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Active, not recruitingNCT03463057HO151DLBCLUpdated Sep 23, 2026

The Feasibility and Clinical Efficacy of Atezolizumab Consolidation Treatment in High Risk (IPI > 2) DLBCL

A Phase 2 interventional study of Atezolizumab in NHL and DLBCL, sponsored by Stichting Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland. Active, not recruiting at 32 sites in 2 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-23.

Sponsored by Stichting Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
109
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The prognosis of Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with an early relapse is dismal. Atezolizumab has shown promising activity in relapsed DLBCL patients. Toxicity data on atezolizumab are available for > 6000 patients and is manageable. The assumption of this study is that atezolizumab consolidation will result in higher disease free survival by eradicating minimal residual disease In melanoma and lung cancer consolidation immunotherapy after chemoradiotherapy has shown an increase in survival.

Read the detailed description

In high risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), International Prognostic Index (IPI)-score ≥ 3 21% of patients will relapse within 2-years after completion of R-CHOP induction treatment despite achieving a complete remission. Patient relapsing within a year after R-CHOP treatment have a very poor prognosis, even after second line chemotherapy, with only 15% of patients achieving a long remission. Therefore, additional therapy in first line treatment is required for these patients. The immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the program death ligand 1 (PDL1). The PD1 and PDL1 inhibitors have shown excellent results in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and promising results in relapsed B-cell non Hodgkin lymphoma. Given the acceptable toxicity profile of atezolizumab, this study examines the efficacy and toxicity of atezolizumab as consolidation treatment after R-CHOP induction in DLBCL patients at high risk of relapse.

02

Conditions studied

  • NHL
  • DLBCL
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18-75 (inclusive) years
  • Patients with a confirmed histologic diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL-NOS) based upon a representative histology specimen according to the World Health Association (WHO) classification, revision 2016
  • Ann Arbor stages II-IV
  • WHO performance status 0 - 1
  • International Prognostic Index (IPI) ≥ 3 at diagnosis
  • Complete metabolic remission (Deauville 1-3) after 6-8 cycles of R-CHOP according to the Lugano criteria

Of note:

  1. Rituximab may have been administered either intravenously or subcutaneously. A rituximab biosimilar may have been used when it is approved for the indication of DLBCL.
  2. Patients should have received at least 6 cycles R-CHOP. Dose reductions for vincristine are allowed during R-CHOP. Dose reductions because of bone marrow toxicity are allowed but cannot exceed >15% of cumulative dose of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.
  3. Central nervous system prophylaxis (MTX) by intrathecal therapy or IV is allowed.
  4. Fludeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (18F-FDG-PET) scan should have been made 4-8 weeks after last induction cycle
  5. Histologically confirmed false positive EoT PET-scans are eligible.

    • Negative pregnancy test at study entry
    • Patient is willing and able use adequate contraception during and until 5 months after the last protocol treatment.
    • Patient is capable of giving a written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Diagnosis

  • All histopathological diagnoses other than DLBCL-NOS according to the WHO classification, revision 2016, including:

- High-grade B-cell lymphoma with a double/triple translocation with MYC, BCL2 and/or BCL6. Please note that patients with an isolated MYC translocation or an isolated BCL2 translocation or an isolated BCL-6 translocation are eligible (single hit translocation).

  • Testicular large B-cell lymphoma
  • Primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma
  • Transformed indolent lymphoma
  • Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

Organ dysfunction

  • Clinical signs of severe pulmonary dysfunction
  • Clinical signs of heart failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification II-IV)
  • Symptomatic coronary artery disease or cardiac arrhythmias not well controlled with medication.
  • Myocardial infarction during the last 6 months
  • Significant renal dysfunction (serum creatinine ≥ 150 umol/l or clearance ≤ 30ml/min

Creatinine clearance (CrCl) may be calculated by Cockcroft -Gault formula:

CrCl = (140 - age [in years]) x weight [kg] (x 0.85 for females)/(0.815 x serum creatinine [μmol/L])

