FDA approves new chemoimmunotherapy regimen for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – Drug Information Update

FDA approves new chemoimmunotherapy regimen for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin-piiq), in combination with the chemotherapy bendamustine and a rituximab product (a combination known as “BR”), to treat adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has progressed or returned after at least two prior therapies. Polivy is a novel antibody-drug conjugate, and DLBCL is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The most common side effects of Polivy plus BR include low levels of white blood cells (neutropenia), platelets (thrombocytopenia) and red blood cells (anemia); nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy); fatigue; diarrhea; fever; decreased appetite; and pneumonia.

Health care professionals are advised to monitor patients closely for infusion-related reactions, low blood counts and fatal and/or serious infections. Health care professionals should also monitor patients for tumor lysis syndrome (a complication from many tumor cells being killed off at the same time), liver damage (hepatotoxicity) and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a fatal or life-threatening infection of the brain. FDA advises health care professionals to tell females of reproductive age to use effective contraception during treatment with Polivy and for three months after the last dose. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take Polivy because it may cause harm to a developing fetus or newborn baby.

For more information, please visit: Polivy.