Dr. Kreitman on Ongoing Research With Moxetumomab Pasudotox in Hairy Cell Leukemia

Robert J. Kreitman, MD, senior investigator and head of the Clinical Immunotherapy Section in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the National Cancer Institute, discusses ongoing research with moxetumomab pasudotox-tdfk (Lumoxiti) in patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL).

Moxetumomab pasudotox is approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory HCL. The drug is also under investigation in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with newly diagnosed disease. Rituximab can decrease normal B cells, thereby preventing the immune system from attacking moxetumomab pasudotox, says Kreitman. As such, the addition of rituximab could potentiate the activity of moxetumomab pasudotox monotherapy.

Moreover, newly diagnosed patients also have a more robust immune system than patients with relapsed/refractory disease. The combination is under investigation in a phase II trial that has an estimated enrollment of 13 to 16 patients, says Kreitman. If the combination is shown to be safe and more effective than moxetumomab pasudotox alone, it could become a standard of care in the frontline setting.