Emergence of Tebentafusp Underscores the Need for Additional Advancements in Uveal Melanoma
Source: Onc Live, December 2022
Richard D. Carvajal, MD, discusses the implications of the FDA approval of tebentafusp in uveal melanoma, the possibility of exploring tebentafusp in other HLA subtypes, and other areas of intriguing research in uveal melanoma.
When the FDA approved tebentafusp-tebn (Kimmtrak) for the treatment of patients with HLA-A*02:01–positive unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma in January 2022, it underscored 2 things about the treatment space in the disease, according to Richard D. Carvajal, MD. He said testing patients for HLA status is vital, and more studies are needed to develop therapies for patients who are not eligible to receive tebentafusp.
“In uveal melanoma, HLA typing is critical. We must know if tebentafusp is an option [for individual patients],” said Carvajal, who presented on new treatments in uveal melanoma at the 40th Annual CFS®. “Clinical trials are still high priority. Although the median overall survival [OS] for uveal melanoma is now over 20 months, we are still losing patients. We must prioritize these clinical trials.”