Obinutuzumab, High-Dose Methylprednisolone (HDMP), and Lenalidomide for the Treatment of Patients with Richter’s Syndrome

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who develop Richter’s Syndrome have a poor prognosis. Traditional chemo-immunotherapy approaches yield poor response rates and increase toxicity. Novel, non-myelosuppressive regimens are needed to improve outcomes and reduce toxicity. Here, we present our experience administering the novel chemotherapy-free combination of obinutuzumab, high-dose methylprednisolone, and lenalidomide for patients with Richter’s Syndrome. ABSTRACT: Background: For patients with Richter’s Syndrome (RS), a durable response is rarely achieved with standard therapies. Significant efforts have focused on the development of novel treatments with reduced toxicity. We describe our experience using the novel combination of obinutuzumab, high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) and lenalidomide (len) in patients with RS. Patients and Methods: Eligible patients included adults with biopsy-proven RS. Patients received obinutuzumab 1000 mg × 8 doses. All patients received HDMP 1000 mg/m(2) on days 1–5 of cycles 1–4. Patients were administered len PO daily, starting at a dose of 5 mg. Starting on C2D1, the dose increased every 2 weeks in 5 mg increments to a maximum of 25 mg PO daily. Results: Seven patients were treated. The median dose of len was 10 mg and the median number of cycles of treatment completed was 2. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (29%) and pulmonary embolism (29%). The overall response rate for the entire cohort was 43% (95% CI, 10–82%). All patients who achieved a response underwent consolidative autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant and remain in remission to date. Conclusions: The combination of obinutuzumab, HDMP, and len is a well-tolerated, outpatient regimen that could serve as a bridge to transplantation, or as palliation for transplant-ineligible patients with RS.