Dr. Matasar on the Rationale for Combining Copanlisib and Rituximab in Indolent NHL

Matthew J. Matasar, MD, a medical oncologist, and Regional Care Network Medical Site Director at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Bergen, discusses the rationale for combining copanlisib (Aliqopa) and rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL). 

For patients with relapsed indolent B-cell lymphomas, particularly those who have been sensitive to rituximab and have experienced long durations of remission following treatment, single-agent rituximab continues to be a standard option, according to Matasar. However, response rates to rituximab alone tend be lower, with a less-than-desirable duration of response, Matasar adds. Due to this, research efforts are focused on developing more effective, less toxic therapies to offer this patient population, Matasar explains.

Prior attempts to combine oral daily PI3K inhibitors with rituximab have been hindered by excessive adverse effects such as pneumonitis, enteritis, and hepatitis. The phase 3 CHRONOS-3 trial (NCT02367040) sought to overcome these prior challenges by adding copanlisib, an intravenously and intermediately administered PI3K inhibitor, to the agent, Matasar concludes.