Observation for the clinically silent or asymptomatic disease is needed in order to manage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Symptomatic patients with clinically significant adenopathy or cytopenia usually need pharmacologic intervention. Chemotherapy combined with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (e.g., ofatumumab, obinutuzumab, or rituximab) or ibrutinib as single agents is included in the recent standard-of-care treatment of CLL. It is probable that rituximab (plus chemotherapy), with or without targeted agents, will continue to hold a fundamental role in the treatment of CLL regardless of the developing treatment pattern towards targeted therapy. However, there are a lot of patents for many biologics, including rituximab that has expired or will become void soon. In addition to that, it is still quite difficult to access rituximab, especially in countries where resources are restricted. These worries altogether have led to the development of effective and safe rituximab biosimilars. A biologic that is extremely similar to an approved reference (originator) product, regardless of small contrasts in clinically inactive parts, and for which purity, safety, and potency do not have any clinically significant differences, is referred to as “biosimilar.” The aim for creating biosimilars was to treat the same condition(s) involving the same treatment regimens as the approved reference biologic alongside having the potential of expanding the accessibility to inexpensive treatment. The study summed up how significant rituximab was in the present treatment methods of CLL, the scientific basis of the role it will have in the future combined with chemotherapy, and the role of new and developing agents in the treatment of CLL, which could possibly be used in a mixture with biosimilars of rituximab. The researchers discussed biosimilars of rituximab which were currently under development.
Link:theoncologist.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1634/theoncologist.2017-0150
