A combination of two immunotherapy drugs delivered an “encouraging” response rate in patients with advanced solid tumors, offering new hope for improvement in mesothelioma treatments. The clinical trial revealed a 37.7% objective response to treatment with anti-CTLA-4 human immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 monoclonal antibody CS1002 and the anti-PD-1 humanized recombinant IgG4 monoclonal antibody CS1003, also known as nofazinlimab.
Clinical Trial Tested Combination Recently Approved for Mesothelioma Treatment
The drugs were tested for both efficacy and safety, according to Sarwan Bishnoi, MD of the University of Adelaide in Australia, who noted that, “Combination therapy with anti-CTLA‐4 and anti-PD‐(L)1 antibodies was recently approved for patients with advanced melanoma, high/intermediate‐risk renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, and advanced high microsatellite instability/mismatch repair deficient (MSI‐H/dMMR) colorectal cancer, underscoring the therapeutic potential of this regimen” He added that, “Anti-CTLA‐4 plus anti-PD(L)‐1 therapy has also exhibited promising activity in patients with anti-PD(L)‐1‐antibody refractory tumors, including melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).”
The advanced solid tumor study included participants diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Of the 92 evaluated for safety, no dose-limiting toxicities or maximum tolerated doses were observed, and of the 61 evaluated for efficacy, 37.7% achieved an objective response to treatment.
Study Included Dose Escalation for Mesothelioma Treatment
Malignant mesothelioma is categorized as a solid tumor, and because it is so challenging to treat, promising study results like those in this study are greeted with significant enthusiasm. This study was conducted at nine study sites between April 2018 and January 2022 and consisted of multiple parts that included dose escalation and expansion.
The researchers noted that higher objective response rates were observed with conventional and high-dose regimens compared with low-dose, suggesting dose-dependent efficacy, “especially in patients with anti-PD(L)1-refractory tumors.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, this type of research offers real hope. For more information on breakthroughs in treating this rare and challenging disease, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
