First-line obinutuzumab for follicular lymphoma

Obinutuzumab-based immunochemotherapy improves progression-free survival compared with rituximab-based immunochemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, advanced follicular lymphoma, new research suggests. Robert Marcus (King's College Hospital, London, UK) and colleagues randomly assigned patients with advanced follicular lymphoma (grades III–IV, or stage II with bulk disease) to undergo induction chemotherapy with obinutuzumab (n=601) or rituximab (n=601). Patients with a response received maintenance treatment for up to 2 years with the same antibody that they received in induction.