Evaluating mogamulizumab versus vorinostat in patients with T-cell lymphoma

This study compared the effectiveness of mogamulizumab (Poteligeo) versus vorinostat (Zolinza) in patients with previously treated cutaneous (skin) T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). This study concluded that mogamulizumab was well-tolerated and significantly more effective than vorinostat in these patients.

CTCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that affects the skin. Patients with CTCL often experience disease progression (tumors grow or spread) or develop refractory (does not respond to treatment) disease. These patients need better treatment options.

Mogamulizumab is a monoclonal antibody. This type of treatment targets cancer cells. This leads to cancer cell death. Vorinostat is the current standard of care for CTCL. This type of treatment blocks cancer cell growth. The effectiveness of mogamulizumab for the treatment of CTCL compared to vorinostat remains under investigation.

This study involved 372 patients with previously treated CTCL. Patients received an average of 3 lines of prior therapy. In this study, patients received either mogamulizumab (50%) or vorinostat (50%). Patients were followed-up for an average of 17 months.

Significantly more patients in the mogamulizumab group responded to treatment compared to the vorinostat group (28% vs. 5%). The mogamulizumab group also had a significantly higher progression-free survival (patients still alive without tumor growth or spread) compared to the vorinostat group (7.7 months vs. 3.1 months). Mogamulizumab treatment was associated with a 47% lower risk of disease progression.

104 patients in the mogamulizumab group compared to 128 patients in the vorinostat group experienced disease progression. 73% of patients in the vorinostat group switched to mogamulizumab due to disease progression or side effects.

41% of patients in each group reported severe to life-threatening side effects. The most common side effects reported in the mogamulizumab group were fever (4%) and cellulitis (skin infection; 3%). In the vorinostat group, cellulitis (3%), pulmonary embolism (blockage of a lung artery, 3%) and sepsis (organ injury or damage in response to infection, 3%) were the most common.

This study concluded that mogamulizumab was well-tolerated and significantly more effective than vorinostat in patients with CTCL.

This study received funding support from Kyowa Kirin, the manufacturer of mogamulizumab in Japan.