22 Oct Melanoma: Nivolumab with Vaccine in IPI Refractory Melanoma
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jeffrey Weber, M.D, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, Florida
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Weber: That the PD-1 blocking antibody nivolumab has a 25% ORR with long duration of response in ipilimumab refractory patients, and that patients with prior grade 3-4 ipilimumab related immune related side effects may be safely treated with nivolumab without reproducing the prior IPI related side effects.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Dr. Weber: The correlative studies done as part of this clinical trial showed that high levels of pre-existing antigen specific tumor specific CD8 T cells were associated with a poor outcome with nivolumab.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Weber: That nivolumab is a very active drug in unresectable melanoma in patients that have failed other therapies and are ipilimumab naïve or –refractory.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Weber: Sequential and concurrent nivolumab and ipilimumab are worth studying, and that important findings will be obtained by studying the phenotype and function of existing circulating and tumor infiltrating immune T cells prior to treatment with PD-1 antibody to develop possible predictive markers for the drug.
Citation;
JCO published online on October 21, 2013; DOI:10.1200/JCO.2013.51.4802.
Last Updated on October 22, 2013 by Marie Benz MD FAAD