PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To establish the maximum tolerated dose of obatoclax mesylate when administered with bortezomib in patients with aggressive relapsed or recurrent non-Hodgkin lymphoma.~II. To describe the toxicities of this regimen at each dose studied in these patients.~III. To characterize the pharmacokinetic behavior of this regimen in these patients.~IV. To obtain preliminary information regarding the effect of obatoclax mesylate on several apoptotic regulatory pathways.~V. To document all clinical responses in these patients to this regimen.~OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.~PHASE I: Patients receive obatoclax mesylate IV over 3 hours followed by bortezomib IV on days 1, 8, 15, and 22.~Treatment repeats every 35 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Pharmacokinetic evaluations of obatoclax mesylate are conducted in all patients during the first course.~PHASE II: Patients receive obatoclax mesylate IV over 3 hours followed by bortezomib IV on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 at the maximum tolerated dose determined in phase I.~Treatment repeats every 35 days for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed for 26 weeks.
Obatoclax may stop the growth of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by blocking blood flow to the cancer. Bortezomib and obatoclax may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving obatoclax together with bortezomib may kill more cancer cells. This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of obatoclax when given together with bortezomib and to see how well they work in treating patients with aggressive relapsed or recurrent non-Hodgkin lymphoma.