  • Inadequate hematological function: hemoglobin \< 5.5 mmol/L Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) \< 1.0x10↑9/L or platelets \< 75x10↑9 /L
  • Signs or known history of bleeding disorder.
  • Significant hepatic dysfunction (total bilirubin ≥ 1.5x upper limit of normal (ULN) or transaminases ≥ 2.5 x ULN), unless related to Gilberts syndrome.
  • Clinical signs of severe cerebral dysfunction
  • Patients with a history of uncontrolled seizures, central nervous system disorders or psychiatric disability judged by the investigator to be clinically significant and adversely affecting compliance to study drugs
  • Major surgery within the last 4 weeks

Known or suspected infection • Known active bacterial, viral, fungal, mycobacterial, parasitic, or other infection or any major episode of infection requiring treatment with IV antibiotics or hospitalization within 4 weeks of the start of Cycle 1. Suspected active or latent tuberculosis needs to be confirmed by positive interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assay

  • Patients known to be Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)-positive
  • Active chronic hepatitis B or C infection
  • Administration of a live, attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks before date of registration or anticipation that such a live attenuated vaccine will be required during the study and for a period of 5 months after discontinuation of atezolizumab

Auto-immune • Any active or history of documented autoimmune disease, including but not limited to myasthenia gravis, myositis, autoimmune hepatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, vascular thrombosis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, Sjögren's syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, vasculitis, or glomerulonephritis.

The following exceptions are allowed: Patients with autoimmune-related hypothyroidism or type 1 diabetes mellitus who are on stable treatment.

  • History of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, organizing pneumonia (e.g., bronchiolitis obliterans), drug-induced pneumonitis, idiopathic pneumonitis, or evidence of active pneumonitis per chest computer tomography (CT) scan at screening.
  • Patients with uncontrolled asthma or allergy, requiring systemic steroid treatment
  • Regular treatment with corticosteroids within the 4 weeks prior to date of registration, unless administered for indications other than NHL at a dose equivalent to \< 30 mg/day prednisone/prednisolone

General

  • Serious underlying medical conditions, which could impair the ability of the patient to participate in the trial (e.g. ongoing infection, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, gastric ulcers, active autoimmune disease)
  • Current participation in another clinical trial interfering with this trial
  • History of active cancer during the past 5 years, except basal cell carcinoma of the skin, stage 0 cervical carcinoma or carcinoma in situ (for which no systemic treatment was indicated)
  • Life expectancy \< 6 months
  • Any psychological, familial, sociological and geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule

Prior treatment

  • Prior treatment with Atezolizumab, or anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (anti PD-1) or PDL-1 antibodies.
  • Prior treatment with CD137 agonists or immune checkpoint blockade therapies, including anti-CTLA4 therapeutic antibodies.
  • Treatment with systemic immunostimulatory agents (including but not limited to IFN, interleukin [IL]-2) within 6 weeks or 5 half-lives of the drug, whichever is shorter, prior to Cycle 1, Day 1.
  • Treatment with systemic immunosuppressive medications, including but not limited to prednisone, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, thalidomide, and anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents within 2 weeks prior to date of registration; inhaled corticosteroids and mineralocorticoids are allowed.
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
109 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Other
    Atezolizumab

    18 cycles atezolizumab followed by 12 months of observation

    Drug: Atezolizumab

Interventions

  • DrugAtezolizumab

    Intervention Atezolizumab starts after 6 - 8 R-CHOP induction cycles (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Hydroxo-doxorubicin, Vincristine and Prednisone (R-CHOP)); 18 cycles Atezolizumab followed by 12 months of observation

    Also known as: Tecentriq, L01XC

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Disease free survival (DFS) measured from the date of registration to relapse or death from any cause whichever comes first.

    To evaluate the 2-year DFS for patients in complete metabolic remission after R-CHOP induction

    Time frame: 2 year after inclusion last patient

Secondary outcomes

  1. (Severe) Adverse Events and the relation of adverse events in time to the recovery of the T-cell repertoire.

    To evaluate toxicity and assess the relation of adverse events in time to recovery of the T-cell repertoire.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

  2. Overall survival (OS), calculated from registration until death from any cause. Patients still alive or lost to follow up are censored at the last date known to be alive.

