Regeneron's new therapy combination shows effectiveness in cancer patients without prior treatment

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Regeneron announced on Saturday that its experimental combination therapy for cancer demonstrated significant effectiveness, with disease disappearance observed in patients who had not previously received treatment, during the initial phase of a late-stage trial.

The study enrolled 22 participants and assessed both the safety and early effectiveness of Regeneron's therapy, odronextamab, when combined with chemotherapy in individuals diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Odronextamab is a bispecific antibody that connects cancer cells with immune cells, enabling the immune system to target and destroy the cancer.

At a 160 mg dosage of the combination, patients experienced a 100% complete response rate, according to the company. DLBCL is an aggressive blood cancer that impacts the lymphatic system, which is critical for immune defense, and arises from abnormalities in B cells, a type of white blood cell. Following the first dose, B-cell counts were completely eliminated, as presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

Most participants completed six cycles at both 80 mg and 160 mg dose levels, with the higher dose now chosen for further clinical trials. Results also indicated that combining odronextamab with the chemotherapy protocol CHOP produced profound and lasting responses without requiring rituximab.

"We aim to develop bispecific therapies that are highly potent and do not need an extensive combination of other drugs, as their own activity is very strong," said Aafia Chaudhry, Regeneron's global program head.

The company plans to begin enrolling patients for the second phase of the study to compare the new combination therapy directly with the current standard treatment of rituximab plus chemotherapy. "Our goal is to replace rituximab rather than add it to existing regimens," Chaudhry added.

Author: Chloe Ramirez