COMBINATION THERAPIES FOR B-CELL LYMPHOMAS COMPRISING ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-CD20 ANTIBODY
New combined therapeutic regimens for treatment of B-cell lymphomas are disclosed which comprise, in particular, administration of anti-CD20 antibodies to patients having low-, intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
1 . A method of extending median time to progression for responders by at least 13 months in patients with relapsed or refractory, low grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, comprising administering four doses of 375 mg/m 2 of rituximab to the patients.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the patients exhibit an overall response rate to the administration of about 48%.
3 . A method of treating relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a human patient comprising administering to the patient four weekly infusions of rituximab, each at a dose of 375 mg/m 2 , wherein the initial infusion rate for the first dose is 50 mg/h, with a subsequent infusion rate increase if no toxicity is seen in the patient, and wherein the second, third, and fourth doses are administered at an infusion rate of more than 50 mg/h.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the infusion is interrupted if an infusion-related toxicity reaction is seen in the patient.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the infusion is resumed once the infusion-related toxicity reaction subsides.