ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06788964CORALUpdated Oct 16, 2026

Loncastuximab Tesirine and Rituximab as Bridging Therapy Before Standard-of-care CAR-T Therapy in Patients With Large B-cell Lymphoma (CORAL)

A Phase 2 interventional study of Loncastuximab Tesirine and Rituximab in Relapsed or Refractory Large B-cell Lymphoma, sponsored by University of Utah. Recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-16.

Primary conditionnone(registry's first term: Recurrence)No conditionIs this wrong?Recurrence describes something many studies share rather than a condition a study is about. The study names no condition we can place it under, so it is not compared with other studies by condition.

Sponsored by University of Utah · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Aug 2025; still recruiting 1 year 2 months later.
Updated Oct 16, 2026Site recruiting status changedStudy contact changed+1 moreGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
29
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to learn if the study treatment Loncastuximab tesirine and Rituximab is safe and efficient before standard of care chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

02

Conditions studied

  • Relapsed or Refractory Large B-cell Lymphoma

Browse trials for

03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of Utah is the lead sponsor of 994 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.

Of its 114 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 69 (61%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Subject aged ≥ 18 years.
  • Intended to receive commercial CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy (axi-cel and liso-cel).
  • Need for bridging therapy as deemed clinically necessary by the treating physician.
  • DLBCL, tFL or PMBCL as defined by the 2016 World Health Organization classification (including patients with DLBCL transformed from indolent lymphoma), or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), not otherwise specified, and HGBL with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements.

    --Relapsed (disease that has recurred following a response) or refractory (disease that failed to respond to prior therapy) disease following at least one multi-agent systemic treatment regimen.

  • as defined by the 2014 Lugano Classification as assessed by positron-emission tomography (PET)- computed tomography (CT) or by CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if the tumor is not fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid on screening PET-CT.
  • Performance Status ≤ 2.
  • Time between prior anticancer therapy and first dose of lonca-R as below

    • hematopoietic cell transplantation - At least 30 days
    • Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation - At least 60 days
    • Cytotoxic chemotherapy - At least 21 days
    • Non-cytotoxic chemotherapy (e.g., small molecule inhibitor) - At least 14 days
  • Adequate organ function as defined as:

    • Hematologic:

      • (ANC) ≥ 1000/mm3
      • count ≥ 75,000/mm3
      • ≥ 8 g/dL
    • Hepatic:

      • ≤1.5 x (ULN) or ≤3 x ULN with document liver involvement and/ or Gilbert's disease
      • Transaminases ( or ALT) ≤ 3 x ULN or ≤ 5 x ULN with documented liver involvement
    • Renal:

      • Estimated ≥ 60 mL/min by Cockcroft-Gault formula.
  • For female subjects: Negative pregnancy test or evidence of status. The post-menopausal status will be defined as having been amenorrheic for 12 months without an alternative medical cause or having undergone surgical sterilization (bilateral oophorectomy or hysterectomy). The following age-specific requirements apply:

    • Women \< 50 years of age:

      • Amenorrheic for ≥ 12 months following cessation of exogenous hormonal treatments; and
      • Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in the post-menopausal range for the institution; or
      • Underwent surgical sterilization (bilateral oophorectomy or hysterectomy).
    • Women ≥ 50 years of age:

      • Amenorrheic for 12 months or more following cessation of all exogenous hormonal treatments; or
      • Had radiation-induced menopause with last menses >1 year ago; or
      • Had chemotherapy-induced menopause with last menses >1 year ago; or
      • Underwent surgical sterilization (bilateral oophorectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or hysterectomy).
  • Female subjects of and male subjects with a sexual partner of childbearing potential must agree to use a highly effective method of and the lactation requirements as described in Sections 5.41.1 and 5.4.2.
  • Subjects or their legal representatives must be able to read, understand, and provide to participate in the trial.
  • Willing and capable of giving signed informed consent which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form (ICF) and in the protocol

