AbbVie and Genmab's Epkinly wins Phase 3 in first-line DLBCL

· Health · United States · Denmark

AbbVie and Genmab said their T-cell engager Epkinly passed a late-stage trial in first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The better-than-expected results clear the way for a potential market showdown with Roche's antibody-drug conjugate Polivy, and one analyst described the findings as potentially making Epkinly the new 'undisputed' treatment standard in newly diagnosed DLBCL. The companies tested Epkinly in patients who had not previously received treatment for the disease. A first-line approval would substantially expand the drug's addressable patient population beyond its current use in later lines of therapy, where it competes against other options. The readout is one of the most closely watched oncology results of the period.

Why it matters：A first-line win in DLBCL would reposition a T-cell engager as a potential standard of care in a large lymphoma market, intensifying competition with Roche and other developers of bispecific and antibody-drug conjugate therapies.

Key points

  • Epkinly is a T-cell engager developed by AbbVie and Genmab.
  • It competes against Roche's antibody-drug conjugate Polivy in DLBCL.
  • The trial tested the drug in previously untreated patients.

Sources (original reporting)

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