Are anti-PD1 and anti-PD-L1 alike? The non-small-cell lung cancer paradigm

Difference of oncological efficacy between two immune checkpoint inhibitors following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with unresectable, metastatic, advanced urothelial carcinoma: a multicenter real-world Japanese cohort

BACKGROUND

Maintenance avelumab is currently recommended for patients with unresectable and/or metastatic (mUC) achieving at least stable disease (SD) on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (1L-CT). Pembrolizumab is an alternative therapeutic avenue for this patient cohort in clinical practice. We investigated real-world data, focusing on the correlation between response to 1L-CT and oncological efficacy of subsequent immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy with avelumab or pembrolizumab.

METHODS

A multicenter database registered 626 patients with mUC diagnosed from 2008-2023; among these, 175 receiving 2-6 cycles of 1L-CT followed by ICI therapy. Patients were categorized based on response to 1L-CT using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (v1.1). Objective response rate on ICI, progression to ICI-free survival (ICI-PFS), and overall survival from start of 1L-CT were compared between avelumab-treated and pembrolizumab-treated patients in each response subgroup.

RESULTS

ICI-PFS was significantly longer in patients achieving partial response on 1L-CT and subsequently receiving pembrolizumab compared to those receiving avelumab. Notably, patients achieving SD on 1L-CT and subsequently receiving pembrolizumab manifested significantly higher objective response rate (14% and 41%, respectively) and prolonged ICI-PFS relative to those receiving avelumab. In contrast, overall survival did not delineate difference between patients treated with avelumab versus pembrolizumab. Similar findings were discerned in the subanalysis of patients having favorable SD (tumor shrinkage, from - 29 to 0%) and unfavorable SD (tumor enlargement, from + 1 to + 19%) on 1L-CT.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides real-world evidence regarding difference of oncological efficacy between maintenance avelumab and subsequent pembrolizumab in patients with mUC who achieved partial response or SD on 1L-CT.

Comparative characterization of two monoclonal antibodies targeting canine PD-1

Monoclonal antibodies targeting immune checkpoints have revolutionized oncology. Yet, the effectiveness of these treatments varies significantly among patients, and they are associated with unexpected adverse events, including hyperprogression. The murine research model used in drug development fails to recapitulate both the functional human immune system and the population heterogeneity. Hence, a novel model is urgently needed to study the consequences of immune checkpoint blockade. Dogs appear to be uniquely suited for this role. Approximately 1 in 4 companion dogs dies from cancer, yet no antibodies are commercially available for use in veterinary oncology. Here we characterize two novel antibodies that bind canine PD-1 with sub-nanomolar affinity as measured by SPR. Both antibodies block the clinically crucial PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in a competitive ELISA assay. Additionally, the antibodies were tested with a broad range of assays including Western Blot, ELISA, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. The antibodies appear to bind two distinct epitopes as predicted by molecular modeling and peptide phage display. Our study provides new tools for canine oncology research and a potential veterinary therapeutic.

Association of Preoperative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy With Cardiopulmonary Instability and Organ Injury After High-Risk Surgery

OBJECTIVES

To assess the relationship between prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the risk of postoperative complications in cancer patients.

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective cohort study.

INTERVENTIONS

The main exposure was treatment with an FDA-approved ICI within 6 months before surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Exposure to ICIs and covariates was determined from the electronic health record. The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative complications, including prolonged pressor or oxygen dependence, kidney injury, or myocardial injury. Secondary outcomes included each subcomponent of the primary outcome. Of 7674 subjects with cancer admitted to the ICU after surgery, 247 were exposed to one or more ICIs in the 6 months before surgery. After propensity score matching, 197 ICI-exposed subjects were matched to 777 nonexposed. The composite outcome occurred in 70 of 197 (35.5%) ICI-exposed subjects and 251 of 777 (32.3%) nonexposed. There was no difference between exposed and nonexposed groups in the primary composite outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.80-1.58) by conditional logistic regression. Risk of the secondary outcome of prolonged pressor dependence was significantly higher in ICI-exposed subjects (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.01-2.67). Risks of oxygen dependence (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.75-1.73), kidney injury (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.77-1.71), and myocardial injury (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.00-3.10) were not significantly different. There was no difference between groups in the time to hospital discharge alive (p = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to ICIs within 6 months before high-risk surgery was not associated with the composite outcome of cardiopulmonary instability or organ injury in patients with cancer. The potential for an association with the secondary outcomes of cardiac instability and injury is worthy of future study.

Antitumour effect of the mitochondrial complex III inhibitor Atovaquone in combination with anti-PD-L1 therapy in mouse cancer models

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) provides effective and durable responses for several tumour types by unleashing an immune response directed against cancer cells. However, a substantial number of patients treated with ICB develop relapse or do not respond, which has been partly attributed to the immune-suppressive effect of tumour hypoxia. We have previously demonstrated that the mitochondrial complex III inhibitor atovaquone alleviates tumour hypoxia both in human xenografts and in cancer patients by decreasing oxygen consumption and consequently increasing oxygen availability in the tumour. Here, we show that atovaquone alleviates hypoxia and synergises with the ICB antibody anti-PD-L1, significantly improving the rates of tumour eradication in the syngeneic CT26 model of colorectal cancer. The synergistic effect between atovaquone and anti-PD-L1 relied on CD8+ T cells, resulted in the establishment of a tumour-specific memory immune response, and was not associated with any toxicity. We also tested atovaquone in combination with anti-PD-L1 in the LLC (lung) and MC38 (colorectal) cancer syngeneic models but, despite causing a considerable reduction in tumour hypoxia, atovaquone did not add any therapeutic benefit to ICB in these models. These results suggest that atovaquone has the potential to improve the outcomes of patients treated with ICB, but predictive biomarkers are required to identify individuals likely to benefit from this intervention.