    To evaluate the 2-year OS.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

  3. The relationship between MRD status at the end-of-induction and end-of-consolidation therapy.

    To evaluate MRD status at the end of induction therapy, at various time points during consolidation treatment and at the end of consolidation.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

  4. The relation between MRD conversion and 2-years DFS and OS.

    To evaluate if there is a relation between MRD conversion and 2-years DFS and OS.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

  5. The relation between the T-cell and NK cell repertoire and adverse events.

    To evaluate the recovery of the T-cell and NK cell repertoire after induction therapy and at various time points during consolidation treatment in relation to toxicity and efficacy.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

Other outcomes

  1. Atezolizumab spinal fluid concentration as assessed by spinal fluid measurements will be performed in patients receiving atezolizumab.

    To assess the crossing of the blood-brain barrier of atezolizumab by measuring atezolizumab concentrations in het cerebrospinal fluid.

    Time frame: 2 years after inclusion last patient

06

Study locations

32 sites
  • BE-Antwerpen Edegem-UZA
    Antwerp, Belgium
  • BE-Antwerpen-ZNASTUIVENBERG
    Antwerp, Belgium
  • BE-Brugge-AZBRUGGE
    Bruges, Belgium
  • BE-Leuven-UZLEUVEN
    Leuven, Belgium
  • BE-Roeselare-AZDELTA
    Roeselare, Belgium
  • NL-Den Bosch-JBZ
    's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
  • NL-Amersfoort-MEANDERMC
    Amersfoort, Netherlands
  • NL-Amsterdam-OLVG
    Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • NL-Amsterdam-VUMC
    Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • NL-Apeldoorn-GELREAPELDOORN
    Apeldoorn, Netherlands
  • NL-Breda-AMPHIA
    Breda, Netherlands
  • NL-Delft-RDGG
    Delft, Netherlands
  • NL-Dordrecht-ASZ
    Dordrecht, Netherlands
  • NL-Ede-ZGV
    Ede, Netherlands
  • NL-Eindhoven-CATHARINA
    Eindhoven, Netherlands
  • NL-Eindhoven-MAXIMAMC
    Eindhoven, Netherlands
  • NL-Enschede-MST
    Enschede, Netherlands
  • NL-Groningen-UMCG
    Groningen, Netherlands
  • NL-Hilversum-TERGOOI
    Hilversum, Netherlands
  • NL-Hoofddorp-SPAARNEGASTHUIS
    Hoofddorp, Netherlands
  • NL-Leeuwarden-MCL
    Leeuwarden, Netherlands
  • NL-Leiden-LUMC
    Leiden, Netherlands
  • NL-Maastricht-MUMC
    Maastricht, Netherlands
  • NL-Nieuwegein-ANTONIUS
    Nieuwegein, Netherlands
  • NL-Nijmegen-CWZ
    Nijmegen, Netherlands
  • NL-Rotterdam-ERASMUSMC
    Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • NL-Rotterdam-MAASSTADZIEKENHUIS
    Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • NL-Sittard-Geleen-ZUYDERLAND
    Sittard, Netherlands
  • NL-Den Haag-HAGA
    The Hague, Netherlands
  • NL-Tilburg-ETZ
    Tilburg, Netherlands
  • NL-Utrecht-UMCUTRECHT
    Utrecht, Netherlands
  • NL-Zwolle-ISALA
    Zwolle, Netherlands
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Nijland M, Issa DE, Bult JAA, Deeren D, Velders GA, Nijziel MR, Sandberg Y, Vergote V, Oosterveld M, Fijnheer R, Brouwer RE, Boersma RS, Wu K, Nieuwenhuizen L, Vermaat JSP, van Kampen RJW, Terpstra WE, Snauwaert S, van der Poel MW, de Jongh E, Durian MF, Strobbe L, Beeker A, Gadisseur A, van Rijn RS, Visser O, Doorduijn JK, Snijders TJF, Silbermann MH, de Jong D, Chamuleau M, Mous R, Jalving H, Visser-Wisselaar H, Jansen van de Bergh S, Zwezerijnen GJC, Bremer E, Brink M, Diepstra A, Chitu DA, Koene HR, Zijlstra JM. Atezolizumab consolidation in patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in complete remission after R-CHOP. Blood Adv. 2025 Jul 22;9(14):3530-3539. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015226. PubMed 40249860 ↗

Related links

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03463057
Lead sponsor
Stichting Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 13, 2018
Start date
Aug 30, 2018
Primary completion
Jan 18, 2024
Completion
Jan 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 23, 2026

Study contacts

M. Nijland, PhD/MD
principal investigator · NL-Groningen-UMCG

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
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