# Chidamide: Exploration of maintenance therapy for patients with DLBCL with HBV infection

## TL;DR

Chidamide maintenance therapy improves survival and is safe for patients with HBV-infected DLBCL after initial treatment.

## Contribution

This study shows chidamide can overcome poor prognosis in HBV+ DLBCL patients, offering a new maintenance therapy strategy.

## Key findings

- Chidamide significantly improved progression-free and overall survival in HBV+ DLBCL patients.
- HBV infection is an independent adverse factor for overall survival in DLBCL.
- Chidamide was well tolerated without unexpected adverse events.

## Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection worsens the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), possibly through epigenetic mechanisms. We conducted a prospective, single-arm, open-label clinical trial (NCT04661943) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chidamide maintenance therapy in patients with HBV+ DLBCL who achieved complete or partial response after first-line treatment. Seventy patients with HBV+ were enrolled, including 30 receiving chidamide (20 mg twice weekly for two years) and 40 controls who declined treatment, with a propensity score-matched HBV- cohort for comparison. Chidamide maintenance significantly improved progression-free survival (p = 0.035) and overall survival (p = 0.041) in patients with HBV+ and was well tolerated without unexpected adverse events. These findings indicate that chidamide maintenance therapy can overcome HBV-associated poor prognosis in DLBCL and may serve as an effective maintenance strategy for this high-risk group.

•Chidamide improves OS and PFS in patients with HBV+ DLBCL post-CR/PR•HBV infection is an independent adverse factor for OS in DLBCL•Chidamide provides therapeutic benefit for patients with HBV+ DLBCL•Chidamide was well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events

Chidamide improves OS and PFS in patients with HBV+ DLBCL post-CR/PR

HBV infection is an independent adverse factor for OS in DLBCL

Chidamide provides therapeutic benefit for patients with HBV+ DLBCL

Chidamide was well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events

Microbiology; Viral microbiology