Pulmonary Immune-Related Adverse Events of PD-1 Versus PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Review of Pharmacovigilance

Introduction

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapeutics. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) increase morbidity and mortality and thereby limit therapeutic utility. The real-world incidence of the entire spectrum of pulmonary irAEs has not been systematically described. The objective of this study is to assess the risk of developing pulmonary irAEs (pneumonitis, pleural events [i.e., effusion and pleurisy], exacerbations of airway disease [i.e., bronchitis and bronchiectasis], and sarcoidosis) with exposure to five commonly used ICIs: nivolumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab, and atezolizumab.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) pharmacovigilance database. We collected data from 2012 to 2021 to assess the risk of pulmonary irAEs and performed a disproportionality analysis using Open-Vigil, a software package used for analysis of pharmacovigilance data, to calculate reporting odds ratios (RORs). We used 95% CIs to evaluate the precision of RORs. An ROR greater than 1 and the upper limit of the 95% CI indicated statistical significance.

Results

A total of 17,273,403 events were reported in FAERS between 2012 and 2021. Of these, 88,099 (0.5%) were attributed to the PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) inhibitors and 21,905 (0.1%) to PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1) inhibitors of interest. The most common indication for using the ICIs of interest was lung cancer: a total of 2832 (46.70%) for the PD-1 inhibitors and 1311 (70.9%) for the PD-L1 inhibitors. In the anti-PD-1 group, 2342 (38.6%) patients were hospitalized, and 1962 (32.4%) patients died from the lung adverse event. In the PD-L1 group, 744 (40.3%) patients were hospitalized, and 520 (28.1%) patients died from the event. Nivolumab resulted in the highest statistically significant risk (ROR, 10.5; 95% CI, 10.1-10.9) for pneumonitis. Avelumab had a lesser risk for pneumonitis (ROR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.2-0.3). The risk for pleural events was highest with nivolumab (ROR, 3.6; 95% CI, 3.4-3.9), followed by pembrolizumab (ROR, 1.8; 95% CI; 1.6-2.0) (p < 0.001), with the lowest risks from durvalumab, atezolizumab, and avelumab. For ICI-related sarcoidosis, the risk was most significant with pembrolizumab (ROR, 3.6; 95% CI, 2.8-4.7), followed by nivolumab (ROR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.9-3.5) (p < 0.001). The RORs for all five ICIs were less than 1 for exacerbations of airway diseases as compared with other drugs.

Conclusion

Using a pharmacovigilance database, we found an increased risk of multiple pulmonary irAEs after ICI therapy, particularly with PD-1 inhibitors. Further work is needed to investigate the incidence of pulmonary irAEs other than pneumonitis.

Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients with Lung Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been widely adopted for the treatment of lung cancer since receiving first U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2015. However, along with their use, the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has presented a challenge for both patients and oncology providers. In this manuscript, we reviewed the clinical trials that led to the approval of ICI by the FDA for the treatment of lung cancer between 2015 and 2023 to establish the frequency of irAEs in this patient population. Among the adverse events associated with ICI, we focused on the most common and relevant ones, including hypothyroidism, pneumonitis, diarrhea/colitis, skin rash, and hepatitis.

RECENT FINDINGS

We thoroughly examined the available literature, including society guidelines concerning these complications, to discuss various aspects such as their pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnostic process, grading system, and clinical management. Additionally, we explored the association between irAEs and disease response. The management of irAEs is a crucial aspect of oncologic care, particularly due to their potential to cause severe and life-threatening clinical manifestations. We present each pertinent aspect in a concise and organized manner to provide guidance and assistance to oncology providers managing these patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

Impact of body mass index in patients receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) is first line-treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Body mass index (BMI) has demonstrated predictive value for response to immunotherapy in non-HCC cancer types. Our study investigated the effect of BMI on safety and efficacy of real-life use of Atezo/Bev for unresectable HCC.

METHODS

191 consecutive patients from seven centres receiving Atezo/Bev were included in the retrospective study. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) defined by RECIST v1.1 were measured in overweight (BMI ≥ 25) and non-overweight (BMI < 25) patients. Treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Patients in the overweight cohort (n = 94) had higher rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and lower rates of Hepatitis B compared to non-overweight cohort (n = 97). Baseline Child-Pugh class and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage were similar between cohorts, with lower rates of extrahepatic spread in the overweight group. Overweight patients had similar OS compared to non-overweight (median OS 15.1 vs. 14.9 months; p = 0.99). BMI did not influence median PFS (7.1 vs. 6.1 months; p = 0.42), ORR (27.2% vs. 22.0%; p = 0.44) and DCR (74.1% vs. 71.9%; p = 0.46). There were higher rates of atezolizumab-related fatigue (22.3% vs. 10.3%; p = 0.02) and bevacizumab-related thrombosis (8.5% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.045) in the overweight patients, but overall trAEs and treatment discontinuation were comparable between cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Atezo/Bev has comparable efficacy in overweight HCC patients, with an increase in treatment-related fatigue and thrombosis. Combination therapy is safe and efficacious to use in overweight patients, including those with underlying NAFLD.

