Replacing one chemotherapy drug in R-CHOP with a CD79b antibody-drug conjugate modestly reduced progression (2-year PFS 76.7% versus 70.2%) without changing survival or side effects.
POLARIX randomised 879 previously untreated patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (IPI 2-5, age 18-80) to pola-R-CHP (polatuzumab vedotin replacing vincristine) or standard R-CHOP for six cycles plus two rituximab doses. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed PFS. At two years PFS was 76.7% versus 70.2% (hazard ratio 0.73) while overall survival was identical (88.7% versus 88.6%) and the safety profiles were similar. Exploratory subgroups suggested most benefit in activated B-cell-like subtype, older patients and higher IPI, with little or no benefit in germinal-centre subtype. It was the first regimen to beat R-CHOP in two decades of trials.
POLARIX gave the first new first-line standard for DLBCL since rituximab was added to CHOP, and pola-R-CHP is now approved and widely used, especially in higher-risk or ABC-type disease. The gain is modest and survival is unchanged, so many clinicians still use R-CHOP in lower-risk or GCB-type patients. Cost and subgroup uncertainty drive ongoing debate.
Shares Polatuzumab vedotin plus rituximab, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from the phase III, randomized POLARGO trial, POLARIX, CD79b, Polatuzumab vedotin.
Shares POLARIX, CD20, Vincristine, Rituximab.
Shares CD20, Vincristine, Rituximab, Roche / Genentech.
Shares POLAR BEAR, CD20, Vincristine, Rituximab.
Shares POLARIX, Vincristine, Rituximab, Lymphoma roadmap: from a jaw tumour in Uganda and the first human cancer virus to gene-expression subtypes, PET-adapted chemotherapy, CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies and the genetics-directed trials now recruiting.
Shares Polatuzumab vedotin, Rituximab, Doxorubicin, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Shares POLARIX, CD20, Lymphoma roadmap: from a jaw tumour in Uganda and the first human cancer virus to gene-expression subtypes, PET-adapted chemotherapy, CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies and the genetics-directed trials now recruiting, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Shares CD20, Progression-free survival (PFS), Overall survival (OS), Rituximab.