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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Two phase 3 trials show major survival gains over standard R-GemOx in transplant-ineligible relapsed/refractory DLBCL. Glofitamab-GemOx nearly doubled median overall survival (25.5 vs 12.5 months) at 3-year follow-up, while Pola-R-GemOx cut the risk of death by 40% (median OS 19.5 vs 12.5 months). Both regimens are emerging as meaningful new options for a patient population with historically poor outcomes.
Two phase 3 trials are reshaping the treatment landscape for transplant-ineligible patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) — a group that has historically faced grim outcomes with limited options.
The STARGLO trial's 3-year follow-up data (published in Blood Advances) showed that glofitamab plus GemOx nearly doubled median overall survival compared to rituximab-GemOx (25.5 vs 12.5 months), with 3-year OS rates of 47.1% vs 27.4%. The POLARGO trial (Journal of Clinical Oncology) found that adding polatuzumab vedotin to R-GemOx cut the risk of death by 40%, extending median OS from 12.5 to 19.5 months and more than doubling complete response rates (40.3% vs 19.0%).
Both regimens came with higher adverse event rates than the control arm, though treatment exposure was also longer. Serious adverse events were notably more frequent with glofitamab-GemOx (54.4% vs 17.0%), and peripheral neuropathy was more common with Pola-R-GemOx (57.0% vs 28.8%).
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: For DLBCL patients who can't undergo stem cell transplant, effective salvage options have been scarce. These trials establish two new fixed-duration regimens that meaningfully extend survival, offering clinicians stronger alternatives ahead of or instead of CAR T-cell therapy.
