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Immunotherapy duo takes on tough lymphomas

NCT ID NCT03038672

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests whether adding varlilumab to nivolumab helps people with aggressive B-cell lymphomas that have returned or not responded to treatment. About 54 participants will receive either nivolumab alone or nivolumab plus varlilumab. The goal is to see if the combination shrinks tumors better than nivolumab alone.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Varlilumab and nivolumab (immunotherapy drugs)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with aggressive B-cell lymphomas that have come back or stopped responding to standard therapy.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 54 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The combination may cause immune-related side effects or not improve response rates enough to change standard care.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma ALK-positive large B-cell lymphoma B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large b-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma B-cell neoplasm B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma Burkitt lymphoma diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diffuse large B-cell lymphoma activated B-cell type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma germinal center B-cell type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with chronic inflammation Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the elderly high grade B-cell lymphoma high grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and/ or BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangement intravascular large B-cell lymphoma lymphomatoid granulomatosis plasmablastic lymphoma primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Leg type primary effusion lymphoma primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma T-cell/histiocyte rich large B cell lymphoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ALK-POSITIVE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA ACTIVATED B-CELL TYPE DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA GERMINAL CENTER B-CELL TYPE DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED EBV-POSITIVE DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED EBV-POSITIVE MUCOCUTANEOUS ULCER HHV8-POSITIVE DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH MYC AND BCL2 AND/OR BCL6 REARRANGEMENTS HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED INTRAVASCULAR LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH 11Q ABERRATION LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH IRF4 REARRANGEMENT PLASMABLASTIC LYMPHOMA PRIMARY DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM PRIMARY EFFUSION LYMPHOMA RECURRENT B-CELL NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA RECURRENT BURKITT LYMPHOMA RECURRENT DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA RECURRENT GRAY-ZONE LYMPHOMA RECURRENT HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH MYC AND BCL2 OR BCL6 REARRANGEMENTS RECURRENT HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH MYC, BCL2, AND BCL6 REARRANGEMENTS RECURRENT LYMPHOMATOID GRANULOMATOSIS RECURRENT PRIMARY CUTANEOUS DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, LEG TYPE RECURRENT PRIMARY MEDIASTINAL LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA RECURRENT T-CELL/HISTIOCYTE-RICH LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY B-CELL NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY BURKITT LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY GRAY-ZONE LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH MYC AND BCL2 OR BCL6 REARRANGEMENTS REFRACTORY HIGH GRADE B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH MYC, BCL2, AND BCL6 REARRANGEMENTS REFRACTORY PRIMARY CUTANEOUS DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA, LEG TYPE REFRACTORY PRIMARY MEDIASTINAL LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA REFRACTORY T-CELL/HISTIOCYTE-RICH LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Cancer Center

    Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, United States

  • HaysMed

    Hays, Kansas, 67601, United States

  • Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone

    New York, New York, 10016, United States

  • Lawrence Memorial Hospital

    Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, United States

  • Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona

    Phoenix, Arizona, 85054, United States

  • Mayo Clinic in Arizona

    Scottsdale, Arizona, 85259, United States

  • Mayo Clinic in Florida

    Jacksonville, Florida, 32224-9980, United States

  • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

    Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

  • Mercy Hospital Pittsburg

    Pittsburg, Kansas, 66762, United States

  • Moffitt Cancer Center

    Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

  • Moffitt Cancer Center - McKinley Campus

    Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

  • Moffitt Cancer Center-International Plaza

    Tampa, Florida, 33607, United States

  • Northside Hospital

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30342, United States

  • Northwestern University

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

  • Roswell Park Cancer Institute

    Buffalo, New York, 14263, United States

  • Salina Regional Health Center

    Salina, Kansas, 67401, United States

  • Siteman Cancer Center at Saint Peters Hospital

    City of Saint Peters, Missouri, 63376, United States

  • Siteman Cancer Center at West County Hospital

    Creve Coeur, Missouri, 63141, United States

  • Siteman Cancer Center-South County

    St Louis, Missouri, 63129, United States

  • The University of Kansas Cancer Center - Olathe

    Olathe, Kansas, 66061, United States

  • UT Southwestern/Simmons Cancer Center-Dallas

    Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States

  • University Health Truman Medical Center

    Kansas City, Missouri, 64108, United States

  • University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center

    Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States

  • University of Kansas Cancer Center

    Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

  • University of Kansas Cancer Center - Lee's Summit

    Lee's Summit, Missouri, 64064, United States

  • University of Kansas Cancer Center - North

    Kansas City, Missouri, 64154, United States

  • University of Kansas Cancer Center at North Kansas City Hospital

    North Kansas City, Missouri, 64116, United States

  • University of Kansas Cancer Center-Overland Park

    Overland Park, Kansas, 66210, United States

  • University of Kansas Clinical Research Center

    Fairway, Kansas, 66205, United States

  • University of Kansas Health System Saint Francis Campus

    Topeka, Kansas, 66606, United States

  • University of Kansas Hospital-Indian Creek Campus

    Overland Park, Kansas, 66211, United States

  • University of Kansas Hospital-Westwood Cancer Center

    Westwood, Kansas, 66205, United States

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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