Singapore is expanding subsidised access to Roche’s Columvi, or glofitamab, for eligible patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
From 1 September 2026, Columvi will be included on the Ministry of Health’s Cancer Drug List and Medication Assistance Fund.
The subsidy applies to eligible patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who are not candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation and who have received at least one prior therapy.
Under the Medication Assistance Fund, eligible Singapore citizens may receive subsidies of up to 75%, while eligible permanent residents may receive support of up to 20% at public healthcare institutions.
Columvi is a T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody and is used in combination with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in the eligible patient population.
The therapy provides an additional treatment approach alongside options including autologous stem cell transplant, CAR-T cell therapy and chemotherapy.
DLBCL is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and accounts for approximately 30% of lymphoma diagnoses in Singapore.
Although many patients achieve remission following first-line therapy, around 30% to 40% either fail to respond or subsequently experience relapse.
Treatment options can become more limited following relapse, particularly for patients who may be unable to undergo stem cell transplantation or CAR-T therapy due to age, clinical condition, comorbidities or other considerations.
The inclusion of glofitamab under Singapore’s subsidy framework is intended to broaden access to a newer bispecific antibody-based treatment approach for these patients.
The decision also reflects the increasing integration of next-generation immunotherapies into national reimbursement frameworks as bispecific antibodies become more established across haematological cancers.
