SOHO Italy 2025 | The evolving role of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma

So the checkpoint inhibitors are rapidly moving from the relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma setting up into the front line with the results from the S1826 study. So nivolumab-AVD is our new standard in advanced-stage patients. And I really see the checkpoint inhibitors evolving and moving up into the front line of early-stage patients as well, although clinical trials in that setting are still being reported and we don’t yet have randomized data to clearly show the benefit of the checkpoint inhibitors in patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Their use in salvage regimens is going to evolve in response to the frontline treatments. I think patients who relapse after nivo-AVD may benefit from treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor in the salvage setting, but it’ll depend on how they responded first line. So patients who have some period of remission after a frontline checkpoint inhibitor will likely be re-challenged with either nivolumab or pembrolizumab in the relapse setting. But those who prove to be primary refractory, which is going to be a rare patient admittedly, would not be re-challenged with a checkpoint inhibitor in the second line. And then later lines of therapy, I think it’s going to be less likely that we use checkpoint inhibitors as patients see those drugs in earlier lines of therapy.

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