Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, making up about one-third of cases. Standard treatment combines chemotherapy with rituximab, an antibody drug that targets the CD20 protein on B cells. About 60% of people achieve long-term remission with this approach, but researchers are working to improve outcomes for everyone and find less toxic options.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing CAR T-cell therapy earlier in treatment, newer antibody-drug conjugates that deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells, bispecific antibodies that recruit the immune system, and combinations that avoid traditional chemotherapy entirely. Researchers are also studying genetic subtypes of the disease to match people with treatments most likely to work for their specific lymphoma.
CAR T-cell therapy earlier
CAR T-cell therapy was approved in 2017 for relapsed lymphoma and is now being tested as second-line treatment and even alongside initial chemotherapy. Trials are comparing it head-to-head with stem cell transplant.
Bispecific antibodies
These drugs link cancer cells to immune cells, forcing them together so the immune system attacks the lymphoma. Several are now approved for relapsed disease and being tested earlier in treatment.
Antibody-drug conjugates
Drugs like loncastuximab attach chemotherapy to an antibody that finds cancer cells, delivering treatment directly to the tumor. Trials are combining them with other targeted drugs to avoid traditional chemotherapy.
What to know before you search
Eligibility often depends on disease stage, prior treatments, genetic subtype identified through biopsy, and whether the lymphoma has relapsed or is newly diagnosed.
What types of trials are currently open
- CAR T-cell trials — Testing engineered immune cells as earlier treatment or in combination with other therapies. May require two weeks of cell collection and manufacturing.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, or other drugs aimed at specific proteins on lymphoma cells, often with less chemotherapy or none at all.
- Combination trials — Testing new drug combinations to replace or improve on standard chemotherapy plus rituximab, particularly for high-risk subtypes.
- Maintenance trials — Testing whether continued treatment after remission can prevent relapse.
- Biomarker studies — Collecting tumor samples to identify genetic features that predict which treatments will work best.
Recently added Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma trials
Receive proton therapy for chest lymphoma
The study aims to investigate whether proton therapy is feasible in a national setting and whether proton therapy can reduce the risk of late toxicity (secondary cancers and heart toxicity) compared to foton therapy.
Receive an infusion of engineered immune cells to fight B-cell lymphoma
This study is aimed to explored the safety and efficacy of 7×19-THEMIS CAR-T cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma and to conduct an exploratory comparison of the 3-month objective response rate (ORR) and complete remission rate (CR rate) between the experimental cohort and the historical control cohort (NCT04833504).
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