Afinitor (everolimus) tablets significantly shrunk tumors in 33% of patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin’s disease.
Based on results from this study and other early-stage research, Novartis has initiated a Phase III trial in the most common NHL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
NHL and Hodgkin’s disease, also known as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, refer to a variety of cancers affecting the immune system, such as DLBCL, mantle cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.
In the phase II open-label trial, 33% of patients with relapsed NHL and Hodgkin’s disease treated with everolimus, experienced a 50% or greater reduction in tumor size. This 33% overall response rate (ORR) is defined as complete or partial tumor shrinkage.
Alessandro Riva, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Development at Novartis, said: We continue to see the potential of Afinitor in multiple types of cancer.
These latest data show an antitumor effect in lymphoma that support the rationale for a Phase III study of Afinitor to prevent relapse in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, where there is a significant unmet medical need, he added.