Regeneron Combination Achieves Complete Responses in Untreated DLBCL Patients

Regeneron said on December 6 that an experimental regimen combining its bispecific antibody odronextamab with standard CHOP chemotherapy produced striking early results in previously untreated patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of non Hodgkin lymphoma. In a 22 patient cohort within the early portion of a late stage trial, patients who received the higher 160 mg dose of odronextamab alongside CHOP achieved a 100% complete response rate. Investigators also observed that B cell counts were cleared after the first dose in many patients.

The company said it will advance the higher dose into further study, a move that underscores both enthusiasm and caution among clinicians watching the development of bispecific antibody therapies. Odronextamab is designed to recruit a patient’s own T cells to target malignant B cells, and combining such targeted immune engagement with established chemotherapy has been a strategic interest for researchers seeking deeper remissions in first line therapy.

The results mark an early but notable milestone for efforts to improve outcomes in diffuse large B cell lymphoma, which is the most common aggressive lymphoma in adults and for which CHOP based regimens have been the backbone of treatment for decades. Achieving complete responses in previously untreated patients may translate to longer remission and survival, but those potential benefits will hinge on confirmation of durability and manageable safety in larger randomized trials.

Experts caution that small cohort results can be misleading. The 22 patient cohort represents an early slice of the broader trial and may not reflect outcomes in more diverse or larger populations. Safety monitoring will be critical as investigators evaluate immune mediated toxicities that can accompany T cell engaging therapies, including cytokine release and neurologic effects. Regeneron’s decision to move the higher dose forward will bring more data on adverse events, long term remission rates and how the combination compares directly to CHOP alone.

If subsequent trial stages replicate these findings, the combination could redefine first line care and challenge the current standard by demonstrating that adding a bispecific antibody can deepen initial responses. That potential raises practical questions about access and cost, as advanced biologic therapies are typically expensive and require specialized infusion and monitoring infrastructure.

Regulatory and payer decisions will depend on larger scale evidence showing not only response rates but sustained survival benefit and acceptable toxicity. For patients and physicians facing an aggressive cancer, the early results offer hope, but the oncology community will wait for the broader late stage data that will determine whether this experimental approach becomes a new standard of care.