Current and preclinical treatment options for Merkel cell carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive form of skin cancer with neuroendocrine features. The origin of this cancer is still unclear, but research in the last 15 years has demonstrated that MCC arises via two distinct etiologic pathways, i.e. virus and UV-induced. Considering the high mortality rate and the limited therapeutic options available, this review aims to highlight the significance of MCC research and the need for advancement in MCC treatment.

AREAS COVERED

With the advent of the immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies, we now have treatment options providing a survival benefit for patients with advanced MCC. However, the issue of primary and acquired resistance to these therapies remains a significant concern. Therefore, ongoing efforts seeking additional therapeutic targets and approaches for MCC therapy are a necessity. Through a comprehensive literature search, we provide an overview on recent preclinical and clinical studies with respect to MCC therapy.

EXPERT OPINION

Currently, the only evidence-based therapy for MCC is immune checkpoint blockade with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 for advanced patients. Neoadjuvant, adjuvant and combined immune checkpoint blockade are promising treatment options.

Immune checkpoint activity regulates polycystic kidney disease progression

Innate and adaptive immune cells modulate the severity of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a common kidney disease with inadequate treatment options. ADPKD has parallels with cancer, in which immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to reactivate CD8+ T cells and slow tumor growth. We have previously shown that in PKD, CD8+ T cell loss worsens disease. This study used orthologous early-onset and adult-onset ADPKD models (Pkd1 p.R3277C) to evaluate the role of immune checkpoints in PKD. Flow cytometry of kidney cells showed increased levels of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) on T cells and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)/CD80 on macrophages and epithelial cells in Pkd1RC/RC mice versus WT, paralleling disease severity. PD-L1/CD80 was also upregulated in ADPKD human cells and patient kidney tissue versus controls. Genetic PD-L1 loss or treatment with an anti-PD-1 antibody did not impact PKD severity in early-onset or adult-onset ADPKD models. However, treatment with anti-PD-1 plus anti-CTLA-4, blocking 2 immune checkpoints, improved PKD outcomes in adult-onset ADPKD mice; neither monotherapy altered PKD severity. Combination therapy resulted in increased kidney CD8+ T cell numbers/activation and decreased kidney regulatory T cell numbers correlative with PKD severity. Together, our data suggest that immune checkpoint activation is an important feature of and potential novel therapeutic target in ADPKD.

Evaluation of Cardiac Adverse Events with Nivolumab Using a Japanese Real-World Database

BACKGROUND

Nivolumab has been used for the treatment of various types of cancers and has achieved improvements in overall survival. However, nivolumab can cause a variety of adverse events (AEs). Among these, cardiac-specific AEs have received little attention in clinical trials, despite their life-threatening potential.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to determine the risk of nivolumab-induced cardiac AEs, time to onset, incidence rates, and post hoc outcomes using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database.

METHODS

We analyzed data for the period between April 2004 and March 2021. Data on cardiac AEs were extracted and relative risk of AEs was estimated using the reporting odds ratio (ROR).

RESULTS

We analyzed 1,772,494 reports and identified 18,721 reports of AEs caused by nivolumab. Of these, 409 reports involved cardiac AEs. Signals were detected for four cardiac AEs: myocarditis; pericardial effusion; pericarditis; and immune-mediated myocarditis. Among these, myocarditis was the most frequently reported (35.0%) and included fatal cases. A histogram of times to onset showed nivolumab-associated AEs occurring 41-127 days after starting administration, with outlier cases of myocarditis or pericardial effusion occurring after more than one year, both with catastrophic consequences.

CONCLUSION

This study focused on cardiac AEs caused by nivolumab as post-marketing AEs. Myocarditis and pericardial effusion have been associated with some fatal cases after administration of nivolumab. Patients should be monitored for signs of onset for these AEs, not only at the start of administration, but also over an extended period after nivolumab administration.

Bayesian hierarchical model-based network meta-analysis to overcome survival extrapolation challenges caused by data immaturity

Aim: This research evaluated standard Weibull mixture cure (WMC) network meta-analysis (NMA) with Bayesian hierarchical (BH) WMC NMA to inform long-term survival of therapies. Materials & methods: Four trials in previously treated metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 >1% were used comparing docetaxel with nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab. Cure parameters related to a certain treatment class were assumed to share a common distribution. Results: Standard WMC NMA predicted cure rates were 0.03 (0.01; 0.07), 0.18 (0.12; 0.24), 0.07 (0.02; 0.15) and 0.03 (0.00; 0.09) for docetaxel, nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab, respectively, with corresponding incremental life years (LY) of 3.11 (1.65; 4.66), 1.06 (0.41; 2.37) and 0.42 (-0.57; 1.68). The Bayesian hierarchical-WMC-NMA rates were 0.06 (0.03; 0.10), 0.17 (0.11; 0.23), 0.12 (0.05; 0.20) and 0.12 (0.03; 0.23), respectively, with incremental LY of 2.35 (1.04; 3.93), 1.67 (0.68; 2.96) and 1.36 (-0.05; 3.64). Conclusion: BH-WMC-NMA impacts incremental mean LYs and cost-effectiveness ratios, potentially affecting reimbursement decisions.

