Mogamulizumab for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma

T-cell lymphoma is a relatively rare hematologic malignancy that accounts for 10-20% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Treatment strategies for T-cell lymphomas are different from that for B-cell lymphomas and have poor prognoses. Among various subtypes of T-cell lymphomas, adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) has the worst prognosis. To achieve further improvement in the treatment outcome of T-cell lymphomas, several novel agents such as brentuximab vedotin, lenalidomide, romidepsin, and pralatrexate are actively being studied. Mogamulizumab, an anti-CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) monoclonal antibody, is one of the promising agents for CCR4-positive T-cell lymphomas, especially for ATL. Areas covered: First, basic information about the current treatment strategy of T-cell lymphomas including ATL is described. Then, the authors discuss the current clinical development of mogamulizumab and its clinical implications for T-cell lymphomas. Expert opinion: Mogamulizumab has potent clinical efficacy against CCR4-positive T-cell lymphomas, especially against ATL. Among various toxicities associated with mogamulizumab, skin eruptions are the most significant. Although there are several effective competitors, mogamulizumab has a unique mechanism and is expected to be a key agent for treating CCR4-positive T-cell lymphomas, especially ATL.