Novel Investigational Regimen Combining Radiation Enhancing Agent With Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin(R)) Produces High Rate of Complete Responses in Patients With Rituximab-Refractory Follicular Non-Hodgkin'...(matologic toxicities were seen. Hematolo...)

For all patients (n=28), overall response and complete response rates were 57 percent and 46 percent, respectively. Median time to progression for these patients was 11 months and the two-year overall survival was estimated to be 76 percent. For rituximab-refractory follicular lymphoma patients (n=14), overall response and complete response rates were 86 percent and 64 percent, respectively. Median time to progression for this subset of patients was 14 months and the two-year overall survival was estimated to be 93 percent. Notably, responses to the MGd/Zevalin combination were seen within the first four weeks of treatment.

About Zevalin(R)

Zevalin(R) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan) is a form of cancer therapy called radioimmunotherapy and is indicated as part of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen for treatment of relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including patients with rituximab refractory follicular NHL. It was approved by the FDA in February of 2002 as the first radioimmunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of NHL.

Rare deaths associated with an infusion reaction symptom complex have occurred within 24 hours of rituximab infusions. Yttrium-90 Zevalin administration results in severe and prolonged cytopenias in most patients. Severe cutaneous and mucocutaneous reactions have been reported. The most serious adverse reactions of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen were primarily hematologic, including neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Infusion-related toxicities were associated with pre-administration of rituximab. The risk of hematologic toxicity correlated with the degree of bone marrow involvement prior to Zevalin therapy. Myelodysplasia or acute myelogenous leukemia was observed in 2 percent of patients
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