B Cells in Breast Cancer Pathology

B cells have recently become a focus in breast cancer pathology due to their influence on tumour regression, prognosis, and response to treatment, besides their contribution to antigen presentation, immunoglobulin production, and regulation of adaptive responses. As our understanding of diverse B cell subsets in eliciting both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in breast cancer patients increases, it has become pertinent to address the molecular and clinical relevance of these immune cell populations within the tumour microenvironment (TME). At the primary tumour site, B cells are either found spatially dispersed or aggregated in so-called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). In axillary lymph nodes (LNs), B cell populations, amongst a plethora of activities, undergo germinal centre reactions to ensure humoral immunity. With the recent approval for the addition of immunotherapeutic drugs as a treatment option in the early and metastatic settings for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, B cell populations or TLS may resemble valuable biomarkers for immunotherapy responses in certain breast cancer subgroups. New technologies such as spatially defined sequencing techniques, multiplex imaging, and digital technologies have further deciphered the diversity of B cells and the morphological structures in which they appear in the tumour and LNs. Thus, in this review, we comprehensively summarise the current knowledge of B cells in breast cancer. In addition, we provide a user-friendly single-cell RNA-sequencing platform, called "B singLe cEll rna-Seq browSer" (BLESS) platform, with a focus on the B cells in breast cancer patients to interrogate the latest publicly available single-cell RNA-sequencing data collected from diverse breast cancer studies. Finally, we explore their clinical relevance as biomarkers or molecular targets for future interventions.

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) Concomitant with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Are Therapeutically Effective in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) In Vivo Model

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are electric fields that exert physical forces to disrupt cellular processes critical for cancer cell viability and tumor progression. TTFields induce anti-mitotic effects through the disruption of the mitotic spindle and abnormal chromosome segregation, which trigger several forms of cell death, including immunogenic cell death (ICD). The efficacy of TTFields concomitant with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1) treatment was previously shown in vivo and is currently under clinical investigation. Here, the potential of TTFields concomitant with anti- PD-1/anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (anti-CTLA-4) or anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to improve therapeutic efficacy was examined in lung tumor-bearing mice. Increased circulating levels of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and elevated intratumoral levels of phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α) were found in the TTFields-treated mice, indicative of ICD induction. The concomitant application of TTFields and ICI led to a significant decrease in tumor volume as compared to all other groups. In addition, significant increases in the number of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, specifically cytotoxic T-cells, were observed in the TTFields plus anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-L1 groups. Correspondingly, cytotoxic T-cells isolated from these tumors showed higher levels of IFN-γ production. Collectively, these results suggest that TTFields have an immunoactivating role that may be leveraged for concomitant treatment with ICI to achieve better tumor control by enhancing antitumor immunity.

Enhancing therapeutic anti-cancer responses by combining immune checkpoint and tyrosine kinase inhibition

Over the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has been established as the standard of care for many types of cancer, but the strategies employed have continued to evolve. Recently, much clinical focus has been on combining targeted therapies with ICI for the purpose of manipulating the immune setpoint. The latter concept describes the equilibrium between factors that promote and those that suppress anti-cancer immunity. Besides tumor mutational load and other cancer cell-intrinsic determinants, the immune setpoint is also governed by the cells of the tumor microenvironment and how they are coerced by cancer cells to support the survival and growth of the tumor. These regulatory mechanisms provide therapeutic opportunities to intervene and reduce immune suppression via application of small molecule inhibitors and antibody-based therapies against (receptor) tyrosine kinases and thereby improve the response to ICIs. This article reviews how tyrosine kinase signaling in the tumor microenvironment can promote immune suppression and highlights how therapeutic strategies directed against specific tyrosine kinases can be used to lower the immune setpoint and elicit more effective anti-tumor immunity.

Applications of Model-Based Meta-Analysis in Drug Development

Model-based meta-analysis (MBMA) is a quantitative approach that leverages published summary data along with internal data and can be applied to inform key drug development decisions, including the benefit-risk assessment of a treatment under investigation. These risk-benefit assessments may involve determining an optimal dose compared against historic external comparators of a particular disease indication. MBMA can provide a flexible framework for interpreting aggregated data from historic reference studies and therefore should be a standard tool for the model-informed drug development (MIDD) framework.In addition to pairwise and network meta-analyses, MBMA provides further contributions in the quantitative approaches with its ability to incorporate longitudinal data and the pharmacologic concept of dose-response relationship, as well as to combine individual- and summary-level data and routinely incorporate covariates in the analysis.A common application of MBMA is the selection of optimal dose and dosing regimen of the internal investigational molecule to evaluate external benchmarking and to support comparator selection. Two case studies provided examples in applications of MBMA in biologics (durvalumab + tremelimumab for safety) and small molecule (fenebrutinib for efficacy) to support drug development decision-making in two different but well-studied disease areas, i.e., oncology and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively.Important to the future directions of MBMA include additional recognition and engagement from drug development stakeholders for the MBMA approach, stronger collaboration between pharmacometrics and statistics, expanded data access, and the use of machine learning for database building. Timely, cost-effective, and successful application of MBMA should be part of providing an integrated view of MIDD.

