GAZYVA is a type of antibody therapy that targets and attaches to the CD20 proteins found on follicular lymphoma cells as well as some healthy blood cells.
What are the goals of treatment?
Follicular lymphoma is not curable, but the disease can be managed over time. After initial treatment, your disease may progress (relapse) and require treatment again. In each stage of treatment, the goal is to relieve symptoms, stop the cancer from becoming worse, or achieve remission.
Treatment goals and options depend on how much your symptoms are affecting you
- When you have no symptoms, close monitoring is usually preferred over treatment. This is often referred to as watchful waiting or active surveillance
- When symptoms appear or worsen, treatment aims to stop the follicular lymphoma from progressing
Follicular lymphoma can be treated in a number of ways, including antibody therapy and/or chemotherapy. Often, doctors will combine the 2 types of treatment.
Once you begin treatment, your doctor will need to regularly check:
- Your symptoms
- The size of your lymph nodes, liver, or spleen
- Your blood count measures
Follicular treatment options
Treatments may vary from patient to patient and depend on various factors, including the stage of your disease, your age, and overall health. Although patients may respond initially, as many as 1 in 5 patients will relapse within 2 years of receiving their initial treatment therapy. Patients who experience such early relapse have poorer outcomes.
Even after years in remission, follicular lymphoma can recur. When a relapse occurs, the cancer can become more difficult to treat. This means that preventing a patient’s disease from returning for as long as possible while minimizing disease symptoms is an important goal of initial treatment.
What results have been seen with the GAZYVA regimen?
GAZYVA Clinical Study
The GAZYVA based regimen was studied in a trial of more than 1,200 patients with follicular lymphoma.
- Patients enrolled in the trial were given the GAZYVA based regimen or rituximab product-based regimen, another type of antibody-based treatment. The GAZYVA based regimen was GAZYVA + chemotherapy (bendamustine, CHOP, or CVP) followed by GAZYVA alone, in patients who responded. The rituximab product-based regimen was rituximab product + chemotherapy (bendamustine, CHOP, or CVP) followed by rituximab product alone, in patients who responded
- Patients studied had stage II bulky, III, or IV follicular lymphoma
Goal of the clinical study
The main goal of this study was to measure the length of time people lived without their follicular lymphoma getting worse (progression-free survival*)
Results of the study
Patients were observed for an average of 38 months. Fewer patients had worsening of disease with the GAZYVA based regimen compared with patients who received the rituximab product-based regimen. The results highlighted below were from a clinical trial and may not be the same as what you experience.
Percentage of patients who had worsening of disease
*In the clinical trial, progression-free survival event was defined as disease progression or death.
Patient Brochure for Untreated Follicular Lymphoma
Learn more about untreated follicular lymphoma and what you can expect from GAZYVA
Antibody therapy and chemotherapy
Antibody therapy
Antibody therapy is used to find and destroy specific cells within the body. It can use your body’s immune system to help fight cancer. It can also harm healthy cells in the body. It is often an important part of follicular lymphoma treatment plans and can be given along with chemotherapy.
How it works
Antibody therapy targets a protein found on the surface of follicular lymphoma cells and some healthy blood cells. It is thought to use your body’s immune system to find and kill lymphoma and healthy cells.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that destroys growing cells, including cancer cells. It is also an important part of follicular lymphoma treatment plans. It can be given as a single drug or a combination of drugs including antibody therapy.
How it works
Chemotherapy attacks growing cancer cells in the body. It also attacks growing healthy cells in the body, such as those for hair and the intestinal lining.
What is the most important safety information I should know about GAZYVA?
Tell your doctor right away about any side effect you experience. GAZYVA can cause side effects that can become serious or life-threatening, including:
- Hepatitis B Virus (HBV): Hepatitis B can cause liver failure and death. If you have a history of hepatitis B infection, GAZYVA could cause it to return. You should not receive GAZYVA if you have active hepatitis B liver disease. Your doctor or healthcare team will need to screen you for hepatitis B before, and monitor you during and after, your treatment with GAZYVA. Sometimes this will require treatment for hepatitis B. Symptoms of hepatitis include: worsening of fatigue and yellow discoloration of skin or eyes
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): PML is a rare and serious brain infection caused by a virus. PML can be fatal. Your weakened immune system could put you at risk. Your doctor will watch for symptoms. Symptoms of PML include: confusion, difficulty talking or walking, dizziness or loss of balance, and vision problems
Financial Assistance
No matter what type of health insurance you have, and even if you have none at all, there may be financial assistance options available. Take a look at the details and benefits of the available programs below.
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This is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare team.