Epcoritamab for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

(EPCORE DLBCL-1 Trial)

Recruiting at 269 trial locations

Overseen By Genmab A/S Trial Information

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 3

Sponsor: Genmab

Must not be taking: Bispecific antibodies, Investigational drugs

Disqualifiers: CNS tumor, Seizure disorder, Cardiac disease, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Pivotal Trial (Near Approval) This treatment is in the last trial phase before FDA approval

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 4-6 months

552 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify if you must stop taking your current medications, but you cannot have had chemotherapy or other cancer treatments (except certain antibodies) within 4 weeks before starting the trial. It's best to discuss your current medications with the trial team.

What data supports the effectiveness of the drug Epcoritamab for treating Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma?

Epcoritamab has shown strong anti-tumor activity in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with a 55.6% overall response rate and a 44.4% complete response rate in a clinical trial. It works by activating T-cells to target and kill cancerous B-cells, and has been effective even in patients who have had multiple previous treatments. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What is known about the safety of Epcoritamab for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?

Epcoritamab has shown a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Common side effects include cytokine release syndrome (a reaction that can cause fever and low blood pressure), injection-site reactions, infections, and low white blood cell counts, but these were mostly mild and resolved without stopping treatment. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

What makes the drug Epcoritamab unique for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?

Epcoritamab is unique because it is a bispecific antibody that engages T-cells to target and kill cancerous B-cells, and it is administered subcutaneously (under the skin), which is different from many other treatments that are given intravenously (through a vein). ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this trial is to find out if epcoritamab, also known as EPKINLY™ and GEN3013, is safe and works well as treatment for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that are not responding to treatment, have grown in size, or have come back following treatment with at least 1 prior systemic cancer therapy. All participants in this trial will be randomly assigned to receive either epcoritamab or a pre-specified investigator's choice (standard of care) chemotherapy (either rituximab + gemcitabine + oxaliplatin \[R-GemOx\], or bendamustine + rituximab \[BR\]). Participants must have failed or be ineligible to receive an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Epcoritamab will be injected under the skin. Investigator's choice chemotherapy will be given intravenously. Trial details include: * The trial duration will be up to 5 years after last participant is randomized. * All trial participants have a 21-day screening period, a treatment period, and a follow-up period that continues until death. * The estimated trial duration for an individual subject depends upon the treatment arm assigned: * Participants who receive epcoritamab will have 28-day treatment cycles. Epcoritamab will be given once weekly for the first 3 months, then every other week for 6 months, then every 28 days until lymphoma progression or unacceptable adverse events. * Participants who receive investigator's choice (standard of care) chemotherapy will receive treatments either: * R-GemOx: On Day 1 (or Day 1 \& Day 2), and Day 15 (or Day 15 \& Day 16) every 28 days, for up to 4 months; or * BR: On Day 1 and Day 2 every 3 weeks for up to 4.5 months.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults with certain types of B-cell lymphoma, including Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), who have not responded to or are ineligible for a stem cell transplant. Participants must be in relatively stable health and have measurable disease by scans. They cannot join if they've had recent major surgery, CAR-T therapy, seizures requiring medication, heart issues, CNS tumors or involvement, prior CD3/CD20 bispecific antibody treatment.

Inclusion Criteria

My lymphoma has returned or didn't respond to treatment, and I've had at least one treatment that included anti-CD20.

My doctor expects me to live more than 2 months with standard treatment.

My lymphoma is CD20-positive and matches one of the specified types.

Exclusion Criteria

I have a serious heart condition.

My cancer affects my brain or spinal cord.

I have been treated with a specific antibody for CD3 and CD20.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

3 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either epcoritamab or investigator's choice chemotherapy. Epcoritamab is administered weekly for the first 3 months, then bi-weekly for 6 months, and then every 28 days. Chemotherapy options include R-GemOx or BR with specific schedules.

4-6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment until death.

Up to 5 years

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Epcoritamab
• Investigator's Choice Chemotherapy

Trial Overview The study compares the effectiveness of Epcoritamab—an antibody drug—against standard chemotherapy chosen by the investigator. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either Epcoritamab or chemotherapy to see which works better for relapsed/refractory DLBCL after previous treatments failed.