Efficacy outcomes and prognostic factors from real-world patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy: The Spinnaker retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Efficacy outcomes and prognostic factors of real-world patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy are still limited.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In the retrospective Spinnaker study, data was collected from patients in six United Kingdom and one Swiss oncology centres with first-line pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy. Efficacy outcomes and potential prognostic factors were estimated aiming at developing a prognostic model.

RESULTS

Three-hundred-eight patients were included, 32% ≥ 70 years, with ≥ 3 metastatic sites in 33%, brain or liver metastases in 10% and 12%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 18.0 months (mo.) (range, 15.9-20.1), median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 12.7 mo. (range, 10.2-15.2), and 8.0 mo. (range, 7.1-8.8), respectively. The neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) (i.e., NLR × platelet count) were both significantly higher in ECOG PS 1 (p = 0.0147 and p = 0.0018, respectively), underweight or normal body mass index (p = 0.0456 and p = 0.0062, respectively), ≥3 metastatic sites (p = 0.0069 and p = 0.112), pretreatment steroids (p = 0.0019 and p = 0.0017). By MVA, the number of metastatic sites ≥ 3 (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002), squamous histology (p = 0.033 and p = 0.013) and SII ≥ 1444 (p = 0.031 and p = 0.009, respectively) were associated with both worse OS and PFS and led to a highly discriminating three-class risk prognostic model.

CONCLUSION

Real-world PFS with chemoimmunotherapy in aNSCLC patients is similar to that reported in clinical trials. A high number of metastatic sites, squamous histology and high SII are adverse prognostic factors that might contribute to a clinically useful prognostic model.

Modeling the effect of gut microbiome on therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors against cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to be highly successful against some solid metastatic malignancies, but only for a subset of patients who show durable clinical responses. The overall patient response rate is limited due to the interpatient heterogeneity. Preclinical and clinical studies have recently shown that the therapeutic responses can be improved through the modulation of gut microbiome. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this paper, we explored the effect of favorable and unfavorable gut bacteria on the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1 against cancer by modeling the tumor-immune-gut microbiome interactions, and further examined the predictive markers of responders and non-responders to anti-PD-1. The dynamics of the gut bacteria was fitted to the clinical data of melanoma patients, and virtual patients data were generated based on the clinical patient survival data. Our simulation results show that low initial growth rate and low level of favorable bacteria at the initiation of anti-PD-1 therapy are predictive of non-responders, while high level of favorable bacteria at the initiation of anti-PD-1 therapy is predictive of responders. Simulation results also confirmed that it is possible to promote patients' response rate to anti-PD-1 by manipulating the gut bacteria composition of non-responders, whereby achieving long-term progression-free survival.

Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers: Current Status and Updates

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major health burden, and novel therapeutic options are needed to help solve this problem. One such option is immunotherapy, which targets immune checkpoint molecules that inhibit cancer cells, decreasing immune system activation, for example, immunotherapies target PD-1, its ligand PD-L1, and CTLA-4. There have been major advances in the development of agents that inhibit these molecules, called immune checkpoint inhibitors, and several of them are already approved for usage in NSCLC patients, especially in advanced stages. In this review, the reasons why immune checkpoint inhibitors could be beneficial and the clinical results of studies using these drugs for advanced or recurrent NSCLC patients are discussed, as is the safety profile of the drugs.

Evolution of Preclinical Characterization and Insights into Clinical Pharmacology of Checkpoint Inhibitors Approved for Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has significantly advanced the treatment paradigm in oncology, with approvals of immuno‐oncology agents for over 16 indications, many of them first line. Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are recognized as an essential backbone for a successful anticancer therapy regimen. This review focuses on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory approvals of major CPIs and the evolution of translational advances since their first approval close to a decade ago. In addition, critical preclinical and clinical pharmacology considerations, an overview of the pharmacokinetic and dose/regimen aspects, and a discussion of the future of CPI translational and clinical pharmacology as combination therapy becomes a mainstay of industrial immunotherapy development and in clinical practice are also discussed.

When Less May Be Enough: Dose Selection Strategies for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Focusing on AntiPD-(L)1 Agents

Early clinical trials investigating antiPD(L)-1 agents rarely reached a maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and efficacy signals were observed even at the lowest dose levels. Most extended treatment intervals investigated indicated that these drugs do not follow a direct dose-toxicity or dose-efficacy relationship. Within this context and considering the high cost of antiPD(L)-1 agents, there is a significant debate on whether lower doses or the administration of such agents at an extended interval should be prospectively evaluated in already-approved agents, or at least be considered in novel combination trials involving antiPD(L)-1 drugs. Herein, we review the dosing, overall response rates, and incidence of treatment-related adverse events of antiPD(L)-1 agents in early dose-escalation trials and discuss the appropriateness of recommended Phase 2 dose selection as well as the final regulatory approved doses of such agents. Efficacy and safety data from randomized dose-range Phase 2 trials and real-world data (RWD) on the usage of lower doses and/or non-standard extended treatment intervals are also examined. As the accumulating evidence suggests lower doses or extended dosing intervals of antiPD(L)-1 may achieve a similar clinical benefit in comparison to the currently approved doses, we address the clinical and financial toxicity implications of using potentially higher doses than necessary. Last, we discuss ways to resolve the current dosing conundrum of antiPD-(L)1 agents such as performing near-equivalence studies and propose a framework for future development of immunotherapeutics to find the lowest efficacious dose instead of MTD.

