Bispecific Antibodies Offer Lymphoma Patients a Promising New Therapeutic Option

Researchers are Experimenting with Different Combinations of Therapies

• Bispecific antibodies have the advantage of binding to two targets
• This treatment is currently only available in clinical trials
• Researchers are investigating combinations of bispecific antibodies, CAR T-cell therapy, and other new treatments

Bispecific antibodies have exciting potential as a cancer therapy, due to their ability to simultaneously bind to two targets. Right now, this treatment is only available in investigational trials, Dr. Sairah Ahmed of MD Anderson Cancer Center tells SurvivorNet Connect, but it has shown promising outcomes for patients with relapsed-refractory lymphoma who have already undergone a transplant, CAR T-cell therapy, or other lines of treatment.

Dr. Ahmed says bispecific antibodies give patients yet another therapeutic option, along with CAR T-cell therapy and other novel treatments. Researchers are experimenting with different combinations of these therapies “and seeing if we can improve the outcome,” she adds.

Side effects of bispecific therapy are similar to those of CAR T-cell therapy, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and a decrease in blood counts. However, they tend to be milder. “Overall they’re fairly well tolerated,” Dr. Ahmed says.