A randomized phase 2 study of ipilimumab, nivolumab, and brentuximab vedotin in patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma

C Catherine S. Diefenbach (1Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY) O Opeyemi Jegede (2Department of Data Science, ECOG-ACRIN Biostatistical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA) V Victoria Wang S Stephen M. Ansell (3Department of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo School of Graduate Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN) L Lale Kostakoglu (4University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA) C Christian Steidl (5Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, Canada) Y Yasodha Natkunam D David W. Scott (5Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, Canada) R Richard F. Ambinder K Kevin A. David (10Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ) R Ranjana H. Advani N Nancy L. Bartlett (2Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, St Louis, MO) M Michael A. Roberston (13Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN) S Sachdev P. Thomas (14Department of Hematology/Oncology, Kaiser Permanente-Vallejo, Vallejo, CA) J Jonathon Cohen (15Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta CA) S Sami Ibrahimi (16Department of Hematology Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK) G Gaurav Goyal (1Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL) N Neha Mehta-Shah (3Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO) J Jennifer E. Amengual C Christopher J. Forlenza (19Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY) P Peter D. Cole F Fenghai Duan (20ECOG-ACRIN Biostatistical Center, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI) K Kara Kelly (21Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY) B Brad S. Kahl (30Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO)

Abstract

Abstract The phase 1/2 Intergroup study E4412 investigated checkpoint blockade with nivolumab (Nivo) and ipilimumab (Ipi) combined with the CD30 targeting antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (BV) in relapsed/refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma. A total of 147 patients aged ≥12 years were randomized between BV/Nivo and BV/Ipi/Nivo; 132 patients were included in the primary efficacy analysis. The complete response (CR) rate, was 64.7% (52.2, 75.9) for BV/Nivo and 70.3% (57.6, 81.1) for BV/Ipi/Nivo (1-sided P = .29). The median survival follow-up was 38.0 months (interquartile range, 32.6-48.1). Progression-free survival (PFS) did not significantly differ between the 2 arms (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78, confidence interval [CI], 0.39-1.57; 1-sided P = .24). Treatment-related grade 3+ toxicities in the adult cohort, excluding rash, were similar between both arms (38.5% BV/Nivo and 39.3% BV/Ipi/Nivo); there was a higher frequency of grade 3 rash with BV/Ipi/Nivo (24.6%) compared with BV/Nivo (9.2%). We compared PFS by stem cell transplantation (SCT) status in a planned before hoc comparison; 58 patients received SCT, and 36-month PFS (from SCT) was >90% for both arms. Sixty-six patients were progression free after the first scan and did not undergo SCT. The 36-month PFS was 73.0% (54.5, 85.0) for BV/Ipi/Nivo compared with 45.8% (26.3, 63.4) for BV/Nivo (HR, 0.45; CI, 0.19-1.08; 1-sided P = .03). The study did not meet its primary end point of superior CR rate for the triplet, but it supports the use of checkpoint antibody-drug conjugate induction prior to auto SCT, and there is an intriguing signal of disease control for patients wishing to defer or avoid SCT with the triplet of BV/Ipi/Nivo. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01896999.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 147, Issue 18
Published April 30, 2026
Pages 2041-2052
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (24)

C

Catherine S. Diefenbach

1Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY

O

Opeyemi Jegede

2Department of Data Science, ECOG-ACRIN Biostatistical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

V

Victoria Wang

S

Stephen M. Ansell

3Department of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo School of Graduate Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

L

Lale Kostakoglu

4University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA

C

Christian Steidl

5Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, Canada

Y

Yasodha Natkunam

D

David W. Scott

5Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, Canada

R

Richard F. Ambinder

K

Kevin A. David

10Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ

R

Ranjana H. Advani

N

Nancy L. Bartlett

2Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, St Louis, MO

M

Michael A. Roberston

13Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

S

Sachdev P. Thomas

14Department of Hematology/Oncology, Kaiser Permanente-Vallejo, Vallejo, CA

J

Jonathon Cohen

15Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta CA

S

Sami Ibrahimi

16Department of Hematology Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK

G

Gaurav Goyal

1Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

N

Neha Mehta-Shah

3Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

J

Jennifer E. Amengual

C

Christopher J. Forlenza

19Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

P

Peter D. Cole

F

Fenghai Duan

20ECOG-ACRIN Biostatistical Center, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI

K

Kara Kelly

21Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY

B

Brad S. Kahl

30Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO