How we prevent infections in adults receiving bispecific antibody therapies for advanced B-cell malignancies

T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have transformed the treatment landscape for multiple hematologic malignancies and are under investigation in the frontline setting, within combination regimens, and for non-malignant diseases. However, their increasing use has revealed new patterns of immune suppression and infectious complications that differ from other treatment modalities including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Notably, infections are frequent and represent the principal cause of non-relapse mortality. These risks with repeated BsAb dosing arise from multifactorial mechanisms, including B-cell or plasma-cell aplasia, hypogammaglobulinemia, and early cytopenias. Additional contributors such as T-cell exhaustion, cytokine-directed immune modulation, and disease-related immunodeficiency further compound infection risk. The result is a dynamic and cumulative impairment of host immunity that evolves over the course of therapy. In this "How I Treat" article, we provide a practical, phase-based framework for preventing and managing infections in patients receiving BsAbs for non-Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma. Our review includes pre-treatment evaluation, the period of active therapy, and long-term follow-up. Using representative cases, we highlight strategies for infectious disease screening, antimicrobial prophylaxis, immunoglobulin supplementation, vaccination, and other supportive care practices. Our aim is to equip clinicians with an evidence-informed and pragmatic framework for mitigating BsAb-related infection risks.

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Publication Details

Journal
Blood
Published
2026-05-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2025032298
Primary Topic
Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
Type
article
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article

How we prevent infections in adults receiving bispecific antibody therapies for advanced B-cell malignancies

Joshua A. Hill, Rahul Banerjee, Kai Rejeski
Blood
Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
article

How we prevent infections in adults receiving bispecific antibody therapies for advanced B-cell malignancies

Joshua A. Hill, Rahul Banerjee, Kai Rejeski
article en

Abstract

T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have transformed the treatment landscape for multiple hematologic malignancies and are under investigation in the frontline setting, within combination regimens, and for non-malignant diseases. However, their increasing use has revealed new patterns of immune suppression and infectious complications that differ from other treatment modalities including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Notably, infections are frequent and represent the principal cause of non-relapse mortality. These risks with repeated BsAb dosing arise from multifactorial mechanisms, including B-cell or plasma-cell aplasia, hypogammaglobulinemia, and early cytopenias. Additional contributors such as T-cell exhaustion, cytokine-directed immune modulation, and disease-related immunodeficiency further compound infection risk. The result is a dynamic and cumulative impairment of host immunity that evolves over the course of therapy. In this "How I Treat" article, we provide a practical, phase-based framework for preventing and managing infections in patients receiving BsAbs for non-Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma. Our review includes pre-treatment evaluation, the period of active therapy, and long-term follow-up. Using representative cases, we highlight strategies for infectious disease screening, antimicrobial prophylaxis, immunoglobulin supplementation, vaccination, and other supportive care practices. Our aim is to equip clinicians with an evidence-informed and pragmatic framework for mitigating BsAb-related infection risks.

Blood
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US), Fred Hutch Cancer Center (US)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
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How we prevent infections in adults receiving bispecific antibody therapies for advanced B-cell malignancies — Joshua A. Hill, Rahul Banerjee, et al. · Blood (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS