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Hodgkin lymphoma is a kind of rare but highly curable cancer of the lymph nodes and the lymphatic system. With appropriate treatment, at least 8 out of 10 individuals can be cured. More individuals survive Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) than any other cancer.

Targeted Therapy: Targeted therapy medications attack specific features of cancer cells to halt the cancer growing or to decrease its size. They are sometimes called biologic therapies. The major type of targeted therapy considered to treat lymphoma is antibody therapy, also known as immunotherapy. Antibodies typically are naturally made by WBCs named lymphocytes. They identify and stick to particular proteins on the cell surface that don’t belong in the body, such as viruses or bacteria. Once they have stuck to these proteins, they either destroy the foreign cell directly or help the immune system to pick out and kill or destroy it. 

Antibodies that typically stick to proteins on lymphoma cells can be developed in a laboratory. These help chemo to work effectively. Sometimes giving the antibody on its own may be enough to help the body get rid of the lymphoma cells.

A medicine named brentuximab vedotin combines a targeted therapy medication with a chemotherapy drug. 

Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris): In patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma, the malignant Hodgkin as well as Reed-Sternberg cells express a protein named CD30. It is an anti-CD30 antibody attached to a chemo drug. It binds to cells that are involved in expressing CD30 and then enters the malignant cells. Once inside the malignant cells, it helps in releasing the chemotherapy medicine. In order to target only cells that are involved in expressing CD30, fewer normal cells are harmed. 

  • Brentuximab vedotin injection, given intravenously (IV), is recommended for the treatment of adult patients with earlier untreated Stage-III/IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), along with vinblastine, doxorubicin, and dacarbazine
  • Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) at increased risk of relapse or progression as post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) consolidation. 
  • Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) following failure of auto-HSCT or following failure of at least 2 prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens, in patients who are not the candidates of auto-HSCT. 
  • Some other lymphomas with CD30 expression. 
Another targeted therapy medication named rituximab may be considered to treat individuals with the less common subtype nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). 
 
Rituximab (Rituxan): Rituximab specifically is a monoclonal antibody formulated for binding to cells expressing CD20. It is often combined with chemo drugs.  It is not recommended to treat classical Hodgkin lymphoma because, in this subtype, the lymphoma cells do not typically express CD20. Although, it is sometimes prescribed for treating NLPHL because CD20 is expressed by the lymphoma cells in this subtype. In therapy with rituximab, the monoclonal antibodies typically attach to and destroy the lymphoma cells.
 
Side effects of Targeted Therapy: The side effects due to brentuximab vedotin may include nausea, increased risk of infection and bleeding, fatigue, and numbness, tingling and sometimes pain in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy). Common side effects due to rituximab may include fever, headaches, and skin rash.
 
hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy). Common side effects due to rituximab may include fever, headaches, and skin rash.
 
Several clinical trials are testing some other targeted therapy medicines for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Ask your health specialist about the latest developments.
 
NOTE: Deets mentioned in this article about “Targeted Therapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma” is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with health specialists.
Nitin Goswami

Nitin Goswami joined us as an Editor in 2020. He covers all the updates in the field of Pharmaceutical, Business Healthcare, Health News, Medical News, and Pharma News.

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