55 Hodgkin Lymphoma Clinical Trials Recruiting Now (October 2026): Nivolumab-AVD, Brentuximab, PD-1, CD30 CAR-T

Last updated: October 28, 2026

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What Changed in 2026: Nivolumab + AVD Approved First-Line

On March 20, 2026 the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo) + AVD (doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) for previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in adults and children aged 12 and older. It is the first PD-1 inhibitor approved as part of first-line Hodgkin treatment.

SWOG S1826 (NCT03907488, 994 patients) compared N-AVD with brentuximab vedotin + AVD: progression-free survival hazard ratio 0.42 at the approval analysis; with 3.1 years of follow-up, 3-year PFS was 91% vs 82% (HR 0.48).
The gain was largest in patients older than 60 (3-year PFS 82% vs 58%) and was also seen in adolescents (93% vs 82%).
Peripheral neuropathy (grade ≥2) was less common with N-AVD (7% vs 14%); thyroid dysfunction occurred in about 7%. Overall survival is similar so far (98% vs 97%).

Standard of care (October 2026): Early-stage (I–II): ABVD-based chemotherapy, often PET-adapted, ± involved-site radiation. Advanced-stage (III–IV): nivolumab + AVD; brentuximab vedotin + AVD (ECHELON-1); or ABVD with PET-adapted escalation. BrECADD (HD21) is approved in Europe but not by the FDA. Relapsed/refractory: salvage chemotherapy (ICE, GDP, DHAP) or brentuximab- or PD-1-based salvage, then high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplant; pembrolizumab, nivolumab and brentuximab vedotin for later relapse; allogeneic transplant for selected patients.

Recruiting Trials by Treatment Setting

First-Line: Advanced Stage (III–IV)

Building on N-AVD and BV-AVD, and testing whether less chemotherapy works when PET or ctDNA shows an early response:

- NCT07209059 - PET-adapted first-line therapy with nivolumab for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2)
- NCT06984146 - Nivo40-AVD — reduced-dose nivolumab + AVD in advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2)
- NCT07234487 - AVD + low-dose nivolumab vs PET-adapted BEACOPP-like chemotherapy in advanced cHL (Phase 2)
- NCT07002216 - BrECADD (brentuximab + etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, dacarbazine, dexamethasone) in stage IIB–IV disease (Phase 2, US)
- NCT06745076 - ctDNA-guided reduction of chemotherapy intensity in Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2, US)
- NCT06377566 - Brentuximab vedotin + AVD in bulky Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2, US)
- NCT05949931 - Pianzumab (PD-1) + AVD in newly diagnosed advanced cHL (Phase 2)

First-Line: Early Stage (I–II)

- NCT04685616 - Brentuximab vedotin in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 3, US)
- NCT05675410 - Standard therapy vs brentuximab vedotin + nivolumab in early-stage disease (Phase 3, US)
- NCT07256158 - PET-guided dose reduction of involved-site radiotherapy in early-stage unfavourable Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 3)
- NCT04837859 - Individualized immunotherapy in early-stage unfavourable cHL (Phase 2)

Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

- NCT07551583 - Nivolumab + AVD in pediatric, adolescent and young-adult cHL (Phase 2, US)
- NCT03500133 - Pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma with low cumulative chemotherapy doses and reduced radiation (Phase 4)
- NCT06848569 - Sintilimab + AVD in pediatric low/moderate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2)
- NCT06563245 - PET/CT-guided brentuximab vedotin for newly diagnosed cHL in children, adolescents and young adults (Phase 2/3)

Older or Frail Adults

- NCT07275216 - Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy for frail Hodgkin lymphoma patients (Phase 2, US)
- NCT05977673 - Frontline tislelizumab for de novo Hodgkin lymphoma in patients unsuitable for standard chemotherapy (Phase 2)

Relapsed or Refractory: Salvage and Transplant

- NCT05180097 - Pembrolizumab + brentuximab vedotin vs GDP + autologous transplant — testing whether transplant can be avoided (Phase 2)
- NCT03618550 - Second-line pembrolizumab + GVD (Phase 2, US)
- NCT04561206 - Brentuximab vedotin + nivolumab for relapsed/refractory cHL (Phase 2, US)
- NCT07021989 - ctDNA-guided therapy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2, US)
- NCT06377540 - Pembrolizumab + BEAM conditioning with autologous transplant (Phase 2, US)
- NCT06812858 - PD-1 inhibitor maintenance after autologous transplant (Phase 2)
- NCT05595447 - Treatment strategy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 2/3)

Relapsed or Refractory: PD-1-Refractory Disease and Novel Agents

- NCT06090864 - ATLCAR.CD30.CCR4 — CD30-directed CAR-T for CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 1/2, US)
- NCT06494371 - LCAR-HL30 CD30 CAR-T in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and ALCL (Phase 1)
- NCT05544968 - Anti-CD30 bispecific-armed activated T cells (Phase 1, US)
- NCT06642792 - AK129 ± AK117 in PD-(L)1-refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (Phase 1/2)
- NCT06170489 - JS004 + toripalimab vs investigator's chemotherapy (Phase 3)
- NCT05355051 - Azacitidine + pembrolizumab for relapsed/refractory disease (Phase 2, US)
- NCT03681561 - Nivolumab + ruxolitinib in relapsed/refractory cHL (Phase 1/2, US)

Showing selected trials from the ClinTrialFinder corpus (each confirmed recruiting, October 2026). View all 55 recruiting interventional Hodgkin lymphoma trials on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the newest first-line treatment for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma?

On March 20, 2026 the FDA approved nivolumab + AVD for previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in patients aged 12 and older. In the SWOG S1826 trial (994 patients) it improved progression-free survival over brentuximab vedotin + AVD (3-year PFS 91% vs 82%), with the largest gain in patients older than 60 (82% vs 58%). Brentuximab vedotin + AVD (ECHELON-1) and ABVD remain standard alternatives — ask your hematologist which fits your age, stage and other health conditions.

What Hodgkin lymphoma clinical trials are recruiting?

There are 55 recruiting interventional classical Hodgkin lymphoma trials on ClinicalTrials.gov as of October 2026. First-line trials test PET- and ctDNA-adapted de-escalation, PD-1 inhibitors added to AVD (including pediatric and young-adult studies) and BrECADD. Relapsed or refractory trials test PD-1 plus brentuximab vedotin or salvage chemotherapy, PD-1 maintenance after transplant, CD30-directed CAR-T and bispecific approaches, and treatments for PD-1-refractory disease.

How do I find Hodgkin lymphoma clinical trials I'm eligible for?

Enter your details into ClinTrialFinder: stage, age, which treatments you have had (ABVD, brentuximab vedotin, a PD-1 inhibitor, autologous transplant) and whether your disease responded on PET. The matcher ranks recruiting trials against your eligibility in about 15 minutes and can email the results.

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