Info

Brentuximab

Brentuximab vedotin (BV) Neurotoxicity, pancreatitis (rare), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (rare)

  • Mechanism:

    • Binds CD30
  • Dosing:

    • 1.8 mg/kg every 3 wks, adjust dose for tx-related tox
  • PK/PD: T1/2 ∼5 d

  • AEs:

    • Peripheral neuropathy (DLT), pancytopenia, URI
  • DDI:

    • CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers (↑/↓ conc. of brentuximab)
  • For relapse after autologous HCT (if BV was not previously administered), relapse after two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens, consolidation after partial response to systemic chemotherapy

  • Targeted chemotherapy (monomethyl auristatin E linked to CD30 monoclonal antibody)


  • Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) are uncommon types of cancer
  • They are highly curable with initial treatment
  • However, some patients are refractory to or relapse after first- and second-line therapies
  • Brentuximab vedotin is a CD30-directed antibody-cytotoxic drug conjugate that has shown efficacy in treating refractory or relapsed HL and sALCL
  • Its response rates are higher than those of several current treatments for these malignancies
  • Adverse effects of brentuximab vedotin are considered manageable, but serious adverse effects have been reported
  • The FDA has granted accelerated approval to brentuximab vedotin for the treatment of HL after failure of autologous stem cell transplantation or at least two combination chemotherapy regimens, and for sALCL after failure of at least one combination chemotherapy regimen
  • Brentuximab vedotin is the first FDA-approved agent for the treatment of HL in over three decades and the first agent specifically indicated to treat sALCL
  • Ongoing prospective trials will determine if brentuximab vedotin has a survival benefit compared to standard treatment, and if it can be used earlier in the disease process or with other chemotherapy for the treatment of HL, sALCL, or other CD30-positive malignancies.