Immuno-Oncology

On the first day at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, physicians introduced some of the newer agents currently available to treat lymphoma and described their experience with these agents during the session, "Incorporating Novel Agents into Lymphoma Therapy: Value in Everyday Practice."

Amgen might be the latest entrant in the immunotherapy realm if the FDA heeds the advice of an independent advisory panel, recommending Amgen's anticancer viral therapy, T-Vec, for melanoma treatment.

A press release by Bristol-Myers Squibb announced their filing of a supplemental Biologics License Application for Opdivo (nivolumab) in the treatment of previously untreated individuals with advanced melanoma.

While lawmakers, payers, and patient advocates are raising a voice against the sky-rocketing costs of the newer breakthorugh agents in cancer, the drug developers can boast a strong start to the year with big sales figures.

The accelerated review, the results of which were made public 2 days prior to a vote by an FDA advisory panel on using T-Vec in melaonma, cited concerns over the design and results of a key study with the viral drug.

The monoclonal antibody MPDL3280A, a PD-L1 inhibitor being developed by Genentech, generated pharmacodynamic responses as measured by circulating biomarkers in phase 1a studies in patients with triple negative breast cancer.

With an aim to grab band-width in the shared PD-1 space, Merck has partnered with Syntax to conduct combination studies of Keytruda with Entinostat in melanoma and lung cancer patients.

The authors however cautioned that we still lack an understanding of biomarker-driven patient selection for PD-1 and PD-L1 agent. Adequate knowledge of the mechanism of action of these immuno-oncology agents could help optimize therapy, they add.

Currently, Keytruda is approved for patients with advanced melanoma previously treated with Yervoy and, in some patients, another type of drug as well. That second- and third-line status limits the number of patients eligible for the drug.

Dendreon's prostate cancer immunotherapy Provenge is now being backed by IQWiG just months after the German health technology assessor was poised to reject the treatment.

Merck and Eli Lilly have entered an agreement to collaborate on clinical trials to evaluate the former's recently approved PD-1 inhibitor, Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with Lilly's oncology agents in several clinical trials targeting multiple tumor types.