DLBCL clinical trial activity in 2026
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma remains the most common aggressive lymphoma and one of the most active areas of hematologic oncology clinical development. Multiple approved therapies — including axicabtagene ciloleucel, lisocabtagene maraleucel, tisagenlecleucel, and bispecific antibodies epcoritamab and glofitamab — have transformed the treatment landscape. With the live active and recruiting counts on this page, the field continues to advance at pace.
Key signals to monitor:
- Next-generation CAR-T products with improved persistence, allogeneic platforms, and combination regimens
- CD20×CD3 and CD79b×CD3 bispecific antibody programs in first- and later-line settings
- R-CHOP modifications — novel induction regimens attempting to improve the ~40% relapse rate
- Polatuzumab vedotin follow-on ADC combinations and new ADC targets (CD22, CD79b)
- Lenalidomide and novel IMiD combinations in non-GCB/ABC DLBCL
- High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC/BCL2/BCL6 rearrangements — "double/triple-hit" subtypes
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- Condition keywords: "diffuse large B-cell lymphoma", "DLBCL", "large B-cell lymphoma", "high-grade B-cell lymphoma", "primary CNS lymphoma"
- Phase filter: Phase 1 for early pipeline, Phase 2/3 for registration-enabling studies
- Sponsor filter: Industry-sponsored for competitive intelligence, or all sponsors
- Status filter: Recruiting only, or all active studies including not yet recruiting
The DLBCL treatment landscape in 2026
Bispecific antibodies in earlier lines
Epcoritamab (Epkinly) and glofitamab (Columvi) approvals in relapsed/refractory disease have generated extensive Phase 2/3 trial activity moving bispecifics into earlier treatment lines — including as part of first-line combinations. Multiple trials are registering enrolling both transplant-eligible and -ineligible patients. Tracking which combinations are being registered by which companies reveals which bispecific platforms are gaining first-mover advantage in the front-line space.
CAR-T evolution: persistence, manufacturing, and allogenic
While axicabtagene, lisocabtagene, and tisagenlecleucel are approved in DLBCL, next-generation programs are addressing key limitations: manufacturing time, T cell exhaustion, and access barriers of autologous production. Allogeneic CAR-T programs, "armored" CAR-T with cytokine payloads, and in-vivo CAR-T generation platforms are all in early clinical development for large B-cell lymphoma.
First-line innovations beyond R-CHOP
Despite decades of R-CHOP as the first-line standard, approximately 40% of patients relapse or are refractory. The POLARIX trial established pola-R-CHP as a new option for high-risk patients. Now, trials are testing bispecific + chemo combinations, CAR-T as consolidation, and molecular subtype-directed first-line approaches for MYC-high and ABC-subtype DLBCL.
High-grade lymphoma subtypes
"Double-hit" and "triple-hit" B-cell lymphoma with concurrent MYC, BCL2, and/or BCL6 rearrangements carry a poor prognosis despite intensive induction chemotherapy. Multiple trials are examining novel first-line regimens for these high-risk patients, including venetoclax-based combinations, CAR-T consolidation, and dose-adjusted EPOCH variants.
Who uses DLBCL trial monitoring
Hematology-oncology pharma BD and CI teams
Companies with DLBCL programs track competitor trial registrations as the earliest public signal of clinical strategy. A new Phase 2 bispecific combination trial is a months-early indicator of competitive positioning in first-line or relapsed/refractory settings.
Hematologists at academic medical centers
DLBCL physicians monitor trial registrations to identify cooperative group studies open at their institutions and to understand emerging treatment paradigms before they reach clinical guidelines.
Oncology biotech investors
DLBCL is a high-value indication with established commercial precedents for CAR-T and bispecifics. Investors tracking Phase 1 trial registrations gain earlier visibility into program value than those relying on conference announcements.
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Get the Free DigestFrequently asked questions
Can I track other aggressive lymphoma subtypes together with DLBCL?
Yes. Add keywords like "follicular lymphoma", "mantle cell lymphoma", or "primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma" to a single profile, or create separate profiles for each subtype on the Starter plan ($49/month).
How current is the DLBCL trial data?
Our pipeline fetches from ClinicalTrials.gov every morning. Studies posted or updated in the preceding 24 hours appear in that day's digest.
What DataLookout adds to ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov RSS feeds tell you that a study record was updated. DataLookout compares each record against the previous day across 13 tracked fields and tells you which one changed, with the old and new values, for every DLBCL trial on your watchlist. Each change is classified as critical, notable, or minor, so a completion date pushed out by two years does not read the same as a contact-details edit.
563 active trials, 308 recruiting.
Industry sponsors run 148 of these trials. The rest are run by universities, hospitals, government bodies and other non-commercial sponsors. The table below lists the 5 largest of 93.
| Top industry sponsor | Active trials |
|---|---|
| Genmab | 8 |
| Merck (MSD) | 7 |
| AstraZeneca | 6 |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals | 5 |
| Incyte | 4 |
| Trial | Status | Latest tracked change | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAR-T Followed by Bispecific Antibodies NCT04889716 | Active, Not Recruiting | Primary endpoint(s) modified | 2026-09-15 |
| Lifestyles Implemented-Survivorship Care Plan In Lymphoma Survivors NCT05934084 | Recruiting | Completion pushed: 2026-02-01 → 2028-02-01 | 2026-09-12 |
| Clinical Study of C402-CD19-CAR Treatment in Subjects With Relapsed or… NCT06830031 | Recruiting | Completion pushed: 2026-05-11 → 2029-09-18 | 2026-09-12 |
| Testing the Effectiveness of a Combination Targeted Therapy (ViPOR) for… NCT06649812 | Recruiting | Trial sites expanded: 87 → 96 locations | 2026-09-01 |
| A Study of JNJ-90014496 in Participants With B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma NCT05421663 | Active, Not Recruiting | Primary completion pushed: 2028-12-29 → 2041-07-30 | 2026-08-29 |
Each trial page shows every change DataLookout has recorded for that trial.
DataLookout checks ClinicalTrials.gov every day and records what changed on each trial: status, enrollment, phase, primary endpoint, completion dates, sites, sponsor, and the stated reason a trial stopped. Add a sponsor or a disease to your watchlist, or save any search, and the changes arrive in a daily or weekly email digest.
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