Danish biotech firm Genmab and US drugmaker AbbVie said their combination treatment for newly diagnosed lymphoma patients cut the risk of disease progression or death by 51 per cent in a late-stage study. The results were announced on October 5.The Phase 3 EPCORE DLBCL-2 trial tested epcoritamab plus R-CHOP in patients newly diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Epcoritamab is a T-cell engaging bispecific antibody developed jointly by the two companies. R-CHOP is the current standard treatment for the disease.The companies said it is the first late-stage study of a bispecific antibody combination to significantly improve progression-free survival in first-line DLBCL. The safety profile was generally consistent with the known safety profiles of epcoritamab and R-CHOP. Epcoritamab is not yet approved for newly diagnosed patients who have not received prior treatment.Genmab shares jumped about 8 per cent in European trading on Tuesday. Analysts called the result a strong validation of the drug in its largest commercial opportunity. The companies said they will discuss next steps with global regulators.