High Response Rate to Bexxar in Advanced Stage Prior Treatment-Resistant Follicular Lymphoma

In a study conducted by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, a new treatment using the Bexxar therapeutic regimen showed promising results for patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma, a type of cancer typically considered incurable. The study involved 76 patients who had not received prior therapy and were treated with a single course of Bexxar, a radioactive antibody. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on February 3, 2005, indicated that 95% of the patients responded to the treatment, with 75% achieving complete remission with no evidence of cancer remaining. Additionally, more than three-quarters of those in complete remission remained disease-free after five years. Bexxar, which targets cancer cells with minimal exposure to normal tissues, was well-tolerated, with a temporary lowering of blood counts as the most common side effect, and rare occurrences of nausea and no hair loss. These results suggest that Bexxar could be considered as a first-line treatment rather than a last resort. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and Corixa, with the University of Michigan holding patents for Bexxar and receiving royalties from its sales.