Challenges of the Immunotherapy: Perspectives and Limitations of the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment

Immunotherapy is a quickly developing type of treatment and the future of therapy in oncology. This paper is a review of recent findings in the field of immunotherapy with an emphasis on immune checkpoint inhibitors. The challenges that immunotherapy might face in near future, such as primary and acquired resistance and the irAEs, are described in this article, as well as the perspectives such as identification of environmental modifiers of immunity and development of anti-cancer vaccines and combined therapies. There are multiple factors that may be responsible for immunoresistance, such as genomic factors, factors related to the immune system cells or to the cancer microenvironment, factors emerging from the host cells, as well as other factors such as advanced age, biological sex, diet, many hormones, existing comorbidities, and the gut microbiome.

Cancer Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors-Biomarkers of Response and Toxicity; Current Limitations and Future Promise

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that are used to treat over one in three cancer patients. While they have changed the natural history of disease, prolonging life and preserving quality of life, they are highly active in less than 40% of patients, even in the most responsive malignancies such as melanoma, and cause significant autoimmune side effects. Licenced biomarkers include tumour Programmed Death Ligand 1 expression by immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability, and tumour mutational burden, none of which are particularly sensitive or specific. Emerging tumour and immune tissue biomarkers such as novel immunohistochemistry scores, tumour, stromal and immune cell gene expression profiling, and liquid biomarkers such as systemic inflammatory markers, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, circulating immune cells, cytokines and DNA are discussed in this review. We also examine the influence of the faecal microbiome on treatment outcome and its use as a biomarker of response and toxicity.

Recent advances in primary resistance mechanisms against immune checkpoint inhibitors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The resistance of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has become an obstacle to further improve the survival of patients with advanced cancer. This review provides an overview of recent advances in primary resistance mechanisms of ICIs.

RECENT FINDINGS

With the improvement of study approach, new characteristics and trends have emerged in the classification of tumor immune subtypes. The effects of germline genetic on tumor microenvironment and the efficacy of immunotherapy have been further studied. Exosomal programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an increasing focus of research in primary resistance mechanisms of ICIs. In addition to antibiotics and steroids, the influence of other concomitant medications on the efficacy of ICIs has recently gained more attention.

SUMMARY

Exploring the resistance mechanisms of ICIs is one of the great challenges in the field of tumor immunotherapy. Continued work to understand the resistance mechanism of ICIs is ongoing.

Durable response after immunotherapy discontinuation for delayed and severe immune-related adverse events: a case report

Recent studies have shown that immune-related adverse events (irAEs), occurring even after the discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), may be associated with favorable disease outcomes, particularly in patients with melanoma and lung cancer. However, a few clinical cases have been described on the correlation between irAEs and ICIs efficacy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. This study reports the clinical case of a metastatic RCC patient who has experienced severe immune-related renal toxicity after 19 months of nivolumab use. Despite immunotherapy discontinuation, the patient has maintained clinical benefit and disease progression-free for 3 years. We examined the correlation between the occurrence and the severity of irAEs, treatment discontinuation and clinical benefits. The evidence on ICI retreatment following ICI discontinuation due to irAEs was also reviewed.

Prognostic and Predictive Factors in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Review of the Current Evidence

In recent years, the treatment landscape of urothelial carcinoma has significantly changed due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which are the standard of care for second-line treatment and first-line platinum-ineligible patients with advanced disease. Despite the overall survival improvement, only a minority of patients benefit from this immunotherapy. Therefore, there is an unmet need to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers or models to select patients who will benefit from ICIs, especially in view of novel therapeutic agents. This review describes the prognostic and predictive role, and clinical readiness, of clinical and tumour factors, including new molecular classes, tumour mutational burden, mutational signatures, circulating tumour DNA, programmed death-ligand 1, inflammatory indices and clinical characteristics for patients with urothelial cancer treated with ICIs. A classification of these factors according to the levels of evidence and grades of recommendation currently indicates both a prognostic and predictive value for ctDNA and a prognostic relevance only for concomitant medications and patients' characteristics.

The Continuum of Thyroid Disorders Related to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Still Many Pending Queries

BACKGROUND

Until more data are available to shed light on the thyroid disorders related to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) implemented for the treatment of hematological malignancies, the decision-making is guided by pertinent data derived mostly from solid tumors.

METHODS

The present review provides a comprehensive and updated overview of the thyroid disorders related to ICPi, namely to inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death (PD) 1 (PD-1), and the ligand of the latter (PD-L1).

