Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for 10-15% of the lymphoma cases among them Classical Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for approximately 95% of Hodgkin lymphoma cases. Currently, many companies are evaluating therapies for cHL. Affimed GmbH is one of the potential companies investigating the combination of AFM13 + AB-101 in the Phase II LuminICE-203 study. 

The efficacy of the LuminICE-203 trial obtained an Overall Response Rate (ORR) of 88% and 58% of patients achieved a complete response. Approximately half of the patients experienced infusion-related reactions as treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), which were primarily mild to moderate in severity. No fatal TRAEs occurred, and none of the predefined criteria for early termination were met. No cases of ICANS were observed in the patients; however, 25% experienced CRS, including one patient with Grade 3 CRS.

KOL insights

“Many novel immunotherapies hold great promise in cHL. Rational combinations with existing agents and next-generation antibody and CAR-T constructs may improve response rates and durability. Identifying biomarkers of response to these immunotherapies and using more sensitive tools to assess response, such as circulating tumor DNA, may further inform treatment decisions and enable a precision medicine approach in the future.” - Expert Opinion

Conclusion

The treatment of cHL typically involves a combination of therapies aimed at achieving a complete cure. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone, often using combination regimens to eliminate cancer cells effectively. In select cases, radiation therapy or advanced techniques like proton therapy may be added to target tumors more precisely while sparing healthy tissue. While brentuximab vedotin and PD-1 inhibitors have enhanced outcomes in cHL, there remains a critical need for more effective treatments for patients who relapse following these therapies. Advances in the understanding of cHL biology have led to a strong pipeline of emerging therapeutic options currently in development. 

Numerous ADCs, bispecific antibodies, and CAR-T therapies are at various stages of development in R/R cHL with promising preliminary outcomes. Acimtamig (AFM13) is a tetravalent bispecific antibody whereas, ALLONK (AB-101) is a Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy. This combination demonstrated promising efficacy and a manageable safety profile, offering a potential benefit to patients with R/R cHL who have exhausted standard-of-care treatment.