A review of monoclonal antibody therapies in lymphoma

• The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab has become a standard of care in most B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
• Second generation anti-CD20 antibodies like obinutuzumab have greater antibody-dependent cytotoxicity than rituximab.
• Brentuximab vedotin is a potent anti-CD30 antibody that is changing the landscape of Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma therapy.
• Other effective monoclonal antibodies are on the horizon.

Monoclonal antibodies (moAb) represent a novel way of delivering therapy through specific target antigens expressed on lymphoma cells and minimizes the collateral damage that is common with conventional chemotherapy. The paradigm of this approach is the targeting of CD20 by rituximab. Since its FDA approval in 1997, rituximab has become the standard of care in almost every line of therapy in most B-cell lymphomas. This review will briefly highlight some of the key rituximab trials while looking more closely at the evidence that is bringing other antibodies, including next generation anti-CD20 moAbs, and anti-CD30 moAbs, among others to the forefront of lymphoma therapy.