Brentuximab vedotin with chemotherapy for high-risk Hodgkin’s lymphoma in pediatric patients

In adults with advanced-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), the CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (BV) combined with multiagent chemotherapy has been shown to have greater efficacy, but also more toxic effects, than chemotherapy alone. The efficacy of this targeted therapy approach in pediatric HL patients is unclear. The multicenter phase 3 AHOD1331 trial in the US and Canada evaluated addition of BV to chemotherapy for previously untreated high-risk HL in patients aged 2 to 21 years. Addition of BV to standard chemotherapy resulted in superior efficacy, with a 59% lower risk of an event or death, and no increase in the incidence of toxic effects at 3 years (quick take video summary).