Immunotherapy
By Wayne Kuznar
The second-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy bb2121, engineered to target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a protein on the surface of certain myeloma cells, displayed continuing efficacy and safety in an update of a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to data presented at ASCO 2018. Read More ›
On September 28, 2018, the FDA approved cemiplimab-rwlc injection (Libtayo; Regeneron), a new immune checkpoint inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (CSCC) or locally advanced CSCC who are not eligible for surgery or radiation. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
Lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), an investigational CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, has induced durable responses in high-risk patients with aggressive relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to data presented at ASCO 2018. Read More ›
By Phoebe Starr
Immunotherapy combinations are being studied intensively to determine which combinations hold the most promise in specific cancer types. At ASCO 2018, the session “Compelling Combinations: Raising the Bar with Immunotherapy,” which featured 3 new studies that explore chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, got high marks from lead investigator Sibylle Loibl, MD, PhD, Co-chair of the German Breast Group, Neu-Isenburg, Germany, who discussed the results. Read More ›
Triple-negative breast cancer is considered one of the most difficult to treat breast cancers, with few treatment options, but finally a breakthrough study shows progress by extending patient survival. Read More ›
Patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) who do not respond to first-line rituximab (Rituxan) therapy are extremely difficult to manage, said Susan E. Prockop, MD, Pediatric Oncologist, Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, at the 2018 European Hematology Association Congress. Read More ›
Learning how to activate and harness the immune system—the body’s built-in defense against disease—has brought the field of oncology to the cusp of a cure for at least some, if not many, types of cancer, according to an international authority in immuno-oncology. Read More ›
By Phoebe Starr
A novel approach using the investigational toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist CMP-001 in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) may have the potential to reverse resistance to anti–PD-1 therapy, according to data from a preliminary phase 1b clinical trial. Read More ›