Zynlonta is used to treat B-cell lymphoma that has been previously treated with at least two medicines and either returned or did not go away with treatment. B-cell lymphomas that are treated by Zynlonta can include high-grade B-cell lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) without a known cause or that has been caused by low-grade lymphoma.
How Does Zynlonta Work for B-Cell Lymphoma?
Zynlonta is an antibody drug conjugate (ADC), which is a type of targeted cancer medicine. ADCs work as smart bombs to find cancer cells in the body that have (or express) a certain protein. This protein acts as the target for the ADC. Zynlonta targets a specific protein called CD19. Once the medicine finds these cells that have the specific protein, the different parts of the ADC work to help the active ingredient of Zynlonta (loncastuximab tesirine), a chemotherapy drug, get absorbed inside of the cell to damage the cell DNA and make the cell die. This helps to stop the tumor from spreading and growing.
How Do I Take Zynlonta for B-Cell Lymphoma?
Doses of Zynlonta are given by an intravenous infusion through a blood vessel in your arm over a period of time. Your dose will be given by a health care provider every 3 weeks, and usually each infusion will last for 30 minutes. You will receive these doses in a hospital, clinic, or infusion center. Your weight will be used by your health care provider to calculate the amount of Zynlonta that you will need.
You will continue using Zynlonta for as long as possible. This means you will use it until your cancer progresses or you have side effects that make it not safe for you to use. If you have certain side effects, your health care provider may lower or pause your doses of Zynlonta. In some cases, they may need to have you stop taking Zynlonta completely. Talk with your health care provider about how long you can expect to use Zynlonta.
How Well Does Zynlonta Work for B-Cell Lymphoma?
The FDA approved Zynlonta for B-cell lymphoma that has been treated with at least two medicines and either returned or did not go away with treatment based on clinical trials that looked at how effective Zynlonta was for treating the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
In a clinical trial called LOTIS-2, 145 people were enrolled in the study and all of them used Zynlonta. They were followed to see how many people had a response to a medicine. This measurement is called the overall response rate, and it includes complete responses and partial responses. Complete responses mean the target tumor or tumors shrunk completely, and a partial response means the target tumor or tumors shrunk at least 30% from their original size before treatment. The overall response rate for the people who took Zynlonta in the study was 48.3%. This means that 48.3% of people had a response to Zynlonta. The median duration of response was 10.3 months, meaning that half of the people who had a partial or complete response had the response for at least 10.3 months.
How Will My Progress Be Monitored?
Zynlonta will start working as soon as you receive your first infusion. Your health care provider will usually do a scan to see how your cancer is responding to the treatment 6 weeks after you start your infusions. They may choose to do the scan earlier or later than 6 weeks.
Your health care provider will also do regular bloodwork to monitor how Zynlonta is working in your body. These tests will monitor your blood counts such as white blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets so that your health care provider knows that you can continue to use Zynlonta safely. If you have certain side effects such as a shortness of breath or chest pain, your health care provider may do more tests to make sure it is safe for you to continue to use Zynlonta.
How Can I Prevent and Manage Side Effects?
Side effects are common with medicines that treat cancer, including Zynlonta. It is important to tell your health care provider about any side effects you have during or after using Zynlonta. They can help to determine if your side effects are serious or provide more information to help you manage the side effects.
Your health care provider will usually instruct you to take certain medicines before or during your infusion to help prevent common side effects such as rash and nausea. It is important to follow their instructions. In addition to taking any medicines before your infusion, you can ask your health care provider what else you can do to prevent or treat common side effects. For example, you can help to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea by eating bland foods and having multiple small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. They may also recommend you keep certain over-the-counter medicines on hand to treat common side effects like diarrhea. They will also tell you how to watch for severe side effects such as shortness of breath and heart problems and what to do if you have these side effects.
Your health care provider will have you do bloodwork regularly while you are using Zynlonta. It is important to attend all of your appointments for bloodwork so that your health care provider can make sure Zynlonta is safe for you. These tests will look at your blood cell counts to make sure you do not have any problems with your blood cell counts that make it unsafe for you to use Zynlonta. This is because Zynlonta can cause low blood cell counts such as low platelets (thrombocytopenia), low red blood cells (anemia), and low white blood cells (neutropenia). If not treated, low blood cell counts can cause serious problems that can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
If you have certain side effects while you use Zynlonta, your health care provider may need to change your dose of medicine, pause your doses, or stop your medicine. This will depend on the side effect you experience and how severe it is and what treatment it needs. If your Zynlonta dose needs to be lowered, the medicine will continue to work in your body. If your medicine is paused, it is possible that your health care provider will restart the medication at the same dose or at a lower dose once your side effect is treated and gets better.
What Are Other Unique Considerations to Be Aware Of?
Zynlonta can cause your skin to be very sensitive to sunlight. This is called photosensitivity. It is important that you use sunscreen and wear a hat and clothes to cover your skin. If your skin is exposed to sunlight, even for a short time, it can make your skin severely sunburned, blistered, or swollen. You should limit or avoid exposing your skin to sunlight. This includes limiting or avoiding exposure to sunlight that comes in through glass like windows in your house or your car. Zynlonta can also cause other skin reactions such as a rash or irritation. Talk with your health care provider about ways to protect your skin from sunlight and to watch for dangerous skin reactions.
Fluid (edema) can also be retained in your body while using Zynlonta. This can be serious and cause additional side effects that may be serious. It is important to tell your health care provider right away if you have any swelling, puffiness, weight gain, chest pain, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing.
Is There Any Cost Assistance Available?
The manufacturer of Zynlonta has a program to help support financial assistance and may be able to offer coupons or savings for Zynlonta.
