A global clinical trial of a new treatment for people with an aggressive form of blood cancer has shown exciting results.
Principal investigator – Monash Health’s Director of Haematology Research, Associate Professor Gareth Gregory – has described the findings as “a game changer”, suggesting they will lead to an overhaul of the way patients with relapsed or resistant non-Hodgkin lymphoma are treated around the world.
The trial involved 274 patients in Australia, Asia, the USA and Europe with rapidly progressing disease who were unable to tolerate the intensive, curative treatments of stem cell transplantation or CAR T-cell therapy.
Usually, these patients would be treated with palliative intent, with no expectation of a cure.
Of the trial participants who received the immunotherapy drug Glofitamab in combination with chemotherapy, 59 per cent went into remission.
Two years on from treatment a significant number of these patients remain in remission, suggesting they are on track to being cured.
The treatment is to be submitted to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for approval for use in Australia.
Subject to approval, it may be available to patients at the end of 2025.
The Herald Sun and 7News reported on Monash Health’s leading role in the world-first clinical trial.