Hello, Friends.
What a great week in oncology. Another breakthrough drug was approved by the FDA yesterday. This time for Hodgkin's Lymphoma!
The drug brentuximab vedotin received accelerated approval because it was so effective in patients whose Hodgkin's lymphoma relapsed after multiple different standard chemotherapy treatments, even if the lymphoma relapsed after one of the most powerful treatments for Hodgkin's lymphoma...an autologous stem cell transplant. 73% of these patients had their lymphoma regress with treatment with this monoclonal antibody...phenomenal! One third of these patients had their lymphoma completely disappear. Such welcomed news!
Brentuximab vedotin (Trade name ADCETRIS) is a unique CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate. That means a chemotherapy type agent is attached to an antibody that targets the CD30 marker on lymphoma cells...basically a smart bomb. It finds it target then kills it more effectively than if the antibody was administered by itself. You have got to love technology.
What an exciting time in oncology. Let's keep the science and progress moving forward.
Best Regards Always,
Mitch
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