Epcoritamab, Rituximab, Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin (R-GemOx) as Salvage Therapy Before Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

This phase II trial tests how well epcoritamab in combination with rituximab, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx) works as treatment given after the cancer has not responded to other treatments (salvage therapy) before autologous stem cell transplant in treating patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has come back after a period of improvement (relapsed) or that does not respond to treatment (refractory). Epcoritamab is a so-called bispecific antibody, a molecule that can bind simultaneously to two different receptors (proteins present on the cell surface). Epcoritamab binds to a receptor called CD3 with one part of the antibody and to a receptor called CD20 with another part of the antibody. CD3 is expressed on T cells, which are important cells of the immune system that help the body fight cancers and infections. CD20 is expressed on the surface of DLBCL cells. By simultaneous binding to CD3 and CD20, epcoritamab brings T cells and DLBCL cells close together and activates the T cells to kill the lymphoma cells. Rituximab is a so-called monoclonal antibody, a molecule that binds to a single receptor. Like epcoritamab, rituximab binds to CD20. After binding to CD20, rituximab activates the immune system to kill the lymphoma cell through several different mechanisms. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. Oxaliplatin is in a class of medications called platinum-containing antineoplastic agents. It damages the cell's DNA and may kill cancer cells. Giving epcoritamab-R-GemOx as therapy before an autologous stem cell transplant may help kill cancer cells in the body and help make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow.