Therapeutic targets and investigated strategies for treating B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is a rare disease, accounting for about 4% of the estimated new cancers diagnosed in 2014. This heterogeneous group comprises many different subtypes, with marked variations in clinical behavior. Despite their differences, these cancers often share common targets to which specific therapeutic strategies have been designed, many of which recently became clinically available.Areas covered: In this review, we discuss therapeutic targets and novel strategies for the treatment of adult B-NHL with a focus on US FDA-approved drugs and agents in advanced phases of development. We review unconjugated monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapeutic agents, antibody-drug conjugates, small molecule inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, bispecific T cell-engager antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.Expert opinion: All agents addressed in this review have demonstrated activity in B-NHL and their clinical properties may be complimentary as we design new treatment combinations to suit the diverse clinical behavior of B-NHL subtypes. These new agents raise several new challenges however-how to best incorporate them to the currently available treatments, how to manage the different profile of adverse effects, and how to deal with the financial constraints posed by rising healthcare costs.