New Drugs and Trials for T-Cell Lymphoma: What to Check Before Traveling to China

After reading about a new drug study, first compare the study’s disease subtype and treatment stage with your own medical records. Then ask the hospital that would treat you: Is this an approved drug or a clinical study? Does the hospital accept international patients, and does it currently have the drug or available trial places? Arrange screening and travel only after receiving specific answers.

If your condition needs prompt treatment, ask your current treating doctor and the research team to discuss a treatment plan for the waiting period. Do not stop medication on your own or delay necessary treatment while waiting for a trial response.

Key points

• T-cell lymphoma has different subtypes. A study in people with relapsed or refractory disease cannot directly determine whether maintenance treatment is needed after a response to initial treatment.
• China’s Guidelines for the Clinical Use of Novel Anticancer Drugs (2025 Edition) state that golidocitinib alone has conditional approval for adults with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior line of systemic treatment. Ask the treating doctor to check the current prescribing information, your specific condition, and the hospital’s drug supply.[1]
• Publication of a paper, registration of a study, and active recruitment at a particular hospital are different things. Passing preliminary screening does not mean formal enrollment and does not guarantee treatment.
• Before traveling, ask the study center for written details of screening, treatment, and complication costs; the length of stay and follow-up arrangements; and who will provide ongoing care if you are not enrolled, withdraw, or reach the end of the trial.

Match your condition to the study population first

Start by finding the full diagnosis and subtype in your pathology report. Then prepare a treatment timeline: which treatments you received, when they ended, how well they worked, whether you had a transplant, and your most recent imaging and test results. Also give the doctor details of your current medicines and important issues such as infections. Studies of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas may involve different patient groups. Having “T-cell” in the name does not establish that a study applies to you.

When reading a study, ask your doctor four questions: Does it concern initial treatment, maintenance treatment, or relapsed or refractory disease? Which subtypes or biomarkers are required? Is its main focus safety or effectiveness? Does it have a randomized control group? Early studies can help assess safety and initial signs of effectiveness. A single-arm study has no concurrent randomized control group. Even if some participants respond, that result alone cannot establish that the treatment is better than existing options or predict your individual outcome. Response, duration of response, and progression-free survival are also different outcomes.[2–5]

Understanding different types of new drug studies

Golidocitinib: Treatment for relapsed disease and maintenance treatment are separate questions. JACKPOT8 Part B is a single-arm phase 2 study in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The 2025 edition of China’s National Health Commission guidelines records conditional approval of this drug alone for adults with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior line of systemic treatment. Further effectiveness and safety data are expected from postmarketing studies.[1,2]

JACKPOT26 instead studies maintenance after a response to first-line treatment in participants who are unsuitable for transplantation or have no transplant planned. The study has separate complete-response and partial-response cohorts, with no randomized control group.[3] These results do not prove that everyone who responds to initial treatment should receive maintenance medication. Approval for relapsed or refractory disease also does not automatically mean approval for maintenance use. If your doctor proposes this use, ask about the treatment goal, supporting evidence, assessment schedule, conditions for stopping treatment, and plans for blood counts, liver function monitoring, and infection prevention. The guidelines identify risks including infectious pneumonia, viral infections and reactivation, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). Ask your doctor which prevention and monitoring measures apply to you.[1]

Duvelisib: Study results do not mean the same indication is approved in China. The phase 2 PRIMO study examined outcomes with this drug in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma, including different subtypes. Results in smaller subgroups cannot predict individual outcomes.[4] The convenience of an oral drug does not remove risks such as infection and abnormal liver function. Ask your doctor to check the current prescribing information and the specific treatment pathway the hospital plans to use. Do not buy the drug yourself based on a published study regimen.

Valemetostat: Consider overseas approval separately from access in China. VALENTINE-PTCL01 is a single-arm phase 2 study. Its peripheral T-cell lymphoma cohort primarily assessed effectiveness, while its adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cohort primarily assessed safety. The paper states that enrollment has closed.[5] A June 2024 manufacturer announcement stated that the drug had been approved in Japan for adults with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma.[6] This does not establish that the same use is approved in China or that the treating hospital has the drug. The hospital should verify the current lawful route for using it, its supply, and follow-up monitoring. Do not buy it across borders yourself or substitute another drug in the same class.

