Oncology Ny
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Immune checkpoint-blocking drugs such as ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab have demonstrated clinical efficacy as anticancer agents. Through modulation of immunoregulatory molecules, these novel therapeutics can produce durable cancer remissions in a variety of tumor types. ⋯ This review summarizes the unique mechanisms of toxicity associated with immune checkpoint-blocking drugs, appropriate steps in patient evaluation, and strategies for mitigating risk and optimizing patient outcomes. Although the management of each patient receiving immune checkpoint-blockade therapy must be individualized, a conceptual framework upon which to base a multidisciplinary approach to best practices will help oncology practitioners deliver safe and effective care.
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Immune checkpoints, such as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) or its receptor, programmed death 1 (PD-1), appear to be Achilles' heels for multiple tumor types. PD-L1 not only provides immune escape for tumor cells but also turns on the apoptosis switch on activated T cells. Therapies that block this interaction have demonstrated promising clinical activity in several tumor types. In this review, we will discuss the current status of several anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies in clinical development and their direction for the future.
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Blocking the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway with monoclonal antibodies has shown promising antitumor responses in clinical trials, with less toxicity than has been seen with prior immune therapies such as interleukin 2 and ipilimumab. Pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, recently gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with ipilimumab-refractory melanoma, while nivolumab, another anti-PD-1 antibody, and MPDL3280A, an anti-programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD-L1) antibody, have been granted FDA "breakthrough designation" for treatment of subsets of patients with refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and metastatic bladder cancer, respectively. Encouraging antitumor activity has also been seen with these agents in patients with other malignancies, including non-small-cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer, tumors not previously thought to be immune-responsive. ⋯ Multiple, distinct, companion assays for PD-L1 positivity have been developed, but there is as yet no comparison, standardization, or prospective validation of these assays. PD-L1 expression on tumor cells and/or the tumor-immune infiltrate is likely only part of the predictive model necessary for selecting patients predisposed to respond to monotherapy. Additional predictive biomarkers are necessary to identify patients most likely to benefit from PD-1-based combination therapy, since tumor cell PD-L1 expression appears to have limited predictive value in this setting.