RESULTS

With the increasing recognition of ir thyroid disorders, many outstanding issues have emerged. Ir thyroid disorders are reminiscent of, but not identical to, thyroid autoimmunity. Interclass and intraclass ICPi differences regarding thyroid immunotoxicity await interpretation. The available data concerning the predictive value of thyroid autoantibodies for the development of ir thyroid disorders are inconclusive. Mounting data indicate an association of ir thyroid disorders with ICPi efficacy, but a causative link is still lacking. The path forward is a tailored approach, entailing: (i) the validation of tumor-specific, patient-specific, and ICPi-specific predictive factors; (ii) appropriate patient selection; (iii) the uncoupling of antitumor immunity from immunotoxicity; (iv) a multidisciplinary initiative; and (v) global registry strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Untangling and harnessing the interrelationship of immuno-oncology with endocrinology underlying the ir thyroid disorders will yield the optimal patient care.

Epigenetic mechanisms of liver tumor resistance to immunotherapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor, which stands fourth in rank of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The incidence of HCC is constantly increasing in correlation with the epidemic in diabetes and obesity, arguing for an urgent need for new treatments for this lethal cancer refractory to conventional treatments. HCC is the paradigm of inflammation-associated cancer, since more than 80% of HCC emerge consecutively to cirrhosis associated with a vast remodeling of liver microenvironment. In the recent decade, immunomodulatory drugs have been developed and have given impressive results in melanoma and later in several other cancers. In the present review, we will discuss the recent advancements concerning the use of immunotherapies in HCC, in particular those targeting immune checkpoints, used alone or in combination with other anti-cancers agents. We will address why these drugs demonstrate unsatisfactory results in a high proportion of liver cancers and the mechanisms of resistance developed by HCC to evade immune response with a focus on the epigenetic-related mechanisms.

Preclinical Characterization of a Novel Anti-Cancer PD-L1 Inhibitor RPH-120

RPH-120 is a novel fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody with specifically designed Asn300Ala mutation in Fc fragment. Surface plasmon resonance assay showed that affinity of the RPH-120 to the dimeric form of human PD-L1-Fc fusion protein was much higher than affinity to the monomeric His-tagged PD-L1. Further binding studies demonstrated that RPH-120 is able to bind to human and monkey but not mouse PD-L1. Tissue cross-reactivity study showed good comparability of human and Cynomolgus monkeys tissue staining. Bioactivity was assessed using mixed lymphocyte reaction assay. This study revealed that RPH-120 was able to activate T cells preventing PD1/PD-L1 interaction. Antitumor efficacy was analyzed in HCC-827 lung cancer xenografts in humanized CD34⁺ mice at three dosage levels: 20, 80, and 200 mg/kg. RPH-120 demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition, and this inhibition was comparable to that of atezolizumab. In a single dose toxicity, toxicokinetic and dose range finding study performed in Cynomolgus monkeys, RPH-120 was administered via intravenous (IV) bolus or 60-min IV infusion, followed by 8-weeks recovery period. An acceptable toxicokinetic profile was demonstrated and administration at doses of up to 200 mg/kg was well tolerated by all animals. In conclusion, RPH-120 revealed promising in vitro and in vivo activity and safety. RPH-120 is a potent anti-PD-L1 drug candidate for cancer immunotherapy.

Clinical Significance of Composition Changes in T-cell Subpopulations After Chemotherapy in Patients With Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

New therapeutic agents and prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer are needed. We analyzed the composition of peripheral blood T-cell subpopulations in response to chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients diagnosed with gastric cancer before and after chemotherapy (FOLFOX; oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. Patients were divided into responder (n=5) and non-responder groups (n=2) based on their chemotherapy outcomes.

RESULTS

Non-responders showed lower numbers of CD4+/total cells and CD8+/total cells after chemotherapy compared to the responder group, but the difference was not significant (p=0.905, p=0.095). Naïve T, central memory T, effector memory T and effector T-cell counts differed in both groups after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Changes in peripheral T-cell subpopulations after chemotherapy were confirmed in patients with gastric cancer, which may be a prognostic predictor and development of therapeutic agents.

Anti-PD1 versus anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in first-line therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Due to the increasing number of trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the first-line therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, we performed a systematic review and meta-analyses to investigate the difference between anti PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies, used alone or in combination with chemotherapy, through adjusted indirect analysis to minimize the potential bias regarding overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs).

METHODS

A systematic review of studies reporting clinical outcomes and toxicity associated with first-line therapy employing anti-PD1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies alone, or in combination with chemotherapy, to treat metastatic, treatment-naïve NSCLC patients was performed. Primary outcomes were OS, PFS, ORR and grade 3-5 AEs. We used a random-effects model to generate pooled estimates for proportions. Meta-analyses using pooled risk ratios were performed for binary outcomes from comparative studies with the random effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 13 eligible studies met our eligibility criteria, including 7673 patients. In the ICI-chemotherapy combination subgroup, we observed that anti-PD1 therapy was associated with better OS (p = 0.022) and PFS (p = 0.029) compared with anti-PD-L1 therapy. In the monotherapy subgroup, there was no statistical difference between the use of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 for OS and PFS. With regard to ORR and toxicity, in the ICI-chemotherapy combination subgroup, we observed a trend of better ORR (p = 0.12) with the use of anti-PD1 therapy and less frequent grade 3-5 AEs compared to the use of anti-PD-L1 therapy (p = 0.0302). In the monotherapy subgroup, there was no statistical difference between the use of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 regarding ORR and toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that PD-1 drug plus chemotherapy is superior to anti-PD-L1 plus chemotherapy for NSCLC; nevertheless, as monotherapy, both strategies appear to be similar.

