Newer treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: monoclonal antibodies

Significant advances have been made in the application of monoclonal antibody-based therapies to the treatment of patients with lymphoma. The most promising areas appear to be the use of unconjugated monoclonal antibodies and the use of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. The recent approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of rituximab (Rituxan), an unconjugated chimeric antibody against the CD20 antigen for the treatment of relapsed low-grade or follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma marked a milestone in the development of these antibody-based treatments. Other new drug applications to the FDA are pending using both unconjugated and radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, and it is anticipated that further new treatment options based on monoclonal antibody technology will soon be available for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Forthcoming clinical trial results combining these new agents with current therapies are needed to determine if the addition of these new biologic agents to our armamentarium against lymphoma will alter the natural history of this disease for our patients. The most promising of these treatments and the comparison of these strategies are reviewed here.