Overland ADCT BioPharma (CY) Ltd, a joint venture between China’s Overland Pharmaceuticals and Switzerland’s ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT), announced the first patient dosing in the Phase III confirmatory LOTIS-5 study of Zynlonta (loncastuximab tesirine) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The trial will evaluate the drug’s efficacy and safety when combined with rituximab in second-line and later DLBCL patients ineligible for transplantation.
Mechanism and Previous Approvals
Zynlonta, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD19, binds to tumor cells and releases a cytotoxin that disrupts DNA replication, leading to cell death. The drug was approved in the US in April 2021 for adults with relapsed/refractory DLBCL after at least two lines of therapy. Orient EuroPharma holds exclusive rights to Zynlonta in Taiwan and Singapore.
Clinical Background
Previous studies showed Zynlonta’s activity against relapsed/refractory DLBCL, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and follicular lymphoma (FL). The LOTIS-5 study aims to reinforce these findings in a broader patient population.-Fineline Info & Tech
