Nivolumab-AVD: A New Standard for Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Could a new treatment combination become the next standard for advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma?

Researchers studied how a mix of treatments called nivolumab-AVD compared to brentuximab vedotin-AVD. Learn about the study’s results and how they may impact your future options. 

The former standard: Brentuximab vedotin-AVD

For many years, the most common first treatment for people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma was a targeted therapy called brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris, Pfizer) used with a chemotherapy mix known as AVD (doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine).

In clinical trials, this treatment led to a 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 83%, meaning 83% of people did not see their cancer worsen in that time. It also reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by almost half.

However, this approach had many side effects, especially for seniors. 

Improving outcomes with nivolumab-AVD

A phase 3 study tested nivolumab (Opdivo, BMS), an immune-based therapy, with the same AVD chemotherapy instead of brentuximab vedotin. The new combination led to better results across multiple age groups. Out of 970 people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma: 

• 2-year PFS in ages 12–17:
  • 95% for nivolumab-AVD
  • 83% for brentuximab vedotin-AVD
• 2-year PFS in seniors:
  • 88% for nivolumab-AVD
  • 65% for brentuximab vedotin-AVD

Nivolumab-AVD also had fewer side effects than brentuximab vedotin-AVD. One-third of elderly patients taking brentuximab vedotin-AVD had to stop treatment due to high toxicity. In contrast, those on nivolumab-AVD had far fewer complications. These differences are especially important for senior individuals, who often face more side effects. 

Future hopes for nivolumab-AVD

“With these promising results, we expect nivolumab with AVD chemotherapy will become a new standard of care and the first treatment we provide patients who are diagnosed with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma.” - Alex Herrera, MD

We hope data from this study will lead to a future FDA approval for the combination of nivolumab-AVD, providing a more effective and safer first treatment for these patients. If you would like to review innovative clinical trials now, please discuss options with your Hodgkin lymphoma specialist or find them in HealthTree’s clinical trial finder. 

Continue Reading Hodgkin Lymphoma News

Sources: 

• Nivolumab + AVD in Advanced Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Nivolumab Appears to Boost Cure Rate in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma