On September 17, 2026 Roche (SIX: RO, ROP; OTCQX: RHHBY) reported that the phase III CELESTIMO study evaluating Lunsumio (mosunetuzumab) in combination with lenalidomide versus MabThera/Rituxan (rituximab) plus lenalidomide in people with relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) who have received at least one prior line of treatment met its primary endpoint. Results demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS). Overall survival (OS) data were immature at the time of interim analysis. The safety profile of the Lunsumio and lenalidomide combination was consistent with the known profiles of the individual study medicines, with no new safety signals identified. Data from the study will be submitted to health authorities and presented at an upcoming medical meeting.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
"People living with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma need treatment options that provide meaningful clinical benefit and minimal disruptions to everyday care," said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. "The CELESTIMO results indicate that a two-drug outpatient Lunsumio regimen may offer these patients an effective new option earlier in their treatment journey."
CELESTIMO is a confirmatory study required to convert the accelerated approval/conditional marketing authorisation of Lunsumio monotherapy for third-line or later (3L+) FL to full approval, as well as to secure an indication in second-line or later (2L+) FL.
Lunsumio is part of Roche’s industry-leading CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody programme. It is designed with the unique needs and preferences of patients in mind, offering the possibility of outpatient treatment and flexibility between intravenous and subcutaneous administration routes. Lunsumio is already approved for people with 3L+ FL in 60 countries worldwide and has been used to treat over 3,800 patients.1
With the longest follow-up data of any bispecific antibody in lymphoma and a broad clinical development programme spanning multiple disease settings, including both FL and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Lunsumio is helping redefine care across B-cell malignancies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Lunsumio in combination with Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin) for 2L+ DLBCL based on the SUNMO study, and results from CELESTIMO support continued expansion of Lunsumio and lenalidomide into earlier FL treatment, with the phase III MorningLyte study ongoing in first-line FL.
About the CELESTIMO study
CELESTIMO [NCT04712097] is a phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Lunsumio (mosunetuzumab) in combination with lenalidomide vs. MabThera/Rituxan (rituximab) plus lenalidomide in people with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) who have received at least one line of prior systemic therapy. It is a confirmatory study required to convert the accelerated approval/conditional marketing authorisation of Lunsumio monotherapy for third-line or later FL to full approval, as well as to secure an indication in second-line or later FL.
About follicular lymphoma
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common slow-growing (indolent) form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, accounting for about one in five cases.2 It typically responds well to treatment but is often characterised by periods of remission and relapse.3 The disease typically becomes harder to treat each time a patient relapses, and early progression can be associated with poor long-term prognosis.4 It is estimated that more than 110,000 people are diagnosed with FL each year worldwide.5
About Lunsumio (mosunetuzumab)
Lunsumio is a first-in-class CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibody designed to target CD20 on the surface of B cells and CD3 on the surface of T cells. This dual targeting activates and redirects a patient’s existing T cells to engage and eliminate malignant B cells. Lunsumio is currently approved as a fixed-duration monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with third-line or later relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) in both intravenous and subcutaneous (Lunsumio VELO) formulations. A robust, global development programme is ongoing to explore the clinical utility of Lunsumio earlier in the disease course and in novel combinations, including the phase III CELESTIMO trial in second-line or later FL.
(Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, SEP 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234670922])