First-line immune-checkpoint inhibitor plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

Introduction

Platin-based chemotherapy (CT) has long been the first-line standard-of-care for patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Adding immune-checkpoint inhibitor(s) to CT (ICI+CT) in this setting is an option of interest, although its benefit is apparently modest.

Methods

This meta-analysis was conducted on randomized trials comparing first-line ICI+CT versus CT alone for ES-SCLC. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), response at 12 months and adverse events (AEs). Subgroup analyses were computed according to the immunotherapy used, performance status (PS), age, platinum salt, liver metastases and brain metastases at diagnosis.

Results

The literature search identified one randomized phase II (ECOG-ACRIN-5161) and four phase III trials (CASPIAN, IMPOWER-133, KEYNOTE-604 and Reck et al. 2016) that included 2775 patients (66% males, 95% smokers, median age: 64 years, PS = 0 or 1). ICI+CT was significantly associated (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]) with prolonged OS [0.82 (0.75-0.89); p <  0.00001] and PFS [0.81 (0.75-0.87); p <  0.00001], with OS benefits for anti-PD-L1 [0.73 (0.63-0.85); p < 0.0001] or anti-PD-1 [0.76 (0.63-0.93); p < 0.006] but not for anti-CTLA-4 [0.90 (0.80-1.01), p = 0.07]. ORRs for ICI+CT or CT alone were comparable [odds ratio 1.12 (0.97-1.00); p = 0.12], but responses at 12 months favored ICI+CT [4.16 (2.81-6.17), p < 0.00001]. Serious grade-3/4 AEs were more frequent with ICI+CT [odds ratio 1.18 (1.02-1.37); p = 0.03]. Compared with CT, no ICI+CT benefit was found for ES-SCLC with brain metastases at diagnosis [HR 1.14 (0.87-1.50); p = 0.34].

Conclusions

First-line ICI+CT appears to be superior to CT alone for ES-SCLC except for patients with brain metastases at diagnosis.

Immunotherapy beyond progression in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent a great breakthrough in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC). However, whether immunotherapy beyond progression (IBP) is effective for aNSCLC has yet to be established. Therefore, a retrospective clinical study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of IBP in patients with aNSCLC under real-world conditions.

Methods

A total of 125 Chinese patients with aNSCLC who experienced progressive disease (PD) after receiving monotherapy or combination therapy (combined with chemotherapy or/and antiangiogenic therapy) with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors between January 2015 and March 2019 were enrolled. Patients who were treated with ICIs for more than 6 weeks after PD were defined as IBP (n=39), while those who received ICI treatment for less than 6 weeks or discontinued it due to PD were defined as non-IBP (n=86). Patient clinical characteristics were evaluated. An optimization-based method was applied to balance the clinical baseline characteristics between the two groups.

Results

In total population, the IBP group had longer overall survival (median OS, 26.6 vs. 9.5 months; HR, 0.40; 95% CI: 0.23–0.69; P<0.001) and progression-free survival (median PFS, 8.9 vs. 4.1 months; HR, 0.41; 95% CI: 0.26–0.65; P<0.001), compared with the non-IBP group. Despite no significant difference in objective response rate (ORR, 15.4% vs. 11.6%, P=0.560), disease control rate (DCR) was significantly higher in the IBP group (89.7% vs. 61.6%, P<0.001). After balancing baseline covariates, the IBP group also had longer OS (median: 26.6 vs. 10.7 months; HR, 0.40; 95% CI: 0.19–0.84; P=0.015) and PFS (median: 9.7 vs. 4.3 months; HR, 0.28; 95% CI: 0.15–0.51; P<0.001), with a benefit in either of patients previously treated with ICI monotherapy or in combination therapy and with non-response to the previously ICI.

Conclusions

IBP is associated with longer OS and PFS in patients with aNSCLC. Our findings may suggest new therapeutic options for patients with aNSCLC who experienced disease progression after initial immunotherapy.

Understanding Inflammasomes and PD-1/PD-L1 Crosstalk to Improve Cancer Treatment Efficiency

Inflammasomes and immune checkpoints have been shown to participate in carcinogenesis, cancer growth and response to treatment. Thus, targeting cytokines resulting from inflammasome activation, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, has emerged as a new tool in the therapeutic arsenal. Moreover, the use of checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 has revolutionized the treatment of some cancer patients. However, inflammasome activation and consecutive cytokine release only occurs in some chemotherapeutic treatments and immune checkpoint inhibitors only work for a restricted number of patients, thus limiting the use of therapies targeting these pathways. Expanding knowledge about the inefficiency of these therapies recently brought forward the hypothesis of targeting both pathways. In this review, we provide an overview of the crosstalk between inflammasomes and programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) that might explain how these two pathways are mutually dependent, and perhaps why targeting only one of them leads to inefficiency of cancer treatment in some patients.