A Phase 2 interventional study of Zilovertamab vedotin and Rituximab in Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Recruiting at 148 sites in 9 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.
Sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (part of Merck & Co., Inc) · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Researchers are looking for ways to treat germinal center B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB DLBCL). DLBCL is a fast-growing blood cancer that affects B-cells. GCB is a type of DLBCL that affects young B-cells that are still maturing.
The goal of this study is to learn if more people who receive zilovertamab vedotin (MK-2140) and R-CHP have the cancer respond (go away) than those who receive polatuzumab vedotin and R-CHP.
1,868 studies on the registry are indexed under Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; 355 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 594 is above the median of 45 across 1,497 interventional studies indexed under Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse.
Browse Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse studies →Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is the lead sponsor of 2,166 studies on the registry; 132 are open to participants now.
Of its 501 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 370 (74%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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.
The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
Exclusion Criteria:
The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
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.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
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 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 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.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.
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.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
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.
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.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
NYHA class (heart failure)
The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive a dose of zilovertamab vedotin (1.75 mg/kg) plus 750 mg/m\^2 cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m\^2 doxorubicin, and 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab or rituximab biosimilar administered by intravenous (IV) infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months) plus 2 additional cycles of rituximab or biosimilar for participants with high risk DLBCL. Participants will also receive 100 mg prednisone or prednisolone via oral tablet per day during Days 1-5 of each 3-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months).
Biological: Zilovertamab vedotin · Biological: Rituximab · Drug: Cyclophosphamide · Drug: Doxorubicin · Biological: Rituximab Biosimilar · Drug: Prednisone · Drug: Prednisolone · Drug: Rescue Medication
Participants will receive a dose of polatuzumab vedotin (1.8 mg/kg) plus 750 mg/m\^2 cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m\^2 doxorubicin, and 375 mg/m\^2 rituximab or rituximab biosimilar administered by IV infusion on Day 1 of each 3-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months) plus 2 additional cycles of rituximab or biosimilar for participants with high risk DLBCL. Participants will also receive 100 mg prednisone or prednisolone via oral tablet per day during Days 1-5 of each 3-week cycle for up to 6 cycles (up to approximately 4 months).
Biological: Rituximab · Drug: Cyclophosphamide · Drug: Doxorubicin · Biological: Rituximab Biosimilar · Drug: Prednisone · Drug: Prednisolone · Biological: Polatuzumab vedotin · Drug: Rescue Medication
IV infusion
Also known as: MK-2140, VLS-101
IV infusion
Also known as: RITUXAN®
IV infusion
Also known as: CYTOXAN®, NEOSAR®
IV infusion
Also known as: ADRIAMYCIN®
IV infusion
Also known as: TRUXIMA®, RUXIENCE®, RIABNI®
Oral administration or IV infusion
Oral administration or IV infusion
IV infusion
Participants receive rescue medication at the investigators discretion, per approved product label. Recommended rescue medication is Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF).
Complete Response Rate (CRR) at End of Treatment (EOT) per Lugano Response Criteria
CRR at EOT is defined as the percentage of participants who experience complete response (CR) per Lugano response criteria as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) at end of treatment. CR is complete metabolic (no/minimal FDG uptake) and radiologic response (target lesions regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest transverse diameter of a lesion) and no new lesions. Participants with missing data or who discontinue treatment or study prior to reaching EOT will be considered non-responders and included in the total number of participants.
Time frame: Up to approximately 31 months
Progression-free Survival (PFS) per Lugano Response Criteria
PFS is defined as the time from randomization to the first documented disease progression per Lugano response criteria by BICR or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 51 months
Overall Survival (OS)
OS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.
Time frame: Up to approximately 87 months
Event-free Survival (EFS) per Lugano Response Criteria
EFS is defined as the time from randomization to any of the following events: progressive disease per Lugano response criteria by BICR, death due to any cause, initiation of a new anti-caner therapy, or a positive biopsy for residual disease. The EFS for all participants will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 51 months
Duration of CR
For participants who demonstrate CR at EOT per Lugano response criteria by BICR, duration of complete response is defined as the time from the first documented evidence of CR at or before EOT until disease progression or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: Up to approximately 51 months
Number of participants who experience one or more adverse events (AEs)
An AE is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant, temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants who experience at least one AE will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 9 months
Number of participants who discontinue study intervention due to an AE
An AE is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant, temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants who experience at least one AE will be presented.
Time frame: Up to approximately 6 months
Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQoL) on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Lymphoma (FACT-Lym) Trial Outcome Index (TOI)
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to Week 25
Change From Baseline in HRQoL on FACT-Lym Total Score
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to Week 25
Change From Baseline in HRQoL on FACT-Lym Physical Well-being (PWB) (Items General Physical [GP]1 through GP7)
The FACT-Lym is a 42-item questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL and cancer-specific symptoms in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Subscales include FACT-General (FACT-G), FACT-Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI), FACT-Lym total score (FACT-Lym TS), and the Lymphoma subscale (Lym S). The Lym S has a single domain consisting of 15 items specific to lymphoma burden with a score ranging from 0 to 60. FACT-G has 4 well-being domains, physical (7 items), social/family (7), emotional (6), and functional (7), with scores ranging from 0 to 108. FACT-TOI combines FACT-G's physical and functional domains with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 116. FACT-Lym TS combines FACT-G with Lym S, with scores ranging from 0 to 168. The scoring of FACT-Lym is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. The higher the score the better the quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and up to Week 25
Change From Baseline in HRQoL on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-NTX) Neurotoxicity Subscale Score
The FACT/GOG-NTX provides a targeted assessment of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, including sensory, motor, and auditory problems and cold sensitivity. It is an 11-item questionnaire designed to measure the neurotoxicity subscale. The scoring of FACT/GOG-NTX is on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0= not at all, 1= a little bit, 2= somewhat, 3=quite a bit, 4=very much. To produce a Neurotoxicity Subscale score (range 0-44), the sum of the item scores are multiplied by the number of items in the subscale, then divided by the number of items answered.
Time frame: Baseline and up to Week 25
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Plan to share: Yes — https://trialstransparency.msdclinicaltrials.com/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Data sharing details ↗ · externaldatasharing-msd.com
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 ↗
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Studies of the drug tested here: Zilovertamab vedotin
Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse →