Real-World Study Finds Brentuximab Vedotin With Chemo Is Safe, Effective in First-line Treatment of PTCL

Brentuximab vedotin (BV; Adcetris; Pfizer) alongside a combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (CHP) was safe and effective when used as the first treatment for patients newly diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to results published Tuesday.

The 50 patients in this small, real-world study received treatment between January 2021 and October 2023, according to authors publishing in Annals of Hematology.¹

PTCLs are not a single type of cancer, but a group of fast-growing NHL subtypes affecting less than 15% of all adults with a form of NHL. According to the Cleveland Clinic, PTCLs affect the lymphatic system and can appear throughout the body, causing symptoms that include swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, fever, and unexplained weight loss.

Data from IQVIA published in October 2023 show that first-line treatment may or may not include BV, an antibody drug conjugate that binds to the CD30 protein and delivers a powerful chemotherapy, monomethyl auristatin E, directly to the cancer cells. Combination therapy is most common in first-line treatment, IQVIA reported, with monotherapy more likely in second- or third-line treatment.²

Other strategies include CHOP, which adds vincristine (Oncovin) to CHP, or a 5-drug regimen that also includes etoposide. BV is typically used in combination with a chemotherapy regimen in the first line, IQVIA reported.²

Adcetris packaging | Image: Pfizer

For this new study, investigators retrospectively analyzed clinical data from patients with PTCL who received BV in combination with a CHP-like regimen during the study period. Median age of the patients was 57 years (range, 22-86). Results showed the following¹:

• Median number of BV cycles administered was 6 (range, 2-8)
• After a median follow-up of 35.2 months (95% CI, 30.9-39.5), the overall response rate was 80%, with 44% of the patients achieving a complete response (CR)
• Patients with a subtype of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma had a CR rate of 70.6%
• Median progression-free survival was 39.7 months (95% CI, 14.7-NA), while the median overall survival (OS) was not reached (the 1-year OS rate, 90%)

Bone marrow infiltration at diagnosis was the sole factor that contributed to poor OS. As for adverse events, neutropenia was most common, seen in 81.3% of patients, while peripheral neuropathy was seen in 16.7%.

“This real-world study suggests that BV combined with a CHP-like regimen is an effective and safe first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed PTCL,” the authors concluded.¹

References

1. Guan F, Zhang Y, Guo X, et al. Brentuximab vedotin plus CHP-like regimen for the first-line treatment of PTCL patients: a real-world single center study. Ann Hematol. Published online July 22, 2025. doi:10.1007/s00277-025-06507-7
2. Dharmani C, Unni S, Pham N, et al. Real-world treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Future Oncol. 2024;20(15):1013-1030. doi:10.2217/fon-2023-0615