Brentuximab vedotin is a new antibody-drug conjugate composed of the anti-CD30 chimeric monoclonal antibody and the potent antimicrotubule drug monomethylauristatin E. In two phase II clinical trials, treatment with single-agent brentuximab vedotin resulted in response rates of 75% in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and 86% in relapsed/refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Peripheral sensory neuropathy (40%) and neutropenia (20%) were the most frequent side effects, generally mild and manageable. After a large use in a compassionate program, brentuximab vedotin was approved in France in October 2012 for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplantation or after failure of at least two prior multiagent chemotherapy regimens in patients non eligible for autologous transplantation, and for the treatment of systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma after failure of at least one prior multiagent chemotherapy regimen.
Keywords: Hodgkin lymphoma; anaplastic large cells lymphoma; brentuximab vedotin.