Anti-CD20 Bispecifics Could Find Niche In First-Line Lymphoma

Highly Entrenched Rituxan Could Prove Tough To Dislodge

Roche presented data at ASCO on its two CD20-targeting bispecific antibodies, showing high response rates in heavily pretreated non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

Cancer-cells-pink-color_1200x675 — Roche presented data at ASCO on its two CD20xCD3-targeting bispecific antibodies • Source: Shutterstock

With high response rates in heavily pretreated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients, Roche Holding AG hopes to eventually move its CD20-targeting bispecific antibodies mosunetuzumab and glofitamab into earlier lines of therapy, where they could potentially replace long-established anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody players like its own Rituxan (rituximab) and Gazyva (obinutuzumab). But it’s more likely that the bispecifics will fit into certain niches of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients who do not respond well to Rituxan/chemotherapy approaches.

Rituxan has long been a dominant force in NHL and similar cancers and will be a hard drug to unseat,...