Study summary

Adding nivolumab to chemotherapy kept advanced Hodgkin lymphoma away longer than brentuximab

S1826 trial · 994 people · Published October 2024, New England Journal of Medicine

92% vs 83%free of progression at 2 years, nivolumab vs brentuximab

What was tested

Nivolumab, an immunotherapy, or brentuximab vedotin, each added to AVD chemotherapy, in people aged 12 and older with newly diagnosed stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma.

What they found

At 2 years, 92% on nivolumab-AVD and 83% on brentuximab-AVD had no progression.
Only 7 people needed radiation.
Immune side effects were uncommon; brentuximab led to more people stopping treatment.

What it means

Led to FDA approval of nivolumab-AVD as first treatment for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2026.

N Engl J Med, via PubMed ↗ Trial record NCT03907488 ↗ ← Back to the outlook

Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.