Combination regimens: A sound biological rationale still needs comparative evidence. The randomized Ro-CHOP study did not establish greater effectiveness than CHOP in the overall population with previously untreated peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Exploratory findings in some subgroups require further study.[7] Molecular testing can help identify the subtype or find studies, but having a particular biomarker does not automatically mean you meet all trial criteria. Ask the center which testing methods, samples, and reports it accepts.

CAR-T: Ask about the target and the full process

An early study explored CAR-T targeting TRBC1-positive relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. It involved very few participants, and the responses observed cannot be generalized to all T-cell lymphomas. Adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome, also occurred. Further evaluation of safety and effectiveness is needed.[8]

When making inquiries, record the full product or trial name, study number, target, required tests, and cell source. Ask the research team to explain every step: screening, cell collection, the wait for manufacturing, any bridging treatment that may be needed, infusion, and monitoring. Also ask what happens if manufacturing fails, your condition changes, or infusion becomes impossible. Collecting cells does not guarantee that a product can be made and infused.

Contacting hospitals: From a study number to formal screening

1. Verify the details. Ask whoever introduced the option for the drug’s generic name, its specific intended use, the study number, and the hospital conducting it. Verify the research team through the hospital or a trial registry. A study’s overall registered status may differ from the current situation at a particular center.
2. First ask whether the center can accept an application. Confirm the city, hospital campus, current cohort, whether recruitment is still open, whether international patients are accepted, available language support, and the expected response time. Trial registration does not mean a place has been reserved for you.
3. Submit records as the center requests. Usually, start with pathology reports and consultation records, a timeline of treatments and responses, recent imaging reports and original images, laboratory results, and a current medication list. If slides, tissue blocks, or a new biopsy are needed, first ask about requirements for receipt, review, and return.
4. Distinguish preliminary screening from formal screening. Preliminary screening may only use your records to decide whether further assessment is worthwhile. Formal eligibility still depends on tests after informed consent and the research team’s judgment. Registered criteria, your condition, available places, and screening results can all affect the final outcome.[9]

You can send the study center this message: “My pathology subtype is ___, I have received ___, and my most recent disease status is ___. For study number ___, which campus and cohort at your hospital are currently recruiting? Do you accept international patients? What records are needed for preliminary screening, and how long would I usually need to stay for formal screening and before the first dose?”

If the team mentions a medication washout period or a new biopsy, ask your current treating doctor and the study doctor to confirm the timing and risks together. Contact your current doctor promptly if your condition changes while waiting, and agree in advance on a treatment plan if you cannot enroll.

Confirm costs and follow-up care before signing and traveling

Ask the research team for informed consent documents you can understand and any necessary interpretation. Clarify the study’s purpose, random assignment or the treatments you might receive, known and unknown risks, other options, care for research-related injury, privacy, and how to withdraw. You can still ask questions and decide to withdraw after signing. For studies covered by China’s Measures for Ethical Review of Life Science and Medical Research Involving Humans, participants or their guardians may withdraw unconditionally at any stage. You may voluntarily discuss safe treatment discontinuation and follow-up care with the team; doing so is not a condition of withdrawal.[10,15]

In China, drug clinical trial sponsors and trial institutions must not charge participants fees related to the clinical trial. For clinical research covered by the Regulations on the Administration of Clinical Research and Clinical Translation and Application of New Biomedical Technologies, initiating institutions and research institutions must also not charge participants research-related fees.[12,13] Different projects may follow different research or clinical application pathways, so ask the center to explain the nature of the project. If you are unsure whether a particular charge is research-related, you can consult the hospital ethics committee or the responsible authority.

