Researchers with Johns Hopkins, Yale, Sloan-Kettering and other NCI-associated cancer centers have published the results of a clinical trial evaluating the antibody BMS-936558, which works to block the so-called programmed death 1 (PD-1), an inhibitory receptor expressed by T cells that can overcome immune resistance.
Their findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine,
Patients received an anti-PD-1 antibody at a dose correlating with body weight every two weeks for an eight week treatment cycle. 12 cycles were typically received by patients until complete response or disease progression.
Patients enrolled in the study had diagnoses of non-small cell lung cancer, advanced melanoma, renal-cell carcinoma, castration-resistant prostate cancer, or colorectal cancer. In all, 296 patients received the antibody treatment. Three died from pulmonary toxicity. 14 percent of patients experienced grade 3 or 4 drug-related adverse events.
In sum, a response could be evaluated in 236 patients.
-- Objective responses (complete or partial responses) were observed in those with non–small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, or renal-cell cancer.
-- Cumulative response rates (all doses) were:
---- 18% among patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (14 of 76 patients)
---- 28% among patients with melanoma (26 of 94 patients)
---- 27% among patients with renal-cell cancer (9 of 33 patients).
20 of 31 responses lasted 1 year or more in patients with 1 year or more of follow-up.
Researchers concluded that there appears to be a relationship between blocking PD-1 expression and objective tumor response.
Source: NEJM
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