GlaxoSmithKline begins non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma drug trial

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the commencement of a phase III clinical trial of a new combination therapy for sufferers of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

In association with collaborative partner Genmab, the company will trial a combination of ofatumumab and bendamustine among indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who have proven unresponsive to rituximab.

A separate control group of patients will be administered with bendamustine alone, with the overall primary endpoint of the study being the achievement of progression-free survival.

The treatment of the first patient in the study will also trigger a milestone which will see GlaxoSmithKline pay 116 million Danish kroner (12.9 million pounds) to Genmab.

It is hoped that the combination therapy will provide an option for sufferers of indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a condition often associated with relapses after initial treatment response.

Last month, GlaxoSmithKline was granted permission to amend the European licence of its cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix, in order to encompass a wider range of conditions.