Drug development for recurrent and refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is highly treatable with chemotherapy alone or combined modality therapy. High dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplant is considered standard of care for patients who relapse. For patients who relapse following transplant or who are not candidates for high dose therapy, prognosis is poor, and new treatment strategies are needed. Targeted therapies for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma include monoclonal antibodies directed at cell surface antigens, immunoconjugates, bispecific constructs created to recruit host effector cells and radioimmunotherapy. In Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated Hodgkin lymphoma, cytotoxic T lymphocytes directed at EBV antigens have been utilised in clinical trials with some success. Additionally, the immunomodulatory agents thalidomide and lenalidomide, and new classes of drugs such as the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors hold promise in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma.