Anti-CD19 antibody tafasitamab therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a case series

Tafasitamab, an anti-CD19 mAb, has demonstrated promising efficacy in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) in Western populations, but its use in Chinese patients has not been reported. This case series reports the use of tafasitamab in four Chinese patients with R/R DLBCL. Four patients with R/R DLBCL were treated at the Department of Hematology, Hainan Hospital of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. All patients had previously received rituximab with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone therapy. After treatment with tafasitamab and lenalidomide, two patients with primary refractory disease, one achieved a partial response and another had stable disease. One patient who relapsed after autologous stem-cell transplantation received tafasitamab plus lenalidomide and a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and showed remarkable tumor reduction in all sites except for the lymph nodes in the left inguinal region. One patient who relapsed after second-line therapy achieved complete remission with tafasitamab monotherapy. Tafasitamab-based treatment was well-tolerated, with the most common adverse event being neutropenia. Our real-world experience first suggests that tafasitamab-based flexible treatment may be a potential treatment option for Chinese patients with R/R DLBCL, supporting the need for further investigation into its efficacy and safety in Chinese patients, with a particular focus on exploring directions such as combinations with BTK inhibitors.