Mike, a Patient with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), Shares Inspiring Story of Resilience

DLBCL affects approximately 28,000 people per year in the United States and is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a family of blood cancers. It is a fast-growing but treatable cancer affecting B-lymphocytes, also known as B cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections. As they develop, cancerous B cells become larger than normal and multiply uncontrollably.

“It was scary to receive a DLBCL diagnosis, and the timing of mine was far from ideal,” says Mike. “For myself and my family, I knew I had to stay positive and get through this. I was committed to seeking treatment and trying to get better.”

“DLBCL is an aggressive but often treatable cancer,” explains Dr. Tara Graff, D.O., M.S., medical oncologist at Mission Cancer and Blood. “While every patient is different, we typically start by prescribing a standard chemoimmunotherapy regimen,” notes Dr. Graff, who is experienced in treating patients with DLBCL, but not a member of Mike’s care team.

For Mike, the standard chemoimmunotherapy regimen was not enough to clear the cancer from his body, but it did slow down the cancer’s progression.

“My time on chemoimmunotherapy was difficult, but I made it through,” says Mike. “It was disheartening to hear that there was more work to do, but my care team assured me that there were still options that could potentially help me.”

Once Mike’s care team determined that chemoimmunotherapy was not enough, they prescribed a radiation regimen that helped Mike achieve remission (elimination or reduction of signs and symptoms of cancer) for a year before it returned. Mike’s care team then worked swiftly to again determine what they thought would be the best course of action. Mike and his care team decided to move forward with a course of proton radiation, which put Mike’s cancer in remission for another three years. However, it eventually returned again in 2022.

“Unfortunately, up to 50% of patients with DLBCL experience a relapse (cancer returns) after initial treatment or do not respond (cancer becomes refractory) to initial treatment,” clarifies Dr. Graff. “With aggressive cancers like DLBCL, it is important to work swiftly to determine next steps while also coming up with a care plan that is best suited for each patient.”

“It was hard to digest both times when my cancer returned,” says Mike. “You always worry if there are options available that may work for me, but I had a lot of faith in my care team and remained optimistic that I could get through this. As a former biology teacher, I was able to speak their language a little bit, and a silver lining to this process was how fascinating it was at times.”

Following the additional recurrence of Mike’s DLBCL after the proton radiation, a possible next step in his treatment would have been a stem cell transplant, which is a procedure in which a patient receives healthy stem cells to replace damaged ones. Mike’s care team advised against this because of other health concerns, so they decided the next option they would try was Monjuvi® (tafasitamab-cxix), a targeted immunotherapy treatment given with another medicine called lenalidomide to treat adults with certain types of DLBCL that have come back or that did not respond to previous treatment, and who cannot receive a stem cell transplant. The approval of Monjuvi is based on a type of response rate. There is an ongoing study to confirm the clinical benefit of Monjuvi.

Thankfully, Mike responded well to Monjuvi, and he received the encouraging news that his cancer was showing improvement. This is Mike’s experience with Monjuvi. Every individual is different and results may vary.

Treatment with Monjuvi does not require hospitalization. In Mike’s case, he was able to access this treatment through local care teams in both Arizona and Montana.

“I love spending time outside with my family,” says Mike. “My wife and I spend winters at home in Arizona, but every summer, we make our way up to Missoula, Montana, where we spend time with our wonderful daughters and grandchildren.”

It is important to note that Monjuvi may cause serious side effects, including infusion reactions, low blood cell counts and serious infections. The most common side effects of Monjuvi are feeling tired or weak, diarrhea, cough, fever, swelling of lower legs or hands, respiratory tract infection and decreased appetite. These are not all of the possible side effects of Monjuvi. Continue reading to learn more about these and other side effects.

Mike’s advice to others who might be in a similar situation is to “keep your head up and power through as best you can,” noting local support groups may help navigate the journey, like the Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition, who helped Mike travel to and from his appointments.

Today, after more than a year on Monjuvi, Mike is on a mission to spend time with his children, grandchildren and wife of 50 years. He also looks forward to spending time biking, playing golf and enjoying the outdoors. Mike continues treatment with Monjuvi and is under the care of his physicians.

Please read the Important Safety Information below to learn more about the side effects of Monjuvi.

What is MONJUVI?

MONJUVI (tafasitamab-cxix) is a prescription medicine given with lenalidomide to treat adults with certain types of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has come back (relapsed) or that did not respond to previous treatment (refractory) and who cannot receive a stem cell transplant.

It is not known if MONJUVI is safe and effective in children.

The approval of MONJUVI is based on a type of response rate. There is an ongoing study to confirm the clinical benefit of MONJUVI.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What are the possible side effects of MONJUVI?

MONJUVI may cause serious side effects, including:

•  Infusion reactions. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for infusion reactions during your infusion of MONJUVI. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get fever, chills, flushing, headache, or shortness of breath during an infusion of MONJUVI

•  Low blood cell counts (platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells). Low blood cell counts are common with MONJUVI, but can also be serious or severe. Your healthcare provider will monitor your blood counts during treatment with MONJUVI. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or above, or any bruising or bleeding

•  Infections. Serious infections, including infections that can cause death, have happened in people during treatment with MONJUVI and after the last dose. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or above, or develop any signs or symptoms of an infection

The most common side effects of MONJUVI include

•  Feeling tired or weak

•  Diarrhea

•  Cough

•  Fever

•  Swelling of lower legs or hands

•  Respiratory tract infection

•  Decreased appetite

These are not all the possible side effects of MONJUVI. Your healthcare provider will give you medicines before each infusion to decrease your chance of infusion reactions. If you do not have any reactions, your healthcare provider may decide that you do not need these medicines with later infusions. Your healthcare provider may need to delay or completely stop treatment with MONJUVI if you have severe side effects.

Before you receive MONJUVI, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you

•  Have an active infection or have had one recently

•  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. MONJUVI may harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant during treatment with MONJUVI. Do not receive treatment with MONJUVI in combination with lenalidomide if you are pregnant because lenalidomide can cause birth defects and death of your unborn baby

•  You should use an effective method of birth control (contraception) during treatment and for at least 3 months after your last dose of MONJUVI

•  Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with MONJUVI

•  Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if MONJUVI passes into your breastmilk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 3 months after your last dose of MONJUVI

•  You should also read the lenalidomide Medication Guide for important information about pregnancy, contraception, and blood and sperm donation.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to MORPHOSYS US INC. at (844) 667-1992.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information, for additional Important Safety Information.

If you are living with DLBCL that came back or didn’t respond to the first treatment (relapsed or refractory DLBCL), have a discussion with your healthcare provider about your therapy options. To learn more about Monjuvi, relapsed or refractory DLBCL and for support and resources, visit www.Monjuvi.com

Mike and Dr. Graff were compensated for their time.

MONJUVI is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
Distributed and marketed by MorphoSys US Inc. and marketed by Incyte.
MorphoSys is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
Incyte is a registered trademark of Incyte.

November 2023 RC-US-TAF-01866

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