Dr. Burke on Tazemetostat’s Mechanism of Action in EZH2-Mutated Follicular Lymphoma

John M. Burke, MD, associate chair of the Hematology Research Program for US Oncology and medical oncologist and hematologist at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, discusses the role of tazemetostat (Tazverik) in EZH2-mutated follicular lymphoma.

Tazemetostat was approved for patients with EZH2-mutant follicular lymphoma who have progressed on 2 prior lines of therapy and for those who have no suitable or satisfactory alternative treatment options, says Burke.

EZH2 is a gene that is involved in regulating B cells and it helps to keep them in the germinal center. In about 20% of follicular lymphoma cases, EZH2 can develop a gain-of-function mutation that increases the function of EZH2, explains Burke.

Tazemetostat interferes with those gain-of-function mutations and decreases the growth of those cells, but it also decreases the growth of follicular lymphoma cells even no EZH2 mutation is present. Tazemetostat can effect both mutated EZH2 and follicular lymphoma cells when the EZH2 is not mutated, concludes Burke.