Participant Groups

Group I: Epcoritamab (GEN3013; DuoBody®CD3xCD20) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Epcoritamab will be administered in Cycles of 28 days until any of the discontinuation criteria is met

Group II: Investigator's choice of chemotherapy Active Control 1 Intervention

R-GemOx will be administrated in Cycles of 28 days until maximum cycles completion or any of the discontinuation criteria is met BR will be administrated in Cycles of 21 days until maximum cycles completion or any of the discontinuation criteria is met

Epcoritamab is already approved in United States, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Epkinly for:

• Relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy
• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy

Approved in European Union as Tepkinly for:

• Relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy
• Relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Genmab

Lead Sponsor

Trials

76

Recruited

15,300+

Dr. Jan van de Winkel

Genmab

Chief Executive Officer since 2010

PhD in Immunology, University of Utrecht

Dr. Judith Klimovsky

Genmab

Chief Medical Officer since 2019

MD, University of Copenhagen

AbbVie

Industry Sponsor

Trials

1,079

Recruited

535,000+

Founded

2013

Headquarters

North Chicago, USA

Known For

Immunology treatments

Top Products

Humira (adalimumab), Skyrizi (risankizumab), Rinvoq (upadacitinib)

Dr. Roopal Thakkar

AbbVie

Chief Medical Officer since 2023

MD from Wayne State University School of Medicine

Robert A. Michael

AbbVie

Chief Executive Officer

Bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Illinois

Findings from Research

Epcoritamab is a bispecific antibody that targets CD3 and CD20, designed for treating relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and received conditional approval in the USA on May 19, 2023, for adult patients after at least two prior therapies.

The drug has also received a positive opinion in the EU and is under review in Japan, indicating its potential as a significant treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab: First Approval. Frampton, JE.[2023]

Epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody targeting CD3 and CD20, showed a 63.1% overall response rate in 157 patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, indicating its efficacy in this challenging patient population.

The treatment was generally well-tolerated, with manageable side effects; however, cytokine release syndrome was common (49.7%), and there was one reported fatality due to immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab, a Novel, Subcutaneous CD3xCD20 Bispecific T-Cell-Engaging Antibody, in Relapsed or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Dose Expansion in a Phase I/II Trial. Thieblemont, C., Phillips, T., Ghesquieres, H., et al.[2023]

Epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody targeting CD3 and CD20, was found to be safe and well-tolerated in 73 patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with no dose-limiting toxic effects and a recommended phase 2 dose established at 48 mg.

The treatment showed promising efficacy, with an overall response rate of 68% in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 90% in those with follicular lymphoma, indicating its potential as a viable therapy for these difficult-to-treat conditions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dose escalation of subcutaneous epcoritamab in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an open-label, phase 1/2 study. Hutchings, M., Mous, R., Clausen, MR., et al.[2021]

Epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody targeting CD3 and CD20, demonstrated a 55.6% overall response rate and a 44.4% complete response rate in 36 Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory CD20+ B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after a median follow-up of 8.4 months.

The treatment had a manageable safety profile, with cytokine release syndrome being the most common adverse event (83.3%), primarily low grade, and all cases resolved without leading to treatment discontinuation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Subcutaneous epcoritamab monotherapy in Japanese adults with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Izutsu, K., Kumode, T., Yuda, J., et al.[2023]

Epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody, showed strong efficacy in killing primary tumor cells from patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), achieving median lysis rates of 65% to 84% across different lymphoma types.

The effectiveness of epcoritamab was consistent regardless of prior treatments, including CD20 monoclonal antibodies, indicating its potential as a treatment option for patients who have become resistant to existing therapies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab induces potent anti-tumor activity against malignant B-cells from patients with DLBCL, FL and MCL, irrespective of prior CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment. van der Horst, HJ., de Jonge, AV., Hiemstra, IH., et al.[2021]

Loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl, an anti-CD19 antibody-drug conjugate, has shown a 48.6% overall response rate in patients with relapsed, refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, indicating its efficacy as a treatment option.

The drug has a tolerable safety profile, with common side effects including neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, leading to its recent FDA approval for treating this type of lymphoma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Loncastuximab tesirine in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a review of clinical data. Furqan, F., Hamadani, M.[2022]

References

1. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab: First Approval. [2023]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab, a Novel, Subcutaneous CD3xCD20 Bispecific T-Cell-Engaging Antibody, in Relapsed or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Dose Expansion in a Phase I/II Trial. [2023]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dose escalation of subcutaneous epcoritamab in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an open-label, phase 1/2 study. [2021]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Subcutaneous epcoritamab monotherapy in Japanese adults with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Epcoritamab induces potent anti-tumor activity against malignant B-cells from patients with DLBCL, FL and MCL, irrespective of prior CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment. [2021]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Loncastuximab tesirine in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a review of clinical data. [2022]