An evaluation of polatuzumab vedotin for the treatment of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Introduction Diffuse Large B-Cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most commonly diagnosed form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in adults. Most patients receive an initial treatment with chemo-immunotherapy, which includes rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisone (R-CHOP). Cure rates are high but those who relapse, or do not respond to initial therapy, have a poor prognosis. Polatuzumab vedotin, an anti-CD79b monoclonal antibody conjugated to the cytotoxic payload monomethyl aurostatin-E (MMAE), in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (polatuzumab-BR) is a new, effective therapeutic option to add to the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL Areas covered This review covers the clinical development of polatuzumab for the treatment of lymphoma, its current and future use in patients with DLBCL and identifies its place in the treatment of R/R DLBCL. A search of PubMed and oncology/hematology congresses using 'polatuzumab' as the search term was undertaken to identify the most pertinent clinical reports. Expert opinion Polatuzumab-BR is an effective and safe option for transplant-ineligible patients with R/R DLBCL either before or after CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy). Ongoing combination trials with polatuzumab will expand its applications in the treatment of this disease.