NK T-Cell Agonist Under Investigation in Combination With Pembrolizumab in Melanoma and NSCLC
Source: OncLive, August 2023
The natural killer (NK) T-cell agonist IMM60 may overcome resistance to PD-1 inhibitors when combined with immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to Nicholas Coupe, MBBS, PhD, who emphasized the tolerable safety profile seen so far with this combination.
The phase 1/2 IMPORT-201 trial (NCT05709821) is investigating IMM60 as monotherapy in patients with melanoma who have progressed on immunotherapy and patients with NSCLC who have progressed on immunotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. The study is also evaluating IMM60 plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with melanoma and patients with previously untreated, PD-L1–high NSCLC. So far, 12 patients have received a total of 52 infusions of IMM60 at doses up to 9 mg/m2.
The investigators have observed no dose-limiting toxicities or IMM60-related serious adverse effects (AEs). Additionally, 1 patient who received IMM60 plus pembrolizumab experienced only low-grade AEs consistent with those expected with pembrolizumab.
“Preclinical work [with IMM60] indicates that we may be able to enhance the effect of immunotherapy and, more importantly, potentially overcome some areas of immunotherapy resistance,” Coupe said in an interview with OncLive®.