What Pharmacists Should Know
- Epcoritamab provides a chemo-free, off-the-shelf option that allows patients to start treatment faster and avoid hospitalization and manufacturing delays associated with CAR T-cell therapy.
- The outpatient administration model may improve patients’ quality of life, enabling many to maintain daily activities and work during treatment, which pharmacists should reinforce during counseling.
- The approval signals continued growth of bispecific antibody therapies, highlighting the pharmacist’s role in patient education, access coordination, and support as these regimens move into earlier lines of care.
In an interview with Pharmacy Times®, Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FHOPA, a clinical pharmacy manager at the University of Kansas Health System, outlined the patient-centered benefits associated with the FDA approval of epcoritamab (Epkinly; Genmab, AbbVie) in combination with rituximab (Rituxan; Genentech) and lenalidomide (Revlimid; Bristol Myers Squibb) (R²), emphasizing improvements in both clinical outcomes and quality of life.
From a patient perspective, she highlighted the high response rates achieved without the use of traditional chemotherapy, which can often be associated with significant toxicity and treatment burden. The chemo-free nature of epcoritamab offers an appealing alternative for patients who may be hesitant to pursue cytotoxic regimens.
Mahmoudjafari emphasized the convenience and accessibility of epcoritamab as an off-the-shelf therapy. Unlike chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatments, epcoritamab does not require autologous cell collection or lengthy manufacturing processes, allowing patients to initiate therapy more rapidly following relapse. This streamlined access to treatment can be especially meaningful for patients experiencing disease progression who need prompt therapeutic intervention. Additionally, she noted that treatment can often be administered in the outpatient setting, helping patients avoid prolonged hospitalizations commonly associated with cellular therapies.
Importantly, Mahmoudjafari described the potential for improved quality of life, as many patients may be able to maintain daily routines, including work and personal activities, while receiving treatment. This outpatient administration model may reduce disruptions to patients’ lives and support greater independence throughout therapy.
“There may even be a potential for an improved quality of life, with many patients able to maintain their daily activities and work during treatment because this can be given outpatient.” - Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FHOPA
Looking ahead, Mahmoudjafari discussed the broader implications of this approval for future drug development. She noted that the success of epcoritamab further validates bispecific antibodies as a durable and transformative therapeutic platform. This milestone is expected to accelerate research into combination strategies and expand evaluation into earlier lines of therapy across indolent lymphomas and potentially other malignancies. She emphasized the importance of continuing to refine immune-based, chemotherapy-free regimens that are scalable and accessible to community oncology practices.
For pharmacists, these developments underscore the growing need to support patient education, outpatient therapy coordination, and monitoring to optimize both clinical outcomes and quality-of-life benefits associated with bispecific antibody therapies.
