Combination therapies for b-cell lymphomas comprising administration of anti-cd20 antibody

Abstract

New combined therapeutic regimens for treatment of B-cell lymphomas are disclosed which comprise, in particular, administration of anti-CD20 antibodies to patients having low-, intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

1 . A method of treating B-cell lymphoma comprising administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-CD20 antibody subsequent to therapeutically effective chemotherapy. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chemotherapy is selected from the group consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the anti-CD20 antibody comprises a chimeric antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the anti-CD20 antibody comprises rituximab. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the anti-CD20 antibody comprises a light chain variable region comprising the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO: 1 and a heavy chain variable region comprising the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO: 2, and comprises human gamma 1 heavy-chain and kappa light-chain constant region amino acid sequences. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the B-cell lymphoma comprises low grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the anti-CD20 antibody is administered subsequent to the chemotherapy as a maintenance therapy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the maintenance therapy comprises administering 375 mg/m 2  anti-CD20 antibody for about 2 years. 
     
     
         9 . A method of treating low grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) comprising administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of rituximab subsequent to therapeutically effective chemotherapy selected from the group consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP), wherein rituximab is administered as maintenance therapy comprising administering 375 mg/m 2  anti-CD20 antibody for about 2 years. 
     
     
         10 . A method of treating low grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) comprising administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-CD20 antibody subsequent to therapeutically effective chemotherapy selected from the group consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP), wherein rituximab is administered as maintenance therapy comprising administering 375 mg/m 2  anti-CD20 antibody for about 2 years, and wherein the anti-CD20 antibody comprises a light chain variable region comprising the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO: 1 and a heavy chain variable region comprising the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO: 2, and comprises human gamma 1 heavy-chain and kappa light-chain constant region amino acid sequences. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the chemotherapy is CVP. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the chemotherapy is CVP.