navitoclax + rituximab

Navitoclax + rituximab is an investigational combination therapy comprising two agents: navitoclax, an oral small molecule inhibitor of BCL-2 family anti-apoptotic proteins (notably BCL-2, BCL-xL, and BCL-w), and rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting CD20 on B cells. Navitoclax induces apoptosis selectively in malignant lymphoid cells by inhibiting anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members, thereby enhancing cell death. Rituximab mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity by binding CD20, leading to lysis of B cells. The combination has demonstrated synergistic antitumor activity in B-cell malignancies, especially in low-grade lymphoid cancers and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with higher response rates than either agent alone in early-phase trials. The combination is in clinical development and has not been approved for any indication[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

navitoclax and rituximab