Dr. Rummel on the Chemical Structure of Bendamustine

Mathias J. Rummel, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the University Hospital Giessen in Germany, explains that examining the chemical structure of bendamustine (Treanda) reveals that it is a hybrid compound that combines the properties of an alkylating agent with those of a purine analog, which makes it a unique and effective therapy for lymphoma.

In a clinical trial that compared the combination of bendamustine and rituximab (B-R) to the standard R-CHOP regimen, for patients with indolent and mantle cell lymphoma, it was found that the B-R combination resulted in less neutropenia and prolonged progression-free survival by 38.3 months. Additionally, the B-R combination resulted in more lymphoctyopenia, which aligns with the treatment goal for a lymphoproliferative disorder.