NICE recommends brentuximab vedotin plus AVD for Hodgkin lymphoma

Advancing care for stage 3 or 4 Hodgkin lymphoma patients

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended brentuximab vedotin combined with doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (AVD) to treat adult patients with untreated stage 3 or 4 CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma.

The decision is based on findings from the phase 3 ECHELON-1 trial, which demonstrated improved survival outcomes for patients receiving brentuximab vedotin plus AVD compared to the current ABVD multi-agent chemotherapy standard.

Professor Graham Collins, Associate Professor and Consultant Haematologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation, said: “The recent positive NICE recommendation of brentuximab vedotin + AVD as a treatment option for adult patients with previously untreated CD30+ stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma represents a major advance in the frontline management of Hodgkin lymphoma for our patients.”

The ECHELON-1 trial met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) with 2-year modified PFS rates of 82.1% for brentuximab vedotin plus AVD compared to 77.2% for ABVD. It also met the secondary endpoint of overall survival, with an estimated 6-year survival rate of 93.9% for brentuximab vedotin plus AVD compared to 89.4% for ABVD.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare condition, with approximately 800 patients diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 in England each year. This NICE recommendation provides broader treatment options and represents a significant step forward in addressing unmet clinical needs.

Emma Roffe, Oncology Country Head at Takeda UK & Ireland, said: “Brentuximab vedotin is a medicine that continues to transform the treatment paradigm for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.”