Where follicular lymphoma treatment is heading

About 15,000 people in the US are diagnosed with follicular lymphoma each year. It usually grows slowly, so many people are watched for years before needing treatment, and most live a long time. The field is moving fast: bispecific antibodies that turn the immune system on the lymphoma are now approved at relapse and are being tested as the first treatment, and long follow-up suggests some people are cured.

• 265studies open or running
• 28phase 3 trials
• 457papers published this year
• 40NIH-funded projects

1. Now

   Nov 2026

   A new standard when lymphoma returnsHappened 85.5% progression-free at 16 mo

   Epcoritamab plus R2: 85.5% progression-free at 16 months vs 40.2% with R2 alone. FDA approved November 2025.

   85.5%: progression-free at 16 months, vs 40.2% with R2 alone.

   • EPCORE FL-1 trial

   A second add-on antibody approvedHappened 22.4 mo median progression-free

   Tafasitamab added to R2 lengthened median progression-free survival from 13.9 to 22.4 months.

   22.4 mo: median progression-free survival, vs 13.9 months with placebo.

   • inMIND trial

   Some people are curedHappened 42% estimated cure rate

   15-year follow-up of a US trial estimated 42% were cured by first treatment; relapses became rare after 15 years.

   42%: estimated cure rate.

   • SWOG S0016, 15-year follow-up

   CAR T-cell remissions last a decadeHappened 47% lymphoma-free at 10 yrs

   47% of people with follicular lymphoma were lymphoma-free 10 years after one CAR T-cell infusion.

   47%: lymphoma-free at 10 years (follicular lymphoma).

   • Penn CAR T-cell 10-year follow-up

2. 6 months

   by May 2027

   Mosunetuzumab combination heads to regulatorsLikely

   CELESTIMO beat rituximab plus lenalidomide at relapse; full data and a filing are expected.

   • CELESTIMO trial

   An under-the-skin bispecificLikely 61.7% complete responses

   Subcutaneous mosunetuzumab matched the IV version (61.7% complete responses) with less cytokine release.

   61.7%: complete response rate.

   • Subcutaneous mosunetuzumab study

3. 12 months

   by Nov 2027

   A bispecific as the very first treatmentPossible

   Regeneron's OLYMPIA-1 (822 people) compares odronextamab alone with rituximab-chemotherapy for untreated follicular lymphoma; due February 2028.

   • OLYMPIA-1

   A BTK pill combination vs R2Possible

   MAHOGANY (799 people) compares zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab with R2 at relapse; due July 2028.

   • MAHOGANY

4. 3 years

   by late 2029

   Chemotherapy-free first treatmentPossible

   MorningLyte (790 people) tests mosunetuzumab plus lenalidomide against chemo-immunotherapy as first treatment; due November 2028.

   • MorningLyte

   CAR T-cell therapy earlierPossible

   Kite's ZUMA-22 compares axicabtagene ciloleucel with standard care for high-risk relapsed disease; due October 2030.

   • Penn CAR T-cell 10-year follow-up
   • ZUMA-22

   A new pill that degrades cancer proteinsLong shot

   Golcadomide plus rituximab (400 people) is in phase 3; due April 2028.

   • Golcadomide trial

5. 5 years

   by late 2031

   Bispecifics for low-burden diseaseLong shot

   A National Cancer Institute trial (600 people) compares mosunetuzumab with rituximab for people who would otherwise be watched; due March 2032.

   • NCI mosunetuzumab trial

   More first-treatment bispecificsLong shot

   AstraZeneca's surovatamig (1,018 people), Genmab's EPCORE FL-2 (1,095) and Merck's MK-1045 (960) are all large first-treatment trials due 2031-2037.

   • SOUNDTRACK-F1
   • EPCORE FL-2
   • MK-1045 trial

The research paths

Borrowed from other cancers

Open to join now

• Untreated, needs treatment

  Odronextamab vs rituximab-chemotherapy

  Phase 3 · 190 sites

  Locations and eligibility →

• Untreated, needs treatment

  Surovatamig plus rituximab

  Phase 3 · 244 sites

  Locations and eligibility →

• Low tumor burden

  Mosunetuzumab vs rituximab

  Phase 3 · 288 sites

  Locations and eligibility →

• Follicular lymphoma

  Golcadomide plus rituximab

  Phase 3 · 160 sites

  Locations and eligibility →

• Early stage

  Radiation with or without obinutuzumab (GAZEBO)

  Phase 3 · 49 sites

  Locations and eligibility →

See every recruiting Follicular lymphoma trial →

When the trials finish

Completion dates the trials registered. Results usually follow 3 to 12 months later.

What just happened

Standard treatment today

• Early (stage I-II)Radiation to the affected area; adding an antibody is being tested.
• Advanced, low tumor burdenWatch and wait, or rituximab alone.
• Advanced, needs treatmentChemo-immunotherapy (bendamustine or CHOP with rituximab or obinutuzumab), or R2.
• RelapsedEpcoritamab or tafasitamab added to R2; bispecific antibodies (mosunetuzumab, epcoritamab) or CAR T-cell therapy after two or more treatments.

See Follicular lymphoma trials recruiting now →