Use of Obinutuzumab for B-cell Malignancies

We analysed data for the use of obinutuzumab in the treatment of CD20-positive lymphoproliferative disorders including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Marked progress in the outcomes of B-cell NHL came with the development of targeted therapy against CD20 with the monoclonal antibody rituximab. Despite the benefit seen with rituximab, many patients relapse or become refractory after rituximab-containing therapies. This led to the development of more effective anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies such as obinutuzumab. Several Phase III studies have been conducted comparing rituximab to obinutuzumab in patients with B-cell NHL. Obinutuzumab is a glycoengineered Type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. An overview of the recently presented and/or published Phase III studies investigating obinutuzumab in the treatment of NHL and CLL are presented. The CLL11 Phase III study was the first study demonstrating the superiority of obinutuzumab over rituximab. Recently, several other Phase III studies have demonstrated improved outcomes for CLL and NHL with the use of obinutuzumab. Further evaluation, longer follow-up, and future studies investigating combination therapy with novel agents are warranted to demonstrate if obinutuzumab should replace rituximab as the standard of care.