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous treatment with any anti-CD19 therapy including lonca or prior CD19 CAR T-cell therapy
  • Subjects receiving CAR-T products
  • Major surgery within 4 weeks prior to starting study therapy.
  • History of bleeding diathesis (e.g., von Willebrand's disease), hemophilia, or active bleeding.
  • Subjects with chronic liver disease with hepatic impairment class C
  • Pregnant or lactating or intending to become pregnant during the study
  • Active
  • Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders
  • Active disease which, in the opinion of the investigator, may negatively impact subject safety or interfere with study participation.
  • The diagnosis of another which, in the opinion of the investigator, is likely to negatively impact subject safety or interfere with study participation.
  • Subjects with known CNS involvement.
  • Significant medical diseases or conditions including those requiring substantial changes in concomitant medications, as assessed by the investigator, that would substantially increase the risk-to-benefit ratio of participating in the study. This includes, but is not limited to the following conditions:

    • Cardiovascular disorders:

      • Congestive heart failure Class III or IV, unstable angina pectoris, serious cardiac arrhythmias.
      • Myocardial infarction (MI) within 6 months before the first dose.
      • prolongation defined as a QTcF > 480 ms.
      • Congenital long QT syndrome or a corrected QT measure (QTc) interval of >480 ms at screening (unless secondary to pacemaker or bundle branch block).
    • Severe pulmonary disease
    • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
    • Severely state
    • Any other condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment, contraindicate the subject's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns or compliance with clinical study procedures.
  • Active systemic bacterial, viral, fungal, or other infection requiring systemic treatment at time of screening
  • infection.
  • Subjects with evidence of active infection, based on positive surface antigen or Hepatitis B DNA PCR are excluded. Subjects who are Hepatitis B core antibody positive must take prophylaxis with entecavir or equivalent and be willing to undergo monthly Hepatitis B DNA PCR testing. Subjects with active Hep C patients may be enrolled if other parameters precluding hepatic impairment are met and they are not undergoing active therapy for .
  • Known prior severe to a CD19 antibody, lonca (including SG3249) or any of its , or history of positive serum human ADA to a CD19 antibody.
  • Subjects taking prohibited medications as described in Section 6.8.1. A of prohibited medications for a period of at least five half-lives or as clinically indicated should occur before the start of treatment.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(29)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Relapsed and refractory

Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.

Measurable disease

The amount of disease can be tracked with a defined measurement, so the study can see whether it shrinks or grows. It might be a tumour measured on a scan or, in some blood cancers such as myeloma, a marker measured in blood or urine.

The criteria or the study team say which measurement counts — having no tumour visible on a scan does not by itself rule you out.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

Postmenopausal

Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Child-Pugh class

A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.

GVHD (graft-versus-host disease)

After a transplant from a donor, the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s body, often the skin, gut or liver.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

NYHA class (heart failure)

The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.

I
No limits: ordinary activity causes no undue tiredness or breathlessness.
II
Slight limits: comfortable at rest, ordinary activity causes symptoms.
III
Marked limits: comfortable at rest, less than ordinary activity causes symptoms.
IV
Symptoms even at rest; any activity makes them worse.

Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.

QT and QTc

On an ECG, the QT interval is the time the heart’s lower chambers take to activate electrically and recover in each beat. QTc is that time adjusted for heart rate (QTcF by Fridericia’s formula, QTcB by Bazett’s). Some medicines lengthen it, and a long QTc can raise the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.

The study may name a correction formula and a limit in milliseconds, often around 450–480.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Excipients

The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.

Washout period

A planned gap after a treatment, so that its effects can lessen before the study treatment or a study assessment. Ask the study team and the doctor who prescribed it before changing any medicine.

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Treatment: All Patients

    The study will investigate the effectiveness of Loncastuximab tesirine and Rituximab (Lonca-R) prior to standard of care CAR-T cell therapy.

    Drug: Loncastuximab Tesirine · Drug: Rituximab

Interventions

  • Patients will receive Loncastuximab Tesirine intravenously for 1-6 cycles (every 21 days) prior to standard of care CAR-T cell therapy.

    Also known as: ZYNLONTA

  • Rituximab is administered intravenously for 1-6 cycles (every 21 days) prior to standard of care CAR-T cell therapy.

    Also known as: RITUXAN

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The complete response (CR) rate at D30 post CAR-T(+/- 7 days) post CAR-T administration per Lugano 2014 criteria.

    To evaluate the efficacy of SOC CAR T-cell therapy in patients with R/R large B-cell lymphoma following bridging with lonca-R.

