Efficacy of brentuximab vedotin in the fourth-line treatment of primary resistant Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

Patients with relapsed or primary resistant Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who do not qualify for high-dose chemotherapy with a transplant of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) have poor prognosis. The use of new drugs such as brentuximab vedotin, anti-PD-L1 antibodies enables remission and sustained response in this difficult to treat group of patients. Brentuximab vedotin is a conjugate of anti-CD30 and auristatin E antibodies. The drug was registered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2012 to treat patients with recurrent or resistant HL. In Poland, this drug is available in the National Health Fund drug program for patients after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or after at least two lines of chemotherapy, when auto-HSCT is not a valid treatment option. This case illustrates the effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin in the fourth line of primary resistant HL treatment.