Ask the center for a written, itemized list stating who pays for screening and screen failure, study drugs and study tests, routine outpatient and inpatient care, complications and additional hospital stays, travel and accommodation, interpretation, and long-term follow-up. Then ask your insurer to confirm coverage under your own policy. Payment rules described in US sources cannot be applied directly to China.[11]

Create a schedule of screening, treatment, and follow-up dates, including circumstances that could extend your stay. Before leaving, confirm who will handle test results, whom to contact if you feel unwell, and whether some follow-up tests can be done locally. Also ask whether you can continue the drug if the disease progresses, you choose to withdraw, or the study ends; where the drug would come from; and who would pay. Ask both your doctors in China and those where you live to confirm the handover of care and alternative plans. These specific arrangements should be based on written responses from the study center and the doctors providing ongoing care.

Frequently asked questions

1. My pathology report only says “T-cell lymphoma.” Can I apply first?

You can contact the center first to ask, but request the full pathology report, immunohistochemistry results, and previous consultation records from your original hospital. The center will decide whether slides need to be reviewed again or additional testing is needed. Confirm how samples should be received before sending them.

2. The website says “recruiting.” Can I book flights right away?

First contact the specific hospital to verify the current cohort, requirements for accepting international patients, preliminary record review, and appointment arrangements. Even if you receive an invitation after preliminary screening, you may not pass formal screening.

3. If I already have a positive gene or target test, am I guaranteed a place?

No. The center will also check your subtype, previous treatment, current condition, organ function, infections, and other protocol requirements. It may also require a specific testing method or repeat testing.

4. If the study drug is free, will I still have to pay if I fail screening?

There is no single answer for every situation. Studies covered by the Chinese rules described above must not charge participants trial-related or research-related fees. Ask the center to explain the nature of each screening procedure and who pays, including arrangements if you do not pass screening. If there is a dispute, you can ask the ethics committee or the responsible authority. Confirm travel, accommodation, and other expenses individually, and check insurance coverage separately with your insurer.

5. Can I withdraw after signing the consent form?

Yes. For studies covered by the Chinese ethical review measures described above, participants or their guardians may withdraw unconditionally at any stage. You may voluntarily discuss safe treatment discontinuation, follow-up care, and transfer of records with the study doctor. These discussions are not conditions for withdrawal.[10,15]

6. If the study drug works, am I guaranteed continued access after the study ends?

No. Before enrolling, ask about conditions for continued treatment, how long the drug will be supplied, costs, and which doctor will arrange other treatment if continued access is unavailable. Keep the written answers.

7. If I develop a fever or new symptoms, can I wait until my next study visit?

Do not wait for your next visit. Anyone receiving anticancer or immunosuppressive treatment who develops a fever or signs of infection should contact the treating team immediately and follow its emergency plan. If you cannot reach the team or symptoms are severe, seek emergency care nearby immediately. After CAR-T, follow the center’s emergency instructions for fever, changes in awareness, or similar symptoms. Tell the healthcare staff what treatment you are receiving.[14]

Sources

Information checked: November 6, 2026. Study results and past approval information are not a real-time list of recruitment or drug availability.

1. National Health Commission: Notice issuing the 2025 edition of the guidelines; Full 2025 edition republished by a hospital, golidocitinib entry, printed pages 315–316.

2. Song et al., JACKPOT8 Part B, 2024, abstract.

3. Wei et al., JACKPOT26, 2026.

4. Mehta-Shah et al., final PRIMO results, 2026; abstract.

5. Zinzani et al., VALENTINE-PTCL01, 2024, full author manuscript.

6. Daiichi Sankyo: June 2024 announcement of approval in Japan, company announcement; Japan PMDA review report, May 2024 review materials.

7. Camus et al., final Ro-CHOP analysis, 2024, abstract.

8. Cwynarski et al., TRBC1 CAR-T study, 2024.

9. US National Cancer Institute: What to expect when participating in a clinical trial.

10. US National Cancer Institute: Informed consent forms.

11. US National Cancer Institute: Clinical trial costs, used only to guide questions about cost categories.

12. Regulations for the Implementation of the Drug Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 8, effective May 15, 2026.

13. Regulations on the Administration of Clinical Research and Clinical Translation and Application of New Biomedical Technologies, Article 20, provisions on clinical research costs.

14. US National Cancer Institute: Infection and neutropenia during cancer treatment.

15. National Health Commission: Measures for Ethical Review of Life Science and Medical Research Involving Humans, Article 17.