Relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Active Ingredient: Epcoritamab

Indication for Epcoritamab

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)
Therapeutic intent: Curative procedure

Epcoritamab as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

0.16 mg priming dose, 0.8 mg intermediate dose and 48 mg full dose in 28-day treatment cycles

For:

Dosage regimens

Subcutaneous, 0.16 milligrams epcoritamab, one dose, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 0.8 milligrams epcoritamab, one dose, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 48 milligrams epcoritamab, one dose, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 48 milligrams epcoritamab, one dose, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 48 milligrams epcoritamab, once weekly, over the duration of 4 weeks. This step is repeated 2 times. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 48 milligrams epcoritamab, once every 2 weeks, over the duration of 4 weeks. This step is repeated 6 times. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 48 milligrams epcoritamab, once every 4 weeks.

Detailed description

Recommended pre-medication and dose schedule

Epcoritamab should be administered according to the following dosing schedule in 28-day cycles which is outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. Dosing schedule:

Dosing schedule Cycle of
treatment
Days Epcoritamab dose (mg)a
Weekly Cycle 1 1 0.16 mg (Step-up dose 1)
8 0.8 mg (Step-up dose 2)
15 48 mg (First full dose)
22 48 mg
Weekly Cycles 2 – 3 1, 8, 15, 22 48 mg
Every two weeks Cycles 4 – 91, 15 48 mg
Every four weeks Cycles 10 + 1 48 mg

a 0.16 mg is a priming dose, 0.8 mg is an intermediate dose and 48 mg is a full dose.

Epcoritamab should be administered until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Details on recommended pre-medication for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Epcoritamab pre-medication:

Cycle Patient requiring
pre-medication
Pre-medicationAdministration
Cycle 1 All patients Prednisolone (100 mg oral or
intravenous) or
dexamethasone (15 mg oral
or intravenous) or
equivalent
• 30-120 minutes prior to
each weekly
administration of
epcoritamab
• And for three consecutive
days following each
weekly administration of
epcoritamab in Cycle 1
• Diphenhydramine
(50 mg oral or
intravenous) or
equivalent
• Paracetamol
(650 to 1 000 mg oral)
• 30-120 minutes prior to
each weekly
administration of
epcoritamab
Cycle 2 and
beyond
Patients who
experienced Grade 2
or 3a CRS with
previous dose
Prednisolone (100 mg oral or
intravenous) or
dexamethasone (15 mg oral
or intravenous) or
equivalent
• 30-120 minutes prior to
next administration of
epcoritamab after a grade
2 or 3a CRS event
• And for three consecutive
days following the next
administration of
epcoritamab until
epcoritamab is given
without subsequent CRS
of Grade 2 or higher

a Patients will be permanently discontinued from epcoritamab after a Grade 4 CRS event.

Prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) and herpes virus infections is strongly recommended especially during concurrent use of steroids.

Epcoritamab should be administered to adequately hydrated patients. Patients at an increased risk for clinical tumour lysis syndrome (CTLS) are recommended to receive hydration and prophylactic treatment with a uric acid lowering agent.

Patients should be monitored for signs and symptoms of CRS and/or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) following epcoritamab administration. Patients should be hospitalised for 24 hours after administration of the Cycle 1 Day 15 dose of 48 mg to monitor for signs and symptoms of CRS and/or ICANS. Patients should be counselled on the signs and symptoms associated with CRS and ICANS and on seeking immediate medical attention should signs or symptoms occur at any time.

Missed or delayed dose

A re-priming Cycle (identical to Cycle 1 with standard CRS prophylaxis) is required:

  • If there are more than 8 days between the priming dose (0.16 mg) and intermediate dose (0.8 mg), or
  • If there are more than 14 days between the intermediate dose (0.8 mg) and first full dose (48 mg), or
  • If there are more than 6 weeks between full doses (48 mg)

After the re-priming cycle, the patient should resume treatment with Day 1 of the next planned treatment cycle (subsequent to the cycle during which the dose was delayed).

Dosage considerations

It should be administered by subcutaneous injection only, preferably in the lower part of the abdomen or the thigh. Change of injection site from left to right side or vice versa is recommended especially during the weekly administration schedule (i.e., Cycles 1-3).

Active ingredient

Epcoritamab

Epcoritamab is a humanised IgG1-bispecific antibody that binds to a specific extracellular epitope of CD20 on B cells and to CD3 on T cells. The activity of epcoritamab is dependent upon simultaneous engagement of CD20-expressing cancer cells and CD3-expressing endogenous T cells by epcoritamab that induces specific T-cell activation and T-cell-mediated killing of CD20-expressing cells.

Read more about Epcoritamab

Related medicines

Develop a tailored medication plan for your case, considering factors such as age, gender, and health history

Ask the Reasoner

Liability Disclaimer : RxReasoner has utilized reasonable care in providing content and services that are accurate, complete and up to date. However, RxReasoner does not accept any responsibility or liability about it. The content and services of RxReasoner are for informational purposes only and they are not intended to be a substitute for the knowledge, expertise, skill, and judgment of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, or other healthcare professionals involved in patient care. RxReasoner offers no medical advice. Users are responsible for the use of the provided content. A shown indication or treatment should not be construed to indicate that the medication is safe, appropriate, or effective in any given patient or under any particular circumstances. The absence of an indication or treatment should not roule out the existence of other appropriate medications. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or medicament. RxReasoner is not liable for any damages allegedly sustained arising out of the use of its content and services.