    Time frame: 1 month

  2. Duration of cytopenias post CAR-T (as defined by the NIH CTCAE, version 5.0) D30 post CAR-T (+/- 7 days).

    To evaluate toxicities post CAR-T

    Time frame: 1 month

  3. Severity of cytopenias post CAR-T (as defined by the NIH CTCAE, version 5.0) D30 (+/- 7 days).

    To evaluate toxicities post CAR-T

    Time frame: 1 month

  4. Rate of infections D30 (+/- 7 days).

    To evaluate toxicities post CAR-T

    Time frame: 1 month

Secondary outcomes

  1. CD19 expression as measured by flow cytometry and IHC on biopsies obtained pre- and post-lonca-R (optional) and post-CAR-T (optional but strongly recommended)

    To determine whether CD19 expression is reduced in patients who receive bridging with lonca-R prior to CAR-T.

    Time frame: 5 years

  2. ORR defined as the proportion of subjects achieving a confirmed PR or CR at D30 (+/- 7 days) post CAR-T per Lugano 2014 criteria1.

    To evaluate the level of disease control provided by bridging lonca-R

    Time frame: 1 month

  3. Best response rate per Lugano 2014 criteria following CAR-T (based on imaging up until D90 post CAR-T)

    To evaluate the level of disease control provided by bridging lonca-R

    Time frame: 3 months

  4. ORR defined as the proportion of subjects achieving a confirmed PR or CR post lonca-R (pre-CAR-T)

    To evaluate the level of disease control provided by bridging lonca-R

    Time frame: 5 years

  5. Level of disease control (measured as percentage) with lonca-R as evaluated by CT measurements and metabolic tumor volume on PET pre and post Lonca-R

    To evaluate the level of disease control provided by bridging lonca-R

    Time frame: 5 years

  6. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) characterized by severity (as defined by the NIH CTCAE, version 5.0)

    To assess the safety and tolerability of lonca-R in the study population.

    Time frame: 5 years

  7. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) characterized by seriousness.

    To assess the safety and tolerability of lonca-R in the study population.

    Time frame: 5 years

  8. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) characterized by duration.

    To assess the safety and tolerability of lonca-R in the study population.

    Time frame: 5 years

  9. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) characterized by relationship to study treatment.

    To assess the safety and tolerability of lonca-R in the study population.

    Time frame: 5 years

07

Study locations

2 of 2 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

2 registry updates since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Aug 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2027, 19 months after the start.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 17, 2025
First posted
Jan 23, 2025
StartActual
Aug 25, 2025
Primary completionEst.
Mar 2027
CompletionEst.
Mar 2030
Last update
Oct 16, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Sites
1 site added. UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is now Recruiting
Show site
  • UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center · Chapel Hill, United States
across 2 updates, Sep 25, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026
Contact
Study contact changed: r•••@hci.utah.edu · •••0115→d•••@hci.utah.edu · •••4713. See the current contact
Sep 25, 2026
Site contacts
Changed at 1 site. See the sites
Show the site
  • Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United StatesContact r•••@hci.utah.edu · •••0115→d•••@hci.utah.edu · •••4713
Sep 25, 2026
Show all 2 updates
  1. Oct 16, 2026
    UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is now Recruiting
    + 1 other change: verification date
  2. Sep 25, 2026
    1 site added
    Show site
    • UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center · Chapel Hill, United States
    Contact Study contact changed: r•••@hci.utah.edu · •••0115→d•••@hci.utah.edu · •••4713. See the current contact
    Site contacts Changed at 1 site. See the sites
    Show the site
    • Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United StatesContact r•••@hci.utah.edu · •••0115→d•••@hci.utah.edu · •••4713
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06788964
Lead sponsor
University of Utah
Collaborators
ADC Therapeutics S.A.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 23, 2025
Start date
Aug 25, 2025
Primary completion
Mar 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 2030 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 16, 2026

Study contacts

David Samuel
Contact
david.samuel@hci.utah.edu
801-587-4713
Narendranath Epperla, MD, MS, FACP
Contact
naren.epperla@hci.utah.edu
801-585-0255
Narendranath Epperla, MD, MS, FACP
principal investigator · Huntsman Cancer Institute

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Loncastuximab tesirine · Rituximab

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