Rituximab plus venetoclax as first treatment for marginal zone lymphoma

A Phase II Study Using Rituximab Plus Venetoclax in the Front Line Treatment of Marginal Zone Lymphoma

This trial will test whether combining rituximab and venetoclax helps adults with previously untreated marginal zone lymphoma.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 33 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Academic / other)
• Drugs / interventions: rituximab, ibrutinib, radiation, chemotherapy
• Locations: 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Trial ID: NCT06510309 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This phase II trial gives adults with untreated marginal zone lymphoma a combination of the antibody rituximab and the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax to see how well the regimen controls disease. Participants will undergo baseline evaluations and regular treatment visits with imaging (CT, MRI, PET), blood tests, and biopsies as needed, with treatment for up to 24 months and one year of follow-up after stopping therapy. About 33 people will be enrolled at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and AbbVie is providing venetoclax for the study. Venetoclax is FDA-approved for other blood cancers while rituximab is an approved option for MZL, but the combination has not been approved specifically for MZL.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (≥18) with histologically confirmed, measurable marginal zone lymphoma who have not received prior chemotherapy, have ECOG performance status 0–1, adequate organ function, and expected survival over two years.

Not a fit: Patients who have had prior chemotherapy, have poor performance status or inadequate organ/marrow function, or whose disease is controlled by H. pylori eradication are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could offer an effective first-line option that improves responses and disease control without standard chemotherapy.

How similar studies have performed: Rituximab is an established treatment for MZL and venetoclax has shown activity in other B-cell lymphomas, but the specific rituximab-plus-venetoclax combination in untreated MZL has limited prior data.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants must have histologically confirmed Marginal Zone Lymphoma
* Patients must have measurable disease as defined by at least one lymph node ≥1.5 cm or spleen \> 13 cm
* Patients with intestinal MALT lymphoma must have disease that is detectable by EGD or colonoscopy with biopsy
* Patients with gastric MALT lymphoma must be h. pylori negative. Patients who are h. pylori positive are allowed if they have failed a trial of h. pylori eradication
* Patients with gastric MALT lymphoma who are h. pylori negative or who relapsed/refractory disease after h. pylori eradication must be ineligible form have refused or failed gastric radiation therapy
* Age ≥18 years
* ECOG performance status ≤1
* Life expectancy of greater than 2 years
* Participants must meet the following organ and marrow function as defined below:

  * Hemoglobin ≥8.0 g/dL
  * absolute neutrophil count ≥1,000 cells/mcL (In the event of documented bone marrow involvement, ANC must be ≥1500 cells/mcL)
  * platelets ≥50,000 cells/mm3
  * total bilirubin \< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (In patients with Gilberts disease or documented liver involvement, total bilirubin \< 3 X ULN will be allowed)
  * AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) \< 3 × institutional ULN unless elevation is caused by liver involvement with MZL
  * Creatinine within institutional ULN OR creatinine clearance \>60mL/min for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal (by Cockcroft-Gault estimate or 12-24h creatinine clearance measurements)
* Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
* Patient must be able to swallow pills
* HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are eligible if their HIV is under adequate control with an antiretroviral regimen that has been stable for \> 4 weeks, as long as the CD4 count is \>300. Appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated
* Patients with Hepatitis B surface antibody serum positivity due to poor immunization, as well as those with Hepatitis B core antibody positivity with negative PCR on antiviral therapy will be eligible

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who had prior systemic therapy including rituximab
* Patients who have had prior radiation therapy, with the following exceptions:

  * Palliative radiotherapy (RT) is allowed, but must be completed at least 1 week prior to treatment on this study, and prior to any baseline imaging studies or biopsies. Patients must meet criteria for measurable/assessable disease as outlined above after completion of RT.
  * Prior RT for gastric MALT is allowed, but must be completed at least 1 week prior to treatment on this study, and prior to any baseline imaging studies or biopsies. Patients must meet criteria for measurable/assessable disease as outlined above after completion of RT.
* Prior treatment with ibrutinib or other BTK inhibitor
* Patients with h. pylori-associated gastric MALT or stage I/II MZL will be excluded unless they are deemed to be unfit for radiation therapy with curative intent.
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Patients with uncontrolled hepatitis B or C or HIV infection are ineligible defined as patients with positive serologies and a detectable viral load by PCR.
* Patients with Hep B core ab positivity are allowed provided Hep B PCR is undetectable
* Pregnant women or participants unwilling to adhere to institutional guidelines for highly effective contraception for 12 months after the last dose of rituximab are excluded from this study because of documented risks of rituximab on fetal immunologic development and unknown effects of venetoclax on embryonic development. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with venetoclax, breastfeeding should be discontinued.
* Received moderate or strong CYP3A inhibitors (such as fluconazole, ketoconazole, and clarithromycin) within 7 days prior to the first dose of venetoclax.
* Received moderate or strong CYP3A inducers (such as rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, St. John's Wort) within 7 days prior to the first dose of venetoclax.

Where this trial is running

Boston, Massachusetts

• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Gottfried von Keudell, MD, PhD — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Study coordinator: Gottfried von Keudell, MD, PhD

Conditions Lymphoma; Marginal Zone Lymphoma; MZL