Drug
Blinatumomab
A bispecific antibody that links CD3 on T cells to CD19 on B-lineage leukemia cells, directing T-cell activity toward the leukemia.
- Class
- Bispecific CD19-directed CD3 T-cell engager antibody
- Mechanism
- Binds CD3 on T cells and CD19 on B-lineage cells, bringing them together and enabling T-cell-mediated killing.
- Main uses
- B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- Key side effects
- Cytokine release syndrome
- Neurologic toxicity
- Liver enzyme abnormalities
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Key cautions
- Cytokine release syndrome
- Neurologic toxicity
- Infection risk associated with B-cell depletion
Educational use only. This card gives no doses.
Blinatumomab is a bispecific T-cell engager: its two binding regions connect a T cell with a B-lineage cell carrying CD19. This redirects the patient’s T cells to attack the target cell without relying on recognition of a tumor peptide presented by MHC. It is used in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, including relapsed or refractory disease. Its immune-activating action is associated with cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicity.