CHOP-R WITH ZEVALIN/RITUXAN PROMISING FOR PREVIOUSLY UNTREATED FOLLICULAR NHL

Results from a Phase II trial reported that CHOP-R followed by Zevalin (90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan) and Rituxan (rituximab) provides high complete response rates and encouraging progression-free survival as initial treatment of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Zevalin is a radioimmunotherapeutic agent comprising Rituxan attached to yttrium 90 to form the immunoconjugate 90 yttrium-2b8 ibritumomab. The FDAhas approved Zevalin for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory low-grade, follicular, or transformed B-cell NHL, including patients with rituximab-refractory follicular NHL.