A new three-drug immunotherapy combination significantly improves outcomes for relapsed follicular lymphoma, offering a chemotherapy-free treatment option
DUBAI, RIYADH, DOHA, DECEMBER 22nd, 2025. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), one of the world’s leading cancer treatment, education and research institutions, has released clinical trial results showing that a new three-drug immunotherapy combination provides significantly better outcomes for people with relapsed follicular lymphoma.
Follicular lymphoma is a slow-growing form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that can become more aggressive over time. Treatment often works well at first, but many people experience relapse, and options become more limited with each recurrence. The development is particularly relevant for the Middle East, where hematologic cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia rank among the most common cancers in several countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, and where many patients face repeated relapses and limited treatment options.
The international phase 3 trial findings were announced at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. The trial found that adding the bispecific antibody epcoritamab (Epkinly®) to rituximab (Rituxan®) and lenalidomide (Revlimid®) produced far stronger results than the standard two-drug regimen. The three-drug combination reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by nearly 80%; more than 95% of patients saw their cancer shrink (vs. 79%), and 82% had no detectable disease (vs. 50%). After 16 months, 85% remained progression-free, compared with 40% on standard treatment.
“This study focused on finding ways to prolong the benefit that patients receive from immunotherapy while also allowing them to avoid chemotherapy,” says MSK lymphoma specialist Dr. Lorenzo Falchi, who led the international phase 3 trial. “It’s too soon to say whether this treatment will result in a cure, but it appears to be the beginning of a new era in lymphoma treatment.”
Dr. Falchi add: “This three-drug combination could become a new standard of care for people whose follicular lymphoma has relapsed. New treatments like this are needed, because we currently have limited options for these patients.”
MSK is recognized globally for pioneering new ways to diagnose and treat cancer, with more than 100 research laboratories and one of the world’s largest clinical trial programs. Through partnerships and knowledge-sharing, MSK continues to support improved cancer care and innovation for patients in the Middle East and around the world.
About the American Society of Hematology (ASH)
The American Society of Hematology is the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to the study and treatment of blood disorders. ASH hosts its annual meeting each year to showcase the latest advances in hematology research and clinical care. The 2025 meeting was held in Orlando, Florida, USA between 6-9 December 2025, bringing together global experts to share new scientific findings and improve outcomes for patients worldwide.
About Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)
The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe. One of the world’s most respected comprehensive centers devoted exclusively to cancer, we have been recognized as one of the top two cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years and ranked as the best hospital in the world for oncology according to Newsweek’s World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026 list. www.mskcc.org.
