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News|Articles|October 6, 2026
Epkinly Plus R-CHOP Cuts Lymphoma Progression Risk by 51% in Phase 3 Trial
Author(s)Kaitlyn M. Le
Fact checked by: Quincy Attobrah
Epkinly plus R-CHOP lowered the risk of disease progression or death by 51% versus R-CHOP alone in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
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The bispecific antibody Epkinly (epcoritamab) combined with standard R-CHOP chemoimmunotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 51% compared with R-CHOP alone in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to top-line results from the phase 3 EPCORE DLBCL-2 trial announced by Genmab and AbbVie.
The companies said EPCORE DLBCL-2 is the first phase 3 trial of a bispecific antibody combination to show a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival, or the length of time patients lived without their cancer growing or spreading, in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. R-CHOP combines rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone.
"The 51% reduction in the risk of progression or death is clinically meaningful and highly relevant to everyday practice," said Dr. Gilles Salles, chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in a news release. "These results have the potential to be practice-changing and could mark an important step forward in bringing the opportunity of cure to more patients."
What did the phase 3 EPCORE DLBCL-2 trial find?
The trial met its primary end point of progression-free survival in patients with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of 3 to 5. In those patients, Epkinly plus R-CHOP lowered the risk of disease progression or death by 51% (hazard ratio, 0.49).
The trial also met its key secondary end point of progression-free survival across all enrolled patients, who had IPI scores of 2 to 5. In that broader group, the risk of disease progression or death was again 51% lower with the combination (hazard ratio, 0.49).
"These positive topline results suggest that [Epkinly] combined with R-CHOP could offer a potential new standard of care in [patients with] newly diagnosed DLBCL," said Dr. Daejin Abidoye, vice president and therapeutic area head for oncology at AbbVie.
Genmab CEO Jan van de Winkel noted that treatment advances have improved outcomes for patients with DLBCL, but options for patients with newly diagnosed disease remain limited.
How was the EPCORE DLBCL-2 trial designed?
EPCORE DLBCL-2 is a global, open-label phase 3 trial, meaning patients and their doctors knew which treatment they received. It enrolled patients with newly diagnosed large B-cell lymphoma and an IPI score of 2 to 5. Along with DLBCL not otherwise specified, eligible lymphoma types included high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements, follicular lymphoma grade 3B, T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma and Epstein-Barr virus-positive DLBCL.
Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive Epkinly plus R-CHOP for six cycles followed by Epkinly monotherapy for two cycles, or R-CHOP for six cycles followed by rituximab alone for two cycles. Treatment in both groups ran for a fixed length of time. The trial began on Feb. 8, 2023, and is ongoing.
Epkinly is given as an injection under the skin. It is designed to bind at the same time to CD3, a protein on immune cells called T cells, and CD20, a protein on B cells, directing the T cells to kill the B cells. Epkinly is approved for certain lymphoma types in more than 65 countries, but the combination with R-CHOP is investigational and not approved by regulators.
What side effects were seen with Epkinly plus R-CHOP in EPCORE DLBCL-2?
Epkinly plus R-CHOP was generally well tolerated, according to the companies, and the side effects seen were consistent with those previously reported for Epkinly and R-CHOP individually. The release did not include specific side effect rates.
The data will be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting, and Genmab and AbbVie plan to work with regulators worldwide to determine next steps.
References
- News release. "Genmab and AbbVie Announce Epcoritamab in Combination with R-CHOP Demonstrates Statistically Significant Improvement in Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma." Genmab and AbbVie. Posted: Oct. 5, 2026.
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