This was a Phase 1/2 study performed at two clinical centers in the US and UK. It was a single arm, open label study evaluating VSLI plus rituximab in adults with aggressive relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate, defined as the proportion of patients with a response of CR + PR.

Duration of response, time to progression, and overall survival were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used for demographics, disease characteristics, treatment exposures, efficacy, and safety variables.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologically-confirmed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), as defined by the Revised European American Lymphoma/WHO classification. This included: diffuse large B-cell, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma with sclerosis,intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma, T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma or anaplastic large B-cell lymphoma. In the US protocol only, patients who had transformation from an indolent lymphoma and those who had mantle cell lymphoma were eligible.

  • Confirmation of CD20 expression on lymphoma cells.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ≤2.
  • One or more prior chemotherapy regimens. Patients who had received prior rituximab therapy as part of an induction chemotherapy regimen or who had a previous response to rituximab as a single agent were eligible.
  • Measurable disease in at least 1 site, which had not been previously irradiated.

Measurable disease was defined as at least 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion with clearly defined margins that were ≥1.5 cm in the largest dimension determined by physical examination or computed tomography (CT) scan.

• Total bilirubin and serum creatinine ≤2 times the ULN.
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥0.5 × 109/L, and platelets ≥50 × 109/L.
• 18 years of age or older.
• Women of childbearing potential who were willing to use an acceptable method of contraception throughout the course of the study.

Signed and dated informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known transformation from an indolent lymphoma (UK protocol only).
• Eligible for conventional or high-dose chemotherapy with curative intent.
• Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or corticosteroids (>10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent) within the past 4 weeks.
• Any previous malignancies with less than a 5-year complete remission interval, except for curatively resected basal cell carcinoma or curatively resected in situ carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
• History of or active CNS-lymphoma, AIDS-related lymphoma, or any uncontrolled severe medical illness or infection.
• History of neurologic disorders unrelated to chemotherapy (including familial neurologic diseases and acquired demyelinating disorders).
• Grade 3 or 4 sensory or motor neuropathy at screening related to prior chemotherapy.
• Major surgery (excluding that for diagnosis) within 4 weeks of enrollment.
• Pregnant or lactating women (women of childbearing potential underwent a pregnancy test).
• Allergy to vincristine, or other vinca alkaloids.
• Progressive disease while receiving or within 1 month of having received previous rituximab therapy (US protocol only).
• Hypersensitivity to any component of rituximab or to murine proteins (UK protocol only).