Antibody available to treat rare virus-induced lymphoma subtype

Japan-based Kyowa Hakki Kirin Co is announcing that the company has launched Poteligeo (mogamulizumab) injection, a treatment for a very specific subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Poteligeo is a humanized, therapeutic monoclonal antibody recently approved by the Japanese regulatory agency for treatment of patients diagnosed with relapsed or refractory CCR4-positive adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL). This injection is develered once weekly for eight weeks.

Although ATL is exceedingly rare in the US, about 1200 people in Japan are diagnosed with the aggressive T-cell lymphoma subtype annually. The disease has been convincingly linked to the HTLV-1 retrovirus.

Poteligeo targets lymphocytes on the surfaces of which is expressed (in high numbers) the chemokine receptor CCR4.

There is currently no broad consensus concering what the most effective treatment is for ATL. In some cases, CHOP combination chemotherapy has been used. High-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell rescue has also been used. Poteligeo therefore represents a potential consensus-making treatment modality for this rare, virus-induced lymphoma subtype.

Source: Therapeutics Daily