLBCL patients are typically treated with chemoimmunotherapy-based regimens. For R/R patients, several targeted therapies including T-cell mediated treatments have recently emerged. However, single agent and readily-available or off-the-shelf treatment options are limited.
“Our experience with this trial is a great example of why we commit to actively engage in cancer research,” said Ashley Waldrep, NHO’s Clinical Director of Research. “The majority of cancer patients in the United States receive their care within their community, rather than at a hospital-based academic research center. Yet, bispecific antibody treatments have been administered within academic or hospital settings in order to closely monitor patients for safety. As more experience has been gained with administering certain T-cell engaging bispecific antibody treatments, we are able to use a strict safety protocol for at home symptom monitoring and reporting back to us at any time, 24hrs a day. We are excited to offer this opportunity to eligible patients and increase community oncology-based representation among clinical trial participants.”
For more information about NHO Revive, please visit: www.nhoreviveresearch.com.
