Cell's Zevalin improves PFS in NHL patients

USA-based Cell Therapeutics says that data from the FIT trial showed that Zevalin ([90Y]-ibritumomab tiuxetan) in consolidation therapy after remission induction in previously-untreated patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma provided important patient benefits, including a significant improvement in progression-free survival.

Published in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the Phase III study showed that Zevalin significantly improved the median progression-free survival time from 13.3 months (control arm) to 36.5 months (Zevalin cohort; p<0.0001). This advantage was observed regardless of whether patients were in partial remission (29.3 vs 6.2 months p<0.0001 without Zevalin) or complete remission (53.9 vs 29.5 months; p=0.0154).

Furthermore, Zevalin consolidation converted 77% of patients who had achieved only a partial remission after induction therapy to complete remission/complete remission unconfirmed. Nearly all subgroups appeared to benefit regardless of prognostic score.