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Question 1 of 1
In the phase III GALLIUM trial, obinutuzumab-based immunochemotherapy showed superiority over rituximab-based immunochemotherapy for which of the following two end points?
A
B
C
D
Rituximab-based chemotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). However, most patients relapse and overall survival is poor. Obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has a greater antibody dependent cytotoxicity and B-cell killing effect than rituximab.1 The phase III GALLIUM trial (NCT01332968) assessed the efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab- versus rituximab-based immunochemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL), including follicular lymphoma (FL) or marginal zone lymphoma (MZL).
The Lymphoma Hub has previously reported an update on the GALLIUM trial. The final analysis of the GALLIUM trial was recently published by Townsend et al.1 in HemaSphere. We are pleased to summarize the key findings here.
GALLIUM is an international multi-center, open-label randomized phase III trial of obinutuzumab- versus rituximab-based immunochemotherapy.
Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either obinutuzumab or rituximab, plus chemotherapy (Figure 1). Maintenance treatment was given to patients with a complete or partial response for 2 years or until disease progression or withdrawal. Patients with stable disease at the end of induction did not receive maintenance and were observed until disease progression or withdrawal.
Figure 1. Study design*
ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; FL, follicular lymphoma; iNHL, indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma; MZL, marginal zone lymphoma.
*Adapted from Townsend, et al.1
†FL grade 1–3a or splenic, nodal, or extranodal MZL.
‡Stage III/IV, or stage II with bulk ≥7cm.
A total of 1,397 patients were included, and the baseline characteristics were well balanced across both treatment arms (Table 1).
Table 1. Baseline characteristics*
CHOP, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone; CVP, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone; FL, follicular lymphoma; FLIPI, Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index; MZL, marginal zone lymphoma. |
||||
Characteristic, % (unless otherwise stated) |
FL cohort |
MZL cohort |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
Obinutuzumab |
Rituximab |
Obinutuzumab |
Rituximab |
|
Median age (range), years |
60 (26–88) |
58 (23–85) |
63 (36–85) |
62 (29–88) |
MZL subtype |
||||
Nodal |
36.4 |
31.3 |
||
Extranodal |
24.2 |
38.5 |
||
Splenic |
39.4 |
30.2 |
||
Ann Arbor stage at diagnosis |
||||
I |
1.7 |
1.3 |
6.1 |
0 |
II |
6.8 |
7.3 |
1.0 |
3.1 |
III |
34.6 |
34.8 |
10.1 |
14.6 |
IV |
56.4 |
55.9 |
82.8 |
82.3 |
Missing |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0 |
0 |
FLIPI risk score |
||||
Low |
21.3 |
20.8 |
||
Intermediate |
37.3 |
37.1 |
||
High |
41.4 |
42.1 |
||
B symptoms |
33.4 |
34.3 |
41.4 |
33.3 |
Chemotherapy regimen |
||||
Bendamustine |
57.4 |
56.7 |
73.7 |
68.8 |
CHOP |
32.4 |
33.8 |
14.1 |
18.8 |
CVP |
10.1 |
9.5 |
12.1 |
12.5 |
Figure 2. Estimated 7-year PFS, EFS, OS, and free from NLT at 7 years in the FL cohort*
EFS, event-free survival; FL, follicular lymphoma; NLT, next lymphoma treatment; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival.
*Data from Townsend, et al.1
†Patients who were alive and had not started the NLT at Year 7.
In the MZL cohort, the 7-year PFS rate in the MZL cohort was 59.8% in the obinutuzumab arm versus 52.2% in the rituximab arm.
Figure 3. 7-year PFS and OS in patients who did not achieve CMR in FL cohort*
CMR, complete molecular response; FL, follicular lymphoma; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival.
*Data from Townsend, et al.1
The most common adverse events in the FL cohort were infusion-related reaction, neutropenia, and nausea (Figure 4). In total, 48.9% of patients in the obinutuzumab arm and 43.4% of patients in the rituximab arm experienced a serious adverse event. Two deaths due to adverse events were reported in the obinutuzumab arm and seven in the rituximab arm. Most fatal adverse events occurred in patients who received bendamustine, with no difference between treatment arms (5.9% of patients who received obinutuzumab plus bendamustine versus 6.2% of patients who received rituximab plus bendamustine).
Figure 4. Adverse events in the FL population*
*Adapted from Townsend, et al.1
The results of the phase III GALLIUM trial demonstrated the longer-term improvement in PFS and time-to-next lymphoma treatment of obinutuzumab-based immunochemotherapy over rituximab-based immunochemotherapy in patients with previously untreated FL. Overall, AEs were manageable with no new safety signals reported.
References
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