Genmab's Blood Cancer Drug Misses Key Target in Final Study Stage

• The trial involved 483 patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who had received at least one prior treatment and were not candidates for intensive chemotherapy with stem cell transplant
• Epcoritamab is already approved and marketed in multiple countries under brand names Epkinly (U.S. and Japan) and Tepkinly (EU) for other lymphoma conditions
• Two additional late-stage trials are ongoing, including a first-line study combining epcoritamab with standard chemotherapy and another with Bristol Myers' Revlimid, with data expected in 2026

Genmab's Blood Cancer Drug Misses Key Target in Final Study Stage

Danish drugmaker Genmab and U.S. partner AbbVie announced Friday that their blood cancer treatment, epcoritamab, failed to meet its primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial. The drug did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement in overall survival rates for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Key Trial Details:

• Study enrolled 483 patients who had received at least one prior treatment
• Patients were not candidates for intensive chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant
• While the drug showed improvements in some secondary endpoints, it failed to extend patient survival in a meaningful way at the time of analysis

Current Market Status:

Epcoritamab is already approved in multiple countries for other lymphoma conditions under different brand names: Epkinly in the U.S. and Japan, and Tepkinly in the European Union.

Next Steps:

The companies plan to discuss future regulatory steps with authorities and will present detailed results at an upcoming medical conference. Both partners expressed confidence in the drug's broader potential, citing two additional late-stage trials expected to report data in 2026. These studies will evaluate epcoritamab in first-line treatment combined with standard chemotherapy, and another combining it with Bristol Myers' Revlimid for previously treated patients.

Market Implications:

The trial failure represents a setback for expanding epcoritamab's approved uses, potentially impacting revenue projections for both Genmab and AbbVie. However, existing approvals remain intact, and upcoming trial results could still provide growth opportunities in the competitive blood cancer treatment market.